A Study on the Relationship between English Vocabulary Threshold and Word Guessing Strategy for Pre-University Chinese Students in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Juan, Wu Xiao; Abidin, Mohamad Jafre Zainol; Eng, Lin Siew

2013-01-01

This survey aims at studying the relationship between English vocabulary threshold and word guessing strategy that is used in reading comprehension learning among 80 pre-university Chinese students in Malaysia. T-test is the main statistical test for this research, and the collected data is analysed using SPSS. From the standard deviation test…

Strangeness and charm production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at beam energies near the thresholds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senger, P.

2001-01-01

The creation of strangeness and charm in nucleus-nucleus collisions at threshold beam energies is discussed as a probe for compressed baryonic matter. Experimental data on strangeness production at SIS energies indicate that the properties of kaons and antikaons are modified in the dense nuclear medium. An experiment is proposed to explore the QCD phase diagram in the region of highest baryon densities. An important observable will be charm production close to threshold. (orig.)

Prevalence of People Showing over Threshold Depressive Symptom in 40 Years and Over Aged

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Tozun

2008-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of threshold over depressive symptoms and to determine depression related risk factors among 40 years and over aged population in Kaymaz municipality of Sivrihisar county of Eskisehir city. MATERIAL-METHOD: This cross-sectional study was done from May 1st to June 30th 2007. In the study sample, there were 269 (50.1% men, 268 (49.9 % women, and total 537 people. The mean age of the study sample was 59.94 ± 10.94 year, and the range was 40 - 87 years. The questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics and some depression related risk factors was filled out by interview Beck Depression Scale was used in determination of depression. Chi-square test was used in statistical analyses. RESULTS: Prevalence of people showing over threshold depressive symptoms was found 15.1% (n=81 in the study sample. Prevalence of people showing over threshold depressive symptoms was found significantly higher among women, unemployed people, uninsured people, smokers, people with physical defect, people with chronic disease, people with living negative event that is effect to his/her life in the last month, and people with family history of depression (for each one p<0.05. CONCLUSION: In the end of this study, it was suggested that health education for preventive precautions of depression in adults, frequent periodic screening for early diagnosis and treatment of depression, and directed to specialist doctors of people with depression should be made. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2008; 7(6.000: 485-490

Meson production near threshold: physics implications and new technical challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, H.O. [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Physics

1995-02-01

Recently, the study of pion production in few-nucleon systems has been advanced considerably, mainly due to experiments using internal targets in stored, cooled beams. Experimental progress has inspired theoretical insights: from measurements close to threshold we have learned that an enhancement of the axial charge caused by heavy-meson exchange significantly contributes to pion production. The study of the production of pions, as well as heavier mesons, with stored polarized beams and polarized internal targets is likely to heave important consequences for our understanding of the nuclear force. (author). 42 refs, 11 figs.

A threshold for dissipative fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoennessen, M.; Bertsch, G.F.

1993-01-01

The empirical domain of validity of statistical theory is examined as applied to fission data on pre-fission data on pre-fission neutron, charged particle, and γ-ray multiplicities. Systematics are found of the threshold excitation energy for the appearance of nonstatistical fission. From the data on systems with not too high fissility, the relevant phenomenological parameter is the ratio of the threshold temperature T thresh to the (temperature-dependent) fission barrier height E Bar (T). The statistical model reproduces the data for T thresh /E Bar (T) thresh /E Bar (T) independent of mass and fissility of the systems

Threshold factorization redux

Science.gov (United States)

Chay, Junegone; Kim, Chul

2018-05-01

We reanalyze the factorization theorems for the Drell-Yan process and for deep inelastic scattering near threshold, as constructed in the framework of the soft-collinear effective theory (SCET), from a new, consistent perspective. In order to formulate the factorization near threshold in SCET, we should include an additional degree of freedom with small energy, collinear to the beam direction. The corresponding collinear-soft mode is included to describe the parton distribution function (PDF) near threshold. The soft function is modified by subtracting the contribution of the collinear-soft modes in order to avoid double counting on the overlap region. As a result, the proper soft function becomes infrared finite, and all the factorized parts are free of rapidity divergence. Furthermore, the separation of the relevant scales in each factorized part becomes manifest. We apply the same idea to the dihadron production in e+e- annihilation near threshold, and show that the resultant soft function is also free of infrared and rapidity divergences.

The effect of dilute acid pre-treatment process in bioethanol production from durian (Durio zibethinus) seeds waste

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazali, K. A.; Salleh, S. F.; Riayatsyah, T. M. I.; Aditiya, H. B.; Mahlia, T. M. I.

2016-03-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the promising feedstocks for bioethanol production. The process starts from pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation and finally obtaining the final product, ethanol. The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass depends heavily on the effectiveness of the pre-treatment step which main function is to break the lignin structure of the biomass. This work aims to investigate the effects of dilute acid pre-treatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis of durian seeds waste to glucose and the subsequent bioethanol fermentation process. The yield of glucose from dilute acid pre-treated sample using 0.6% H2SO4 and 5% substrate concentration shows significant value of 23.4951 g/L. Combination of dilute acid pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis using 150U of enzyme able to yield 50.0944 g/L of glucose content higher compared to normal pre-treated sample of 8.1093 g/L. Dilute acid pre-treatment sample also shows stable and efficient yeast activity during fermentation process with lowest glucose content at 2.9636 g/L compared to 14.7583g/L for normal pre-treated sample. Based on the result, it can be concluded that dilute acid pre-treatment increase the yield of ethanol from bioethanol production process.

Schubert calculus and threshold polynomials of affine fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irvine, S.E.; Walton, M.A.

2000-01-01

We show how the threshold level of affine fusion, the fusion of Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) conformal field theories, fits into the Schubert calculus introduced by Gepner. The Pieri rule can be modified in a simple way to include the threshold level, so that calculations may be done for all (non-negative integer) levels at once. With the usual Giambelli formula, the modified Pieri formula deforms the tensor product coefficients (and the fusion coefficients) into what we call threshold polynomials. We compare them with the q-deformed tensor product coefficients and fusion coefficients that are related to q-deformed weight multiplicities. We also discuss the meaning of the threshold level in the context of paths on graphs

Phenomenology of threshold corrections for inclusive jet production at hadron colliders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, M.C. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). II. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Moch, S. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Hamburg Univ. (Germany). II. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2013-09-15

We study one-jet inclusive hadro-production and compute the QCD threshold corrections for large transverse momentum of the jet in the soft-gluon resummation formalism at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. We use the resummed result to generate approximate QCD corrections at next-to-next-to leading order, compare with results in the literature and present rapidity integrated distributions of the jet's transverse momentum for Tevatron and LHC. For the threshold approximation we investigate its kinematical range of validity as well as its dependence on the jet's cone size and kinematics.

Antiproton production in heavy-ion collisions at energies below the threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeter, A.

1993-08-01

In the framework of this thesis the antiproton production in heavy ion collisions at projectile energies far below the threshold for anti p production in nucleon-nucleon collisions (5.63 GeV/u) was studied. A suited detection apparature was developed and constructed at the fragment separator-magnet spectrometer at the Society for Heavy Ion Research (GSI). For the identification of the antiprotons the momentum of the particles emitted in beam direction was measured and their velocity multiple-redundantly determined by means of time-of-flight measurements and threshold Cherenkov detectors. By this way the antiprotons could be in spite of low anti p production cross sections and high production rates for lighter particles (R anti p: R K - -:R π - -∼1:5*10 3 :10 7 ) background-freely determined. By this experiment for Ne+NaF, Cu, Sn, and Bi as well ass Ni+Ni collisions at incident energies between 1.6 GeV/u and 2.0 GeV/u production cross sections for antiprotons in the momentum range between 1.0 GeV/c and 2.2 GeV/c and for kaons and pions between 0.5 GeV/c and 2.8 GeV/c were measured, in order to study the influence of collisional-system size, incident energy, and secondary-particle momentum on the production probabilities and to contribute in comparison with the prognoses of theoretical models to the explanation of the particle production mechanisms. (HSI)

Thresholds and timing of pre-operative thrombocytosis and ovarian cancer survival: analysis of laboratory measures from electronic medical records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cozzi, Gabriella D.; Samuel, Jacob M.; Fromal, Jason T.; Keene, Spencer; Crispens, Marta A.; Khabele, Dineo; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia

2016-01-01

Thrombocytosis has been associated with poor ovarian cancer prognosis. However, comparisons of thresholds to define thrombocytosis and evaluation of relevant timing of platelet measurement has not been previously conducted. We selected Tumor Registry confirmed ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube cancer cases diagnosed between 1995–2013 from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Laboratory measured platelet values from electronic medical records (EMR) were used to determine thrombocytosis at three thresholds: a platelet count greater than 350, 400, or 450 × 10 9 /liter. Timing was evaluated with 5 intervals: on the date of diagnosis, and up to 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks prior to the date of diagnosis. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) for association with overall survival; adjustment included age, stage, grade, and histologic subtype of disease. Pre-diagnosis platelet measures were available for 136, 241, 280, 297, and 304 cases in the five intervals. The prevalence of thrombocytosis decreased with increasing thresholds and was generally consistent across the five time intervals, ranging from 44.8–53.2 %, 31.6–39.4 %, and 19.9–26.1 % across the three thresholds. Associations with higher grade and stage of disease gained significance as the threshold increased. With the exception of the lowest threshold on the date of diagnosis (HR 350 : 1.55, 95 % CI: 0.97–2.47), all other survival associations were significant, with the highest reaching twice the risk of death for thrombocytosis on the date of diagnosis (HR 400 : 2.01, 95 % CI: 1.25–3.23). Our EMR approach yielded associations comparable to published findings from medical record abstraction approaches. In addition, our results indicate that lower thrombocytosis thresholds and platelet measures up to 8 weeks before diagnosis may inform ovarian cancer characteristics and prognosis

Free ammonia pre-treatment of secondary sludge significantly increases anaerobic methane production.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wei; Zhou, Xu; Wang, Dongbo; Sun, Jing; Wang, Qilin

2017-07-01

Energy recovery in the form of methane from sludge/wastewater is restricted by the poor and slow biodegradability of secondary sludge. An innovative pre-treatment technology using free ammonia (FA, i.e. NH 3 ) was proposed in this study to increase anaerobic methane production. The solubilisation of secondary sludge was significantly increased after FA pre-treatment at up to 680 mg NH 3 -N/L for 1 day, under which the solubilisation (i.e. 0.4 mg SCOD/mg VS; SCOD: soluble chemical oxygen demand; VS: volatile solids) was >10 times higher than that without FA pre-treatment (i.e. 0.03 mg SCOD/mg VS). Biochemical methane potential assays showed that FA pre-treatment at above 250 mg NH 3 -N/L is effective in improving anaerobic methane production. The highest improvement in biochemical methane potential (B 0 ) and hydrolysis rate (k) was achieved at FA concentrations of 420-680 mg NH 3 -N/L, and was determined as approximately 22% (from 160 to 195 L CH 4 /kg VS added) and 140% (from 0.22 to 0.53 d -1 ) compared to the secondary sludge without pre-treatment. More analysis revealed that the FA induced improvement in B 0 and k could be attributed to the rapidly biodegradable substances rather than the slowly biodegradable substances. Economic and environmental analyses showed that the FA-based technology is economically favourable and environmentally friendly. Since this FA technology aims to use the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) waste (i.e. anaerobic digestion liquor) to enhance methane production from the WWTPs, it will set an example for the paradigm shift of the WWTPs from 'linear economy' to 'circular economy'. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of proteinuria threshold in pre-eclampsia with maternal and perinatal outcomes: a nested case control cohort of high risk women.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kate Bramham

Full Text Available To evaluate occurrence of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes with different thresholds of proteinuria (300-499 mg and ≥500 mg/24 hours in pre-eclamptic women, comparing outcomes against women with chronic and gestational hypertension.Secondary analysis of the Vitamins in Pre-Eclampsia Trial.25 UK hospitals in ten geographical areas.946 women with pre-existing risk factors for pre-eclampsia.Women with pre-eclampsia and proteinuria 300-499 mg/24 h (PE300, referent group, n=60 or proteinuria ≥500 mg/24 h (PE500, n=161 were compared with two groups of non-proteinuric women with chronic hypertension (CHT, n=615 or gestational hypertension (GH, n=110.MATERNAL: progression to severe hypertension. Perinatal: small for gestational age (SGA <5(th centile, gestation at delivery.Severe hypertension occurred more frequently in PE500 (35% and PE300 (27% than CHT (5.9%; P≤0.01 and GH (10%; p≤0.001. Gestation at delivery was earlier in PE500 (33.2 w than PE300 (37.3 w; P≤0.001, and later in CHT (38.3 w; P≤0.05 and GH (39.1 w; P≤0.001. SGA infants were more frequent in PE300 (32% than in CHT (13.3%; P≤0.001 and GH (16.5%; P≤0.05. Women in PE500 were more likely to have a caesarean section than PE300 (78% vs. 48%; P≤0.001, and to receive magnesium sulphate (17% vs. 1.7%, P≤0.05.Women with PE300 have complication rates above those of women managed as out-patients (GH and CHT, meriting closer surveillance and confirming 300 mg/d as an appropriate threshold for determining in-patient management. Adverse perinatal outcomes are higher still in women with PE500.

Characteristics of a Sensitive Well Showing Pre-Earthquake Water-Level Changes

Science.gov (United States)

King, Chi-Yu

2018-04-01

Water-level data recorded at a sensitive well next to a fault in central Japan between 1989 and 1998 showed many coseismic water-level drops and a large (60 cm) and long (6-month) pre-earthquake drop before a rare local earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on 17 March 1997, as well as 5 smaller pre-earthquake drops during a 7-year period prior to this earthquake. The pre-earthquake changes were previously attributed to leakage through the fault-gouge zone caused by small but broad-scaled crustal-stress increments. These increments now seem to be induced by some large slow-slip events. The coseismic changes are attributed to seismic shaking-induced fissures in the adjacent aquitards, in addition to leakage through the fault. The well's high-sensitivity is attributed to its tapping a highly permeable aquifer, which is connected to the fractured side of the fault, and its near-critical condition for leakage, especially during the 7 years before the magnitude 5.8 earthquake.

Natural or Induced: Identifying Natural and Induced Swarms from Pre-production and Co-production Microseismic Catalogs at the Coso Geothermal Field

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenball, Martin; Kaven, Joern; Glen, Jonathan M. G.; Davatzes, Nicholas C.

2015-01-01

Increased levels of seismicity coinciding with injection of reservoir fluids have prompted interest in methods to distinguish induced from natural seismicity. Discrimination between induced and natural seismicity is especially difficult in areas that have high levels of natural seismicity, such as the geothermal fields at the Salton Sea and Coso, both in California. Both areas show swarm-like sequences that could be related to natural, deep fluid migration as part of the natural hydrothermal system. Therefore, swarms often have spatio-temporal patterns that resemble fluid-induced seismicity, and might possibly share other characteristics. The Coso Geothermal Field and its surroundings is one of the most seismically active areas in California with a large proportion of its activity occurring as seismic swarms. Here we analyze clustered seismicity in and surrounding the currently produced reservoir comparatively for pre-production and co-production periods. We perform a cluster analysis, based on the inter-event distance in a space-time-energy domain to identify notable earthquake sequences. For each event j, the closest previous event i is identified and their relationship categorized. If this nearest neighbor’s distance is below a threshold based on the local minimum of the bimodal distribution of nearest neighbor distances, then the event j is included in the cluster as a child to this parent event i. If it is above the threshold, event j begins a new cluster. This process identifies subsets of events whose nearest neighbor distances and relative timing qualify as a cluster as well as a characterizing the parent-child relationships among events in the cluster. We apply this method to three different catalogs: (1) a two-year microseismic survey of the Coso geothermal area that was acquired before exploration drilling in the area began; (2) the HYS_catalog_2013 that contains 52,000 double-difference relocated events and covers the years 1981 to 2013; and (3) a

Allergic contact dermatitis from ophthalmic products: can pre-treatment with sodium lauryl sulfate increase patch test sensitivity?

Science.gov (United States)

Corazza, Monica; Virgili, Annarosa

2005-05-01

In patients suspected of allergic contact dermatitis because of topical ophthalmic medicaments, patch tests performed with patients' own products are often negative. The irritant anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) may alter the stratum corneum and increase antigen penetration. Pre-treatment of the skin with SLS 0.5% for 24 h was performed in the sites of patch tests with patients' own products in 15 selected patients. In patients previously negative to their own products tested with conventional patch tests, SLS pre-treatment showed 6 new relevant positive reactions and induced a stronger positive reaction in 1 patient. SLS pre-treatment could be proposed as an alternative promising method, which may increase sensitivity of patch tests with patients' own products.

Optimal replacement policy of products with repair-cost threshold after the extended warranty

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Lijun Shang; Zhiqiang Cai

2017-01-01

The reliability of the product sold under a warranty is usually maintained by the manufacturer during the warranty period. After the expiry of the warranty, however, the consumer confronts a problem about how to maintain the reliability of the product. This paper proposes, from the consumer's perspective, a replace-ment policy after the extended warranty, under the assumption that the product is sold under the renewable free replacement warranty (RFRW) policy in which the replacement is dependent on the repair-cost threshold. The proposed replacement policy is the replacement after the extended warranty is performed by the consumer based on the repair-cost threshold or preventive replacement (PR) age, which are decision variables. The expected cost rate model is derived from the consumer's perspective. The existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution that minimizes the expected cost rate per unit time are offered. Finally, a numeri-cal example is presented to exemplify the proposed model.

OPTIMAL PRE-MERGER NOTIFICATION THRESHOLDS: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ITALIAN DEBATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Buccirossi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines a theoretical framework to define the optimal notification thresholds so as to minimize the sum of Type I and Type II error costs. Results suggest that, when the notification rule takes into account in a cumulative way both the aggregate turnover of the merging parties and their individual turnover, the optimal values of these turnovers are interdependent. The model is then applied to the Italian case. The value of the threshold for the aggregate turnover has been obtained by benchmarking the rules set in the EU Member States through a simple econometric exercise. The value of the threshold for the individual turnover is then calculated applying the theoretical framework and the estimated costs of Type I and Type II errors.

Threshold hyperon production in proton-proton collisions at COSY-11

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozek, T.

2005-10-01

For the first time the pp→nK + Σ + reaction has been measured in the threshold region and the cross section was determined. The measurement was performed at the COSY-11 detection system at two beam momenta P beam =2.6 GeV/c and 2.74 GeV/c, corresponding to excess energies Q=13 MeV and 60 MeV. COSY-11 is an internal magnetic spectrometer experiment at the COoler SYnchrotron and storage ring COSY in Juelich, Germany. It is equipped with scintillator hodoscopes and drift chambers for charged particle detection and a scintillator/lead sandwich detector for neutrons. Experimentally, the Σ + hyperon was identified via the missing mass technique, by detecting the remaining reaction products - K + meson and neutron. Extensive background studies in the missing mass spectra have been performed and the possible influence of the higher partial waves on the detection efficiency discussed. The investigation on the Σ + production is a part of the long ongoing studies of the hyperons production performed by the COSY-11 collaboration. In the previous analysis of the Λ and Σ 0 hyperon production in the pp→pK + Λ and pp→pK + Σ 0 reactions, respectively, the unexpectedly high cross section ratio σ(Λ/σ)(Σ 0 ) in the close to threshold region was observed. To explain this behavior, various theoretical scenarios were proposed, but although they differ even in the dominant basic reaction mechanism, all more or less reproduce the data. In order to get more information for disentangling the contributing reaction mechanisms, data from an other isospin channel were taken, namely pp→nK + Σ + . Within this thesis the method of the measurement and the data analysis is given. The total cross section is presented and the results are discussed in view of available theoretical models. (orig.)

Threshold resummation for the LHC: all order colour structure and application to squark production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwinn, Ch.; Falgari, P.; Benke, M.

2009-01-01

We present a factorization formula for the production of pairs of heavy coloured particles in hadronic collision at the production threshold. We construct a basis in colour space that diagonalized the soft function appearing in the factorization formula to all orders in perturbation theory. We perform a resummation of soft gluon effects in momentum space and present results for the example of squark-antisquark production at the LHC. (author)

A curve of thresholds governs plague epizootics in Central Asia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reijniers, Jonas; Davis, Stephen; Begon, Mike

2012-01-01

, it is common to assume a threshold defined by the ratio of vector and host abundances. Here, we show in contrast, both from field data and model simulations, that for plague (Yersinia pestis) in Kazakhstan, the invasion threshold quantity is based on the product of its host (Rhombomys opimus) and vector...

QCD threshold corrections for gluino pair production at hadron colliders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Langenfeld, Ulrich [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany); Moch, Sven-Olaf; Pfoh, Torsten [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)

2012-11-15

We present the complete threshold enhanced predictions in QCD for the total cross section of gluino pair production at hadron colliders at next-to-next-to-leading order. Thanks to the computation of the required one-loop hard matching coefficients our results are accurate to the next-to-next-to-leading logarithm. In a brief phenomenological study we provide predictions for the total hadronic cross sections at the LHC and we discuss the uncertainties arising from scale variations and the parton distribution functions.

Threshold resummation and the total cross section for top quark production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, E.L.; Contopanagos, H.

1997-01-01

We discuss the motivation for resummation of the effects of initial-state soft gluon radiation, to all orders in the strong coupling strength, for processes in which the near-threshold region in the partonic subenergy is important. We summarize our calculation of the total cross section for top quark production at hadron colliders. Comments are included on the differences between our treatment of subleading logarithmic terms and other methods

Singing emotionally: A study of pre-production, production, and post-production facial expressions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lena Rachel Quinto

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Singing involves vocal production accompanied by a dynamic and meaningful use of facial expressions, which may serve as ancillary gestures that complement, disambiguate, or reinforce the acoustic signal. In this investigation, we examined the use of facial movements to communicate emotion, focusing on movements arising in three epochs: before vocalisation (pre-production, during vocalisation (production, and immediately after vocalisation (post-production. The stimuli were recordings of seven vocalists’ facial movements as they sang short (14 syllable melodic phrases with the intention of communicating happiness, sadness, irritation, or no emotion. Facial movements were presented as point-light displays to 16 observers who judged the emotion conveyed. Experiment 1 revealed that the accuracy of emotional judgement varied with singer, emotion and epoch. Accuracy was highest in the production epoch, however, happiness was well communicated in the pre-production epoch. In Experiment 2, observers judged point-light displays of exaggerated movements. The ratings suggested that the extent of facial and head movements is largely perceived as a gauge of emotional arousal. In Experiment 3, observers rated point-light displays of scrambled movements. Configural information was removed in these stimuli but velocity and acceleration were retained. Exaggerated scrambled movements were likely to be associated with happiness or irritation whereas unexaggerated scrambled movements were more likely to be identified as neutral. An analysis of the motions of singers revealed systematic changes in facial movement as a function of the emotional intentions of singers. The findings confirm the central role of facial expressions in vocal emotional communication, and highlight individual differences between singers in the amount and intelligibility of facial movements made before, during, and after vocalization.

Threshold hyperon production in proton-proton collisions at COSY-11

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rozek, T.

2005-10-01

For the first time the pp{yields}nK{sup +}{sigma}{sup +} reaction has been measured in the threshold region and the cross section was determined. The measurement was performed at the COSY-11 detection system at two beam momenta P{sub beam}=2.6 GeV/c and 2.74 GeV/c, corresponding to excess energies Q=13 MeV and 60 MeV. COSY-11 is an internal magnetic spectrometer experiment at the COoler SYnchrotron and storage ring COSY in Juelich, Germany. It is equipped with scintillator hodoscopes and drift chambers for charged particle detection and a scintillator/lead sandwich detector for neutrons. Experimentally, the {sigma}{sup +} hyperon was identified via the missing mass technique, by detecting the remaining reaction products - K{sup +} meson and neutron. Extensive background studies in the missing mass spectra have been performed and the possible influence of the higher partial waves on the detection efficiency discussed. The investigation on the {sigma}{sup +} production is a part of the long ongoing studies of the hyperons production performed by the COSY-11 collaboration. In the previous analysis of the {lambda} and {sigma}{sup 0} hyperon production in the pp{yields}pK{sup +}{lambda} and pp{yields}pK{sup +}{sigma}{sup 0} reactions, respectively, the unexpectedly high cross section ratio {sigma}({lambda}/{sigma})({sigma}{sup 0}) in the close to threshold region was observed. To explain this behavior, various theoretical scenarios were proposed, but although they differ even in the dominant basic reaction mechanism, all more or less reproduce the data. In order to get more information for disentangling the contributing reaction mechanisms, data from an other isospin channel were taken, namely pp{yields}nK{sup +}{sigma}{sup +}. Within this thesis the method of the measurement and the data analysis is given. The total cross section is presented and the results are discussed in view of available theoretical models. (orig.)

Threshold Level and Traceability of Roundup Ready® Soybeans in Tofu Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zorica Nikolić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to assess DNA degradation, DNA amplification, and GMO quantity during tofu production. Soybean seeds were spiked with Roundup Ready® soybeans (RRS at 0.9, 2, 3 and 5 % (by mass, to assess the level of RSS that would be of practical interest for threshold labelling. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR was more effective than conventional PCR in the analysis of raw soymilk, okara, boiled soymilk and tofu. The negative effect of grinding and mechanical manipulation was obvious in the okara sample prepared with 3 and 5 % RRS, where GMO content was reduced to (2.28±0.23 and (2.74±0.26 %, respectively. However, heating at 100 °C for 10 min did not cause significant degradation of DNA in all samples. The content of RRS in the final product, tofu, was reduced tenfold during processing, ranging from 0.07 to 0.46 %, which was below the labelling threshold level. The results are discussed in terms of global harmonization of GMO standards, which could have the positive effect on the trade of lightly processed foodstuffs such as tofu, especially regarding the labelling policies.

Threshold Level and Traceability of Roundup Ready® Soybeans in Tofu Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolić, Zorica; Petrović, Gordana; Panković, Dejana; Ignjatov, Maja; Marinković, Dragana; Stojanović, Milan; Đorđević, Vuk

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to assess DNA degradation, DNA amplification, and GMO quantity during tofu production. Soybean seeds were spiked with Roundup Ready ® soybeans (RRS) at 0.9, 2, 3 and 5% (by mass), to assess the level of RSS that would be of practical interest for threshold labelling. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was more effective than conventional PCR in the analysis of raw soymilk, okara, boiled soymilk and tofu. The negative effect of grinding and mechanical manipulation was obvious in the okara sample prepared with 3 and 5% RRS, where GMO content was reduced to (2.28±0.23) and (2.74±0.26) %, respectively. However, heating at 100 °C for 10 min did not cause significant degradation of DNA in all samples. The content of RRS in the final product, tofu, was reduced tenfold during processing, ranging from 0.07 to 0.46%, which was below the labelling threshold level. The results are discussed in terms of global harmonization of GMO standards, which could have the positive effect on the trade of lightly processed foodstuffs such as tofu, especially regarding the labelling policies.

Threshold quantum cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokunaga, Yuuki; Okamoto, Tatsuaki; Imoto, Nobuyuki

2005-01-01

We present the concept of threshold collaborative unitary transformation or threshold quantum cryptography, which is a kind of quantum version of threshold cryptography. Threshold quantum cryptography states that classical shared secrets are distributed to several parties and a subset of them, whose number is greater than a threshold, collaborates to compute a quantum cryptographic function, while keeping each share secretly inside each party. The shared secrets are reusable if no cheating is detected. As a concrete example of this concept, we show a distributed protocol (with threshold) of conjugate coding

Physics near the strange and charm production thresholds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagamiya, S.; Bland, L.C.

1995-01-01

LISS is a Light-Ion Spin Synchrotron and storage ring that is being considered as an upgrade of the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility. Current plans call for a racetrack design for the ring that will provide variable energy polarized proton and deuteron beams up to a momentum of 16 GeV/c and unpolarized light ions with 3 ≤A ≤ 40 accelerated to comparable rigidities. Experiments would be conducted using both polarized and unpolarized internal targets. The racetrack design for the ring will provide for two ∼100-m long, zero-dispersion straight sections that allow for the installation of sophisticated experimental equipment. The ring design will incorporate the recently developed technologies of Siberian snakes allowing for relatively straightforward acceleration and use of polarized beams for high-precision experiments, electron cooling for shrinking the emittance of the stored beams, and carrier-free polarized internal targets. This talk will focus on that part of the physics Program of the LISS facility associated with the production of strange and charmed quarks. Examples will include the study of the spin-dependence of the A-nucleon scattering length; second-generation associated hyperon production experiments emphasizing polarization transfer and exclusive identification of the produced hyperons (ΛΣ, etc.) with the goal of understanding the dynamical origin of hyperon polarization; and studies of the total charm production cross section in p-p collisions near threshold

Diagrammatic Approach to Meson Production in Proton-Proton Collisions near Threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, Norbert

2000-01-01

We evaluate the threshold T-matrices for the reactions pp → ppπ 0 , pnπ + , ppη, ppω,pΛK + , and pn → pnη in a relativistic Feynman diagram approach. We employ an effective range approximation to take care of the strong S-wave pN and pΛ final-state interaction. We stress that the heavy baryon formalism is not applicable in the NN-system above π-production threshold due to the large external momentum, vertical-bar rvec p vertical-bar ≅ √(Mm π ). The magnitudes of the experimental threshold amplitudes extracted from total cross section data, script-A = (2.7 - 0.3i)fm 4 , script-B = (2.8 - 1.5i)fm 4 , vertical-bar script-C vertical-bar = 1.32 fm 4 , vertical-bar Omega vertical-bar = 0.53 fm 4 , script-K = √(2(vertical-bar)K s (vertical-bar) 2 + (vertical-bar)K t (vertical-bar) 2 ) = 0.38 fm 4 and (vertical-bar)script-D(vertical-bar) = 2.3 fm 4 can be reproduced by (long-range) o ne-pion exchange and short-range vector meson exchanges, with the latter giving the largest contributions. Pion loop effects in pp → ppπ 0 appear to be small. The presented diagrammatic approach requires further tests via studies of angular distributions and polarization observables

Near threshold two meson production in hardonic fusion reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahn, R.

1991-01-01

An approved and funded exclusive COSY experiment is presented, which focuses on near threshold two meson production via the reactions p+d→ 3 He + π + π - and p+d→ 3 He+K + K-. It takes advantage of the high quality of the cooled external COSY beam and the existing spectrometer BIG KARL. The setup consists of a vertex wall and a scintillator cylinder and endcap covering a 4π solid angle. The large efficiency and high resolution of this detection method will yield precision data on the low energy (T 0 (975). Existing inclusive data as well as first results of a very recent 'semi-exclusive' experiment performed at SATURNE will be also be presented

2 pi production in pp collisions close to threshold

CERN Document Server

Bilger, R; Calén, H; Clement, H; Dyring, J; Ekström, C; Fransson, K; Gustafsson, L; Häggström, S; Hoeistad, B; Johanson, J; Johansson, A; Johansson, T; Khoukaz, A; Kilian, K; Kullander, K; Kupsc, A; Marciniewski, P; Morosov, B; Moertsell, A; Oelert, W; Paetzold, J; Ruber, Roger J M Y; Schepkin, M G; Stepaniak, J; Sukhanov, A; Sundberg, P; Turowiecki, A; Wagner, G J; Wilhelmi, Z; Zabierowski, J; Zernov, A; Zlomanczuk, Yu

2000-01-01

The reaction pp -> NN pi pi has been measured close to threshold in the energy range from 650 to 775 MeV using the PROMICE/WASA setup at CELSIUS. These data constitute the first exclusive high-statistics measurements of this reaction on a pure hydrogen target, supplying both differential and integral cross sections. The obtained total cross sections are an order of magnitude below previously published bubble-chamber results. Differential spectra for pp -> pp pi sup -pi sup + are close to phase space predictions identifying the production via N*(1440) -> N(pi pi) sub I sub = sub L sub = sub 0 as the dominant process. Possible contributions from dibaryon resonances are discussed.

Model Threshold untuk Pembelajaran Memproduksi Pantun Kelas XI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fitri Nura Murti

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The learning pantun method in schools provided less opportunity to develop the students’ creativity in producing pantun. This situation was supported by the result of the observation conducted on eleventh graders at SMAN 2 Bondowoso. It showed that the students tend to plagiarize their pantun. The general objective of this research and development is to develop Threshold Pantun model for learning to produce pantun for elevent graders. The product was presented in guidance book for teachers entitled “Pembelajaran Memproduksi Pantun Menggunakan Model Threshold Pantun untuk Kelas XI”. This study adapted design method of Borg-Gall’s R&D procedure. The result of this study showed that Threshold Pantun model was appropriate to be implemented for learning to produce pantun. Key Words: Threshold Pantun model, produce pantun Abstrak: Pembelajaran pantun di sekolah selama ini kurang mengembangkan kreativitas siswa dalam memproduksi pantun. Hal tersebut dikuatkan oleh hasil observasi siswa kelas XI SMAN 2 Bondowoso yang menunjukkan adanya kecenderungan produk siswa bersifat plagiat. Tujuan penelitian dan pengembangan ini secara umum adalah mengembangkan model Threshold Pantun untuk pembelajaran memproduksi pantun kelas XI..Produk disajikan dalam bentuk buku panduan bagi guru dengan judul “Pembelajaran Memproduksi Pantun Menggunakan Model Threshold Pantun untuk Kelas XI”. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan penelitian yang diadaptasi dari prosedur penelitian dan pengembangan Borg dan Gall. Berdasarkan hasil validasi model Threshold Pantun untuk pembelajaran memproduksi pantun layak diimplementasikan. Kata kunci: model Threshold Pantun, memproduksi pantun

The Effects of Pre-Task Planning and On-line Planning on Fluency, Complexity, and Accuracy in L2 Monologic Oral Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fangyuan; Ellis, Rod

2003-01-01

Investigated the effects of both pre-task and on-line planning on second language (L2) oral production. Results show that pre-task planning enhances grammatical complexity while on-line planning positively influences accuracy and grammatical complexity. Pre-task planners also produced more fluent and lexically varied language than the on-line…

Facing the music: pre- and postconcert assessment of hearing in teenagers.

Science.gov (United States)

Derebery, M Jennifer; Vermiglio, Andrew; Berliner, Karen I; Potthoff, Marilee; Holguin, Kirsten

2012-09-01

Determine the effect of exposure to a single rock/pop concert on pure-tone hearing thresholds and outer hair cell function in teenagers. Repeated measures pre- and postconcert assessment of hearing. Mobile hearing conservation test vehicle and large indoor concert venue. Twenty-nine normal-hearing teenagers and young adults ages 13 to 20 years. Attendance at a public rock/pop concert. Pre- and postconcert pure-tone thresholds in both ears from 500 Hz to 8 kHz, pure-tone average (PTA) for 2, 3, and 4 kHz, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), proportion of subjects experiencing a PTA change of 10 dB or greater. Concert sound levels at the subjects' position averaged 98.5 dBA. Only 3 subjects used the hearing protection provided. Thresholds for 2 to 6 kHz increased significantly from pre- to postconcert (p ≤ 0.001). The increase in PTA (2, 3, and 4 kHz) between test intervals averaged 6.3 and 6.5 dB for the right and left ears, respectively, and 33.3% of subjects had a threshold shift of 10 dB or greater in the PTA in at least 1 ear (p ≤ 0.001). The number of subjects experiencing a reduction in DPOAE amplitude (17/25) and the change in mean amplitude were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.004, respectively). Exposure to a single live-music rock/pop concert can produce a threshold shift and decrease in otoacoustic emissions amplitude indicating impact on outer hair cell function. Results clearly indicate a need for research on this public health issue regarding "safe" listening levels, especially in younger people with more years for accrual of damage.

Effect of strong fragrance on olfactory detection threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Fasunla, Ayotunde James; Douglas, David Dayo; Adeosun, Aderemi Adeleke; Steinbach, Silke; Nwaorgu, Onyekwere George Benjamin

2014-09-01

To assess the olfactory threshold of healthy volunteers at the University College Hospital, Ibadan and to investigate the effect of perfume on their olfactory detection thresholds. A quasi-experimental study on olfactory detection thresholds of healthy volunteers from September 2013 to November 2013. Tertiary health institution. A structured questionniare was administered to the participants in order to obtain information on sociodemographics, occupation, ability to perceive smell, use of perfume, effects of perfume on appetite and self-confidence, history of allergy, and previous nasal surgery. Participants subjectively rated their olfactory performance. Subsequently, they had olfactory detection threshold testing done at baseline and after exposure to perfume with varied concentrations of n-butanol in a forced triple response and staircase fashion. Healthy volunteers, 37 males and 63 females, were evaluated. Their ages ranged from 19 to 59 years with a mean of 31 years ± 8. Subjectively, 94% of the participants had excellent olfactory function. In the pre-exposure forced triple response, 88% were able to detect the odor at ≤.25 mmol/l concentration while in the post-exposure forced triple response, only 66% were able to detect the odor at ≤.25 mmol/l concentration. There is also a statistical significant difference in the olfactory detection threshold score between the pre-exposure and post-exposure period in the participants (P fragrances affects the olfactory detection threshold. Therefore patients and clinicians should be aware of this and its effects on the outcome of test of olfaction. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

Precipitation thresholds for triggering floods in Corgo hydrographic basin (Northern Portugal)

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Monica; Fragoso, Marcelo

2016-04-01

The precipitation is a major cause of natural hazards and is therefore related to the flood events (Borga et al., 2011; Gaál et al., 2014; Wilhelmi & Morss, 2013). The severity of a precipitation event and their potential damage is dependent on the total amount of rain but also on the intensity and duration event (Gaál et al., 2014). In this work, it was established thresholds based on critical combinations: amount / duration of flood events with daily rainfall data for Corgo hydrographic basin, in northern Portugal. In Corgo basin are recorded 31 floods events between 1865 and 2011 (Santos et al., 2015; Zêzere et al., 2014). We determined the minimum, maximum and pre-warning thresholds that define the boundaries so that an event may occur. Additionally, we applied these thresholds to different flood events occurred in the past in the study basin. The results show that the ratio between the flood events and precipitation events that occur above the minimum threshold has relatively low probability of a flood happen. These results may be related to the reduced number of floods events (only those that caused damage reported by the media and produced some type of damage). The maximum threshold is not useful for floods forecasting, since the majority of true positives are below this limit. The retrospective analysis of the thresholds defined suggests that the minimum and pre warning thresholds are well adjusted. The application of rainfall thresholds contribute to minimize possible situations of pre-crisis or immediate crisis, reducing the consequences and the resources involved in emergency response of flood events. References Borga, M., Anagnostou, E. N., Blöschl, G., & Creutin, J. D. (2011). Flash flood forecasting, warning and risk management: the HYDRATE project. Environmental Science & Policy, 14(7), 834-844. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2011.05.017 Gaál, L., Molnar, P., & Szolgay, J. (2014). Selection of intense rainfall events based on intensity thresholds and

Accelerator based production of fissile nuclides, threshold uranium price and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djordjevic, D.; Knapp, V.

1988-01-01

Accelerator breeder system characteristics are considered in this work. One such system which produces fissile nuclides can supply several thermal reactors with fissile fuel, so this system becomes analogous to an uranium enrichment facility with difference that fissile nuclides are produced by conversion of U-238 rather than by separation from natural uranium. This concept, with other long-term perspective for fission technology on the basis of development only one simpler technology. The influence of basic system characteristics on threshold uranium price is examined. Conditions for economically acceptable production are established. (author)

The acceptance of gamma irradiated pre-cooked processed chicken meat products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seri Chempaka Mohd Yusof; Muhamad Lebai Juri; Foziah Ali; Salahbiah Abdul Majida; Mariani Deraman; Ros Anita Ahmad Ramli; Rohaizah Ahmad; Zainab Harun; Abdul Salam Babji

2009-01-01

A study was carried out to determine suitable dose, microbiological counts including pathogens and sensory evaluation of pre-cooked chicken meat products in assessing the acceptability of irradiated pre-cooked chicken meat products. Packed pre-cooked chicken sausages and burger samples (sealed individually in plastic-polyethylene pouches) were irradiated at the following doses: 2.5 kGy, 3.5 kGy and 5.5 kGy using 60 Co gamma irradiation at MINTec-Sinagama. Acceptability of the sausages was determined through sensory evaluation by 30 members of untrained panelists comprising staff of Malaysian Nuclear Agency. A 5-points hedonic rating scale was used. The attributes evaluated were taste, texture, chewiness, juiciness, aroma, colour, shape and overall acceptance. Samples irradiated with dose of 5.5 kGy were the most acceptable, followed by samples irradiated at 3.5 kGy and 10 kGy. Irradiation at doses up to 3.5 kGy render undetectable microorganisms/fungi and pathogens (faecal coliforms, Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) in pre-cooked chicken sausages, and doses up to 5.5 kGy for pre-cooked chicken burgers

Effect of thermal, chemical and thermo-chemical pre-treatments to enhance methane production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rafique, Rashad; Nizami, Abdul-Sattar; Murphy, Jerry D.; Kiely, Gerard [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University College Cork (Ireland); Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm [Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University (Denmark); Asam, Zaki-ul-Zaman [Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Ireland Galway (Ireland)

2010-12-15

The rise in oil price triggered the exploration and enhancement of various renewable energy sources. Producing biogas from organic waste is not only providing a clean sustainable indigenous fuel to the number of on-farm digesters in Europe, but also reducing the ecological and environmental deterioration. The lignocellulosic substrates are not completely biodegraded in anaerobic digesters operating at commercial scale due to their complex physical and chemical structure, which result in meager energy recovery in terms of methane yield. The focus of this study is to investigate the effect of pre-treatments: thermal, thermo-chemical and chemical pre-treatments on the biogas and methane potential of dewatered pig manure. A laboratory scale batch digester is used for these pre-treatments at different temperature range (25 C-150 C). Results showed that thermo-chemical pretreatment has high effect on biogas and methane potential in the temperature range (25-100 C). Maximum enhancement is observed at 70 C with increase of 78% biogas and 60% methane production. Thermal pretreatment also showed enhancement in the temperature range (50-10 C), with maximum enhancement at 100 C having 28% biogas and 25% methane increase. (author)

Ellipticity dependence of the near-threshold harmonics of H2 in an elliptical strong laser field.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hua; Liu, Peng; Li, Ruxin; Xu, Zhizhan

2013-11-18

We study the ellipticity dependence of the near-threshold (NT) harmonics of pre-aligned H2 molecules using the time-dependent density functional theory. The anomalous maximum appearing at a non-zero ellipticity for the generated NT harmonics can be attributed to multiphoton effects of the orthogonally polarized component of the elliptical driving laser field. Our calculation also shows that the structure of the bound-state, such as molecular alignment and bond length, can be sensitively reflected on the ellipticity dependence of the near-threshold harmonics.

Dairy product consumption is associated with pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the Lifelines Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brouwer-Brolsma, Elske M; Sluik, Diewertje; Singh-Povel, Cecile M; Feskens, Edith J M

2018-02-01

Previous studies show associations between dairy product consumption and type 2 diabetes, but only a few studies conducted detailed analyses for a variety of dairy subgroups. Therefore, we examined cross-sectional associations of a broad variety of dairy subgroups with pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (ND-T2DM) among Dutch adults. In total, 112 086 adults without diabetes completed a semi-quantitative FFQ and donated blood. Pre-diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) between 5·6 and 6·9 mmol/l or HbA1c% of 5·7-6·4 %. ND-T2DM was defined as FPG ≥7·0 mmol/l or HbA1c ≥6·5 %. Logistic regression analyses were conducted by 100 g or serving increase and dairy tertiles (T1ref), while adjusting for demographic, lifestyle and dietary covariates. Median dairy product intake was 324 (interquartile range 227) g/d; 25 549 (23 %) participants had pre-diabetes; and 1305 (1 %) had ND-T2DM. After full adjustment, inverse associations were observed of skimmed dairy (OR100 g 0·98; 95 % CI 0·97, 1·00), fermented dairy (OR100 g 0·98; 95 % CI 0·97, 0·99) and buttermilk (OR150 g 0·97; 95 % CI 0·94, 1·00) with pre-diabetes. Positive associations were observed for full-fat dairy (OR100 g 1·003; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·06), non-fermented dairy products (OR100 g 1·01; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·02) and custard (ORserving/150 g 1·13; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·24) with pre-diabetes. Moreover, full-fat dairy products (ORT3 1·16; 95 % CI 0·99, 1·35), non-fermented dairy products (OR100 g 1·05; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·09) and milk (ORserving/150 g 1·08; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·15) were positively associated with ND-T2DM. In conclusion, our data showed inverse associations of skimmed and fermented dairy products with pre-diabetes. Positive associations were observed for full-fat and non-fermented dairy products with pre-diabetes and ND-T2DM.

Climate change and critical thresholds in China's food security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Wei; Lin, Erda; Ju, Hui; Xu, Yinlong

2007-01-01

Identification of 'critical thresholds' of temperature increase is an essential task for inform policy decisions on establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. We use the A2 (medium-high GHG emission pathway) and B2 (medium-low) climate change scenarios produced by the Regional Climate Model PRECIS, the crop model - CERES, and socio-economic scenarios described by IPCC SRES, to simulate the average yield changes per hectare of three main grain crops (rice, wheat, and maize) at 50 km x 50 km scale. The threshold of food production to temperature increases was analyzed based on the relationship between yield changes and temperature rise, and then food security was discussed corresponding to each IPCC SRES scenario. The results show that without the CO2 fertilization effect in the analysis, the yield per hectare for the three crops would fall consistently as temperature rises beyond 2.5C; when the CO2 fertilization effect was included in the simulation, there were no adverse impacts on China's food production under the projected range of temperature rise (0.9-3.9C). A critical threshold of temperature increase was not found for food production. When the socio-economic scenarios, agricultural technology development and international trade were incorporated in the analysis, China's internal food production would meet a critical threshold of basic demand (300 kg/capita) while it would not under A2 (no CO2 fertilization); whereas basic food demand would be satisfied under both A2 and B2, and would even meet a higher food demand threshold required to sustain economic growth (400 kg/capita) under B2, when CO2 fertilization was considered

Weak production of strangeness at threshold with polarization observables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, O.K.

2002-01-01

The differential cross section for the charged current electroweak reaction e → +p → ν → e +Λ → at threshold with polarization observables is presented. The form of the cross section at threshold for the reaction is simplified compared to higher energy. An expression is given for the invariant matrix element appropriate for the reaction when the incident electron is polarized, and the final state hyperon polarization is determined. The energy dependence of the resulting cross section is shown near threshold. Under the right kinematic conditions, there can be a sizeable enhancement in the cross section, making an experimental measurement of the weak axial-vector form factor feasible

Threshold and jet radius joint resummation for single-inclusive jet production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaohui [Beijing Normal Univ. (China). Center of Advanced Quantum Studies; Moch, Sven-Olaf [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Ringer, Felix [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States). Nuclear Science Division

2017-08-15

We present the first threshold and jet radius jointly resummed cross section for single-inclusive hadronic jet production. We work at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy and our framework allows for a systematic extension beyond the currently achieved precision. Longstanding numerical issues are overcome by performing the resummation directly in momentum space within Soft Collinear Effective Theory. We present the first numerical results for the LHC and observe an improved description of the available data. Our results are of immediate relevance for LHC precision phenomenology including the extraction of parton distribution functions and the QCD strong coupling constant.

Phenomenology of QCD threshold resummation for gluino pair production at NNLL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfoh, Torsten

2013-02-15

We examine the impact of threshold resummation for the inclusive hadronic production cross section of gluino pairs at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic accuracy, compared to the exact next-to-leading- order cross section and the next-to-next-to-leading-order approximation. Here, we apply formulas derived recently in the classical Mellin-space formalism. Moreover, we give the analytic input for the alternative momentum-space formalism and discuss the crucial points of the numeric implementation. We find that soft resummation keeps the hadronic cross section close to the fixed next-to-leading-order result.

How extreme is enough to cause a threshold response of ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, S.; Zhang, F.; Yang, Q.; Song, B.; Sun, J.

2017-12-01

Precipitation is a primary determinant of terrestrial ecosystem productivity over much of the globe. Recent studies have shown asymmetric or threshold responses of ecosystem productivity to precipitation gradient. However, it's not clear how extreme is enough to cause a threshold response of ecosystem. We conducted a global meta-analysis of precipitation experiments, a site level precipitation gradient experiment, and a remote sensing data mining on the relationship between precipitation extreme vs NDVI extreme. The meta-analysis shows that ANPP, BNPP, NEE, and other carbon cycle variables, showed similar response magnitudes to either precipitation increase or decrease when precipitation levels were normalized to the medium value of treatments (40%) across all the studies. Overall, the response ratios of these variables were linearly correlated with changes in precipitation amounts and soil water content. In the field gradient study with treatments of 1/12, 1/8. 1/4, 1/2, control, and 5/4 of ambient precipitation, the threshold of NPP, SR, NEE occurred when precipitation was reduced to the level of 1/8-1/12 of ambient precipitation. This means that only extreme drought can induce a threshold response of ecosystem. The regional remote sensing data showed that climate extremes with yearly low precipitation from 1982 to 2013 rarely cause extreme responses of vegetation, further suggesting that it is very difficult to detect threshold responses to natural climatic fluctuation. Our three studies together indicate that asymmetrical responses of vegetation to precipitation are likely detected, but only in very extreme precipitation events.

Elastic scattering and ω meson production near the threshold of π-p → ω + n

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karami, H.; Carr, J.; Debenham, N.C.; Garbutt, D.A.; Jones, W.G.; Binnie, D.M.; Keyne, J.; Moissidis, P.; Sarma, H.N.; Siotis, I.

1979-01-01

Measurements are reported of the differential cross section for the reaction π - +p → ω + n from threshold to a final-state c.m. momentum P* of 200 MeV/c. The previously reported fall in total cross section sigma/P* below about 100 MeV/c is again seen. The differential cross section remains close to isotropic over the entire range. A parallel experiment on the variation in the elastic differential cross section across the threshold shows evidence of this threshold. The elastic data cover a range of incident moments from 1010 to 1180 MeV/c in steps of 5 MeV/c. (Auth.)

Study of the photoproduction of the vector meson Φ(1020) and the hyperon Λ(1520) from the production threshold up to a photon energy of 2.65 GeV with SAPHIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiegers, B.

2001-05-01

The photoproduction of the vector meson φ(1020) and the hyperon Λ(1520) have been measured in the finale state pK + K - from their thresholds up to 2.65 GeV using the high duty-factor electron accelerator ELSA and the 4π-detectorsystem SAPHIR. The t-dependence of φ(1020)-production shows an exponential behavior as expected from diffractive production. s-channel helicity conservation can be seen in the decay angular distribution in the helicity frame. The decay angular distribution in the Gottfried-Jackson frame is not conformable with the exchange of a Pomeron in the t-channel. For the first time, differential cross sections of the Λ(1520) photoproduction from the threshold are measured. The production angular distribution and the decay angular distribution in the Gottfried-Jackson frame show a K * exchange in the t-channel. (orig.)

Pre-Darcy flow in tight and shale formations

Science.gov (United States)

Dejam, Morteza; Hassanzadeh, Hassan; Chen, Zhangxin

2017-11-01

There are evidences that the fluid flow in tight and shale formations does not follow Darcy law, which is identified as pre-Darcy flow. Here, the unsteady linear flow of a slightly compressible fluid under the action of pre-Darcy flow is modeled and a generalized Boltzmann transformation technique is used to solve the corresponding highly nonlinear diffusivity equation analytically. The effect of pre-Darcy flow on the pressure diffusion in a homogenous formation is studied in terms of the nonlinear exponent, m, and the threshold pressure gradient, G1. In addition, the pressure gradient, flux, and cumulative production per unit area for different m and G1 are compared with the classical solution of the diffusivity equation based on Darcy flow. Department of Petroleum Engineering in College of Engineering and Applied Science at University of Wyoming and NSERC/AI-EES(AERI)/Foundation CMG and AITF (iCORE) Chairs in Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at University of Calgary.

Defining indoor heat thresholds for health in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Mindy; Carmichael, Catriona; Murray, Virginia; Dengel, Andy; Swainson, Michael

2013-05-01

It has been recognised that as outdoor ambient temperatures increase past a particular threshold, so do mortality/morbidity rates. However, similar thresholds for indoor temperatures have not yet been identified. Due to a warming climate, the non-sustainability of air conditioning as a solution, and the desire for more energy-efficient airtight homes, thresholds for indoor temperature should be defined as a public health issue. The aim of this paper is to outline the need for indoor heat thresholds and to establish if they can be identified. Our objectives include: describing how indoor temperature is measured; highlighting threshold measurements and indices; describing adaptation to heat; summary of the risk of susceptible groups to heat; reviewing the current evidence on the link between sleep, heat and health; exploring current heat and health warning systems and thresholds; exploring the built environment and the risk of overheating; and identifying the gaps in current knowledge and research. A global literature search of key databases was conducted using a pre-defined set of keywords to retrieve peer-reviewed and grey literature. The paper will apply the findings to the context of the UK. A summary of 96 articles, reports, government documents and textbooks were analysed and a gap analysis was conducted. Evidence on the effects of indoor heat on health implies that buildings are modifiers of the effect of climate on health outcomes. Personal exposure and place-based heat studies showed the most significant correlations between indoor heat and health outcomes. However, the data are sparse and inconclusive in terms of identifying evidence-based definitions for thresholds. Further research needs to be conducted in order to provide an evidence base for threshold determination. Indoor and outdoor heat are related but are different in terms of language and measurement. Future collaboration between the health and building sectors is needed to develop a common

Reproductive and Productive Performance of Iraqi Buffaloes as Influenced by Pre-Mating and Pre-Calving Concentrate Supplementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talal Anwer Abdulkareem*, Sawsan Ali Al-Sharifi, Sajeda Mahdi Eidan and R.G. Sasser1

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of pre-mating and pre-calving concentrate supplementation of Iraqi buffaloes on some of the reproductive (estrus, mating, pregnancy and calving rates and productive (daily milk yield and calves birth weight traits. This study was carried out in 4 Iraqi South-central governorates using 596 pre-mating and 628 pregnant buffaloes (during the last two months of gestation. Pre-mating buffaloes were divided randomly into 496 concentrate-supplemented buffaloes (Flushing and 100 control ones. Additionally, pregnant buffaloes were also divided into 528 concentrate- supplemented buffaloes (Steaming up and 100 controls. Each buffalo within the flushing and steaming up groups were fed daily on 7 Kg of concentrate diet (13% crude protein and 1.70 Mcal of net energy for 60 days. The control buffaloes were nourished only on low-quality roughages of the area and wheat bran. Higher estrus (+15%, P<0.01, pregnancy (+23.8%, P<0.05 and calving rates (+30.8%, P<0.01 were observed in concentrate-supplemented buffaloes as compared with controls. An obvious increase in (P<0.05 calving rate (+14.7%, daily milk yield (+44.8% and calf birth weight (+25.6% were noted in steaming up buffaloes in comparison with control buffaloes. Results indicated that improvement in feeding schedule of Iraqi buffaloes during pre-mating and late gestation periods enhanced the reproductive performance and increased milk production of subsequent lactation and calf birth weight. These improvements increased owner income ($174=209,000 Iraqi dinar /buffalo from the sale of meat and milk.

The pseudo-scalar form factor of the nucleon, the sigma-like term, and the L0+ amplitude for charged pion electro-production near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheoun, Myung Ki; Kim, K.S.

2007-01-01

The pseudo-scalar form factor, which represents the pseudo-scalar quark density distribution due to finite quark masses on the nucleon, is shown to manifest itself with the induced pseudo-scalar form factor in the L 0 + amplitude for the charged pion electro-production. Both form factors show their own peculiar momentum dependence. Under the approximation on which the Goldberger-Treiman relation holds, a sum of both form factors' contributions accounts for the t-channel contribution in the charged pion electro-production near threshold

Pre-treatment of Used-Cooking Oil as Feed Stocks of Biodiesel Production by Using Activated Carbon and Clay Minerals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudy Syah Putra

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Many low-cost feedstock i.e. used-cooking oil (UCO for the production of biodiesel fuel (BDF has contained a large amount of water and high proportion of free fatty acids (FFAs. Therefore, a pre-treatment process to reduce the water content (<0.1 wt.% and FFAs (<2.0 wt.% were necessary in order to avoid an undesirable side reactions, such as saponification, which could lead to serious problem of product separation and low fatty acid methyl ester (FAME yield. . In this study, a pre-treatment process of used cooking oil as a feedstock for the production of BDF by using various adsorbents such as Activated Carbon (AC and various clay minerals, for example Smectite (S, Bentonite (B, Kaolinite (K, and Powdered Earthenware (PE were evaluated. The oil obtained from pre-treatment was compared with oil without pre-treatment process. In this study, we reported a basic difference in material ability to the oil, depending on the adsorption condition with respect to the physico-chemical parameters, e.g. refractive index (R, density (ρ, FFAs, and water content (W. The results showed that the water content and FFAs in the oil has decreased when using AC as an adsorbent compared with clay minerals. However, the refractive index of oil has similar with the oil without pre-treatment process as well; meanwhile, the density of oil has increased after the pre-treatment process by using clay minerals.

Top-quark pair production near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumino, Y.; Fujii, K.; Hagiwara, K.; Murayama, H.; Ng, C.

1993-01-01

We present a novel formalism to calculate the total and the differential cross sections for heavy unstable top-quark pair production near threshold. Within the context of the nonrelativistic quark model, we introduce the running toponium width Γ FTHETA (E,p) in the Schroedinger equation for the three-point Green's function that governs the t bar t contribution to the e + e- annihilation process. The effect of the running of the width is found to be significant in two aspects: (i) it takes account of the phase-space volume for the decay process t bar t→bW + bar bW- and provides a consistent framework for calculating the differential cross sections; and (ii) it reduces the widths of the low-lying resonances to considerably less than 2Γ t (m t 2 ). Furthermore, the running of the width causes the total cross section to decrease significantly at c.m. energies below the first ''resonance'' enhancement, whereas it makes the ''peak'' cross section more distinct than is obtained in the fixed toponium width approximation. We use the two-loop-improved QCD potential in our calculation, and the α s (m Z ) Mbar S dependences of the total and differential cross sections are studied quantitatively, where M bar S denotes the modified minimal subtraction scheme. We find that the correlations in the α s and m t measurements are opposite in the total and differential cross sections, and the simultaneous measurements would lead to an accurate determination of both parameters

Cost-effectiveness thresholds: pros and cons.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertram, Melanie Y; Lauer, Jeremy A; De Joncheere, Kees; Edejer, Tessa; Hutubessy, Raymond; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Hill, Suzanne R

2016-12-01

Cost-effectiveness analysis is used to compare the costs and outcomes of alternative policy options. Each resulting cost-effectiveness ratio represents the magnitude of additional health gained per additional unit of resources spent. Cost-effectiveness thresholds allow cost-effectiveness ratios that represent good or very good value for money to be identified. In 2001, the World Health Organization's Commission on Macroeconomics in Health suggested cost-effectiveness thresholds based on multiples of a country's per-capita gross domestic product (GDP). In some contexts, in choosing which health interventions to fund and which not to fund, these thresholds have been used as decision rules. However, experience with the use of such GDP-based thresholds in decision-making processes at country level shows them to lack country specificity and this - in addition to uncertainty in the modelled cost-effectiveness ratios - can lead to the wrong decision on how to spend health-care resources. Cost-effectiveness information should be used alongside other considerations - e.g. budget impact and feasibility considerations - in a transparent decision-making process, rather than in isolation based on a single threshold value. Although cost-effectiveness ratios are undoubtedly informative in assessing value for money, countries should be encouraged to develop a context-specific process for decision-making that is supported by legislation, has stakeholder buy-in, for example the involvement of civil society organizations and patient groups, and is transparent, consistent and fair.

Cost–effectiveness thresholds: pros and cons

Science.gov (United States)

Lauer, Jeremy A; De Joncheere, Kees; Edejer, Tessa; Hutubessy, Raymond; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Hill, Suzanne R

2016-01-01

Abstract Cost–effectiveness analysis is used to compare the costs and outcomes of alternative policy options. Each resulting cost–effectiveness ratio represents the magnitude of additional health gained per additional unit of resources spent. Cost–effectiveness thresholds allow cost–effectiveness ratios that represent good or very good value for money to be identified. In 2001, the World Health Organization’s Commission on Macroeconomics in Health suggested cost–effectiveness thresholds based on multiples of a country’s per-capita gross domestic product (GDP). In some contexts, in choosing which health interventions to fund and which not to fund, these thresholds have been used as decision rules. However, experience with the use of such GDP-based thresholds in decision-making processes at country level shows them to lack country specificity and this – in addition to uncertainty in the modelled cost–effectiveness ratios – can lead to the wrong decision on how to spend health-care resources. Cost–effectiveness information should be used alongside other considerations – e.g. budget impact and feasibility considerations – in a transparent decision-making process, rather than in isolation based on a single threshold value. Although cost–effectiveness ratios are undoubtedly informative in assessing value for money, countries should be encouraged to develop a context-specific process for decision-making that is supported by legislation, has stakeholder buy-in, for example the involvement of civil society organizations and patient groups, and is transparent, consistent and fair. PMID:27994285

Pre-operative pain and sensory function in groin hernia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aasvang, Eske K; Hansen, Jeanette B; Kehlet, Henrik

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Although persistent postherniotomy occurs in 5-10% of patients, pathogenic mechanisms remain debatable. Since pre-operative pain has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for persistent postherniotomy pain, pre-operative alterations in nociceptive function may be a potential pathogenic...... mechanism. AIMS: To investigate the correlation between pre-operative pain intensity and sensory functions in the groin hernia area. METHODS: Patients with unilateral groin hernia were examined preoperatively by quantitative sensory testing (thermal, mechanical, and pressure [detection and pain thresholds...... (7%), all whom experienced no pain or pain less than weekly. Only cool detection thresholds were significantly lower between the hernia vs. contralateral side (poperative groin hernia...

EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE GROWTH RATE OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN THE PRE - SAP, SAP AND POST - SAP PERIODS IN NIGERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oyinbo Oyakhilomen

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to provide empirical evidence on the growth rates of maize production in three sub - periods in Nigeria namely pre - Structural Adjustment Programme period, Structural Adjustment Program period and post - Structural Adjustment Programme period. Secondary data on maize production in Nigeria during the Pre - Structural Adjustment Programme period (1970 to 1985, Structural Adjustment period (1986 to 1994 and post - Structural Adjustment Programme period (1995 to 2007 were employed in this study. A growth rate model was used to estimate the growth rates of maize in the three sub - periods. The results of the analysis showed that the instantaneous growth rates of maize production are - 0.1%, 5.7% and 2.4% and the compound rates of growth of maize production are - 0.001%, 0.059% and 0.024% for the pre - Structural Adjustment Programme, Structural Adjustment Programme and post - Structural Adjustment Programme periods respectively. The higher compound growth rate of maize production in the Structural Adjustment Programme period implies that the policy reforms in the period was more effective in ensuring increased growth of maize production over that of other periods in Nigeria. Therefore, despite the myriads of problems associated with the programme in Nigeria, it was beneficial to maize production in Nigeria.

The gradual nature of threshold switching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wimmer, M; Salinga, M

2014-01-01

The recent commercialization of electronic memories based on phase change materials proved the usability of this peculiar family of materials for application purposes. More advanced data storage and computing concepts, however, demand a deeper understanding especially of the electrical properties of the amorphous phase and the switching behaviour. In this work, we investigate the temporal evolution of the current through the amorphous state of the prototypical phase change material, Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 , under constant voltage. A custom-made electrical tester allows the measurement of delay times over five orders of magnitude, as well as the transient states of electrical excitation prior to the actual threshold switching. We recognize a continuous current increase over time prior to the actual threshold-switching event to be a good measure for the electrical excitation. A clear correlation between a significant rise in pre-switching-current and the later occurrence of threshold switching can be observed. This way, we found experimental evidence for the existence of an absolute minimum for the threshold voltage (or electric field respectively) holding also for time scales far beyond the measurement range. (paper)

Shifts in the relationship between motor unit recruitment thresholds versus derecruitment thresholds during fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Matt S; Mota, Jacob A

2017-12-01

Muscle fatigue is associated with diminished twitch force amplitude. We examined changes in the motor unit recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship during fatigue. Nine men (mean age = 26 years) performed repeated isometric contractions at 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) knee extensor force until exhaustion. Surface electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis, and were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains. Motor unit recruitment and derecruitment thresholds and firing rates at recruitment and derecruitment were evaluated at the beginning, middle, and end of the protocol. On average, 15 motor units were studied per contraction. For the initial contraction, three subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for all motor units. Five subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for only low-threshold motor units at the beginning, with a mean cross-over of 31.6% MVC. As the muscle fatigued, many motor units were derecruited at progressively higher forces. In turn, decreased slopes and increased y-intercepts were observed. These shifts were complemented by increased firing rates at derecruitment relative to recruitment. As the vastus lateralis fatigued, the central nervous system's compensatory adjustments resulted in a shift of the regression line of the recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced biogas production from anaerobic co-digestion of pig slurry and horse manure with mechanical pre-treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Madalena; Baptista, Patrícia; Duarte, Elizabeth; Moreira, António L N

2018-01-02

Enhanced biogas production from anaerobic co-digestion of pig slurry and horse manure with mechanical pre-treatment. In this study, co-digestion of horse manure and pig slurry was investigated in a continuously stirred tank reactor, with a mechanical pre-treatment. Experiments were conducted at 37°C, with hydraulic retention times of 23 days and increasing shares of horse manure, corresponding to different horse manure to pig slurry ratios (HM:PS) equal to 0:100, 10:90, 13:87 and 20:80, in terms of percentage of inlet volatile solids (%VS inlet). The results show that the best synergetic effect between the microbial consortia of pig slurry and the high Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C/N) of horse manure is obtained for the mixture of 20:80%VS inlet, yielding the highest specific methane production (SMP = 142.6 L kg TCOD -1 ) and the highest soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) reduction (68.5%), due to the high volatile dissolved solids content and soluble chemical oxygen demand to total chemical oxygen demand ratio (SCOD/TCOD). Thus, co-digestion of horse manure and pig slurry is shown to be a promising approach for biogas production and as a waste treatment solution. Furthermore, the analysis provides a methodology for the pre-treatment of these substrates and to investigate into the best combination for improved biogas production.

The impact of pre-selected variance inflation factor thresholds on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It is basically an index that measures how much the variance of an estimated ... the literature were not considered, such as penalised regularisation methods like the Lasso ... Y = 1 if a customer has defaulted, otherwise Y = 0). ..... method- ology is applied, but different VIF-thresholds have to be satisfied during the collinearity.

Climate change and critical thresholds in China's food security

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, Wei; Lin, Erda; Ju, Hui; Xu, Yinlong [Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing (China)

2007-03-15

Identification of 'critical thresholds' of temperature increase is an essential task for inform policy decisions on establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. We use the A2 (medium-high GHG emission pathway) and B2 (medium-low) climate change scenarios produced by the Regional Climate Model PRECIS, the crop model - CERES, and socio-economic scenarios described by IPCC SRES, to simulate the average yield changes per hectare of three main grain crops (rice, wheat, and maize) at 50 km x 50 km scale. The threshold of food production to temperature increases was analyzed based on the relationship between yield changes and temperature rise, and then food security was discussed corresponding to each IPCC SRES scenario. The results show that without the CO2 fertilization effect in the analysis, the yield per hectare for the three crops would fall consistently as temperature rises beyond 2.5C; when the CO2 fertilization effect was included in the simulation, there were no adverse impacts on China's food production under the projected range of temperature rise (0.9-3.9C). A critical threshold of temperature increase was not found for food production. When the socio-economic scenarios, agricultural technology development and international trade were incorporated in the analysis, China's internal food production would meet a critical threshold of basic demand (300 kg/capita) while it would not under A2 (no CO2 fertilization); whereas basic food demand would be satisfied under both A2 and B2, and would even meet a higher food demand threshold required to sustain economic growth (400 kg/capita) under B2, when CO2 fertilization was considered.

Assessment of tobacco heating product THP1.0. Part 9: The placement of a range of next-generation products on an emissions continuum relative to cigarettes via pre-clinical assessment studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, James; Liu, Chuan; McAdam, Kevin; Gaҫa, Marianna; Prasad, Krishna; Camacho, Oscar; McAughey, John; Proctor, Christopher

2018-03-01

This series of nine papers described the operation and pre-clinical assessment of a tobacco heating product THP1.0. This last paper contextualises the pre-clinical assessment data on THP1.0 with data from other next generation products relative to cigarette smoke. The tobacco and nicotine risk continuum is a concept that ranks products according to their potential harm, with cigarettes at the highest risk extreme and Nicotine Replacement Therapy at the least risky extreme. Data generated in pre-clinical studies on THP1.0 and a range of Next Generation Products (NGPs) may provide some initial indication of potential ranking of these products, although importantly, data from such studies are limited and cannot take into consideration several important aspects for risk such as long term product use patterns. In each of the studies, the responses to the emissions from THP1.0 were substantially reduced relative to cigarette smoke. Additionally, responses from THP1.0 were very similar to those from the other NGP emissions. A comparison of the results clearly showed the emissions from all the NGPs were considerably lower than those from cigarettes and all in around the same emissions level. These results show that THP1.0 could have the potential to be a reduced risk product compared to cigarettes, though further studies assessing the exposure, individual and population risk reduction profile would be required to substantiate this potential. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvement of the drift chamber system in the SAPHIR detector and first measurements of the Φ meson production at threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholmann, J.N.

1996-09-01

The SAPHIR detector at ELSA enables the measurement of photon induced Φ meson production from threshold up to 3 GeV in the full kinematical range. A considerable improvement of the drift chamber system is a precondition of gaining the necessary data rate in an acceptable time. The research focuses attention on the choice of the chamber gas and on a different mechanical construction, so as to minimize the negative influences of the photon beam crossing the sensitive volume of the drift chamber system. In addition, first preliminary results of the total and the differential cross section for the Φ meson production close to threshold were evaluated. (orig.)

A comparison of performance of automatic cloud coverage assessment algorithm for Formosat-2 image using clustering-based and spatial thresholding methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Kuo-Hsien

2012-11-01

Formosat-2 image is a kind of high-spatial-resolution (2 meters GSD) remote sensing satellite data, which includes one panchromatic band and four multispectral bands (Blue, Green, Red, near-infrared). An essential sector in the daily processing of received Formosat-2 image is to estimate the cloud statistic of image using Automatic Cloud Coverage Assessment (ACCA) algorithm. The information of cloud statistic of image is subsequently recorded as an important metadata for image product catalog. In this paper, we propose an ACCA method with two consecutive stages: preprocessing and post-processing analysis. For pre-processing analysis, the un-supervised K-means classification, Sobel's method, thresholding method, non-cloudy pixels reexamination, and cross-band filter method are implemented in sequence for cloud statistic determination. For post-processing analysis, Box-Counting fractal method is implemented. In other words, the cloud statistic is firstly determined via pre-processing analysis, the correctness of cloud statistic of image of different spectral band is eventually cross-examined qualitatively and quantitatively via post-processing analysis. The selection of an appropriate thresholding method is very critical to the result of ACCA method. Therefore, in this work, We firstly conduct a series of experiments of the clustering-based and spatial thresholding methods that include Otsu's, Local Entropy(LE), Joint Entropy(JE), Global Entropy(GE), and Global Relative Entropy(GRE) method, for performance comparison. The result shows that Otsu's and GE methods both perform better than others for Formosat-2 image. Additionally, our proposed ACCA method by selecting Otsu's method as the threshoding method has successfully extracted the cloudy pixels of Formosat-2 image for accurate cloud statistic estimation.

Detection of relevant amounts of cow's milk protein in non-pre-packed bakery products sold as cow's milk-free.

Science.gov (United States)

Trendelenburg, V; Enzian, N; Bellach, J; Schnadt, S; Niggemann, B; Beyer, K

2015-05-01

Currently, there is no mandatory labelling of allergens for non-pre-packed foods in the EU. Therefore, consumers with food allergy rely on voluntary information provided by the staff. The aim of this study was to characterize allergic reactions to non-pre-packed foods and to investigate whether staff in bakery shops were able to give advice regarding a safe product choice. Questionnaires were sent to 200 parents of children with a food allergy. Staff of 50 bakery shops were interviewed regarding selling non-pre-packed foods to food-allergic customers. Bakery products being recommended as 'cow's milk-free' were bought, and cow's milk protein levels were measured using ELISA. A total of 104 of 200 questionnaires were returned. 25% of the children experienced an allergic reaction due to a non-pre-packed food from bakery shops and 20% from ice cream parlours. Sixty percent of the bakery staff reported serving food-allergic customers at least once a month, 24% once a week. Eighty four percent of the staff felt able to advise food-allergic consumers regarding a safe product choice. Seventy three 'cow's milk-free' products were sold in 44 bakery shops. Cow's milk could be detected in 43% of the bakery products, 21% contained >3 mg cow's milk protein per serving. Staff in bakery shops felt confident about advising customers with food allergy. However, cow's milk was detectable in almost half of bakery products being sold as 'cow's milk-free'. Every fifth product contained quantities of cow's milk exceeding an amount where approximately 10% of cow's milk-allergic children will show clinical relevant symptoms. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Threshold Learning Dynamics in Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

González-Avella, Juan Carlos; Eguíluz, Victor M.; Marsili, Matteo; Vega-Redondo, Fernado; San Miguel, Maxi

2011-01-01

Social learning is defined as the ability of a population to aggregate information, a process which must crucially depend on the mechanisms of social interaction. Consumers choosing which product to buy, or voters deciding which option to take with respect to an important issue, typically confront external signals to the information gathered from their contacts. Economic models typically predict that correct social learning occurs in large populations unless some individuals display unbounded influence. We challenge this conclusion by showing that an intuitive threshold process of individual adjustment does not always lead to such social learning. We find, specifically, that three generic regimes exist separated by sharp discontinuous transitions. And only in one of them, where the threshold is within a suitable intermediate range, the population learns the correct information. In the other two, where the threshold is either too high or too low, the system either freezes or enters into persistent flux, respectively. These regimes are generally observed in different social networks (both complex or regular), but limited interaction is found to promote correct learning by enlarging the parameter region where it occurs. PMID:21637714

Dairy product consumption is associated with pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the Lifelines Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, E.M.; Sluik, D.; Singh-Povel, C.M.; Feskens, E.J.M.

2018-01-01

Previous studies show associations between dairy product consumption and type 2 diabetes, but only a few studies conducted detailed analyses for a variety of dairy subgroups. Therefore, we examined cross-sectional associations of a broad variety of dairy subgroups with pre-diabetes and newly

Adhesion improvement of lignocellulosic products by enzymatic pre-treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Widsten, Petri; Kandelbauer, Andreas

2008-01-01

Enzymatic bonding methods, based on laccase or peroxidase enzymes, for lignocellulosic products such as medium-density fiberboard and particleboard are discussed with reference to the increasing costs of presently used petroleum-based adhesives and the health concerns associated with formaldehyde emissions from current composite products. One approach is to improve the self-bonding properties of the particles by oxidation of their surface lignin before they are fabricated into boards. Another method involves using enzymatically pre-treated lignins as adhesives for boards and laminates. The application of this technology to achieve wet strength characteristics in paper is also reviewed.

Optimization of instant dalia dessert pre-mix production by using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Alok; Shalini, B N; Patel, Ashok Ambalal; Singh, Mithilesh; Rasane, Prasad

2015-02-01

Dalia, a wheat-based, particulate containing dairy dessert is popularly consumed as a breakfast food and is also considered as a health food. Though popular throughout Northern parts of the country, its limited shelf-life even under refrigeration imposes severe restrictions on its organized manufacture and marketing. In order to promote dalia dessert as a marketable product, in the present study, a process was developed for manufacture of instant dalia pre-mix, as a dry product with long shelf-life, which could be attractively packaged and easily reconstituted for consumption. During the investigation, the effect of different levels of milk solids and wheat solids was studied on dalia pre-mix quality by employing a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The suggested formulation had 17.82 % milk solids and 2.87 % wheat solids. This formulation was found to be most appropriate for manufacture of instant dalia pre-mix with predicted sensory scores (Max. 100) of 85.35, 41.98 and 67.27 for mouthfeel, consistency and flavor, respectively; the viscosity of the product was 941.0 cp.

Taste perception with age: pleasantness and its relationships with threshold sensitivity and supra-threshold intensity of five taste qualities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mojet, J.; Christ-Hazelhof, E.; Heidema, J.

2005-01-01

The relationships between threshold sensitivity, supra-threshold intensity of NaCl, KCl, sucrose, aspartame, acetic acid, citric acid, caffeine, quinine HCl, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and inosine 5¿-monophosphate (IMP), and the pleasantness of these stimuli in products, were studied in 21 young

Performance of iPad-based threshold perimetry in glaucoma and controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Angela M; Graham, Elizabeth C; You, YuYi; Klistorner, Alexander; Graham, Stuart L

2017-10-04

Independent validation of iPad visual field testing software Melbourne Rapid Fields (MRF). To examine the functionality of MRF and compare its performance with Humphrey SITA 24-2 (HVF). Prospective, cross-sectional validation study. Sixty glaucomas (MD:-5.08±5.22); 17 pre-perimetric, 43 HVF field defects and 25 controls. The MRF was compared with HVF for scotoma detection, global indices, regional mean threshold values and sensitivity/specificity. Long-term test-retest variability was assessed after 6 months. Linear regression and Bland Altman analyses of global indices sensitivity/specificity using ROC curves, intraclass correlations. Using a cluster definition of three points at <1% or two at 0.5% to define a scotoma on HVF, MRF detected 39/54 abnormal hemifields with a similar threshold-based criteria. Global indices were highly correlated between MRF and HVF: MD r 2 = 0.80, PSD r 2 = 0.77, VFI r 2 = 0.85 (all P < 0.0001). For manifest glaucoma patients, correlations of regional mean thresholds ranged from r 2 = 0.45-0.78, despite differing array of tested points between devices. ROC analysis of global indices showed reasonable sensitivity/specificity with AUC values of MD:0.89, PSD:0.85 and VFI:0.88. MRF retest variability was low with ICC values at 0.95 (MD and VFI), 0.94 (PSD). However, individual test point variability for mid-range thresholds was higher. MRF perimetry, despite using a completely different test paradigm, shows good performance characteristics compared to HVF for detection of defects, correlation of global indices and regional mean threshold values. Reproducibility for individual points may limit application for monitoring change over time, and fixation monitoring needs improvement. © 2017 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

a Kinematically Complete Measurement of Positive Pion Production from Protons Near Threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardie, John George

The total cross section for the reaction pp to pnpi^+ was measured at 294, 300, 307, 314, and 320 MeV. Angular distributions for the same reaction were measured at 294, 300 and 320 MeV. This is the first measurement of this reaction channel within 50 MeV of threshold. Study of pion production near threshold allows examination of the short range parts of the NN interaction, particularly the non-resonant partial waves. The data indicates that the contribution of p-waves to the pp to pnpi^+ reaction remains smaller than 20% up to 320 MeV. The total cross section data is compared to the theoretical calculations of Schillaci, Silbar and Young (1969) and Lee and Matsuyama (1987). Both reproduce some features of the data, but neither theory completely explains all the features of the data. There are no angular distribution predictions for comparison, but the data is symmetric around 90 degrees and appears to follow a 1+bcos^2theta _pi distribution, with the parameter b being consistent with zero for 294 MeV, about 0.05 at 300 MeV and about 0.18 at 320 MeV. This indicates that the higher partial waves are still weak at 320 MeV, although they are beginning to come into the reaction.

Serial assessment of cardiovascular control shows early signs of developing pre-eclampsia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rang, Sasika; Wolf, H.; van Montfrans, G. A.; Karemaker, J. M.

2004-01-01

Purpose To evaluate whether differences in autonomic cardiovascular control between normal pregnant women and women who develop pre-eclampsia later in pregnancy can be detected even before or early in pregnancy. Design We studied 42 women, 21 multigravid with a history of pre-eclampsia and 21

Nut crop yield records show that budbreak-based chilling requirements may not reflect yield decline chill thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Katherine S.; Dose, Volker; Da Silva, David; Brown, Patrick H.; DeJong, Theodore M.

2015-06-01

Warming winters due to climate change may critically affect temperate tree species. Insufficiently cold winters are thought to result in fewer viable flower buds and the subsequent development of fewer fruits or nuts, decreasing the yield of an orchard or fecundity of a species. The best existing approximation for a threshold of sufficient cold accumulation, the "chilling requirement" of a species or variety, has been quantified by manipulating or modeling the conditions that result in dormant bud breaking. However, the physiological processes that affect budbreak are not the same as those that determine yield. This study sought to test whether budbreak-based chilling thresholds can reasonably approximate the thresholds that affect yield, particularly regarding the potential impacts of climate change on temperate tree crop yields. County-wide yield records for almond ( Prunus dulcis), pistachio ( Pistacia vera), and walnut ( Juglans regia) in the Central Valley of California were compared with 50 years of weather records. Bayesian nonparametric function estimation was used to model yield potentials at varying amounts of chill accumulation. In almonds, average yields occurred when chill accumulation was close to the budbreak-based chilling requirement. However, in the other two crops, pistachios and walnuts, the best previous estimate of the budbreak-based chilling requirements was 19-32 % higher than the chilling accumulations associated with average or above average yields. This research indicates that physiological processes beyond requirements for budbreak should be considered when estimating chill accumulation thresholds of yield decline and potential impacts of climate change.

Ocean acidification of a coastal Antarctic marine microbial community reveals a critical threshold for CO2 tolerance in phytoplankton productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Deppeler, Stacy; Petrou, Katherina; Schulz, Kai G.; Westwood, Karen; Pearce, Imojen; McKinlay, John; Davidson, Andrew

2018-01-01

High-latitude oceans are anticipated to be some of the first regions affected by ocean acidification. Despite this, the effect of ocean acidification on natural communities of Antarctic marine microbes is still not well understood. In this study we exposed an early spring, coastal marine microbial community in Prydz Bay to CO2 levels ranging from ambient (343 µatm) to 1641 µatm in six 650 L minicosms. Productivity assays were performed to identify whether a CO2 threshold existed that led to a change in primary productivity, bacterial productivity, and the accumulation of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and particulate organic matter (POM) in the minicosms. In addition, photophysiological measurements were performed to identify possible mechanisms driving changes in the phytoplankton community. A critical threshold for tolerance to ocean acidification was identified in the phytoplankton community between 953 and 1140 µatm. CO2 levels ≥ 1140 µatm negatively affected photosynthetic performance and Chl a-normalised primary productivity (csGPP14C), causing significant reductions in gross primary production (GPP14C), Chl a accumulation, nutrient uptake, and POM production. However, there was no effect of CO2 on C : N ratios. Over time, the phytoplankton community acclimated to high CO2 conditions, showing a down-regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) and likely adjusting other intracellular processes. Bacterial abundance initially increased in CO2 treatments ≥ 953 µatm (days 3-5), yet gross bacterial production (GBP14C) remained unchanged and cell-specific bacterial productivity (csBP14C) was reduced. Towards the end of the experiment, GBP14C and csBP14C markedly increased across all treatments regardless of CO2 availability. This coincided with increased organic matter availability (POC and PON) combined with improved efficiency of carbon uptake. Changes in phytoplankton community production could have negative effects on the Antarctic food web and the

Ocean acidification of a coastal Antarctic marine microbial community reveals a critical threshold for CO2 tolerance in phytoplankton productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Deppeler

2018-01-01

Full Text Available High-latitude oceans are anticipated to be some of the first regions affected by ocean acidification. Despite this, the effect of ocean acidification on natural communities of Antarctic marine microbes is still not well understood. In this study we exposed an early spring, coastal marine microbial community in Prydz Bay to CO2 levels ranging from ambient (343 µatm to 1641 µatm in six 650 L minicosms. Productivity assays were performed to identify whether a CO2 threshold existed that led to a change in primary productivity, bacterial productivity, and the accumulation of chlorophyll a (Chl a and particulate organic matter (POM in the minicosms. In addition, photophysiological measurements were performed to identify possible mechanisms driving changes in the phytoplankton community. A critical threshold for tolerance to ocean acidification was identified in the phytoplankton community between 953 and 1140 µatm. CO2 levels  ≥ 1140 µatm negatively affected photosynthetic performance and Chl a-normalised primary productivity (csGPP14C, causing significant reductions in gross primary production (GPP14C, Chl a accumulation, nutrient uptake, and POM production. However, there was no effect of CO2 on C : N ratios. Over time, the phytoplankton community acclimated to high CO2 conditions, showing a down-regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs and likely adjusting other intracellular processes. Bacterial abundance initially increased in CO2 treatments  ≥ 953 µatm (days 3–5, yet gross bacterial production (GBP14C remained unchanged and cell-specific bacterial productivity (csBP14C was reduced. Towards the end of the experiment, GBP14C and csBP14C markedly increased across all treatments regardless of CO2 availability. This coincided with increased organic matter availability (POC and PON combined with improved efficiency of carbon uptake. Changes in phytoplankton community production could have negative

Digital music exposure reliably induces temporary threshold shift in normal-hearing human subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Prell, Colleen G; Dell, Shawna; Hensley, Brittany; Hall, James W; Campbell, Kathleen C M; Antonelli, Patrick J; Green, Glenn E; Miller, James M; Guire, Kenneth

2012-01-01

One of the challenges for evaluating new otoprotective agents for potential benefit in human populations is the availability of an established clinical paradigm with real-world relevance. These studies were explicitly designed to develop a real-world digital music exposure that reliably induces temporary threshold shift (TTS) in normal-hearing human subjects. Thirty-three subjects participated in studies that measured effects of digital music player use on hearing. Subjects selected either rock or pop music, which was then presented at 93 to 95 (n = 10), 98 to 100 (n = 11), or 100 to 102 (n = 12) dBA in-ear exposure level for a period of 4 hr. Audiograms and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured before and after music exposure. Postmusic tests were initiated 15 min, 1 hr 15 min, 2 hr 15 min, and 3 hr 15 min after the exposure ended. Additional tests were conducted the following day and 1 week later. Changes in thresholds after the lowest-level exposure were difficult to distinguish from test-retest variability; however, TTS was reliably detected after higher levels of sound exposure. Changes in audiometric thresholds had a "notch" configuration, with the largest changes observed at 4 kHz (mean = 6.3 ± 3.9 dB; range = 0-14 dB). Recovery was largely complete within the first 4 hr postexposure, and all subjects showed complete recovery of both thresholds and DPOAE measures when tested 1 week postexposure. These data provide insight into the variability of TTS induced by music-player use in a healthy, normal-hearing, young adult population, with music playlist, level, and duration carefully controlled. These data confirm the likelihood of temporary changes in auditory function after digital music-player use. Such data are essential for the development of a human clinical trial protocol that provides a highly powered design for evaluating novel therapeutics in human clinical trials. Care must be taken to fully inform potential subjects in

Parton distributions with threshold resummation

CERN Document Server

Bonvini, Marco; Rojo, Juan; Rottoli, Luca; Ubiali, Maria; Ball, Richard D.; Bertone, Valerio; Carrazza, Stefano; Hartland, Nathan P.

2015-01-01

We construct a set of parton distribution functions (PDFs) in which fixed-order NLO and NNLO calculations are supplemented with soft-gluon (threshold) resummation up to NLL and NNLL accuracy respectively, suitable for use in conjunction with any QCD calculation in which threshold resummation is included at the level of partonic cross sections. These resummed PDF sets, based on the NNPDF3.0 analysis, are extracted from deep-inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan, and top quark pair production data, for which resummed calculations can be consistently used. We find that, close to threshold, the inclusion of resummed PDFs can partially compensate the enhancement in resummed matrix elements, leading to resummed hadronic cross-sections closer to the fixed-order calculation. On the other hand, far from threshold, resummed PDFs reduce to their fixed-order counterparts. Our results demonstrate the need for a consistent use of resummed PDFs in resummed calculations.

Threshold defect production in silicon determined by density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmstroem, E.; Kuronen, A.; Nordlund, K.

2008-01-01

We studied threshold displacement energies for creating stable Frenkel pairs in silicon using density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations. The average threshold energy over all lattice directions was found to be 36±2 STAT ±2 SYST eV, and thresholds in the directions and were found to be 20±2 SYST eV and 12.5±1.5 SYST eV, respectively. Moreover, we found that in most studied lattice directions, a bond defect complex is formed with a lower threshold than a Frenkel pair. The average threshold energy for producing either a bond defect or a Frenkel pair was found to be 24±1 STAT ±2 SYST eV

Stochastic Calculus: Application to Dynamic Bifurcations and Threshold Crossings

Science.gov (United States)

Jansons, Kalvis M.; Lythe, G. D.

1998-01-01

For the dynamic pitchfork bifurcation in the presence of white noise, the statistics of the last time at zero are calculated as a function of the noise level ∈ and the rate of change of the parameter μ. The threshold crossing problem used, for example, to model the firing of a single cortical neuron is considered, concentrating on quantities that may be experimentally measurable but have so far received little attention. Expressions for the statistics of pre-threshold excursions, occupation density, and last crossing time of zero are compared with results from numerical generation of paths.

Near-Threshold Computing and Minimum Supply Voltage of Single-Rail MCML Circuits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruiping Cao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In high-speed applications, MOS current mode logic (MCML is a good alternative. Scaling down supply voltage of the MCML circuits can achieve low power-delay product (PDP. However, the current almost all MCML circuits are realized with dual-rail scheme, where the NMOS configuration in series limits the minimum supply voltage. In this paper, single-rail MCML (SRMCML circuits are described, which can avoid the devices configuration in series, since their logic evaluation block can be realized by only using MOS devices in parallel. The relationship between the minimum supply voltage of the SRMCML circuits and the model parameters of MOS transistors is derived, so that the minimum supply voltage can be estimated before circuit designs. An MCML dynamic flop-flop based on SRMCML is also proposed. The optimization algorithm for near-threshold sequential circuits is presented. A near-threshold SRMCML mode-10 counter based on the optimization algorithm is verified. Scaling down the supply voltage of the SRMCML circuits is also investigated. The power dissipation, delay, and power-delay products of these circuits are carried out. The results show that the near-threshold SRMCML circuits can obtain low delay and small power-delay product.

Inhibition of ethanol-producing yeast and bacteria by degradation products produced during pre-treatment of biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinke, H.B.; Thomsen, A.B.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

2004-01-01

for ethanol fermentation. The resulting hydrolyzsates contain substances inhibitory to fermentation-depending on both the raw material (biomass) and the pre-treatment applied. An overview of the inhibitory effect on ethanol production by yeast and bacteria is presented. Apart from furans formed by sugar......An overview of the different inhibitors formed by pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials and their inhibition of ethanol production in yeast and bacteria is given. Different high temperature physical pre-treatment methods are available to render the carbohydrates in lignocellulose accessible...... degradation, phenol monomers from lignin degradation are important co-factors in hydrolysate inhibition, and inhibitory effects of these aromatic compounds on different ethanol producing microorganisms is reviewed. The furans and phenols generally inhibited growth and ethanol production rate (Q...

Complementary or alternative? The use of homeopathic products and antibiotics amongst pre-school children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bishop Jackie

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Any intervention to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics for infections in children has the potential to reduce the selective pressure on antimicrobial resistance and minimise the medicalisation of self-limiting illness. Little is known about whether homeopathic products might be used by some families as an alternative to antibiotics or the characteristics of such families. We used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC observational dataset to explore the hypothesis that the use of homeopathic products is associated with reduced antibiotic use in pre-school children and to identify characteristics of the families of pre-school children given homeopathic products. Methods Questionnaires data were completed by the parents of 9723 children while aged between 3–4.5 years in Bristol UK. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to explore the relationships between antibiotic and homeopathic product use. Results Six percent of children had received one or more homeopathic products and 62% one or more antibiotics between the ages of 3 and 4.5 years. After adjustment for factors associated with antibiotic use, there was no association between homeopathic product and antibiotic use (adjusted OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.84, 1.24. Factors independently associated with child homeopathic product use were: higher maternal education, maternal use of homeopathic products, maternal lack of confidence in doctors, mothers reporting that they were less likely to see doctor when the child was ill, children being given vitamins, watching less television and suffering from wheeze and food allergies. Conclusion In this observational study, the use of homeopathic products was not associated with decreased antibiotic consumption, suggesting the use of homeopathic product complements rather than competes with the use of antibiotics in pre-school children. The characteristics of mothers giving homeopathic products to their

The threshold of cortical electrical stimulation for mapping sensory and motor functional areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Guojun, Zhang; Duanyu, Ni; Fu, Paul; Lixin, Cai; Tao, Yu; Wei, Du; Liang, Qiao; Zhiwei, Ren

2014-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the threshold of cortical electrical stimulation (CES) for functional brain mapping during surgery for the treatment of rolandic epilepsy. A total of 21 patients with rolandic epilepsy who underwent surgical treatment at the Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery between October 2006 and March 2008 were included in this study. Their clinical data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The thresholds of CES for motor response, sensory response, and after discharge production along with other threshold-related factors were investigated. The thresholds (mean ± standard deviation) for motor response, sensory response, and after discharge production were 3.48 ± 0.87, 3.86 ± 1.31, and 4.84 ± 1.38 mA, respectively. The threshold for after discharge production was significantly higher than those of both the motor and sensory response (both pstimulation frequency of 50 Hz and a pulse width of 0.2 ms, the threshold of sensory and motor responses were similar, and the threshold of after discharge production was higher than that of sensory and motor response. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ear surgery techniques results on hearing threshold improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Mokhtarinejad

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Bone conduction (BC threshold depression is not always by means of sensory neural hearing loss and sometimes it is an artifact caused by middle ear pathologies and ossicular chain problems. In this research, the influences of ear surgeries on bone conduction were evaluated. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a clinical trial study. The ear surgery performed on 83 patients classified in four categories: Stapedectomy, tympanomastoid surgery and ossicular reconstruction partially or totally; Partial Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis (PORP and Total Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis (TORP. Bone conduction thresholds assessed in frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz pre and post the surgery. Results: In stapedectomy group, the average of BC threshold in all frequencies improved approximately 6 dB in frequency of 2000 Hz. In tympanomastoid group, BC threshold in the frequency of 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz changed 4 dB (P-value < 0.05. Moreover, In the PORP group, 5 dB enhancement was seen in 1000 and 2000 Hz. In TORP group, the results confirmed that BC threshold improved in all frequencies especially at 4000 Hz about 6.5 dB. Conclusion: In according to results of this study, BC threshold shift was seen after several ear surgeries such as stapedectomy, tympanoplasty, PORP and TORP. The average of BC improvement was approximately 5 dB. It must be considered that BC depression might happen because of ossicular chain problems. Therefore; by resolving middle ear pathologies, the better BC threshold was obtained, the less hearing problems would be faced.

Study of the Production of Single Pions in Pion-proton Collisions near Threshold

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

This experiment aims at a complete-kinematics measurement of the processes @p|-p @A @p|-@p|+n and @p|+p @A @p|+@p|+n in the region of incident momenta between 300 MeV/c and 460 MeV/c. It uses the Omicron Spectrometer with detectors placed in the magnetic field close to a 12 atm. hydrogen gas target. The apparatus has an acceptance of 4\\% for the processes to be studied. \\\\ \\\\ Their threshold is at 279 MeV/c and pion production in this region is interesting from the point of view of the determination of transformation properties of the chiral-symmetry-breaking part of the Lagrangian.

Phenomenology of single-inclusive jet production with jet radius and threshold resummation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaohui; Moch, Sven-Olaf; Ringer, Felix

2018-03-01

We perform a detailed study of inclusive jet production cross sections at the LHC and compare the QCD theory predictions based on the recently developed formalism for threshold and jet radius joint resummation at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy to inclusive jet data collected by the CMS Collaboration at √{S }=7 and 13 TeV. We compute the cross sections at next-to-leading order in QCD with and without the joint resummation for different choices of jet radii R and observe that the joint resummation leads to crucial improvements in the description of the data. Comprehensive studies with different parton distribution functions demonstrate the necessity of considering the joint resummation in fits of those functions based on the LHC jet data.

Present-day African analogue of a pre-European Amazonian floodplain fishery shows convergence in cultural niche construction.

Science.gov (United States)

McKey, Doyle B; Durécu, Mélisse; Pouilly, Marc; Béarez, Philippe; Ovando, Alex; Kalebe, Mashuta; Huchzermeyer, Carl F

2016-12-27

Erickson [Erickson CL (2000) Nature 408 (6809):190-193] interpreted features in seasonal floodplains in Bolivia's Beni savannas as vestiges of pre-European earthen fish weirs, postulating that they supported a productive, sustainable fishery that warranted cooperation in the construction and maintenance of perennial structures. His inferences were bold, because no close ethnographic analogues were known. A similar present-day Zambian fishery, documented here, appears strikingly convergent. The Zambian fishery supports Erickson's key inferences about the pre-European fishery: It allows sustained high harvest levels; weir construction and operation require cooperation; and weirs are inherited across generations. However, our comparison suggests that the pre-European system may not have entailed intensive management, as Erickson postulated. The Zambian fishery's sustainability is based on exploiting an assemblage dominated by species with life histories combining high fecundity, multiple reproductive cycles, and seasonal use of floodplains. As water rises, adults migrate from permanent watercourses into floodplains, through gaps in weirs, to feed and spawn. Juveniles grow and then migrate back to dry-season refuges as water falls. At that moment fishermen set traps in the gaps, harvesting large numbers of fish, mostly juveniles. In nature, most juveniles die during the first dry season, so that their harvest just before migration has limited impact on future populations, facilitating sustainability and the adoption of a fishery based on inherited perennial structures. South American floodplain fishes with similar life histories were the likely targets of the pre-European fishery. Convergence in floodplain fish strategies in these two regions in turn drove convergence in cultural niche construction.

Effect of ultrasound pre-treatment on the physicochemical composition of Agave durangensis leaves and potential enzyme production.

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras-Hernández, M G; Ochoa-Martínez, L A; Rutiaga-Quiñones, J G; Rocha-Guzmán, N E; Lara-Ceniceros, T E; Contreras-Esquivel, J C; Prado Barragán, L A; Rutiaga-Quiñones, O M

2018-02-01

Approximately 1 million tons of agave plants are processed annually by the Mexican tequila and mezcal industry, generating vast amounts of agroindustrial solid waste. This type of lignocellulosic biomass is considered to be agroindustrial residue, which can be used to produce enzymes, giving it added value. However, the structure of lignocellulosic biomass makes it highly recalcitrant, and results in relatively low yield when used in its native form. The aim of this study was to investigate an effective pre-treatment method for the production of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes. In this work, the physical and chemical modification of Agave durangensis leaves was analysed using ultrasound and high temperature as pre-treatments, and production of enzymes was evaluated. The pre-treatments resulted in modification of the lignocellulosic structure and composition; the ultrasound pre-treatment improved the production of inulinase by 4 U/mg and cellulase by 0.297 U/mg, and thermal pre-treatment improved β-fructofuranosidase by 30 U/mg. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A near-infrared survey for pre-main sequence stars in Taurus

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Mercedes; Kenyon, Scott J.; Hartmann, Lee

1994-01-01

We present a near-infrared survey of approximately 2 sq deg covering parts of L1537, L1538, and Heiles cloud 2 in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. Although this study is more sensitive than previous attempts to identify pre-main sequence stars in Taurus-Auriga, our survey regions contain only one new optically visible, young star. We did find several candidate embedded protostars; additional 10 micrometer photometry is necessary to verify the pre-main sequence nature of these sources. Our results--combined with those of previous surveys--show that the L1537/L1538 clouds contain no pre-main sequence stars. These two clouds are less dense than the active star formation sites in Taurus-Auriga, which suggests a cloud must achieve a threshold density to form stars.

Process for calcium xylonate production as a concrete admixture derived from in-situ fermentation of wheat straw pre-hydrolysate.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xin; Zhou, Xuelian; Tang, Xiusheng; Xu, Yong

2018-08-01

One of the major obstacles in process of lignocellulosic biorefinery is the utilization of pre-hydrolysate from pre-treatment. Although lignocellulosic pre-hydrolysate can serve as an economic starting material for xylonic acid production, the advancement of xylonic acid or xylonate is still limited by further commercial value or applications. In the present study, xylose in the high concentration wheat straw pre-hydrolysate was first in-situ biooxidized to xylonate by Gluconobacter oxydans. To meet the needs of commercialization, crude powdered calcium xylonate was prepared by drying process and calcium xylonate content in the prepared crude product was more than 70%. Then, the calcium xylonate product was evaluated as concrete admixture without any complex purification steps and the results demonstrated that xylonate could improve the performance of concrete. Overall, the crude xylonate product directly produced from low-cost wheat straw pre-hydrolysate can potentially be developed as retarding reducer, which could subsequently benefit lignocellulosic biorefinery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital music exposure reliably induces temporary threshold shift (TTS) in normal hearing human subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Le Prell, C. G.; Dell, S.; Hensley, B.; Hall, J. W.; Campbell, K. C. M.; Antonelli, P. J.; Green, G. E.; Miller, J. M.; Guire, K.

2012-01-01

Objectives One of the challenges for evaluating new otoprotective agents for potential benefit in human populations is availability of an established clinical paradigm with real world relevance. These studies were explicitly designed to develop a real-world digital music exposure that reliably induces temporary threshold shift (TTS) in normal hearing human subjects. Design Thirty-three subjects participated in studies that measured effects of digital music player use on hearing. Subjects selected either rock or pop music, which was then presented at 93–95 (n=10), 98–100 (n=11), or 100–102 (n=12) dBA in-ear exposure level for a period of four hours. Audiograms and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured prior to and after music exposure. Post-music tests were initiated 15 min, 1 hr 15 min, 2 hr 15 min, and 3 hr 15 min after the exposure ended. Additional tests were conducted the following day and one week later. Results Changes in thresholds after the lowest level exposure were difficult to distinguish from test-retest variability; however, TTS was reliably detected after higher levels of sound exposure. Changes in audiometric thresholds had a “notch” configuration, with the largest changes observed at 4 kHz (mean=6.3±3.9dB; range=0–13 dB). Recovery was largely complete within the first 4 hours post-exposure, and all subjects showed complete recovery of both thresholds and DPOAE measures when tested 1-week post-exposure. Conclusions These data provide insight into the variability of TTS induced by music player use in a healthy, normal-hearing, young adult population, with music playlist, level, and duration carefully controlled. These data confirm the likelihood of temporary changes in auditory function following digital music player use. Such data are essential for the development of a human clinical trial protocol that provides a highly powered design for evaluating novel therapeutics in human clinical trials. Care must be

Modeling DPOAE input/output function compression: comparisons with hearing thresholds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhagat, Shaum P

2014-09-01

Basilar membrane input/output (I/O) functions in mammalian animal models are characterized by linear and compressed segments when measured near the location corresponding to the characteristic frequency. A method of studying basilar membrane compression indirectly in humans involves measuring distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) I/O functions. Previous research has linked compression estimates from behavioral growth-of-masking functions to hearing thresholds. The aim of this study was to compare compression estimates from DPOAE I/O functions and hearing thresholds at 1 and 2 kHz. A prospective correlational research design was performed. The relationship between DPOAE I/O function compression estimates and hearing thresholds was evaluated with Pearson product-moment correlations. Normal-hearing adults (n = 16) aged 22-42 yr were recruited. DPOAE I/O functions (L₂ = 45-70 dB SPL) and two-interval forced-choice hearing thresholds were measured in normal-hearing adults. A three-segment linear regression model applied to DPOAE I/O functions supplied estimates of compression thresholds, defined as breakpoints between linear and compressed segments and the slopes of the compressed segments. Pearson product-moment correlations between DPOAE compression estimates and hearing thresholds were evaluated. A high correlation between DPOAE compression thresholds and hearing thresholds was observed at 2 kHz, but not at 1 kHz. Compression slopes also correlated highly with hearing thresholds only at 2 kHz. The derivation of cochlear compression estimates from DPOAE I/O functions provides a means to characterize basilar membrane mechanics in humans and elucidates the role of compression in tone detection in the 1-2 kHz frequency range. American Academy of Audiology.

Photoproduction of the vector mesons ω(782) and φ(1020) on the proton from the production threshold up to a photon energy of 2. 6 GeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barth, J.

2002-05-01

This paper reports on a measurement of the photoproduction of ω(782) and Φ(1020) vector mesons with the SAPHIR detector at the electron accelerator facility ELSA. The incident photons were tagged in an energy range from reaction threshold up to 2.6 GeV. ω and Φ events were selected by separating their signal in the invariant mass spectrum of their decay products, i.e. in the π + π - π 0 and the K + K - system, respectively. As a cross check for normalization the inclusive two and three pion production was evaluated. The results agree with earlier experiments. From the experimental data total cross sections σ tot , differential cross sections dσ/dt as well as decay angular distributions in both, Gottfried Jackson and helicity frames, were extracted. For the ω production they show that diffractive processes play an important role as expected from higher energy data. However, at threshold s-channel resonances significantly contribute. In the region of large four-momentum transfers (vertical stroke t vertical stroke > 1 GeV 2 ) significant deviations from t-channel exchange mechanisms are observed. The Φ production can be described mainly by diffraction, but also other t-channel exchange processes seem to contribute. (orig.)

Effects of pulse duration on magnetostimulation thresholds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saritas, Emine U., E-mail: saritas@ee.bilkent.edu.tr [Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-1762 (United States); Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800 (Turkey); National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800 (Turkey); Goodwill, Patrick W. [Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-1762 (United States); Conolly, Steven M. [Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-1762 (United States); Department of EECS, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1762 (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Medical imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic particle imaging (MPI) utilize time-varying magnetic fields that are subject to magnetostimulation limits, which often limit the speed of the imaging process. Various human-subject experiments have studied the amplitude and frequency dependence of these thresholds for gradient or homogeneous magnetic fields. Another contributing factor was shown to be number of cycles in a magnetic pulse, where the thresholds decreased with longer pulses. The latter result was demonstrated on two subjects only, at a single frequency of 1.27 kHz. Hence, whether the observed effect was due to the number of cycles or due to the pulse duration was not specified. In addition, a gradient-type field was utilized; hence, whether the same phenomenon applies to homogeneous magnetic fields remained unknown. Here, the authors investigate the pulse duration dependence of magnetostimulation limits for a 20-fold range of frequencies using homogeneous magnetic fields, such as the ones used for the drive field in MPI. Methods: Magnetostimulation thresholds were measured in the arms of six healthy subjects (age: 27 ± 5 yr). Each experiment comprised testing the thresholds at eight different pulse durations between 2 and 125 ms at a single frequency, which took approximately 30–40 min/subject. A total of 34 experiments were performed at three different frequencies: 1.2, 5.7, and 25.5 kHz. A solenoid coil providing homogeneous magnetic field was used to induce stimulation, and the field amplitude was measured in real time. A pre-emphasis based pulse shaping method was employed to accurately control the pulse durations. Subjects reported stimulation via a mouse click whenever they felt a twitching/tingling sensation. A sigmoid function was fitted to the subject responses to find the threshold at a specific frequency and duration, and the whole procedure was repeated at all relevant frequencies and pulse durations

Effects of pulse duration on magnetostimulation thresholds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saritas, Emine U.; Goodwill, Patrick W.; Conolly, Steven M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Medical imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic particle imaging (MPI) utilize time-varying magnetic fields that are subject to magnetostimulation limits, which often limit the speed of the imaging process. Various human-subject experiments have studied the amplitude and frequency dependence of these thresholds for gradient or homogeneous magnetic fields. Another contributing factor was shown to be number of cycles in a magnetic pulse, where the thresholds decreased with longer pulses. The latter result was demonstrated on two subjects only, at a single frequency of 1.27 kHz. Hence, whether the observed effect was due to the number of cycles or due to the pulse duration was not specified. In addition, a gradient-type field was utilized; hence, whether the same phenomenon applies to homogeneous magnetic fields remained unknown. Here, the authors investigate the pulse duration dependence of magnetostimulation limits for a 20-fold range of frequencies using homogeneous magnetic fields, such as the ones used for the drive field in MPI. Methods: Magnetostimulation thresholds were measured in the arms of six healthy subjects (age: 27 ± 5 yr). Each experiment comprised testing the thresholds at eight different pulse durations between 2 and 125 ms at a single frequency, which took approximately 30–40 min/subject. A total of 34 experiments were performed at three different frequencies: 1.2, 5.7, and 25.5 kHz. A solenoid coil providing homogeneous magnetic field was used to induce stimulation, and the field amplitude was measured in real time. A pre-emphasis based pulse shaping method was employed to accurately control the pulse durations. Subjects reported stimulation via a mouse click whenever they felt a twitching/tingling sensation. A sigmoid function was fitted to the subject responses to find the threshold at a specific frequency and duration, and the whole procedure was repeated at all relevant frequencies and pulse durations

Performance enhancement of multi-core fiber transmission using real-time FPGA based pre-emphasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasanuzzaman, G. K.M.; Spolitis, Sandis; Salgals, T.

2017-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate pre-emphasis based performance for a 2 km long 7-core multicore fiber link. Simultaneous transmission below the FEC threshold is achievable for all cores by using signal equalization in a FPGA.......We experimentally demonstrate pre-emphasis based performance for a 2 km long 7-core multicore fiber link. Simultaneous transmission below the FEC threshold is achievable for all cores by using signal equalization in a FPGA....

Ultrasound assisted biogas production from co-digestion of wastewater sludges and agricultural wastes: Comparison with microwave pre-treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Aylin Alagöz, B; Yenigün, Orhan; Erdinçler, Ayşen

2018-01-01

This study investigates the effect of ultrasonication and microwave sludge disintegration/pre-treatment techniques on the anaerobic co-digestion efficiency of wastewater sludges with olive and grape pomaces. The effects of both co-digestion and sludge pre-treatment techniques were evaluated in terms of the organic removal efficiency and the biogas production. The "co-digestion" of wastewater sludge with both types of pomaces was revealed to be a much more efficient way for the biogas production compared to the single (mono) sludge digestion. The ultrasonication and microwave pre-treatments applied to the sludge samples caused to a further increase in biogas and methane yields. Based on applied specific energies, ultrasonication pre-treatment was found much more effective than microwave irradiation. The specific energy applied in microwave pre-treatment (87,000kj/kgTS) was almost 9 times higher than that of used in ultrasonication (10,000kj/kgTS), resulting only 10-15% increases in biogas/methane yield. Co-digestion of winery and olive industry residues with pre-treated wastewater sludges appears to be a suitable technique for waste management and energy production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

W-pair production near threshold in unstable particle effective theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falgari, Pietro

2008-11-07

In this thesis we present a dedicated study of the four-fermion production process e{sup +}e{sup -}{yields}{mu}{sup -} anti {nu}{sub {mu}}u anti dX near the W-pair production threshold, in view of its importance for a precise determination of the W-boson mass at the ILC. The calculation is performed in the framework of unstable-particle effective theory, which allows for a gauge-invariant inclusion of instability effects, and for a systematic approximation of the full cross section with an expansion in the coupling constants, the ratio {gamma}{sub W}/M{sub W}, and the non-relativistic velocity v of the W boson. The effective-theory result, computed to next-to-leading order in the expansion parameters {gamma}{sub W}/M{sub W}{proportional_to}{alpha}{sub ew}{proportional_to}v{sup 2}, is compared to the full numerical next-to-leading order calculation of the four-fermion production cross section, and agreement to better than 0.5% is found in the region of validity of the effective theory. Furthermore, we estimate the contributions of missing higher-order corrections to the four-fermion process, and how they translate into an error on the W-boson mass determination. We find that the dominant theoretical uncertainty on MW is currently due to an incomplete treatment of initial-state radiation, while the remaining combined uncertainty of the two NLO calculations translates into {delta}M{sub W}{approx} 5 MeV. The latter error is removed by an explicit computation of the dominant missing terms, which originate from the expansion in v of next-to-next-to-leading order Standard Model diagrams. The effect of resummation of logarithmically-enhanced terms is also investigated, but found to be negligible. (orig.)

Pre-operative pain and sensory function in groin hernia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aasvang, Eske K; Hansen, Jeanette B; Kehlet, Henrik

2009-01-01

(rho=-0.413, p=0.049), indicating a paradoxical association between level of mechanical pain threshold and magnitude of spontaneous pain. No other sensory modality was significantly correlated to pain intensity. New/increased pain during repetitive pinprick stimulation (wind-up) was seen in 3 patients...... mechanism. AIMS: To investigate the correlation between pre-operative pain intensity and sensory functions in the groin hernia area. METHODS: Patients with unilateral groin hernia were examined preoperatively by quantitative sensory testing (thermal, mechanical, and pressure [detection and pain thresholds...... pain is not related to findings of hyperalgesia or other changes in sensory function that may support pain-induced pre-operative neuroplasticity as a pathogenic mechanism for the development of persistent postherniotomy pain....

Advantages of pre-production WLCG/EGEE services for VOs and users

CERN Document Server

Thackray, N; Fernandez Sanchez, C; Freire Garcia, E; Simon Garcia, A; Lopez Cacheiro, J

2008-01-01

The benefits that the Pre-Production Service (PPS) can offer to VOs and new users will be shown. Current PPS processes will be described so they have a better understanding of the PPS environment. PPS offers a proper place where VOs can test their applications and check their compatibility with upcoming middleware releases. PPS could help VOs improve their applications and at the same time, VOs would be helping PPS to produce better tested middleware releases that would go into Production (PROD) Currently a well-defined set of procedures is followed in PPS, beginning with the pre-deployment activity and finishing with the approval of a new middleware release that can go into PROD. The PPS Coordination Team takes care of supervising all these steps, mainly trying to spot possible bugs in the middleware before it goes into PROD. Unfortunately, VO contribution in this part of the deployment is currently very limited and the PPS team does not have a full feedback from these important groups. One of the problems i...

Production below the threshold and reabsorption of neutral pions in the system 129Xe+197Au at 44 MeV/u

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, R.S.

1992-11-01

In the framework of the TAPS collaboration at GANIL an experiment for the production of neutral pions in 129 Xe+ 197 Au collisions below the threshold for the production in the free nucleon-nucleon collision was performed. Both for π 0 and for hard photons from the data the inclusive cross sections for the production, energy and angular distributions as well as the velocity of the emitting source were derived. (orig./HSI) [de

Determination of pre-cecal phosphorus digestibility of inorganic phosphates and bone meal products in broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

van Harn, J; Spek, J W; van Vuure, C A; van Krimpen, M M

2017-05-01

A broiler study was performed to determine the pre-cecal phosphorus (P) digestibility of 5 P sources, 3 from animal (Delfos, Calfos, and porcine bone meal) and 2 of inorganic (monocalcium phosphate [MCP] and dicalcium phosphate [DCP]) origin. Delfos is processed from bones resulting in a dicalcium phosphate product, and Calfos is processed from bones in which part of the gelatin is removed but in which the hydroxy-apatite matrix is preserved. During the first 14 d, birds were housed in floor pens bedded with wood shavings and received a commercial starter diet. At d 14, broilers were randomly assigned to pens (0.9 m2, 10 birds/pen) with a slatted floor. From d 14 onwards, one of the 6 experimental diets (a basal diet, and 5 diets containing the P sources) was provided. Test diets were replicated 6 times, and the basal diet 8 times. Electron microscopy images of test products were made in order to verify whether the spatial structure of the test products could be related to the pre-cecal P digestibility of the same products. Diets met or exceeded CVB (2011) requirements for all nutrients except for P and were formulated to contain a calcium to total P ratio of between 1.4 and 1.6 and a minimal amount of phytate P. Diets contained 5 g/kg titanium oxide as a marker to determine digestibility of P. At d 24 all birds were euthanized, after which the content of the terminal part of the ileum was sampled. The P digestibility was calculated by linear regression according to World's Poultry Science Association (WPSA) protocol for determination of pre-cecal P digestibility. Pre-cecal P digestibility of MCP, DCP, Delfos, Calfos, and porcine bone meal was 88.5, 82.4, 94.5, 86.9, and 78.2%, respectively. Based on visual inspection of electron microscopy images of test products, the spatial structure of the test products might be related to P digestibility. It is concluded that processing of bone meal increases the pre-cecal P digestibility in broilers. © The Author 2017

Hydrolysis of Miscanthus for bioethanol production using dilute acid presoaking combined with wet explosion pre-treatment and enzymatic treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Annette; Teller, Philip Johan; Hilstrøm, Troels

2008-01-01

xylose prior to wet explosion. The acid presoaking extracted 63.2% xylose and 5.2% glucose. Direct enzymatic hydrolysis of the presoaked biomass was found to give only low sugar yields of 24-26% glucose. Wet explosion is a pre-treatment method that combines wet-oxidation and steam explosion. The effect...... of wet explosion on non-presoaked and presoaked Miscanthus was investigated using both atmospheric air and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizing agent. All wet explosion pre-treatments showed to have a disrupting effect on the lignocellulosic biomass, making the sugars accessible for enzymatic hydrolysis......Miscanthus is a high yielding bioenergy crop. In this study we used acid presoaking, wet explosion, and enzymatic hydrolysis to evaluate the combination of the different pre-treatment methods for bioethanol production with Miscanthus. Acid presoaking is primarily carried out in order to remove...

Inhibition of Pre-Supplementary Motor Area by Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Leads to More Cautious Decision-making and More Efficient Sensory Evidence Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosun, Tuğçe; Berkay, Dilara; Sack, Alexander T; Çakmak, Yusuf Ö; Balcı, Fuat

2017-08-01

Decisions are made based on the integration of available evidence. The noise in evidence accumulation leads to a particular speed-accuracy tradeoff in decision-making, which can be modulated and optimized by adaptive decision threshold setting. Given the effect of pre-SMA activity on striatal excitability, we hypothesized that the inhibition of pre-SMA would lead to higher decision thresholds and an increased accuracy bias. We used offline continuous theta burst stimulation to assess the effect of transient inhibition of the right pre-SMA on the decision processes in a free-response two-alternative forced-choice task within the drift diffusion model framework. Participants became more cautious and set higher decision thresholds following right pre-SMA inhibition compared with inhibition of the control site (vertex). Increased decision thresholds were accompanied by an accuracy bias with no effects on post-error choice behavior. Participants also exhibited higher drift rates as a result of pre-SMA inhibition compared with the vertex inhibition. These results, in line with the striatal theory of speed-accuracy tradeoff, provide evidence for the functional role of pre-SMA activity in decision threshold modulation. Our results also suggest that pre-SMA might be a part of the brain network associated with the sensory evidence integration.

Transient threshold shift after gunshot noise exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Saedi, B; Ghasemi, M; Motiee, M; Mojtahed, M; Safavi, A

2013-01-01

Many people, such as soldiers, are routinely exposed to gunshot noise during target practice. It is suspected that this high-intensity noise may affect audition through repeated Transient Threshold Shifts (TTS); it can also mechanically alter auditory components such as waves. This study investigates the scope of gunshot noise from the AK-47 rifle (Kalashnikov) and the impact on the shooters' audition. Forty soldiers (80 ears) were recruited in this study. They were all young and being exposed to gunshot noise for the first time. Gunshot characteristics were measured before exposure. The soldiers underwent auditory evaluation with Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) and Oto-Acoustic Emission (OAE) once before exposure and immediately (less than one hour) after exposure. The AK-47 gunshot noise pressure level varied between L(AIm) = 73.7 dBA to L(AIm) = 111.4 dBA. Fourteen participants had subclinical hearing impairment in their pre-exposure evaluation; this number increased to 16 after the exposure. Six months post-exposure and later, the number of cases with impairment had fallen to eight (improvement in 50%). Both pre- and post-exposure OAE results were within normal values, while PTA results indicated a significant threshold alteration only at 6 kHz. The results of this study confirm that exposure to gunshot noise with no ear protection can represent a significant hazard for auditory function, especially at higher frequencies.

Baryon-antibaryon threshold and ω-baryonium mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavai, R.V.

1981-01-01

It is shown that in any dual-topological-unitarization model of ω-baryonium (B) mixing at the cylinder level, in which the production of baryon-antibaryon (bb-bar) pairs can take place only above a certain threshold energy, the phenomenologically relevant ω and B trajectories do not mix below bb-bar threshold. However, their couplings to external particles do get modified. The ω-B mixing angle theta/sub omegahyphenB/, which characterizes these coupling modification effects below bb-bar threshold at t = 0, is estimated in some models. These estimates are found to agree reasonably well with the existing phenomenological bound on theta/sub omegahyphenB/

Biomarker Analysis of Stored Blood Products: Emphasis on Pre-Analytical Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Delobel, Julien; Rubin, Olivier; Prudent, Michel; Crettaz, David; Tissot, Jean-Daniel; Lion, Niels

2010-01-01

Millions of blood products are transfused every year; many lives are thus directly concerned by transfusion. The three main labile blood products used in transfusion are erythrocyte concentrates, platelet concentrates and fresh frozen plasma. Each of these products has to be stored according to its particular components. However, during storage, modifications or degradation of those components may occur, and are known as storage lesions. Thus, biomarker discovery of in vivo blood aging as well as in vitro labile blood products storage lesions is of high interest for the transfusion medicine community. Pre-analytical issues are of major importance in analyzing the various blood products during storage conditions as well as according to various protocols that are currently used in blood banks for their preparations. This paper will review key elements that have to be taken into account in the context of proteomic-based biomarker discovery applied to blood banking. PMID:21151459

Is heart rate variability a feasible method to determine anaerobic threshold in progressive resistance exercise in coronary artery disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Sperling, Milena P R; Simões, Rodrigo P; Caruso, Flávia C R; Mendes, Renata G; Arena, Ross; Borghi-Silva, Audrey

2016-01-01

Recent studies have shown that the magnitude of the metabolic and autonomic responses during progressive resistance exercise (PRE) is associated with the determination of the anaerobic threshold (AT). AT is an important parameter to determine intensity in dynamic exercise. To investigate the metabolic and cardiac autonomic responses during dynamic resistance exercise in patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Twenty men (age = 63±7 years) with CAD [Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) = 60±10%] underwent a PRE protocol on a leg press until maximal exertion. The protocol began at 10% of One Repetition Maximum Test (1-RM), with subsequent increases of 10% until maximal exhaustion. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) indices from Poincaré plots (SD1, SD2, SD1/SD2) and time domain (rMSSD and RMSM), and blood lactate were determined at rest and during PRE. Significant alterations in HRV and blood lactate were observed starting at 30% of 1-RM (p<0.05). Bland-Altman plots revealed a consistent agreement between blood lactate threshold (LT) and rMSSD threshold (rMSSDT) and between LT and SD1 threshold (SD1T). Relative values of 1-RM in all LT, rMSSDT and SD1T did not differ (29%±5 vs 28%±5 vs 29%±5 Kg, respectively). HRV during PRE could be a feasible noninvasive method of determining AT in CAD patients to plan intensities during cardiac rehabilitation.

A New Wavelet Threshold Function and Denoising Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Jing-yi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the effects of denoising, this paper introduces the basic principles of wavelet threshold denoising and traditional structures threshold functions. Meanwhile, it proposes wavelet threshold function and fixed threshold formula which are both improved here. First, this paper studies the problems existing in the traditional wavelet threshold functions and introduces the adjustment factors to construct the new threshold function basis on soft threshold function. Then, it studies the fixed threshold and introduces the logarithmic function of layer number of wavelet decomposition to design the new fixed threshold formula. Finally, this paper uses hard threshold, soft threshold, Garrote threshold, and improved threshold function to denoise different signals. And the paper also calculates signal-to-noise (SNR and mean square errors (MSE of the hard threshold functions, soft thresholding functions, Garrote threshold functions, and the improved threshold function after denoising. Theoretical analysis and experimental results showed that the proposed approach could improve soft threshold functions with constant deviation and hard threshold with discontinuous function problems. The proposed approach could improve the different decomposition scales that adopt the same threshold value to deal with the noise problems, also effectively filter the noise in the signals, and improve the SNR and reduce the MSE of output signals.

Analysis of Aqueous Extractable Protein in Radiation Pre vulcanized Natural Rubber Latex (RVNRL) And Sulphur Pre vulcanized Natural Rubber Latex (SVNRL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofian Ibrahim; Mohd Noor Wadi Mat Lazim; Syuhada Ramli; Keong, C.C.; Khairul Hisyam Mohd Yusof; Muhammad Saiful Omar; Najib Mohd Zakey; Hafizuddin Maseri; Noor Hasni Mohd Ali

2015-01-01

The use of radiation do not only produces Radiation Pre vulcanized Natural Rubber Latex (RVNRL) that can be used for the production of nitrosamines free products, moreover, RVNRL also able to exclude type IV allergy that caused by high protein content in the products. Leaching water from production of finger coat from RVNRL and Sulphur Pre vulcanized Natural rubber Latex (SVNRL) has been collected. Extractable protein content from water samples measured according to the test protocol ASTM D5712-2010. Water from leaching process of finger coat made from RVNRL showed a higher protein content than SVNRL. This explains why RVNRL based products contain very low protein content and thus reduce the risk of Type IV allergy. (author)

Test of the linear-no threshold theory of radiation carcinogenesis for inhaled radon decay products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, B.L.

1995-01-01

Data on lung cancer mortality rates vs. average radon concentration in homes for 1,601 U.S. counties are used to test the linear-no threshold theory. The widely recognized problems with ecological studies, as applied to this work, are addressed extensively. With or without corrections for variations in smoking prevalence, there is a strong tendency for lung cancer rates to decrease with increasing radon exposure, in sharp contrast to the increase expected from the theory. The discrepancy in slope is about 20 standard deviations. It is shown that uncertainties in lung cancer rates, radon exposures, and smoking prevalence are not important and that confounding by 54 socioeconomic factors, by geography, and by altitude and climate can explain only a small fraction of the discrepancy. Effects of known radon-smoking prevalence correlations - rural people have higher radon levels and smoke less than urban people, and smokers are exposed to less radon than non-smokers - are calculated and found to be trivial. In spite of extensive efforts, no potential explanation for the discrepancy other than failure of the linear-no threshold theory for carcinogenesis from inhaled radon decay products could be found. (author)

Enhanced methane production from pig slurry with pulsed electric field pre-treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Safavi, Seyedeh Masoumeh; Unnthorsson, Runar

2018-02-01

Intensive amount of manure produced in pig breeding sectors represents negative impact on the environment and requires optimal management. Anaerobic digestion as a well-known manure management process was optimized in this experimental study by pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment. The effect of PEF on methane production was investigated at three different intensities (15, 30 and 50 kWh/m 3 ). The results indicate that the methane production and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was improved by continuous escalation of applied intensity, up to 50 kWh/m 3 . In comparison with untreated slurry, methane production and COD removal were increased up to 58% and 44%, respectively.

Thresholds for Coral Bleaching: Are Synergistic Factors and Shifting Thresholds Changing the Landscape for Management? (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Eakin, C.; Donner, S. D.; Logan, C. A.; Gledhill, D. K.; Liu, G.; Heron, S. F.; Christensen, T.; Rauenzahn, J.; Morgan, J.; Parker, B. A.; Hoegh-Guldberg, O.; Skirving, W. J.; Strong, A. E.

2010-12-01

As carbon dioxide rises in the atmosphere, climate change and ocean acidification are modifying important physical and chemical parameters in the oceans with resulting impacts on coral reef ecosystems. Rising CO2 is warming the world’s oceans and causing corals to bleach, with both alarming frequency and severity. The frequent return of stressful temperatures has already resulted in major damage to many of the world’s coral reefs and is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Warmer oceans also have contributed to a rise in coral infectious diseases. Both bleaching and infectious disease can result in coral mortality and threaten one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth and the important ecosystem services they provide. Additionally, ocean acidification from rising CO2 is reducing the availability of carbonate ions needed by corals to build their skeletons and perhaps depressing the threshold for bleaching. While thresholds vary among species and locations, it is clear that corals around the world are already experiencing anomalous temperatures that are too high, too often, and that warming is exceeding the rate at which corals can adapt. This is despite a complex adaptive capacity that involves both the coral host and the zooxanthellae, including changes in the relative abundance of the latter in their coral hosts. The safe upper limit for atmospheric CO2 is probably somewhere below 350ppm, a level we passed decades ago, and for temperature is a sustained global temperature increase of less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. How much can corals acclimate and/or adapt to the unprecedented fast changing environmental conditions? Any change in the threshold for coral bleaching as the result of acclimation and/or adaption may help corals to survive in the future but adaptation to one stress may be maladaptive to another. There also is evidence that ocean acidification and nutrient enrichment modify this threshold. What do shifting thresholds mean

Computer simulation study of the displacement threshold-energy surface in Cu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, W.E.; Benedek, R.

1981-01-01

Computer simulations were performed using the molecular-dynamics technique to determine the directional dependence of the threshold energy for production of stable Frenkel pairs in copper. Sharp peaks were observed in the simulated threshold energy surface in between the low-index directions. Threshold energies ranged from approx.25 eV for directions near or to 180 eV at the position of the peak between and . The general topographical features of the simulated threshold-energy surface are in good agreement with those determined from an analysis of recent experiments by King et al. on the basis of a Frenkel-pair resistivity rho/sub F/ = 2.85 x 10 -4 Ω cm. Evidence is presented in favor of this number as opposed to the usually assumed value, rho/sub F/ = 2.00 x 10 -4 Ω cm. The energy dependence of defect production in a number of directions was investigated to determine the importance of nonproductive events above threshold

Measurements of NN → dπ near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutcheon, D.A.

1990-09-01

New, precise measurements of the differential cross sections for np → dπ 0 and π + d → pp and of analyzing powers for pp → dπ + have been made at energies within 10 MeV (c.m.) of threshold. They allow the pion s-wave and p-wave parts of the production strength to be distinguished unambiguously, yielding an s-wave strength at threshold which is significantly smaller than the previously accepted value. There is no evidence for charge independence breaking nor for πNN resonances near threshold. (Author) (17 refs., 17 figs., tab.)

Final report of the pre - investigation phase. Project on the establishment and renovation of renewable energy production facilities in Northern Poland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

The project for the erection of a windmill park and the renovation/modernisation of the hydro power plants reached with the finishing of the pre-investigation a milestone. The results of the investigations show that the project is fully corresponding with both EU and polish politic aims of increased utilisation of renewable energy sources for electricity production. Further the pre-investigation notified, that in Poland there exists a lack of experience of the utilisation of wind for electricity production, as there exists only 12 windmill/windmill parks, so that the project is evaluated to have a high demonstration effect on the production of renewable energy based on wind. During the pre-investigation there were elaborated among others feasibility studies on the erection of the windmill park and the renovation of the hydro power plants. The economic feasibility calculations on both parts of the project, found that erection of the windmill park and the renovation of the hydro power plants are fully feasible under the existing conditions. It is foreseen that KEW, the local electricity production company as investor will obtain a loan under the Danish environmental soft loan program for Eastern Europe for the equipment and installation of the equipment. Associated specialist work is applied for support by the Danish Environmental Agency and the Danish Energy Agency. That these institutions and the Danish State Export Credit Agency (EKF) approve their principal willingness to support this project is the next necessary step for the projects implementation. (au)

Subthreshold and near-threshold K+-meson photoproduction on nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paryev, E.Ya.

2000-01-01

The inclusive K + -meson production in photon-induced reactions in the near-threshold and subthreshold energy regimes is analyzed for the one-step (γN → K + Y, Y = Λ, Σ) incoherent production processes on the basis of an appropriate new folding model that takes properly into account the struck-target nucleon-removal energy and the internal momentum distribution (nucleon spectral function), extracted from recent quasielastic-electron-scattering experiments and from many-body calculations based on realistic models of NN interaction. Simple parametrizations of the total and differential cross sections for K + production in photon-nucleon collisions are presented. A comparison of the model calculations of the K + differential cross sections for γ 12 C interactions in the threshold region with existing experimental data is given, which displays the contributions to K + production at considered incident energies from the use of the single-particle part, as well as high momentum and high removal energy part, of the nucleon spectral function. Detailed predictions for the K + total and differential cross sections for γ 2 H, γ 12 C, and γ 208 Pb interactions at subthreshold and near-threshold energies are provided. The effect of the uncertainties in the elementary K + -production cross sections on the K + yield is explored

Ultrahigh Error Threshold for Surface Codes with Biased Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Tuckett, David K.; Bartlett, Stephen D.; Flammia, Steven T.

2018-02-01

We show that a simple modification of the surface code can exhibit an enormous gain in the error correction threshold for a noise model in which Pauli Z errors occur more frequently than X or Y errors. Such biased noise, where dephasing dominates, is ubiquitous in many quantum architectures. In the limit of pure dephasing noise we find a threshold of 43.7(1)% using a tensor network decoder proposed by Bravyi, Suchara, and Vargo. The threshold remains surprisingly large in the regime of realistic noise bias ratios, for example 28.2(2)% at a bias of 10. The performance is, in fact, at or near the hashing bound for all values of the bias. The modified surface code still uses only weight-4 stabilizers on a square lattice, but merely requires measuring products of Y instead of Z around the faces, as this doubles the number of useful syndrome bits associated with the dominant Z errors. Our results demonstrate that large efficiency gains can be found by appropriately tailoring codes and decoders to realistic noise models, even under the locality constraints of topological codes.

Threshold policy for global games with noisy information sharing

KAUST Repository

Mahdavifar, Hessam

2015-12-15

It is known that global games with noisy sharing of information do not admit a certain type of threshold policies [1]. Motivated by this result, we investigate the existence of threshold-type policies on global games with noisy sharing of information and show that such equilibrium strategies exist and are unique if the sharing of information happens over a sufficiently noisy environment. To show this result, we establish that if a threshold function is an equilibrium strategy, then it will be a solution to a fixed point equation. Then, we show that for a sufficiently noisy environment, the functional fixed point equation leads to a contraction mapping, and hence, its iterations converge to a unique continuous threshold policy.

Modification of electrical pain threshold by voluntary breathing-controlled electrical stimulation (BreEStim in healthy subjects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengai Li

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pain has a distinct sensory and affective (i.e., unpleasantness component. BreEStim, during which electrical stimulation is delivered during voluntary breathing, has been shown to selectively reduce the affective component of post-amputation phantom pain. The objective was to examine whether BreEStim increases pain threshold such that subjects could have improved tolerance of sensation of painful stimuli. METHODS: Eleven pain-free healthy subjects (7 males, 4 females participated in the study. All subjects received BreEStim (100 stimuli and conventional electrical stimulation (EStim, 100 stimuli to two acupuncture points (Neiguan and Weiguan of the dominant hand in a random order. The two different treatments were provided at least three days apart. Painful, but tolerable electrical stimuli were delivered randomly during EStim, but were triggered by effortful inhalation during BreEStim. Measurements of tactile sensation threshold, electrical sensation and electrical pain thresholds, thermal (cold sensation, warm sensation, cold pain and heat pain thresholds were recorded from the thenar eminence of both hands. These measurements were taken pre-intervention and 10-min post-intervention. RESULTS: There was no difference in the pre-intervention baseline measurement of all thresholds between BreEStim and EStim. The electrical pain threshold significantly increased after BreEStim (27.5±6.7% for the dominant hand and 28.5±10.8% for the non-dominant hand, respectively. The electrical pain threshold significantly decreased after EStim (9.1±2.8% for the dominant hand and 10.2±4.6% for the non-dominant hand, respectively (F[1, 10] = 30.992, p = .00024. There was no statistically significant change in other thresholds after BreEStim and EStim. The intensity of electrical stimuli was progressively increased, but no difference was found between BreEStim and EStim. CONCLUSION: Voluntary breathing controlled electrical stimulation

Auditory temporal-order thresholds show no gender differences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kesteren, Marlieke T. R.; Wierslnca-Post, J. Esther C.

2007-01-01

Purpose: Several studies on auditory temporal-order processing showed gender differences. Women needed longer inter-stimulus intervals than men when indicating the temporal order of two clicks presented to the left and right ear. In this study, we examined whether we could reproduce these results in

Auditory temporal-order thresholds show no gender differences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kesteren, Marlieke T R; Wiersinga-Post, J Esther C

2007-01-01

PURPOSE: Several studies on auditory temporal-order processing showed gender differences. Women needed longer inter-stimulus intervals than men when indicating the temporal order of two clicks presented to the left and right ear. In this study, we examined whether we could reproduce these results in

Hydrometeorological threshold conditions for debris flow initiation in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. K. Meyer

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Debris flows, triggered by extreme precipitation events and rapid snow melt, cause considerable damage to the Norwegian infrastructure every year. To define intensity-duration (ID thresholds for debris flow initiation critical water supply conditions arising from intensive rainfall or snow melt were assessed on the basis of daily hydro-meteorological information for 502 documented debris flow events. Two threshold types were computed: one based on absolute ID relationships and one using ID relationships normalized by the local precipitation day normal (PDN. For each threshold type, minimum, medium and maximum threshold values were defined by fitting power law curves along the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of the data population. Depending on the duration of the event, the absolute threshold intensities needed for debris flow initiation vary between 15 and 107 mm day⁻¹. Since the PDN changes locally, the normalized thresholds show spatial variations. Depending on location, duration and threshold level, the normalized threshold intensities vary between 6 and 250 mm day⁻¹. The thresholds obtained were used for a frequency analysis of over-threshold events giving an estimation of the exceedance probability and thus potential for debris flow events in different parts of Norway. The absolute thresholds are most often exceeded along the west coast, while the normalized thresholds are most frequently exceeded on the west-facing slopes of the Norwegian mountain ranges. The minimum thresholds derived in this study are in the range of other thresholds obtained for regions with a climate comparable to Norway. Statistics reveal that the normalized threshold is more reliable than the absolute threshold as the former shows no spatial clustering of debris flows related to water supply events captured by the threshold.

Hyper-arousal decreases human visual thresholds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam J Woods

Full Text Available Arousal has long been known to influence behavior and serves as an underlying component of cognition and consciousness. However, the consequences of hyper-arousal for visual perception remain unclear. The present study evaluates the impact of hyper-arousal on two aspects of visual sensitivity: visual stereoacuity and contrast thresholds. Sixty-eight participants participated in two experiments. Thirty-four participants were randomly divided into two groups in each experiment: Arousal Stimulation or Sham Control. The Arousal Stimulation group underwent a 50-second cold pressor stimulation (immersing the foot in 0-2° C water, a technique known to increase arousal. In contrast, the Sham Control group immersed their foot in room temperature water. Stereoacuity thresholds (Experiment 1 and contrast thresholds (Experiment 2 were measured before and after stimulation. The Arousal Stimulation groups demonstrated significantly lower stereoacuity and contrast thresholds following cold pressor stimulation, whereas the Sham Control groups showed no difference in thresholds. These results provide the first evidence that hyper-arousal from sensory stimulation can lower visual thresholds. Hyper-arousal's ability to decrease visual thresholds has important implications for survival, sports, and everyday life.

Study of pp→ppη reaction at threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taleb, A.

1994-11-01

The η production has been studied through the pp → ppη reaction at threshold. Data were taken at the Synchrotron of the ''Laboratoire National Saturne''. The detection in coincidence of the two protons scattered near 0 deg and analysed with the magnetic spectrometer SPES3 allows the reconstruction of missing mass spectra for the η signature. A simulation program which takes into account all the experimental set up characteristics has been realized and tested through the pp → dπ + reaction detected simultaneously with pp → ppη. The generated proton momentum spectra for pp → ppη show a pronounced η mass dependence. This characteristic, connected to the kinematical properties of pp → ppη at threshold, is used to extract the mass of the meson η. The obtained value, m η = 547.65 ± 0.18 MeV, is in good agreement with measurement done recently through the pd → H eη reaction. The total cross section σ t of pp → ppη measured at 1260, 1265 and 1300 MeV presents a strong energy dependence. This cross section increases less with energy than the phase-space. The influence of p-p and η-p final state interactions in our measurements is studied. Our results are compared with theoretical predictions and assess the dominant character of the baryonic resonance N * (1535) in the η mechanism production at threshold. These experimental results give an energy dependence which is not well reproduced by the theoretical predictions. This discrepancy could be an incorrect description of the η-p interaction in the models. (author). 48 refs., 60 figs., 15 tabs

Non-abelian factorisation for next-to-leading-power threshold logarithms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonocore, D.; Laenen, E.; Magnea, L.; Vernazza, L.; White, C.D.

2016-01-01

Soft and collinear radiation is responsible for large corrections to many hadronic cross sections, near thresholds for the production of heavy final states. There is much interest in extending our understanding of this radiation to next-to-leading power (NLP) in the threshold expansion. In this

Anaerobic digestion of organic by-products from meat-processing industry. The effect of pre-treatments and co-digestion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luste, S.

2011-07-01

Anaerobic digestion is a multi-beneficial biological treatment during which micro-organisms degrade organic material producing biogas (i.e. methane) and stabilised end-product (i.e. digestate). Methane is a versatile renewable energy source and digestate can be used as an organic fertiliser and/or soil improver. Because of the increasing consumption and tightening environment and health legislation, production of organic wastes suitable for anaerobic digestion increases. Animal by-products (ABP) from the meat-processing industry are often rendered (contaminated material), used as feedstock (in fur breeding), or composted. However, ABPs studied could not be utilised in fodder or in animal food production and have currently been rendered or directed to composting, despite being mostly considered unsuitable for composting. Many ABPs are energy-rich, wet and pasty materials and suitable for the anaerobic digestion process. Moreover, suitable pre-treatment to hydrolyse solid materials and/or co-digestion of two or several materials may improve the anaerobic digestion with ultimate goal to increase the methane production, stabilisation and reusability of digestate. The case chosen for more detailed research was that of a middle-sized Finnish meat-processing industry. The aim of the thesis was to evaluate the feasibility of different ABPs presently available for treatment as raw material for anaerobic digestion. Another objective was to enhance the anaerobic digestion process via specific pre-treatments and co-digestion cases with the ultimate aim to increase the methane production and the quality of the digestate. The general goal was to observe the overall process from the perspective of real-circumstances in Finland to rise to needs in practice and to produce exploitable information for adopting sustainable development locally and case-specifically into practice via versatile anaerobic digestion technology. The ABPs studied were highly bio-degradable and especially

Thresholding magnetic resonance images of human brain

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Qing-mao HU; Wieslaw L NOWINSKI

2005-01-01

In this paper, methods are proposed and validated to determine low and high thresholds to segment out gray matter and white matter for MR images of different pulse sequences of human brain. First, a two-dimensional reference image is determined to represent the intensity characteristics of the original three-dimensional data. Then a region of interest of the reference image is determined where brain tissues are present. The non-supervised fuzzy c-means clustering is employed to determine: the threshold for obtaining head mask, the low threshold for T2-weighted and PD-weighted images, and the high threshold for T1-weighted, SPGR and FLAIR images. Supervised range-constrained thresholding is employed to determine the low threshold for T1-weighted, SPGR and FLAIR images. Thresholding based on pairs of boundary pixels is proposed to determine the high threshold for T2- and PD-weighted images. Quantification against public data sets with various noise and inhomogeneity levels shows that the proposed methods can yield segmentation robust to noise and intensity inhomogeneity. Qualitatively the proposed methods work well with real clinical data.

Production and requirements for pre-basic seed potato material in the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milošević Drago

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Pre-basic seed potato material is used for basic seed (elite and certified seed potato production. At this moment all basic seed material is imported into Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska, despite the fact that the method of in vitro tissue culture production of virus-free seed potato has been developed in both countries and there is a continuous demand for pre-basic and basic seed potato. Current total production is significantly lower than actual requirements. In the 80s and 90s of the previous century two modern facilities for production of virus-free seed potato and certified seed were built in Sokolac (Republic of Srpska and Guča (Republic of Serbia. Although facilities were well-equipped, seed potato production was permanently ceased in 2000. The presence of high infection pressure dominated by potato virus Y is shown in the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska. This paper gives an overview of pre-basic seed potato material production in both countries over the last two decades.

Nonorganic hearing loss in children: audiometry, clinical characteristics, biographical history and recovery of hearing thresholds.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Claus-Michael; am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, Antoinette; Matulat, Peter; Knief, Arne; Rosslau, Ken; Deuster, Dirk

2013-07-01

The term "nonorganic hearing loss" (NOHL) (pseudohypacusis, functional or psychogenic hearing loss) describes a hearing loss without a detectable corresponding pathology in the auditory system. It is characterized by a discrepancy between elevated pure tone audiometry thresholds and normal speech discrimination. The recommended audiological management of NOHL in children comprises history taking, diagnosis, and counseling. According to the literature, prognosis depends on the severity of the patient's school and/or personal problems. Routine referral to a child psychiatrist is discussed as being controversial. The clinical history of 34 children with NOHL was retrospectively evaluated. In 15 children, follow up audiometry was performed. Results of biographical history, subjective and objective audiometry, additional speech and language assessment, psychological investigations and follow up audiometry are presented and discussed. The prevalence of NOHL was 1.8% in children with suspected hearing loss. Mean age at diagnosis was 10.8 years. Girls were twice as often affected as boys. Patient history showed a high prevalence of emotional and school problems. Pre-existing organic hearing loss can be worsened by nonorganic causes. Children with a fast recovery of hearing thresholds (n=6) showed a high rate (4/6) of family, social and emotional problems. In children with continuous threshold elevation (n=9), biographical history showed no recognizable or obvious family, social or emotional problems; learning disability (4/9) was the most frequently presented characteristic. Due to advances in objective audiometry, the diagnosis of NOHL is less challenging than management and counseling. Considering the high frequency of personal and school problems, a multidisciplinary setting is helpful. On the basis of our results, drawing conclusions from hearing threshold recovery on the severity of underlying psychic problems seems inappropriate. As a consequence, a referral to a

Herbal product use by the cancer patients in both the pre and post ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: Analysis of the results indicates that health professionals need to obtain information regarding the use of herbal products by cancer patients during both pre- and post- surgery periods, as well as during chemotherapy. Patients should be provided with information and guidance about the advantages and ...

Threshold resummation and higher order effects in QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringer, Felix Maximilian

2015-01-01

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is a quantum field theory that describes the strong interactions between quarks and gluons, the building blocks of all hadrons. Thanks to the experimental progress over the past decades, there has been an ever-growing need for QCD precision calculations for scattering processes involving hadrons. For processes at large momentum transfer, perturbative QCD offers a systematic approach for obtaining precise predictions. This approach relies on two key concepts: the asymptotic freedom of QCD and factorization. In a perturbative calculation at higher orders, the infrared cancellation between virtual and real emission diagrams generally leaves behind logarithmic contributions. In many observables relevant for hadronic scattering these logarithms are associated with a kinematic threshold and are hence known as ''threshold logarithms''. They become large when the available phase space for real gluon emission shrinks. In order to obtain a reliable prediction from QCD, the threshold logarithms need to be taken into account to all orders in the strong coupling constant, a procedure known as ''threshold resummation''. The main focus of my PhD thesis is on studies of QCD threshold resummation effects beyond the next-to-leading logarithmic order. Here we primarily consider the production of hadron pairs in hadronic collisions as an example. In addition, we also consider hadronic jet production, which is particularly interesting for the phenomenology at the LHC. For both processes, we fully take into account the non-trivial QCD color structure of the underlying partonic hard- scattering cross sections. We find that threshold resummation leads to sizable numerical effects in the kinematic regimes relevant for comparisons to experimental data.

ESTIMATION OF EFFICIENCY OF MACHINERY FOR PRE-SOWING TREATMENT OF RADISH SEEDS FOR SEED PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. M. Sirota

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The results of pre-sowing treatment of radish seeds aimed at increasing of seed production, yield and its productivity in protected area are presented. The density fractionation of radish seeds by gravity separator is recommended for improvement of planting material quality and increasing of utilization efficiency of frame area.

Third-order QCD corrections to heavy quark pair production near threshold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuller, Kurt

2008-11-07

The measurement of the top quark mass is an important task at the future International Linear Collider. The most promising process is the top quark pair production in the threshold region. In this region the top quarks behave non-relativistically and a perturbative treatment using effective field theories is possible. Current second order theoretical predictions in a fixed order approach show an uncertainty which is bigger than the expected experimental errors. Therefore, an improvement of the cross section calculation is desirable. There are two ways to incorporate higher order effects, one is to calculate the full next order in the fixed order approach, another possibility is to resum large logarithms. In this work, the fixed order calculation has been extended to the third order in perturbation theory for the QCD corrections. The result is a strongly improved scale behavior and a better understanding of heavy quarkonium systems. The Green function result is given in a semi-analytic form. The energy levels and wave functions for heavy quarkonium states have been calculated from the poles of the Green function and are presented for arbitrary quantum number n. The results have been implemented in a Mathematica program which makes the data easily accessible. Once some missing matching coefficients are calculated, and a complete electroweak calculation is available, the results of this work can be used to improve the precision of the top quark mass measurement to an uncertainty of less than 50 MeV. An inclusion of initial state radiation and beam effects are essential for a realistic observable. In the future, the results obtained could be used for a third order resummation of large logarithms. Further applications are also the extraction of the bottom quark mass with sum rules. (orig.)

Production and characterization of enzymatic cocktail produced by Aspergillus niger using green macroalgae as nitrogen source and its application in the pre-treatment for biogas production from Ulva rigida.

Science.gov (United States)

Karray, Raida; Hamza, Manel; Sayadi, Sami

2016-09-01

Marine macroalgae are gaining more and more importance as a renewable feedstock for durable bioenergy production, but polysaccharides of this macroalgae are structurally complex in its chemical composition. The use of enzymatic hydrolysis may provide new pathways in the conversion of complex polysaccharides to fermentable sugars. In this study, an enzymatic cocktail with high specificity was first isolated from Aspergillus niger using the green macroalgae Ulva rigida as nitrogen source. The cocktail is rich on β-glucosidase, pectinase and carboxy-methyl-cellulase (CMCase). The highest activity was obtained with β-glucosidase (109IUmL(-1)) and pectinase (76IUmL(-1)), while CMCase present the lowest activity 4.6IUmL(-1). The U. rigida pre-treatment with this enzymatic cocktail showed high rate of reduced sugar release, and could bring promising prospects for enzymatic pre-treatment of the biogas production from U. rigida biomass which reached 1175mLgCODint(-1). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of threshold quantization in opportunistic splitting algorithm

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon

2011-12-01

This paper discusses algorithms to find the optimal threshold and also investigates the impact of threshold quantization on the scheduling outage performance of the opportunistic splitting scheduling algorithm. Since this algorithm aims at finding the user with the highest channel quality within the minimal number of mini-slots by adjusting the threshold every mini-slot, optimizing the threshold is of paramount importance. Hence, in this paper we first discuss how to compute the optimal threshold along with two tight approximations for the optimal threshold. Closed-form expressions are provided for those approximations for simple calculations. Then, we consider linear quantization of the threshold to take the limited number of bits for signaling messages in practical systems into consideration. Due to the limited granularity for the quantized threshold value, an irreducible scheduling outage floor is observed. The numerical results show that the two approximations offer lower scheduling outage probability floors compared to the conventional algorithm when the threshold is quantized. © 2006 IEEE.

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal organic wastes and pre-treatment to enhance biogas production from waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chenxi; Champagne, Pascale; Anderson, Bruce C

2014-01-01

Co-digestion and pre-treatment have been recognized as effective, low-cost and commercially viable approaches to reduce anaerobic digestion process limitations and improve biogas yields. In our previous batch-scale study, fat, oil, and grease (FOG) was investigated as a suitable potential co-substrate, and thermo-chemical pre-treatment (TCPT) at pH = 10 and 55 °C improved CH4 production from FOG co-digestions. In this project, co-digestions with FOG were studied in bench-scale two-stage thermophilic semi-continuous flow co-digesters with suitable TCPT (pH = 10, 55 °C). Overall, a 25.14 ± 2.14 L/d (70.2 ± 1.4% CH4) biogas production was obtained, which was higher than in the two-stage system without pre-treatment. The results could provide valuable fundamental information to support full-scale investigations of anaerobic co-digestion of municipal organic wastes.

Testing for a Debt-Threshold Effect on Output Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sokbae; Park, Hyunmin; Seo, Myung Hwan; Shin, Youngki

2017-12-01

Using the Reinhart-Rogoff dataset, we find a debt threshold not around 90 per cent but around 30 per cent, above which the median real gross domestic product (GDP) growth falls abruptly. Our work is the first to formally test for threshold effects in the relationship between public debt and median real GDP growth. The null hypothesis of no threshold effect is rejected at the 5 per cent significance level for most cases. While we find no evidence of a threshold around 90 per cent, our findings from the post-war sample suggest that the debt threshold for economic growth may exist around a relatively small debt-to-GDP ratio of 30 per cent. Furthermore, countries with debt-to-GDP ratios above 30 per cent have GDP growth that is 1 percentage point lower at the median.

Multiple Colliding Electromagnetic Pulses: A Way to Lower the Threshold of e+e- Pair Production from Vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulanov, S. S.; Mur, V. D.; Narozhny, N. B.; Nees, J.; Popov, V. S.

2010-01-01

The scheme of a simultaneous multiple pulse focusing on one spot naturally arises from the structural features of projected new laser systems, such as the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) and High Power laser Energy Research (HiPER). It is shown that the multiple pulse configuration is beneficial for observing e + e - pair production from a vacuum under the action of sufficiently strong electromagnetic fields. The field of focused pulses is described using a realistic three-dimensional model based on an exact solution of the Maxwell equations. The e + e - pair production threshold in terms of electromagnetic field energy can be substantially lowered if, instead of one or even two colliding pulses, multiple pulses are focused on one spot. The multiple pulse interaction geometry gives rise to subwavelength field features in the focal region. These features result in the production of extremely short e + e - bunches.

Can recurrence networks show small-world property?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, Rinku; Harikrishnan, K.P.; Misra, R.; Ambika, G.

2016-01-01

Recurrence networks are complex networks, constructed from time series data, having several practical applications. Though their properties when constructed with the threshold value ϵ chosen at or just above the percolation threshold of the network are quite well understood, what happens as the threshold increases beyond the usual operational window is still not clear from a complex network perspective. The present Letter is focused mainly on the network properties at intermediate-to-large values of the recurrence threshold, for which no systematic study has been performed so far. We argue, with numerical support, that recurrence networks constructed from chaotic attractors with ϵ equal to the usual recurrence threshold or slightly above cannot, in general, show small-world property. However, if the threshold is further increased, the recurrence network topology initially changes to a small-world structure and finally to that of a classical random graph as the threshold approaches the size of the strange attractor. - Highlights: • Properties of recurrence networks at intermediate-to-large values of recurrence threshold are analyzed from a complex network perspective. • Using a combined plot of characteristic path length and clustering coefficient, it is shown that the recurrence network constructed with recurrence threshold equal to or just above the percolation threshold cannot, in general, display small-world property. • As the recurrence threshold is increased from its usual operational window, the resulting network makes a smooth transition initially to a small-world network for an intermediate range of thresholds and finally to the classical random graph as the threshold becomes comparable to the size of the attractor.

Can recurrence networks show small-world property?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacob, Rinku, E-mail: rinku.jacob.vallanat@gmail.com [Department of Physics, The Cochin College, Cochin, 682002 (India); Harikrishnan, K.P., E-mail: kp_hk2002@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, The Cochin College, Cochin, 682002 (India); Misra, R., E-mail: rmisra@iucaa.in [Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, 411007 (India); Ambika, G., E-mail: g.ambika@iiserpune.ac.in [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008 (India)

2016-08-12

Recurrence networks are complex networks, constructed from time series data, having several practical applications. Though their properties when constructed with the threshold value ϵ chosen at or just above the percolation threshold of the network are quite well understood, what happens as the threshold increases beyond the usual operational window is still not clear from a complex network perspective. The present Letter is focused mainly on the network properties at intermediate-to-large values of the recurrence threshold, for which no systematic study has been performed so far. We argue, with numerical support, that recurrence networks constructed from chaotic attractors with ϵ equal to the usual recurrence threshold or slightly above cannot, in general, show small-world property. However, if the threshold is further increased, the recurrence network topology initially changes to a small-world structure and finally to that of a classical random graph as the threshold approaches the size of the strange attractor. - Highlights: • Properties of recurrence networks at intermediate-to-large values of recurrence threshold are analyzed from a complex network perspective. • Using a combined plot of characteristic path length and clustering coefficient, it is shown that the recurrence network constructed with recurrence threshold equal to or just above the percolation threshold cannot, in general, display small-world property. • As the recurrence threshold is increased from its usual operational window, the resulting network makes a smooth transition initially to a small-world network for an intermediate range of thresholds and finally to the classical random graph as the threshold becomes comparable to the size of the attractor.

An empirical determination of consumers’ reaction to nutritional labeling of pre-packaged food products in Lagos, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben. E.A. Oghojafor

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The incidence of diet induced diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular/heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and malnutrition are rampant in our world today and therefore topical. The practice of nutritional labeling is being advocated as a panacea for this malaise and hence a sizeable number of researches are being undertaken in this direction. Large chunk of these studies are concentrated in the advanced countries. Unfortunately, there is dearth of such studies in developing countries including Nigeria. Consequently, this study sought to empirically determine consumers’ reaction to nutritional labeling of pre-packaged food products in Nigeria. The study was purely descriptive and data collected aptly analyzed through the instrumentality of pertinent statistical tools. Findings show that consumers read, comprehend, trust the authenticity and are significantly aware of nutritional labeling and are able to relate the effects of nutrition information to their health. Not surprising therefore, consumers consciously search for nutrition information, which significantly influence their purchase decisions of these kinds of products. These results hold some implications for both policy-makers and pre-packaged food marketers. Further research should be in areas of quantity and position of disclosure of nutrition information and use of symbols in nutritional labeling in Nigeria.

Universality of next-to-leading power threshold effects for colourless final states in hadronic collisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duca, Vittorio del; Laenen, E.; Magnea, L.; Vernazza, L.; White, C.D.

2017-01-01

We consider the production of an arbitrary number of colour-singlet particles near partonic threshold, and show that next-to-leading order cross sections for this class of processes have a simple universal form at next-to-leading power (NLP) in the energy of the emitted gluon radiation. Our analysis

Effects of ultrasonic and thermo-chemical pre-treatments on methane production from fat, oil and grease (FOG) and synthetic kitchen waste (KW) in anaerobic co-digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chenxi; Champagne, Pascale; Anderson, Bruce C

2013-02-01

The effects of ultrasonic and thermo-chemical pre-treatments on the methane production potential of anaerobic co-digestion with synthetic kitchen waste (KW) or fat, oil and grease (FOG) were investigated. Non-linear regressions were fitted to accurately assess and compare the methane production from co-digestion under the various pre-treatment conditions and to achieve representative simulations and predictions. Ultrasonic pre-treatment was not found to improve methane production effectively from either FOG co-digestion or KW co-digestions. Thermo-chemical pre-treatment could increase methane production yields from both FOG and KW co-digestions. COD solubilization was found to effectively represent the effects of pre-treatment. A comprehensive evaluation indicated that the thermo-chemical pre-treatments of pH=10, 55°C and pH=8, 55°C provided the best conditions to increase methane production from FOG and KW co-digestions, respectively. The most effective enhancement of biogas production (288±0.85mLCH(4)/g TVS) was achieved from thermo-chemically pre-treated FOG co-digestion, which was 9.9±1.5% higher than FOG co-digestion without thermo-chemical pre-treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Pre-Task, On-Line, and Both Pre-Task and On-Line Planning on Fluency, Complexity, and Accuracy--The Case of Iranian EFL Learners' Written Production

Science.gov (United States)

Piri, Faramarz; Barati, Hossein; Ketabi, Saeed

2012-01-01

Previous studies on the effect of planning on language production have revealed that planning does have a positive effect on language performance in terms of fluency, complexity, and accuracy. The present study was an attempt to investigate the effects of pre-task, on-line, and both pre-task and on-line planning on fluency, accuracy, and…

Re-examination of the threshold energy surface in copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, W.E.; Benedek, R.; Merkle, K.L.; Meshii, M.

1981-01-01

Radiation-induced defect production in copper has been studied using in-situ electrical resistivity damage-rate measurements in the HVEM and molecular dynamics simulations. Analysis of the results yields a threshold energy surface characterized by two isolated pockets of low threshold energy centered at and surrounded by regions of much higher threshold energy; the corresponding damage function exhibits a plateau at 0.65 Frenkel pairs. A Frenkel pair resistivity of (2.75/sub -0.2/ + 0 6 ) x 10 - 4 Ω-cm is proposed. A model damage function is constructed and compared to results from ion irradiation damage-rate measurements. 7 figures

Optimisation of dilute acid pre-treatment of artisan rice hulls for ethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Yoney; Martin, Carlos; Gullon, Beatriz; Parajo, Juan Carlos

2011-01-01

Rice hulls are potential low-cost feedstocks for fuel ethanol production in many countries. In this work, the dilute-acid pre-treatment of artisan rice hulls was investigated using a central composite rotatable experimental design. The experimental variables were temperature (140-210 C), biomass load (5-20%) and sulphuric acid concentration (0.5-1.5 g per 100 g of reaction mixture). A total of 16 experimental runs, including a 23-plan, two replicates at the central point and six star points, were carried out. Low temperatures were found to be favourable for the hydrolysis of xylan and of the easily hydrolyzable glucan fraction. High glucose formation (up to 15.3 g/100 g), attributable to starch hydrolysis, was detected in the hydrolysates obtained under the least severe pre-treatment conditions. Using the experimental results, several models for predicting the effect of the operational conditions on the yield of pretreated solids, xylan and glucan conversion upon pre-treatment, and on enzymatic convertibility of cellulose were developed. Optimum results were predicted for the conversion of easily-hydrolyzable glucan in the material pretreated at 140.7 C, and for the enzymatic saccharification of cellulose in the material pretreated at 169 C. These results suggested the use of two-step acid hydrolysis as future pre-treatment strategy for artisan rice hulls. Key words: Dilute acid hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, pre-treatment, rice hulls. (author)

Multiuser switched diversity scheduling systems with per-user threshold

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon

2010-05-01

A multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme with per-user feedback threshold is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The conventional multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme uses a single feedback threshold for every user, where the threshold is a function of the average signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the users as well as the number of users involved in the scheduling process. The proposed scheme, however, constructs a sequence of feedback thresholds instead of a single feedback threshold such that each user compares its channel quality with the corresponding feedback threshold in the sequence. Numerical and simulation results show that thanks to the flexibility of threshold selection, where a potentially different threshold can be used for each user, the proposed scheme provides a higher system capacity than that for the conventional scheme. © 2006 IEEE.

Use of basic and specific pre-treatments for the biogas production. Revision and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez Hernández, Carlos M.; García López, Yaser

2016-01-01

Keeping in mind the importance that has today the use of national and international biogas plants, which use as raw material animal manure; as well as agricultural and agroindustrial residuals for the energy production and biofertilizers, minimizing the aspects of environmental contamination. This work is presented in three parts, in those which: firstly the technologies and the methods are described to apply the basic and special pre-treatments to the different biomass in order to obtain their maximum potential of methane. A second part where it is approached the particularities to do that. Finally, a third part where their possible use is analyzed in the Cuban case. As a result of the same one, the state of the art is shown in the use of basic and special pre-treatments, with the objective of to potentialize the increase of the methane production in agricultural or animal biomasses. (author)

Fine structures in hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammershøi, Dorte; Ordoñez, Rodrigo Pizarro; Torrente, Marina

2010-01-01

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are weak sounds that can be recorded in the external ear. They are generated by the active amplification of the outer hair cells, and are by many believed to reflect the status of the most vulnerable part of the hearing better than ordinary behavioral thresholds. Dist...

Analysis of linear measurements on 3D surface models using CBCT data segmentation obtained by automatic standard pre-set thresholds in two segmentation software programs: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Poleti, Marcelo Lupion; Fernandes, Thais Maria Freire; Pagin, Otávio; Moretti, Marcela Rodrigues; Rubira-Bullen, Izabel Regina Fischer

2016-01-01

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of linear measurements on three-dimensional (3D) surface models obtained by standard pre-set thresholds in two segmentation software programs. Ten mandibles with 17 silica markers were scanned for 0.3-mm voxels in the i-CAT Classic (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA, USA). Twenty linear measurements were carried out by two observers two times on the 3D surface models: the Dolphin Imaging 11.5 (Dolphin Imaging & Management Solutions, Chatsworth, CA, USA), using two filters(Translucent and Solid-1), and in the InVesalius 3.0.0 (Centre for Information Technology Renato Archer, Campinas, SP, Brazil). The physical measurements were made by another observer two times using a digital caliper on the dry mandibles. Excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability for the markers, physical measurements, and 3D surface models were found (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Pearson's r ≥ 0.91). The linear measurements on 3D surface models by Dolphin and InVesalius software programs were accurate (Dolphin Solid-1 > InVesalius > Dolphin Translucent). The highest absolute and percentage errors were obtained for the variable R1-R1 (1.37 mm) and MF-AC (2.53 %) in the Dolphin Translucent and InVesalius software, respectively. Linear measurements on 3D surface models obtained by standard pre-set thresholds in the Dolphin and InVesalius software programs are reliable and accurate compared with physical measurements. Studies that evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the 3D models are necessary to ensure error predictability and to establish diagnosis, treatment plan, and prognosis in a more realistic way.

Long-time cavitation threshold of silica water mixture under acoustic drive

Science.gov (United States)

Bussonniére, Adrien; Liu, Qingxia; Tsai, Peichun Amy

2017-11-01

The low cavitation threshold of water observed experimentally has been attributed to the presence of pre-existing tiny bubbles stabilized by impurities. However, the origin and stability of these cavitation nuclei remain unresolved. We therefore investigate the long-time cavitation evolution of water seeded with micron-sized silica particles under the influences of several parameters. Experimentally, cavitation is induced by a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound and subsequently detected by monitoring the backscattered sound. Degassed or aerated solutions of different concentrations are subjected to acoustic pulses (with the amplitude ranging from 0.1 to 1.7 MPa and a fixed repetition frequency between 0.1 and 6.5 Hz). The cavitation threshold was measured by fitting the cavitation probability curve, averaged over 1000 pulses. Surprisingly, our results shown that the cavitation threshold stabilizes at a reproducible value after a few thousand pulses. Moreover, this long-time threshold was found to decrease with increasing particle concentration, pulse period, and initial oxygen level. In contrast to the depletion of nuclei expected under long acoustic cavitation, the results suggest stabilized nuclei population depending on concentration, oxygen level, and driving period.

Near-threshold photoproduction of {phi} mesons from deuterium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, X., E-mail: xqian@caltech.ed [Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, CA 91125 (United States); Chen, W.; Gao, H. [Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Hicks, K. [Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (United States); Kramer, K. [Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Laget, J.M. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Mibe, T. [Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (United States); Qiang, Y. [Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Stepanyan, S. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Tedeschi, D.J. [University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Xu, W. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Adhikari, K.P.; Amaryan, M. [Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States); Anghinolfi, M. [INFN, Sezione di Genova, 16146 Genova (Italy); Ball, J. [CEA, Centre de Saclay, Irfu/Service de Physique Nucleaire, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Battaglieri, M. [INFN, Sezione di Genova, 16146 Genova (Italy); Batourine, V. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Bedlinskiy, I. [Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow 117259 (Russian Federation); Bellis, M. [Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Biselli, A.S. [Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT 06824 (United States); Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

2011-02-07

We report the first, kinematically-complete measurement of the differential cross section of {phi}-meson photoproduction from deuterium near the production threshold for a proton using the CLAS detector and a tagged-photon beam in Hall B at Jefferson Lab. The measurement was carried out by a triple coincidence detection of a proton, K{sup +} and K{sup -} near the theoretical production threshold of 1.57 GeV. The extracted differential cross sections (d{sigma})/(dt) for the initial photon energy range of 1.65-1.75 GeV are consistent with predictions based on a quasifree mechanism. Our finding is different from recent LEPS results on {phi}-meson photoproduction from deuterium in a similar incident photon energy range, but in a different momentum transfer region.

Non-abelian factorisation for next-to-leading-power threshold logarithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonocore, D.; Laenen, E.; Magnea, L.; Vernazza, L.; White, C.D.

2016-01-01

Soft and collinear radiation is responsible for large corrections to many hadronic cross sections, near thresholds for the production of heavy final states. There is much interest in extending our understanding of this radiation to next-to-leading power (NLP) in the threshold expansion. In this paper, we generalise a previously proposed all-order NLP factorisation formula to include non-abelian corrections. We define a non-abelian radiative jet function, organising collinear enhancements at NLP, and compute it for quark jets at one loop. We discuss in detail the issue of double counting between soft and collinear regions. Finally, we verify our prescription by reproducing all NLP logarithms in Drell-Yan production up to NNLO, including those associated with double real emission. Our results constitute an important step in the development of a fully general resummation formalism for NLP threshold effects.

Non-abelian factorisation for next-to-leading-power threshold logarithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonocore, D. [Nikhef, Science Park 105, NL-1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology, RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstr. 16, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Laenen, E. [Nikhef, Science Park 105, NL-1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); ITFA, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam (Netherlands); ITF, Utrecht University, Leuvenlaan 4, Utrecht (Netherlands); Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4030 (United States); Magnea, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino and INFN, Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Vernazza, L. [Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, Scotland (United Kingdom); White, C.D. [Centre for Research in String Theory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, 327 Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2016-12-22

Soft and collinear radiation is responsible for large corrections to many hadronic cross sections, near thresholds for the production of heavy final states. There is much interest in extending our understanding of this radiation to next-to-leading power (NLP) in the threshold expansion. In this paper, we generalise a previously proposed all-order NLP factorisation formula to include non-abelian corrections. We define a non-abelian radiative jet function, organising collinear enhancements at NLP, and compute it for quark jets at one loop. We discuss in detail the issue of double counting between soft and collinear regions. Finally, we verify our prescription by reproducing all NLP logarithms in Drell-Yan production up to NNLO, including those associated with double real emission. Our results constitute an important step in the development of a fully general resummation formalism for NLP threshold effects.

EFFECT OF PRE-TREATMENT ON THE DRYING KINETICS AND PRODUCT QUALITY OF STAR FRUIT SLICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHING LIK HII

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Start fruit (Avverhoa carambola is rich in nutrients and contains dietary antioxidants which are beneficial to human health. Currently, the commercial potential of this fruit has not been fully explored especially in its dried form. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effect of pre-treatment on the drying kinetics and product quality of star fruit slices. The various pre-treatment methods investigated were hot water blanching and dipping in sugar solution. The star fruit was cut into thin slices (5 mm for drying (60°C-80°C using a hot air ventilated oven. Mathematical modelling showed that the Page model was able to describe the moisture diffusion process during drying. Effective diffusivity values were found within the order reported for most food materials (10-8-10-12 m2/s. A decreasing trend in shrinkage ratios was observed with decreasing moisture ratios which corresponds to the greater rate of moisture removal especially at the falling rate period. Overall colour changes were more significant in the blanched samples which could be due to the non-enzymatic browning.

Odour Detection Threshold Determination of Volatile Compounds in Topical Skin Formulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Birgitte Raagaard; Hyldig, Grethe; Taylor, Robert

2018-01-01

determination and also odour description by a trained sensory panel. In one case, the odour detection threshold value was 50 times higher (less detectable) in skin care products than in water, whereas for other volatile compounds the odour detection threshold value was only 1.5 times higher. The odour...

Pair production by a constant external field in noncommutative QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chair, N.; Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M.

2000-09-01

In this paper we study QED on the noncommutative space in the constant electro-magnetic field background. Using the explicit solutions of the noncommutative version of Dirac equation in such background, we show that there are well-defined in and out-going asymptotic states and also there is a causal Green's function. We calculate the pair production rate in this case. We show that at tree level noncommutativity will not change the pair production and the threshold electric field. We also calculate the pair production rate considering the first loop corrections. In this case we show that the threshold electric field is decreased by the noncommutativity effects. (author)

Performance Comparison of Several Pre-Processing Methods in a Hand Gesture Recognition System based on Nearest Neighbor for Different Background Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwan Setyawan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a performance analysis and comparison of several pre-processing methods used in a hand gesture recognition system. The pre-processing methods are based on the combinations of several image processing operations, namely edge detection, low pass filtering, histogram equalization, thresholding and desaturation. The hand gesture recognition system is designed to classify an input image into one of six possible classes. The input images are taken with various background conditions. Our experiments showed that the best result is achieved when the pre-processing method consists of only a desaturation operation, achieving a classification accuracy of up to 83.15%.

Faster magnet sorting with a threshold acceptance algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidia, S.; Carr, R.

1995-01-01

We introduce here a new technique for sorting magnets to minimize the field errors in permanent magnet insertion devices. Simulated annealing has been used in this role, but we find the technique of threshold acceptance produces results of equal quality in less computer time. Threshold accepting would be of special value in designing very long insertion devices, such as long free electron lasers (FELs). Our application of threshold acceptance to magnet sorting showed that it converged to equivalently low values of the cost function, but that it converged significantly faster. We present typical cases showing time to convergence for various error tolerances, magnet numbers, and temperature schedules

Faster magnet sorting with a threshold acceptance algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidia, S.

1994-08-01

The authors introduce here a new technique for sorting magnets to minimize the field errors in permanent magnet insertion devices. Simulated annealing has been used in this role, but they find the technique of threshold acceptance produces results of equal quality in less computer time. Threshold accepting would be of special value in designing very long insertion devices, such as long FEL's. Their application of threshold acceptance to magnet sorting showed that it converged to equivalently low values of the cost function, but that it converged significantly faster. They present typical cases showing time to convergence for various error tolerances, magnet numbers, and temperature schedules

Study of the Hearing Threshold of Dance Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nehring, Cristiane

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction High sound pressure levels can cause hearing loss, beginning at high frequencies. Objective To analyze the hearing thresholds of dance teachers. Methods This study had a cross-sectional, observational, prospective, and descriptive design. Conventional and high-frequency hearing evaluations were performed with dance teachers and subjects in the control group. Results In all, 64 individuals were assessed, 32 in the research group and 32 in the control group. Results showed that individuals in the research group had hearing loss at frequencies between 4 and 8 kHz, but no significant difference was found between groups. Frequency analysis showed that individuals in the control group had higher thresholds than individuals in the research group at the frequency of 0.25 kHz. In the control group, men showed higher thresholds than women at the frequency of 9 kHz. Conclusion A low prevalence of hearing loss was found, with no difference between teachers and subjects from the control group. No difference was found for hearing thresholds at high frequencies between groups. Results have been partially affected by sex.

A Conversation on Data Mining Strategies in LC-MS Untargeted Metabolomics: Pre-Processing and Pre-Treatment Steps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fidele Tugizimana

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Untargeted metabolomic studies generate information-rich, high-dimensional, and complex datasets that remain challenging to handle and fully exploit. Despite the remarkable progress in the development of tools and algorithms, the “exhaustive” extraction of information from these metabolomic datasets is still a non-trivial undertaking. A conversation on data mining strategies for a maximal information extraction from metabolomic data is needed. Using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomic dataset, this study explored the influence of collection parameters in the data pre-processing step, scaling and data transformation on the statistical models generated, and feature selection, thereafter. Data obtained in positive mode generated from a LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomic study (sorghum plants responding dynamically to infection by a fungal pathogen were used. Raw data were pre-processed with MarkerLynxTM software (Waters Corporation, Manchester, UK. Here, two parameters were varied: the intensity threshold (50–100 counts and the mass tolerance (0.005–0.01 Da. After the pre-processing, the datasets were imported into SIMCA (Umetrics, Umea, Sweden for more data cleaning and statistical modeling. In addition, different scaling (unit variance, Pareto, etc. and data transformation (log and power methods were explored. The results showed that the pre-processing parameters (or algorithms influence the output dataset with regard to the number of defined features. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the pre-treatment of data prior to statistical modeling affects the subspace approximation outcome: e.g., the amount of variation in X-data that the model can explain and predict. The pre-processing and pre-treatment steps subsequently influence the number of statistically significant extracted/selected features (variables. Thus, as informed by the results, to maximize the value of untargeted metabolomic data

Pre-Extreme Automotive Anti-Lock Brake Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. G. Ivanov

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Designing of systems ensuring active safety of automobiles with intellectual functions requires usage of new control principles for wheel and automobile operation. One of such principles is a preextreme control strategy. Its aim is to ensure wheel work in pre-extreme, stable area of «tire grip coefficient wheel slip coefficient» dependence. The simplest realization of pre-extreme control in automotive anti-lock brake systems consists in the threshold and gradient algorithms. A comparative analysis of these algorithms which has been made on simulation results of bus braking with various anti-lock brake systems has revealed their high efficiency.

Higgs-Stoponium Mixing Near the Stop-Antistop Threshold

CERN Document Server

Bodwin, Geoffrey T; Wagner, Carlos E M

2016-01-01

Supersymmetric extensions of the standard model contain additional heavy neutral Higgs bosons that are coupled to heavy scalar top quarks (stops). This system exhibits interesting field theoretic phenomena when the Higgs mass is close to the stop-antistop production threshold. Existing work in the literature has examined the digluon-to-diphoton cross section near threshold and has focused on enhancements in the cross section that might arise either from the perturbative contributions to the Higgs-to-digluon and Higgs-to-diphoton form factors or from mixing of the Higgs boson with stoponium states. Near threshold, enhancements in the relevant amplitudes that go as inverse powers of the stop-antistop relative velocity require resummations of perturbation theory and/or nonperturbative treatments. We present a complete formulation of threshold effects at leading order in the stop-antistop relative velocity in terms of nonrelativistic effective field theory. We give detailed numerical calculations for the case in ...

A Framework for Optimizing Phytosanitary Thresholds in Seed Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Robin Alan; Garrett, Karen A; Klosterman, Steven J; Subbarao, Krishna V; McRoberts, Neil

2017-10-01

Seedborne pathogens and pests limit production in many agricultural systems. Quarantine programs help prevent the introduction of exotic pathogens into a country, but few regulations directly apply to reducing the reintroduction and spread of endemic pathogens. Use of phytosanitary thresholds helps limit the movement of pathogen inoculum through seed, but the costs associated with rejected seed lots can be prohibitive for voluntary implementation of phytosanitary thresholds. In this paper, we outline a framework to optimize thresholds for seedborne pathogens, balancing the cost of rejected seed lots and benefit of reduced inoculum levels. The method requires relatively small amounts of data, and the accuracy and robustness of the analysis improves over time as data accumulate from seed testing. We demonstrate the method first and illustrate it with a case study of seedborne oospores of Peronospora effusa, the causal agent of spinach downy mildew. A seed lot threshold of 0.23 oospores per seed could reduce the overall number of oospores entering the production system by 90% while removing 8% of seed lots destined for distribution. Alternative mitigation strategies may result in lower economic losses to seed producers, but have uncertain efficacy. We discuss future challenges and prospects for implementing this approach.

Impacts of DEM resolution and area threshold value uncertainty on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... that DEM resolution influences the selected flow accumulation threshold value; the suitable flow accumulation threshold value increases as the DEM resolution increases, and shows greater variability for basins with lower drainage densities. The link between drainage area threshold value and stream network extraction ...

CARA Risk Assessment Thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Hejduk, M. D.

2016-01-01

Warning remediation threshold (Red threshold): Pc level at which warnings are issued, and active remediation considered and usually executed. Analysis threshold (Green to Yellow threshold): Pc level at which analysis of event is indicated, including seeking additional information if warranted. Post-remediation threshold: Pc level to which remediation maneuvers are sized in order to achieve event remediation and obviate any need for immediate follow-up maneuvers. Maneuver screening threshold: Pc compliance level for routine maneuver screenings (more demanding than regular Red threshold due to additional maneuver uncertainty).

A critical experimental study of the classical tactile threshold theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Medina Leonel E

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The tactile sense is being used in a variety of applications involving tactile human-machine interfaces. In a significant number of publications the classical threshold concept plays a central role in modelling and explaining psychophysical experimental results such as in stochastic resonance (SR phenomena. In SR, noise enhances detection of sub-threshold stimuli and the phenomenon is explained stating that the required amplitude to exceed the sensory threshold barrier can be reached by adding noise to a sub-threshold stimulus. We designed an experiment to test the validity of the classical vibrotactile threshold. Using a second choice experiment, we show that individuals can order sensorial events below the level known as the classical threshold. If the observer's sensorial system is not activated by stimuli below the threshold, then a second choice could not be above the chance level. Nevertheless, our experimental results are above that chance level contradicting the definition of the classical tactile threshold. Results We performed a three alternative forced choice detection experiment on 6 subjects asking them first and second choices. In each trial, only one of the intervals contained a stimulus and the others contained only noise. According to the classical threshold assumptions, a correct second choice response corresponds to a guess attempt with a statistical frequency of 50%. Results show an average of 67.35% (STD = 1.41% for the second choice response that is not explained by the classical threshold definition. Additionally, for low stimulus amplitudes, second choice correct detection is above chance level for any detectability level. Conclusions Using a second choice experiment, we show that individuals can order sensorial events below the level known as a classical threshold. If the observer's sensorial system is not activated by stimuli below the threshold, then a second choice could not be above the chance

Randomized Controlled Trials to Define Viral Load Thresholds for Cytomegalovirus Pre-Emptive Therapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul D Griffiths

Full Text Available To help decide when to start and when to stop pre-emptive therapy for cytomegalovirus infection, we conducted two open-label randomized controlled trials in renal, liver and bone marrow transplant recipients in a single centre where pre-emptive therapy is indicated if viraemia exceeds 3000 genomes/ml (2520 IU/ml of whole blood.Patients with two consecutive viraemia episodes each below 3000 genomes/ml were randomized to continue monitoring or to immediate treatment (Part A. A separate group of patients with viral load greater than 3000 genomes/ml was randomized to stop pre-emptive therapy when two consecutive levels less than 200 genomes/ml (168 IU/ml or less than 3000 genomes/ml were obtained (Part B. For both parts, the primary endpoint was the occurrence of a separate episode of viraemia requiring treatment because it was greater than 3000 genomes/ml.In Part A, the primary endpoint was not significantly different between the two arms; 18/32 (56% in the monitor arm had viraemia greater than 3000 genomes/ml compared to 10/27 (37% in the immediate treatment arm (p = 0.193. However, the time to developing an episode of viraemia greater than 3000 genomes/ml was significantly delayed among those randomized to immediate treatment (p = 0.022. In Part B, the primary endpoint was not significantly different between the two arms; 19/55 (35% in the less than 200 genomes/ml arm subsequently had viraemia greater than 3000 genomes/ml compared to 23/51 (45% among those randomized to stop treatment in the less than 3000 genomes/ml arm (p = 0.322. However, the duration of antiviral treatment was significantly shorter (p = 0.0012 in those randomized to stop treatment when viraemia was less than 3000 genomes/ml.The results illustrate that patients have continuing risks for CMV infection with limited time available for intervention. We see no need to alter current rules for stopping or starting pre-emptive therapy.

Noise thresholds for optical quantum computers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Christopher M; Haselgrove, Henry L; Nielsen, Michael A

2006-01-20

In this Letter we numerically investigate the fault-tolerant threshold for optical cluster-state quantum computing. We allow both photon loss noise and depolarizing noise (as a general proxy for all local noise), and obtain a threshold region of allowed pairs of values for the two types of noise. Roughly speaking, our results show that scalable optical quantum computing is possible for photon loss probabilities <3 x 10(-3), and for depolarization probabilities <10(-4).

Scientific data products and the data pre-processing subsystem of the Chang'e-3 mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Xu; Liu Jian-Jun; Li Chun-Lai; Feng Jian-Qing; Ren Xin; Wang Fen-Fei; Yan Wei; Zuo Wei; Wang Xiao-Qian; Zhang Zhou-Bin

2014-01-01

The Chang'e-3 (CE-3) mission is China's first exploration mission on the surface of the Moon that uses a lander and a rover. Eight instruments that form the scientific payloads have the following objectives: (1) investigate the morphological features and geological structures at the landing site; (2) integrated in-situ analysis of minerals and chemical compositions; (3) integrated exploration of the structure of the lunar interior; (4) exploration of the lunar-terrestrial space environment, lunar surface environment and acquire Moon-based ultraviolet astronomical observations. The Ground Research and Application System (GRAS) is in charge of data acquisition and pre-processing, management of the payload in orbit, and managing the data products and their applications. The Data Pre-processing Subsystem (DPS) is a part of GRAS. The task of DPS is the pre-processing of raw data from the eight instruments that are part of CE-3, including channel processing, unpacking, package sorting, calibration and correction, identification of geographical location, calculation of probe azimuth angle, probe zenith angle, solar azimuth angle, and solar zenith angle and so on, and conducting quality checks. These processes produce Level 0, Level 1 and Level 2 data. The computing platform of this subsystem is comprised of a high-performance computing cluster, including a real-time subsystem used for processing Level 0 data and a post-time subsystem for generating Level 1 and Level 2 data. This paper describes the CE-3 data pre-processing method, the data pre-processing subsystem, data classification, data validity and data products that are used for scientific studies

Directional Histogram Ratio at Random Probes: A Local Thresholding Criterion for Capillary Images

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Na; Silva, Jharon; Gu, Yu; Gerber, Scott; Wu, Hulin; Gelbard, Harris; Dewhurst, Stephen; Miao, Hongyu

2013-01-01

With the development of micron-scale imaging techniques, capillaries can be conveniently visualized using methods such as two-photon and whole mount microscopy. However, the presence of background staining, leaky vessels and the diffusion of small fluorescent molecules can lead to significant complexity in image analysis and loss of information necessary to accurately quantify vascular metrics. One solution to this problem is the development of accurate thresholding algorithms that reliably distinguish blood vessels from surrounding tissue. Although various thresholding algorithms have been proposed, our results suggest that without appropriate pre- or post-processing, the existing approaches may fail to obtain satisfactory results for capillary images that include areas of contamination. In this study, we propose a novel local thresholding algorithm, called directional histogram ratio at random probes (DHR-RP). This method explicitly considers the geometric features of tube-like objects in conducting image binarization, and has a reliable performance in distinguishing small vessels from either clean or contaminated background. Experimental and simulation studies suggest that our DHR-RP algorithm is superior over existing thresholding methods. PMID:23525856

Rejection thresholds in solid chocolate-flavored compound coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Harwood, Meriel L; Ziegler, Gregory R; Hayes, John E

2012-10-01

Classical detection thresholds do not predict liking, as they focus on the presence or absence of a sensation. Recently however, Prescott and colleagues described a new method, the rejection threshold, where a series of forced choice preference tasks are used to generate a dose-response function to determine hedonically acceptable concentrations. That is, how much is too much? To date, this approach has been used exclusively in liquid foods. Here, we determined group rejection thresholds in solid chocolate-flavored compound coating for bitterness. The influences of self-identified preferences for milk or dark chocolate, as well as eating style (chewers compared to melters) on rejection thresholds were investigated. Stimuli included milk chocolate-flavored compound coating spiked with increasing amounts of sucrose octaacetate, a bitter and generally recognized as safe additive. Paired preference tests (blank compared to spike) were used to determine the proportion of the group that preferred the blank. Across pairs, spiked samples were presented in ascending concentration. We were able to quantify and compare differences between 2 self-identified market segments. The rejection threshold for the dark chocolate preferring group was significantly higher than the milk chocolate preferring group (P= 0.01). Conversely, eating style did not affect group rejection thresholds (P= 0.14), although this may reflect the amount of chocolate given to participants. Additionally, there was no association between chocolate preference and eating style (P= 0.36). Present work supports the contention that this method can be used to examine preferences within specific market segments and potentially individual differences as they relate to ingestive behavior. This work makes use of the rejection threshold method to study market segmentation, extending its use to solid foods. We believe this method has broad applicability to the sensory specialist and product developer by providing a

Hillslope Discharge Analysis - Threshold Behavior and Mixing Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Dusek, J.; Vogel, T. N.

2017-12-01

Reliable quantitative prediction of temporal changes of both the soil water storage and the shallow subsurface runoff for natural forest hillslopes exhibiting high degree of subsurface heterogeneity remains a challenge. The intensity of stormflow determines to a large extent the residence time of water in a hillslope segment, thus also influencing biogeochemical processes and mass fluxes of nutrients. Stormflow, as one of the most important runoff mechanisms in headwater catchments, usually develops above the soil-bedrock interface during prominent rainfall-runoff events as saturated flow. In this study, one- and two-dimensional numerical models were used to analyze hydrological processes at an experimental forest site located in a small headwater catchment under humid temperate climate. The models are based on dual-continuum approach reflecting water flow and isotope transport through the soil matrix and preferential pathways. The threshold relationship between rainfall and stormflow as well as hysteresis in the hillslope stormflow-storage relationship were examined. The hillslope storage analysis was performed for selected individual rainfall-runoff events over the period of several consecutive growing seasons. Furthermore, temporal and spatial variations of pre-event and event water contributions to hillslope stormflow were evaluated using a two-component mass balance approach based on the synthetic oxygen-18 signatures. The results of this analysis showed a mutual interplay of components of hillslope water balance exposing a nonlinear character of the hillslope hydrological response. The results also suggested significant mixing processes in a hillslope segment, in particular mixing of pre-event and event water as well as water exchanged between the soil matrix and preferential pathways. Despite the dominant control of preferential stormflow on overall hillslope runoff response, a rapid and substantial contribution of pre-event water to hillslope runoff was

Effects of alcohol and noise on temporary threshold shift in Guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tien-Chen; Hsu, Chuan-Jen; Hwang, Juen-Haur; Tseng, Fen-Yu; Chen, Yuh-Shyang

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of concomitant exposure to noise and alcohol on the auditory thresholds. Twenty-four guinea pigs were equally divided into three groups: the acute intoxication group, the chronic intoxication group and the control group. Animals in the acute group received single intraperitoneal injections of ethanol (2 g/kg). In the chronic group, alcohol was administered via drinking water (10%, v/v) over a 60-day period. All animals were exposed to a white noise at the intensity of 105 dB A for 30 min. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels were measured before, immediately after noise exposure and also 1, 2, and 7 days following exposure. The results showed: first, acute alcohol injection caused a significant, temporary elevation of ABR threshold (4.8 dB in average), while chronic alcohol treatment did not change auditory threshold significantly. Second, noise exposure induced a mean threshold shift of 15.4- 19.7 dB. ABR threshold returned to normal 2 days after exposure. Both acute and chronic alcohol treatment did not alter the magnitude and time course of recovery of the temporary threshold shift (TTS). Third, the mean DPOAE amplitudes decreased at most frequencies following acute injection of alcohol. However, the differences did not reach statistical significance. Fourth, the mean DPOAE levels dropped 3.4-9.6 dB in all groups after noise exposure and returned to normal 1 day to 2 days after noise. There were no significant differences in the amount of DPOAE suppression after noise between the three groups. In summary, we have found that acute and chronic treatment of alcohol in combination with noise did not significantly exacerbate TTS or decrease DPOAE amplitudes relative to noise exposure alone. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Infrared pre-drying and dry-dehulling of walnuts for improved processing efficiency and product quality

Science.gov (United States)

The walnut industry is faced with an urgent need to improve post-harvest processing efficiency, particularly drying and dehulling operations. This research investigated the feasibility of dry-dehulling and infrared (IR) pre-drying of walnuts for improved processing efficiency and dried product quali...

Nonperturbative correction to the threshold production of t anti t-pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadin, V.S.; Yakovlev, O.I.

1991-01-01

Calculations are performed of the nonperturbative correction to the cross-section for the tt-pair near the threshold in e + e - -annihilation, which is connected with the existence of a gluon condensate. These have been made using a constant chromoelectric field approximation. 15 refs

Narrow structure in Λd scattering near the Σ threshold (Σ3He states)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, B.F.; Afnan, I.R.

1991-01-01

A separable-potential, Faddeev-type calculation of Λ-deuteron scattering near the threshold for Σ production is shown to produce structure (a resonance peak) in the cross section which lies below the Σ threshold for two different YN (ΛN-ΣN coupled-channel) potential models. In one case the ΣNN eigenvalue corresponds to a pole which lies below threshold (bound) and in the second case the poles lies above the threshold

Threshold-improved predictions for charm production in deep-inelastic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo Presti, N.A.; Kawamura, H.; Vogt, A.

2010-08-01

We have extended previous results on the threshold expansion of the gluon coefficient function for the charm contribution to the deep-inelastic structure function F 2 by deriving all thresholdenhanced contributions at the next-to-next-to-leading order. The size of these corrections is briefly illustrated, and a first step towards extending this improvement to more differential charmproduction cross sections is presented. (orig.)

Electrical Qualification of the Pre-production of Analogue Opto-Hybrid Circuits for the CMS Tracker Inner Barrel and Inner Disks.

CERN Document Server

Brunetti, Maria Teresa; Postolache, Vasile; Ricci, Daniel

2003-01-01

A pre-production of 50 analogue opto-hybrid (AOH) circuits to be used in the front-end electronics of the CMS tracker was extensively tested before the incoming start of the massive production. A total of 4000 AOHs are required for the tracker inner barrel (TIB) and inner disk (TID) construction. The electrical response of the TIB/TID AOH pre-production was tested at 25°C both for the static and dynamic behavior. A subset of five AOHs was cooled and tested at -10°C and -15°C. A passive thermal cycle test from -20°C to 25°C was done on a sample of 22 pre-production AOHs, including the previous subset, to measure the mechanical response at possible variations of the nominal tracker temperature of -10°C. Four AOHs from the subset were also kept at -15°C for 20 hours in order to check the long-term stability of the response. The measurements were obtained with the automatic test equip ment (ATE) built for the fast qualification during the massive AOH production and with a custom setup dedicat...

The reaction d-vector p→3Heπ0 near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikulin, V.N.; Boudard, A.; Fabbro, B.; Garcon, M.; Mayer, B.; Clajus, M.; Kessler, R.S.; Nefkens, B.M.K.; Plouin, F.

1996-06-01

Angular distributions for the differential cross section and three deuteron analyzing powers iT 11 , T 20 and T 22 of the reaction d-vector p → 3 Heπ 0 have been measured over the whole angular domain at 20 energies close to threshold (0.03 π cm 20 both show strong variation in energy and angle due to interference between S and P-wave pion production, whereas iT 11 and T 22 remain consistent with zero over the whole experimental range. (author)

Theory of threshold phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hategan, Cornel

2002-01-01

Theory of Threshold Phenomena in Quantum Scattering is developed in terms of Reduced Scattering Matrix. Relationships of different types of threshold anomalies both to nuclear reaction mechanisms and to nuclear reaction models are established. Magnitude of threshold effect is related to spectroscopic factor of zero-energy neutron state. The Theory of Threshold Phenomena, based on Reduced Scattering Matrix, does establish relationships between different types of threshold effects and nuclear reaction mechanisms: the cusp and non-resonant potential scattering, s-wave threshold anomaly and compound nucleus resonant scattering, p-wave anomaly and quasi-resonant scattering. A threshold anomaly related to resonant or quasi resonant scattering is enhanced provided the neutron threshold state has large spectroscopic amplitude. The Theory contains, as limit cases, Cusp Theories and also results of different nuclear reactions models as Charge Exchange, Weak Coupling, Bohr and Hauser-Feshbach models. (author)

Selection Strategies for Social Influence in the Threshold Model

Science.gov (United States)

Karampourniotis, Panagiotis; Szymanski, Boleslaw; Korniss, Gyorgy

The ubiquity of online social networks makes the study of social influence extremely significant for its applications to marketing, politics and security. Maximizing the spread of influence by strategically selecting nodes as initiators of a new opinion or trend is a challenging problem. We study the performance of various strategies for selection of large fractions of initiators on a classical social influence model, the Threshold model (TM). Under the TM, a node adopts a new opinion only when the fraction of its first neighbors possessing that opinion exceeds a pre-assigned threshold. The strategies we study are of two kinds: strategies based solely on the initial network structure (Degree-rank, Dominating Sets, PageRank etc.) and strategies that take into account the change of the states of the nodes during the evolution of the cascade, e.g. the greedy algorithm. We find that the performance of these strategies depends largely on both the network structure properties, e.g. the assortativity, and the distribution of the thresholds assigned to the nodes. We conclude that the optimal strategy needs to combine the network specifics and the model specific parameters to identify the most influential spreaders. Supported in part by ARL NS-CTA, ARO, and ONR.

The potential mechanism of Bursal-derived BPP-II on the antibody production and avian pre-B cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xiuli; Cao, Ruibing; Zhou, Bin; Liu, Qingtao; Liu, Ke; Liu, Xiaodong; Zhang, Yuanpeng; Gu, Jinyan; Miao, Denian; Chen, Puyan

2013-03-01

The bursa of Fabricius is critical for the normal development of the B lymphocytes responsible for antibody production. However, the mechanism of the bursal-derived bioactive factor on B cell development is little reported. In this paper, chicks were immunized with BPP-II and AIV vaccine or AIV antigen, and antibody and IL-4 production were detected. The results showed that BPP-II played strongly inducing roles on the humoral immune responses. To investigate the gene expression at transcriptional level, avian pre-B lymphocyte DT40 cells were treated with BPP-II, and were analyzed with the gene microarray. The results proved that BPP-II treatment regulated 11 pathways, in which homologous recombination is a vital mechanism which is involved in antibody Ig gene conversion and diversification during B cell development. These results suggested Bursal-derived biological active factor BPP-II might be involved in the antibody production processes and B cell development, which is vital to the humoral central immune organ, the bursa of Fabricius. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threshold resummation of the rapidity distribution for Higgs production at NNLO +NNLL

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Pulak; Das, Goutam; Dhani, Prasanna K.; Ravindran, V.

2018-03-01

We present a formalism that resums threshold-enhanced logarithms to all orders in perturbative QCD for the rapidity distribution of any colorless particle produced in hadron colliders. We achieve this by exploiting the factorization properties and K +G equations satisfied by the soft and virtual parts of the cross section. We compute for the first time compact and most general expressions in two-dimensional Mellin space for the resummed coefficients. Using various state-of-the-art multiloop and multileg results, we demonstrate the numerical impact of our resummed results up to next-to-next-to-leading order for the rapidity distribution of the Higgs boson at the LHC. We find that inclusion of these threshold logs through resummation improves the reliability of perturbative predictions.

Precision Measurement of Electroproduction of pi⁰ near Threshold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chirapatpimol, Khem [Chiang Mai Univ. (Thailand)

2012-05-01

Electromagnetic production of neutral pions near threshold is the most basic, lowest energy reaction in which a new hadron is created. The electromagnetic interaction is well understood so measurements of this reaction can yield direct insight into the hadronic production mechanism. During the past three decades there have been many developments in both the measurement and theory of threshold pion production, starting with measurements of photo-production at Saclay in 1986 and at Mainz in 1990. These measurements indicated a surprising discrepancy with so-called Low Energy Theorems (LETs) which are based on quite fundamental symmetries and considerations. Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) is an effective field theoretic description of the nuclear force which contains the underlying symmetries of the force but deals with nucleons and pions rather than quarks and gluons. It has the advantage of being applicable at low energies but requires tuning some parameters to experimental data. Once these parameters have been determined ChPT predicts how the reaction should behave as a function of the kinematic variable. When applied to the reaction, p(γ,π⁰)p, near threshold it explained the discrepancy with the LETs and made predictions for electroproduction, p(e,e'p)π ⁰. Electroproduction measurements at Mainz in the 1990's showed a clear discrepancy with these predictions of ChPT; with parameters determined from one set of kinematics the data for a second set lay far from the predicted value. However, recently completed measurements at Mainz disagreed with their previous measurements. In the experiment presented here, measurements of neutral pion electroproduction,p(e,e'p)π⁰, were made in bins of momentum transfer, Q², between Q² = 0.05 [GeV/c]² and Q² = 0.15 [GeV/c]⁰ and of center-of-mass energy, W, between 0 ≤ W ≤ 30 MeV (above threshold). The experiment was

Design of Threshold Controller Based Chaotic Circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohamed, I. Raja; Murali, K.; Sinha, Sudeshna

2010-01-01

We propose a very simple implementation of a second-order nonautonomous chaotic oscillator, using a threshold controller as the only source of nonlinearity. We demonstrate the efficacy and simplicity of our design through numerical and experimental results. Further, we show that this approach...... of using a threshold controller as a nonlinear element, can be extended to obtain autonomous and multiscroll chaotic attractor circuits as well....

Production of hypertritons in heavy ion collisions around the threshold of strangeness production

CERN Document Server

Hartnack, Christoph; Leifels, Yvonne; Aichelin, Jörg

2015-01-01

We use the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics approach supplemented with a phase space coalescence to study the properties of the production of hypertritons. We see strong influences of the hyperon rescattering on the yields. The hypertritons show up to be quite aligned to the properties of nuclear matter underlining the necessity of rescattering to transport the hyperons to the spectator matter.

A Threshold Continuum for Aeolian Sand Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Swann, C.; Ewing, R. C.; Sherman, D. J.

2015-12-01

The threshold of motion for aeolian sand transport marks the initial entrainment of sand particles by the force of the wind. This is typically defined and modeled as a singular wind speed for a given grain size and is based on field and laboratory experimental data. However, the definition of threshold varies significantly between these empirical models, largely because the definition is based on visual-observations of initial grain movement. For example, in his seminal experiments, Bagnold defined threshold of motion when he observed that 100% of the bed was in motion. Others have used 50% and lesser values. Differences in threshold models, in turn, result is large errors in predicting the fluxes associated with sand and dust transport. Here we use a wind tunnel and novel sediment trap to capture the fractions of sand in creep, reptation and saltation at Earth and Mars pressures and show that the threshold of motion for aeolian sand transport is best defined as a continuum in which grains progress through stages defined by the proportion of grains in creep and saltation. We propose the use of scale dependent thresholds modeled by distinct probability distribution functions that differentiate the threshold based on micro to macro scale applications. For example, a geologic timescale application corresponds to a threshold when 100% of the bed in motion whereas a sub-second application corresponds to a threshold when a single particle is set in motion. We provide quantitative measurements (number and mode of particle movement) corresponding to visual observations, percent of bed in motion and degrees of transport intermittency for Earth and Mars. Understanding transport as a continuum provides a basis for revaluating sand transport thresholds on Earth, Mars and Titan.

PreCam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allam, Sahar S. [Fermilab; Tucker, Douglas L. [Fermilab

2015-01-01

The Dark Energy Survey (DES) will be taking the next step in probing the properties of Dark Energy and in understanding the physics of cosmic acceleration. A step towards the photometric calibration of DES is to have a quick, bright survey in the DES footprint (PreCam), using a pre-production set of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) CCDs and a set of 100 mm×100 mm DES filters. The objective of the PreCam Survey is to create a network of calibrated DES grizY standard stars that will be used for DES nightly calibrations and to improve the DES global relative calibrations. Here, we describe the first year of PreCam observation, results, and photometric calibrations.

Thresholds of Toxicological Concern - Setting a threshold for testing below which there is little concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartung, Thomas

2017-01-01

Low dose, low risk; very low dose, no real risk. Setting a pragmatic threshold below which concerns become negligible is the purpose of thresholds of toxicological concern (TTC). The idea is that such threshold values do not need to be established for each and every chemical based on experimental data, but that by analyzing the distribution of lowest or no-effect doses of many chemicals, a TTC can be defined - typically using the 5th percentile of this distribution and lowering it by an uncertainty factor of, e.g., 100. In doing so, TTC aims to compare exposure information (dose) with a threshold below which any hazard manifestation is very unlikely to occur. The history and current developments of this concept are reviewed and the application of TTC for different regulated products and their hazards is discussed. TTC lends itself as a pragmatic filter to deprioritize testing needs whenever real-life exposures are much lower than levels where hazard manifestation would be expected, a situation that is called "negligible exposure" in the REACH legislation, though the TTC concept has not been fully incorporated in its implementation (yet). Other areas and regulations - especially in the food sector and for pharmaceutical impurities - are more proactive. Large, curated databases on toxic effects of chemicals provide us with the opportunity to set TTC for many hazards and substance classes and thus offer a precautionary second tier for risk assessments if hazard cannot be excluded. This allows focusing testing efforts better on relevant exposures to chemicals.

Particles near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, T.; Willenbrock, S.

1993-01-01

We propose returning to the definition of the width of a particle in terms of the pole in the particle's propagator. Away from thresholds, this definition of width is equivalent to the standard perturbative definition, up to next-to-leading order; however, near a threshold, the two definitions differ significantly. The width as defined by the pole position provides more information in the threshold region than the standard perturbative definition and, in contrast with the perturbative definition, does not vanish when a two-particle s-wave threshold is approached from below

Point of no return: experimental determination of the lethal hydraulic threshold during drought for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, W.; Yu, K.; Wilson, L. A.; Will, R.; Anderegg, W.; Adams, H. D.

2017-12-01

The strength of the terrestrial carbon sink—dominated by forests—remains one of the greatest uncertainties in climate change modelling. How forests will respond to increased variability in temperature and precipitation is poorly understood, and experimental study to better inform global vegetation models in this area is needed. Necessary for achieving­­­­ this goal is an understanding of how increased temperatures and drought will affect landscape level distributions of plant species. Quantifying physiological thresholds representing a point of no return from drought stress, including thresholds in hydraulic function, is critical to this end. Recent theoretical, observational, and modelling research has converged upon a threshold of 60 percent loss of hydraulic conductivity at mortality (PLClethal). However, direct experimental determination of lethal points in conductivity and cavitation during drought is lacking. We quantified thresholds in hydraulic function in Loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, a commercially important timber species. In a greenhouse experiment, we exposed saplings (n = 96 total) to drought and rewatered treatment groups at variable levels of increasing water stress determined by pre-selected targets in pre-dawn water potential. Treatments also included a watered control with no drought, and drought with no rewatering. We measured physiological responses to water stress, including hydraulic conductivity, native PLC, water potential, foliar color, canopy die-back, and dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence. Following the rewatering treatment, we observed saplings for at least two months to determine which survived and which died. Using these data we calculated lethal physiological thresholds in water potential, directly measured PLC, and PLC inferred from water potential using a hydraulic vulnerability curve. We found that PLClethal inferred from water potential agreed with the 60% threshold suggested by previous research. However, directly

Data-Driven Jump Detection Thresholds for Application in Jump Regressions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Davies

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper develops a method to select the threshold in threshold-based jump detection methods. The method is motivated by an analysis of threshold-based jump detection methods in the context of jump-diffusion models. We show that over the range of sampling frequencies a researcher is most likely to encounter that the usual in-fill asymptotics provide a poor guide for selecting the jump threshold. Because of this we develop a sample-based method. Our method estimates the number of jumps over a grid of thresholds and selects the optimal threshold at what we term the ‘take-off’ point in the estimated number of jumps. We show that this method consistently estimates the jumps and their indices as the sampling interval goes to zero. In several Monte Carlo studies we evaluate the performance of our method based on its ability to accurately locate jumps and its ability to distinguish between true jumps and large diffusive moves. In one of these Monte Carlo studies we evaluate the performance of our method in a jump regression context. Finally, we apply our method in two empirical studies. In one we estimate the number of jumps and report the jump threshold our method selects for three commonly used market indices. In the other empirical application we perform a series of jump regressions using our method to select the jump threshold.

Contribution to the study of mesons and their interactions with nuclei, by threshold production in low nucleon number systems; Contribution a l`etude des mesons et de leur interaction avec les noyaux, par production au seuil dans les systemes a petit nombre de nucleons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roudot, F

1995-01-01

The threshold excitation function of the pd {yields} {sup 3}HeX reaction and the total {eta}-meson production cross section near threshold in the dd {yields} {alpha}{eta} reaction have been measured using the SPES4 beam line of the Laboratoire National Saturne. In the pd {yields} {sup 3}HeX threshold function, clear signals are observed at {omega}, {eta}` and {phi}6 mesons threshold; some structures appear at central masses of the a{sub 0} and f{sub 0}-mesons, as just above the two kaons production threshold. These structures could be the signature of new hadronic exotic states. The two-pion and two-kaon physical background has been estimated in a one-pion exchange model allowing the calculation of the differential cross section for the {pi}{sup -}p {yields} nX elementary process. The results of this calculation of the physical background of the threshold excitation function. The the dd {yields} {alpha}{eta} study, the {eta}-meson was clearly observed in the spectrometer`s final focal plane spectra, in good agreement with a Monte Carlo simulation. A total cross section of the order of the nano-barn has been measured. The results are compared to some other {eta}-meson production processes with lighter nuclei than helium-4. Using different nuclei a comparative study of the {eta}-nucleus interaction has shown that the latter is more binding in the helium-4 case. Based on these data, the charge symmetry breaking in the dd {yields} {alpha}{pi}{sup 0} reaction is studied. Using a {pi}{sup 0}-{eta} mixing model, the extracted cross sections are compatible with the only measurement of this reaction cross section. (author). 59 refs.

The H-mode power threshold in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Start, D F.H.; Bhatnagar, V P; Campbell, D J; Cordey, J G; Esch, H P.L. de; Gormezano, C; Hawkes, N; Horton, L; Jones, T T.C.; Lomas, P J; Lowry, C; Righi, E; Rimini, F G; Saibene, G; Sartori, R; Sips, G; Stork, D; Thomas, P; Thomsen, K; Tubbing, B J.D.; Von Hellermann, M; Ward, D J [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

New H-mode threshold data over a range of toroidal field and density values have been obtained from the present campaign. The scaling with n{sub e} B{sub t} is almost identical with that of the 91/92 period for the same discharge conditions. The scaling with toroidal field alone gives somewhat higher thresholds than the older data. The 1991/2 database shows a scaling of P{sub th} (power threshold) with n{sub e} B{sub t} which is approximately linear and agrees well with that observed on other tokamaks. For NBI and carbon target tiles the threshold power is a factor of two higher with the ion {Nu}B drift away from the target compared with the value found with the drift towards the target. The combination of ICRH and beryllium tiles appears to be beneficial for reducing P{sub th}. The power threshold is largely insensitive to plasma current, X-point height and distance between the last closed flux surface and the limiter, at least for values greater than 2 cm. (authors). 3 refs., 6 figs.

Threshold Characteristics of Slow-Light Photonic Crystal Lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xue, Weiqi; Yu, Yi; Ottaviano, Luisa

2016-01-01

The threshold properties of photonic crystal quantum dot lasers operating in the slow-light regime are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Measurements show that, in contrast to conventional lasers, the threshold gain attains a minimum value for a specific cavity length. The experimental...... results are explained by an analytical theory for the laser threshold that takes into account the effects of slow light and random disorder due to unavoidable fabrication imperfections. Longer lasers are found to operate deeper into the slow-light region, leading to a trade-off between slow-light induced...

Consolidation by Prefabricated Vertical Drains with a Threshold Gradient

OpenAIRE

Xiao Guo; Kang-He Xie; Yue-Bao Deng

2014-01-01

This paper shows the development of an approximate analytical solution of radial consolidation by prefabricated vertical drains with a threshold gradient. To understand the effect of the threshold gradient on consolidation, a parametric analysis was performed using the present solution. The applicability of the present solution was demonstrated in two cases, wherein the comparisons with Hansbo’s results and observed data were conducted. It was found that (1) the flow with the threshold gradie...

Pre-fractionated Microbial Samples – The Second Generation Natural Products Library at Wyeth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa M. Wagenaar

2008-06-01

Full Text Available From the beginning of the antibiotic era in the 1940s to the present, Wyeth has sustained an active research program in the area of natural products discovery. This program has continually evolved through the years in order to best align with the “current” drug discovery paradigm in the pharmaceutical industry. The introduction of highthroughput screening and the miniaturization of assays have created a need to optimize natural product samples to better suit these new technologies. Furthermore, natural product programs are faced with an ever shortening time period from hit detection to lead characterization. To address these issues, Wyeth has created a pre-fractionated natural products library using reversed-phase HPLC to complement their existing library of crude extracts. The details of the pre-fractionated library and a cost-benefit analysis will be presented in this review.

Thermotactile perception thresholds measurement conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Setsuo; Sakakibara, Hisataka

2002-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of posture, push force and rate of temperature change on thermotactile thresholds and to clarify suitable measuring conditions for Japanese people. Thermotactile (warm and cold) thresholds on the right middle finger were measured with an HVLab thermal aesthesiometer. Subjects were eight healthy male Japanese students. The effects of posture in measurement were examined in the posture of a straight hand and forearm placed on a support, the same posture without a support, and the fingers and hand flexed at the wrist with the elbow placed on a desk. The finger push force applied to the applicator of the thermal aesthesiometer was controlled at a 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 N. The applicator temperature was changed to 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 degrees C/s. After each measurement, subjects were asked about comfort under the measuring conditions. Three series of experiments were conducted on different days to evaluate repeatability. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that warm thresholds were affected by the push force and the rate of temperature change and that cold thresholds were influenced by posture and push force. The comfort assessment indicated that the measurement posture of a straight hand and forearm laid on a support was the most comfortable for the subjects. Relatively high repeatability was obtained under measurement conditions of a 1 degrees C/s temperature change rate and a 0.5 N push force. Measurement posture, push force and rate of temperature change can affect the thermal threshold. Judging from the repeatability, a push force of 0.5 N and a temperature change of 1.0 degrees C/s in the posture with the straight hand and forearm laid on a support are recommended for warm and cold threshold measurements.

Temporary threshold shift after impulse-noise during video game play: laboratory data.

Science.gov (United States)

Spankovich, C; Griffiths, S K; Lobariñas, E; Morgenstein, K E; de la Calle, S; Ledon, V; Guercio, D; Le Prell, C G

2014-03-01

Prevention of temporary threshold shift (TTS) after laboratory-based exposure to pure-tones, broadband noise, and narrowband noise signals has been achieved, but prevention of TTS under these experimental conditions may not accurately reflect protection against hearing loss following impulse noise. This study used a controlled laboratory-based TTS paradigm that incorporated impulsive stimuli into the exposure protocol; development of this model could provide a novel platform for assessing proposed therapeutics. Participants played a video game that delivered gunfire-like sound through headphones as part of a target practice game. Effects were measured using audiometric threshold evaluations and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). The sound level and number of impulses presented were sequentially increased throughout the study. Participants were normal-hearing students at the University of Florida who provided written informed consent prior to participation. TTS was not reliably induced by any of the exposure conditions assessed here. However, there was significant individual variability, and a subset of subjects showed TTS under some exposure conditions. A subset of participants demonstrated reliable threshold shifts under some conditions. Additional experiments are needed to better understand and optimize stimulus parameters that influence TTS after simulated impulse noise.

‘Soglitude’- introducing a method of thinking thresholds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatjana Barazon

2010-04-01

Full Text Available ‘Soglitude’ is an invitation to acknowledge the existence of thresholds in thought. A threshold in thought designates the indetermination, the passage, the evolution of every state the world is in. The creation we add to it, and the objectivity we suppose, on the border of those two ideas lies our perceptive threshold. No state will ever be permanent, and in order to stress the temporary, fluent character of the world and our perception of it, we want to introduce a new suitable method to think change and transformation, when we acknowledge our own threshold nature. The contributions gathered in this special issue come from various disciplines: anthropology, philosophy, critical theory, film studies, political science, literature and history. The variety of these insights shows the resonance of the idea of threshold in every category of thought. We hope to enlarge the notion in further issues on physics and chemistry, as well as mathematics. The articles in this issue introduce the method of threshold thinking by showing the importance of the in-between, of the changing of perspective in their respective domain. The ‘Documents’ section named INTERSTICES, includes a selection of poems, two essays, a philosophical-artistic project called ‘infraphysique’, a performance on thresholds in the soul, and a dialogue with Israel Rosenfield. This issue presents a kaleidoscope of possible threshold thinking and hopes to initiate new ways of looking at things.For every change that occurs in reality there is a subjective counterpart in our perception and this needs to be acknowledged as such. What we name objective is reflected in our own personal perception in its own personal manner, in such a way that the objectivity of an event might altogether be questioned. The absolute point of view, the view from “nowhere”, could well be the projection that causes dogmatism. By introducing the method of thinking thresholds into a system, be it

Robust Adaptive Thresholder For Document Scanning Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hsing, To R.

1982-12-01

In document scanning applications, thresholding is used to obtain binary data from a scanner. However, due to: (1) a wide range of different color backgrounds; (2) density variations of printed text information; and (3) the shading effect caused by the optical systems, the use of adaptive thresholding to enhance the useful information is highly desired. This paper describes a new robust adaptive thresholder for obtaining valid binary images. It is basically a memory type algorithm which can dynamically update the black and white reference level to optimize a local adaptive threshold function. The results of high image quality from different types of simulate test patterns can be obtained by this algorithm. The software algorithm is described and experiment results are present to describe the procedures. Results also show that the techniques described here can be used for real-time signal processing in the varied applications.

Phi photoproduction near threshold with Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka evading phi NN interactions

CERN Document Server

William, R A

1998-01-01

Existing intermediate and high energy phi-photoproduction data is consistent with purely diffractive production (i.e., Pomeron exchange). However, near threshold (1.574 GeV K sup + K sup - decay angular distribution. We stress the importance of measurements with linearly polarized photons near the phi threshold to separate natural and unnatural parity exchange mechanisms. Approved and planned phi photoproduction and electroproduction experiments at Jefferson Lab will help establish the relative dynamical contributions near threshold and clarify outstanding theoretical issues related to apparent Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka violations.

Production of pre-basic potato seed by polyvinyl chloride PVC: articulate gutters hydroponic system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonny Everson Scherwinski-Pereira

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The development of more efficient and productive systems for pre-basic seed potato production would improve the quality of the propagative material used by the potato growers, directly affecting the crop yields. A two-year experiment was carried out to evaluate the potato pre-basic seed production by two types of hydroponic systems (fibrocement tiles and articulated PVC gutters, two cultivars (`Baronesa` and `Eliza` and two types of propagative material (plants coming from in vitro culture and minitubers. The PVC gutters system was highly efficient. When using minitubers, this system reached multiplication rates up to 74 tubers per plant. Minitubers were more productive than in vitro plants, independent of cultivar and hydroponic system utilized.Um experimento realizado por dois anos consecutivos avaliou a produção de sementes pré-básicas de batata por meio de sistemas de cultivo hidropônico. O trabalho testou a combinação de dois sistemas de cultivo (telha de fibrocimento e calhas de PVC articuladas, duas cultivares (Baronesa e Eliza e dois tipos de material propagativo (plântulas oriundas do cultivo in vitro e minitubérculos. O sistema de calhas de PVC foi altamente eficiente. Quando foi utilizado minitubérculos, este sistema alcançou taxas de multiplicação de até 74 tubérculos por planta. De modo geral, o uso de minitubérculos como material propagativo apresentou os melhores resultados de produtividade quando comparada ao material in vitro, independentemente da cultivar e sistemas hidropônicos utilizados.

KamLAND Sensitivity to Neutrinos from Pre-supernova Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Asakura, K.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hachiya, T.; Hayashida, S.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, K.; Ishidoshiro, K.; Ishikawa, T.; Ishio, S.; Koga, M.; Matsuda, S.; Mitsui, T.; Motoki, D.; Nakamura, K.; Obara, S.; Oura, T.; Shimizu, I.; Shirahata, Y.; Shirai, J.; Suzuki, A.; Tachibana, H.; Tamae, K.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Xu, B. D.; Kozlov, A.; Takemoto, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Fushimi, K.; Piepke, A.; Banks, T. I.; Berger, B. E.; Fujikawa, B. K.; O'Donnell, T.; Learned, J. G.; Maricic, J.; Matsuno, S.; Sakai, M.; Winslow, L. A.; Efremenko, Y.; Karwowski, H. J.; Markoff, D. M.; Tornow, W.; Detwiler, J. A.; Enomoto, S.; Decowski, M. P.; KamLAND Collaboration

2016-02-01

In the late stages of nuclear burning for massive stars (M > 8 M⊙), the production of neutrino-antineutrino pairs through various processes becomes the dominant stellar cooling mechanism. As the star evolves, the energy of these neutrinos increases and in the days preceding the supernova a significant fraction of emitted electron anti-neutrinos exceeds the energy threshold for inverse beta decay on free hydrogen. This is the golden channel for liquid scintillator detectors because the coincidence signature allows for significant reductions in background signals. We find that the kiloton-scale liquid scintillator detector KamLAND can detect these pre-supernova neutrinos from a star with a mass of 25 M⊙ at a distance less than 690 pc with 3σ significance before the supernova. This limit is dependent on the neutrino mass ordering and background levels. KamLAND takes data continuously and can provide a supernova alert to the community.

Music effect on pain threshold evaluated with current perception threshold

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

AIM: Music relieves anxiety and psychotic tension. This effect of music is applied to surgical operation in the hospital and dental office. It is still unclear whether this music effect is only limited to the psychological aspect but not to the physical aspect or whether its music effect is influenced by the mood or emotion of audience. To elucidate these issues, we evaluated the music effect on pain threshold by current perception threshold (CPT) and profile of mood states (POMC) test. METHODS: Healthy 30 subjects (12 men, 18 women, 25-49 years old, mean age 34.9) were tested. (1)After POMC test, all subjects were evaluated pain threshold with CPT by Neurometer (Radionics, USA) under 6 conditions, silence, listening to the slow tempo classic music, nursery music, hard rock music, classic paino music and relaxation music with 30 seconds interval. (2)After Stroop color word test as the stresser, pain threshold was evaluated with CPT under 2 conditions, silence and listening to the slow tempo classic music. RESULTS: Under litening to the music, CPT sores increased, especially 2 000 Hz level related with compression, warm and pain sensation. Type of music, preference of music and stress also affected CPT score. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the concentration on the music raise the pain threshold and that stress and mood influence the music effect on pain threshold.

Irradiation of pre-packaged sliced cooked meat products with low and normal sodium content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stekelenburg, F.K.

1990-01-01

Irradiation experiments were carried out with pre-packaged sliced cooked meat products with different initial counts of Enterobacteriaceae and mesophilic aerobic bacteria. In low-sodium meat products Enterobacteriaceae could effectively be inactivated in refrigerated or frozen products by irradiation with a dose of 1 or 2 kGy respectively, provided the number of these bacteria was below 10(3) to 10(4) per g. The low-sodium meat products involved endured above treatment without being seriously affected as to sensory qualities. Shelf-life of salted cooked meat products could be prolonged by irradiating the frozen product. Irradiation with a dose of 2 kGy enabled uncooled storage of the product for a restricted period (5-7 days). Best results were obtained for meat products with a salt content in the brine phase of greater than 4.0% (w/w) and having a good hygienic quality, i.e. an initial bacterial count below 10(4)/g. Packaging in a gas atmosphere (CO2) slightly enhanced protection as compared to vacuum packaging. Off-flavours as a result of irradiation of salted cooked meat products varied from slight to strong and depended on the type of product

Delayed hydride cracking: alternative pre-cracking method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mieza, Juan I.; Ponzoni, Lucio M.E.; Vigna, Gustavo L.; Domizzi, Gladys

2009-01-01

The internal components of nuclear reactors built-in Zr alloys are prone to a failure mechanism known as Delayed Hydride Cracking (DHC). This situation has triggered numerous scientific studies in order to measure the crack propagation velocity and the threshold stress intensity factor associated to DHC. Tests are carried out on fatigued pre-crack samples to ensure similar test conditions and comparable results. Due to difficulties in implementing the fatigue pre-crack method it would be desirable to replace it with a pre-crack produced by the same process of DHC, for which is necessary to demonstrate equivalence of this two methods. In this work tests on samples extracted from two Zr-2.5 Nb tubes were conducted. Some of the samples were heat treated to obtain a range in their metallurgical properties as well as different DHC velocities. A comparison between velocities measured in test samples pre-cracked by fatigue and RDIH is done, demonstrating that the pre-cracking method does not affect the measured velocity value. In addition, the incubation (t inc ), which is the time between the application of the load and the first signal of crack propagation, in samples pre-cracked by RDIH, was measured. It was found that these times are sufficiently short, even in the worst cases (lower speed) and similar to the ones of fatigued pre-cracked samples. (author)

The Role of Flipped Learning in Managing the Cognitive Load of a Threshold Concept in Physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Akkaraju, Shylaja

2016-01-01

To help students master challenging, threshold concepts in physiology, I used the flipped learning model in a human anatomy and physiology course with very encouraging results in terms of student motivation, preparedness, engagement, and performance. The flipped learning model was enhanced by pre-training and formative assessments that provided…

Usage of fMRI for pre-surgical planning in brain tumor and vascular lesion patients: Task and statistical threshold effects on language lateralization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanvi N. Nadkarni

2015-01-01

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the type of task and the applied statistical threshold influence LI and that the threshold effects on LI may be task-specific. Thus identifying critical functional regions and computing LIs should be conducted on an individual subject basis, using a continuum of threshold values with different tasks to provide the most accurate information for surgical planning to minimize post-operative language deficits.

Methylphenidate intoxications in children and adults: exposure circumstances and evidence-based dose threshold for pre-hospital triage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hondebrink, Laura; Rietjens, Saskia J; Hunault, Claudine C; Pereira, Rob R; Kelleci, Nuriye; Yasar, Gulhan; Ghebreslasie, Ariam; Lo-A-Foe, Cindy; De Vries, Irma; Meulenbelt, Jan

2015-01-01

CONTEXT: Methylphenidate intoxications mostly have a relatively mild course, although serious complications can occur. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize methylphenidate exposures and reassess our current dose threshold for hospital referral (2 mg/kg). METHODS: In a prospective follow-up study, we

Methylphenidate intoxications in children and adults : Exposure circumstances and evidence-based dose threshold for pre-hospital triage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hondebrink, Laura; Rietjens, Saskia J.; Hunault, Claudine C.; Pereira, Rob R.; Kelleci, Nuriye; Yasar, Gulhan; Ghebreslasie, Ariam; Lo-A-Foe, Cindy; De Vries, Irma; Meulenbelt, Jan

Context. Methylphenidate intoxications mostly have a relatively mild course, although serious complications can occur. Objective. We aimed to characterize methylphenidate exposures and reassess our current dose threshold for hospital referral (2 mg/kg). Methods. In a prospective follow-up study, we

Olfactory dysfunction affects thresholds to trigeminal chemosensory sensations.

Science.gov (United States)

Frasnelli, J; Schuster, B; Hummel, T

2010-01-14

Next to olfaction and gustation, the trigeminal system represents a third chemosensory system. These senses are interconnected; a loss of olfactory function also leads to a reduced sensitivity in the trigeminal chemosensory system. However, most studies so far focused on comparing trigeminal sensitivity to suprathreshold stimuli; much less data is available with regard to trigeminal sensitivity in the perithreshold range. Therefore we assessed detection thresholds for CO(2), a relatively pure trigeminal stimulus in controls and in patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD). We could show that OD patients exhibit higher detection thresholds than controls. In addition, we were able to explore the effects of different etiologies of smell loss on trigeminal detection thresholds. We could show that in younger subjects, patients suffering from olfactory loss due to head trauma are more severely impaired with regard to their trigeminal sensitivity than patients with isolated congenital anosmia. In older patients, we could not observe any differences between different etiologies, probably due to the well known age-related decrease of trigeminal sensitivity. Furthermore we could show that a betterment of the OD was accompanied by decreased thresholds. This was most evident in patients with postviral OD. In conclusion, factors such as age, olfactory status and etiology of olfactory disorder can affect responsiveness to perithreshold trigeminal chemosensory stimuli. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultracompact low-threshold organic laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Deotare, Parag B; Mahony, Thomas S; Bulović, Vladimir

2014-11-25

We report an ultracompact low-threshold laser with an Alq3:DCM host:guest molecular organic thin film gain layer. The device uses a photonic crystal nanobeam cavity which provides a high quality factor to mode volume (Q/V) ratio and increased spontaneous emission factor along with a small footprint. Lasing is observed with a threshold of 4.2 μJ/cm(2) when pumped by femtosecond pulses of λ = 400 nm wavelength light. We also model the dynamics of the laser and show good agreement with the experimental data. The inherent waveguide geometry of the structure enables easy on-chip integration with potential applications in biochemical sensing, inertial sensors, and data communication.

Threshold Studies of the Microwave Instability in Electron Storage Rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bane, Karl

2010-01-01

We use a Vlasov-Fokker-Planck program and a linearized Vlasov solver to study the microwave instability threshold of impedance models: (1) a Q = 1 resonator and (2) shielded coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), and find the results of the two programs agree well. For shielded CSR we show that only two dimensionless parameters, the shielding parameter Π and the strength parameter S csr , are needed to describe the system. We further show that there is a strong instability associated with CSR, and that the threshold, to good approximation, is given by (S csr )th = 0.5 + 0.12Π. In particular, this means that shielding has little effect in stabilizing the beam for Π ∼ -3/2 . We, in addition, find another instability in the vicinity of Π = 0.7 with a lower threshold, (S csr ) th ∼ 0.2. We find that the threshold to this instability depends strongly on damping time, (S csr ) th ∼ τ p -1/2 , and that the tune spread at threshold is small - both hallmarks of a weak instability.

Threshold intensity factors as lower boundaries for crack propagation in ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Per-Ole

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Slow crack growth can be described in a v (crack velocity versus KI (stress intensity factor diagram. Slow crack growth in ceramics is attributed to corrosion assisted stress at the crack tip or at any pre-existing defect in the ceramic. The combined effect of high stresses at the crack tip and the presence of water or body fluid molecules (reducing surface energy at the crack tip induces crack propagation, which eventually may result in fatigue. The presence of a threshold in the stress intensity factor, below which no crack propagation occurs, has been the subject of important research in the last years. The higher this threshold, the higher the reliability of the ceramic, and consequently the longer its lifetime. Methods We utilize the Irwin K-field displacement relation to deduce crack tip stress intensity factors from the near crack tip profile. Cracks are initiated by indentation impressions. The threshold stress intensity factor is determined as the time limit of the tip stress intensity when the residual stresses have (nearly disappeared. Results We determined the threshold stress intensity factors for most of the all ceramic materials presently important for dental restorations in Europe. Of special significance is the finding that alumina ceramic has a threshold limit nearly identical with that of zirconia. Conclusion The intention of the present paper is to stress the point that the threshold stress intensity factor represents a more intrinsic property for a given ceramic material than the widely used toughness (bend strength or fracture toughness, which refers only to fast crack growth. Considering two ceramics with identical threshold limits, although with different critical stress intensity limits, means that both ceramics have identical starting points for slow crack growth. Fast catastrophic crack growth leading to spontaneous fatigue, however, is different. This growth starts later in those ceramic materials

Photoproduction of the φ(1020) near threshold in CLAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tedeschi, D.J.

2002-01-01

The differential cross section for the photoproduction of the φ (1020) near threshold (E γ = 1.57GeV) is predicted to be sensitive to production mechanisms other than diffraction. However, the existing low energy data is of limited statistics and kinematical coverage. Complete measurements of φ meson production on the proton have been performed at The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using a liquid hydrogen target and the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). The φ was identified by missing mass using a proton and positive kaon detected by CLAS in coincidence with an electron in the photon tagger. The energy of the tagged, bremsstrahlung photons ranged from φ-threshold to 2.4 GeV. A description of the data set and the differential cross section for (E γ = 2.0 GeV) will be presented and compared with present theoretical calculations. (author)

Hard decoding algorithm for optimizing thresholds under general Markovian noise

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberland, Christopher; Wallman, Joel; Beale, Stefanie; Laflamme, Raymond

2017-04-01

Quantum error correction is instrumental in protecting quantum systems from noise in quantum computing and communication settings. Pauli channels can be efficiently simulated and threshold values for Pauli error rates under a variety of error-correcting codes have been obtained. However, realistic quantum systems can undergo noise processes that differ significantly from Pauli noise. In this paper, we present an efficient hard decoding algorithm for optimizing thresholds and lowering failure rates of an error-correcting code under general completely positive and trace-preserving (i.e., Markovian) noise. We use our hard decoding algorithm to study the performance of several error-correcting codes under various non-Pauli noise models by computing threshold values and failure rates for these codes. We compare the performance of our hard decoding algorithm to decoders optimized for depolarizing noise and show improvements in thresholds and reductions in failure rates by several orders of magnitude. Our hard decoding algorithm can also be adapted to take advantage of a code's non-Pauli transversal gates to further suppress noise. For example, we show that using the transversal gates of the 5-qubit code allows arbitrary rotations around certain axes to be perfectly corrected. Furthermore, we show that Pauli twirling can increase or decrease the threshold depending upon the code properties. Lastly, we show that even if the physical noise model differs slightly from the hypothesized noise model used to determine an optimized decoder, failure rates can still be reduced by applying our hard decoding algorithm.

Near threshold expansion of Feynman diagrams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendels, E.

2005-01-01

The near threshold expansion of Feynman diagrams is derived from their configuration space representation, by performing all x integrations. The general scalar Feynman diagram is considered, with an arbitrary number of external momenta, an arbitrary number of internal lines and an arbitrary number of loops, in n dimensions and all masses may be different. The expansions are considered both below and above threshold. Rules, giving real and imaginary part, are derived. Unitarity of a sunset diagram with I internal lines is checked in a direct way by showing that its imaginary part is equal to the phase space integral of I particles

Regional rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrence using a centenary database

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Teresa; Luís Zêzere, José; Pereira, Susana; Cruz Oliveira, Sérgio; Garcia, Ricardo A. C.; Quaresma, Ivânia

2018-04-01

This work proposes a comprehensive method to assess rainfall thresholds for landslide initiation using a centenary landslide database associated with a single centenary daily rainfall data set. The method is applied to the Lisbon region and includes the rainfall return period analysis that was used to identify the critical rainfall combination (cumulated rainfall duration) related to each landslide event. The spatial representativeness of the reference rain gauge is evaluated and the rainfall thresholds are assessed and calibrated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) metrics. Results show that landslide events located up to 10 km from the rain gauge can be used to calculate the rainfall thresholds in the study area; however, these thresholds may be used with acceptable confidence up to 50 km from the rain gauge. The rainfall thresholds obtained using linear and potential regression perform well in ROC metrics. However, the intermediate thresholds based on the probability of landslide events established in the zone between the lower-limit threshold and the upper-limit threshold are much more informative as they indicate the probability of landslide event occurrence given rainfall exceeding the threshold. This information can be easily included in landslide early warning systems, especially when combined with the probability of rainfall above each threshold.

Effect of pre-swelling of coal on its solvent extraction and liquefaction properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hengfu Shui; Zhicai Wang; Meixia Cao [Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan (China). School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

2008-10-15

Effects of pre-swelling of coal on solvent extraction and liquefaction properties were studied with Shenhua coal. It was found that pre-swelling treatments of the coal in three solvents, i.e., toluene (TOL), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and tetralin (THN) increased its extraction yield and liquefaction conversion, and differed the liquefied product distributions. The pre-swollen coals after removing the swelling solvents showed increased conversion in liquefaction compared with that of the swollen coals in the presence of swelling solvents. It was also found that the yields of (oil + gas) in liquefaction of the pre-swollen coals with NMP and TOL dramatically decreased in the presence of swelling solvent. TG and FTIR analyses of the raw coal, the swollen coals and the liquefied products were carried out in order to investigate the mechanism governing the effects of pre-swelling treatment on coal extraction and liquefaction. The results showed that the swelling pre-treatment could disrupt some non-covalent interactions of the coal molecules, relax its network structure and loosened the coal structure. It would thus benefit diffusion of a hydrogen donor solvent into the coal structure during liquefaction, and also enhance the hydrogen donating ability of the hydrogen-rich species derived from the coal. 21 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

Effects of programming threshold and maplaw settings on acoustic thresholds and speech discrimination with the MED-EL COMBI 40+ cochlear implant.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Paul J

2006-12-01

explanation as to why PT has little effect when using the default maplaw of c = 500. Subjective reports of background threshold stimulation showed that most users could perceive a relatively loud auditory percept, in the absence of microphone input, when PT was set to double the behaviorally measured electrical thresholds ([theta]e), but that this produced little intrusion when microphone input was present. The results of these investigations have direct clinical relevance, showing that setting of PT is indeed relatively unimportant in terms of speech discrimination, but that it is worth ensuring that PT is not set excessively high, as this can produce distracting background stimulation. Indeed, it may even be set to minimum values without deleterious effect.

Identification of Pre-pasteurization or Pre-irradiation Treatment in Frozen Crushed Garlic Commercially Available in Korean Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H.Y.; Ahn, J.J.; Kim, G.R.; Jeong, J.H.; Park, K.H.; Kwon, J.H.

2013-01-01

Five different chopped frozen garlic products samp les, three from Chinese an d two from Korean origins being commercially available products in Korean market, were used to confirm their pre-pasteurization or pre-irradiation status by screening (direct epifluorescent filter techni que/aerobic plate counts, DEFT/APC; electronic nose, E-nose; photostimulated luminescence, PSL) and identification (the rmoluminescence, TL; electron spin resonance, ESR) techniques. Some parts of samples were gamma-irradiated at 1 kGy to be used as control samples in irradiation history identification. DEFT/APC and e-nose succ essfully showed distinct results between the domestic and imported samples. The PSL photon counts of all the unknown samples were less than 700 (negative), while most of 1 kGy-irradiated samples gave PSL photon counts more than 5,000 (positiv e). The domestic unknown samples produced the TL glow peaks after 300°C or more, whereas the imported samples showed TL peaks at the range of 240 ~ 250°C. A clear TL glow peak was obtained from all irradiated samples at 150 ~ 250°C. The unknown samples of Chinese origin gave radiation-specific cellulose ESR signal that was not shown by domestic samples. A multiple step of applying the physical analytical methods is recommended for the effec tive identification of irradiation status on chopped frozen garlic products. (author)

A Cyfip2-Dependent Excitatory Interneuron Pathway Establishes the Innate Startle Threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsden, Kurt C; Jain, Roshan A; Wolman, Marc A; Echeverry, Fabio A; Nelson, Jessica C; Hayer, Katharina E; Miltenberg, Ben; Pereda, Alberto E; Granato, Michael

2018-04-17

Sensory experiences dynamically modify whether animals respond to a given stimulus, but it is unclear how innate behavioral thresholds are established. Here, we identify molecular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying the innate threshold of the zebrafish startle response. From a forward genetic screen, we isolated five mutant lines with reduced innate startle thresholds. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identify the causative mutation for one line to be in the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP)-interacting protein cyfip2. We show that cyfip2 acts independently of FMRP and that reactivation of cyfip2 restores the baseline threshold after phenotype onset. Finally, we show that cyfip2 regulates the innate startle threshold by reducing neural activity in a small group of excitatory hindbrain interneurons. Thus, we identify a selective set of genes critical to establishing an innate behavioral threshold and uncover a circuit-level role for cyfip2 in this process. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Near threshold production of η-mesons in proton neutron collisions at ANKE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schröer, Daniel; Fritzsch, Christopher; Khoukaz, Alfons; Rump, Marcel

2016-01-01

The interaction between hadrons and η-mesons is an intensively studied topic. Due to its stength it might lead to the formation of η-mesic nuclei. In order to study the characteristics of this interaction a measurement of the reaction p + d → d + η + p_s_p has been performed at the ANKE spectrometer at the COSY accelerator of the Forschungszentrum Jülich. The two different beam momenta (p_1 = 2.09 GeV/c and p_2 = 2.25 GeV/c) in combination with the Fermi motion inside the target deuteron grant access to the determination of total and differential cross sections in an excess energy range from threshold up to Q = 90 MeV. While the course of the total cross section, especially near threshold, will allow to extract the scattering length a_d_η via an s-wave final state interaction ansatz, the differential cross sections permit to verify the legitimacy of the s-wave assumption.

PRE: A framework for enterprise integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whiteside, R.A.; Friedman-Hill, E.J. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Detry, R.J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1998-03-01

Sandia National Laboratories` Product Realization Environment (PRE) is a lightweight, CORBA based framework for the integration of a broad variety of applications. These applications are wrapped for use in the PRE framework as reusable components. For example, some of the PRE components currently available include: (1) product data management (PDM) system, (2) human resources database, several finite element analysis programs, and (3) a variety of image and document format converters. PRE enables the development of end user applications (as Java applets, for example) that use these components as building blocks. To aid such development, the PreLib library (available in both C++ and Java) permits both wrapping and using these components without knowledge of either CORBA or the security mechanisms used.

Production Of Hollow Toy Product From Radiation Pre vulcanized Natural Rubber Latex (RVNRL) By Using Casting And Moulding Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Noorwadi Mat Lazim; Sofian Ibrahim; Muhammad Saiful Omar

2013-01-01

Hollow toy products are very synonym to the child from the age of months since it able to stimulating each of their sense such as sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Most of hollow toy products are made from natural rubber latex by using moulding and casting technique. The moulding and casting technique is a manufacturing process by pored liquid latex into a mould, which contain cavity of the desired shape. The mould made from plaster of Paris able to absorbs water from latex meanwhile the presence of calcium ions from plaster of Paris will tend to diffuse into latex thus promote formation of deposit on surface of cavity mould. To improve the quality and safety of hollow toy product made from latex, Radiation Pre vulcanized Natural Rubber Latex (RVNRL) has been identified to be used because it can fulfill the standard requirement for latex and also due to its special abilities such as lower modulus (soft latex products), nitrosamines free, low in nitrosatables, free from chemical accelerators induced allergies and better biodegradability. This paper identify the problem appears from the process of making hollow toy products from RVNRL by using moulding and casting technique. (author)

Measurement of π-p→ηn from threshold to pπ-=747 MeV/c

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prakhov, S.; Nefkens, B.M.K.; Clajus, M.; Marusic, A.; McDonald, S.; Phaisangittisakul, N.; Price, J.W.; Starostin, A.; Tippens, W.B.; Allgower, C.E.; Spinka, H.; Arndt, R.A.; Briscoe, W.J.; Shafi, A.; Strakovsky, I.I.; Workman, R.L.; Bekrenev, V.; Koulbardis, A.; Kozlenko, N.; Kruglov, S.

2005-01-01

The differential cross section for η production in reaction π - p→ηn has been measured over the full angular range at seven incident π - beam momenta from threshold to p π - =747 MeV/c using the Crystal Ball multiphoton spectrometer. The angular distributions are S wave dominated. At 10 MeV/c above threshold, a small D-wave contribution appears that interferes with the main S wave. The total η production cross section σ tot is obtained by integration of dσ/dΩ. Starting at threshold, σ tot rises rapidly, as expected for S-wave-dominated production. The features of the π - p→ηn cross section are strikingly similar to those of the SU(3) flavor-related process K - p→ηΛ. Comparison of the π - p→ηn reaction is made with η photoproduction

Part of celiac population still at risk despite current gluten thresholds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruins Slot, I.D.; Bremer, M.G.E.G.; Hamer, R.J.; Fels, van der Ine

2015-01-01

In order to assist celiac disease (CD) patients in making safe food choices, gluten-free food products are labelled as such. The exact meaning of the gluten-free label differs throughout the world. This paper discusses the different thresholds that are currently used to label products gluten-free

Pain thresholds, supra-threshold pain and lidocaine sensitivity in patients with erythromelalgia, including the I848Tmutation in NaV 1.7.

Science.gov (United States)

Helås, T; Sagafos, D; Kleggetveit, I P; Quiding, H; Jönsson, B; Segerdahl, M; Zhang, Z; Salter, H; Schmelz, M; Jørum, E

2017-09-01

sensitivity to intradermal lidocaine is changed. Only in EM patients with mutations in Na V 1.7, 1.8 or 1.9 supra-threshold heat and mechanical pain shows differential lidocaine sensitivity as compared to controls. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Verification and Enhancement of VIIRS Day-Night Band Power Outage Detection Product

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, A.; Schultz, L. A.; Omitaomu, O.; Molthan, A.; Cole, T.; Griffin, R.

2017-12-01

The NASA SPoRT (Short-term Prediction Research and Transition) Center has collaborated with scientists at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to create a power outage detection product from radiance data obtained by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) sensor aboard the Suomi-NPP satellite. This product uses a composite of pre-event radiance values from the VIIRS Day-Night Band to establish a baseline of "normal" nighttime lights for a study area. Then, after a severe weather event or other disaster, post-event images are compared to the composite to generate a percent-of-normal radiance product to identify areas that are experiencing outages and to aid in disaster response and monitor recovery. This project will use ground-truth county-level outage data provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in order validate the product and to establish a percent-of-normal threshold for identifying power outages. Once a threshold is found, ORNL's LandScan Global population data will be combined with the product to estimate how many electrical customers are being affected by power outages after a disaster. Two case studies will be explored to examine power outage recovery after severe weather events, including Hurricane Matthew from 2016 and the Washington D.C. Derecho event of 2012.

Performance enhancement of multi-core fiber transmission using real-time FPGA based pre-emphasis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hasanuzzaman, G. K.M.; Spolitis, S.; Salgals, T.; Braunfelds, J.; Morales, A.; Gonzalez, L. E.; Rommel, S.; Puerta, R.; Asensio, P.; Bobrovs, V.; Iezekiel, S.; Tafur Monroy, I.

2017-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate pre-emphasis based performance for a 2 km long 7-core multicore fiber link. Simultaneous transmission below the FEC threshold is achievable for all cores by using signal equalization in a FPGA.

Accelerator based production of fissile nuclides, threshold uranium price and perspectives; Akceleratorska proizvodnja fisibilnih nuklida, granicna cijena urana i perspektive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Djordjevic, D [INIS-Inzenjering, Sarajevo (Yugoslavia); Knapp, V [Elektrotehnicki fakultet, zagreb (Yugoslavia)

1988-07-01

Accelerator breeder system characteristics are considered in this work. One such system which produces fissile nuclides can supply several thermal reactors with fissile fuel, so this system becomes analogous to an uranium enrichment facility with difference that fissile nuclides are produced by conversion of U-238 rather than by separation from natural uranium. This concept, with other long-term perspective for fission technology on the basis of development only one simpler technology. The influence of basic system characteristics on threshold uranium price is examined. Conditions for economically acceptable production are established. (author)

SART-Type Half-Threshold Filtering Approach for CT Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hengyong; Wang, Ge

2014-01-01

The [Formula: see text] regularization problem has been widely used to solve the sparsity constrained problems. To enhance the sparsity constraint for better imaging performance, a promising direction is to use the [Formula: see text] norm (0 < p < 1) and solve the [Formula: see text] minimization problem. Very recently, Xu et al. developed an analytic solution for the [Formula: see text] regularization via an iterative thresholding operation, which is also referred to as half-threshold filtering. In this paper, we design a simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART)-type half-threshold filtering framework to solve the computed tomography (CT) reconstruction problem. In the medical imaging filed, the discrete gradient transform (DGT) is widely used to define the sparsity. However, the DGT is noninvertible and it cannot be applied to half-threshold filtering for CT reconstruction. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed SART-type half-threshold filtering framework, an emphasis of this paper is to construct a pseudoinverse transforms for DGT. The proposed algorithms are evaluated with numerical and physical phantom data sets. Our results show that the SART-type half-threshold filtering algorithms have great potential to improve the reconstructed image quality from few and noisy projections. They are complementary to the counterparts of the state-of-the-art soft-threshold filtering and hard-threshold filtering.

Threshold enhancement of diphoton resonances

CERN Document Server

Bharucha, Aoife; Goudelis, Andreas

2016-10-10

The data collected by the LHC collaborations at an energy of 13 TeV indicates the presence of an excess in the diphoton spectrum that would correspond to a resonance of a 750 GeV mass. The apparently large production cross section is nevertheless very difficult to explain in minimal models. We consider the possibility that the resonance is a pseudoscalar boson $A$ with a two--photon decay mediated by a charged and uncolored fermion having a mass at the $\\frac12 M_A$ threshold and a very small decay width, $\\ll 1$ MeV; one can then generate a large enhancement of the $A\\gamma\\gamma$ amplitude which explains the excess without invoking a large multiplicity of particles propagating in the loop, large electric charges and/or very strong Yukawa couplings. The implications of such a threshold enhancement are discussed in two explicit scenarios: i) the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model in which the $A$ state is produced via the top quark mediated gluon fusion process and decays into photons predominantly through...

Multiuser switched scheduling systems with per-user threshold and post-user selection

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon

2010-06-01

A multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme with per-user feedback threshold is proposed in this paper. Unlike the conventional multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme where a single threshold is used by all the users in order to determine whether to transmit a feedback, the proposed scheme deploys per-user threshold, where each user uses a potentially different threshold than other users thresholds. This paper first provides a generic analytical framework for the optimal feedback thresholds in a closed form. Then we investigates the impact of user sequence strategies and post selection strategies on the performance of the multiuser switched scheduling scheme with per-user threshold. Numerical and simulation results show that the proposed scheme provides a higher system capacity compared to the conventional scheme. © 2010 IEEE.

Multiuser switched scheduling systems with per-user threshold and post-user selection

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2010-01-01

A multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme with per-user feedback threshold is proposed in this paper. Unlike the conventional multiuser switched diversity scheduling scheme where a single threshold is used by all the users in order to determine whether to transmit a feedback, the proposed scheme deploys per-user threshold, where each user uses a potentially different threshold than other users thresholds. This paper first provides a generic analytical framework for the optimal feedback thresholds in a closed form. Then we investigates the impact of user sequence strategies and post selection strategies on the performance of the multiuser switched scheduling scheme with per-user threshold. Numerical and simulation results show that the proposed scheme provides a higher system capacity compared to the conventional scheme. © 2010 IEEE.

Threshold Signature Schemes Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasiya Victorovna Beresneva

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This work is devoted to an investigation of threshold signature schemes. The systematization of the threshold signature schemes was done, cryptographic constructions based on interpolation Lagrange polynomial, elliptic curves and bilinear pairings were examined. Different methods of generation and verification of threshold signatures were explored, the availability of practical usage of threshold schemes in mobile agents, Internet banking and e-currency was shown. The topics of further investigation were given and it could reduce a level of counterfeit electronic documents signed by a group of users.

Automatic Multi-Level Thresholding Segmentation Based on Multi-Objective Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. DJEROU,

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a new multi-level image thresholding technique, called Automatic Threshold based on Multi-objective Optimization "ATMO" that combines the flexibility of multi-objective fitness functions with the power of a Binary Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm "BPSO", for searching the "optimum" number of the thresholds and simultaneously the optimal thresholds of three criteria: the between-class variances criterion, the minimum error criterion and the entropy criterion. Some examples of test images are presented to compare our segmentation method, based on the multi-objective optimization approach with Otsu’s, Kapur’s and Kittler’s methods. Our experimental results show that the thresholding method based on multi-objective optimization is more efficient than the classical Otsu’s, Kapur’s and Kittler’s methods.

Thresholds of sea-level rise rate and sea-level rise acceleration rate in a vulnerable coastal wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wei; Biber, Patrick; Bethel, Matthew

2017-12-01

Feedbacks among inundation, sediment trapping, and vegetation productivity help maintain coastal wetlands facing sea-level rise (SLR). However, when the SLR rate exceeds a threshold, coastal wetlands can collapse. Understanding the threshold helps address key challenges in ecology-nonlinear response of ecosystems to environmental change, promotes communication between ecologists and resource managers, and facilitates decision-making in climate change policies. We studied the threshold of SLR rate and developed a new threshold of SLR acceleration rate on sustainability of coastal wetlands as SLR is likely to accelerate due to enhanced anthropogenic forces. Deriving these two thresholds depends on the temporal scale, the interaction of SLR with other environmental factors, and landscape metrics, which have not been fully accounted for before this study. We chose a representative marine-dominated estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Grand Bay in Mississippi, to test the concept of SLR thresholds. We developed a mechanistic model to simulate wetland change and then derived the SLR thresholds for Grand Bay. The model results show that the threshold of SLR rate in Grand Bay is 11.9 mm/year for 2050, and it drops to 8.4 mm/year for 2100 using total wetland area as a landscape metric. The corresponding SLR acceleration rate thresholds are 3.02 × 10 -4  m/year 2 and 9.62 × 10 -5  m/year 2 for 2050 and 2100, respectively. The newly developed SLR acceleration rate threshold can help quantify the temporal lag before the rapid decline in wetland area becomes evident after the SLR rate threshold is exceeded, and cumulative SLR a wetland can adapt to under the SLR acceleration scenarios. Based on the thresholds, SLR that will adversely impact the coastal wetlands in Grand Bay by 2100 will fall within the likely range of SLR under a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), highlighting the need to avoid RCP8.5 to preserve these marshes.

Thresholds in radiobiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katz, R.; Hofmann, W.

1982-01-01

Interpretations of biological radiation effects frequently use the word 'threshold'. The meaning of this word is explored together with its relationship to the fundamental character of radiation effects and to the question of perception. It is emphasised that although the existence of either a dose or an LET threshold can never be settled by experimental radiobiological investigations, it may be argued on fundamental statistical grounds that for all statistical processes, and especially where the number of observed events is small, the concept of a threshold is logically invalid. (U.K.)

Quality control on pre-serial Bridgman production of PbWO{sub 4} scintillating crystals by means of photoelasticity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rinaldi, D., E-mail: d.rinaldi@univpm.i [Dipartimento di Fisica e Ingegneria dei Materiali e del Territorio, Universita Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona (Italy); INFN section of Perugia (Italy); Ciriaco, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Ingegneria dei Materiali e del Territorio, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona (Italy); Lebeau, M. [CERN PH department, 1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Paone, N. [Dipartimento di Meccanica, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona (Italy)

2010-04-11

Residual internal stresses in PbWO{sub 4} (PWO) scintillating crystals grown by Bridgman method have been systematically studied. Residual stresses induced during growth play an important role in production yield. Cracking probability during mechanical processing as well as stable mechanical properties in finished crystal are closely related to internal stress levels. A regular production of good-quality crystals requires a fast and easy feed-back on growth parameters. Samples from a pre-serial production were analyzed in order to give the producer a quality feed-back for process optimization. By means of photoelasticity, we measured residual stress distribution in several sections along the growth axis and for typical positions in every section. The stress analysis revealed defects occurring during the crystallization process, attributed to dislocations, lattice disorientation and poly-crystallinity. This work had been prompted by the need for quality monitoring of a pre-serial production of PWO for the CMS experiment at CERN's LHC. Mapping stress levels inside the ingot volume and proposing a synthetic parameter to be used as a quality indicator, the resulting analysis should contribute to parameter optimization and improve the growth performance. The proposed method may be useful in conventional crystal production.

Threshold resummation for Higgs production in effective field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idilbi, Ahmad; Ji Xiangdong; Ma Jianping; Yuan Feng

2006-01-01

We present an effective field theory approach to resum the large double logarithms originated from soft-gluon radiations at small final-state hadron invariant masses in Higgs and vector boson (γ*,W,Z) production at hadron colliders. The approach is conceptually simple, independent of details of an effective field theory formulation, and valid to all orders in subleading logarithms. As an example, we show the result of summing the next-to-next-to-next-to leading logarithms is identical to that of the standard pQCD factorization method

Irreducible normalizer operators and thresholds for degenerate quantum codes with sublinear distances

Science.gov (United States)

Pryadko, Leonid P.; Dumer, Ilya; Kovalev, Alexey A.

2015-03-01

We construct a lower (existence) bound for the threshold of scalable quantum computation which is applicable to all stabilizer codes, including degenerate quantum codes with sublinear distance scaling. The threshold is based on enumerating irreducible operators in the normalizer of the code, i.e., those that cannot be decomposed into a product of two such operators with non-overlapping support. For quantum LDPC codes with logarithmic or power-law distances, we get threshold values which are parametrically better than the existing analytical bound based on percolation. The new bound also gives a finite threshold when applied to other families of degenerate quantum codes, e.g., the concatenated codes. This research was supported in part by the NSF Grant PHY-1416578 and by the ARO Grant W911NF-11-1-0027.

The threshold photoelectron spectrum of mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas, H; Dawber, G; Gulley, N; King, G C; Bowring, N; Ward, R

2013-01-01

The threshold photoelectron spectrum of mercury has been recorded over the energy range (10–40 eV) which covers the region from the lowest state of the singly charged ion, 5d 10 6s( 2 S 1/2 ), to the double charged ionic state, 5d 9 ( 2 D 3/2 )6s( 1 D 2 ). Synchrotron radiation has been used in conjunction with the penetrating-field threshold-electron technique to obtain the spectrum with high resolution. The spectrum shows many more features than observed in previous photoemission measurements with many of these assigned to satellite states converging to the double ionization limit. (paper)

Consequences of pre-natal radiation exposure for post-natal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mole, R.H.

1982-01-01

A review of revised observations on Japanese bomb survivors suggests that 10-18 weeks of pregnancy is the period of greatest sensitivity for foetal brain damage leading to severe mental retardation. Severe food deficiencies suggest a cause for the apparently high frequency of severe mental retardation in the unexposed control population and may also have contributed to the dose-dependent increase in those irradiated in utero. The author concludes that there is no confirmed evidence to suggest that the pre-implantation stage of mammalian development is unusually radiosensitive. In the human, the succeeding period of major organogenesis seems to be less sensitive and important than the following 10-18 week period of pregnancy. It is suggested that malformation (teratogenesis) should be distinguished from maldevelopment. Malformations are the result of failure of embryonic organization and ionizing radiation is not an efficient teratogen in this sense. Maldevelopment after exposure to radiation is the consequence of cell depletion of sufficient degree randomly distributed throughout an irradiated tissue. It is concluded that dose thresholds for maldevelopments are to be expected after irradiation both in pre-implantation and post-implantation stages, and that somatic mutation has a possible role as a mechanism without threshold for development damage by pre-natal irradiation, but not likely to be of practical significance. (U.K.)

PRE-DIABETES

OpenAIRE

Akula Annapurna

2013-01-01

Pre-diabetes is a condition where the body's cells begin to show resistance to insulin. Glucose circulates in the blood instead of being used by the cells for energy. Blood sugar levels become elevated. Increased weight, unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to pre-diabetes. WHAT IS PRE-DIABETES A diagnosis of pre-diabetes means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin and your blood glucose levels are higher than they should be. Since the levels aren't as hig...

Use of spectral pre-processing methods to compensate for the presence of packaging film in visible–near infrared hyperspectral images of food products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.A. Gowen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The presence of polymeric packaging film in images of food products may modify spectra obtained in hyperspectral imaging (HSI experiments, leading to undesirable image artefacts which may impede image classification. Some pre-processing of the image is typically required to reduce the presence of such artefacts. The objective of this research was to investigate the use of spectral pre-processing techniques to compensate for the presence of packaging film in hyperspectral images obtained in the visible–near infrared wavelength range (445–945 nm, with application in food quality assessment. A selection of commonly used pre-processing methods, used individually and in combination, were applied to hyperspectral images of flat homogeneous samples, imaged in the presence and absence of different packaging films (polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate. Effects of the selected pre-treatments on variation due to the film’s presence were examined in principal components score space. The results show that the combination of first derivative Savitzky–Golay followed by standard normal variate transformation was useful in reducing variations in spectral response caused by the presence of packaging film. Compared to other methods examined, this combination has the benefits of being computationally fast and not requiring a priori knowledge about the sample or film used.

Enhancing methane production from U. lactuca using combined anaerobically digested sludge (ADS) and rumen fluid pre-treatment and the effect on the solubilization of microbial community structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yu; Xu, Xiaochen; Li, Liang; Yang, Fenglin; Zhang, Shushen

2018-04-01

Methane production by the anaerobic digestion of seaweed is restricted by the slow degradation caused by the influence of the rigid algal cell wall. At the present time, there has been no study focusing on the anaerobic digestion of U. lactuca by co-fermentation and pre-treatment with rumen fluid. Rumen fluid can favor methane production from algal biomass by utilizing the diversity and quantity of bacterial and archaeal communities in the rumen fluid. This research presents a novel method based on combined ADS and rumen fluid pre-treatment to improve the production of methane from seaweed. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were performed to investigate the biogas production using combined ADS and rumen fluid pre-treatment at varied inoculum ratios on the performance of methane production from U. lactuca biomass. Compared to the control (no rumen fluid pre-treatment), the highest BMP yields of U. lactuca increased from 3%, 27.5% and 39.5% to 31.1%, 73% and 85.6%, respectively, for three different types of treatment. Microbial community analysis revealed that the Methanobrevibacter species, known to accept electrons to form methane, were only detected when rumen fluid was added. Together with the significant increase in species of Methanoculleus, Methanospirillum and Methanosaeta, rumen fluid improved the fermentation and degradation of the microalgae biomass not only by pre-treatment to foster cell-wall degradation but also by relying on methane production within itself during anaerobic processes. Batch experiments further indicated that rumen fluid applied to the co-fermentation and pre-treatment could increase the economic value and hold promise for enhancing biogas production from different seaweed species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coloring geographical threshold graphs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradonjic, Milan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Percus, Allon [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Muller, Tobias [EINDHOVEN UNIV. OF TECH

2008-01-01

We propose a coloring algorithm for sparse random graphs generated by the geographical threshold graph (GTG) model, a generalization of random geometric graphs (RGG). In a GTG, nodes are distributed in a Euclidean space, and edges are assigned according to a threshold function involving the distance between nodes as well as randomly chosen node weights. The motivation for analyzing this model is that many real networks (e.g., wireless networks, the Internet, etc.) need to be studied by using a 'richer' stochastic model (which in this case includes both a distance between nodes and weights on the nodes). Here, we analyze the GTG coloring algorithm together with the graph's clique number, showing formally that in spite of the differences in structure between GTG and RGG, the asymptotic behavior of the chromatic number is identical: {chi}1n 1n n / 1n n (1 + {omicron}(1)). Finally, we consider the leading corrections to this expression, again using the coloring algorithm and clique number to provide bounds on the chromatic number. We show that the gap between the lower and upper bound is within C 1n n / (1n 1n n){sup 2}, and specify the constant C.

[Relationship between Occlusal Discomfort Syndrome and Occlusal Threshold].

Science.gov (United States)

Munakata, Motohiro; Ono, Yumie; Hayama, Rika; Kataoka, Kanako; Ikuta, Ryuhei; Tamaki, Katsushi

2016-03-01

Occlusal dysesthesia has been defined as persistent uncomfortable feelings of intercuspal position continuing for more than 6 months without evidence of physical occlusal discrepancy. The problem often occurs after occlusal intervention by dental care. Although various dental treatments (e. g. occlusal adjustment, orthodontic treatment and prosthetic reconstruction) are attempted to solve occlusal dysesthesia, they rarely reach a satisfactory result, neither for patients nor dentists. In Japan, these symptoms are defined by the term "Occlusal discomfort syndrome" (ODS). The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of ODS with the simple occlusal sensory perceptive and discriminative test. Twenty-one female dental patients with ODS (mean age 55.8 ± 19.2 years) and 21 age- and gender-matched dental patients without ODS (mean age 53.1 ± 16.8 years) participated in the study. Upon grinding occlusal registration foils that were stacked to different thicknesses, participants reported the thicknesses at which they recognized the foils (recognition threshold) and felt discomfort (discomfort threshold). Although there was no significant difference in occlusal recognition thresholds between the two patient groups, the discomfort threshold was significantly smaller in the patients with ODS than in those without ODS. Moreover, the recognition threshold showed an age-dependent increase in patients without ODS, whereas it remained comparable between the younger (patient subgroups with ODS. These results suggest that occlusal discomfort threshold rather than recognition threshold is an issue in ODS. The foil grinding procedure is a simple and useful method to evaluate occlusal perceptive and discriminative abilities in patients with ODS.

Comparison between intensity- duration thresholds and cumulative rainfall thresholds for the forecasting of landslide

Science.gov (United States)

Lagomarsino, Daniela; Rosi, Ascanio; Rossi, Guglielmo; Segoni, Samuele; Catani, Filippo

2014-05-01

This work makes a quantitative comparison between the results of landslide forecasting obtained using two different rainfall threshold models, one using intensity-duration thresholds and the other based on cumulative rainfall thresholds in an area of northern Tuscany of 116 km2. The first methodology identifies rainfall intensity-duration thresholds by means a software called MaCumBA (Massive CUMulative Brisk Analyzer) that analyzes rain-gauge records, extracts the intensities (I) and durations (D) of the rainstorms associated with the initiation of landslides, plots these values on a diagram, and identifies thresholds that define the lower bounds of the I-D values. A back analysis using data from past events can be used to identify the threshold conditions associated with the least amount of false alarms. The second method (SIGMA) is based on the hypothesis that anomalous or extreme values of rainfall are responsible for landslide triggering: the statistical distribution of the rainfall series is analyzed, and multiples of the standard deviation (σ) are used as thresholds to discriminate between ordinary and extraordinary rainfall events. The name of the model, SIGMA, reflects the central role of the standard deviations in the proposed methodology. The definition of intensity-duration rainfall thresholds requires the combined use of rainfall measurements and an inventory of dated landslides, whereas SIGMA model can be implemented using only rainfall data. These two methodologies were applied in an area of 116 km2 where a database of 1200 landslides was available for the period 2000-2012. The results obtained are compared and discussed. Although several examples of visual comparisons between different intensity-duration rainfall thresholds are reported in the international literature, a quantitative comparison between thresholds obtained in the same area using different techniques and approaches is a relatively undebated research topic.

A ram-pressure threshold for star formation

Science.gov (United States)

Whitworth, A. P.

2016-05-01

In turbulent fragmentation, star formation occurs in condensations created by converging flows. The condensations must be sufficiently massive, dense and cool to be gravitationally unstable, so that they start to contract; and they must then radiate away thermal energy fast enough for self-gravity to remain dominant, so that they continue to contract. For the metallicities and temperatures in local star-forming clouds, this second requirement is only met robustly when the gas couples thermally to the dust, because this delivers the capacity to radiate across the full bandwidth of the continuum, rather than just in a few discrete spectral lines. This translates into a threshold for vigorous star formation, which can be written as a minimum ram pressure PCRIT ˜ 4 × 10-11 dyne. PCRIT is independent of temperature, and corresponds to flows with molecular hydrogen number density n_{{H_2.FLOW}} and velocity vFLOW satisfying n_{{H_2.FLOW}} v_{FLOW}^2≳ 800 cm^{-3} (km s^{-1})^2. This in turn corresponds to a minimum molecular hydrogen column density for vigorous star formation, N_{{H_2.CRIT}} ˜ 4 × 10^{21} cm^{-2} (ΣCRIT ˜ 100 M⊙ pc-2), and a minimum visual extinction AV, CRIT ˜ 9 mag. The characteristic diameter and line density for a star-forming filament when this threshold is just exceeded - a sweet spot for local star formation regions - are 2RFIL ˜ 0.1 pc and μFIL ˜ 13 M⊙ pc-2. The characteristic diameter and mass for a prestellar core condensing out of such a filament are 2RCORE ˜ 0.1 pc and MCORE ˜ 1 M⊙. We also show that fragmentation of a shock-compressed layer is likely to commence while the convergent flows creating the layer are still ongoing, and we stress that, under this circumstance, the phenomenology and characteristic scales for fragmentation of the layer are fundamentally different from those derived traditionally for pre-existing layers.

Pre-schoolers suffering from psychiatric disorders show increased cortisol secretion and poor sleep compared to healthy controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatzinger, Martin; Brand, Serge; Perren, Sonja; von Wyl, Anges; Stadelmann, Stephanie; von Klitzing, Kai; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith

2012-05-01

Various studies of child cortisol secretion and sleep show a close association between poor sleep, deterioration of the HPA axis and unfavorable psychological functioning. However, there is little evidence as to whether these associations are clearly present in pre-school children suffering from psychiatric disorders. A total of 30 pre-schoolers suffering from psychiatric disorders (anxiety, adjustment disorders, emotional and attachment disorder; hyperactivity or oppositional disorder) and 35 healthy controls took part in the study. Saliva cortisol secretion was assessed both at baseline and under challenge conditions. Sleep was assessed via activity monitoring for seven consecutive days and nights, using a digital movement-measuring instrument. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires assessing children's cognitive, emotional and social functioning. The Berkeley Puppet Interview provided child-based reports of cognitive-emotional processes. Compared to healthy controls, children suffering from psychiatric disorders had much higher cortisol secretion both at baseline and under challenge conditions. Sleep was also more disturbed, and parents and teachers rated children suffering from psychiatric disorders as cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally more impaired, relative to healthy controls. Children with psychiatric disorders reported being more bullied and victimized. In five-year old children the presence of psychiatric disorders is reflected not only at psychological, social and behavioral, but also at neuroendocrine and sleep-related levels. It is likely that these children remain at increased risk for suffering from psychiatric difficulties later in life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ablation threshold and ablation mechanism transition of polyoxymethylene irradiated by CO2 laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gan; Cheng, Mousen; Li, Xiaokang

2016-09-01

Polyoxymethylene (POM) decomposes gradually as it is heated up by the irradiation of CO2 laser; the long-chain molecules of POM are broken into short chains, which leads to the lowering of the melting point and the critical temperature of the ablation products. When the product temperature is above the melting point, ablation comes up in the way of vaporization; when the product temperature is higher than the critical temperature, all liquid products are transformed into gas instantly and the ablation mechanism is changed. The laser fluence at which significant ablation is observed is defined as the ablation threshold, and the fluence corresponding to the ablation mechanism changing is denoted as the flyover threshold. In this paper, random pyrolysis is adopted to describe the pyrolytic decomposition of POM, and consequently, the components of the pyrolysis products under different pyrolysis rates are acquired. The Group Contribution method is used to count the thermodynamic properties of the pyrolysis products, and the melting point and the critical temperature of the product mixture are obtained by the Mixing Law. The Knudsen layer relationship is employed to evaluate the ablation mass removal when the product temperature is below the critical temperature. The gas dynamics conservation laws associated with the Jouguet condition are used to calculate the mass removal when the product temperature is higher than the critical temperature. Based on the model, a set of simulations for various laser intensities and lengths are carried out to generalize the relationships between the thresholds and the laser parameters. Besides the ablated mass areal density, which fits the experimental data quite well, the ablation temperature, pyrolysis rate, and product components are also discussed for a better understanding of the ablation mechanism of POM.

Recent advances on lactose intolerance: Tolerance thresholds and currently available answers.

Science.gov (United States)

Corgneau, M; Scher, J; Ritie-Pertusa, L; Le, D T L; Petit, J; Nikolova, Y; Banon, S; Gaiani, C

2017-10-13

The genetically programmed reduction in lactase activity during adulthood affects 70% of the world adult population and can cause severe digestive disorders, which are the sign of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance symptoms vary depending on the residual lactase activity, the small bowel transit time, and especially the amount of ingested lactose. To formulate dairy products suitable for the vast majority of lactose intolerants, it is essential to define lactose intolerance threshold. A recent meta-analysis permitted to show that almost all lactose intolerants tolerate 12 g of lactose in one intake and approximately 18 g of lactose spread over the day. The prevalence and severity of lactose intolerance are probably overestimated by the general public. This misconception usually leads to an unnecessary reduction of dairy foodstuff consumption. Nevertheless, dairy products are essential for health mainly due to their calcium content and the positive influence of probiotic bacteria. The formulation of dairy products suitable for most intolerant and suspicious subjects seems necessary. The use of exogenous enzyme preparations, as well as the consumption of lactose-free products or products rich in probiotic bacteria are proposed as symptom-reducing strategies.

A thresholding based technique to extract retinal blood vessels from fundus images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyotiprava Dash

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Retinal imaging has become the significant tool among all the medical imaging technology, due to its capability to extract many data which is linked to various eye diseases. So, the accurate extraction of blood vessel is necessary that helps the eye care specialists and ophthalmologist to identify the diseases at the early stages. In this paper, we have proposed a computerized technique for extraction of blood vessels from fundus images. The process is conducted in three phases: (i pre-processing where the image is enhanced using contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization and median filter, (ii segmentation using mean-C thresholding to extract retinal blood vessels, (iii post-processing where morphological cleaning operation is used to remove isolated pixels. The performance of the proposed method is tested on and experimental results show that our method achieve an accuracies of 0.955 and 0.954 on Digital retinal images for vessel extraction (DRIVE and Child heart and health study in England (CHASE_DB1 databases respectively.

Threshold Assessment of Gear Diagnostic Tools on Flight and Test Rig Data

Science.gov (United States)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Mosher, Marianne; Huff, Edward M.

2003-01-01

A method for defining thresholds for vibration-based algorithms that provides the minimum number of false alarms while maintaining sensitivity to gear damage was developed. This analysis focused on two vibration based gear damage detection algorithms, FM4 and MSA. This method was developed using vibration data collected during surface fatigue tests performed in a spur gearbox rig. The thresholds were defined based on damage progression during tests with damage. The thresholds false alarm rates were then evaluated on spur gear tests without damage. Next, the same thresholds were applied to flight data from an OH-58 helicopter transmission. Results showed that thresholds defined in test rigs can be used to define thresholds in flight to correctly classify the transmission operation as normal.

Detection thresholds of macaque otolith afferents.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiong-Jie; Dickman, J David; Angelaki, Dora E

2012-06-13

The vestibular system is our sixth sense and is important for spatial perception functions, yet the sensory detection and discrimination properties of vestibular neurons remain relatively unexplored. Here we have used signal detection theory to measure detection thresholds of otolith afferents using 1 Hz linear accelerations delivered along three cardinal axes. Direction detection thresholds were measured by comparing mean firing rates centered on response peak and trough (full-cycle thresholds) or by comparing peak/trough firing rates with spontaneous activity (half-cycle thresholds). Thresholds were similar for utricular and saccular afferents, as well as for lateral, fore/aft, and vertical motion directions. When computed along the preferred direction, full-cycle direction detection thresholds were 7.54 and 3.01 cm/s(2) for regular and irregular firing otolith afferents, respectively. Half-cycle thresholds were approximately double, with excitatory thresholds being half as large as inhibitory thresholds. The variability in threshold among afferents was directly related to neuronal gain and did not depend on spike count variance. The exact threshold values depended on both the time window used for spike count analysis and the filtering method used to calculate mean firing rate, although differences between regular and irregular afferent thresholds were independent of analysis parameters. The fact that minimum thresholds measured in macaque otolith afferents are of the same order of magnitude as human behavioral thresholds suggests that the vestibular periphery might determine the limit on our ability to detect or discriminate small differences in head movement, with little noise added during downstream processing.

Performance Comparison of Several Pre-Processing Methods in a Hand Gesture Recognition System based on Nearest Neighbor for Different Background Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Lionnie

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a performance analysis and comparison of several pre-processing  methods  used  in  a  hand  gesture  recognition  system.  The  preprocessing methods are based on the combinations ofseveral image processing operations,  namely  edge  detection,  low  pass  filtering,  histogram  equalization, thresholding and desaturation. The hand gesture recognition system is designed to classify an input image into one of six possibleclasses. The input images are taken with various background conditions. Our experiments showed that the best result is achieved when the pre-processing method consists of only a desaturation operation, achieving a classification accuracy of up to 83.15%.

Eigen's Error Threshold and Mutational Meltdown in a Quasispecies Model

OpenAIRE

Bagnoli, F.; Bezzi, M.

1998-01-01

We introduce a toy model for interacting populations connected by mutations and limited by a shared resource. We study the presence of Eigen's error threshold and mutational meltdown. The phase diagram of the system shows that the extinction of the whole population due to mutational meltdown can occur well before an eventual error threshold transition.

Effects of data resolution and stream delineation threshold area on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The results also indicate that peak flow and slope of the hydrograph rising limb obtained from the SRTM DEM at different threshold areas (ranging from 0.25% to 3%) are greater than that for the TOPO DEM. Investigating the effects of stream network delineation threshold area on the simulated peak flow shows that the ...

Extension of biomass estimates to pre-assessment periods using density dependent surplus production approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Horbowy

Full Text Available Biomass reconstructions to pre-assessment periods for commercially important and exploitable fish species are important tools for understanding long-term processes and fluctuation on stock and ecosystem level. For some stocks only fisheries statistics and fishery dependent data are available, for periods before surveys were conducted. The methods for the backward extension of the analytical assessment of biomass for years for which only total catch volumes are available were developed and tested in this paper. Two of the approaches developed apply the concept of the surplus production rate (SPR, which is shown to be stock density dependent if stock dynamics is governed by classical stock-production models. The other approach used a modified form of the Schaefer production model that allows for backward biomass estimation. The performance of the methods was tested on the Arctic cod and North Sea herring stocks, for which analytical biomass estimates extend back to the late 1940s. Next, the methods were applied to extend biomass estimates of the North-east Atlantic mackerel from the 1970s (analytical biomass estimates available to the 1950s, for which only total catch volumes were available. For comparison with other methods which employs a constant SPR estimated as an average of the observed values, was also applied. The analyses showed that the performance of the methods is stock and data specific; the methods that work well for one stock may fail for the others. The constant SPR method is not recommended in those cases when the SPR is relatively high and the catch volumes in the reconstructed period are low.

Multiparty Computation from Threshold Homomorphic Encryption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cramer, Ronald; Damgård, Ivan Bjerre; Nielsen, Jesper Buus

2001-01-01

We introduce a new approach to multiparty computation (MPC) basing it on homomorphic threshold crypto-systems. We show that given keys for any sufficiently efficient system of this type, general MPC protocols for n parties can be devised which are secure against an active adversary that corrupts...

The rubber hand illusion increases heat pain threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegedüs, G; Darnai, G; Szolcsányi, T; Feldmann, Á; Janszky, J; Kállai, J

2014-09-01

Accumulating evidence shows that manipulations of cortical body representation, for example, by simply viewing one's own body, can relieve pain in healthy subjects. Despite the widespread use of the rubber hand illusion (RHI) as an effective experimental tool for the manipulation of bodily awareness, previous studies examining the analgesic effect of the RHI have produced conflicting results. We used noxious heat stimuli to induce finger pain in 29 healthy subjects, and we recorded the participants' pain thresholds and subjective pain ratings during the RHI and during the control conditions. Two control conditions were included in our experiment - a standard one with reduced illusion strength (asynchronous stroking control) and an additional one in which the participants viewed their own hand. Raw data showed that both the RHI and the vision of the own hand resulted in slightly higher pain thresholds than the asynchronous stroking control (illusion: 47.79 °C; own-hand: 47.99 °C; asynchronous: 47.52 °C). After logarithmic transformation to achieve normality, paired t-tests revealed that both increases in pain threshold were significant (illusion/asynchronous: p = 0.036; own-hand/asynchronous: p = 0.007). In contrast, there was no significant difference in pain threshold between the illusion and the own-hand conditions (p = 0.656). Pain rating scores were not log-normal, and Wilcoxon singed-rank tests found no significant differences in pain ratings between the study conditions. The RHI increases heat pain threshold and the analgesic effect of the RHI is comparable with that of seeing one's own hand. The latter finding may have clinical implications. © 2014 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

EOQ model for perishable products with price-dependent demand, pre and post discounted selling price

Science.gov (United States)

Santhi, G.; Karthikeyan, K.

2017-11-01

In this article we introduce an economic order quantity model for perishable products like vegetables, fruits, milk, flowers, meat, etc.,with price-dependent demand, pre and post discounted selling price. Here we consider the demand is depending on selling price and deterioration rate is constant. Here we developed mathematical model to determine optimal discounton the unit selling price to maximize total profit. Numerical examples are given for illustrated.

Threshold guidance update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wickham, L.E.

1986-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is developing the concept of threshold quantities for use in determining which waste materials must be handled as radioactive waste and which may be disposed of as nonradioactive waste at its sites. Waste above this concentration level would be managed as radioactive or mixed waste (if hazardous chemicals are present); waste below this level would be handled as sanitary waste. Last years' activities (1984) included the development of a threshold guidance dose, the development of threshold concentrations corresponding to the guidance dose, the development of supporting documentation, review by a technical peer review committee, and review by the DOE community. As a result of the comments, areas have been identified for more extensive analysis, including an alternative basis for selection of the guidance dose and the development of quality assurance guidelines. Development of quality assurance guidelines will provide a reasonable basis for determining that a given waste stream qualifies as a threshold waste stream and can then be the basis for a more extensive cost-benefit analysis. The threshold guidance and supporting documentation will be revised, based on the comments received. The revised documents will be provided to DOE by early November. DOE-HQ has indicated that the revised documents will be available for review by DOE field offices and their contractors

Hemispheric Lateralization of Motor Thresholds in Relation to Stuttering

Science.gov (United States)

Alm, Per A.; Karlsson, Ragnhild; Sundberg, Madeleine; Axelson, Hans W.

2013-01-01

Stuttering is a complex speech disorder. Previous studies indicate a tendency towards elevated motor threshold for the left hemisphere, as measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This may reflect a monohemispheric motor system impairment. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relative side-to-side difference (asymmetry) and the absolute levels of motor threshold for the hand area, using TMS in adults who stutter (n = 15) and in controls (n = 15). In accordance with the hypothesis, the groups differed significantly regarding the relative side-to-side difference of finger motor threshold (p = 0.0026), with the stuttering group showing higher motor threshold of the left hemisphere in relation to the right. Also the absolute level of the finger motor threshold for the left hemisphere differed between the groups (p = 0.049). The obtained results, together with previous investigations, provide support for the hypothesis that stuttering tends to be related to left hemisphere motor impairment, and possibly to a dysfunctional state of bilateral speech motor control. PMID:24146930

Hemispheric lateralization of motor thresholds in relation to stuttering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Per A Alm

Full Text Available Stuttering is a complex speech disorder. Previous studies indicate a tendency towards elevated motor threshold for the left hemisphere, as measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS. This may reflect a monohemispheric motor system impairment. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relative side-to-side difference (asymmetry and the absolute levels of motor threshold for the hand area, using TMS in adults who stutter (n = 15 and in controls (n = 15. In accordance with the hypothesis, the groups differed significantly regarding the relative side-to-side difference of finger motor threshold (p = 0.0026, with the stuttering group showing higher motor threshold of the left hemisphere in relation to the right. Also the absolute level of the finger motor threshold for the left hemisphere differed between the groups (p = 0.049. The obtained results, together with previous investigations, provide support for the hypothesis that stuttering tends to be related to left hemisphere motor impairment, and possibly to a dysfunctional state of bilateral speech motor control.

Exploration and Implementation of a Pre-Impact Fall Recognition Method Based on an Inertial Body Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Wang

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The unintentional injuries due to falls in elderly people give rise to a multitude of health and economic problems due to the growing aging population. The use of early pre-impact fall alarm and self-protective control could greatly reduce fall injuries. This paper aimed to explore and implement a pre-impact fall recognition/alarm method for free-direction fall activities based on understanding of the pre-impact lead time of falls and the angle of body postural stability using an inertial body sensor network. Eight healthy Asian adult subjects were arranged to perform three kinds of daily living activities and three kinds of fall activities. Nine MTx sensor modules were used to measure the body segmental kinematic characteristics of each subject for pre-impact fall recognition/alarm. Our analysis of the kinematic features of human body segments showed that the chest was the optimal sensor placement for an early pre-impact recognition/alarm (i.e., prediction/alarm of a fall event before it happens and post-fall detection (i.e., detection of a fall event after it already happened. Furthermore, by comparative analysis of threshold levels for acceleration and angular rate, two acceleration thresholds were determined for early pre-impact alarm (7 m/s/s and post-fall detection (20 m/s/s under experimental conditions. The critical angles of postural stability of torso segment in three kinds of fall activities (forward, sideway and backward fall were determined as 23.9 ± 3.3, 49.9 ± 4.1 and 9.9 ± 2.5 degrees, respectively, and the relative average pre-impact lead times were 329 ± 21, 265 ± 35 and 257 ± 36 ms. The results implied that among the three fall activities the sideway fall was associated with the largest postural stability angle and the forward fall was associated with the longest time to adjust body angle to avoid the fall; the backward fall was the most difficult to avoid among the three kinds of fall events due to the toughest

Effects of threshold displacement energy on defect production by displacement cascades in α, β and γ-LiAlO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchihira, H.; Oda, T.; Tanaka, S.

2013-01-01

Threshold displacement energy evaluation and a series of displacement cascade simulations in α, β, and γ-LiAlO 2 were performed using molecular dynamics. Threshold displacement energy evaluations indicated that higher absolute ionic charge values and larger densities both increase threshold displacement energy. The displacement cascade simulations suggest that the influence of different crystal structures on the number of interstitial atoms generated in a displacement cascade is explainable almost entirely by the difference of the threshold displacement energy

Determination of the threshold-energy surface for copper using in-situ electrical-resistivity measurements in the high-voltage electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, W.E.; Merkle, K.L.; Meshii, M.

1981-01-01

A detailed study of the anisotropy of the threshold energy for Frenkel-pair production in copper was carried out experimentally, using in-situ electrical-resistivity measurements in the high-voltage electron microscope. These electrical-resistivity measurements, which are sensitive to small changes in point-defect concentration, were used to determine the damage or defect production rate. Damage-rate measurements in copper single crystals were carried out for approx.40 incident electron-beam directions and six electron energies from 0.4 to 1.1 MeV. The total cross section for Frenkel-pair production is proportional to the measured damage rate and can be theoretically calculated if the form of the threshold-energy surface is known. Trial threshold-energy surfaces were systematically altered until a ''best fit'' of the calculated to the measured total cross sections for Frenkel-pair production was obtained. The average threshold energy of this surface is 28.5 eV. The minimum threshold energy is 18 +- 2 eV and is located near . A ring of very high threshold energy (>50 eV) surrounds the direction. A damage function for single-defect production was derived from this surface and was applied to defect-production calculations at higher recoil energies. This function rises rather sharply from a value of zero at 17 eV to 0.8 at 42 eV. It has the value of 0.5 at 24.5 eV. Above 30 eV the slope of the curve begins to decrease, reflecting the presence of the high-energy regions of the threshold-energy surface. Both topographical and quantitative comparisons of the present surface with those in the literature were presented. Based on a chi 2 goodness-of-fit test, the present surface was found to predict the experimentally observed total cross sections for Frenkel-pair production significantly better than the other available surfaces. Also, the goodness of fit varied substantially less with energy and direction for the present surface

Cochlear neuropathy and the coding of supra-threshold sound.

Science.gov (United States)

Bharadwaj, Hari M; Verhulst, Sarah; Shaheen, Luke; Liberman, M Charles; Shinn-Cunningham, Barbara G

2014-01-01

Many listeners with hearing thresholds within the clinically normal range nonetheless complain of difficulty hearing in everyday settings and understanding speech in noise. Converging evidence from human and animal studies points to one potential source of such difficulties: differences in the fidelity with which supra-threshold sound is encoded in the early portions of the auditory pathway. Measures of auditory subcortical steady-state responses (SSSRs) in humans and animals support the idea that the temporal precision of the early auditory representation can be poor even when hearing thresholds are normal. In humans with normal hearing thresholds (NHTs), paradigms that require listeners to make use of the detailed spectro-temporal structure of supra-threshold sound, such as selective attention and discrimination of frequency modulation (FM), reveal individual differences that correlate with subcortical temporal coding precision. Animal studies show that noise exposure and aging can cause a loss of a large percentage of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) without any significant change in measured audiograms. Here, we argue that cochlear neuropathy may reduce encoding precision of supra-threshold sound, and that this manifests both behaviorally and in SSSRs in humans. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that noise-induced neuropathy may be selective for higher-threshold, lower-spontaneous-rate nerve fibers. Based on our hypothesis, we suggest some approaches that may yield particularly sensitive, objective measures of supra-threshold coding deficits that arise due to neuropathy. Finally, we comment on the potential clinical significance of these ideas and identify areas for future investigation.

Cochlear Neuropathy and the Coding of Supra-threshold Sound

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hari M Bharadwaj

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Many listeners with hearing thresholds within the clinically normal range nonetheless complain of difficulty hearing in everyday settings and understanding speech in noise. Converging evidence from human and animal studies points to one potential source of such difficulties: differences in the fidelity with which supra-threshold sound is encoded in the early portions of the auditory pathway. Measures of auditory subcortical steady-state responses in humans and animals support the idea that the temporal precision of the early auditory representation can be poor even when hearing thresholds are normal. In humans with normal hearing thresholds, behavioral ability in paradigms that require listeners to make use of the detailed spectro-temporal structure of supra-threshold sound, such as selective attention and discrimination of frequency modulation, correlate with subcortical temporal coding precision. Animal studies show that noise exposure and aging can cause a loss of a large percentage of auditory nerve fibers without any significant change in measured audiograms. Here, we argue that cochlear neuropathy may reduce encoding precision of supra-threshold sound, and that this manifests both behaviorally and in subcortical steady-state responses in humans. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that noise-induced neuropathy may be selective for higher-threshold, lower-spontaneous-rate nerve fibers. Based on our hypothesis, we suggest some approaches that may yield particularly sensitive, objective measures of supra-threshold coding deficits that arise due to neuropathy. Finally, we comment on the potential clinical significance of these ideas and identify areas for future investigation.

Salicylate-induced changes in auditory thresholds of adolescent and adult rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, J F; Brown, C A; Jastreboff, P J

1996-01-01

Shifts in auditory intensity thresholds after salicylate administration were examined in postweanling and adult pigmented rats at frequencies ranging from 1 to 35 kHz. A total of 132 subjects from both age levels were tested under two-way active avoidance or one-way active avoidance paradigms. Estimated thresholds were inferred from behavioral responses to presentations of descending and ascending series of intensities for each test frequency value. Reliable threshold estimates were found under both avoidance conditioning methods, and compared to controls, subjects at both age levels showed threshold shifts at selective higher frequency values after salicylate injection, and the extent of shifts was related to salicylate dose level.

Research of the mode instability threshold in high power double cladding Yb-doped fiber amplifiers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yanshan; Ma, Yi; Sun, Yinhong; Peng, Wanjing; Tang, Chun [Institute of Applied Electronics, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan (China); The Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan (China); Liu, Qinyong; Ke, Weiwei [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, CAEP, Beijing (China); Wang, Xiaojun [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, CAEP, Beijing (China); Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, CAS, Beijing (China)

2017-08-15

We experimentally investigate the behavior of the mode instability (MI) threshold in the double cladding Yb-doped fiber amplifier when the amplifier is pumped by broad linewidth laser diodes and narrow linewidth laser diodes respectively. It is found that the MI threshold increases by 26% when the amplifier is pumped by the broad linewidth laser diodes. Experiment results show that the MI threshold is affected by the local heat load rather than the average or the total heat load. The calculation shows that the local heat deposit actually plays the key role to stimulate the MI behaviour. At the MI threshold position in the fiber, the local heat deposit also changes dramatically. The effect of the thermal conductivity on the MI threshold is also studied. Our investigation shows that the MI threshold increases from 1269 W to 1950 W when the thermal conductivity of the fiber amplifier is increased from 0.3 W/(m . K) to 5 W/(m . K). Through optimizing the pump linewidth and the cooling efficiency of the gain fiber, the MI threshold is doubled in our experiment. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Research of the mode instability threshold in high power double cladding Yb-doped fiber amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yanshan; Ma, Yi; Sun, Yinhong; Peng, Wanjing; Tang, Chun; Liu, Qinyong; Ke, Weiwei; Wang, Xiaojun

2017-01-01

We experimentally investigate the behavior of the mode instability (MI) threshold in the double cladding Yb-doped fiber amplifier when the amplifier is pumped by broad linewidth laser diodes and narrow linewidth laser diodes respectively. It is found that the MI threshold increases by 26% when the amplifier is pumped by the broad linewidth laser diodes. Experiment results show that the MI threshold is affected by the local heat load rather than the average or the total heat load. The calculation shows that the local heat deposit actually plays the key role to stimulate the MI behaviour. At the MI threshold position in the fiber, the local heat deposit also changes dramatically. The effect of the thermal conductivity on the MI threshold is also studied. Our investigation shows that the MI threshold increases from 1269 W to 1950 W when the thermal conductivity of the fiber amplifier is increased from 0.3 W/(m . K) to 5 W/(m . K). Through optimizing the pump linewidth and the cooling efficiency of the gain fiber, the MI threshold is doubled in our experiment. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Rainfall thresholds as a landslide indicator for engineered slopes on the Irish Rail network

Science.gov (United States)

Martinović, Karlo; Gavin, Kenneth; Reale, Cormac; Mangan, Cathal

2018-04-01

Rainfall thresholds express the minimum levels of rainfall that need to be reached or exceeded in order for landslides to occur in a particular area. They are a common tool in expressing the temporal portion of landslide hazard analysis. Numerous rainfall thresholds have been developed for different areas worldwide, however none of these are focused on landslides occurring on the engineered slopes on transport infrastructure networks. This paper uses empirical method to develop the rainfall thresholds for landslides on the Irish Rail network earthworks. For comparison, rainfall thresholds are also developed for natural terrain in Ireland. The results show that particular thresholds involving relatively low rainfall intensities are applicable for Ireland, owing to the specific climate. Furthermore, the comparison shows that rainfall thresholds for engineered slopes are lower than those for landslides occurring on the natural terrain. This has severe implications as it indicates that there is a significant risk involved when using generic weather alerts (developed largely for natural terrain) for infrastructure management, and showcases the need for developing railway and road specific rainfall thresholds for landslides.

Studies on the influence of surface pre-treatments on electroless copper coating of boron carbide particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deepa, J.P.; Resmi, V.G.; Rajan, T.P.D.; Pavithran, C.; Pai, B.C.

2011-01-01

Boron carbide is one of the hard ceramic particles which find application as structural materials and neutron shielding material due to its high neutron capture cross section. Copper coating on boron carbide particle is essential for the synthesis of metal-ceramic composites with enhanced sinterability and dispersibility. Surface characteristics of the substrate and the coating parameters play a foremost role in the formation of effective electroless coating. The effect of surface pre-treatment conditions and pH on electroless copper coating of boron carbide particles has been studied. Surface pre-treatement of B 4 C when compared to acid treated and alkali treated particles were carried out. Uniform copper coating was observed at pH 12 in alkali treated particles when compared to others due to the effective removal of inevitable impurities during the production and processing of commercially available B 4 C. A threshold pH 11 was required for initiation of copper coating on boron carbide particles. The growth pattern of the copper coating also varies depending on the surface conditions from acicular to spherical morphology.

Trunk muscle activation during golf swing: Baseline and threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Luís; Marta, Sérgio; Vaz, João; Fernandes, Orlando; Castro, Maria António; Pezarat-Correia, Pedro

2013-10-01

There is a lack of studies regarding EMG temporal analysis during dynamic and complex motor tasks, such as golf swing. The aim of this study is to analyze the EMG onset during the golf swing, by comparing two different threshold methods. Method A threshold was determined using the baseline activity recorded between two maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Method B threshold was calculated using the mean EMG activity for 1000ms before the 500ms prior to the start of the Backswing. Two different clubs were also studied. Three-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare methods, muscles and clubs. Two-way mixed Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) with absolute agreement was used to determine the methods reliability. Club type usage showed no influence in onset detection. Rectus abdominis (RA) showed the higher agreement between methods. Erector spinae (ES), on the other hand, showed a very low agreement, that might be related to postural activity before the swing. External oblique (EO) is the first being activated, at 1295ms prior impact. There is a similar activation time between right and left muscles sides, although the right EO showed better agreement between methods than left side. Therefore, the algorithms usage is task- and muscle-dependent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrophysiological gap detection thresholds: effects of age and comparison with a behavioral measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Shannon B; Musiek, Frank E

2014-01-01

Temporal processing ability has been linked to speech understanding ability and older adults often complain of difficulty understanding speech in difficult listening situations. Temporal processing can be evaluated using gap detection procedures. There is some research showing that gap detection can be evaluated using an electrophysiological procedure. However, there is currently no research establishing gap detection threshold using the N1-P2 response. The purposes of the current study were to 1) determine gap detection thresholds in younger and older normal-hearing adults using an electrophysiological measure, 2) compare the electrophysiological gap detection threshold and behavioral gap detection threshold within each group, and 3) investigate the effect of age on each gap detection measure. This study utilized an older adult group and younger adult group to compare performance on an electrophysiological and behavioral gap detection procedure. The subjects in this study were 11 younger, normal-hearing adults (mean = 22 yrs) and 11 older, normal-hearing adults (mean = 64.36 yrs). All subjects completed an adaptive behavioral gap detection procedure in order to determine their behavioral gap detection threshold (BGDT). Subjects also completed an electrophysiologic gap detection procedure to determine their electrophysiologic gap detection threshold (EGDT). Older adults demonstrated significantly larger gap detection thresholds than the younger adults. However, EGDT and BGDT were not significantly different in either group. The mean difference between EGDT and BGDT for all subjects was 0.43 msec. Older adults show poorer gap detection ability when compared to younger adults. However, this study shows that gap detection thresholds can be measured using evoked potential recordings and yield results similar to a behavioral measure. American Academy of Audiology.

The Theme of “A New Lost Generation” in the Production of Prešov National Theatre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knopová Elena

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The authoress elucidates the concepts of generations and generational affiliation, while focusing on various names and characteristics referring to a group of young people born during the 1980s and early 1990s. She introduces Generation Y, also called Millennials, and gives a short characteristic of a generation referred to as the Lost Generation, the Set-aside Generation, the Scarred Generation. She captures the external manifestations of the generation together with inner mechanisms and motives resulting in these manifestations. Using the example of Prešov National Theatre (PND and its production, she introduces a new concept referred to as “A New Lost Generation”. The authoress endeavours to define it in Slovak context through the partial analyses of the plays included in Prešovská trilógia (Single radicals (2013, Kindervajco (2015, Good place to die (2015, [Prešov Trilogy (Single Radicals (2013, The Kinder Egg (2015, A Good Place to Die (2015].

Aristotelian pre-Socratics, A glance at Aristotle's Narrative from pre-Socratics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Qavam Safari

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this article, it's tried to study Aristotle's narrative of  pre-Socratics on the base of Aristotle's texts and mainly using  metaphysics, physics, genesis and decadence books. It is also tried to show how Aristotle has interpreted all the pre-Socratics in one way and on the base of his own philosophy framework. He interprets pre-Socratic Arche as an element that means comprehensive matter which is nothing itself, but everything is combination of it and even considers that as substance and the other things as accident. He interprets the distinction of Arche and other things on the basis of this contrast in his philosophy. Aristotle, also analyzes pre-Socratics' viewpoint to change on the base of his distinction among change, genesis and corruption. All these cases show that Aristotle has interpreted the pre-Socratics on the basis of his thought, as Aristotelians. On this basis, since Aristotle's thoughts are the first and the most important sources of pre-Socratic philosophy, Aristotle's role should be considered in studies.

Priming effect and pre-exposure aggression in Siamese fighting fish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertucci, Frédéric; Matos, Ricardo Jorge Santa Clara; Dabelsteen, Torben

aggressively during subsequent disputes. This phenomenon is known as aggressive priming. The aim of our study was to investigate if this priming response follows a step function, i.e. appears only above a threshold level of aggression witnessed by a bystander. We found that bystanders behaved more aggressively...... in subsequent interactions when pre-exposed to an aggressive conspecific that was engaged in a fight whatever the level of aggression this fight reached. However, bystanders’ behaviour after pre-exposure was not correlated to the previously witnessed level of aggressiveness. These results suggest...... that individuals alter their behaviour in an aggressive social environment and indicate that priming effect follows a step function where aggression is triggered by an aggressive context. We discuss our results and the effect of pre-exposure on agonistic interactions in a communication network perspective....

Intermediate structure and threshold phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hategan, Cornel

2004-01-01

The Intermediate Structure, evidenced through microstructures of the neutron strength function, is reflected in open reaction channels as fluctuations in excitation function of nuclear threshold effects. The intermediate state supporting both neutron strength function and nuclear threshold effect is a micro-giant neutron threshold state. (author)

Critical Assessment of Video Production in Teacher Education: Can Video Production Foster Community-Engaged Scholarship?

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kyung-Hwa

2014-01-01

In the theoretical framework of production pedagogy, I reflect on a video production project conducted in a teacher education program and discuss the potential of video production to foster community-engaged scholarship among pre-service teachers. While the importance of engaging learners in creating media has been emphasized, studies show little…

Dynamic (2, 3) Threshold Quantum Secret Sharing of Secure Direct Communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai Hong; Xiao Jing-Hua; Mehmet, Orgun A.; Josef, Pieprzyk; Xue Li-Yin

2015-01-01

In this paper, we show that a (2, 3) discrete variable threshold quantum secret sharing scheme of secure direct communication can be achieved based on recurrence using the same devices as in BB84. The scheme is devised by first placing the shares of smaller secret pieces into the shares of the largest secret piece, converting the shares of the largest secret piece into corresponding quantum state sequences, inserting nonorthogonal state particles into the quantum state sequences with the purpose of detecting eavesdropping, and finally sending the new quantum state sequences to the three participants respectively. Consequently, every particle can on average carry up to 1.5-bit messages due to the use of recurrence. The control codes are randomly prepared using the way to generate fountain codes with pre-shared source codes between Alice and Bob, making three participants can detect eavesdropping by themselves without sending classical messages to Alice. Due to the flexible encoding, our scheme is also dynamic, which means that it allows the participants to join and leave freely. (paper)

Nuclear threshold effects and neutron strength function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hategan, Cornel; Comisel, Horia

2003-01-01

One proves that a Nuclear Threshold Effect is dependent, via Neutron Strength Function, on Spectroscopy of Ancestral Neutron Threshold State. The magnitude of the Nuclear Threshold Effect is proportional to the Neutron Strength Function. Evidence for relation of Nuclear Threshold Effects to Neutron Strength Functions is obtained from Isotopic Threshold Effect and Deuteron Stripping Threshold Anomaly. The empirical and computational analysis of the Isotopic Threshold Effect and of the Deuteron Stripping Threshold Anomaly demonstrate their close relationship to Neutron Strength Functions. It was established that the Nuclear Threshold Effects depend, in addition to genuine Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms, on Spectroscopy of (Ancestral) Neutron Threshold State. The magnitude of the effect is proportional to the Neutron Strength Function, in their dependence on mass number. This result constitutes also a proof that the origins of these threshold effects are Neutron Single Particle States at zero energy. (author)

(t, n) Threshold d-Level Quantum Secret Sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiu-Li; Liu, Yan-Bing; Deng, Hong-Yao; Xiao, Yong-Gang

2017-07-25

Most of Quantum Secret Sharing(QSS) are (n, n) threshold 2-level schemes, in which the 2-level secret cannot be reconstructed until all n shares are collected. In this paper, we propose a (t, n) threshold d-level QSS scheme, in which the d-level secret can be reconstructed only if at least t shares are collected. Compared with (n, n) threshold 2-level QSS, the proposed QSS provides better universality, flexibility, and practicability. Moreover, in this scheme, any one of the participants does not know the other participants' shares, even the trusted reconstructor Bob 1 is no exception. The transformation of the particles includes some simple operations such as d-level CNOT, Quantum Fourier Transform(QFT), Inverse Quantum Fourier Transform(IQFT), and generalized Pauli operator. The transformed particles need not to be transmitted from one participant to another in the quantum channel. Security analysis shows that the proposed scheme can resist intercept-resend attack, entangle-measure attack, collusion attack, and forgery attack. Performance comparison shows that it has lower computation and communication costs than other similar schemes when 2 < t < n - 1.

Combined threshold and transverse momentum resummation for inclusive observables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muselli, Claudio; Forte, Stefano; Ridolfi, Giovanni

2017-01-01

We present a combined resummation for the transverse momentum distribution of a colorless final state in perturbative QCD, expressed as a function of transverse momentum p T and the scaling variable x. Its expression satisfies three requirements: it reduces to standard transverse momentum resummation to any desired logarithmic order in the limit p T →0 for fixed x, up to power suppressed corrections in p T ; it reduces to threshold resummation to any desired logarithmic order in the limit x→1 for fixed p T , up to power suppressed correction in 1−x; upon integration over transverse momentum it reproduces the resummation of the total cross cross at any given logarithmic order in the threshold x→1 limit, up to power suppressed correction in 1−x. Its main ingredient, and our main new result, is a modified form of transverse momentum resummation, which leads to threshold resummation upon integration over p T , and for which we provide a simple closed-form analytic expression in Fourier-Mellin (b,N) space. We give explicit coefficients up to NNLL order for the specific case of Higgs production in gluon fusion in the effective field theory limit. Our result allows for a systematic improvement of the transverse momentum distribution through threshold resummation which holds for all p T , and elucidates the relation between transverse momentum resummation and threshold resummation at the inclusive level, specifically by providing within perturbative QCD a simple derivation of the main consequence of the so-called collinear anomaly of SCET.

Combined threshold and transverse momentum resummation for inclusive observables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muselli, Claudio; Forte, Stefano [Tif Lab, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano and INFN, Sezione di Milano,Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Ridolfi, Giovanni [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova and INFN, Sezione di Genova,Via Dodecaneso 33, I-16146 Genova (Italy)

2017-03-21

We present a combined resummation for the transverse momentum distribution of a colorless final state in perturbative QCD, expressed as a function of transverse momentum p{sub T} and the scaling variable x. Its expression satisfies three requirements: it reduces to standard transverse momentum resummation to any desired logarithmic order in the limit p{sub T}→0 for fixed x, up to power suppressed corrections in p{sub T}; it reduces to threshold resummation to any desired logarithmic order in the limit x→1 for fixed p{sub T}, up to power suppressed correction in 1−x; upon integration over transverse momentum it reproduces the resummation of the total cross cross at any given logarithmic order in the threshold x→1 limit, up to power suppressed correction in 1−x. Its main ingredient, and our main new result, is a modified form of transverse momentum resummation, which leads to threshold resummation upon integration over p{sub T}, and for which we provide a simple closed-form analytic expression in Fourier-Mellin (b,N) space. We give explicit coefficients up to NNLL order for the specific case of Higgs production in gluon fusion in the effective field theory limit. Our result allows for a systematic improvement of the transverse momentum distribution through threshold resummation which holds for all p{sub T}, and elucidates the relation between transverse momentum resummation and threshold resummation at the inclusive level, specifically by providing within perturbative QCD a simple derivation of the main consequence of the so-called collinear anomaly of SCET.

Pairing based threshold cryptography improving on Libert-Quisquater and Baek-Zheng

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Desmedt, Yvo; Lange, Tanja

2006-01-01

In this paper we apply techniques from secret sharing and threshold decryption to show how to properly design an ID-based threshold system in which one assumes no trust in any party. In our scheme: We avoid that any single machine ever knew the master secret s of the trusted authority (TA). Inste...

Measuring Input Thresholds on an Existing Board

Science.gov (United States)

Kuperman, Igor; Gutrich, Daniel G.; Berkun, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

A critical PECL (positive emitter-coupled logic) interface to Xilinx interface needed to be changed on an existing flight board. The new Xilinx input interface used a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) type of input, and the driver could meet its thresholds typically, but not in worst-case, according to the data sheet. The previous interface had been based on comparison with an external reference, but the CMOS input is based on comparison with an internal divider from the power supply. A way to measure what the exact input threshold was for this device for 64 inputs on a flight board was needed. The measurement technique allowed an accurate measurement of the voltage required to switch a Xilinx input from high to low for each of the 64 lines, while only probing two of them. Directly driving an external voltage was considered too risky, and tests done on any other unit could not be used to qualify the flight board. The two lines directly probed gave an absolute voltage threshold calibration, while data collected on the remaining 62 lines without probing gave relative measurements that could be used to identify any outliers. The PECL interface was forced to a long-period square wave by driving a saturated square wave into the ADC (analog to digital converter). The active pull-down circuit was turned off, causing each line to rise rapidly and fall slowly according to the input s weak pull-down circuitry. The fall time shows up as a change in the pulse width of the signal ready by the Xilinx. This change in pulse width is a function of capacitance, pulldown current, and input threshold. Capacitance was known from the different trace lengths, plus a gate input capacitance, which is the same for all inputs. The pull-down current is the same for all inputs including the two that are probed directly. The data was combined, and the Excel solver tool was used to find input thresholds for the 62 lines. This was repeated over different supply voltages and

Radar rainfall estimation for the identification of debris-flow precipitation thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Marra, Francesco; Nikolopoulos, Efthymios I.; Creutin, Jean-Dominique; Borga, Marco

2014-05-01

Identification of rainfall thresholds for the prediction of debris-flow occurrence is a common approach for warning procedures. Traditionally the debris-flow triggering rainfall is derived from the closest available raingauge. However, the spatial and temporal variability of intense rainfall on mountainous areas, where debris flows take place, may lead to large uncertainty in point-based estimates. Nikolopoulos et al. (2014) have shown that this uncertainty translates into a systematic underestimation of the rainfall thresholds, leading to a step degradation of the performances of the rainfall threshold for identification of debris flows occurrence under operational conditions. A potential solution to this limitation lies on use of rainfall estimates from weather radar. Thanks to their high spatial and temporal resolutions, these estimates offer the advantage of providing rainfall information over the actual debris flow location. The aim of this study is to analyze the value of radar precipitation estimations for the identification of debris flow precipitation thresholds. Seven rainfall events that triggered debris flows in the Adige river basin (Eastern Italian Alps) are analyzed using data from a dense raingauge network and a C-Band weather radar. Radar data are elaborated by using a set of correction algorithms specifically developed for weather radar rainfall application in mountainous areas. Rainfall thresholds for the triggering of debris flows are identified in the form of average intensity-duration power law curves using a frequentist approach by using both radar rainfall estimates and raingauge data. Sampling uncertainty associated to the derivation of the thresholds is assessed by using a bootstrap technique (Peruccacci et al. 2012). Results show that radar-based rainfall thresholds are largely exceeding those obtained by using raingauge data. Moreover, the differences between the two thresholds may be related to the spatial characteristics (i.e., spatial

The effect of acupuncture duration on analgesia and peripheral sensory thresholds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schulteis Gery

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acupuncture provides a means of peripheral stimulation for pain relief. However, the detailed neuronal mechanisms by which acupuncture relieves pain are still poorly understood and information regarding optimal treatment settings is still inadequate. Previous studies with a short burst of unilateral electroacupuncture (EA in the Tendinomuscular Meridians (TMM treatment model for pain demonstrated a transient dermatomally correlated bilateral analgesic effect with corresponding peripheral modality-specific sensory threshold alterations. However, the impact of EA duration on the analgesic effect in this particular treatment model is unknown. To obtain mechanistically and clinically important information regarding EA analgesia, this current prospective cross-over study assesses the effects of EA duration on analgesia and thermal sensory thresholds in the TMM treatment model. Methods Baseline peripheral sensory thresholds were measured at pre-marked testing sites along the medial aspects (liver and spleen meridians of bilateral lower extremities. A 5-second hot pain stimulation was delivered to the testing sites and the corresponding pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS scores were recorded. Three different EA (5Hz stimulation durations (5, 15 and 30 minutes were randomly tested at least one week apart. At the last 10 seconds of each EA session, 5 seconds of subject specific HP stimulation was delivered to the testing sites. The corresponding pain and EA VAS scores of de qi sensation (tingling during and after the EA were recorded. The measurements were repeated immediately, 30 and 60 minutes after the EA stimulation. A four-factor repeat measures ANOVA was used to assess the effect of stimulation duration, time, location (thigh vs. calf and side (ipsilateral vs. contralateral of EA on sensory thresholds and HP VAS scores. Results A significant (P Conclusion Longer durations of EA stimulation provide a more sustainable analgesic benefit

Manipulation of pre-target activity on the right frontal eye field enhances conscious visual perception in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Chanes

Full Text Available The right Frontal Eye Field (FEF is a region of the human brain, which has been consistently involved in visuo-spatial attention and access to consciousness. Nonetheless, the extent of this cortical site's ability to influence specific aspects of visual performance remains debated. We hereby manipulated pre-target activity on the right FEF and explored its influence on the detection and categorization of low-contrast near-threshold visual stimuli. Our data show that pre-target frontal neurostimulation has the potential when used alone to induce enhancements of conscious visual detection. More interestingly, when FEF stimulation was combined with visuo-spatial cues, improvements remained present only for trials in which the cue correctly predicted the location of the subsequent target. Our data provide evidence for the causal role of the right FEF pre-target activity in the modulation of human conscious vision and reveal the dependence of such neurostimulatory effects on the state of activity set up by cue validity in the dorsal attentional orienting network.

Pre-Dispersal Seed Predation in a Species-Rich Forest Community: Patterns and the Interplay with Determinants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue Xu

Full Text Available Pre-dispersal seed predation (PDSP is commonly observed in woody plants, and recognized as a driver of seed production variability that is critical for successful regeneration. Earlier studies on PDSP and its determinants were mostly species specific, with community-level PDSP rarely estimated; and the interactions between the temporal variability of seed production and PDSP remain elusive. In this study, the community seed rain of woody plants in a mixed evergreen-deciduous broadleaf forest was monitored for seven years. We examined predation on collected seeds and analyzed the determinants of PDSP. PDSP was recorded in 17 out of 44 woody plant species, and three-quarters of PDSP was due to insect predators. Annual seed production varied substantially at community level, reversely linked with the temporal variation of PDSP rate. The PDSP rate was biased regarding fruit types, and being significantly correlated with seed mass when using phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs or without taking into account phylogenetic relations, especially for nuts. PDSP rate was also negatively correlated with seed density, showing a threshold-related predator satiation effect. The community-level PDSP rate was primarily determined by tree height, fruit type, and interannual variation of seed production and seed mass. Our analysis revealed a causal link between seed production and the dynamics of PDSP rate at the community level. The predator satiation effect was primarily contributed by the dominant species, whereas the rare species seemed to apply a distinct "hide-and-seek" strategy to control the risk of PDSP. The mechanistic difference of seed production between the common and rare species can shed new light on species coexistence and community assembly. Long-term monitoring of both seed rain and seed predation is required for understanding the ecological and evolutionary implications of species regeneration strategies in a species-rich forest community.

The threshold of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qun; Jiang, Daqing

2016-11-01

In this paper, we study the threshold dynamics of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination. We obtain sufficient conditions for extinction and persistence in the mean of the epidemic. The threshold between persistence in the mean and extinction of the stochastic system is also obtained. Compared with the corresponding deterministic model, the threshold affected by the white noise is smaller than the basic reproduction number Rbar0 of the deterministic system. Results show that time delay has important effects on the persistence and extinction of the epidemic.

Pre- and Peri-/Post-Compaction Follistatin Treatment Increases In Vitro Production of Cattle Embryos.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo Zhenhua

Full Text Available Our previous studies demonstrated that maternal (oocyte derived follistatin (FST expression is positively associated with bovine oocyte competence and exogenous follistatin treatment during the pre-compaction period of development (d 1-3 post insemination is stimulatory to bovine early embryogenesis in vitro [blastocyst rates and cell numbers/allocation to trophectoderm (TE]. In the present study, bovine embryos were treated with exogenous follistatin during d 1-3, d 4-7 and d 1-7 post insemination to test the hypothesis that embryotropic effects of exogenous follistatin are specific to the pre-compaction period (d 1-3 of early embryogenesis. Follistatin treatment during d 4-7 (peri-/post-compaction period of embryo culture increased proportion of embryos reaching blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stage and total cell numbers compared to controls, but blastocyst rates and total cell numbers were lower than observed following d 1-3 (pre-compaction follistatin treatment. Follistatin supplementation during d 1-7 of embryo culture increased development to blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stages and blastocyst total cell numbers compared to d 1-3 and d 4-7 follistatin treatment and untreated controls. A similar increase in blastocyst CDX2 mRNA and protein (TE cell marker was observed in response to d 1-3, d 4-7 and d 1-7 follistatin treatment. However, an elevation in blastocyst BMP4 protein (TE cell regulator was observed in response to d 1-3 and d 1-7, but not d 4-7 (peri-/post-compaction follistatin treatment. In summary, our study revealed the potential utility of follistatin treatment for increasing the success rate of in vitro embryo production in cattle. Such results also expand our understanding of the embryotropic actions of follistatin and demonstrate that follistatin actions on blastocyst development and cell allocation to the TE layer are not specific to the pre-compaction period.

Performance improvement of per-user threshold based multiuser switched scheduling system

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon

2013-01-01

SUMMARY This letter proposes a multiuser switched scheduling scheme with per-user threshold and post user selection and provides a generic analytical framework for determining the optimal feedback thresholds. The proposed scheme applies an individual feedback threshold for each user rather than a single common threshold for all users to achieve some capacity gain due to the flexibility of threshold selection as well as a lower scheduling outage probability. In addition, since scheduling outage may occur with a non-negligible probability, the proposed scheme employs post user selection in order to further improve the ergodic capacity, where the user with the highest potential for a higher channel quality than other users is selected. Numerical and simulation results show that the capacity gain by post user selection is significant when random sequence is used. Copyright © 2013 The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers.

Experimental study of the crack depth ratio threshold to analyze the slow crack growth by creep of high density polyethylene pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laiarinandrasana, Lucien; Devilliers, Clémence; Lucatelli, Jean Marc; Gaudichet-Maurin, Emmanuelle; Brossard, Jean Michel

2014-01-01

To assess the durability of drinking water connection pipes subjected to oxidation and slow crack growth, a comprehensive database was constructed on a novel specimen geometry: the pre-cracked NOL ring. 135 tests were carried out consisting of initial crack depth ratio ranging from 0.08 to 0.6; single or double longitudinal cracks: tensile with steady strain rate and creep loading. A threshold value of the crack depth ratio of 0.2, induced by the oxidation was determined by analyzing several mechanical parameters. This threshold value was shown to be independent on the strain rate effects, single or double crack configuration and the kind of loading: tensile or creep. Creep test results with crack depth ratio larger than 0.2 were then utilized to establish a failure assessment diagram. A methodology allowing the prediction of residual lifetime of in-service pipes was proposed, using this diagram. - Highlights: • Experimental data on pre-cracked rings featuring a longitudinally cracked HDPE pipe. • Crack depth ratio threshold for slow crack growth study consecutive to oxidation. • Investigation of the effects of the single/double notch(es) and of the strain rate. • Original results obtained from tests performed with tensile and creep loadings. • Correlation between creep initiation time and C* with DENT and ring specimens

Experimental analysis of residual stresses in pre-straightened SAE 1045 steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diehl, Carla Adriana Theis Soares; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva, E-mail: carla.adriana@ufrgs.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Laboratorio de Formacao de Metais; Epp, Jérémy; Zoch, Hans-Werner [Stiftung Institut für Werkstofftechnik IWT, University of Bremen (Germany)

2017-11-15

This paper aims at analyzing the effects of the roller pre-straightening of wire-rods on residual stress distributions in SAE 1045 steel bars. The combined drawing process is used in industrial production of bars in order to obtain a good surface quality and improved mechanical properties complying with specifications of the final products. In this process, prior to the drawing step, a roller straightening of the steel wire-rod is essential, because it provides the minimum straightness necessary for drawing. Metallographic analysis and hardness test were done for selected samples after different processing steps. Also, residual stress analysis of pre-straightened wire-rods by X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction were carried out. The hardness tests show higher values near the surface and lower in the center of the wire-rod. Besides, the residual stresses results show a big inhomogeneity from one peripheral position to another and also in the evaluated cross section. (author)

Experimental analysis of residual stresses in pre-straightened SAE 1045 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diehl, Carla Adriana Theis Soares; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva

2017-01-01

This paper aims at analyzing the effects of the roller pre-straightening of wire-rods on residual stress distributions in SAE 1045 steel bars. The combined drawing process is used in industrial production of bars in order to obtain a good surface quality and improved mechanical properties complying with specifications of the final products. In this process, prior to the drawing step, a roller straightening of the steel wire-rod is essential, because it provides the minimum straightness necessary for drawing. Metallographic analysis and hardness test were done for selected samples after different processing steps. Also, residual stress analysis of pre-straightened wire-rods by X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction were carried out. The hardness tests show higher values near the surface and lower in the center of the wire-rod. Besides, the residual stresses results show a big inhomogeneity from one peripheral position to another and also in the evaluated cross section. (author)

A Phenomenological Examination of Virtual Game Developers' Experiences Using Jacob's Ladder Pre-Production Design Tactic

Science.gov (United States)

Brown-Turner, Jasmine

2017-01-01

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob's Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members…

Threshold policy for global games with noisy information sharing

KAUST Repository

Mahdavifar, Hessam; Beirami, Ahmad; Touri, Behrouz; Shamma, Jeff S.

2015-01-01

of information and show that such equilibrium strategies exist and are unique if the sharing of information happens over a sufficiently noisy environment. To show this result, we establish that if a threshold function is an equilibrium strategy, then it will be a

Implementation of floating gate MOSFET in inverter for threshold voltage tunability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Musa F.A.S.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the ability of floating gate MOSFET (FGMOS threshold voltage to be programmed or tuned which is exploited to improve the performance of electronic circuit design. This special characteristic owns by FGMOS is definitely contributes towards low voltage and low power circuit design. The comparison of threshold voltage between FGMOS and conventional NMOS is done in order to prove that FGMOS is able to produce a lower threshold voltage compared to conventional NMOS. In addition, in this paper, an implementation of FGMOS into inverter circuit is also done to show the programmability of FGMOS threshold voltage. The operations of the inverter circuits are verified using Sypnopsys simulation in 0.1μm CMOS technology with supply voltage of 1.8V.

Color difference thresholds in dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Paravina, Rade D; Ghinea, Razvan; Herrera, Luis J; Bona, Alvaro D; Igiel, Christopher; Linninger, Mercedes; Sakai, Maiko; Takahashi, Hidekazu; Tashkandi, Esam; Perez, Maria del Mar

2015-01-01

The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to determine 50:50% perceptibility threshold (PT) and 50:50% acceptability threshold (AT) of dental ceramic under simulated clinical settings. The spectral radiance of 63 monochromatic ceramic specimens was determined using a non-contact spectroradiometer. A total of 60 specimen pairs, divided into 3 sets of 20 specimen pairs (medium to light shades, medium to dark shades, and dark shades), were selected for psychophysical experiment. The coordinating center and seven research sites obtained the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals prior the beginning of the experiment. Each research site had 25 observers, divided into five groups of five observers: dentists-D, dental students-S, dental auxiliaries-A, dental technicians-T, and lay persons-L. There were 35 observers per group (five observers per group at each site ×7 sites), for a total of 175 observers. Visual color comparisons were performed using a viewing booth. Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy approximation was used for fitting the data points. The 50:50% PT and 50:50% AT were determined in CIELAB and CIEDE2000. The t-test was used to evaluate the statistical significance in thresholds differences. The CIELAB 50:50% PT was ΔEab  = 1.2, whereas 50:50% AT was ΔEab  = 2.7. Corresponding CIEDE2000 (ΔE00 ) values were 0.8 and 1.8, respectively. 50:50% PT by the observer group revealed differences among groups D, A, T, and L as compared with 50:50% PT for all observers. The 50:50% AT for all observers was statistically different than 50:50% AT in groups T and L. A 50:50% perceptibility and ATs were significantly different. The same is true for differences between two color difference formulas ΔE00 /ΔEab . Observer groups and sites showed high level of statistical difference in all thresholds. Visual color difference thresholds can serve as a quality control tool to guide the selection of esthetic dental materials, evaluate clinical performance, and

Unidirectional threshold switching in Ag/Si-based electrochemical metallization cells for high-density bipolar RRAM applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Song, Bing; Li, Qingjiang; Zeng, Zhongming

2018-03-01

We herein present a novel unidirectional threshold selector for cross-point bipolar RRAM array. The proposed Ag/amorphous Si based threshold selector showed excellent threshold characteristics in positive field, such as high selectivity ( 105), steep slope (type RRAM. By integrating a bipolar RRAM device with the selector, experiments showed that the undesired sneak was significantly suppressed, indicating its potentiality for high-density integrated nonvolatile memory applications.

Threshold behavior in electron-atom scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghpour, H.R.; Greene, C.H.

1996-01-01

Ever since the classic work of Wannier in 1953, the process of treating two threshold electrons in the continuum of a positively charged ion has been an active field of study. The authors have developed a treatment motivated by the physics below the double ionization threshold. By modeling the double ionization as a series of Landau-Zener transitions, they obtain an analytical formulation of the absolute threshold probability which has a leading power law behavior, akin to Wannier's law. Some of the noteworthy aspects of this derivation are that the derivation can be conveniently continued below threshold giving rise to a open-quotes cuspclose quotes at threshold, and that on both sides of the threshold, absolute values of the cross sections are obtained

QCD NLO with POWHEG matching and top threshold matching in WHIZARD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reuter, Juergen; Nejad, Bijan Chokoufe [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group; Bach, Fabian [European Commission, Luxembourg (Luxembourg); Kilian, Wolfgang [Siegen Univ. (Germany); Stahlhofen, Maximilian [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group; Mainz Univ. (Germany). PRISMA Cluster of Excellence; Weiss, Christian [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group; Siegen Univ. (Germany)

2016-01-15

We present the status of the automation of NLO processes within the event generator WHIZARD. The program provides an automated FKS subtraction and phase space integration over the FKS regions, while the (QCD) NLO matrix element is accessed via the Binoth Les Houches Interface from an externally linked one-loop program. Massless and massive test cases and validation are shown for several e{sup +}e{sup -} processes. Furthermore, we discuss work in progress and future plans. The second part covers the matching of the NRQCD prediction with NLL threshold resummation to the NLO continuum top pair production at lepton colliders. Both the S-wave and P-wave production of the top pair are taken into account in the resummation. The inclusion in WHIZARD allows to study more exclusive observables than just the total cross section and automatically accounts for important electroweak and relativistic corrections in the threshold region.

QCD NLO with POWHEG matching and top threshold matching in WHIZARD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, Juergen; Nejad, Bijan Chokoufe; Kilian, Wolfgang; Stahlhofen, Maximilian

2016-01-01

We present the status of the automation of NLO processes within the event generator WHIZARD. The program provides an automated FKS subtraction and phase space integration over the FKS regions, while the (QCD) NLO matrix element is accessed via the Binoth Les Houches Interface from an externally linked one-loop program. Massless and massive test cases and validation are shown for several e + e - processes. Furthermore, we discuss work in progress and future plans. The second part covers the matching of the NRQCD prediction with NLL threshold resummation to the NLO continuum top pair production at lepton colliders. Both the S-wave and P-wave production of the top pair are taken into account in the resummation. The inclusion in WHIZARD allows to study more exclusive observables than just the total cross section and automatically accounts for important electroweak and relativistic corrections in the threshold region.

A New Wavelet Threshold Determination Method Considering Interscale Correlation in Signal Denoising

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Can He

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Due to simple calculation and good denoising effect, wavelet threshold denoising method has been widely used in signal denoising. In this method, the threshold is an important parameter that affects the denoising effect. In order to improve the denoising effect of the existing methods, a new threshold considering interscale correlation is presented. Firstly, a new correlation index is proposed based on the propagation characteristics of the wavelet coefficients. Then, a threshold determination strategy is obtained using the new index. At the end of the paper, a simulation experiment is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. In the experiment, four benchmark signals are used as test signals. Simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve a good denoising effect under various signal types, noise intensities, and thresholding functions.

A threshold auto-adjustment algorithm of feature points extraction based on grid

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zili; Li, Jun; Dong, Gaojie

2018-02-01

When dealing with high-resolution digital images, detection of feature points is usually the very first important step. Valid feature points depend on the threshold. If the threshold is too low, plenty of feature points will be detected, and they may be aggregated in the rich texture regions, which consequently not only affects the speed of feature description, but also aggravates the burden of following processing; if the threshold is set high, the feature points in poor texture area will lack. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a threshold auto-adjustment method of feature extraction based on grid. By dividing the image into numbers of grid, threshold is set in every local grid for extracting the feature points. When the number of feature points does not meet the threshold requirement, the threshold will be adjusted automatically to change the final number of feature points The experimental results show that feature points produced by our method is more uniform and representative, which avoids the aggregation of feature points and greatly reduces the complexity of following work.

PRODUCTION TECHNICS AT GRAPHIC DESIGN EDUCATION AND THE NECCESSITY OF PREPARATION KNOWLEDGE OF PRE-PRINTING

OpenAIRE

CEYLAN, İbrahim Gökhan

2015-01-01

It is neccessary to teach the knowledge of production technics and pre-printing preparations besides the knowledge of developing creativity and aesthetic concerns in order to educate the designers to fullfill the needs of the sector totally at graphic design education. The printed materials prepared by the graphic designer should be evaluated in proper criterias ıf the materials are to be printed. Graphic designers should have the knowledge of the required knowledge of the area in order to me...

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of ready-to-eat meat: Inactivation of Listeria innocua and changes in product quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rød, Sara Katrine; Hansen, Flemming; Leipold, Frank

2012-01-01

The application of cold atmospheric pressure plasma for decontamination of a sliced ready-to-eat (RTE) meat product (bresaola) inoculated with Listeria innocua was investigated. Inoculated samples were treated at 15.5, 31, and 62 W for 2–60 s inside sealed linear-low-density-polyethylene bags...... the sensory threshold level. Surface colour changes included loss of redness of ∼40% and 70% after 1 and 14 days of storage, respectively, regardless of plasma treatment. The results indicate that plasma may be applicable in surface decontamination of pre-packed RTE food products. However, oxidation may...

CFD modeling of fouling in crude oil pre-heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayat, Mahmoud; Aminian, Javad; Bazmi, Mansour; Shahhosseini, Shahrokh; Sharifi, Khashayar

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A conceptual CFD-based model to predict fouling in industrial crude oil pre-heaters. ► Tracing fouling formation in the induction and developing continuation periods. ► Effect of chemical components, shell-side HTC and turbulent flow on the fouling rate. - Abstract: In this study, a conceptual procedure based on the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique has been developed to predict fouling rate in an industrial crude oil pre-heater. According to the developed CFD concept crude oil was assumed to be composed of three pseudo-components comprising of petroleum, asphaltene and salt. The binary diffusion coefficients were appropriately categorized into five different groups. The species transport model was applied to simulate the mixing and transport of chemical species. The possibility of adherence of reaction products to the wall was taken into account by applying a high viscosity for the products in competition with the shear stress on the wall. Results showed a reasonable agreement between the model predictions and the plant data. The CFD model could be applied to new operating conditions to investigate the details of the crude oil fouling in the industrial pre-heaters.

Double Photoionization Near Threshold

Science.gov (United States)

Wehlitz, Ralf

2007-01-01

The threshold region of the double-photoionization cross section is of particular interest because both ejected electrons move slowly in the Coulomb field of the residual ion. Near threshold both electrons have time to interact with each other and with the residual ion. Also, different theoretical models compete to describe the double-photoionization cross section in the threshold region. We have investigated that cross section for lithium and beryllium and have analyzed our data with respect to the latest results in the Coulomb-dipole theory. We find that our data support the idea of a Coulomb-dipole interaction.

A combined acidification/PEO flocculation process to improve the lignin removal from the pre-hydrolysis liquor of kraft-based dissolving pulp production process.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Haiqiang; Fatehi, Pedram; Xiao, Huining; Ni, Yonghao

2011-04-01

The presence of lignin impairs the utilization of the hemicelluloses dissolved in the pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL) of the kraft-based dissolving pulp production process. In this paper, a novel process was developed by combining the acidification and poly ethylene oxide (PEO) flocculation concepts to improve the lignin removal. The results showed that the lignin removal was improved by the addition of PEO to the acidified PHL, particularly at a low pH of 1.5. The main mechanisms involved are the lignin/PEO complex formation and the bridging of the formed complexes. This hypothesis was supported by the turbidity, FTIR and particle size measurements. Interestingly, the hemicelluloses removal from the acidification/PEO flocculation was marginal, which would be beneficial for the down-stream ethanol production from the PHL. Additionally, a process flow diagram was proposed that incorporates this new concept into the existing configuration of kraft-based dissolving pulp production process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE CHEMICAL MODIFIERS FOR PRODUCTION OF CONCRETES WITH PRE-SET PROPERTIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tkach Evgeniya Vladimirovna

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The paper demonstrates the application of industrial by-products and recycled materials. Waterproofing admixtures improve the structure and the properties of the cement stone. Development and preparation of highly effective waterproofing modifiers of durable effect, as well as development of the process procedure parameters, including mixing, activation, heat treatment, etc. are to be implemented. The composition of waterproofing modifiers is to be fine-tuned to synergize the behaviour of various ingredients of cement systems to assure the substantial improvement of their strength, freeze- and corrosion resistance. Multi-functional waterproofing admixtures were used to produce highly effective modified concretes. The key idea of the new method of modifying cement-based building materials is that the waterproofing admixture concentration is to exceed 10% of the weight of the binding agent within the per-unit weight of the cement stone, given that its strength does not deteriorate. GKM-type modifier coupled with organo-mineral waterproofing admixture concentration agent GT-M may be recommended for mass use in the manufacturing of hydraulic concrete and reinforced concrete products. Overview of their practical implementation has proven that waterproofing modifier GKM-S, if coupled with waterproofing admixture concentration agent GT-M, improves the corrosion control inside the cement stone and makes it possible to manufacture durable concrete and reinforced concrete products that demonstrate pre-set physical and processing behaviour. Comprehensive concrete modification by modifier GKM-S and waterproofing admixture concentration agent GT-M may be regarded as one of the most ambitious methods of production of highly effective waterproof concretes.

Discrimination thresholds for smiles in genuine versus blended facial expressions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aida Gutiérrez-García

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Genuine smiles convey enjoyment or positive affect, whereas fake smiles conceal or leak negative feelings or motives (e.g. arrogance, contempt, embarrassment, or merely show affiliation or politeness. We investigated the minimum display time (i.e. threshold; ranging from 50 to 1,000 ms that is necessary to distinguish a fake from a genuine smile. Variants of fake smiles were created by varying the type of non-happy (e.g. neutral, angry, sad, etc. eyes in blended expressions with a smiling mouth. Participants judged whether faces conveyed happiness or not. Results showed that thresholds vary as a function of type of eyes: blended expressions with angry eyes are discriminated early (100 ms, followed by those with disgusted eyes, fearful, and sad (from 250 to 500 ms, surprised (750 ms, and neutral (from 750 to 1,000 ms eyes. An important issue for further research is the extent to which such discrimination threshold differences depend on physical or affective factors.

Direction detection thresholds of passive self-motion in artistic gymnasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Matthias; Haller, Katia; Moser, Ivan; Hossner, Ernst-Joachim; Mast, Fred W

2014-04-01

In this study, we compared direction detection thresholds of passive self-motion in the dark between artistic gymnasts and controls. Twenty-four professional female artistic gymnasts (ranging from 7 to 20 years) and age-matched controls were seated on a motion platform and asked to discriminate the direction of angular (yaw, pitch, roll) and linear (leftward-rightward) motion. Gymnasts showed lower thresholds for the linear leftward-rightward motion. Interestingly, there was no difference for the angular motions. These results show that the outstanding self-motion abilities in artistic gymnasts are not related to an overall higher sensitivity in self-motion perception. With respect to vestibular processing, our results suggest that gymnastic expertise is exclusively linked to superior interpretation of otolith signals when no change in canal signals is present. In addition, thresholds were overall lower for the older (14-20 years) than for the younger (7-13 years) participants, indicating the maturation of vestibular sensitivity from childhood to adolescence.

H-mode confinement properties close to the power threshold in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryter, F; Fuchs, J; Schneider, W; Sips, A; Staebler, A; Stober, J

2008-01-01

Confinement properties close to the H-mode power threshold are studied in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The results show that good confinement can be obtained close to the threshold with Type-I ELMs. The existence of Type-I ELMs does not necessarily require the heating power to be higher than the H-Mode power threshold, but it requires collisionality to be low enough. At higher collisionality Type-III ELMs replace the Type-I ELMs and confinement time is reduced by about 20%

Optimized production of vanillin from green vanilla pods by enzyme-assisted extraction combined with pre-freezing and thawing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanjun; Mo, Limei; Chen, Feng; Lu, Minquan; Dong, Wenjiang; Wang, Qinghuang; Xu, Fei; Gu, Fenglin

2014-02-19

Production of vanillin from natural green vanilla pods was carried out by enzyme-assisted extraction combined with pre-freezing and thawing. In the first step the green vanilla pods were pre-frozen and then thawed to destroy cellular compartmentation. In the second step pectinase from Aspergillus niger was used to hydrolyze the pectin between the glucovanillin substrate and β-glucosidase. Four main variables, including enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time and pH, which were of significance for the vanillin content were studied and a central composite design (CCD) based on the results of a single-factor tests was used. Response surface methodology based on CCD was employed to optimize the combination of enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH for maximum vanillin production. This resulted in the optimal condition in regards of the enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH at 84.2 mg, 49.5 °C, 7.1 h, and 4.2, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the experimental yield of vanillin was 4.63% ± 0.11% (dwb), which was in good agreement with the value predicted by the model. Compared to the traditional curing process (1.98%) and viscozyme extract (2.36%), the optimized method for the vanillin production significantly increased the yield by 133.85% and 96%, respectively.

Statistical Analysis of SSMIS Sea Ice Concentration Threshold at the Arctic Sea Ice Edge during Summer Based on MODIS and Ship-Based Observational Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Qing; Li, Fei; Pang, Xiaoping; Luo, Cong

2018-04-05

The threshold of sea ice concentration (SIC) is the basis for accurately calculating sea ice extent based on passive microwave (PM) remote sensing data. However, the PM SIC threshold at the sea ice edge used in previous studies and released sea ice products has not always been consistent. To explore the representable value of the PM SIC threshold corresponding on average to the position of the Arctic sea ice edge during summer in recent years, we extracted sea ice edge boundaries from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sea ice product (MOD29 with a spatial resolution of 1 km), MODIS images (250 m), and sea ice ship-based observation points (1 km) during the fifth (CHINARE-2012) and sixth (CHINARE-2014) Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions, and made an overlay and comparison analysis with PM SIC derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS, with a spatial resolution of 25 km) in the summer of 2012 and 2014. Results showed that the average SSMIS SIC threshold at the Arctic sea ice edge based on ice-water boundary lines extracted from MOD29 was 33%, which was higher than that of the commonly used 15% discriminant threshold. The average SIC threshold at sea ice edge based on ice-water boundary lines extracted by visual interpretation from four scenes of the MODIS image was 35% when compared to the average value of 36% from the MOD29 extracted ice edge pixels for the same days. The average SIC of 31% at the sea ice edge points extracted from ship-based observations also confirmed that choosing around 30% as the SIC threshold during summer is recommended for sea ice extent calculations based on SSMIS PM data. These results can provide a reference for further studying the variation of sea ice under the rapidly changing Arctic.

General description of few-body break-up processes at threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrachina, R.O.

2004-01-01

Full text: In this communication we present a general description of the behavior of fragmentation processes near threshold by analyzing the break-up into two, three and N bodies in steps of increasing complexity. In particular, we describe the effects produced by an N-body threshold behavior in N+1 body break-up processes, as it occurs in situations where one of the fragments acquires almost all the excess energy of the system. Furthermore, we relate the appearance of cusps and discontinuities in single-particle multiply differential cross sections to the threshold behavior of the remaining particles, and apply these ideas to different systems from atomic, molecular and nuclear collision physics. We finally show that, even though the study of ultracold collisions represents the direct way of gathering information on a break-up system near threshold, the analysis of high-energy collisions provides an alternative, and sometimes advantageous, approach

Stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacharra, Marlene; Schäper, Michael; Kleinbeck, Stefan; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Wolf, Oliver T; van Thriel, Christoph

2016-01-01

Previous studies have reported enhanced vigilance for threat-related information in response to acute stress. While it is known that acute stress modulates sensory systems in humans, its impact on olfaction and the olfactory detection of potential threats is less clear. Two psychophysical experiments examined, if acute stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 30) and Experiment 2 (N = 32) were randomly allocated to a control group or a stress group. Participants in the stress group underwent a purely psychosocial stressor (public mental arithmetic) in Experiment 1 and a stressor that combined a physically demanding task with social-evaluative threat in Experiment 2 (socially evaluated cold-pressor test). In both experiments, olfactory detection thresholds were repeatedly assessed by means of dynamic dilution olfactometry. Each threshold measurement consisted of three trials conducted using an ascending method of limits. Participants in the stress groups showed the expected changes in heart rate, salivary cortisol, and mood measures in response to stress. About 20 min after the stressor, participants in the stress groups could detect 2-mercaptoethanol at a lower concentration than participants in the corresponding control groups. Our results show that acute stress lowers the detection threshold for a malodor.

Combining task-evoked and spontaneous activity to improve pre-operative brain mapping with fMRI

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Michael D.; Qian, Tianyi; Madsen, Joseph R.; Wang, Danhong; Li, Meiling; Ge, Manling; Zuo, Huan-cong; Groppe, David M.; Mehta, Ashesh D.; Hong, Bo; Liu, Hesheng

2016-01-01

Noninvasive localization of brain function is used to understand and treat neurological disease, exemplified by pre-operative fMRI mapping prior to neurosurgical intervention. The principal approach for generating these maps relies on brain responses evoked by a task and, despite known limitations, has dominated clinical practice for over 20 years. Recently, pre-operative fMRI mapping based on correlations in spontaneous brain activity has been demonstrated, however this approach has its own limitations and has not seen widespread clinical use. Here we show that spontaneous and task-based mapping can be performed together using the same pre-operative fMRI data, provide complimentary information relevant for functional localization, and can be combined to improve identification of eloquent motor cortex. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of our approach are quantified through comparison with electrical cortical stimulation mapping in eight patients with intractable epilepsy. Broad applicability and reproducibility of our approach is demonstrated through prospective replication in an independent dataset of six patients from a different center. In both cohorts and every individual patient, we see a significant improvement in signal to noise and mapping accuracy independent of threshold, quantified using receiver operating characteristic curves. Collectively, our results suggest that modifying the processing of fMRI data to incorporate both task-based and spontaneous activity significantly improves functional localization in pre-operative patients. Because this method requires no additional scan time or modification to conventional pre-operative data acquisition protocols it could have widespread utility. PMID:26408860

Pre-equilibrium particle decay in the photonuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, J.R.; Chang, C.C.

1976-11-01

Calculations of particle energy spectra resulting from the photonuclear reactions at energies below the meson production threshold have been carried out in the framework of combining the pre-equilibrium exiton model and the quasi-deuteron model. A 2p-2h initial state in the exciton model is assumed because in the energy region above giant resonance the quasi-deuteron absorption is the dominant process. With these combined models, the subsequent secondary interactions of the emerging particle with the rest of the nucleus following the initial photon-nucleus interaction are appropriately taken into account. The experimental difference energy spectra of fast photoneutrons from several elements (Al, Cu, In, Sn, Ta, Pb, Bi and U) at bremsstrahlung energies of 55 and 85 MeV and the photoproton energy spectra from 12 C at bremsstrahlung energy 110 MeV were compared with the theoretical predictions. General agreements in both spectral shapes and cross sections are obtained. The relative yields of the reactions (γ, xn) resulting from monoenergetic photons on 127 I at 50, 100 and 150 MeV are also predicted reasonably well by the combined models together with the conventional evaporation theory

Amorphization threshold in Si-implanted strained SiGe alloy layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, T.W.; Love, D.; Endisch, E.; Goldberg, R.D.; Mitchell, I.V.; Haynes, T.E.; Baribeau, J.M.

1994-12-01

The authors have examined the damage produced by Si-ion implantation into strained Si 1-x Ge x epilayers. Damage accumulation in the implanted layers was monitored in situ by time-resolved reflectivity and measured by ion channeling techniques to determine the amorphization threshold in strained Si 1-x Ge x (x = 0.16 and 0.29) over the temperature range 30--110 C. The results are compared with previously reported measurements on unstrained Si 1-x Ge x , and with the simple model used to describe those results. They report here data which lend support to this model and which indicate that pre-existing strain does not enhance damage accumulation in the alloy layer

Future use of tritium in mapping pre-bomb groundwater volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Eastoe, C J; Watts, C J; Ploughe, M; Wright, W E

2012-01-01

The tritium input to groundwater, represented as volume-weighted mean tritium concentrations in precipitation, has been close to constant in Tucson and Albuquerque since 1992, and the decrease in tritium concentrations at the tail end of the bomb tritium pulse has ceased. To determine the future usefulness of tritium measurements in southwestern North America, volume-weighted mean tritium levels in seasonal aggregate precipitation samples have been gathered from 26 sites. The averages range from 2 to 9 tritium units (TU). Tritium concentrations increase with site latitude, and possibly with distance from the coast and with site altitude, reflecting local ratios of combination of low-tritium moisture advected from the oceans with high-tritium moisture originating near the tropopause. Tritium used alone as a tool for mapping aquifer volumes containing only pre-bomb recharge to groundwater will become ambiguous when the tritium in precipitation at the end of the bomb tritium pulse decays to levels close to the analytical detection limit. At such a time, tritium in precipitation from the last one to two decades of the bomb pulse will become indistinguishable from pre-bomb recharge. The threshold of ambiguity has already arrived in coastal areas with a mean of 2 TU in precipitation and will follow in the next three decades throughout the study region. Where the mean tritium level is near 5 TU, the threshold will occur between 2025 and 2030, given a detection limit of 0.6 TU. Similar thresholds of ambiguity, with different local timing possible, apply globally. © 2011, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2011, National Ground Water Association.

Consolidation by Prefabricated Vertical Drains with a Threshold Gradient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Guo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper shows the development of an approximate analytical solution of radial consolidation by prefabricated vertical drains with a threshold gradient. To understand the effect of the threshold gradient on consolidation, a parametric analysis was performed using the present solution. The applicability of the present solution was demonstrated in two cases, wherein the comparisons with Hansbo’s results and observed data were conducted. It was found that (1 the flow with the threshold gradient would not occur instantaneously throughout the whole unit cell. Rather, it gradually occurs from the vertical drain to the outside; (2 the moving boundary would never reach the outer radius of influence if R+1threshold gradient is, the greater the long-term excess pore pressure will be; and (5 the present solution could predict the consolidation behavior in soft clay better than previous methods.

The adaptive value of gluttony: predators mediate the life history trade-offs of satiation threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruitt, J N; Krauel, J J

2010-10-01

Animals vary greatly in their tendency to consume large meals. Yet, whether or how meal size influences fitness in wild populations is infrequently considered. Using a predator exclusion, mark-recapture experiment, we estimated selection on the amount of food accepted during an ad libitum feeding bout (hereafter termed 'satiation threshold') in the wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata. Individually marked, size-matched females of known satiation threshold were assigned to predator exclusion and predator inclusion treatments and tracked for a 40-day period. We also estimated the narrow-sense heritability of satiation threshold using dam-on-female-offspring regression. In the absence of predation, high satiation threshold was positively associated with larger and faster egg case production. However, these selective advantages were lost when predators were present. We estimated the heritability of satiation threshold to be 0.56. Taken together, our results suggest that satiation threshold can respond to selection and begets a life history trade-off in this system: high satiation threshold individuals tend to produce larger egg cases but also suffer increased susceptibility to predation. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Effects of low strength pedaling exercise on stress sensitivity and pain threshold

OpenAIRE

坂野, 裕洋

2017-01-01

　This study conducted a comparative assessment of the effects of low intensity lower limb pedaling exercise on the stress sensitivity and pain threshold in healthy subjects and those with chronic stiff neck or lower back pain. The results showed a reduction in pain threshold depending on the applied mechanical stress in both healthy and chronic pain groups. The individuals with chronic pain felt pain more intensely compared to the healthy individuals, and showed a significant reduction in pai...

General description of few-body break-up processes at threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrachina, R.O.

2005-01-01

In this communication we describe the effects produced by an N-body threshold behavior in N + 1 body break-up processes, as it occurs in situations where one of the fragments acquires almost all the excess energy of the system. Furthermore, we relate the appearance of discontinuities in single-particle multiply differential cross sections to the threshold behavior of the remaining particles, and describe the applicability of these ideas to different systems from atomic, molecular and nuclear collision physics. We finally show that, even though the study of ultracold collisions represents the direct way of gathering information on a break-up system near threshold, the analysis of high-energy collisions provides an alternative, and sometimes advantageous, approach

Picosecond Electric-Field-Induced Threshold Switching in Phase-Change Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalden, Peter; Shu, Michael J; Chen, Frank; Wu, Xiaoxi; Zhu, Yi; Wen, Haidan; Johnston, Scott; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Landreman, Patrick; Brongersma, Mark; Fong, Scott W; Wong, H-S Philip; Sher, Meng-Ju; Jost, Peter; Kaes, Matthias; Salinga, Martin; von Hoegen, Alexander; Wuttig, Matthias; Lindenberg, Aaron M

2016-08-05

Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag_{4}In_{3}Sb_{67}Te_{26}. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales-faster than crystals can nucleate. This supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.

Accelerated Threshold Fatigue Crack Growth Effect-Powder Metallurgy Aluminum Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Piascik, R. S.; Newman, J. A.

2002-01-01

Fatigue crack growth (FCG) research conducted in the near threshold regime has identified a room temperature creep crack growth damage mechanism for a fine grain powder metallurgy (PM) aluminum alloy (8009). At very low (Delta) K, an abrupt acceleration in room temperature FCG rate occurs at high stress ratio (R = K(sub min)/K(sub max)). The near threshold accelerated FCG rates are exacerbated by increased levels of K(sub max) (K(sub max) = 0.4 K(sub IC)). Detailed fractographic analysis correlates accelerated FCG with the formation of crack-tip process zone micro-void damage. Experimental results show that the near threshold and K(sub max) influenced accelerated crack growth is time and temperature dependent.

Pitch perception and production in congenital amusia: Evidence from Cantonese speakers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fang; Chan, Alice H D; Ciocca, Valter; Roquet, Catherine; Peretz, Isabelle; Wong, Patrick C M

2016-07-01

This study investigated pitch perception and production in speech and music in individuals with congenital amusia (a disorder of musical pitch processing) who are native speakers of Cantonese, a tone language with a highly complex tonal system. Sixteen Cantonese-speaking congenital amusics and 16 controls performed a set of lexical tone perception, production, singing, and psychophysical pitch threshold tasks. Their tone production accuracy and singing proficiency were subsequently judged by independent listeners, and subjected to acoustic analyses. Relative to controls, amusics showed impaired discrimination of lexical tones in both speech and non-speech conditions. They also received lower ratings for singing proficiency, producing larger pitch interval deviations and making more pitch interval errors compared to controls. Demonstrating higher pitch direction identification thresholds than controls for both speech syllables and piano tones, amusics nevertheless produced native lexical tones with comparable pitch trajectories and intelligibility as controls. Significant correlations were found between pitch threshold and lexical tone perception, music perception and production, but not between lexical tone perception and production for amusics. These findings provide further evidence that congenital amusia is a domain-general language-independent pitch-processing deficit that is associated with severely impaired music perception and production, mildly impaired speech perception, and largely intact speech production.

Probability of an Abnormal Screening PSA Result Based on Age, Race, and PSA Threshold

Science.gov (United States)

Espaldon, Roxanne; Kirby, Katharine A.; Fung, Kathy Z.; Hoffman, Richard M.; Powell, Adam A.; Freedland, Stephen J.; Walter, Louise C.

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the distribution of screening PSA values in older men and how different PSA thresholds affect the proportion of white, black, and Latino men who would have an abnormal screening result across advancing age groups. Methods We used linked national VA and Medicare data to determine the value of the first screening PSA test (ng/mL) of 327,284 men age 65+ who underwent PSA screening in the VA healthcare system in 2003. We calculated the proportion of men with an abnormal PSA result based on age, race, and common PSA thresholds. Results Among men age 65+, 8.4% had a PSA >4.0ng/mL. The percentage of men with a PSA >4.0ng/mL increased with age and was highest in black men (13.8%) versus white (8.0%) or Latino men (10.0%) (PPSA >4.0ng/mL ranged from 5.1% of Latino men age 65–69 to 27.4% of black men age 85+. Raising the PSA threshold from >4.0ng/mL to >10.0ng/mL, reclassified the greatest percentage of black men age 85+ (18.3% absolute change) and the lowest percentage of Latino men age 65–69 (4.8% absolute change) as being under the biopsy threshold (PPSA threshold together affect the pre-test probability of an abnormal screening PSA result. Based on screening PSA distributions, stopping screening among men whose PSA 10ng/ml has the greatest effect on reducing the number of older black men who will face biopsy decisions after screening. PMID:24439009

Computer calculation of neutron cross sections with Hauser-Feshbach code STAPRE incorporating the hybrid pre-compound emission model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivascu, M.

1983-10-01

Computer codes incorporating advanced nuclear models (optical, statistical and pre-equilibrium decay nuclear reaction models) were used to calculate neutron cross sections needed for fusion reactor technology. The elastic and inelastic scattering (n,2n), (n,p), (n,n'p), (n,d) and (n,γ) cross sections for stable molybdenum isotopes Mosup(92,94,95,96,97,98,100) and incident neutron energy from about 100 keV or a threshold to 20 MeV were calculated using the consistent set of input parameters. The hydrogen production cross section which determined the radiation damage in structural materials of fusion reactors can be simply deduced from the presented results. The more elaborated microscopic models of nuclear level density are required for high accuracy calculations

Maps showing predicted probabilities for selected dissolved oxygen and dissolved manganese threshold events in depth zones used by the domestic and public drinking water supply wells, Central Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Rosecrans, Celia Z.; Nolan, Bernard T.; Gronberg, JoAnn M.

2018-01-31

The purpose of the prediction grids for selected redox constituents—dissolved oxygen and dissolved manganese—are intended to provide an understanding of groundwater-quality conditions at the domestic and public-supply drinking water depths. The chemical quality of groundwater and the fate of many contaminants is influenced by redox processes in all aquifers, and understanding the redox conditions horizontally and vertically is critical in evaluating groundwater quality. The redox condition of groundwater—whether oxic (oxygen present) or anoxic (oxygen absent)—strongly influences the oxidation state of a chemical in groundwater. The anoxic dissolved oxygen thresholds of water, making drinking water undesirable with respect to taste, staining, or scaling. Three dissolved manganese thresholds, supply water wells. The 50 µg/L event threshold represents the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) benchmark for manganese (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2017; California Division of Drinking Water, 2014), whereas the 300 µg/L event threshold represents the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) health-based screening level (HBSL) benchmark, used to put measured concentrations of drinking-water contaminants into a human-health context (Toccalino and others, 2014). The 150 µg/L event threshold represents one-half the USGS HBSL. The resultant dissolved oxygen and dissolved manganese prediction grids may be of interest to water-resource managers, water-quality researchers, and groundwater modelers concerned with the occurrence of natural and anthropogenic contaminants related to anoxic conditions. Prediction grids for selected redox constituents and thresholds were created by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) modeling and mapping team.

Ultrafast two-photon absorption optical thresholding of spectrally coded pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Z.; Shen, S.; Sardesai, H.; Chang, C.-C.; Marsh, J. H.; Karkhanehchi, M. M.; Weiner, A. M.

1999-08-01

We report studies on two-photon absorption (TPA) GaAs p-i-n waveguide photodetectors as optical thresholders for proposed ultrashort pulse optical code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems. For either chirped optical pulses or spectrally phase coded pseudonoise bursts, the TPA photocurrent response reveals a strong pulseshape dependence and shows good agreement with theoretical predictions and results from conventional SHG measurements. The performance limits of the TPA optical thresholders set by the encoded bandwidth in the spectral encoding-decoding process are also discussed based on numerical simulations. Our results show the feasibility of applying such devices as nonlinear intensity discriminators in ultrahigh-speed optical network applications.

Improved Bat Algorithm Applied to Multilevel Image Thresholding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adis Alihodzic

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Multilevel image thresholding is a very important image processing technique that is used as a basis for image segmentation and further higher level processing. However, the required computational time for exhaustive search grows exponentially with the number of desired thresholds. Swarm intelligence metaheuristics are well known as successful and efficient optimization methods for intractable problems. In this paper, we adjusted one of the latest swarm intelligence algorithms, the bat algorithm, for the multilevel image thresholding problem. The results of testing on standard benchmark images show that the bat algorithm is comparable with other state-of-the-art algorithms. We improved standard bat algorithm, where our modifications add some elements from the differential evolution and from the artificial bee colony algorithm. Our new proposed improved bat algorithm proved to be better than five other state-of-the-art algorithms, improving quality of results in all cases and significantly improving convergence speed.

Small-threshold behaviour of two-loop self-energy diagrams: two-particle thresholds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berends, F.A.; Davydychev, A.I.; Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ., Moscow; Smirnov, V.A.; Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ., Moscow

1996-01-01

The behaviour of two-loop two-point diagrams at non-zero thresholds corresponding to two-particle cuts is analyzed. The masses involved in a cut and the external momentum are assumed to be small as compared to some of the other masses of the diagram. By employing general formulae of asymptotic expansions of Feynman diagrams in momenta and masses, we construct an algorithm to derive analytic approximations to the diagrams. In such a way, we calculate several first coefficients of the expansion. Since no conditions on relative values of the small masses and the external momentum are imposed, the threshold irregularities are described analytically. Numerical examples, using diagrams occurring in the standard model, illustrate the convergence of the expansion below the first large threshold. (orig.)

Key risk indicators for accident assessment conditioned on pre-crash vehicle trajectory.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, X; Wong, Y D; Li, M Z F; Chai, C

2018-08-01

Accident events are generally unexpected and occur rarely. Pre-accident risk assessment by surrogate indicators is an effective way to identify risk levels and thus boost accident prediction. Herein, the concept of Key Risk Indicator (KRI) is proposed, which assesses risk exposures using hybrid indicators. Seven metrics are shortlisted as the basic indicators in KRI, with evaluation in terms of risk behaviour, risk avoidance, and risk margin. A typical real-world chain-collision accident and its antecedent (pre-crash) road traffic movements are retrieved from surveillance video footage, and a grid remapping method is proposed for data extraction and coordinates transformation. To investigate the feasibility of each indicator in risk assessment, a temporal-spatial case-control is designed. By comparison, Time Integrated Time-to-collision (TIT) performs better in identifying pre-accident risk conditions; while Crash Potential Index (CPI) is helpful in further picking out the severest ones (the near-accident). Based on TIT and CPI, the expressions of KRIs are developed, which enable us to evaluate risk severity with three levels, as well as the likelihood. KRI-based risk assessment also reveals predictive insights about a potential accident, including at-risk vehicles, locations and time. Furthermore, straightforward thresholds are defined flexibly in KRIs, since the impact of different threshold values is found not to be very critical. For better validation, another independent real-world accident sample is examined, and the two results are in close agreement. Hierarchical indicators such as KRIs offer new insights about pre-accident risk exposures, which is helpful for accident assessment and prediction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactivity of food products in the region of the ''Kozloduj'' atomic power station in the pre-exploitation period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jotov, M.; Petkov, T.; Zlatanova, R.; Boyadzhiev, A.

1976-01-01

The pre-exploitation status of the region of the ''Kozloduj'' atomic power stationand its torch zone, regarding the concentration of the biologically most dangerous artificial isotopes in the basic food products was determined. The tested foods were milk, meat, wheat, fish and grapes produced at the most important and basic production regions in the controled region. The radioactive isotope concentrations in the analyzed food produxts are reported. They will serve as a basis in assessing any eventual additional contamination of the region as a result of the work of the ''Kozloduj'' electric power station. (author)

PENGARUH PERLAKUAN PENDAHULUAN SEBELUM PENGERINGAN TERHADAP INSTAN JAGUNG MUDA [Effects of Pre-treatments Prior Drying on Young Corn Kernel Instant (YCKI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marleni Limonu1

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to study the effects of pre-gelatinization and freezing processes on physico-chemical characteristics of young corn kernel instant. The results showed that pre-gelatinization and slow freezing processes significantly affected bulk density, rehidration capacity, hardness and cooking time of young corn kernel instant. The study of water sorption isothermic showed that the product had a sigmoid curve. Based on this curve, shelf life of the product had been calculated. The YCKI waxy, YCKI Flint, and YCKI Sweet products packed in alufo had shelf life of 7.2, 12.1 and 13.8 months respectively.

The anti pp yields anti λ λ reaction near threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maher, C.J.

1986-06-01

Measurements of differential and integrated cross sections as well as final state polarizations for the anti p p → anti Λ Λ reaction are presented. The reaction was studied at two incident antiproton momenta (1476.5 MeV/c and 1507.5 MeV/c) corresponding to total center of mass energies of 15.5 MeV and 26.4 MeV above the reaction threshold. The trajectories of charged decay products of the anti Λ and Λ were observed in a multiwire proportional chamber and in two sets of drift chambers. The data were analyzed with a computer program which reconstructed anti p p → anti Λ Λ → anti p π + pπ - events and performed kinematic fitting. The results are compared to several recent meson exchange calculations, and a one-gluon exchange calculation. The experiment was performed at the Low Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN. The data presented represent the first results of the PS185 collaboration's study of the threshold production of hyperon-antihyperon states

Impact of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic pre-treatments on the methane yield from the anaerobic digestion of switchgrass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frigon, Jean-Claude; Mehta, Punita; Guiot, Serge R.

2012-01-01

The conversion of cellulosic crops into biofuels, including methane, is receiving a lot of attention lately. Panicum vergatum, or switchgrass, is a warm season perennial grass well adapted to grow in North America. Different pre-treatments were tested in 0.5 l batch reactors, at 35 °C, in order to enhance the methane production from switchgrass, including temperature, sonication, alkalinization and autoclaving. The methane production on the basis of volatile solids (VS) added to the fermentation were 112.4 ± 8.4, 132.5 ± 9.7 and 139.8 ml g −1 after 38 days of incubation for winter harvested switchgrass (WHS) after grinding, grinding with alkalinization, and grinding with alkalinization and autoclaving, respectively. The methane production was higher for fresh summer harvested switchgrass (SHS), with a production of 256.6 ± 8.2 ml g −1 VS after mulching, alkalinization and autoclaving. The methane production from SHS was improved by 29 and 42% when applying lignin (LiP) or manganese peroxidase (MnP), at 202.1 ± 9.8 and 222.9 ± 22.5 ml g −1 VS, respectively. The combination of an alkali pre-treatment with the MnP increased the methane production furthermore at 297.7 ml g −1 VS. The use of pectinases without chemical pre-treatment showed promising yields at 287.4 and 239.5 ml g −1 VS for pectate-lyase and poly-galacturonase, respectively. An estimation of the methane yield per hectare of crop harvested resulted in net energy production of 29.8, 49.7 and 78.1 GJ for winter harvested switchgrass, mulched and pretreated summer harvested switchgrass, respectively. Switchgrass represents an interesting candidate as a lignocellulosic crop for methane production. -- Highlights: ► Switchgrass is a model energy crops for biofuels production. ► This study evaluated different pre-treatments to enhance methane production. ► Pre-treatments increase significantly the methane produced from switchgrass. ► Enzymatic pre-treatments were superior to physical and

Fast neutron spectra determination by threshold activation detectors using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kardan, M.R.; Koohi-Fayegh, R.; Setayeshi, S.; Ghiassi-Nejad, M.

2004-01-01

Neural network method was used for fast neutron spectra unfolding in spectrometry by threshold activation detectors. The input layer of the neural networks consisted of 11 neurons for the specific activities of neutron-induced nuclear reaction products, while the output layers were fast neutron spectra which had been subdivided into 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20 energy bins. Neural network training was performed by 437 fast neutron spectra and corresponding threshold activation detector readings. The trained neural network have been applied for unfolding 50 spectra, which were not in training sets and the results were compared with real spectra and unfolded spectra by SANDII. The best results belong to 10 energy bin spectra. The neural network was also trained by detector readings with 5% uncertainty and the response of the trained neural network to detector readings with 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 50% uncertainty was compared with real spectra. Neural network algorithm, in comparison with other unfolding methods, is very fast and needless to detector response matrix and any prior information about spectra and also the outputs have low sensitivity to uncertainty in the activity measurements. The results show that the neural network algorithm is useful when a fast response is required with reasonable accuracy

Improved patient specific seizure detection during pre-surgical evaluation.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Chua, Eric C-P

2011-04-01

There is considerable interest in improved off-line automated seizure detection methods that will decrease the workload of EEG monitoring units. Subject-specific approaches have been demonstrated to perform better than subject-independent ones. However, for pre-surgical diagnostics, the traditional method of obtaining a priori data to train subject-specific classifiers is not practical. We present an alternative method that works by adapting the threshold of a subject-independent to a specific subject based on feedback from the user.

Modified Discrete Grey Wolf Optimizer Algorithm for Multilevel Image Thresholding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linguo Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The computation of image segmentation has become more complicated with the increasing number of thresholds, and the option and application of the thresholds in image thresholding fields have become an NP problem at the same time. The paper puts forward the modified discrete grey wolf optimizer algorithm (MDGWO, which improves on the optimal solution updating mechanism of the search agent by the weights. Taking Kapur’s entropy as the optimized function and based on the discreteness of threshold in image segmentation, the paper firstly discretizes the grey wolf optimizer (GWO and then proposes a new attack strategy by using the weight coefficient to replace the search formula for optimal solution used in the original algorithm. The experimental results show that MDGWO can search out the optimal thresholds efficiently and precisely, which are very close to the result examined by exhaustive searches. In comparison with the electromagnetism optimization (EMO, the differential evolution (DE, the Artifical Bee Colony (ABC, and the classical GWO, it is concluded that MDGWO has advantages over the latter four in terms of image segmentation quality and objective function values and their stability.

Stress relaxation insensitive designs for metal compliant mechanism threshold accelerometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Vilorio

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We present two designs for metal compliant mechanisms for use as threshold accelerometers which require zero external power. Both designs rely on long, thin flexures positioned orthogonally to a flat body. The first design involves cutting or stamping a thin spring-steel sheet and then bending elements to form the necessary thin flexors. The second design uses precut spring-steel flexure elements mounted into a mold which is then filled with molten tin to form a bimetallic device. Accelerations necessary to switch the devices between bistable states were measured using a centrifuge. Both designs showed very little variation in threshold acceleration due to stress relaxation over a period of several weeks. Relatively large variations in threshold acceleration were observed for devices of the same design, most likely due to variations in the angle of the flexor elements relative to the main body of the devices. Keywords: Structural health monitoring, Sensor, Accelerometer, Zero power, Shock, Threshold

Pre-big bang cosmology and quantum fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, A.; Pollifrone, G.; Veneziano, G.

2000-01-01

The quantum fluctuations of a homogeneous, isotropic, open pre-big bang model are discussed. By solving exactly the equations for tensor and scalar perturbations we find that particle production is negligible during the perturbative Pre-Big Bang phase

Women show mixed intentions regarding the uptake of HPV vaccinations in pre-adolescents: a questionnaire study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korfage, Ida J.; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Daamen, Ruth; Mols, Floortje; van Ballegooijen, Marjolein

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: The general introduction of HPV vaccination, as the primary prevention of cervical cancer, is the subject of debate in the Netherlands. METHODS: We explored intentions towards HPV vaccinations for pre-adolescents in 1367 women; screen invitees, women with abnormal smears, cervical cancer

Optimal Control of a Make-to-Stock System with Outsourced Production and Price-Sensitive Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liuxin Chen

2014-01-01

and a choice of either high or low price, the system decides at any point in time whether to produce or even outsource for additional capacity as well as which price to sell the product at. We show in the paper that the optimal control policy is of dynamic threshold type: all decisions are based on the product inventory position which represents the state of the system; there is a state dependent base stock level to decide on production and a higher level on outsourcing; and there is a state dependent threshold which divides the choice of high and low prices.

Pre-announcement of symbiotic guests: transcriptional reprogramming by mycorrhizal lipochitooligosaccharides shows a strict co-dependency on the GRAS transcription factors NSP1 and RAM1.

Science.gov (United States)

Hohnjec, Natalija; Czaja-Hasse, Lisa F; Hogekamp, Claudia; Küster, Helge

2015-11-23

More than 80 % of all terrestrial plant species establish an arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis with Glomeromycota fungi. This plant-microbe interaction primarily improves phosphate uptake, but also supports nitrogen, mineral, and water aquisition. During the pre-contact stage, the AM symbiosis is controled by an exchange of diffusible factors from either partner. Amongst others, fungal signals were identified as a mix of sulfated and non-sulfated lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs), being structurally related to rhizobial nodulation (Nod)-factor LCOs that in legumes induce the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. LCO signals are transduced via a common symbiotic signaling pathway (CSSP) that activates a group of GRAS transcription factors (TFs). Using complex gene expression fingerprints as molecular phenotypes, this study primarily intended to shed light on the importance of the GRAS TFs NSP1 and RAM1 for LCO-activated gene expression during pre-symbiotic signaling. We investigated the genome-wide transcriptional responses in 5 days old primary roots of the Medicago truncatula wild type and four symbiotic mutants to a 6 h challenge with LCO signals supplied at 10(-7/-8) M. We were able to show that during the pre-symbiotic stage, sulfated Myc-, non-sulfated Myc-, and Nod-LCO-activated gene expression almost exclusively depends on the LysM receptor kinase NFP and is largely controled by the CSSP, although responses independent of this pathway exist. Our results show that downstream of the CSSP, gene expression activation by Myc-LCOs supplied at 10(-7/-8) M strictly required both the GRAS transcription factors RAM1 and NSP1, whereas those genes either co- or specifically activated by Nod-LCOs displayed a preferential NSP1-dependency. RAM1, a central regulator of root colonization by AM fungi, controled genes activated by non-sulfated Myc-LCOs during the pre-symbiotic stage that are also up-regulated in areas with early physical contact, e.g. hyphopodia and

Coherent π0 electroproduction on the deuteron at threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, B.K.; Sato, T.; Ohtsubo, H.

1989-01-01

We studied the effect of the exchange current on the longitudinal form factor of neutral pion electroproduction. As a result, we obtained a large effect of the exchange current on pion production at threshold with a momentum transfer of 2-3 fm -1 . This reaction may serve as a clear test of the exchange current, which is related to the exchange axial-charge. (orig.)

Quasibound states at thresholds in multichannel impurity scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Wook; Park, Hwa-Kyun; Sim, H-S; Schomerus, Henning

2003-01-01

We investigate the threshold behaviour of transmission resonances and quasibound states in the multichannel scattering problems of a one-dimensional (1D) time-dependent impurity potential, and the related problem of a single impurity in a quasi-1D wire. It was claimed before in the literature that a quasibound state disappears when a transmission zero collides with the subband boundary. However, the transmission line shape, the Friedel sum rule, and the delay time show that the quasibound states still survive and affect the physical quantities. We discuss the relation between threshold behaviour of transmission resonances, and quasibound states and their boundary conditions in the general context of multichannel scatterings

Investigation of the Cause of Low Blister Threshold Temperatures in the RERTR-12 and AFIP-4 Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell K Meyer

2012-06-01

Blister–threshold testing of fuel plates is a standard method through which the safety margin for operation of plate-type in research and test reactors is assessed. The blister-threshold temperature is indicative of the ability of fuel to operate at high temperatures for short periods of time (transient conditions) without failure. This method of testing was applied to the newly developed U-Mo monolithic fuel system. Blister annealing studies on the U-Mo monolithic fuel plates began in 2007, with the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR)-6 experiment, and they have continued as the U-Mo fuel system has evolved through the research and development process. Blister anneal threshold temperatures from early irradiation experiments (RERTR-6 through RERTR-10) ranged from 400 to 500°C. These temperatures were projected to be acceptable for NRC-licensed research reactors and the high-power Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) based on current safety-analysis reports (SARs). Initial blister testing results from the RERTR-12 experiment capsules X1 and X2 showed a decrease in the blister-threshold temperatures. Blister threshold temperatures from this experiment ranged from 300 to 400°C. Selected plates from the AFIP-4 experiment, which was fabricated using a process similar to that used to fabricate the RERTR-12 experiment, also underwent blister testing to determine whether results would be similar. The measured blister-threshold temperatures from the AFIP-4 plates fell within the same blister-threshold temperature range measured in the RERTR-12 plates. Investigation of the cause of this decrease in bister threshold temperature is being conducted under the guidance of Idaho National Laboratory PLN-4155, “Analysis of Low Blister Threshold Temperatures in the RERTR-12 and AFIP-4 Experiments,” and is driven by hypotheses. The main focus of the investigation is in the following areas: 1. Fabrication variables 2. Pre

A new iterative triclass thresholding technique in image segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Hongmin; Yang, Zhong; Cao, Xinhua; Xia, Weiming; Xu, Xiaoyin

2014-03-01

We present a new method in image segmentation that is based on Otsu's method but iteratively searches for subregions of the image for segmentation, instead of treating the full image as a whole region for processing. The iterative method starts with Otsu's threshold and computes the mean values of the two classes as separated by the threshold. Based on the Otsu's threshold and the two mean values, the method separates the image into three classes instead of two as the standard Otsu's method does. The first two classes are determined as the foreground and background and they will not be processed further. The third class is denoted as a to-be-determined (TBD) region that is processed at next iteration. At the succeeding iteration, Otsu's method is applied on the TBD region to calculate a new threshold and two class means and the TBD region is again separated into three classes, namely, foreground, background, and a new TBD region, which by definition is smaller than the previous TBD regions. Then, the new TBD region is processed in the similar manner. The process stops when the Otsu's thresholds calculated between two iterations is less than a preset threshold. Then, all the intermediate foreground and background regions are, respectively, combined to create the final segmentation result. Tests on synthetic and real images showed that the new iterative method can achieve better performance than the standard Otsu's method in many challenging cases, such as identifying weak objects and revealing fine structures of complex objects while the added computational cost is minimal.

Thresholds for decision-making: informing the cost-effectiveness and affordability of rotavirus vaccines in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Loganathan, Tharani; Ng, Chiu-Wan; Lee, Way-Seah; Hutubessy, Raymond C W; Verguet, Stéphane; Jit, Mark

2018-03-01

Cost-effectiveness thresholds (CETs) based on the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (CMH) are extensively used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lacking locally defined CETs. These thresholds were originally intended for global and regional prioritization, and do not reflect local context or affordability at the national level, so their value for informing resource allocation decisions has been questioned. Using these thresholds, rotavirus vaccines are widely regarded as cost-effective interventions in LMICs. However, high vaccine prices remain a barrier towards vaccine introduction. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness, affordability and threshold price of universal rotavirus vaccination at various CETs in Malaysia. Cost-effectiveness of Rotarix and RotaTeq were evaluated using a multi-cohort model. Pan American Health Organization Revolving Fund's vaccine prices were used as tender price, while the recommended retail price for Malaysia was used as market price. We estimate threshold prices defined as prices at which vaccination becomes cost-effective, at various CETs reflecting economic theories of human capital, societal willingness-to-pay and marginal productivity. A budget impact analysis compared programmatic costs with the healthcare budget. At tender prices, both vaccines were cost-saving. At market prices, cost-effectiveness differed with thresholds used. At market price, using 'CMH thresholds', Rotarix programmes were cost-effective and RotaTeq were not cost-effective from the healthcare provider's perspective, while both vaccines were cost-effective from the societal perspective. Using other CETs, both vaccines were not cost-effective at market price, from the healthcare provider's and societal perspectives. At tender and cost-effective prices, rotavirus vaccination cost ∼1 and 3% of the public health budget, respectively. Using locally defined thresholds, rotavirus vaccination is cost-effective at vaccine prices in line

Colour thresholding and objective quantification in bioimaging

Science.gov (United States)

Fermin, C. D.; Gerber, M. A.; Torre-Bueno, J. R.

1992-01-01

Computer imaging is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for the quantification of variables in research and medicine. Whilst its use in medicine has largely been limited to qualitative observations, imaging in applied basic sciences, medical research and biotechnology demands objective quantification of the variables in question. In black and white densitometry (0-256 levels of intensity) the separation of subtle differences between closely related hues from stains is sometimes very difficult. True-colour and real-time video microscopy analysis offer choices not previously available with monochrome systems. In this paper we demonstrate the usefulness of colour thresholding, which has so far proven indispensable for proper objective quantification of the products of histochemical reactions and/or subtle differences in tissue and cells. In addition, we provide interested, but untrained readers with basic information that may assist decisions regarding the most suitable set-up for a project under consideration. Data from projects in progress at Tulane are shown to illustrate the advantage of colour thresholding over monochrome densitometry and for objective quantification of subtle colour differences between experimental and control samples.

A numerical study of threshold states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ata, M.S.; Grama, C.; Grama, N.; Hategan, C.

1979-01-01

There are some experimental evidences of charged particle threshold states. On the statistical background of levels, some simple structures were observed in excitation spectrum. They occur near the coulombian threshold and have a large reduced width for the decay in the threshold channel. These states were identified as charged cluster threshold states. Such threshold states were observed in sup(15,16,17,18)O, sup(18,19)F, sup(19,20)Ne, sup(24)Mg, sup(32)S. The types of clusters involved were d, t, 3 He, α and even 12 C. They were observed in heavy-ions transfer reactions in the residual nucleus as strong excited levels. The charged particle threshold states occur as simple structures at high excitation energy. They could be interesting both from nuclear structure as well as nuclear reaction mechanism point of view. They could be excited as simple structures both in compound and residual nucleus. (author)

Experimental nickel elicitation thresholds--a review focusing on occluded nickel exposure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Louise Arup; Menné, Torkil; Johansen, Jeanne Duus

2005-01-01

Nickel (Ni) is the most frequent cause of contact allergy among the female population. This makes it interesting to examine thresholds for elicitation under different conditions. Even though Ni exposure may be open, occluded, penetrating or oral, most dose-response studies in the literature concern...... single occluded application. The aims of this study were to assess thresholds of response by making a statistical analysis of available dose-response studies with single occluded exposure and comparing the results to thresholds from other modes of exposure. 8 occluded Ni dose-response studies were...... 10% reacted in occluded exposure. When combining the exposure to Ni with an irritant, divagating results were found, although the literature shows evidence of an augmented response when combining exposure to an allergen and an irritant. The thresholds of penetrating exposure were found to be lower...

Aeolian Erosion on Mars - a New Threshold for Saltation

Science.gov (United States)

Teiser, J.; Musiolik, G.; Kruss, M.; Demirci, T.; Schrinski, B.; Daerden, F.; Smith, M. D.; Neary, L.; Wurm, G.

2017-12-01

The Martian atmosphere shows a large variety of dust activity, ranging from local dust devils to global dust storms. Also, sand motion has been observed in form of moving dunes. The dust entrainment into the Martian atmosphere is not well understood due to the small atmospheric pressure of only a few mbar. Laboratory experiments on Earth and numerical models were developed to understand these processes leading to dust lifting and saltation. Experiments so far suggested that large wind velocities are needed to reach the threshold shear velocity and to entrain dust into the atmosphere. In global circulation models this threshold shear velocity is typically reduced artificially to reproduce the observed dust activity. Although preceding experiments were designed to simulate Martian conditions, no experiment so far could scale all parameters to Martian conditions, as either the atmospheric or the gravitational conditions were not scaled. In this work, a first experimental study of saltation under Martian conditions is presented. Martian gravity is reached by a centrifuge on a parabolic flight, while pressure (6 mbar) and atmospheric composition (95% CO2, 5% air) are adjusted to Martian levels. A sample of JSC 1A (grain sizes from 10 - 100 µm) was used to simulate Martian regolith. The experiments showed that the reduced gravity (0.38 g) not only affects the weight of the dust particles, but also influences the packing density within the soil and therefore also the cohesive forces. The measured threshold shear velocity of 0.82 m/s is significantly lower than the measured value for 1 g in ground experiments (1.01 m/s). Feeding the measured value into a Global Circulation Model showed that no artificial reduction of the threshold shear velocity might be needed to reproduce the global dust distribution in the Martian atmosphere.

Preferential access to emotion under attentional blink: evidence for threshold phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szczepanowski Remigiusz

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The present study provides evidence that the activation strength produced by emotional stimuli must pass a threshold level in order to be consciously perceived, contrary to the assumption of continuous quality of representation. An analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC for attentional blink performance was used to distinguish between two (continuous vs. threshold models of emotion perception by inspecting two different ROC’s shapes. Across all conditions, the results showed that performance in the attentional blink task was better described by the two-limbs ROC predicted by the Krantz threshold model than by the curvilinear ROC implied by the signal-detection theory.

Evaluation of the cross-sections of threshold reactions leading to the production of long-lived radionuclides during irradiation of steels by thermonuclear spectrum neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blokhin, A.I.; Buleeva, N.N.; Manokhin, V.N.; Mikhajlyukova, M.V.; Nasyrova, S.M.; Skripova, M.V.

2002-01-01

The present paper analyses and evaluates the cross-sections of threshold reactions leading to the production of long-lived radionuclides during the irradiation, by thermonuclear spectrum neutrons, of steels containing V, Ti, Cr, Fe and Ni. On the basis of empirical systematics. a new evaluation of the (n,2n), (n,p), (n,np), (n,α) and (n,nα) excitation functions is made for all isotopes of V, Ti, Cr, Fe and Ni and for intermediate isotopes produced in the chain from irradiated isotopes up to production of the long-lived radionuclides 39 Ar, 42 Ar, 41 Ca, 53 Mn, 60 Fe, 60 Co, 59 Ni and 63 Ni. A comparison is made with the experimental and other evaluated data. (author)

Conceptions of nuclear threshold status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quester, G.H.

1991-01-01

This paper reviews some alternative definitions of nuclear threshold status. Each of them is important, and major analytical confusions would result if one sense of the term is mistaken for another. The motives for nations entering into such threshold status are a blend of civilian and military gains, and of national interests versus parochial or bureaucratic interests. A portion of the rationale for threshold status emerges inevitably from the pursuit of economic goals, and another portion is made more attraction by the derives of the domestic political process. Yet the impact on international security cannot be dismissed, especially where conflicts among the states remain real. Among the military or national security motives are basic deterrence, psychological warfare, war-fighting and, more generally, national prestige. In the end, as the threshold phenomenon is assayed for lessons concerning the role of nuclear weapons more generally in international relations and security, one might conclude that threshold status and outright proliferation coverage to a degree in the motives for all of the states involved and in the advantages attained. As this paper has illustrated, nuclear threshold status is more subtle and more ambiguous than outright proliferation, and it takes considerable time to sort out the complexities. Yet the world has now had a substantial amount of time to deal with this ambiguous status, and this may tempt more states to exploit it

Threshold resummation at N3LL accuracy and soft-virtual cross sections at N3LO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catani, Stefano; Cieri, Leandro; Florian, Daniel de; Ferrera, Giancarlo; Grazzini, Massimiliano

2014-01-01

We consider QCD radiative corrections to the production of colorless high-mass systems in hadron collisions. We show that the recent computation of the soft-virtual corrections to Higgs boson production at N 3 LO [1] together with the universality structure of soft-gluon emission can be exploited to extract the general expression of the hard-virtual coefficient that contributes to threshold resummation at N 3 LL accuracy. The hard-virtual coefficient is directly related to the process-dependent virtual amplitude through a universal (process-independent) factorization formula that we explicitly evaluate up to three-loop order. As an application, we present the explicit expression of the soft-virtual N 3 LO corrections for the production of an arbitrary colorless system. In the case of the Drell–Yan process, we confirm the recent result of Ref. [2

Threshold resummation at N3LL accuracy and soft-virtual cross sections at N3LO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Catani

2014-11-01

Full Text Available We consider QCD radiative corrections to the production of colorless high-mass systems in hadron collisions. We show that the recent computation of the soft-virtual corrections to Higgs boson production at N3LO [1] together with the universality structure of soft-gluon emission can be exploited to extract the general expression of the hard-virtual coefficient that contributes to threshold resummation at N3LL accuracy. The hard-virtual coefficient is directly related to the process-dependent virtual amplitude through a universal (process-independent factorization formula that we explicitly evaluate up to three-loop order. As an application, we present the explicit expression of the soft-virtual N3LO corrections for the production of an arbitrary colorless system. In the case of the Drell–Yan process, we confirm the recent result of Ref. [2].

Water balance creates a threshold in soil pH at the global scale

Science.gov (United States)

Slessarev, E. W.; Lin, Y.; Bingham, N. L.; Johnson, J. E.; Dai, Y.; Schimel, J. P.; Chadwick, O. A.

2016-12-01

Soil pH regulates the capacity of soils to store and supply nutrients, and thus contributes substantially to controlling productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, soil pH is not an independent regulator of soil fertility—rather, it is ultimately controlled by environmental forcing. In particular, small changes in water balance cause a steep transition from alkaline to acid soils across natural climate gradients. Although the processes governing this threshold in soil pH are well understood, the threshold has not been quantified at the global scale, where the influence of climate may be confounded by the effects of topography and mineralogy. Here we evaluate the global relationship between water balance and soil pH by extracting a spatially random sample (n = 20,000) from an extensive compilation of 60,291 soil pH measurements. We show that there is an abrupt transition from alkaline to acid soil pH that occurs at the point where mean annual precipitation begins to exceed mean annual potential evapotranspiration. We evaluate deviations from this global pattern, showing that they may result from seasonality, climate history, erosion and mineralogy. These results demonstrate that climate creates a nonlinear pattern in soil solution chemistry at the global scale; they also reveal conditions under which soils maintain pH out of equilibrium with modern climate.

Theoretical approach to study the light particles induced production routes of 22Na

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslami, M.; Kakavand, T.; Mirzaii, M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Excitation function of 22 Na via thirty-three various reactions. • Various theoretical frameworks along with adjustments are employed in the calculations. • The results are given at energy range from the threshold up to 100 MeV. • The results are compared with each other and corresponding experimental data. - Abstract: To create a roadmap for the industrial-scale production of sodium-22, various production routes of this radioisotope involving light charged-particle-induced reactions at the bombarding energy range of threshold to a maximum of 100 MeV have been calculated. The excitation functions are calculated by using various nuclear models. Reaction pre-equilibrium process calculations have been made in the framework of the hybrid and geometry dependent hybrid models using ALICE/ASH code, and in the framework of the exciton model using TALYS-1.4 code. To calculate the compound nucleus evaporation process, both Weisskopf–Ewing and Hauser–Feshbach theories have been employed. The cross sections have also separately been estimated with five different level density models at the whole projectile energies. A comparison with calculations based on the codes, on one hand, and experimental data, on the other hand, is arranged and discussed

Optimized Production of Vanillin from Green Vanilla Pods by Enzyme-Assisted Extraction Combined with Pre-Freezing and Thawing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanjun Zhang

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Production of vanillin from natural green vanilla pods was carried out by enzyme-assisted extraction combined with pre-freezing and thawing. In the first step the green vanilla pods were pre-frozen and then thawed to destroy cellular compartmentation. In the second step pectinase from Aspergillus niger was used to hydrolyze the pectin between the glucovanillin substrate and β-glucosidase. Four main variables, including enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time and pH, which were of significance for the vanillin content were studied and a central composite design (CCD based on the results of a single-factor tests was used. Response surface methodology based on CCD was employed to optimize the combination of enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH for maximum vanillin production. This resulted in the optimal condition in regards of the enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH at 84.2 mg, 49.5 °C, 7.1 h, and 4.2, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the experimental yield of vanillin was 4.63% ± 0.11% (dwb, which was in good agreement with the value predicted by the model. Compared to the traditional curing process (1.98% and viscozyme extract (2.36%, the optimized method for the vanillin production significantly increased the yield by 133.85% and 96%, respectively.

Explaining the length threshold of polyglutamine aggregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Los Rios, Paolo; Hafner, Marc; Pastore, Annalisa

2012-01-01

The existence of a length threshold, of about 35 residues, above which polyglutamine repeats can give rise to aggregation and to pathologies, is one of the hallmarks of polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease. The reason why such a minimal length exists at all has remained one of the main open issues in research on the molecular origins of such classes of diseases. Following the seminal proposals of Perutz, most research has focused on the hunt for a special structure, attainable only above the minimal length, able to trigger aggregation. Such a structure has remained elusive and there is growing evidence that it might not exist at all. Here we review some basic polymer and statistical physics facts and show that the existence of a threshold is compatible with the modulation that the repeat length imposes on the association and dissociation rates of polyglutamine polypeptides to and from oligomers. In particular, their dramatically different functional dependence on the length rationalizes the very presence of a threshold and hints at the cellular processes that might be at play, in vivo, to prevent aggregation and the consequent onset of the disease. (paper)

Explaining the length threshold of polyglutamine aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

De Los Rios, Paolo; Hafner, Marc; Pastore, Annalisa

2012-06-01

The existence of a length threshold, of about 35 residues, above which polyglutamine repeats can give rise to aggregation and to pathologies, is one of the hallmarks of polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease. The reason why such a minimal length exists at all has remained one of the main open issues in research on the molecular origins of such classes of diseases. Following the seminal proposals of Perutz, most research has focused on the hunt for a special structure, attainable only above the minimal length, able to trigger aggregation. Such a structure has remained elusive and there is growing evidence that it might not exist at all. Here we review some basic polymer and statistical physics facts and show that the existence of a threshold is compatible with the modulation that the repeat length imposes on the association and dissociation rates of polyglutamine polypeptides to and from oligomers. In particular, their dramatically different functional dependence on the length rationalizes the very presence of a threshold and hints at the cellular processes that might be at play, in vivo, to prevent aggregation and the consequent onset of the disease.

Ethanol production from bamboo using mild alkaline pre-extraction followed by alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zhaoyang; Wen, Yangbing; Kapu, Nuwan Sella

2018-01-01

A sequential two-stage pretreatment process comprising alkaline pre-extraction and alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP) was investigated to convert bamboo carbohydrates into bioethanol. The results showed that mild alkaline pre-extraction using 8% (w/w) sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 100°C for 180min followed by AHP pretreatment with 4% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was sufficient to generate a substrate that could be efficiently digested with low enzyme loadings. Moreover, alkali pre-extraction enabled the use of lower H 2 O 2 charges in AHP treatment. Two-stage pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with only 9FPU/g cellulose led to the recovery of 87% of the original sugars in the raw feedstock. The use of the pentose-hexose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR8u strain enabled the utilization of 95.7% sugars in the hydrolysate to reach 4.6%w/v ethanol titer. The overall process also enabled the recovery of 62.9% lignin and 93.8% silica at high levels of purity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic Semiconductor Wafer Image Segmentation for Defect Detection Using Multilevel Thresholding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saad N.H.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Quality control is one of important process in semiconductor manufacturing. A lot of issues trying to be solved in semiconductor manufacturing industry regarding the rate of production with respect to time. In most semiconductor assemblies, a lot of wafers from various processes in semiconductor wafer manufacturing need to be inspected manually using human experts and this process required full concentration of the operators. This human inspection procedure, however, is time consuming and highly subjective. In order to overcome this problem, implementation of machine vision will be the best solution. This paper presents automatic defect segmentation of semiconductor wafer image based on multilevel thresholding algorithm which can be further adopted in machine vision system. In this work, the defect image which is in RGB image at first is converted to the gray scale image. Median filtering then is implemented to enhance the gray scale image. Then the modified multilevel thresholding algorithm is performed to the enhanced image. The algorithm worked in three main stages which are determination of the peak location of the histogram, segmentation the histogram between the peak and determination of first global minimum of histogram that correspond to the threshold value of the image. The proposed approach is being evaluated using defected wafer images. The experimental results shown that it can be used to segment the defect correctly and outperformed other thresholding technique such as Otsu and iterative thresholding.

Simulations of charge summing and threshold dispersion effects in Medipix3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pennicard, D.; Ballabriga, R.; Llopart, X.; Campbell, M.; Graafsma, H.

2011-01-01

A novel feature of the Medipix3 photon-counting pixel readout chip is inter-pixel communication. By summing together the signals from neighbouring pixels at a series of 'summing nodes', and assigning each hit to the node with the highest signal, the chip can compensate for charge-sharing effects. However, previous experimental tests have demonstrated that the node-to-node variation in the detector's response is very large. Using computer simulations, it is shown that this variation is due to threshold dispersion, which results in many hits being assigned to whichever summing node in the vicinity has the lowest threshold level. A reduction in threshold variation would attenuate but not solve this issue. A new charge summing and hit assignment process is proposed, where the signals in individual pixels are used to determine the hit location, and then signals from neighbouring pixels are summed to determine whether the total photon energy is above threshold. In simulation, this new mode accurately assigns each hit to the pixel with the highest pulse height without any losses or double counting. - Research highlights: → Medipix3 readout chip compensates charge sharing using inter-pixel communication. → In initial production run, the flat-field response is unexpectedly nonuniform. → This effect is reproduced in simulation, and is caused by threshold dispersion. → A new inter-pixel communication process is proposed. → Simulations demonstrate the new process should give much better uniformity.

Compressively sampled MR image reconstruction using generalized thresholding iterative algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Elahi, Sana; kaleem, Muhammad; Omer, Hammad

2018-01-01

Compressed sensing (CS) is an emerging area of interest in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). CS is used for the reconstruction of the images from a very limited number of samples in k-space. This significantly reduces the MRI data acquisition time. One important requirement for signal recovery in CS is the use of an appropriate non-linear reconstruction algorithm. It is a challenging task to choose a reconstruction algorithm that would accurately reconstruct the MR images from the under-sampled k-space data. Various algorithms have been used to solve the system of non-linear equations for better image quality and reconstruction speed in CS. In the recent past, iterative soft thresholding algorithm (ISTA) has been introduced in CS-MRI. This algorithm directly cancels the incoherent artifacts produced because of the undersampling in k -space. This paper introduces an improved iterative algorithm based on p -thresholding technique for CS-MRI image reconstruction. The use of p -thresholding function promotes sparsity in the image which is a key factor for CS based image reconstruction. The p -thresholding based iterative algorithm is a modification of ISTA, and minimizes non-convex functions. It has been shown that the proposed p -thresholding iterative algorithm can be used effectively to recover fully sampled image from the under-sampled data in MRI. The performance of the proposed method is verified using simulated and actual MRI data taken at St. Mary's Hospital, London. The quality of the reconstructed images is measured in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), artifact power (AP), and structural similarity index measure (SSIM). The proposed approach shows improved performance when compared to other iterative algorithms based on log thresholding, soft thresholding and hard thresholding techniques at different reduction factors.

Pressure pain thresholds increase after preconditioning 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with transcranial direct current stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moloney, Tonya M; Witney, Alice G

2014-01-01

The primary motor cortex (M1) is an effective target of non-invasive cortical stimulation (NICS) for pain threshold modulation. It has been suggested that the initial level of cortical excitability of M1 plays a key role in the plastic effects of NICS. Here we investigate whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) primed 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) modulates experimental pressure pain thresholds and if this is related to observed alterations in cortical excitability. 15 healthy, male participants received 10 min 1 mA anodal, cathodal and sham tDCS to the left M1 before 15 min 1 Hz rTMS in separate sessions over a period of 3 weeks. Motor cortical excitability was recorded at baseline, post-tDCS priming and post-rTMS through recording motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from right FDI muscle. Pressure pain thresholds were determined by quantitative sensory testing (QST) through a computerized algometer, on the palmar thenar of the right hand pre- and post-stimulation. Cathodal tDCS-primed 1 Hz-rTMS was found to reverse the expected suppressive effect of 1 Hz rTMS on cortical excitability; leading to an overall increase in activity (ppain thresholds (ppain. This study demonstrates that priming the M1 before stimulation of 1 Hz-rTMS modulates experimental pressure pain thresholds in a safe and controlled manner, producing a form of analgesia.

Precipitation thresholds for landslide occurrence near Seattle, Mukilteo, and Everett, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Scheevel, Caroline R.; Baum, Rex L.; Mirus, Benjamin B.; Smith, Joel B.

2017-04-27

Shallow landslides along coastal bluffs frequently occur in the railway corridor between Seattle and Everett, Washington. These slides disrupt passenger rail service, both because of required track maintenance and because the railroad owner, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, does not allow passenger travel for 48 hours after a disruptive landslide. Sound Transit, which operates commuter trains in the corridor, is interested in a decision-making tool to help preemptively cancel passenger railway service in dangerous conditions and reallocate resources to alternative transportation.Statistical analysis showed that a majority of landslides along the Seattle-Everett Corridor are strongly correlated with antecedent rainfall, but that 21-37 percent of recorded landslide dates experienced less than 1 inch of precipitation in the 3 days preceding the landslide and less than 4 inches of rain in the 15 days prior to the preceding 3 days. We developed two empirical thresholds to identify precipitation conditions correlated with landslide occurrence. The two thresholds are defined as P3 = 2.16-0.44P15 and P3 = 2.16-0.22P32, where P3 is the cumulative precipitation in the 3 days prior to the considered date and P15 or P32 is the cumulative precipitation in the 15 days or 32 days prior to P3 (all measurements given in inches). The two thresholds, when compared to a previously developed threshold, quantitatively improve the prediction rate.We also investigated rainfall intensity-duration (ID) thresholds to determine whether revision would improve identification of moderate-intensity, landslide-producing storms. New, optimized ID thresholds evaluate rainstorms lasting at least 12 hours and identify landslide-inducing storms that were typically missed by previously published ID thresholds. The main advantage of the ID thresholds appears when they are combined with recent-antecedent thresholds because rainfall conditions that exceed both threshold types are more likely to induce

Threshold Concepts in Finance: Student Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Hoadley, Susan; Kyng, Tim; Tickle, Leonie; Wood, Leigh N.

2015-01-01

Finance threshold concepts are the essential conceptual knowledge that underpin well-developed financial capabilities and are central to the mastery of finance. In this paper we investigate threshold concepts in finance from the point of view of students, by establishing the extent to which students are aware of threshold concepts identified by…

Pre-transplant soluble CD30 in combination with total DSA but not pre-transplant C1q-DSA predicts antibody-mediated graft loss in presensitized high-risk kidney transplant recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, S M; Süsal, C; Opelz, G; Döhler, B; Becker, L E; Klein, K; Sickmüller, S; Waldherr, R; Macher-Goeppinger, S; Schemmer, P; Beimler, J; Zeier, M; Morath, C

2016-02-01

Presensitized kidney transplant recipients are at high-risk for early antibody-mediated rejection. We studied the impact of pre- and post-transplant donor-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSA) and T-cell-activation on the occurrence of antibody-mediated rejection episodes (AMR) and graft loss (AMR-GL) in a unique cohort of 80 desensitized high-risk kidney transplant recipients. Patients with pre-transplant DSA demonstrated more AMR episodes than patients without DSA, but did not show a significantly increased rate of AMR-GL. The rates of AMR and AMR-GL were not significantly increased in patients with complement split product (C1q)-binding pre-transplant DSA. Pre-transplant C1q-DSA became undetectable post-transplant in 11 of 13 (85%) patients; 2 (18%) of these 11 patients showed AMR but no AMR-GL. In contrast, the post-transplant presence of C1q-DSA was associated with significantly higher rates of AMR (86 vs 33 vs 0%; P transplant DSA without C1q-binding or the absence of DSA. Patients with both pre-transplant DSA and evidence of pre-transplant T-cell-activation as indicated by soluble CD30-positivity showed a significantly increased risk for AMR-GL [HR = 11.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.68-73.4; log-rank P = 0.013]. In these high-risk patients, AMR-GL was associated with total DSA in combination with T-cell-activation pre-transplant, and de novo or persistent C1q-binding DSA post-transplant. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Near threshold fatigue testing

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, D. C.; Strum, M. J.

1993-01-01

Measurement of the near-threshold fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) behavior provides a basis for the design and evaluation of components subjected to high cycle fatigue. Typically, the near-threshold fatigue regime describes crack growth rates below approximately 10(exp -5) mm/cycle (4 x 10(exp -7) inch/cycle). One such evaluation was recently performed for the binary alloy U-6Nb. The procedures developed for this evaluation are described in detail to provide a general test method for near-threshold FCGR testing. In particular, techniques for high-resolution measurements of crack length performed in-situ through a direct current, potential drop (DCPD) apparatus, and a method which eliminates crack closure effects through the use of loading cycles with constant maximum stress intensity are described.

Interchangeability of biosimilar and biological reference product: updated regulatory positions and pre- and post-marketing evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Trifirò, Gianluca; Marcianò, Ilaria; Ingrasciotta, Ylenia

2018-03-01

Since 2006, biosimilars have been available in several countries worldwide, thus allowing for potential savings in pharmaceutical expenditure. However, there have been numerous debates about the interchangeability of biosimilars and reference products based on concerns of immunogenicity by switching between biological products, which may cause lack of effect and toxicity. Areas covered: The authors provide the reader with an overview of the different positions of regulatory authorities on the interchangeability and automatic substitution of biosimilars and reference products. Presently, the FDA allows automatic substitution without prescriber intervention if the biosimilar is interchangeable with reference products, while the European Medicines Agency delegate to each single EU member state. Expert opinion: Different approaches in defining interchangeability and automatic substitution call for harmonization to increase confidence of healthcare professionals and patients about the clinical impact of switching. Networks of electronic healthcare records and administrative databases, potentially linkable to clinical charts and registries may rapidly assess frequency and benefit-risk profile of different switching patterns in routine care at different levels, thus integrating and strengthening pre-marketing evidence.

Saccharification and hydrolytic enzyme production of alkali pre-treated wheat bran by Trichoderma virens under solid state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Shishtawy, Reda M; Mohamed, Saleh A; Asiri, Abdullah M; Gomaa, Abu-Bakr M; Ibrahim, Ibrahim H; Al-Talhi, Hasan A

2015-05-28

In continuation of our previously interest in the saccharification of agriculture wastes by Bacillus megatherium in solid state fermentation (SSF), we wish to report an investigation and comparative evaluation among Trichoderma sp. for the saccharification of four alkali-pretreated agricultural residues and production of hydrolytic enzymes, carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paperase (FPase), pectinase (PGase) and xylanase (Xylase) in SSF. The optimization of the physiological conditions of production of hydrolytic enzymes and saccharification content from Trichoderma virens using alkali-pretreated wheat bran was the last goal. The physico-chemical parameters of SSF include incubation time, incubation temperature, moisture content of the substrate, incubation pH, supplementation with carbon and nitrogen sources were optimized. Saccharification of different solid state fermentation sources wheat bran, date's seeds, grass and palm leaves, were tested for the production of fermentable sugar by Trichoderma sp. The maximum production of hydrolytic enzymes CMCase, FPase, PGase and Xylase and saccharification content were obtained on wheat bran. Time course, moisture content, optimum temperature, optimum pH, supplementation with carbon and nitrogen sources were optimized to achieve the maximum production of the hydrolytic enzymes, protein and total carbohydrate of T. virens using alkali pre-treated wheat bran. The maximum production of CMCase, FPase, PGase, Xylase, protein and carbohydrate content was recorded at 72 h of incubation, 50-70 % moisture, temperature 25-35 °C and pH 5. The influence of supplementary carbon and nitrogen sources was studied. While lactose and sucrose enhanced the activity of PGase from 79.2 to 582.9 and 632.6 U/g, starch inhibited all other enzymes. This was confirmed by maximum saccharification content. Among the nitrogen sources, yeast extract and urea enhanced the saccharification content and CMCase, PGase and Xylase. The results of

Software thresholds alter the bias of actigraphy for monitoring sleep in team-sport athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Kate L; Juliff, Laura; Gore, Christopher J; Peiffer, Jeremiah J; Halson, Shona L

2017-08-01

Actical ® actigraphy is commonly used to monitor athlete sleep. The proprietary software, called Actiware ® , processes data with three different sleep-wake thresholds (Low, Medium or High), but there is no standardisation regarding their use. The purpose of this study was to examine validity and bias of the sleep-wake thresholds for processing Actical ® sleep data in team sport athletes. Validation study comparing actigraph against accepted gold standard polysomnography (PSG). Sixty seven nights of sleep were recorded simultaneously with polysomnography and Actical ® devices. Individual night data was compared across five sleep measures for each sleep-wake threshold using Actiware ® software. Accuracy of each sleep-wake threshold compared with PSG was evaluated from mean bias with 95% confidence limits, Pearson moment-product correlation and associated standard error of estimate. The Medium threshold generated the smallest mean bias compared with polysomnography for total sleep time (8.5min), sleep efficiency (1.8%) and wake after sleep onset (-4.1min); whereas the Low threshold had the smallest bias (7.5min) for wake bouts. Bias in sleep onset latency was the same across thresholds (-9.5min). The standard error of the estimate was similar across all thresholds; total sleep time ∼25min, sleep efficiency ∼4.5%, wake after sleep onset ∼21min, and wake bouts ∼8 counts. Sleep parameters measured by the Actical ® device are greatly influenced by the sleep-wake threshold applied. In the present study the Medium threshold produced the smallest bias for most parameters compared with PSG. Given the magnitude of measurement variability, confidence limits should be employed when interpreting changes in sleep parameters. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound pre-treatment for anaerobic digestion improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Elvira, S; Fdz-Polanco, M; Plaza, F I; Garralón, G; Fdz-Polanco, F

2009-01-01

Prior research indicates that ultrasounds can be used in batch reactors as pre-treatment before anaerobic digestion, but the specific energy required at laboratory-scale is too high. This work evaluates both the continuous ultrasound device performance (efficiency and solubilisation) and the operation of anaerobic digesters continuously fed with sonicated sludge, and presents energy balance considerations. The results of sludge solubilisation after the sonication treatment indicate that, applying identical specific energy, it is better to increase the power than the residence time. Working with secondary sludge, batch biodegradability tests show that by applying 30 kWh/m3 of sludge, it is possible to increase biogas production by 42%. Data from continuous pilot-scale anaerobic reactors (V=100 L) indicate that operating with a conventional HRT=20 d, a reactor fed with pre-treated sludge increases the volatile solids removal and the biogas production by 25 and 37% respectively. Operating with HRT=15 d, the removal efficiency is similar to the obtained with a reactor fed with non-hydrolysed sludge at HTR=20 d, although the specific biogas productivity per volume of reactor is higher for the pretreated sludge. Regarding the energy balance, although for laboratory-scale devices it is negative, full-scale suppliers state a net generation of 3-10 kW per kW of energy used.

The effectiveness of CPI model to improve positive attitude toward science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Sunarti, T.; Wasis; Madlazim; Suyidno; Prahani, B. K.

2018-03-01

In the previous research, learning material based Construction, Production, and Implementation (CPI) model has been developed to improve scientific literacy and positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher. CPI model has 4 phases, included: 1) Motivation; 2) Construction (Cycle I); 3) Production (Cycle II); and 4) Evaluation. This research is aimed to analyze the effectiveness of CPI model towards the improvement Positive Attitude toward Science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher. This research used one group pre-test and post-test design on 160 pre-service physics teacher divided into 4 groups at Lambung Mangkurat University and Surabaya State University (Indonesia), academic year 2016/2017. Data collection was conducted through questioner, observation, and interview. Positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher measurement were conducted through Positive Attitude toward Science Evaluation Sheet (PATSES). The data analysis technique was done by using Wilcoxon test and n-gain. The results showed that there was a significant increase in positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher at α = 5%, with n-gain average of high category. Thus, the CPI model is effective for improving positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher.

Ozone production by an atmospheric pulsed discharge with pre-ionization electrodes and partly covered electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneda, S.; Shimosaki, M.; Hayashi, N.; Ihara, S.; Satoh, S.; Yamabe, C.

2002-01-01

In this paper, results on ozone production by atmospheric pulsed discharge, are reported. In the research, two types of ozonizer (Type I and Type II) have been used to investigate improvements of ozone concentration and production efficiency. The ozonizer has plane-to-plane metal electrodes structure, and pre-ionization electrodes are placed on the high voltage electrodes (Type I). In Type II, the surface of grounded electrode with 20 mm of width is covered partly by dielectric (thin rubber) with 11 mm of width, while the geometry of both metal electrodes is same to Type I. In the case of Type I, maximum concentration of about 100 ppm and maximum yield of 70 g/kWh were obtained at input power of 0.3 W. On the other hands, in the case of Type II, 800 ppm and 100 g/kWh were obtained at input power of 1.5 W. It was found that the ozone concentration and production yield were improved by using electrode covered by dielectric. (author)

Investigation of excimer laser ablation threshold of polymers using a microphone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krueger, Joerg; Niino, Hiroyuki; Yabe, Akira

2002-09-30

KrF excimer laser ablation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI) and polycarbonate (PC) in air was studied by an in situ monitoring technique using a microphone. The microphone signal generated by a short acoustic pulse represented the etch rate of laser ablation depending on the laser fluence, i.e., the ablation 'strength'. From a linear relationship between the microphone output voltage and the laser fluence, the single-pulse ablation thresholds were found to be 30 mJ cm{sup -2} for PET, 37 mJ cm{sup -2} for PI and 51 mJ cm{sup -2} for PC (20-pulses threshold). The ablation thresholds of PET and PI were not influenced by the number of pulses per spot, while PC showed an incubation phenomenon. A microphone technique provides a simple method to determine the excimer laser ablation threshold of polymer films.

Bioethanol production by cashew apple bagasse (Anacardium occidentale L.): comparison of acid diluted and alkali pre-treatments; Producao de bioetanol a partir da fibra do caju (Anacardium occidentale L.): comparacao entre o pre-tratamento acido e alcalino

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigues, Tigressa H.S.; Pinheiro, Alvaro D.T.; Goncalves, Luciana R.B. [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Rocha, Maria V.P.; Macedo, Gorete R. de [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Due to the growing environmental awareness on the negative impact resulting from utilization of fossil fuels, and in the search for renewable energy sources, biofuels' interest as Bioethanol has rapidly expanded recently. In this context, lignocellulosic compounds have become center of attention as an abundant and economic alternative source of carbohydrates for ethanol production. In this study, cashew's bagasse acid hydrolysis was initially studied for glucose synthesis and its fermentation towards ethanol production. Sulfuric acid concentration, solids concentration and time were some of the factors evaluated. The highest glucose productivity value (162,9 mg.g de bagaco{sup -1}) , was obtained for 0,6 mol.L{sup -1} of sulfuric acid in an autoclave at 121 deg C for 15 min. For the fermentation of the hydrolyzed material by S. cerevisiae containing 16 {+-} 2,0 g.L{sup -1} of glucose metabolic, the yield and productivity obtained were 0,63 g-g glucose{sup -1} and 1,43 g.L{sup -1}h{sup -1} respectively. Ethanol concentration after 6 h of fermentation of this hydrolyzed was 11 g.L{sup -1}. In the best conditions of acid hydrolysis, a second pre-treatment with diluted sulfuric acid was performed to evaluate availability of hemicelluloses at 160 deg C and 180 deg C. For comparative purposes, alkali pre-treatment was evaluated under the conditions of 0,6 mol.L{sup -1}, 30% p/v of bagasse thermically treated at 121 deg C for 15 minutes. However, concentration of sugars was not sufficient for fermentation. Also, nitrogen supplementation of the hydrolyzed fraction did not influence significantly ethanol production. The results demonstrate that the hydrolyzed fraction from the acid pre-treatment of cashew's bagasse could be utilized for ethanol production. (author)

Interleukin-2 production by human leukemia cell lines of pre-B cell origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holan, V.; Minowada, J.

1993-01-01

Cells of 7 tested human leukemia cell lines of pre-B cell origin (as characterized by immunophenotyping and by the expression of cytoplasmic micro chains, but not by surface immunoglobulins) produced after stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) a lymphokine activity which supported the growth of the interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent CTLL-2 cell line. Three pieces of evidence indicate that the secreted lymphokine was functionally and antigenically very similar, if not identical, to human IL-2: (1) The lymphokine supported the growth of murine IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cells, which did not respond to human lymphokines other than IL-2, but it did not stimulate the growth of murine IL-3-dependent FDC-P2 cells, (2) the biological activity of the lymphokine was was inhibited by monoclonal antibody (mAb) anti-human-IL-2, and (3) the proliferation of IL-2-dependent cells in the presence of the active materials was completely inhibited by the inclusion of the anti-mouse-IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) mAb. Since leukemia cells of immature B-cell origin also synthesize IL-2R, the human pre-B cell leukemias could represent another type of hematological malignancy where the autocrine processes of IL-2 production and utilization are involved in the expansion of the disease. (author)

At-Risk-of-Poverty Threshold

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Táňa Dvornáková

2012-06-01

Full Text Available European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC is a survey on households’ living conditions. The main aim of the survey is to get long-term comparable data on social and economic situation of households. Data collected in the survey are used mainly in connection with the evaluation of income poverty and determinationof at-risk-of-poverty rate. This article deals with the calculation of the at risk-of-poverty threshold based on data from EU-SILC 2009. The main task is to compare two approaches to the computation of at riskof-poverty threshold. The first approach is based on the calculation of the threshold for each country separately,while the second one is based on the calculation of the threshold for all states together. The introduction summarizes common attributes in the calculation of the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, such as disposable household income, equivalised household income. Further, different approaches to both calculations are introduced andadvantages and disadvantages of these approaches are stated. Finally, the at-risk-of-poverty rate calculation is described and comparison of the at-risk-of-poverty rates based on these two different approaches is made.

Interlocking-induced stiffness in stochastically microcracked materials beyond the transport percolation threshold

Science.gov (United States)

Picu, R. C.; Pal, A.; Lupulescu, M. V.

2016-04-01

We study the mechanical behavior of two-dimensional, stochastically microcracked continua in the range of crack densities close to, and above, the transport percolation threshold. We show that these materials retain stiffness up to crack densities much larger than the transport percolation threshold due to topological interlocking of sample subdomains. Even with a linear constitutive law for the continuum, the mechanical behavior becomes nonlinear in the range of crack densities bounded by the transport and stiffness percolation thresholds. The effect is due to the fractal nature of the fragmentation process and is not linked to the roughness of individual cracks.

Error threshold inference from Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite rainfall data and interpolated ground-based rainfall measurements in Metro Manila

Science.gov (United States)

Ampil, L. J. Y.; Yao, J. G.; Lagrosas, N.; Lorenzo, G. R. H.; Simpas, J.

2017-12-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is a group of satellites that provides global observations of precipitation. Satellite-based observations act as an alternative if ground-based measurements are inadequate or unavailable. Data provided by satellites however must be validated for this data to be reliable and used effectively. In this study, the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) Final Run v3 half-hourly product is validated by comparing against interpolated ground measurements derived from sixteen ground stations in Metro Manila. The area considered in this study is the region 14.4° - 14.8° latitude and 120.9° - 121.2° longitude, subdivided into twelve 0.1° x 0.1° grid squares. Satellite data from June 1 - August 31, 2014 with the data aggregated to 1-day temporal resolution are used in this study. The satellite data is directly compared to measurements from individual ground stations to determine the effect of the interpolation by contrast against the comparison of satellite data and interpolated measurements. The comparisons are calculated by taking a fractional root-mean-square error (F-RMSE) between two datasets. The results show that interpolation improves errors compared to using raw station data except during days with very small amounts of rainfall. F-RMSE reaches extreme values of up to 654 without a rainfall threshold. A rainfall threshold is inferred to remove extreme error values and make the distribution of F-RMSE more consistent. Results show that the rainfall threshold varies slightly per month. The threshold for June is inferred to be 0.5 mm, reducing the maximum F-RMSE to 9.78, while the threshold for July and August is inferred to be 0.1 mm, reducing the maximum F-RMSE to 4.8 and 10.7, respectively. The maximum F-RMSE is reduced further as the threshold is increased. Maximum F-RMSE is reduced to 3.06 when a rainfall threshold of 10 mm is applied over the entire duration of JJA. These results indicate that

The top-antitop threshold at the ILC. NNLL QCD uncertainties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoang, Andre H. [Vienna Univ. (Austria). Faculty of Physics; Stahlhofen, Maximilian [DESY Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group

2013-09-15

We study combined variations of the renormalization and matching scales in order to reliably estimate the perturbative error of the latest NNLL vNRQCD prediction for top-antitop threshold production at a future linear collider. We present results for the total cross section and for the experimentally more relevant case, when moderate cuts are imposed on the reconstructed top and antitop invariant masses.

The top-antitop threshold at the ILC. NNLL QCD uncertainties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, Andre H.; Stahlhofen, Maximilian

2013-09-01

We study combined variations of the renormalization and matching scales in order to reliably estimate the perturbative error of the latest NNLL vNRQCD prediction for top-antitop threshold production at a future linear collider. We present results for the total cross section and for the experimentally more relevant case, when moderate cuts are imposed on the reconstructed top and antitop invariant masses.

Combining task-evoked and spontaneous activity to improve pre-operative brain mapping with fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Michael D; Qian, Tianyi; Madsen, Joseph R; Wang, Danhong; Li, Meiling; Ge, Manling; Zuo, Huan-Cong; Groppe, David M; Mehta, Ashesh D; Hong, Bo; Liu, Hesheng

2016-01-01

Noninvasive localization of brain function is used to understand and treat neurological disease, exemplified by pre-operative fMRI mapping prior to neurosurgical intervention. The principal approach for generating these maps relies on brain responses evoked by a task and, despite known limitations, has dominated clinical practice for over 20years. Recently, pre-operative fMRI mapping based on correlations in spontaneous brain activity has been demonstrated, however this approach has its own limitations and has not seen widespread clinical use. Here we show that spontaneous and task-based mapping can be performed together using the same pre-operative fMRI data, provide complimentary information relevant for functional localization, and can be combined to improve identification of eloquent motor cortex. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of our approach are quantified through comparison with electrical cortical stimulation mapping in eight patients with intractable epilepsy. Broad applicability and reproducibility of our approach are demonstrated through prospective replication in an independent dataset of six patients from a different center. In both cohorts and every individual patient, we see a significant improvement in signal to noise and mapping accuracy independent of threshold, quantified using receiver operating characteristic curves. Collectively, our results suggest that modifying the processing of fMRI data to incorporate both task-based and spontaneous activity significantly improves functional localization in pre-operative patients. Because this method requires no additional scan time or modification to conventional pre-operative data acquisition protocols it could have widespread utility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Aristotelian pre-Socratics, A glance at Aristotle's Narrative from pre-Socratics

OpenAIRE

Mehdi Qavam Safari; M.B Ghomi

2015-01-01

In this article, it's tried to study Aristotle's narrative of  pre-Socratics on the base of Aristotle's texts and mainly using  metaphysics, physics, genesis and decadence books. It is also tried to show how Aristotle has interpreted all the pre-Socratics in one way and on the base of his own philosophy framework. He interprets pre-Socratic Arche as an element that means comprehensive matter which is nothing itself, but everything is combination of it and even considers that as substance and ...

The Measurement of the Relationship between Taiwan’s Bond Funds’ Net Flow and the Investment Risk -Threshold Autoregressive Model

OpenAIRE

Wo-Chiang Lee; Joe-Ming Lee

2014-01-01

This article applies the threshold autoregressive model to investigate the relationship between bond funds’ net flow and investment risk in Taiwan. Our empirical findings show that bond funds’ investors are concerned about the investment return and neglect the investment risk. In particular, when expanding the size of the bond funds, fund investors believe that the fund cannot lose any money on investment products. In order to satisfy investors, bond fund managers only target short-term retur...

Rainfall thresholds for the possible occurrence of landslides in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. T. Brunetti

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In Italy, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides that frequently cause fatalities and large economic damage. Using a variety of information sources, we have compiled a catalogue listing 753 rainfall events that have resulted in landslides in Italy. For each event in the catalogue, the exact or approximate location of the landslide and the time or period of initiation of the slope failure is known, together with information on the rainfall duration D, and the rainfall mean intensity I, that have resulted in the slope failure. The catalogue represents the single largest collection of information on rainfall-induced landslides in Italy, and was exploited to determine the minimum rainfall conditions necessary for landslide occurrence in Italy, and in the Abruzzo Region, central Italy. For the purpose, new national rainfall thresholds for Italy and new regional rainfall thresholds for the Abruzzo Region were established, using two independent statistical methods, including a Bayesian inference method and a new Frequentist approach. The two methods proved complementary, with the Bayesian method more suited to analyze small data sets, and the Frequentist method performing better when applied to large data sets. The new regional thresholds for the Abruzzo Region are lower than the new national thresholds for Italy, and lower than the regional thresholds proposed in the literature for the Piedmont and Lombardy Regions in northern Italy, and for the Campania Region in southern Italy. This is important, because it shows that landslides in Italy can be triggered by less severe rainfall conditions than previously recognized. The Frequentist method experimented in this work allows for the definition of multiple minimum rainfall thresholds, each based on a different exceedance probability level. This makes the thresholds suited for the design of probabilistic schemes for the prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. A scheme based on four

Estimating inventory thresholds for nuclear facilities using DOE STD-1027-92 Attachment 1 Table A.1 ''Thresholds for Radionuclides''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, D.; Hildum, J.S.; Williams, A.C.

1997-01-01

It has recently been reports that Table A.1 of Attachment 1 of DOE STD-1027-92 is being improperly used to determine the Category 3 inventory threshold values for non-reactor nuclear facilities. The concern of this paper is that Safety Analysts and Facility Managers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), as well as at other locations in the DOE Complex, are improperly using the entries in Table A.1. It is noted at this point that the common use of this table is to establish the lower thresholds for both Categories 2 and 3 non-reactor nuclear facilities by considering inventory quantities, as opposed to a postulated accident scenario. This paper will provide insight regarding this error and will show that the error is most likely non-conservative in nature

Effects of visual erotic stimulation on vibrotactile detection thresholds in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Chuanshu; Knight, Peter K; Weerakoon, Patricia; Turman, A Bulent

2007-12-01

This study examined the effects of sexual arousal on vibration detection thresholds in the right index finger of 30 healthy, heterosexual males who reported no sexual dysfunction. Vibrotactile detection thresholds at frequencies of 30, 60, and 100 Hz were assessed before and after watching erotic and control videos using a forced-choice, staircase method. A mechanical stimulator was used to produce the vibratory stimulus. Results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. After watching the erotic video, the vibrotactile detection thresholds at 30, 60, and 100 Hz were significantly reduced (p erotic stimulus. The results show that sexual arousal resulted in an increase in vibrotactile sensitivity to low frequency stimuli in the index finger of sexually functional men.

Summary of DOE threshold limits efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wickham, L.E.; Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.

1987-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has been developing the concept of threshold quantities for use in determining which waste materials may be disposed of as nonradioactive waste in DOE sanitary landfills. Waste above a threshold level could be managed as radioactive or mixed waste (if hazardous chemicals are present); waste below this level would be handled as sanitary waste. After extensive review of a draft threshold guidance document in 1985, a second draft threshold background document was produced in March 1986. The second draft included a preliminary cost-benefit analysis and quality assurance considerations. The review of the second draft has been completed. Final changes to be incorporated include an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of two example sites and recommendations of how to further pursue (i.e. employ) the concept of threshold quantities within the DOE. 3 references

Rapid Estimation of Gustatory Sensitivity Thresholds with SIAM and QUEST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Höchenberger

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptive methods provide quick and reliable estimates of sensory sensitivity. Yet, these procedures are typically developed for and applied to the non-chemical senses only, i.e., to vision, audition, and somatosensation. The relatively long inter-stimulus-intervals in gustatory studies, which are required to minimize adaptation and habituation, call for time-efficient threshold estimations. We therefore tested the suitability of two adaptive yes-no methods based on SIAM and QUEST for rapid estimation of taste sensitivity by comparing test-retest reliability for sucrose, citric acid, sodium chloride, and quinine hydrochloride thresholds. We show that taste thresholds can be obtained in a time efficient manner with both methods (within only 6.5 min on average using QUEST and ~9.5 min using SIAM. QUEST yielded higher test-retest correlations than SIAM in three of the four tastants. Either method allows for taste threshold estimation with low strain on participants, rendering them particularly advantageous for use in subjects with limited attentional or mnemonic capacities, and for time-constrained applications during cohort studies or in the testing of patients and children.

Genetic variation in threshold reaction norms for alternative reproductive tactics in male Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar.

Science.gov (United States)

Piché, Jacinthe; Hutchings, Jeffrey A; Blanchard, Wade

2008-07-07

Alternative reproductive tactics may be a product of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, such that discontinuous variation in life history depends on both the genotype and the environment. Phenotypes that fall below a genetically determined threshold adopt one tactic, while those exceeding the threshold adopt the alternative tactic. We report evidence of genetic variability in maturation thresholds for male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) that mature either as large (more than 1 kg) anadromous males or as small (10-150 g) parr. Using a common-garden experimental protocol, we find that the growth rate at which the sneaker parr phenotype is expressed differs among pure- and mixed-population crosses. Maturation thresholds of hybrids were intermediate to those of pure crosses, consistent with the hypothesis that the life-history switch points are heritable. Our work provides evidence, for a vertebrate, that thresholds for alternative reproductive tactics differ genetically among populations and can be modelled as discontinuous reaction norms for age and size at maturity.

Pre-treatment of soybean plants with calcium stimulates ROS responses and mitigates infection by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Science.gov (United States)

Arfaoui, Arbia; El Hadrami, Abdelbasset; Daayf, Fouad

2018-01-01

Considering the high incidence of white mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in a variety of field crops and vegetables, different control strategies are needed to keep the disease under economical threshold. This study assessed the effect of foliar application of a calcium formulation on disease symptoms, oxalic acid production, and on the oxidative stress metabolism in soybean plants inoculated with each of two isolates of the pathogen that have contrasting aggressiveness (HA, highly-aggressive versus WA, weakly-aggressive). Changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in soybean plants inoculated with S. sclerotiorum isolates were assessed at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post inoculation (hpi). Generation of ROS including hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), anion superoxide (O 2 - ) and hydroxyl radical (OH) was evaluated. Inoculation with the WA isolate resulted in more ROS accumulation compared to the HA isolate. Pre-treatment with the calcium formulation restored ROS production in plants inoculated with the HA isolate. We also noted a marked decrease in oxalic acid content in the leaves inoculated with the HA isolate in presence of calcium, which coincided with an increase in plant ROS production. The expression patterns of genes involved in ROS detoxification in response to the calcium treatments and/or inoculation with S. Sclerotiorum isolates were monitored by RT-qPCR. All of the tested genes showed a higher expression in response to inoculation with the WA isolate. The expression of most genes tested peaked at 6 hpi, which preceded ROS accumulation in the soybean leaves. Overall, these data suggest that foliar application of calcium contributes to a decrease in oxalic acid production and disease, arguably via modulation of the ROS metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Pre-compound emission in low-energy heavy-ion interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Sharma Manoj

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recent experimental studies have shown the presence of pre-compound emission component in heavy ion reactions at low projectile energy ranging from 4 to 7 MeV/nucleons. In earlier measurements strength of the pre-compound component has been estimated from the difference in forward-backward distributions of emitted particles. Present measurement is a part of an ongoing program on the study of reaction dynamics of heavy ion interactions at low energies aimed at investigating the effect of momentum transfer in compound, precompound, complete and incomplete fusion processes in heavy ion reactions. In the present work on the basis of momentum transfer the measurement of the recoil range distributions of heavy residues has been used to decipher the components of compound and pre-compound emission processes in the fusion of 16O projectile with 159Tb and 169Tm targets. The analysis of recoil range distribution measurements show two distinct linear momentum transfer components corresponding to pre-compound and compound nucleus processes are involved. In order to obtain the mean input angular momentum associated with compound and pre-compound emission processes, an online measurement of the spin distributions of the residues has been performed. The analysis of spin distribution indicate that the mean input angular momentum associated with pre-compound products is found to be relatively lower than that associated with compound nucleus process. The pre-compound components obtained from the present analysis are consistent with those obtained from the analysis of excitation functions.

Pre-compound emission in low-energy heavy-ion interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Manoj Kumar; Shuaib, Mohd.; Sharma, Vijay R.; Yadav, Abhishek; Singh, Pushpendra P.; Singh, Devendra P.; Unnati; Singh, B. P.; Prasad, R.

2017-11-01

Recent experimental studies have shown the presence of pre-compound emission component in heavy ion reactions at low projectile energy ranging from 4 to 7 MeV/nucleons. In earlier measurements strength of the pre-compound component has been estimated from the difference in forward-backward distributions of emitted particles. Present measurement is a part of an ongoing program on the study of reaction dynamics of heavy ion interactions at low energies aimed at investigating the effect of momentum transfer in compound, precompound, complete and incomplete fusion processes in heavy ion reactions. In the present work on the basis of momentum transfer the measurement of the recoil range distributions of heavy residues has been used to decipher the components of compound and pre-compound emission processes in the fusion of 16O projectile with 159Tb and 169Tm targets. The analysis of recoil range distribution measurements show two distinct linear momentum transfer components corresponding to pre-compound and compound nucleus processes are involved. In order to obtain the mean input angular momentum associated with compound and pre-compound emission processes, an online measurement of the spin distributions of the residues has been performed. The analysis of spin distribution indicate that the mean input angular momentum associated with pre-compound products is found to be relatively lower than that associated with compound nucleus process. The pre-compound components obtained from the present analysis are consistent with those obtained from the analysis of excitation functions.

A Novel Enclosed Online Control System for Microalgae Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Li

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Microalgae are single celled microscopic organisms which, like plants, convert solar energy into bio-energy through photosynthesis. They can be used to produce a variety of bio-based products, such as bio-food and biodiesel. Large scale algae production can be achieved in open or closed systems. An enclosed online microalgae control production system is presented in this paper. The designed system is composed of a reactor which is placed inside a box with light reflecting surface. Lighting system, CO2 supply, heating, as well as online cell mass monitoring via spectrophotometer, were integrated. The online monitoring of cell mass concentration is coupled to two pumps which remove a certain amount of cell suspension, and take fresh media as an alternative. Also, a LabView program was developed to collect data from a spectrophotometer and processed in a computer. Considering the limited experimental conditions and the pollution possibility for its high productivity if liquid is not properly disposed, food color was used to test the designed novel system in this paper. The results showed that, the system could detect a change in absorption over time with periodic sampling for every 4.8 minutes. When absorption value reach a pre-set gate, pump1 immediately starts to pump out a certain amount of solution?then pump2 starts to pump in fresh media according to the calculated time. The concentration could be controlled below the threshold value. From the continuous test using food color, the designed system showed good stability and controlling accuracy. It provides a good reference for the following microalgae testing experiment in future. Considering the applications of microalgae in agriculture, this research also provides resources for bio-fertilizer.

Economic evaluation and cost-effectiveness thresholds: signals to firms and implications for R & D investment and innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vernon, John A; Goldberg, Robert; Golec, Joseph

2009-01-01

In this article we describe how reimbursement cost-effectiveness thresholds, per unit of health benefit, whether set explicitly or observed implicitly via historical reimbursement decisions, serve as a signal to firms about the commercial viability of their R&D projects (including candidate products for in-licensing). Traditional finance methods for R&D project valuations, such as net present value analyses (NPV), incorporate information from these payer reimbursement signals to help determine which R&D projects should be continued and which should be terminated (in the case of the latter because they yield an NPV important for reimbursement thresholds to reflect the economic value of the unit of health benefit being considered for reimbursement. Thresholds set too low (below the economic value of the health benefit) will result in R&D investment levels that are too low relative to the economic value of R&D (on the margin). Similarly, thresholds set too high (above the economic value of the health benefit) will result in inefficiently high levels of R&D spending. The US in particular, which represents approximately half of the global pharmaceutical market (based on sales), and which seems poised to begin undertaking cost effectiveness in a systematic way, needs to exert caution in setting policies that explicitly or implicitly establish cost-effectiveness reimbursement thresholds for healthcare products and technologies, such as pharmaceuticals.

Pre-treatment of Biomass By Rolling - A Combined Experimental and Numerical Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Schütt; Ravn, Christian; Nielsen, Emil Krabbe

2017-01-01

Pre-treatment of bulk straw material by rolling is studied as a possible method to prepare for subsequent biogas production. A combined experimental and theoretical study is presented. A pilot rolling mill with a double screw feeder is designed and constructed for crushing of bulk straw. Experime...... process window for pre-treatment of wheat straw by roll pressing varying the feed, the roll gap, the roll speed and the moisture content of the bulk straw.......Pre-treatment of bulk straw material by rolling is studied as a possible method to prepare for subsequent biogas production. A combined experimental and theoretical study is presented. A pilot rolling mill with a double screw feeder is designed and constructed for crushing of bulk straw....... Experiments show that the roll speed and the roll reduction should be chosen within a specific range depending on the injection screw speed to avoid blocking or insufficient compaction. A mechanical testing procedure of the bulk straw material including closed die compaction testing as well as simple...