Mean link versus average plaquette tadpoles in lattice NRQCD

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespeare, Norman H.; Trottier, Howard D.

1999-03-01

We compare mean-link and average plaquette tadpole renormalization schemes in the context of the quarkonium hyperfine splittings in lattice NRQCD. Simulations are done for the three quarkonium systems c overlinec, b overlinec, and b overlineb. The hyperfine splittings are computed both at leading and at next-to-leading order in the relativistic expansion. Results are obtained at a large number of lattice spacings. A number of features emerge, all of which favor tadpole renormalization using mean links. This includes much better scaling of the hyperfine splittings in the three quarkonium systems. We also find that relativistic corrections to the spin splittings are smaller with mean-link tadpoles, particularly for the c overlinec and b overlinec systems. We also see signs of a breakdown in the NRQCD expansion when the bare quark mass falls below about one in lattice units (with the bare quark masses turning out to be much larger with mean-link tadpoles).

Mean link versus average plaquette tadpoles in lattice NRQCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shakespeare, Norman H.; Trottier, Howard D.

1999-01-01

We compare mean-link and average plaquette tadpole renormalization schemes in the context of the quarkonium hyperfine splittings in lattice NRQCD. Simulations are done for the three quarkonium systems cc-bar, bc-bar, and bb-bar. The hyperfine splittings are computed both at leading and at next-to-leading order in the relativistic expansion. Results are obtained at a large number of lattice spacings. A number of features emerge, all of which favor tadpole renormalization using mean links. This includes much better scaling of the hyperfine splittings in the three quarkonium systems. We also find that relativistic corrections to the spin splittings are smaller with mean-link tadpoles, particularly for the cc-bar and bc-bar systems. We also see signs of a breakdown in the NRQCD expansion when the bare quark mass falls below about one in lattice units (with the bare quark masses turning out to be much larger with mean-link tadpoles)

Mean link versus average plaquette tadpoles in lattice NRQCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shakespeare, Norman H.; Trottier, Howard D

1999-03-01

We compare mean-link and average plaquette tadpole renormalization schemes in the context of the quarkonium hyperfine splittings in lattice NRQCD. Simulations are done for the three quarkonium systems cc-bar, bc-bar, and bb-bar. The hyperfine splittings are computed both at leading and at next-to-leading order in the relativistic expansion. Results are obtained at a large number of lattice spacings. A number of features emerge, all of which favor tadpole renormalization using mean links. This includes much better scaling of the hyperfine splittings in the three quarkonium systems. We also find that relativistic corrections to the spin splittings are smaller with mean-link tadpoles, particularly for the cc-bar and bc-bar systems. We also see signs of a breakdown in the NRQCD expansion when the bare quark mass falls below about one in lattice units (with the bare quark masses turning out to be much larger with mean-link tadpoles)

Universality and scaling in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael, C.; Teper, M.; Oxford Univ.

1988-01-01

We calculate the lowest glueball masses and the string tension for both Manton's action and for Symanzik's tree-level improved action. We do so on large lattices and for small lattice spacings using techniques recently employed in an extensive investigation of the Wilson plaquette action. Comparing all these results we find that the ratios of the lightest masses are universal to a high degree of accuracy. In particular, we confirm that on large volumes the tensor glueball is heavier than the scalar glueball: m[2 + ] ≅ 1.5 m[0 + ]. We repeat these calculations for larger lattice spacings and find that the string tension follows 2-loop perturbation theory more closely in the case of these alternative actions than in the case of the standard plaquette action. Our attempt to repeat the analysis with Wilson's block-spin improved action foundered on the strong breakdown of positivity apparent in the calculated correlation functions. In all the cases which we were able to study the observed violations of scaling are in the same direction. This suggests that the causes of the scaling violations observed with Wilson's plaquette action are 'semi-universal'. It also weakens the implication of the observed universality for the question of how close we are to the continuum limit. (orig.)

EFFET DU GETTERING SUR LA LONGUEUR DE DIFFUSION DES PLAQUETTES DE SILICIUM SEMICRISTALLIN "SOPLIN"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A MOUHOUB

2003-06-01

Full Text Available L’effet des diffusions du phosphore à haute température (T = 900°C sur la longueur de diffusion (Ln des plaquettes de silicium semicristallin SOPLIN (SOlidification by PLanar INterface est déterminé par la mesure de la réponse spectrale de la photopile réalisée sur le matériau traité. L’influence de ces recuits sur les paramètres photovoltaïques est enregistrée dans les caractéristiques courant - tension sous éclairement simulé et la réponse spectrale.

Self-dual random-plaquette gauge model and the quantum toric code

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Koujin; Nishimori, Hidetoshi

2004-05-01

We study the four-dimensional Z2 random-plaquette lattice gauge theory as a model of topological quantum memory, the toric code in particular. In this model, the procedure of quantum error correction works properly in the ordered (Higgs) phase, and phase boundary between the ordered (Higgs) and disordered (confinement) phases gives the accuracy threshold of error correction. Using self-duality of the model in conjunction with the replica method, we show that this model has exactly the same mathematical structure as that of the two-dimensional random-bond Ising model, which has been studied very extensively. This observation enables us to derive a conjecture on the exact location of the multicritical point (accuracy threshold) of the model, pc=0.889972…, and leads to several nontrivial results including bounds on the accuracy threshold in three dimensions.

Self-dual random-plaquette gauge model and the quantum toric code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Koujin; Nishimori, Hidetoshi

2004-01-01

We study the four-dimensional Z 2 random-plaquette lattice gauge theory as a model of topological quantum memory, the toric code in particular. In this model, the procedure of quantum error correction works properly in the ordered (Higgs) phase, and phase boundary between the ordered (Higgs) and disordered (confinement) phases gives the accuracy threshold of error correction. Using self-duality of the model in conjunction with the replica method, we show that this model has exactly the same mathematical structure as that of the two-dimensional random-bond Ising model, which has been studied very extensively. This observation enables us to derive a conjecture on the exact location of the multicritical point (accuracy threshold) of the model, p c =0.889972..., and leads to several nontrivial results including bounds on the accuracy threshold in three dimensions

Free energy and plaquette expectation value for gluons on the lattice, in three dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panagopoulos, H.; Skouroupathis, A.; Tsapalis, A.

2006-01-01

We calculate the perturbative value of the free energy in lattice QCD in three dimensions, up to three loops. Our calculation is performed using the Wilson formulation for gluons in SU(N) gauge theories. The free energy is directly related to the average plaquette. To carry out the calculation, we compute the coefficients involved in the perturbative expansion of the Free Energy up to three loops, using an automated set of procedures developed by us in Mathematica. The dependence on N is shown explicitly in our results. For purposes of comparison, we also present the individual contributions from every diagram. These have been obtained by means of two independent calculations, in order to cross check our results

Hadron spectrum in quenched lattice QCD and distribution of zero modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasaki, Yoichi

1989-01-01

I report the results of the calculation of the hadron spectrum with the standard one-plaquette gauge action on a 16 3 x48 lattice at β=5.85 in the quenched lattice QCD. The result remarkably agrees with that of quark potential models for the case where the quark mass is equal to or is larger than the strange quark mass, even when one uses the standard one-plaquette gauge action. This is contrary to what is stated in the literature. We clarify the reason of the discrepancy, paying close attention to systematic errors in numerical calculations. Further, I show the distribution of zero modes of quark matrix, both in the cases of a RG improved gauge action and the standard action, and discuss the difference between the two cases. (orig.)

ETUDE EXPERIMENTALE DE L’INFLUENCE DE LA RIGIDITE STATIQUE DES TOURS SUR LE COMPORTEMENT A L’USURE DES PLAQUETTES EN CARBURE METALLIQUE «NUANCE P25 »

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L BOULANOUAR

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Ce travail consiste à étudier expérimentalement l’influence de quelques machines-outils sur le comportement à l’usure des plaquettes en carbure métalliques. Les essais ont été réalisés dans des conditions opératoires proches de celles industrielles. Les machines-outils utilisées sont caractérisées par leurs rigidités. Le suivi de l’évolution de l’usure des plaquettes en fonction du temps (τ et des éléments du régime de coupe (v, f et d sur chaque machine a été établi conformément à la méthode de planification des expériences. Les résultats obtenus ont été traités, analysés et interprétés physiquement.

Geometric spin frustration for isolated plaquettes of the lattices: An extended irreducible tensor operator method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fan; Chen Zhida

2006-01-01

A new strategy to search for the good quantum numbers for the corner-sharing spin systems, as archetypal plaquettes of the lattices, was suggested for the first time in order to study on geometric spin frustration. The calculations on energy spectra by using the irreducible tensor operator method with the new strategy can be much reduced. As representative examples the energy spectra for the spin pentamer of the tetrahedron with a centered spin site and the spin heptamer of three corner-sharing equilateral-triangle were examined in order to confirm efficiency of the new strategy. Through our code, with automatically searching for the good quantum numbers, the projection operators S iz , S ix and S iy matrices in the ground state space for the spin heptamer were reliably constructed

Playing Action Video Games Improves Visuomotor Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Chen, Rongrong; Chen, Jing

2016-08-01

Can playing action video games improve visuomotor control? If so, can these games be used in training people to perform daily visuomotor-control tasks, such as driving? We found that action gamers have better lane-keeping and visuomotor-control skills than do non-action gamers. We then trained non-action gamers with action or nonaction video games. After they played a driving or first-person-shooter video game for 5 or 10 hr, their visuomotor control improved significantly. In contrast, non-action gamers showed no such improvement after they played a nonaction video game. Our model-driven analysis revealed that although different action video games have different effects on the sensorimotor system underlying visuomotor control, action gaming in general improves the responsiveness of the sensorimotor system to input error signals. The findings support a causal link between action gaming (for as little as 5 hr) and enhancement in visuomotor control, and suggest that action video games can be beneficial training tools for driving. © The Author(s) 2016.

Role of fluctuations in the phase transitions of coupled plaquette spin models of glasses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulio Biroli, Charlotte Rulquin, Gilles Tarjus, Marco Tarzia

2016-10-01

Full Text Available We study the role of fluctuations on the thermodynamic glassy properties of plaquette spin models, more specifically on the transition involving an overlap order parameter in the presence of an attractive coupling between different replicas of the system. We consider both short-range fluctuations associated with the local environment on Bethe lattices and long-range fluctuations that distinguish Euclidean from Bethe lattices with the same local environment. We find that the phase diagram in the temperature-coupling plane is very sensitive to the former but, at least for the $3$-dimensional (square pyramid model, appears qualitatively or semi-quantitatively unchanged by the latter. This surprising result suggests that the mean-field theory of glasses provides a reasonable account of the glassy thermodynamics of models otherwise described in terms of the kinetically constrained motion of localized defects and taken as a paradigm for the theory of dynamic facilitation. We discuss the possible implications for the dynamical behavior.

Improved probabilistic inference as a general learning mechanism with action video games.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, C Shawn; Pouget, Alexandre; Bavelier, Daphne

2010-09-14

Action video game play benefits performance in an array of sensory, perceptual, and attentional tasks that go well beyond the specifics of game play [1-9]. That a training regimen may induce improvements in so many different skills is notable because the majority of studies on training-induced learning report improvements on the trained task but limited transfer to other, even closely related, tasks ([10], but see also [11-13]). Here we ask whether improved probabilistic inference may explain such broad transfer. By using a visual perceptual decision making task [14, 15], the present study shows for the first time that action video game experience does indeed improve probabilistic inference. A neural model of this task [16] establishes how changing a single parameter, namely the strength of the connections between the neural layer providing the momentary evidence and the layer integrating the evidence over time, captures improvements in action-gamers behavior. These results were established in a visual, but also in a novel auditory, task, indicating generalization across modalities. Thus, improved probabilistic inference provides a general mechanism for why action video game playing enhances performance in a wide variety of tasks. In addition, this mechanism may serve as a signature of training regimens that are likely to produce transfer of learning. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enactment versus observation: item-specific and relational processing in goal-directed action sequences (and lists of single actions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janette Schult

Full Text Available What are the memory-related consequences of learning actions (such as "apply the patch" by enactment during study, as compared to action observation? Theories converge in postulating that enactment encoding increases item-specific processing, but not the processing of relational information. Typically, in the laboratory enactment encoding is studied for lists of unrelated single actions in which one action execution has no overarching purpose or relation with other actions. In contrast, real-life actions are usually carried out with the intention to achieve such a purpose. When actions are embedded in action sequences, relational information provides efficient retrieval cues. We contrasted memory for single actions with memory for action sequences in three experiments. We found more reliance on relational processing for action-sequences than single actions. To what degree can this relational information be used after enactment versus after the observation of an actor? We found indicators of superior relational processing after observation than enactment in ordered pair recall (Experiment 1A and in emerging subjective organization of repeated recall protocols (recall runs 2-3, Experiment 2. An indicator of superior item-specific processing after enactment compared to observation was recognition (Experiment 1B, Experiment 2. Similar net recall suggests that observation can be as good a learning strategy as enactment. We discuss possible reasons why these findings only partly converge with previous research and theorizing.

Improved continuum limit lattice action for QCD with Wilson fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikholeslami, B.; Wohlert, R.

1985-03-01

Two possible ways of extending Symanzik's improvement programme to lattice fermions namely improvement to first and second order in the lattice spacing 'a' are discussed. The corresponding lattice actions for fermions are constructed and tree level improvement conditions are derived by considering classical improvement. The concept of on shell improvement is generalized to the lattice fermions studied here and the free parameters are determined for O(a) and O(a 2 ) on shell improved actions to all orders of perturbation theory. No evidence is found that the complicated structure of the O(a 2 ) on shell improved action especially the arising fermion contact terms can be removed beyond tree level. The effect of terms in the action that explicitly break chiral symmetry and therefore remove the phenomenon of species doubling are investigated by considering the energy momentum relations of the arising tree level improved actions. Our main result is that the O(a) improved action is a slightly modified Wilson fermion action which can still be written with only nearest neighbour fermion interactions. (orig.)

The Work Compatibility Improvement Framework: theory and application of improvement action and intervention strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Genaidy, Ash M; Rinder, Magda M; Sequeira, Reynold; A-Rehim, Amal D

2009-05-01

Challenges facing management of manufacturing firms can be transformed into asset gains by giving careful consideration to the worker-work environment interface. The benefits of a 'healthy' interface may lead to sizable reductions in rising health care costs and retention of highly qualified workers. This paper presents a novel approach for the 'improve' phase of the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework. The work tasks of this research consisted of: (a) fundamentals of cognitive-based improvement action and intervention; (b) design concepts and process of improvement action/intervention generation; (c) assessment model of estimated gains in company's assets; (d) application demonstration in the manufacturing sector. The process of improvement action/intervention generation is described, preceded by a description of the fundamentals of cognitive-based improvement action and intervention and system architecture. This is followed by a documentation of estimated asset gains as a result of the improvement plan. The results showed that expert workers were, on average, 78% in agreement with the algorithm-identified improvement actions. Their knowledge was used to update the recommended actions as well as to detail the multiple strategies required to address the improvement actions. As a result, an integrated improvement plan was developed resulting in estimated asset gains of $1.6 million, which was validated by the general manager. The research reported herein documented the theory and application of the 'improve' phase of the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework. The economic assessment of the suggested improvement is also reported and this has proved to be an important driver to secure the firm collaboration of manufacturing enterprise management. An integrated improvement solution plan backed by a detailed economic assessment of suggested improvements is essential to demonstrate the full potential of workplace micro- and macro-ergonomic interventions.

4-spin plaquette singlet state in the Shastry-Sutherland compound SrCu2(BO3)2

Science.gov (United States)

Zayed, M. E.; Rüegg, Ch.; Larrea J., J.; Läuchli, A. M.; Panagopoulos, C.; Saxena, S. S.; Ellerby, M.; McMorrow, D. F.; Strässle, Th.; Klotz, S.; Hamel, G.; Sadykov, R. A.; Pomjakushin, V.; Boehm, M.; Jiménez-Ruiz, M.; Schneidewind, A.; Pomjakushina, E.; Stingaciu, M.; Conder, K.; Rønnow, H. M.

2017-10-01

The study of interacting spin systems is of fundamental importance for modern condensed-matter physics. On frustrated lattices, magnetic exchange interactions cannot be simultaneously satisfied, and often give rise to competing exotic ground states. The frustrated two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland lattice realized by SrCu2(BO3)2 (refs ,) is an important test case for our understanding of quantum magnetism. It was constructed to have an exactly solvable 2-spin dimer singlet ground state within a certain range of exchange parameters and frustration. While the exact dimer state and the antiferromagnetic order at both ends of the phase diagram are well known, the ground state and spin correlations in the intermediate frustration range have been widely debated. We report here the first experimental identification of the conjectured plaquette singlet intermediate phase in SrCu2(BO3)2. It is observed by inelastic neutron scattering after pressure tuning to 21.5 kbar. This gapped singlet state leads to a transition to long-range antiferromagnetic order above 40 kbar, consistent with the existence of a deconfined quantum critical point.

Spatio-Temporal Layout of Human Actions for Improved Bag-of-Words Action Detection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burghouts, G.J.; Schutte, K.

2013-01-01

We investigate how human action recognition can be improved by considering spatio-temporal layout of actions. From literature, we adopt a pipeline consisting of STIP features, a random forest to quantize the features into histograms, and an SVM classifier. Our goal is to detect 48 human actions,

Improved motion description for action classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihir eJain

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Even though the importance of explicitly integrating motion characteristics in video descriptions has been demonstrated by several recent papers on action classification, our current work concludes that adequately decomposing visual motion into dominant and residual motions, i.e.: camera and scene motion, significantly improves action recognition algorithms. This holds true both for the extraction of the space-time trajectories and for computation of descriptors.We designed a new motion descriptor – the DCS descriptor – that captures additional information on local motion patterns enhancing results based on differential motion scalar quantities, divergence, curl and shear features. Finally, applying the recent VLAD coding technique proposed in image retrieval provides a substantial improvement for action recognition. These findings are complementary to each other and they outperformed all previously reported results by a significant margin on three challenging datasets: Hollywood 2, HMDB51 and Olympic Sports as reported in (Jain et al. (2013. These results were further improved by (Oneata et al. (2013; Wang and Schmid (2013; Zhu et al. (2013 through the use of the Fisher vector encoding. We therefore also employ Fisher vector in this paper and we further enhance our approach by combining trajectories from both optical flow and compensated flow. We as well provide additional details of DCS descriptors, including visualization. For extending the evaluation, a novel dataset with 101 action classes, UCF101, was added.

Improved lattice fermion action for heavy quarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Yong-Gwi; Hashimoto, Shoji; Jüttner, Andreas; Kaneko, Takashi; Marinkovic, Marina; Noaki, Jun-Ichi; Tsang, Justus Tobias

2015-01-01

We develop an improved lattice action for heavy quarks based on Brillouin-type fermions, that have excellent energy-momentum dispersion relation. The leading discretization errors of O(a) and O(a"2) are eliminated at tree-level. We carry out a scaling study of this improved Brillouin fermion action on quenched lattices by calculating the charmonium energy-momentum dispersion relation and hyperfine splitting. We present a comparison to standard Wilson fermions and domain-wall fermions.

Improving the lattice axial vector current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsley, R.; Perlt, H.; Schiller, A.; Zanotti, J.M.

2015-11-01

For Wilson and clover fermions traditional formulations of the axial vector current do not respect the continuum Ward identity which relates the divergence of that current to the pseudoscalar density. Here we propose to use a point-split or one-link axial vector current whose divergence exactly satisfies a lattice Ward identity, involving the pseudoscalar density and a number of irrelevant operators. We check in one-loop lattice perturbation theory with SLiNC fermion and gauge plaquette action that this is indeed the case including order O(a) effects. Including these operators the axial Ward identity remains renormalisation invariant. First preliminary results of a nonperturbative check of the Ward identity are also presented.

Training Of Manual Actions Improves Language Understanding of Semantically-Related Action Sentences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo eLocatelli

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Conceptual knowledge accessed by language may involve the re-activation of the associated primary sensory-motor processes. Whether these embodied representations are indeed constitutive to conceptual knowledge is hotly debated, particularly since direct evidence that sensory-motor expertise can improve conceptual processing is scarce.In this study, we sought for this crucial piece of evidence, by training naive healthy subjects to perform complex manual actions and by measuring, before and after training, their performance in a semantic language task. 19 participants engaged in 3 weeks of motor training. Each participant was trained in 3 complex manual actions (e.g. origami. Before and after the training period, each subject underwent a series of manual dexterity tests and a semantic language task. The latter consisted of a sentence-picture semantic congruency judgment task, with 6 target congruent sentence-picture pairs (semantically related to the trained manual actions, 6 non-target congruent pairs (semantically unrelated, and 12 filler incongruent pairs.Manual action training induced a significant improvement in all manual dexterity tests, demonstrating the successful acquisition of sensory-motor expertise. In the semantic language task, the reaction times to both target and non-target congruent sentence-image pairs decreased after action training, indicating a more efficient conceptual-semantic processing. Noteworthy, the reaction times for target pairs decreased more than those for non-target pairs, as indicated by the 2x2 interaction. These results were confirmed when controlling for the potential bias of increased frequency of use of target lexical items during manual training.The results of the present study suggest that sensory-motor expertise gained by training of specific manual actions can lead to an improvement of cognitive-linguistic skills related to the specific conceptual-semantic domain associated to the trained actions.

Light Hadron Spectroscopy on course lattices with

CERN Document Server

Lee, F

1999-01-01

The masses and dispersions of light hadrons are calculated in lattice QCD using an O(a sup 2) tadpole-improved gluon action and an O(a sup 2) tadpole-improved next-nearest-neighbor fermion action originally proposed by Hamber and Wu. Two lattices of constant volume with lattice spacings of approximately 0.40 fm and 0.24 fm are considered. The results reveal some scaling violations at the coarser lattice spacing on the order of 5%. At the finer lattice spacing, the nucleon to rho mass ratio reproduces state-of-the-art results using unimproved actions. Good dispersion and rotational invariance up to momenta of pa approx = 1 are also found. The relative merit of alternative choices for improvement operators is assessed through close comparisons with other plaquette-based tadpole-improved actions.

Perturbative determination of mass-dependent renormalization and improvement coefficients for the heavy-light vector and axial-vector currents with relativistic heavy and domain-wall light quarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Norikazu; Aoki, Sinya; Kuramashi, Yoshinobu

2005-01-01

We determine the mass-dependent renormalization as well as improvement coefficients for the heavy-light vector and axial-vector currents consisting of the relativistic heavy and the domain-wall light quarks through the standard matching procedure. The calculation is carried out perturbatively at the one-loop level to remove the systematic error of O(α s (am Q ) n ap) as well as O(α s (am Q ) n ) (n>=0), where p is a typical momentum scale in the heavy-light system. We point out that renormalization and improvement coefficients of the heavy-light vector current agree with those of the axial-vector current, thanks to the exact chiral symmetry for the light quark. The results obtained with three different gauge actions, plaquette, Iwasaki and DBW2, are presented as a function of heavy quark mass and domain-wall height

Single-cell and subcellular pharmacokinetic imaging allows insight into drug action in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Thurber, Greg M; Yang, Katy S; Reiner, Thomas; Kohler, Rainer H; Sorger, Peter; Mitchison, Tim; Weissleder, Ralph

2013-01-01

Pharmacokinetic analysis at the organ level provides insight into how drugs distribute throughout the body, but cannot explain how drugs work at the cellular level. Here we demonstrate in vivo single-cell pharmacokinetic imaging of PARP-1 inhibitors and model drug behaviour under varying conditions. We visualize intracellular kinetics of the PARP-1 inhibitor distribution in real time, showing that PARP-1 inhibitors reach their cellular target compartment, the nucleus, within minutes in vivo both in cancer and normal cells in various cancer models. We also use these data to validate predictive finite element modelling. Our theoretical and experimental data indicate that tumour cells are exposed to sufficiently high PARP-1 inhibitor concentrations in vivo and suggest that drug inefficiency is likely related to proteomic heterogeneity or insensitivity of cancer cells to DNA-repair inhibition. This suggests that single-cell pharmacokinetic imaging and derived modelling improve our understanding of drug action at single-cell resolution in vivo.

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Instructional Staff. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that instructional staff--including teachers, paraprofessionals, and others in the classroom who provide instruction or assistance--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided…

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for District Leaders. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that district leaders--including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of student support services, or others--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for…

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Working with Students. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps to engage students in the school climate improvement process. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage stakeholders in…

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for School Leaders. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that school leaders--including principals, assistant/vice principals, and building leaders--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1)…

Imaging Action Potential in Single Mammalian Neurons by Tracking the Accompanying Sub-Nanometer Mechanical Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yunze; Liu, Xian-Wei; Wang, Hui; Yu, Hui; Guan, Yan; Wang, Shaopeng; Tao, Nongjian

2018-03-28

Action potentials in neurons have been studied traditionally by intracellular electrophysiological recordings and more recently by the fluorescence detection methods. Here we describe a label-free optical imaging method that can measure mechanical motion in single cells with a sub-nanometer detection limit. Using the method, we have observed sub-nanometer mechanical motion accompanying the action potential in single mammalian neurons by averaging the repeated action potential spikes. The shape and width of the transient displacement are similar to those of the electrically recorded action potential, but the amplitude varies from neuron to neuron, and from one region of a neuron to another, ranging from 0.2-0.4 nm. The work indicates that action potentials may be studied noninvasively in single mammalian neurons by label-free imaging of the accompanying sub-nanometer mechanical motion.

Quantitative analysis of single muscle fibre action potentials recorded at known distances

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Albers, B.A.; Put, J.H.M.; Wallinga, W.; Wirtz, P.

1989-01-01

In vivo records of single fibre action potentials (SFAPs) have always been obtained at unknown distance from the active muscle fibre. A new experimental method has been developed enabling the derivation of the recording distance in animal experiments. A single fibre is stimulated with an

Improving multi-tasking ability through action videogames.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiappe, Dan; Conger, Mark; Liao, Janet; Caldwell, J Lynn; Vu, Kim-Phuong L

2013-03-01

The present study examined whether action videogames can improve multi-tasking in high workload environments. Two groups with no action videogame experience were pre-tested using the Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB). It consists of two primary tasks; tracking and fuel management, and two secondary tasks; systems monitoring and communication. One group served as a control group, while a second played action videogames a minimum of 5 h a week for 10 weeks. Both groups returned for a post-assessment on the MATB. We found the videogame treatment enhanced performance on secondary tasks, without interfering with the primary tasks. Our results demonstrate action videogames can increase people's ability to take on additional tasks by increasing attentional capacity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The Data-to-Action Framework: A Rapid Program Improvement Process

Science.gov (United States)

Zakocs, Ronda; Hill, Jessica A.; Brown, Pamela; Wheaton, Jocelyn; Freire, Kimberley E.

2015-01-01

Although health education programs may benefit from quality improvement methods, scant resources exist to help practitioners apply these methods for program improvement. The purpose of this article is to describe the Data-to-Action framework, a process that guides practitioners through rapid-feedback cycles in order to generate actionable data to…

Improving Nutritional Health of the Public through Social Change: Finding Our Roles in Collective Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Raine, Kim D

2014-09-01

Improving the nutritional health of the public continues to be a major challenge. Our mission of advancing health through food and nutrition has become increasingly complex, particularly as food environments shape the availability, affordability, and social acceptability of food and nutrition "choices". Promoting nutritional health requires that dietitians expand our knowledge in understanding the determinants of healthy eating and of social change strategies that advocates for and acts on improving food environments. While no single strategy can solve the challenges of public health nutrition, we can each identify unique strengths and opportunities. If we practice in complementary ways, using those strengths for collective action will make us stronger together toward social change supporting improved nutritional health of the public.

ON-SHELL IMPROVEMENT OF THE MASSIVE WILSON QUARK ACTION.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

AOKI, S.; KAYABA, Y.; KURAMASHI, Y.; YAMADA, N.

2005-04-01

We review a relativistic approach to the heavy quark physics in lattice QCD by applying a relativistic O(a) improvement to the massive Wilson quark action on the lattice. After explaining how power corrections of m{sub Q}a can be avoided and remaining uncertainties are reduced to be of order (a{Lambda}{sub QCD}){sup 2}, we demonstrate a determination of four improvement coefficients in the action up to one-loop level in a mass dependent way. We also show a perturbative determination of mass dependent renormalization factors and O(a) improvement coefficients for the vector and axial vector currents. Some preliminary results of numerical simulations are also presented.

Cultivating collaborative improvement: an action learning approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Middel, H.G.A.; McNichols, Timothy

2006-01-01

The process of implementing collaborative initiatives across disparate members of supply networks is fraught with difficulties. One approach designed to tackle the difficulties of organisational change and interorganisational improvement in practice is 'action learning'. This paper examines the

The robust corrective action priority-an improved approach for selecting competing corrective actions in FMEA based on principle of robust design

Science.gov (United States)

Sutrisno, Agung; Gunawan, Indra; Vanany, Iwan

2017-11-01

In spite of being integral part in risk - based quality improvement effort, studies improving quality of selection of corrective action priority using FMEA technique are still limited in literature. If any, none is considering robustness and risk in selecting competing improvement initiatives. This study proposed a theoretical model to select risk - based competing corrective action by considering robustness and risk of competing corrective actions. We incorporated the principle of robust design in counting the preference score among corrective action candidates. Along with considering cost and benefit of competing corrective actions, we also incorporate the risk and robustness of corrective actions. An example is provided to represent the applicability of the proposed model.

Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Third Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Mertler, Craig A.

2011-01-01

Written for pre- and in-service educators, this "Third Edition" of Craig A. Mertler's "Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators" introduces the process of conducting one's own classroom- or school-based action research in conjunction with everyday instructional practices and activities. The text provides educators with the…

Needed improvements in the development of systemic corrective actions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campisi, John A.

2009-07-01

There are indications that corrective actions, as implemented at Sandia National Laboratories are not fully adequate. Review of independent audits spanning multiple years provides evidence of recurring issues within the same or similar operations and programs. Several external audits have directly called into question the ability Sandia's assessment and evaluation processes to prevent recurrence. Examples of repeated findings include lockout/tagout programs, local exhaust ventilation controls and radiological controls. Recurrence clearly shows that there are underlying systemic factors that are not being adequately addressed by corrective actions stemming from causal analyses. Information suggests that improvements in the conduct of causal analyses and, more importantly, in the development of subsequent corrective actions are warranted. Current methodolgies include Management Oversight Risk Tree, developed in the early 1970s and Systemic Factors Analysis. Recommendations for improvements include review of other causal analysis systems, training, improved formality of operations, improved documentation, and a corporate method that uses truly systemic solutions. This report was written some years ago and is being published now to form the foundation for current, follow-on reports being developed. Some outdated material is recognized but is retained for report completeness.

Action potential propagation recorded from single axonal arbors using multi-electrode arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Tovar, Kenneth R; Bridges, Daniel C; Wu, Bian; Randall, Connor; Audouard, Morgane; Jang, Jiwon; Hansma, Paul K; Kosik, Kenneth S

2018-04-11

We report the presence of co-occurring extracellular action potentials (eAPs) from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons among groups of planar electrodes on multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). The invariant sequences of eAPs among co-active electrode groups, repeated co-occurrences and short inter-electrode latencies are consistent with action potential propagation in unmyelinated axons. Repeated eAP co-detection by multiple electrodes was widespread in all our data records. Co-detection of eAPs confirms they result from the same neuron and allows these eAPs to be isolated from all other spikes independently of spike sorting algorithms. We averaged co-occurring events and revealed additional electrodes with eAPs that would otherwise be below detection threshold. We used these eAP cohorts to explore the temperature sensitivity of action potential propagation and the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channel density and propagation velocity. The sequence of eAPs among co-active electrodes 'fingerprints' neurons giving rise to these events and identifies them within neuronal ensembles. We used this property and the non-invasive nature of extracellular recording to monitor changes in excitability at multiple points in single axonal arbors simultaneously over several hours, demonstrating independence of axonal segments. Over several weeks, we recorded changes in inter-electrode propagation latencies and ongoing changes in excitability in different regions of single axonal arbors. Our work illustrates how repeated eAP co-occurrences can be used to extract physiological data from single axons with low electrode density MEAs. However, repeated eAP co-occurrences leads to over-sampling spikes from single neurons and thus can confound traditional spike-train analysis.

A single action for the scalar-tensor theory of gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roxburgh, I.W.

1977-01-01

The standard form of the scalar-tensor theory gives eleven equations for eleven unknowns, the metric tensor Gsub(ij) and the scalar field phi. Here the scalar field is eliminated to produce a theory that has just ten equations for ten unknown gsub(ij). The resulting expression for the action of fields and matter is contained completely in a single expression. (author)

Leadership Actions to Improve Nuclear Safety Culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clewett, L.K.

2016-01-01

The challenge many leaders face is how to effectively implement and then utilise the results of Safety Culture surveys. Bruce Power has recently successfully implemented changes to the Safety Culture survey process including how corrective actions were identified and implemented. The actions taken in response to the latest survey have proven effective with step change performance noted. Nuclear Safety is a core value for Bruce Power. Nuclear Safety at Bruce Power is based on the following four pillars: reactor safety, industrial safety, radiological safety and environmental safety. Processes and practices are in place to achieve a healthy Nuclear Safety Culture within Bruce Power such that nuclear safety is the overriding priority. This governance is based on industry leading practices which monitor, asses and take action to drive continual improvements in the Nuclear Safety Culture within Bruce Power.

Improved actions for QCD thermodynamics on the lattice

CERN Document Server

Beinlich, B; Laermann, E

1996-01-01

Finite cut-off effects strongly influence the thermodynamics of lattice regularized QCD at high temperature in the standard Wilson formulation. We analyze the reduction of finite cut-off effects in formulations of the thermodynamics of SU(N) gauge theories with three different O(a^2) and O(a^4) improved actions. We calculate the energy density and pressure on finite lattices in leading order weak coupling perturbation theory (T\\rightarrow \\infty) and perform Monte Carlo simulations with improved SU(3) actions at non-zero g^2. Already on lattices with temporal extent N_\\tau=4 we find a strong reduction of finite cut-off effects in the high temperature limit, which persists also down to temperatures a few times the deconfinement transition temperature.

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Working with Families. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines how family members--including guardians of students--can support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage…

Corrective action strategy for single-shell tanks containing organic chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, D.A.

1993-08-01

A Waste Tank Organic Safety Program (Program) Plan is to be transmitted to the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) for approval by December 31, 1993. In April 1993 an agreement was reached among cognizant U.S. Department of Energy - Headquarters (HQ), RL and Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) staff that the Program Plan would be preceded by a ''Corrective Action Strategy,'' which addressed selected planning elements supporting the Program Plan. The ''Corrective Action Strategy'' would be reviewed and consensus reached regarding the planning elements. A Program Plan reflecting this consensus would then be prepared. A preliminary ''corrective action strategy'' is presented for resolving the organic tanks safety issue based on the work efforts recommended in the ISB (Interim Safety Basis for Hanford Site tank farm facilities). A ''corrective action strategy'' logic was prepared for individual SSTs (single-shell tanks), or a group of SSTs having similar characteristics, as appropriate. Four aspects of the organic tanks safety issue are addressed in the ISB: SSTs with the potential for combustion in the tank's headspace; combustion of a floating organic layer as a pool fire; surface fires in tanks that formerly held floating organic layers; SSTs with the potential for organic-nitrate reactions. A preliminary ''corrective action strategy'' for each aspect of the organic tanks safety issue is presented

Renormalized action improvements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachos, C.

1984-01-01

Finite lattice spacing artifacts are suppressed on the renormalized actions. The renormalized action trajectories of SU(N) lattice gauge theories are considered from the standpoint of the Migdal-Kadanoff approximation. The minor renormalized trajectories which involve representations invariant under the center are discussed and quantified. 17 references

Correlates of a single cortical action potential in the epidural EEG

Science.gov (United States)

Teleńczuk, Bartosz; Baker, Stuart N; Kempter, Richard; Curio, Gabriel

2015-01-01

To identify the correlates of a single cortical action potential in surface EEG, we recorded simultaneously epidural EEG and single-unit activity in the primary somatosensory cortex of awake macaque monkeys. By averaging over EEG segments coincident with more than hundred thousand single spikes, we found short-lived (≈ 0.5 ms) triphasic EEG deflections dominated by high-frequency components > 800 Hz. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the grand-averaged spike correlate was 80 nV, which matched theoretical predictions, while single-neuron amplitudes ranged from 12 to 966 nV. Combining these estimates with post-stimulus-time histograms of single-unit responses to median-nerve stimulation allowed us to predict the shape of the evoked epidural EEG response and to estimate the number of contributing neurons. These findings establish spiking activity of cortical neurons as a primary building block of high-frequency epidural EEG, which thus can serve as a quantitative macroscopic marker of neuronal spikes. PMID:25554430

Aspects you should consider in your action plan when implementing an improvement strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Peter; Vinter, Otto

2017-01-01

Both ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE) and ISO/IEC 33014 include a step in their improvement process called: Develop action plan. But which actions should you include, and are you sure that these actions cover all aspects? We have performed a thorough study of the change strategy literature that is the found......Both ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE) and ISO/IEC 33014 include a step in their improvement process called: Develop action plan. But which actions should you include, and are you sure that these actions cover all aspects? We have performed a thorough study of the change strategy literature...

Improved particle confinement in transition from multiple-helicity to quasi-single-helicity regimes of a reversed-field pinch.

Science.gov (United States)

Frassinetti, L; Predebon, I; Koguchi, H; Yagi, Y; Hirano, Y; Sakakita, H; Spizzo, G; White, R B

2006-10-27

The quasi-single-helicity (QSH) state of a reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasma is a regime in which the RFP configuration can be sustained by a dynamo produced mainly by a single tearing mode and in which a helical structure with well-defined magnetic flux surfaces arises. In this Letter, we show that spontaneous transitions to the QSH regime enhance the particle confinement. This improvement is originated by the simultaneous and cooperative action of the increase of the magnetic island and the reduction of the magnetic stochasticity.

Walking but not barking improves verb recovery: implications for action observation treatment in aphasia rehabilitation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Marangolo

Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that action observation treatment without concomitant verbal cue has a positive impact on the recovery of verb retrieval deficits in aphasic patients. In agreement with an embodied cognition viewpoint, a hypothesis has been advanced that gestures and language form a single communication system and words whose retrieval is facilitated by gestures are semantically represented through sensory-motor features. However, it is still an open question as to what extent this treatment approach works. Results from the recovery of motor deficits have suggested that action observation promotes motor recovery only for actions that are part of the motor repertoire of the observer. The aim of the present experiment was to further investigate the role of action observation treatment in verb recovery. In particular, we contrasted the effects induced by observing human actions (e.g. dancing, kicking, pointing, eating versus non human actions (e.g. barking, printing. Seven chronic aphasic patients with a selective deficit in verb retrieval underwent an intensive rehabilitation training that included five daily sessions over two consecutive weeks. Each subject was asked to carefully observe 115 video-clips of actions, one at a time and, after observing them, they had to produce the corresponding verb. Two groups of actions were randomly presented: humans versus nonhuman actions. In all patients, significant improvement in verb retrieval was found only by observing video-clips of human actions. Moreover, follow-up testing revealed long-term verb recovery that was still present two months after the two treatments had ended. In support of the multimodal concept representation's proposal, we suggest that just the observation of actions pertaining to the human motor repertoire is an effective rehabilitation approach for verb recovery.

Ashkin-Teller criticality and weak first-order behavior of the phase transition to a fourfold degenerate state in two-dimensional frustrated Ising antiferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, R. M.; Zhuo, W. Z.; Chen, J.; Qin, M. H.; Zeng, M.; Lu, X. B.; Gao, X. S.; Liu, J.-M.

2017-07-01

We study the thermal phase transition of the fourfold degenerate phases (the plaquette and single-stripe states) in the two-dimensional frustrated Ising model on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice using Monte Carlo simulations. The critical Ashkin-Teller-like behavior is identified both in the plaquette phase region and the single-stripe phase region. The four-state Potts critical end points differentiating the continuous transitions from the first-order ones are estimated based on finite-size-scaling analyses. Furthermore, a similar behavior of the transition to the fourfold single-stripe phase is also observed in the anisotropic triangular Ising model. Thus, this work clearly demonstrates that the transitions to the fourfold degenerate states of two-dimensional Ising antiferromagnets exhibit similar transition behavior.

Improving Teacher Education through Action Research. Routledge Research in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Ming-Fai, Ed.; Grossman, David L., Ed.

2011-01-01

There has been a dearth of studies on teacher educators using action research to improve their own practice. This book is the first systematic study of a group of teachers examining and enhancing their own practice through the inquiry process of action research. This book presents a broad overview of a variety of methodologies that can be used to…

One-dimensional model with fermions in the framework of topological expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azakov, S.I.; Aliev, Eh.S.

1986-01-01

Topological expansion for the one-plaquette U(N) gauge model with fermions is investigated in the leading order for the Wilson and Manton actions. It is shown that the introduction of fermions does not change the phase structure

On a phase transition of a Kosterlitz-thouless-type in the d=4, U(1)-lattice gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchetti, D.H.U.; Perez, J.F.

1986-12-01

The d=4, U(1)-lattice gauge theory with the Villain action may be represented as a locally neutral gas of topological (plaquette) charges which interact via a logarithmically confining potential, is shown. Using this representation a renormalization group analysis to show the existence of a phase transition of the Kosterlitz-Thouless-type was performed. An improved hierarchical version of the model which displays (unlike the usual Migdal-Kadanoff approach) a stable line of gaussian fixed points at low temperatures, which should correspond to the usual deconfining region of these systems is presented. (Author) [pt

Characterizing and improving generalized belief propagation algorithms on the 2D Edwards–Anderson model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domínguez, Eduardo; Lage-Castellanos, Alejandro; Mulet, Roberto; Ricci-Tersenghi, Federico; Rizzo, Tommaso

2011-01-01

We study the performance of different message passing algorithms in the two-dimensional Edwards–Anderson model. We show that the standard belief propagation (BP) algorithm converges only at high temperature to a paramagnetic solution. Then, we test a generalized belief propagation (GBP) algorithm, derived from a cluster variational method (CVM) at the plaquette level. We compare its performance with BP and with other algorithms derived under the same approximation: double loop (DL) and a two-way message passing algorithm (HAK). The plaquette-CVM approximation improves BP in at least three ways: the quality of the paramagnetic solution at high temperatures, a better estimate (lower) for the critical temperature, and the fact that the GBP message passing algorithm converges also to nonparamagnetic solutions. The lack of convergence of the standard GBP message passing algorithm at low temperatures seems to be related to the implementation details and not to the appearance of long range order. In fact, we prove that a gauge invariance of the constrained CVM free energy can be exploited to derive a new message passing algorithm which converges at even lower temperatures. In all its region of convergence this new algorithm is faster than HAK and DL by some orders of magnitude

Role of health education and self-action plan in improving the drug compliance in bronchial asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaude, Gajanan S; Hattiholi, Jyothi; Chaudhury, Alisha

2014-01-01

Considering the prevalence and associated burden of disease due to bronchial asthma, it is mandatory to obtain an optimal control of the disease and to improve outcomes for these patients. But it has been observed that there is very poor adherence to the inhalational therapy which leads to the suboptimal control of the disease. To study the adherence for aerosol therapy in bronchial asthma patients and to assess the impact of health education and self-action plan in improving the compliance to the therapy. A prospective study was done in a total of 500 bronchial asthma patients over a period of 2 years. Once included in the study, the patients were followed-up for a total of 12 weeks for calculation of nonadherence to the aerosol therapy. In nonadherent patients, we employed various health education strategies to improve the compliance in these cases. A total of 500 patients of bronchial asthma who were started on aerosol therapy over duration of 2 years were included in the study. At the end of 12 weeks, it was observed that, only 193 patients (38.6%) had regular compliance and 307 patients (61.4%) were noncompliant to aerosol therapy as prescribed for bronchial asthma. Factors that were associated with poor compliance were: Lower educational level status, poor socioeconomic status, cumbersome regimens, dislike of medication, and distant pharmacies. Nondrug factors that reduced the compliance were: Fears about side effects, anger about condition or its treatment, forgetfulness or complacency, and patient's ill attitudes toward health. After employing the various strategies for improving the compliance in these patients, the compliance increased in 176 patients (57.3%) among the earlier defaulted patients, while the remaining 131 patients (42.7%) were found to be noncompliant even after various educational techniques. Noncompliance in asthma management is a fact of life and no single compliance improving strategy probably will be as effective as a good physician

Improving Cardiac Action Potential Measurements: 2D and 3D Cell Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Daily, Neil J; Yin, Yue; Kemanli, Pinar; Ip, Brian; Wakatsuki, Tetsuro

2015-11-01

Progress in the development of assays for measuring cardiac action potential is crucial for the discovery of drugs for treating cardiac disease and assessing cardiotoxicity. Recently, high-throughput methods for assessing action potential using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cardiomyocytes in both two-dimensional monolayer cultures and three-dimensional tissues have been developed. We describe an improved method for assessing cardiac action potential using an ultra-fast cost-effective plate reader with commercially available dyes. Our methods improve dramatically the detection of the fluorescence signal from these dyes and make way for the development of more high-throughput methods for cardiac drug discovery and cardiotoxicity.

School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Noninstructional Staff. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

2017-01-01

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that noninstructional staff--including guidance counselors, social workers, school psychologists, office staff, bus drivers, maintenance and facility staff, and food service staff--can take to support school…

Analysis of the operator action and the single failure criteria in a SGTR sequence using best estimate assumptions with TRACE 5.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez, G.; Queral, C.; Rebollo-Mena, M.J.; Martínez-Murillo, J.C.; Lopez-Alonso, E.

2013-01-01

deterministic hypothesis such as single failure criteria or loss of offsite power. The behaviour of the reactor is quite diverse depending on the different assumptions made regarding the operator actions. On the other hand, although there are high conservatisms included in the hypothesis, as the single failure criteria, all the results are quite far from the regulatory limits. In addition, some improvements to the Emergency Operating Procedures to minimize the offsite release from the damaged SG in case of a SGTR are outlined taking into account the offsite dose sensitivity results

‘L’ORAGE DES PASSIONS’: EXPRESSING EMOTION ON THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH SINGLE-ACTION HARP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Lane

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The single-action harp was introduced to France in the mid-eighteenth century. The instrument’s popularity reached its zenith in pre-revolutionary Paris as evidenced by the large number of method books and original compositions published for the instrument during this time. One of the first published references to this instrument was an entry in Diderot’s iconic Encyclopédie (1751-­1772 where the author states that the instrument is ‘most suited to expressing tenderness and pain than the other emotions of the soul’. Through reading across key contemporaneous pedagogical, literary and musical sources, with a particular focus on those of influential harpist, writer and pedagogue Stéphanie-Félicité de Genlis (née Du Crest 1746-1830, this paper interrogates how these emotions were performed and expressed on the single-action harp. Recent scholarship has focused on the instrument’s social and gender role, in particular its radical feminisation, in which Genlis has been positioned as a major influence. This article builds upon this research to consider the gendered nature of emotions as expressed on the single-action harp as well as contextualising the instrument’s unique mode of musical-emotional expression within the new musical aesthetic of the late eighteenth century, the Galant and Empfindsamer styles.

Aspects you should consider in your action plan when implementing an improvement strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Peter; Vinter, Otto

2017-01-01

Both ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE) and ISO/IEC 33014 include a step in their improvement process called: Develop action plan. But which actions should you include, and are you sure that these actions cover all aspects? We have performed a thorough study of the change strategy literature that is the found...

Industrial Energy Management Decision Making for Improved Energy Efficiency—Strategic System Perspectives and Situated Action in Combination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrik Thollander

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Improved industrial energy efficiency is a cornerstone in climate change mitigation. Research results suggest that there is still major untapped potential for improved industrial energy efficiency. The major model used to explain the discrepancy between optimal level of energy efficiency and the current level is the barrier model, e.g., different barriers to energy efficiency inhibit adoption of cost-effective measures. The measures outlined in research and policy action plans are almost exclusively technology-oriented, but great potential for energy efficiency improvements is also found in operational measures. Both technology and operational measures are combined in successful energy management practices. Most research in the field of energy management is grounded in engineering science, and theoretical models on how energy management in industry is carried out are scarce. One way to further develop and improve energy management, both theoretically as well as practically, is to explore how a socio-technical perspective can contribute to this understanding. In this article we will further elaborate this potential of cross-pollinating these fields. The aim of this paper is to relate energy management to two theoretical models, situated action and transaction analysis. We conclude that the current model for energy management systems, the input-output model, is insufficient for understanding in-house industrial energy management practices. By the incorporation of situated action and transaction analysis to the currently used input-output model, an enhanced understanding of the complexity of energy management is gained. It is not possible to find a single energy management solution suitable for any industrial company, but rather the idea is to find a reflexive model that can be adjusted from time to time. An idea for such a reflexive model would contain the structural elements from energy management models with consideration for decisions being

Scotland's Knowledge Network: translating knowledge into action to improve quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Wales, A; Graham, S; Rooney, K; Crawford, A

2012-11-01

The Knowledge Network (www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk) is Scotland's online knowledge service for health and social care. It is designed to support practitioners to apply knowledge in frontline delivery of care, helping to translate knowledge into better health-care outcomes through safe, effective, person-centred care. The Knowledge Network helps to combine the worlds of evidence-based practice and quality improvement by providing access to knowledge about the effectiveness of clinical interventions ('know-what') and knowledge about how to implement this knowledge to support individual patients in working health-care environments ('know-how'). An 'evidence and guidance' search enables clinicians to quickly access quality-assured evidence and best practice, while point of care and mobile solutions provide knowledge in actionable formats to embed in clinical workflow. This research-based knowledge is complemented by social networking services and improvement tools which support the capture and exchange of knowledge from experience, facilitating practice change and systems improvement. In these cases, the Knowledge Network supports key components of the knowledge-to-action cycle--acquiring, creating, sharing and disseminating knowledge to improve performance and innovate. It provides a vehicle for implementing the recommendations of the national Knowledge into Action review, which outlines a new national approach to embedding knowledge in frontline practice and systems improvement.

Towards the confirmation of QCD on the lattice. Improved actions and algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, Stefan F.

2009-01-01

Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics has made tremendous progress over the last decade. New and improved simulation algorithms and lattice actions enable simulations of the theory with unprecedented accuracy. In the first part of this thesis, novel simulation algorithms for dynamical overlap fermions are presented. The generic Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm is adapted to treat the singularity in the Molecular Dynamics force, to increase the tunneling rate between different topological sectors and to improve the overall volume scaling of the combined algorithm. With this new method, simulations with dynamical overlap fermions can reach smaller lattice spacings, larger volumes, smaller quark masses, and therefore higher precision than had previously been possible. The second part of this thesis is focused on a large scale simulation aiming to compute the light hadron mass spectrum. This simulation is based on a tree-level Symanzik improved gauge and tree-level improved stout-smeared Wilson clover action. The efficiency of the combination of this action and the improved simulation algorithms used allows to completely control all systematic errors. Therefore, this simulation provides a highly accurate ab initio calculation of the masses of the light hadrons, such as the proton, responsible for 95% of the mass of the visible universe, and confirms Lattice QCD in the light hadron sector. (orig.)

Towards the confirmation of QCD on the lattice. Improved actions and algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krieg, Stefan F.

2009-07-01

Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics has made tremendous progress over the last decade. New and improved simulation algorithms and lattice actions enable simulations of the theory with unprecedented accuracy. In the first part of this thesis, novel simulation algorithms for dynamical overlap fermions are presented. The generic Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm is adapted to treat the singularity in the Molecular Dynamics force, to increase the tunneling rate between different topological sectors and to improve the overall volume scaling of the combined algorithm. With this new method, simulations with dynamical overlap fermions can reach smaller lattice spacings, larger volumes, smaller quark masses, and therefore higher precision than had previously been possible. The second part of this thesis is focused on a large scale simulation aiming to compute the light hadron mass spectrum. This simulation is based on a tree-level Symanzik improved gauge and tree-level improved stout-smeared Wilson clover action. The efficiency of the combination of this action and the improved simulation algorithms used allows to completely control all systematic errors. Therefore, this simulation provides a highly accurate ab initio calculation of the masses of the light hadrons, such as the proton, responsible for 95% of the mass of the visible universe, and confirms Lattice QCD in the light hadron sector. (orig.)

Reduction of a Z(3) gauge theory on the flat lattices to the spin-1 BEG model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ananikian, N.S.; Shcherbakov, R.R.

1995-01-01

The Z(3) gauge model with double plaquette representation of the action on the flat triangular and square lattices is constructed. It is reduced to the spin-1 Blume-Emery-Griffiths (BEG) model. An Ising-type critical line of a second-order phase transition is found. ((orig.))

Negative-Parity Baryon Masses Using O(a)-improved Fermion Action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. Gockeler; R. Horsley; D. Pleiter; P.E.L. Rakow; G. Schierholz; C.M. Maynard; D.G. Richards

2001-06-01

We present a calculation of the mass of the lowest-lying negative-parity J=1/2{sup {minus}} state in quenched QCD. Results are obtained using a non-perturbatively {Omicron}(a)-improved clover fermion action, and a splitting found between the masses of the nucleon, and its parity partner. The calculation is performed on two lattice volumes, and at three lattice spacings, enabling a study of both finite-volume and finite lattice-spacing uncertainties. A comparison is made with results obtained using the unimproved Wilson fermion action.

IAEA-EU Joint Action Partnership in Improving Nuclear Security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-12-01

Nuclear and other radioactive material is on the move and in demand. Used in peaceful applications such as energy, medicine, research and industry, it improves the daily lives of individuals worldwide. Nonetheless, the risk posed by it falling into the wrong hands is a real and growing concern of the international community and one that demands improved nuclear security. Steps to bolster nuclear security and mitigate this risk include accounting for and securing nuclear and radioactive material as well as their related facilities, and helping to prevent theft, sabotage and use with malicious intent. Strong legislative, regulatory and enforcement frameworks, enhanced national capacity, and increased international cooperation in protecting against, and preparing for, any scenario strengthens these measures further. As a result, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved a plan of activities in 2002 to improve nuclear security worldwide. In 2003, the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted its Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Since then, five Contribution Agreements between the European Commission (EC) and the IAEA have been undertaken to provide financial support to IAEA activities in the areas of nuclear security and verification. These 'Joint Actions' assist States in strengthening their nuclear security infrastructure and underscore both the EU and IAEA's commitment to effective cooperation. IAEA-EU JOINT ACTION. The IAEA works to improve and strengthen national nuclear security programmes worldwide. EU support helps to advance the IAEA's efforts by raising awareness and improving understanding of nuclear security and its many component parts. Priority is given to those States that need to determine what radioactive and nuclear material they have, how to control it and how to reduce the risk it poses. Efforts focus on three main areas, strengthening: (i) States' legislative and regulatory

HQET at order 1/m. Pt. 1. Non-perturbative parameters in the quenched approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blossier, Benoit; Della Morte, Michele; Garron, Nicolas; Edinburgh Univ.; Sommer, Rainer

2010-01-01

We determine non-perturbatively the parameters of the lattice HQET Lagrangian and those of heavy-light axial-vector and vector currents in the quenched approximation. The HQET expansion includes terms of order 1/m b . Our results allow to compute, for example, the heavy-light spectrum and B-meson decay constants in the static approximation and to order 1/m b in HQET. The determination of the parameters is separated into universal and non-universal parts. The universal results can be used to determine the parameters for various discretizations. The computation reported in this paper uses the plaquette gauge action and the ''HYP1/2'' action for the b-quark described by HQET. The parameters of the currents also depend on the light-quark action, for which we choose non-perturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermions. (orig.)

HQET at order 1/m. Pt. 1. Non-perturbative parameters in the quenched approximation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blossier, Benoit [Paris XI Univ., 91 - Orsay (France). Lab. de Physique Theorique; Della Morte, Michele [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Kernphysik; Garron, Nicolas [Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). Dept. Fisica Teorica y Inst. de Fisica Teorica UAM/CSIC; Edinburgh Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics and Astronomy - SUPA; Sommer, Rainer [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany). John von Neumann-Inst. fuer Computing NIC

2010-01-15

We determine non-perturbatively the parameters of the lattice HQET Lagrangian and those of heavy-light axial-vector and vector currents in the quenched approximation. The HQET expansion includes terms of order 1/m{sub b}. Our results allow to compute, for example, the heavy-light spectrum and B-meson decay constants in the static approximation and to order 1/m{sub b} in HQET. The determination of the parameters is separated into universal and non-universal parts. The universal results can be used to determine the parameters for various discretizations. The computation reported in this paper uses the plaquette gauge action and the ''HYP1/2'' action for the b-quark described by HQET. The parameters of the currents also depend on the light-quark action, for which we choose non-perturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermions. (orig.)

Does one see gluon condensation after subtraction of mean field perturbation theory from Monte Carlo data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlichting, H.

1985-01-01

We do a linearised mean field calculation in axial gauge for the four dimensional mixed fundamental adjoint SU(2) lattice gauge theory and extract the gluon condensate parameter from the expectation values of the plaquette and the action by subtracting mean field perturbation theory from Monte Carlo data. (orig.)

Improving product development practice: An action-research based approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harmsen, Hanne

In studies of new product development it has often been concluded that to a large extent new product suc-cess is tunder the influence of companies and long lists of direct norma-tive guide-lines have been formulated. Nevertheless descriptive studi that deve-lopment practice is still far from...... studies both purely descriptive and studies identifying success and failure factors, but almost no studies of how companies actually undertake improve-ments, which problems they encounter,, and how/whether they overcome these problems. Action research is proposed as a suitable method for studying...

Progressing beyond SLMTA: Are internal audits and corrective action the key drivers of quality improvement?

Science.gov (United States)

Maina, Robert N; Mengo, Doris M; Mohamud, Abdikher D; Ochieng, Susan M; Milgo, Sammy K; Sexton, Connie J; Moyo, Sikhulile; Luman, Elizabeth T

2014-01-01

Kenya has implemented the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme to facilitate quality improvement in medical laboratories and to support national accreditation goals. Continuous quality improvement after SLMTA completion is needed to ensure sustainability and continue progress toward accreditation. Audits were conducted by qualified, independent auditors to assess the performance of five enrolled laboratories using the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist. End-of-programme (exit) and one year post-programme (surveillance) audits were compared for overall score, star level (from zero to five, based on scores) and scores for each of the 12 Quality System Essential (QSE) areas that make up the SLIPTA checklist. All laboratories improved from exit to surveillance audit (median improvement 38 percentage points, range 5-45 percentage points). Two laboratories improved from zero to one star, two improved from zero to three stars and one laboratory improved from three to four stars. The lowest median QSE scores at exit were: internal audit; corrective action; and occurrence management and process improvement (service, internal audit and information management (≥ 50 percentage points). The two laboratories with the greatest overall improvement focused heavily on the internal audit and corrective action QSEs. Whilst all laboratories improved from exit to surveillance audit, those that focused on the internal audit and corrective action QSEs improved substantially more than those that did not; internal audits and corrective actions may have acted as catalysts, leading to improvements in other QSEs. Systematic identification of core areas and best practices to address them is a critical step toward strengthening public medical laboratories.

Feedback from incident reporting: information and action to improve patient safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Benn, J; Koutantji, M; Wallace, L; Spurgeon, P; Rejman, M; Healey, A; Vincent, C

2009-02-01

Effective feedback from incident reporting systems in healthcare is essential if organisations are to learn from failures in the delivery of care. Despite the wide-scale development and implementation of incident reporting in healthcare, studies in the UK suggest that information concerning system vulnerabilities could be better applied to improve operational safety within organisations. In this article, the findings and implications of research to identify forms of effective feedback from incident reporting are discussed, to promote best practices in this area. The research comprised a mixed methods review to investigate mechanisms of effective feedback for healthcare, drawing upon experience within established reporting programmes in high-risk industry and transport domains. Systematic searches of published literature were undertaken, and 23 case studies describing incident reporting programmes with feedback were identified for analysis from the international healthcare literature. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with 19 subject matter experts across a range of domains, including: civil aviation, maritime, energy, rail, offshore production and healthcare. In analysis, qualitative information from several sources was synthesised into practical requirements for developing effective feedback in healthcare. Both action and information feedback mechanisms were identified, serving safety awareness, improvement and motivational functions. The provision of actionable feedback that visibly improved systems was highlighted as important in promoting future reporting. Fifteen requirements for the design of effective feedback systems were identified, concerning: the role of leadership, the credibility and content of information, effective dissemination channels, the capacity for rapid action and the need for feedback at all levels of the organisation, among others. Above all, the safety-feedback cycle must be closed by ensuring that reporting, analysis and

'Action 2016': AREVA's strategic action plan to improve performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marie, Patricia; Floquet-Daubigeon, Fleur; Michaut, Maxime; De Scorbiac, Marie; Du Repaire, Philippine

2011-01-01

On December 12, 2011, Luc Oursel, Executive Officer of AREVA, and Pierre Aubouin, Chief Financial Executive Officer, presented the group's 'Action 2016' strategic action plan based on an in-depth analysis of the market's outlook. This document makes, first, a Detailed presentation of the 'Action 2016' plan and then presents the group's financial outlook: - Full-year 2011 immediate accounting consequences of the new market environment: operating losses expected in 2011; - 2012-2013 transition period Objective: self-finance capex in cumulative terms; - 2014-2016: safe growth and cash generation, free operating cash flow at break-even beginning in 2013, above euro 1 bn per year beginning in 2015

Webinar: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

Science.gov (United States)

A page to register to view the first webinar in the IAQ Knowledge-to-Action Professional Training Webinar Series: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

Improving the accuracy of admitted subacute clinical costing: an action research approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakkennes, Sharon; Arblaster, Ross; Lim, Kim

2017-08-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to determine whether action research could be used to improve the breadth and accuracy of clinical costing data in an admitted subacute setting Methods The setting was a 100-bed in-patient rehabilitation centre. Using a pre-post study design all admitted subacute separations during the 2011-12 financial year were eligible for inclusion. An action research framework aimed at improving clinical costing methodology was developed and implemented. Results In all, 1499 separations were included in the study. A medical record audit of a random selection of 80 separations demonstrated that the use of an action research framework was effective in improving the breadth and accuracy of the costing data. This was evidenced by a significant increase in the average number of activities costed, a reduction in the average number of activities incorrectly costed and a reduction in the average number of activities missing from the costing, per episode of care. Conclusions Engaging clinicians and cost centre managers was effective in facilitating the development of robust clinical costing data in an admitted subacute setting. Further investigation into the value of this approach across other care types and healthcare services is warranted. What is known about this topic? Accurate clinical costing data is essential for informing price models used in activity-based funding. In Australia, there is currently a lack of robust admitted subacute cost data to inform the price model for this care type. What does this paper add? The action research framework presented in this study was effective in improving the breadth and accuracy of clinical costing data in an admitted subacute setting. What are the implications for practitioners? To improve clinical costing practices, health services should consider engaging key stakeholders, including clinicians and cost centre managers, in reviewing clinical costing methodology. Robust clinical costing data has

Direct detection of a single evoked action potential with MRS in Lumbricus terrestris.

Science.gov (United States)

Poplawsky, Alexander J; Dingledine, Raymond; Hu, Xiaoping P

2012-01-01

Functional MRI (fMRI) measures neural activity indirectly by detecting the signal change associated with the hemodynamic response following brain activation. In order to alleviate the temporal and spatial specificity problems associated with fMRI, a number of attempts have been made to detect neural magnetic fields (NMFs) with MRI directly, but have thus far provided conflicting results. In this study, we used MR to detect axonal NMFs in the median giant fiber of the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, by examining the free induction decay (FID) with a sampling interval of 0.32 ms. The earthworm nerve cords were isolated from the vasculature and stimulated at the threshold of action potential generation. FIDs were acquired shortly after the stimulation, and simultaneous field potential recordings identified the presence or absence of single evoked action potentials. FIDs acquired when the stimulus did not evoke an action potential were summed as background. The phase of the background-subtracted FID exhibited a systematic change, with a peak phase difference of (-1.2 ± 0.3) × 10(-5) radians occurring at a time corresponding to the timing of the action potential. In addition, we calculated the possible changes in the FID magnitude and phase caused by a simulated action potential using a volume conductor model. The measured phase difference matched the theoretical prediction well in both amplitude and temporal characteristics. This study provides the first evidence for the direct detection of a magnetic field from an evoked action potential using MR. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improved Dye Stability in Single-Molecule Fluorescence Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

EcheverrÍa Aitken, Colin; Marshall, R. Andrew; Pugi, Joseph D.

Complex biological systems challenge existing single-molecule methods. In particular, dye stability limits observation time in singlemolecule fluorescence applications. Current approaches to improving dye performance involve the addition of enzymatic oxygen scavenging systems and small molecule additives. We present an enzymatic oxygen scavenging system that improves dye stability in single-molecule experiments. Compared to the currently-employed glucose-oxidase/catalase system, the protocatechuate-3,4-dioxygenase system achieves lower dissolved oxygen concentration and stabilizes single Cy3, Cy5, and Alexa488 fluorophores. Moreover, this system possesses none of the limitations associated with the glucose oxidase/catalase system. We also tested the effects of small molecule additives in this system. Biological reducing agents significantly destabilize the Cy5 fluorophore as a function of reducing potential. In contrast, anti-oxidants stabilize the Cy3 and Alexa488 fluorophores. We recommend use of the protocatechuate-3,4,-dioxygenase system with antioxidant additives, and in the absence of biological reducing agents. This system should have wide application to single-molecule fluorescence experiments.

Can action research strengthen district health management and improve health workforce performance? A research protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Mshelia, C; Huss, R; Mirzoev, T; Elsey, H; Baine, S O; Aikins, M; Kamuzora, P; Bosch-Capblanch, X; Raven, J; Wyss, K; Green, A; Martineau, T

2013-08-30

The single biggest barrier for countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to scale up the necessary health services for addressing the three health-related Millennium Development Goals and achieving Universal Health Coverage is the lack of an adequate and well-performing health workforce. This deficit needs to be addressed both by training more new health personnel and by improving the performance of the existing and future health workforce. However, efforts have mostly been focused on training new staff and less on improving the performance of the existing health workforce. The purpose of this paper is to disseminate the protocol for the PERFORM project and reflect on the key challenges encountered during the development of this methodology and how they are being overcome. The overall aim of the PERFORM project is to identify ways of strengthening district management in order to address health workforce inadequacies by improving health workforce performance in SSA. The study will take place in three districts each in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda using an action research approach. With the support of the country research teams, the district health management teams (DHMTs) will lead on planning, implementation, observation, reflection and redefinition of the activities in the study. Taking into account the national and local human resource (HR) and health systems (HS) policies and practices already in place, 'bundles' of HR/HS strategies that are feasible within the context and affordable within the districts' budget will be developed by the DHMTs to strengthen priority areas of health workforce performance. A comparative analysis of the findings from the three districts in each country will add new knowledge on the effects of these HR/HS bundles on DHMT management and workforce performance and the impact of an action research approach on improving the effectiveness of the DHMTs in implementing these interventions. Different challenges were faced during the development of

Action Video Games Improve Direction Discrimination of Parafoveal Translational Global Motion but Not Reaction Times.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavan, Andrea; Boyce, Matthew; Ghin, Filippo

2016-10-01

Playing action video games enhances visual motion perception. However, there is psychophysical evidence that action video games do not improve motion sensitivity for translational global moving patterns presented in fovea. This study investigates global motion perception in action video game players and compares their performance to that of non-action video game players and non-video game players. Stimuli were random dot kinematograms presented in the parafovea. Observers discriminated the motion direction of a target random dot kinematogram presented in one of the four visual quadrants. Action video game players showed lower motion coherence thresholds than the other groups. However, when the task was performed at threshold, we did not find differences between groups in terms of distributions of reaction times. These results suggest that action video games improve visual motion sensitivity in the near periphery of the visual field, rather than speed response. © The Author(s) 2016.

Improved single ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyce, K.R.

1993-01-01

The author has improved the state of the art for precision mass spectroscopy of a mass doublet to below one part in 10 10 . By alternately loading single ions into a Penning trap, the author has determined the mass ratio M(CO + )/M(N + 2 ) = 0.999 598 887 74(11), an accuracy of 1 x 10 -10 . This is a factor of 4 improvement over previous measurements, and a factor of 10 better than the 1985 atomic mass table adjustment [WAA85a]. Much of the author's apparatus has been rebuilt, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and improving the reliability of the machine. The typical time needed to make and cool a single ion has been reduced from about half an hour to under 5 minutes. This was done by a combination of faster ion-making and a much faster procedure for driving out ions of the wrong species. The improved S/N, in combination with a much better signal processing algorithm to extract the ion phase and frequency from the author's data, has substantially reduced the time required for the actual measurements. This is important now that the measurement time is a substantial fraction of the cycle time (the time to make a new ion and measure it). The improvements allow over 30 comparisons in one night, compared to 2 per night previously. This not only improves the statistics, but eliminates the possibility of large non-Gaussian errors due to sudden magnetic field shifts

Negative-parity baryon masses using an Ο(α)-improved fermion action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goeckeler, M.; Rakow, P.E.L.; Maynard, C.M.; Richards, D.G.; Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA

2001-06-01

We present a calculation of the mass of the lowest-lying negative-parity J = 1/2 - state in quenched QCD. Results are obtained using a non-perturbatively O(a)-improved clover fermion action, and a splitting is found between the masses of the nucleon, and its parity partner. The calculation is performed on two lattice volumes and at three lattice spacings, enabling a study of both finite-volume and finite lattice-spacing uncertainties. A comparison is made with results obtained using the unimproved Wilson fermion action. (orig.)

Origami rules for the construction of localized eigenstates of the Hubbard model in decorated lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, R. G.; Gouveia, J. D.

2015-11-01

We present a method of construction of exact localized many-body eigenstates of the Hubbard model in decorated lattices, both for U = 0 and U → ∞. These states are localized in what concerns both hole and particle movement. The starting point of the method is the construction of a plaquette or a set of plaquettes with a higher symmetry than that of the whole lattice. Using a simple set of rules, the tight-binding localized state in such a plaquette can be divided, folded and unfolded to new plaquette geometries. This set of rules is also valid for the construction of a localized state for one hole in the U → ∞ limit of the same plaquette, assuming a spin configuration which is a uniform linear combination of all possible permutations of the set of spins in the plaquette.

Sensitivity of the amplitude of the single muscle fibre action potential to microscopic volume conduction parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alberts, B.A.; Rutten, Wim; Wallinga, W.; Boom, H.B.K.

1988-01-01

A microscopic model of volume conduction was applied to examine the sensitivity of the single muscle fibre action potential to variations in parameters of the source and of the volume conductor, such as conduction velocity, intracellular conductivity and intracellular volume fraction. The model

Improved Collaborative Representation Classifier Based on l2-Regularized for Human Action Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirui Huo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Human action recognition is an important recent challenging task. Projecting depth images onto three depth motion maps (DMMs and extracting deep convolutional neural network (DCNN features are discriminant descriptor features to characterize the spatiotemporal information of a specific action from a sequence of depth images. In this paper, a unified improved collaborative representation framework is proposed in which the probability that a test sample belongs to the collaborative subspace of all classes can be well defined and calculated. The improved collaborative representation classifier (ICRC based on l2-regularized for human action recognition is presented to maximize the likelihood that a test sample belongs to each class, then theoretical investigation into ICRC shows that it obtains a final classification by computing the likelihood for each class. Coupled with the DMMs and DCNN features, experiments on depth image-based action recognition, including MSRAction3D and MSRGesture3D datasets, demonstrate that the proposed approach successfully using a distance-based representation classifier achieves superior performance over the state-of-the-art methods, including SRC, CRC, and SVM.

The Improved Sensitivity to Crossmodal Asynchrony Caused by Voluntary Action: Comparing Combinations of Sensory Modalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norimichi Kitagawa

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The brain has to assess the fine temporal relationship between voluntary actions and their sensory effects to achieve precise spatiotemporal control of body movement. Recently we found that voluntary action improved the subsequent perceptual temporal discrimination between somatosensory and auditory events. In voluntary condition, participants actively pressed a button and a noise burst was presented at various onset asynchronies relative to the button press. The participants made either ‘sound-first’ or ‘touch-first’ responses. We found that the temporal order judgment performance in the voluntary condition (as indexed by just noticeable difference was significantly better than that when their finger was passively stimulated (passive condition. Temporal attention and comparable involuntary movement did not explain the improvement caused by the voluntary action. The results suggest that predicting sensory consequences via a ‘forward’ model enhances perceptual temporal resolution for precise control of the body. The present study examined whether this improved temporal sensitivity caused by the voluntary action is also observed for the other combinations of sensory modalities. We compared the effects of voluntary action on the temporal sensitivity between auditory-somatosensory, visual-somatosensory, and somatosensory-somatosensory stimulus pairs.

Improving Instruction in the Mathematics Methods Classroom through Action Research

Science.gov (United States)

Mostofo, Jameel; Zambo, Ron

2015-01-01

There is a continuing emphasis in the United States on improving students' mathematical abilities, and one approach is to better prepare teachers. To investigate the potential usefulness of Lesson Study to better prepare teachers, one author set out to conduct action research on his classroom practice. Specifically, he sought to determine whether…

Strengthening Collective Action to Improve Marketing Performance: Evidence from Farmer Groups in Central Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Ochieng, Justus; Knerr, Beatrice; Owuor, George; Ouma, Emily

2018-01-01

Purpose: Several development organisations have implemented programs to enhance smallholder farmers' crop productivity and market access through collective action with mixed results. Therefore, this study examines the drivers of success of collective action initiatives as a pathway to improving farmers marketing performance using data from Rwanda…

A single bout of exercise improves motor memory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roig, Marc; Skriver, Kasper Christen; Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

2012-01-01

Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cognition and brain function. Here we investigated if a single bout of exercise can improve motor memory and motor skill learning. We also explored if the timing of the exercise bout in relation to the timing of practice has any impact on the acq...... exercise on long-term motor memory....... that exercised before practice, the subjects that exercised after practice showed a better retention of the motor skill 7 days after practice. These findings indicate that one bout of intense exercise performed immediately before or after practicing a motor task is sufficient to improve the long-term retention......Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cognition and brain function. Here we investigated if a single bout of exercise can improve motor memory and motor skill learning. We also explored if the timing of the exercise bout in relation to the timing of practice has any impact...

Review and action plan for oral health improvement in Sheffield special schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Worsley, D J; Jones, K; Harris, J C; Charlesworth, J; Marshman, Z

2018-03-01

A description of the process of a review of oral health improvement in special schools in Sheffield and the implementation of an action plan for these activities. Public health competencies encompassed: assessing the evidence on oral health and dental interventions, programmes and services; strategic leadership and collaborative working for health; oral health improvement. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

The U.S. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy: A Model for Positive Organizational Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Baur, Cynthia; Harris, Linda; Squire, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

This chapter presents the U.S. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and its unique contribution to public health and health care in the U.S. The chapter details what the National Action Plan is, how it evolved, and how it has influenced priorities for health literacy improvement work. Examples of how the National Action Plan fills policy and research gaps in health care and public health are included. The first part of the chapter lays the foundation for the development of the National Action Plan, and the second part discusses how it can stimulate positive organizational change to help create health literate organizations and move the nation towards a health literate society.

ZrC Ceramics Prepared by Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis/Single Action Pressing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHENG Yong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available ZrC ceramics were prepared by mechanical axial compression of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis/single action pressing (SHS/SAP.The effects of pressure on microstructure and densification of the products,as well as the relationship between displacement/variation of the load curve and SHS reaction,were studied.The structure and properties of the products were investigated by XRD and SEM.In addition,the density was measured by the drain away liquid method.Meanwhile,universal testing machine was used to record the displacement and load curve alternations.The results indicate that products are mainly composed of ZrC phase,the process of exhaust are accelerated as the increasing of pressure as well,leading to the smaller size of porosity and crystal particles.Density manifested as an increasing pattern by the elevated pressure with no longer change at 80MPa.Due to the strong attenuation of pressure at the peak of temperature,the density of the production is only 65.7% in 120MPa.The end point of the SHS reaction and the plastic time of the products can be monitored by displacement and load curve.The results provide evidence for the application of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis/pseudo-hot isostatic pressing to further improve the density of ceramics.

Data Wise in Action: Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Boudett, Kathryn Parker, Ed.; Steele, Jennifer L., Ed.

2007-01-01

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? "Data Wise in Action", a new companion and sequel to the bestselling "Data Wise", tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. "Data Wise in Action" highlights the…

Non-perturbative improvement of the axial current with three dynamical flavors and the Iwasaki gauge action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, T.; Hashimoto, S.; Aoki, S.; Hoffmann, R.

2007-03-01

We perform a non-perturbative determination of the improvement coefficient c A to remove O(a) discretization errors in the axial vector current in three-flavor lattice QCD with the Iwasaki gauge action and the standard O(a)-improved Wilson quark action. An improvement condition with a good sensitivity to c A is imposed at constant physics. Combining our results with the perturbative expansion, c A is now known rather precisely for a -1 >or similar 1.6 GeV. (orig.)

Mechanistic and single-dose in vivo therapeutic studies of Cry5B anthelmintic action against hookworms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Hu

Full Text Available Hookworm infections are one of the most important parasitic infections of humans worldwide, considered by some second only to malaria in associated disease burden. Single-dose mass drug administration for soil-transmitted helminths, including hookworms, relies primarily on albendazole, which has variable efficacy. New and better hookworm therapies are urgently needed. Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein Cry5B has potential as a novel anthelmintic and has been extensively studied in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we ask whether single-dose Cry5B can provide therapy against a hookworm infection and whether C. elegans mechanism-of-action studies are relevant to hookworms.To test whether the C. elegans invertebrate-specific glycolipid receptor for Cry5B is relevant in hookworms, we fed Ancylostoma ceylanicum hookworm adults Cry5B with and without galactose, an inhibitor of Cry5B-C. elegans glycolipid interactions. As with C. elegans, galactose inhibits Cry5B toxicity in A. ceylanicum. Furthermore, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, which controls one of the most important Cry5B signal transduction responses in C. elegans, is functionally operational in hookworms. A. ceylanicum hookworms treated with Cry5B up-regulate p38 MAPK and knock down of p38 MAPK activity in hookworms results in hypersensitivity of A. ceylanicum adults to Cry5B attack. Single-dose Cry5B is able to reduce by >90% A. ceylanicum hookworm burdens from infected hamsters, in the process eliminating hookworm egg shedding in feces and protecting infected hamsters from blood loss. Anthelmintic activity is increased about 3-fold, eliminating >97% of the parasites with a single 3 mg dose (∼30 mg/kg, by incorporating a simple formulation to help prevent digestion in the acidic stomach of the host mammal.These studies advance the development of Cry5B protein as a potent, safe single-dose anthelmintic for hookworm therapy and make available the information of how

Sense of agency in continuous action: Assistance-induced performance improvement is self-attributed even with knowledge of assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Kazuya; Takeda, Yuji; Kimura, Motohiro

2017-02-01

In a task involving continuous action to achieve a goal, the sense of agency increases with an improvement in task performance that is induced by unnoticed computer assistance. This study investigated how explicit instruction about the existence of computer assistance affects the increase of sense of agency that accompanies performance improvement. Participants performed a continuous action task in which they controlled the direction of motion of a dot to a goal by pressing keys. When instructions indicated the absence of assistance, the sense of agency increased with performance improvement induced by computer assistance, replicating previous findings. Interestingly, this increase of sense of agency was also observed even when instructions indicated the presence of assistance. These results suggest that even when a plausible cause of performance improvement other than one's own action exists, the improvement can be misattributed to one's own control of action, resulting in an increased sense of agency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-perturbative improvement of the axial current with three dynamical flavors and the Iwasaki gauge action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneko, T.; Hashimoto, S. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)]|[Graduate Univ. for Advanced Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Aoki, S. [Tsukuba Univ., Ibaraki (Japan). Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences]|[Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States). Riken BNL Research Center; Della Morte, M. [CERN, Physics Dept., Geneva (Switzerland); Hoffmann, R. [Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics; Sommer, R. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)

2007-03-15

We perform a non-perturbative determination of the improvement coefficient c{sub A} to remove O(a) discretization errors in the axial vector current in three-flavor lattice QCD with the Iwasaki gauge action and the standard O(a)-improved Wilson quark action. An improvement condition with a good sensitivity to c{sub A} is imposed at constant physics. Combining our results with the perturbative expansion, c{sub A} is now known rather precisely for a{sup -1}>or similar 1.6 GeV. (orig.)

Frustration and dual superconductivity in lattice gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orland, P.

1984-01-01

Introducing plaquette fields in SU(N) gauge theories yields a mass gap and confinement by a dual Meisnner effect. Sources for the plaquette fields are electric strings. Similiar plaquette fields exist in pure compact lattice gauge theories. In principle they make it possible to expand in h while keeping the guage field compact

Parameters of heavy quark effective theory from N{sub f}=2 lattice QCD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blossier, Benoit [CNRS, Orsay (France). LPT; Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France); Della Morte, Michele [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Kernphysik; Fritzsch, Patrick [Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik; Garron, Nicolas [Edinburgh Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics and Astronomy; Heitger, Jochen [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik 1; Simma, Hubert; Sommer, Rainer [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany). John von Neumann-Inst. fuer Computing NIC; Tantalo, Nazario [Rome-3 Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; INFN, Sezione di Roma (Italy)

2012-07-15

We report on a non-perturbative determination of the parameters of the lattice Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) Lagrangian and of the time component of the heavy-light axial-vector current with N{sub f} = 2 flavors of massless dynamical quarks. The effective theory is considered at the 1/m{sub h} order, and the heavy mass m{sub h} covers a range from slightly above the charm to beyond the beauty region. These HQET parameters are needed to compute, for example, the b-quark mass, the heavy-light spectrum and decay constants in the static approximation and to order 1/m{sub h} in HQET. The determination of the parameters is done non-perturbatively. The computation reported in this paper uses the plaquette gauge action and two different static actions for the heavy quark described by HQET. For the light-quark action we choose non-perturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermions.

HEALTH SECTOR ACTIONS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reducing malnutrition-related maternal and childhood morbidity and mortality in Africa requires a systematic and coordinated strategy. This paper discusses a health sector strategy which includes: i) advocating for action in nutrition at all levels; ii) integration of the essential nutrition actions into six key contact points ...

Action video games and improved attentional control: Disentangling selection- and response-based processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chisholm, Joseph D; Kingstone, Alan

2015-10-01

Research has demonstrated that experience with action video games is associated with improvements in a host of cognitive tasks. Evidence from paradigms that assess aspects of attention has suggested that action video game players (AVGPs) possess greater control over the allocation of attentional resources than do non-video-game players (NVGPs). Using a compound search task that teased apart selection- and response-based processes (Duncan, 1985), we required participants to perform an oculomotor capture task in which they made saccades to a uniquely colored target (selection-based process) and then produced a manual directional response based on information within the target (response-based process). We replicated the finding that AVGPs are less susceptible to attentional distraction and, critically, revealed that AVGPs outperform NVGPs on both selection-based and response-based processes. These results not only are consistent with the improved-attentional-control account of AVGP benefits, but they suggest that the benefit of action video game playing extends across the full breadth of attention-mediated stimulus-response processes that impact human performance.

Do Action Video Games Improve Perception and Cognition?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Richard Boot

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Frequent action video game players often outperform non-gamers on measures of perception and cognition, and some studies find that video game practice enhances those abilities. The possibility that video game training transfers broadly to other aspects of cognition is exciting because training on one task rarely improves performance on others. At first glance, the cumulative evidence suggests a strong relationship between gaming experience and other cognitive abilities, but methodological shortcomings call that conclusion into question. We discuss these pitfalls, identify how existing studies succeed or fail in overcoming them, and provide guidelines for more definitive tests of the effects of gaming on cognition.

Action video games do not improve the speed of information processing in simple perceptual tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ravenzwaaij, Don; Boekel, Wouter; Forstmann, Birte U; Ratcliff, Roger; Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan

2014-10-01

Previous research suggests that playing action video games improves performance on sensory, perceptual, and attentional tasks. For instance, Green, Pouget, and Bavelier (2010) used the diffusion model to decompose data from a motion detection task and estimate the contribution of several underlying psychological processes. Their analysis indicated that playing action video games leads to faster information processing, reduced response caution, and no difference in motor responding. Because perceptual learning is generally thought to be highly context-specific, this transfer from gaming is surprising and warrants corroborative evidence from a large-scale training study. We conducted 2 experiments in which participants practiced either an action video game or a cognitive game in 5 separate, supervised sessions. Prior to each session and following the last session, participants performed a perceptual discrimination task. In the second experiment, we included a third condition in which no video games were played at all. Behavioral data and diffusion model parameters showed similar practice effects for the action gamers, the cognitive gamers, and the nongamers and suggest that, in contrast to earlier reports, playing action video games does not improve the speed of information processing in simple perceptual tasks.

Improvement of post-hypoxic action myoclonus with levetiracetam add-on therapy: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Božić Ksenija

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Chronic post-anoxic myoclonus, also known as Lance-Adams syndrome, may develop following hypoxic brain injury, and is resistant to pharmacological therapy. Case report. The patient we presented developed post-anoxic action myoclonus with severe, completely incapacitating myoclonic jerks. Myoclonus did not respond to the treatment with commonly used agents, i.e. valproate and clonazepam alone or in combination. Improvement of the action myoclonus was observed only after adding levetiracetam. Conclusion. Although Lance-Adams syndrome may not be fully curable at this point, levetiracetam appears to be a promising agent that can significantly improve functional level and overall quality of life of patients with this disorder.

A new scheme for the running coupling constant in gauge theories using Wilson loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurachi, Masafumi [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Bilgici, Erek [AUSTRIA; Flachi, Antonion [KYOTO UNIV; Itou, Etsuko [KOGAKUIN UNIV; David Lin, C J [NATIONAL CHIAO-TUNG UNIV; Matsufuru, Hideo [KEK; Ohki, Hiroshi [KYOTO UNIV; Onogi, Tetsuya [KYOTO UNIV; Yamazaki, Takeshi [UNIV OF TSUKUBA

2009-01-01

We propose a new renormalization scheme of the running coupling constant in general gauge theories defined by using the Wilson loops. The renormalized coupling constant is obtained from the Cretz ratio in lattice simulations and the corresponding perturbative coefficient at the leading order. The latter calculation is performed by adopting the zeta-function resummation techniques. We make a benchmark test of our scheme in quenched QCD with the plaquette gauge action. The running of the coupling constant is determined by applying the step scaling procedure. Using several methods to improve the statistical accuracy, we show that the running coupling constant can be determined in a wide range of energy scales with relatively small number of gauge configurations.

Recording single neurons' action potentials from freely moving pigeons across three stages of learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Starosta, Sarah; Stüttgen, Maik C; Güntürkün, Onur

2014-06-02

While the subject of learning has attracted immense interest from both behavioral and neural scientists, only relatively few investigators have observed single-neuron activity while animals are acquiring an operantly conditioned response, or when that response is extinguished. But even in these cases, observation periods usually encompass only a single stage of learning, i.e. acquisition or extinction, but not both (exceptions include protocols employing reversal learning; see Bingman et al.(1) for an example). However, acquisition and extinction entail different learning mechanisms and are therefore expected to be accompanied by different types and/or loci of neural plasticity. Accordingly, we developed a behavioral paradigm which institutes three stages of learning in a single behavioral session and which is well suited for the simultaneous recording of single neurons' action potentials. Animals are trained on a single-interval forced choice task which requires mapping each of two possible choice responses to the presentation of different novel visual stimuli (acquisition). After having reached a predefined performance criterion, one of the two choice responses is no longer reinforced (extinction). Following a certain decrement in performance level, correct responses are reinforced again (reacquisition). By using a new set of stimuli in every session, animals can undergo the acquisition-extinction-reacquisition process repeatedly. Because all three stages of learning occur in a single behavioral session, the paradigm is ideal for the simultaneous observation of the spiking output of multiple single neurons. We use pigeons as model systems, but the task can easily be adapted to any other species capable of conditioned discrimination learning.

Action Video Gaming and Cognitive Control: Playing First Person Shooter Games Is Associated with Improved Action Cascading but Not Inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Steenbergen, Laura; Sellaro, Roberta; Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Beste, Christian; Colzato, Lorenza S.

2015-01-01

There is a constantly growing interest in developing efficient methods to enhance cognitive functioning and/or to ameliorate cognitive deficits. One particular line of research focuses on the possibly cognitive enhancing effects that action video game (AVG) playing may have on game players. Interestingly, AVGs, especially first person shooter games, require gamers to develop different action control strategies to rapidly react to fast moving visual and auditory stimuli, and to flexibly adapt their behaviour to the ever-changing context. This study investigated whether and to what extent experience with such videogames is associated with enhanced performance on cognitive control tasks that require similar abilities. Experienced action videogame-players (AVGPs) and individuals with little to no videogame experience (NVGPs) performed a stop-change paradigm that provides a relatively well-established diagnostic measure of action cascading and response inhibition. Replicating previous findings, AVGPs showed higher efficiency in response execution, but not improved response inhibition (i.e. inhibitory control), as compared to NVGPs. More importantly, compared to NVGPs, AVGPs showed enhanced action cascading processes when an interruption (stop) and a change towards an alternative response were required simultaneously, as well as when such a change had to occur after the completion of the stop process. Our findings suggest that playing AVGs is associated with enhanced action cascading and multi-component behaviour without affecting inhibitory control. PMID:26655929

Action Video Gaming and Cognitive Control: Playing First Person Shooter Games Is Associated with Improved Action Cascading but Not Inhibition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Steenbergen

Full Text Available There is a constantly growing interest in developing efficient methods to enhance cognitive functioning and/or to ameliorate cognitive deficits. One particular line of research focuses on the possibly cognitive enhancing effects that action video game (AVG playing may have on game players. Interestingly, AVGs, especially first person shooter games, require gamers to develop different action control strategies to rapidly react to fast moving visual and auditory stimuli, and to flexibly adapt their behaviour to the ever-changing context. This study investigated whether and to what extent experience with such videogames is associated with enhanced performance on cognitive control tasks that require similar abilities. Experienced action videogame-players (AVGPs and individuals with little to no videogame experience (NVGPs performed a stop-change paradigm that provides a relatively well-established diagnostic measure of action cascading and response inhibition. Replicating previous findings, AVGPs showed higher efficiency in response execution, but not improved response inhibition (i.e. inhibitory control, as compared to NVGPs. More importantly, compared to NVGPs, AVGPs showed enhanced action cascading processes when an interruption (stop and a change towards an alternative response were required simultaneously, as well as when such a change had to occur after the completion of the stop process. Our findings suggest that playing AVGs is associated with enhanced action cascading and multi-component behaviour without affecting inhibitory control.

Action Video Gaming and Cognitive Control: Playing First Person Shooter Games Is Associated with Improved Action Cascading but Not Inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenbergen, Laura; Sellaro, Roberta; Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Beste, Christian; Colzato, Lorenza S

2015-01-01

There is a constantly growing interest in developing efficient methods to enhance cognitive functioning and/or to ameliorate cognitive deficits. One particular line of research focuses on the possibly cognitive enhancing effects that action video game (AVG) playing may have on game players. Interestingly, AVGs, especially first person shooter games, require gamers to develop different action control strategies to rapidly react to fast moving visual and auditory stimuli, and to flexibly adapt their behaviour to the ever-changing context. This study investigated whether and to what extent experience with such videogames is associated with enhanced performance on cognitive control tasks that require similar abilities. Experienced action videogame-players (AVGPs) and individuals with little to no videogame experience (NVGPs) performed a stop-change paradigm that provides a relatively well-established diagnostic measure of action cascading and response inhibition. Replicating previous findings, AVGPs showed higher efficiency in response execution, but not improved response inhibition (i.e. inhibitory control), as compared to NVGPs. More importantly, compared to NVGPs, AVGPs showed enhanced action cascading processes when an interruption (stop) and a change towards an alternative response were required simultaneously, as well as when such a change had to occur after the completion of the stop process. Our findings suggest that playing AVGs is associated with enhanced action cascading and multi-component behaviour without affecting inhibitory control.

Action research and millennials: Improving pedagogical approaches to encourage critical thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlam, Gwen; Smythe, Liz; Wright-St Clair, Valerie

2018-02-01

This article examines the effects of intergenerational diversity on pedagogical practice in nursing education. While generational cohorts are not entirely homogenous, certain generational features do emerge. These features may require alternative approaches in educational design in order to maximize learning for millennial students. Action research is employed with undergraduate millennial nursing students (n=161) who are co-researchers in that they are asked for changes in current simulation environments which will improve their learning in the areas of knowledge acquisition, skill development, critical thinking, and communication. These changes are put into place and a re-evaluation of the effectiveness of simulation progresses through three action cycles. Millennials, due to a tendency for risk aversion, may gravitate towards more supportive learning environments which allow for free access to educators. This tendency is mitigated by the educator modeling expected behaviors, followed by student opportunity to repeat the behavior. Millennials tend to prefer to work in teams, see tangible improvement, and employ strategies to improve inter-professional communication. This research highlights the need for nurse educators working in simulation to engage in critical discourse regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of current pedagogy informing simulation design. Pedagogical approaches which maximize repetition, modeling, immersive feedback, and effective communication tend to be favored by millennial students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The perturbative construction of Symanzik's improved action for Φ44 and QED4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, G.

1993-01-01

For the perturbative Euclidean massive Φ 4 4 and QED 4 (with a small photon mass) an explicit construction of Symanzik's improved action is presented. It is established rigorously that all the Green functions exhibit improved convergence as the momentum space UV cutoff is sent to infinity. These results are obtained by an application of the powerful yet technically simple flow equation method. (orig.)

Single Audit: Single Audit Act Effectiveness Issues

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Thompson, Sally

2002-01-01

As discussed in the report we are releasing today, our work to review agency actions to ensure that recipients take timely and appropriate corrective actions to fix audit findings contained in single...

Monte Carlo simulations with Symanzik's improved actions in the lattice 0(3) non-linear sigma-model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, B.; Montvay, I.; Meyer, S.

1983-10-01

The scaling properties of the lattice 0(3) non-linear delta-model are studied. The mass-gap, energy-momentum dispersion, correlation functions are measured by numerical Monte Carlo methods. Symanzik's tree-level and 1-loop improved actions are compared to the standard (nearest neigbour) action. (orig.)

Improvements of sensorimotor processes during action cascading associated with changes in sensory processing architecture-insights from sensory deprivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gohil, Krutika; Hahne, Anja; Beste, Christian

2016-06-20

In most everyday situations sensorimotor processes are quite complex because situations often require to carry out several actions in a specific temporal order; i.e. one has to cascade different actions. While it is known that changes to stimuli affect action cascading mechanisms, it is unknown whether action cascading changes when sensory stimuli are not manipulated, but the neural architecture to process these stimuli is altered. In the current study we test this hypothesis using prelingually deaf subjects as a model to answer this question. We use a system neurophysiological approach using event-related potentials (ERPs) and source localization techniques. We show that prelingually deaf subjects show improvements in action cascading. However, this improvement is most likely not due to changes at the perceptual (P1-ERP) and attentional processing level (N1-ERP), but due to changes at the response selection level (P3-ERP). It seems that the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) is important for these effects to occur, because the TPJ comprises overlapping networks important for the processing of sensory information and the selection of responses. Sensory deprivation thus affects cognitive processes downstream of sensory processing and only these seem to be important for behavioral improvements in situations requiring complex sensorimotor processes and action cascading.

Hadron spectrum in quenched lattice QCD and quark potential models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasaki, Y.; Yoshie, T.

1989-01-01

We show that the quenched lattice QCD gives a hadron spectrum which remarkably agrees with that of quark potential models for quark mass m q ≥ m strange , even when one uses the standard one-plaquette gauge action. This is contrary to what is stated in the literature. We clarify the reason of the discrepancy, paying close attention to systematic errors in numerical calculations. (orig.)

Do Single-Sex Schools Improve the Education of Low-Income and Minority Students? An Investigation of California's Public Single-Gender Academies

Science.gov (United States)

Hubbard, Lea; Datnow, Amanda

2005-01-01

Single-sex public schools are seen as a vehicle for improving the educational experiences of low-income and minority students. Our two-year ethnographic study of low-income and minority students who attended experimental single-sex academies in California indicates that improving achievement involves more than separating students by gender. Using…

Viewing instructions accompanying action observation modulate corticospinal excitability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David James Wright

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Action observation interventions may have the potential to contribute to improved motor function in motor (relearning settings by promoting functional activity and plasticity in the motor regions of the brain. Optimal methods for delivering such interventions, however, have yet to be established. This experiment investigated the effect on corticospinal excitability of manipulating the viewing instructions provided to participants (N = 21 prior to action observation. Specifically, motor evoked potential responses measured from the right hand muscles following single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to the left motor cortex were compared when participants were instructed to observe finger-thumb opposition movement sequences: (i passively; (ii with the intent to imitate the observed movement; or (iii whilst simultaneously and actively imagining that they were performing the movement as they observed it. All three action observation viewing instructions facilitated corticospinal excitability to a greater extent than did observation of a static hand. In addition, the extent to which corticospinal excitability was facilitated was greater during combined observation and imagery, compared to passive observation. These findings have important implications for the design of action observation interventions in motor (relearning settings, where instructions that encourage observers to simultaneously imagine themselves performing the observed movement may offer the current optimal method for improving motor function through action observation.

Improvement of the Energy Stability of the Single Ion Microbeam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhan Furu; Qi Xuehong; Xu Mingliang; Chen Lianyun; Yu Zengliang

2008-01-01

Energy instability strongly affects the state and the beam size of the single ion microbeam. A facility based on the Generating Voltmeter was developed to improve the energy stability of the CAS-LIBB (Chinese Academy of Sciences, key laboratory of ion beam bioengineering) single ion microbeam. This paper presents the analysis of the energy instability of the single ion microbeam. A simplified theoretical model is set up to calculate the relationship between the energy instability and the beam spot size. By using this technique, the energy instability is adjusted to about 1%. Stable run-time is over 6 hours. The radius of the single ion beam is reduced by 10% compared to the previous one.

Managing Quality by Action Research--Improving Quality Service Delivery in Higher Education as a Marketing Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbitt, Brian

1998-01-01

Describes two action research projects undertaken at an Australian university to improve quality of services to foreign students and improve the institution's image through word of mouth, or informal marketing. Each project, although small, facilitated changes or improvements to a targeted service. The role of management in empowering employees…

Single K ATP channel opening in response to action potential firing in mouse dentate granule neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Geoffrey R; Lutas, Andrew; Martínez-François, Juan Ramón; Yellen, Gary

2011-06-08

ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K(ATP) channels) are important sensors of cellular metabolic state that link metabolism and excitability in neuroendocrine cells, but their role in nonglucosensing central neurons is less well understood. To examine a possible role for K(ATP) channels in modulating excitability in hippocampal circuits, we recorded the activity of single K(ATP) channels in cell-attached patches of granule cells in the mouse dentate gyrus during bursts of action potentials generated by antidromic stimulation of the mossy fibers. Ensemble averages of the open probability (p(open)) of single K(ATP) channels over repeated trials of stimulated spike activity showed a transient increase in p(open) in response to action potential firing. Channel currents were identified as K(ATP) channels through blockade with glibenclamide and by comparison with recordings from Kir6.2 knock-out mice. The transient elevation in K(ATP) p(open) may arise from submembrane ATP depletion by the Na(+)-K(+) ATPase, as the pump blocker strophanthidin reduced the magnitude of the elevation. Both the steady-state and stimulus-elevated p(open) of the recorded channels were higher in the presence of the ketone body R-β-hydroxybutyrate, consistent with earlier findings that ketone bodies can affect K(ATP) activity. Using perforated-patch recording, we also found that K(ATP) channels contribute to the slow afterhyperpolarization following an evoked burst of action potentials. We propose that activity-dependent opening of K(ATP) channels may help granule cells act as a seizure gate in the hippocampus and that ketone-body-mediated augmentation of the activity-dependent opening could in part explain the effect of the ketogenic diet in reducing epileptic seizures.

Energetic and exergetic Improvement of geothermal single flash cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Navid Nazari

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a detailed analysis of a new method for improving energetic and exergetic efficiencies of single flash cycle. The thermodynamic process of the new method consists of extracting a fraction of hot wellhead geothermal brine for the purpose of superheating saturated steam entering the turbine. Computer programming scripts were developed and optimized based on mathematical proposed models for the different components of the systems. The operating parameters such as separator temperature, geofluid wellhead enthalpy and geothermal source temperature are varied to investigate their effects on both net power output and turbine exhaust quality of the systems. Also, full exergy assessment was performed for the new design. The results of separator temperature optimization revealed that specific net power output of the new design can be boosted up to 8% and turbine exhaust quality can be diminished up to 50% as compared to common single flash cycle. In addition, for wells with higher discharge enthalpy, superheating process improve specific net power output even up to 10%. Finally, it was observed that the overall system exergy efficiency was approximately raised 3%. Article History: Received January 5th 2016; Received in revised form June 25th 2016; Accepted July 3rd 2016; Available online How to Cite This Article: Nazari, N. and Porkhial, S. (2016. Energetic and Exergetic Improvement of Geothermal Single Flash Cycle. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 5(2,129-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.5.2.129-138 

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1990) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. Also included are a number of enforcement actions that had been previously resolved but not published in this NUREG. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-06-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1989) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. Also included are a number of enforcement actions that had been previously resolved but not published in this NUREG. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Viewpoint Manifolds for Action Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Souvenir Richard

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Action recognition from video is a problem that has many important applications to human motion analysis. In real-world settings, the viewpoint of the camera cannot always be fixed relative to the subject, so view-invariant action recognition methods are needed. Previous view-invariant methods use multiple cameras in both the training and testing phases of action recognition or require storing many examples of a single action from multiple viewpoints. In this paper, we present a framework for learning a compact representation of primitive actions (e.g., walk, punch, kick, sit that can be used for video obtained from a single camera for simultaneous action recognition and viewpoint estimation. Using our method, which models the low-dimensional structure of these actions relative to viewpoint, we show recognition rates on a publicly available dataset previously only achieved using multiple simultaneous views.

Improved hard-thermal-loop effective action for hot QED and QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flechsig, F.; Rebhan, A.K.

1995-01-01

The conventional results for hard thermal loops, which are the building blocks of resummed perturbation theory in thermal field theories, have collinear singularities when external momenta are light-like. It is shown that by taking into account asymptotic thermal masses these singularities are removed. The thus improved hard thermal loops can be summarized by compact gauge-invariant effective actions, generalizing the ones found by Taylor and Wong, and by Braaten and Pisarski. (orig.)

Stereoscopically Observing Manipulative Actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, S; Pauwels, K; Rizzolatti, G; Orban, G A

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of stereopsis to the processing of observed manipulative actions. To this end, we first combined the factors "stimulus type" (action, static control, and dynamic control), "stereopsis" (present, absent) and "viewpoint" (frontal, lateral) into a single design. Four sites in premotor, retro-insular (2) and parietal cortex operated specifically when actions were viewed stereoscopically and frontally. A second experiment clarified that the stereo-action-specific regions were driven by actions moving out of the frontoparallel plane, an effect amplified by frontal viewing in premotor cortex. Analysis of single voxels and their discriminatory power showed that the representation of action in the stereo-action-specific areas was more accurate when stereopsis was active. Further analyses showed that the 4 stereo-action-specific sites form a closed network converging onto the premotor node, which connects to parietal and occipitotemporal regions outside the network. Several of the specific sites are known to process vestibular signals, suggesting that the network combines observed actions in peripersonal space with gravitational signals. These findings have wider implications for the function of premotor cortex and the role of stereopsis in human behavior. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1990) and includes copies of letters, notices, and orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October - December 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1990) and includes copies of letters, notices, and orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1990) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-06-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1989) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April-June 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1991) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July - September 1992) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1989) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Building a Knowledge to Action Program in Stroke Rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Janzen, Shannon; McIntyre, Amanda; Richardson, Marina; Britt, Eileen; Teasell, Robert

2016-09-01

The knowledge to action (KTA) process proposed by Graham et al (2006) is a framework to facilitate the development and application of research evidence into clinical practice. The KTA process consists of the knowledge creation cycle and the action cycle. The Evidence Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation is a foundational part of the knowledge creation cycle and has helped guide the development of best practice recommendations in stroke. The Rehabilitation Knowledge to Action Project is an audit-feedback process for the clinical implementation of best practice guidelines, which follows the action cycle. The objective of this review was to: (1) contextualize the Evidence Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Knowledge to Action Project within the KTA model and (2) show how this process led to improved evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation. Through this process, a single centre was able to change clinical practice and promote a culture that supports the use of evidence-based practices in stroke rehabilitation.

Gauge theories on a small lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, D.; Webber, D.M.

1980-01-01

We present exact solutions to U(1), SU(2), and SU(3) lattice gauge theories on a Kogut-Susskind lattice consisting of a single plaquette. We demonstrate precise equivalence between the U(1) theory and the harmonic oscillator on an infinite one-dimensional lattice, and between the SU(N) theory and an N-fermion Schroedinger equation. (orig.)

Unlocking community capabilities for improving maternal and newborn health: participatory action research to improve birth preparedness, health facility access, and newborn care in rural Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Ekirapa-Kiracho

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Community capacities and resources must be harnessed to complement supply side initiatives addressing high maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Uganda. This paper reflects on gains, challenges and lessons learnt from working with communities to improve maternal and newborn health in rural Uganda. Methods A participatory action research project was supported from 2012 to 2015 in three eastern districts. This project involved working with households, saving groups, sub county and district leaders, transporters and village health teams in diagnosing causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, developing action plans to address these issues, taking action and learning from action in a cyclical manner. This paper draws from project experience and documentation, as well as thematic analysis of 20 interviews with community and district stakeholders and 12 focus group discussions with women who had recently delivered and men whose wives had recently delivered. Results Women and men reported increased awareness about birth preparedness, improved newborn care practices and more male involvement in maternal and newborn health. However, additional direct communication strategies were required to reach more men beyond the minority who attended community dialogues and home visits. Saving groups and other saving modalities were strengthened, with money saved used to meet transport costs, purchase other items needed for birth and other routine household needs. However saving groups required significant support to improve income generation, management and trust among members. Linkages between savings groups and transport providers improved women’s access to health facilities at reduced cost. Although village health teams were a key resource for providing information, their efforts were constrained by low levels of education, inadequate financial compensation and transportation challenges. Ensuring that the village health

Mapping actions to improve access to medicines for mental disorders in low and middle income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbui, C; Dua, T; Kolappa, K; Saraceno, B; Saxena, S

2017-10-01

In recent years a number of intergovernmental initiatives have been activated in order to enhance the capacity of countries to improve access to essential medicines, particularly for mental disorders. In May 2013 the 66th World Health Assembly adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, which builds upon the work of WHO's Mental Health Gap Action Programme. Within this programme, evidence-based guidelines for mental disorders were developed, including recommendations on appropriate use of medicines. Subsequently, the 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on access to essential medicines, which urged Member States to improve national policies for the selection of essential medicines and to promote their availability, affordability and appropriate use. Following the precedent set by these important initiatives, this article presents eleven actions for improving access and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines. A 4 × 4 framework mapping actions as a function of the four components of access - selection, availability, affordability and appropriate use - and across four different health care levels, three of which belong to the supply side and one to the demand side, was developed. The actions are: developing a medicine selection process; promoting information and education activities for staff and end-users; developing a medicine regulation process; implementing a reliable supply system; implementing a reliable quality-control system; developing a community-based system of mental health care and promoting help-seeking behaviours; developing international agreements on medicine affordability; developing pricing policies and a sustainable financing system; developing or adopting evidence-based guidelines; monitoring the use of psychotropic medicines; promoting training initiatives for staff and end-users on critical appraisal of scientific evidence and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines. Activating

Single-core magnetic markers in rotating magnetic field based homogeneous bioassays and the law of mass action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dieckhoff, Jan, E-mail: j.dieckhoff@tu-bs.de [Institut fuer Elektrische Messtechnik und Grundlagen der Elektrotechnik, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig (Germany); Schrittwieser, Stefan; Schotter, Joerg [Molecular Diagnostics, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna (Austria); Remmer, Hilke; Schilling, Meinhard; Ludwig, Frank [Institut fuer Elektrische Messtechnik und Grundlagen der Elektrotechnik, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig (Germany)

2015-04-15

In this work, we report on the effect of the magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) concentration on the quantitative detection of proteins in solution with a rotating magnetic field (RMF) based homogeneous bioassay. Here, the phase lag between 30 nm iron oxide single-core particles and the RMF is analyzed with a fluxgate-based measurement system. As a test analyte anti-human IgG is applied which binds to the protein G functionalized MNP shell and causes a change of the phase lag. The measured phase lag changes for a fixed MNP and a varying analyte concentration are modeled with logistic functions. A change of the MNP concentration results in a nonlinear shift of the logistic function with the analyte concentration. This effect results from the law of mass action. Furthermore, the bioassay results are used to determine the association constant of the binding reaction. - Highlights: • A rotating magnetic field based homogeneous bioassay concept was presented. • Here, single-core iron oxide nanoparticles are applied as markers. • The impact of the particle concentration on the bioassay results is investigated. • The relation between particle concentration and bioassay sensitivity is nonlinear. • This finding can be reasonably explained by the law of mass action.

An Improved Rank Correlation Effect Size Statistic for Single-Case Designs: Baseline Corrected Tau.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarlow, Kevin R

2017-07-01

Measuring treatment effects when an individual's pretreatment performance is improving poses a challenge for single-case experimental designs. It may be difficult to determine whether improvement is due to the treatment or due to the preexisting baseline trend. Tau- U is a popular single-case effect size statistic that purports to control for baseline trend. However, despite its strengths, Tau- U has substantial limitations: Its values are inflated and not bound between -1 and +1, it cannot be visually graphed, and its relatively weak method of trend control leads to unacceptable levels of Type I error wherein ineffective treatments appear effective. An improved effect size statistic based on rank correlation and robust regression, Baseline Corrected Tau, is proposed and field-tested with both published and simulated single-case time series. A web-based calculator for Baseline Corrected Tau is also introduced for use by single-case investigators.

Improving "At-Action" Decision-Making in Team Sports through a Holistic Coaching Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Light, Richard L.; Harvey, Stephen; Mouchet, Alain

2014-01-01

This article draws on Game Sense pedagogy and complex learning theory (CLT) to make suggestions for improving decision-making ability in team sports by adopting a holistic approach to coaching with a focus on decision-making "at-action". It emphasizes the complexity of decision-making and the need to focus on the game as a whole entity,…

Gauge-invariant master field in U(∞) LGT: A pathway from the strong to weak coupling phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakov, V.A.; Migdal, A.A.

1987-01-01

We propose and test a new computational method for SU(∞) lattice gauge and spin theories. It is based on calculation of the effective action depending only on N (rather than N 2 ) gauge invariant degrees of freedom, by means of some modification of the strong coupling expansion. We show using the example of a one-plaquette model that the stationary point equation for this action describes the weak coupling phase as well as the strong coupling phase. It is argued that such an equation predicts a phase transition for D-dimensional gauge theory, in accordance with Monte Carlo data. (orig.)

Single-particle properties from Kohn-Sham Green's functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Anirban; Furnstahl, R.J.

2005-01-01

An effective action approach to Kohn-Sham density functional theory is used to illustrate how the exact Green's function can be calculated in terms of the Kohn-Sham Green's function. An example based on Skyrme energy functionals shows that single-particle Kohn-Sham spectra can be improved by adding sources used to construct the energy functional

Improvements in Production of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Balzano, Leandro; Resasco, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

A continuing program of research and development has been directed toward improvement of a prior batch process in which single-walled carbon nanotubes are formed by catalytic disproportionation of carbon monoxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The overall effect of the improvements has been to make progress toward converting the process from a batch mode to a continuous mode and to scaling of production to larger quantities. Efforts have also been made to optimize associated purification and dispersion post processes to make them effective at large scales and to investigate means of incorporating the purified products into composite materials. The ultimate purpose of the program is to enable the production of high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes in quantities large enough and at costs low enough to foster the further development of practical applications. The fluidized bed used in this process contains mixed-metal catalyst particles. The choice of the catalyst and the operating conditions is such that the yield of single-walled carbon nanotubes, relative to all forms of carbon (including carbon fibers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) produced in the disproportionation reaction is more than 90 weight percent. After the reaction, the nanotubes are dispersed in various solvents in preparation for end use, which typically involves blending into a plastic, ceramic, or other matrix to form a composite material. Notwithstanding the batch nature of the unmodified prior fluidized-bed process, the fluidized-bed reactor operates in a continuous mode during the process. The operation is almost entirely automated, utilizing mass flow controllers, a control computer running software specific to the process, and other equipment. Moreover, an important inherent advantage of fluidized- bed reactors in general is that solid particles can be added to and removed from fluidized beds during operation. For these reasons, the process and equipment were amenable to

Improvement of Source Number Estimation Method for Single Channel Signal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Dong

Full Text Available Source number estimation methods for single channel signal have been investigated and the improvements for each method are suggested in this work. Firstly, the single channel data is converted to multi-channel form by delay process. Then, algorithms used in the array signal processing, such as Gerschgorin's disk estimation (GDE and minimum description length (MDL, are introduced to estimate the source number of the received signal. The previous results have shown that the MDL based on information theoretic criteria (ITC obtains a superior performance than GDE at low SNR. However it has no ability to handle the signals containing colored noise. On the contrary, the GDE method can eliminate the influence of colored noise. Nevertheless, its performance at low SNR is not satisfactory. In order to solve these problems and contradictions, the work makes remarkable improvements on these two methods on account of the above consideration. A diagonal loading technique is employed to ameliorate the MDL method and a jackknife technique is referenced to optimize the data covariance matrix in order to improve the performance of the GDE method. The results of simulation have illustrated that the performance of original methods have been promoted largely.

PRIORITIZED ACTIONS FOR MARKETING IMPROVEMENT: A TOOL FOR SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING PROGRAMMES

OpenAIRE

Nikola Rovis

2010-01-01

Purpose of this paper is to offer a pragmatic tool for management and marketing practitioners in small businesses. The name of the tool is Prioritized Action for Marketing Improvements (PAMI). This work gives an overview of marketing and strategy processes in small businesses and a brief description of Dibb and Simkin buying proforma tool. The PAMI tool builds on successfully conducted market segmentation and specification or implicit knowledge on targeted market segments and market positioni...

Plan of action for quality improvement of ventilation systems; Actieplan Kwaliteitsverbetering Ventilatievoorzieningen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atsma, J. [Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu IenM, Den Haag (Netherlands); Calon, M. [Aedes vereniging van woningcorporaties, Den Haag (Netherlands); Schoorl, F.J. [Bond Nederlandse Architecten BNA, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Van Tuinen, J.L. [Bouwend Nederland, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Bodewes, W.J. [Vereniging van Nederlandse projectontwikkeling Maatschappijen Neprom, Voorburg (Netherlands); Goossens, J.H. [Vereniging voor ontwikkelaars en bouwondernemers NVB, Voorburg (Netherlands); Polman, E.J.M. [Stichting Waarborgfonds Koopwoningen SWK, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Engels, M. [Uneto-VNI, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Werner-van Beek, H. J. [VACpunt Wonen, Utrecht (Netherlands); Mulder, R.J. [Vereniging Eigen Huis VEH, Amersfoort (Netherlands); Rook, G. [Vereniging Leveranciers van Luchttechnische Apparaten VLA, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Van Noord, P. [Woningborg, Gouda (Netherlands); Paping, R.H.M. [De Nederlandse Woonbond, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2012-06-15

The action plan comprises the agreements made by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Netherlands with representatives of building organizations to improve the quality of ventilation systems in newly built houses [Dutch] Het actieplan bevat de afspraken die het ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu en het ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken met de bouwpartijen hebben gemaakt om de kwaliteit van de ventilatievoorzieningen van nieuwbouwwoningen te verbeteren.

Improving the Grade Point Average of Our At-Risk Students: A Collaborative Group Action Research Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Saurino, Dan R.; Hinson, Kenneth; Bouma, Amy

This paper focuses on the use of a group action research approach to help student teachers develop strategies to improve the grade point average of at-risk students. Teaching interventions such as group work and group and individual tutoring were compared to teaching strategies already used in the field. Results indicated an improvement in the…

Using Rapid Improvement Events for Disaster After-Action Reviews: Experience in a Hospital Information Technology Outage and Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Charles M; McStay, Christopher; Oeth, Justin; Koehler, April; Bookman, Kelly

2018-02-01

The use of after-action reviews (AARs) following major emergency events, such as a disaster, is common and mandated for hospitals and similar organizations. There is a recurrent challenge of identified problems not being resolved and repeated in subsequent events. A process improvement technique called a rapid improvement event (RIE) was used to conduct an AAR following a complete information technology (IT) outage at a large urban hospital. Using RIE methodology to conduct the AAR allowed for the rapid development and implementation of major process improvements to prepare for future IT downtime events. Thus, process improvement methodology, particularly the RIE, is suited for conducting AARs following disasters and holds promise for improving outcomes in emergency management. Little CM , McStay C , Oeth J , Koehler A , Bookman K . Using rapid improvement events for disaster after-action reviews: experience in a hospital information technology outage and response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):98-100.

75 FR 9247 - Single Family Mortgage Insurance Premium, Single Family

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-13] Single Family Mortgage Insurance Premium, Single Family AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice... is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. Lenders use the Single Family Premium...

Clogging and transport of driven particles in asymmetric funnel arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Reichhardt, C. J. O.; Reichhardt, C.

2018-06-01

We numerically examine the flow and clogging of particles driven through asymmetric funnel arrays when the commensurability ratio of the number of particles per plaquette is varied. The particle–particle interactions are modeled with a soft repulsive potential that could represent vortex flow in type-II superconductors or driven charged colloids. The velocity-force curves for driving in the easy flow direction of the funnels exhibit a single depinning threshold; however, for driving in the hard flow direction, we find that there can be both negative mobility where the velocity decreases with increasing driving force as well as a reentrant pinning effect in which the particles flow at low drives but become pinned at intermediate drives. This reentrant pinning is associated with a transition from smooth 1D flow at low drives to a clogged state at higher drives that occurs when the particles cluster in a small number of plaquettes and block the flow. When the drive is further increased, particle rearrangements occur that cause the clog to break apart. We map out the regimes in which the pinned, flowing, and clogged states appear as a function of plaquette filling and drive. The clogged states remain robust at finite temperatures but develop intermittent bursts of flow in which a clog temporarily breaks apart but quickly reforms.

Action video game playing is associated with improved visual sensitivity, but not alterations in visual sensory memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelbaum, L Gregory; Cain, Matthew S; Darling, Elise F; Mitroff, Stephen R

2013-08-01

Action video game playing has been experimentally linked to a number of perceptual and cognitive improvements. These benefits are captured through a wide range of psychometric tasks and have led to the proposition that action video game experience may promote the ability to extract statistical evidence from sensory stimuli. Such an advantage could arise from a number of possible mechanisms: improvements in visual sensitivity, enhancements in the capacity or duration for which information is retained in visual memory, or higher-level strategic use of information for decision making. The present study measured the capacity and time course of visual sensory memory using a partial report performance task as a means to distinguish between these three possible mechanisms. Sensitivity measures and parameter estimates that describe sensory memory capacity and the rate of memory decay were compared between individuals who reported high evels and low levels of action video game experience. Our results revealed a uniform increase in partial report accuracy at all stimulus-to-cue delays for action video game players but no difference in the rate or time course of the memory decay. The present findings suggest that action video game playing may be related to enhancements in the initial sensitivity to visual stimuli, but not to a greater retention of information in iconic memory buffers.

Non-perturbative improvement of stout-smeared three flavour clover fermions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cundy, N.; Goeckeler, M. [Regensburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Horsley, R. [Edinburgh Univ. (GB). School of Physics and Astronomy] (and others)

2009-01-15

We discuss a 3-flavour lattice QCD action with clover improvement in which the fermion matrix has single level stout smearing for the hopping terms together with unsmeared links for the clover term. With the (tree-level) Symanzik improved gluon action this constitutes the Stout Link Non-perturbative Clover or SLiNC action. To cancel O(a) terms the clover term coefficient has to be tuned. We present here results of a non-perturbative determination of this coefficient using the Schroedinger functional and as a by-product a determination of the critical hopping parameter. Comparisons of the results are made with lowest order perturbation theory. (orig.)

Improved motion description for action classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jain, M.; Jégou, H.; Bouthemy, P.

2016-01-01

Even though the importance of explicitly integrating motion characteristics in video descriptions has been demonstrated by several recent papers on action classification, our current work concludes that adequately decomposing visual motion into dominant and residual motions, i.e., camera and scene

Primitive Based Action Representation and Recognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baby, Sanmohan; Krüger, Volker

2009-01-01

a sequential and statistical     learning algorithm for   automatic detection of the action primitives and the action grammar   based on these primitives.  We model a set of actions using a   single HMM whose structure is learned incrementally as we observe   new types.   Actions are modeled with sufficient...

Action video games do not improve the speed of information processing in simple perceptual tasks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ravenzwaaij, D.; Boekel, W.; Forstmann, B.U.; Ratcliff, R.; Wagenmakers, E.-J.

2014-01-01

Previous research suggests that playing action video games improves performance on sensory, perceptual, and attentional tasks. For instance, Green, Pouget, and Bavelier (2010) used the diffusion model to decompose data from a motion detection task and estimate the contribution of several underlying

Engineering Single-Atom Cobalt Catalysts toward Improved Electrocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Gang; Yu, Pengfei; Chen, Hangrong; Wen, Jianguo; Sun, Cheng-Jun; Zhou, Hua; Zhang, Nian; Li, Qianru; Zhao, Wanpeng; Xie, Bing; Li, Tao; Shi, Jianlin

2018-04-01

The development of cost-effective catalysts to replace noble metal is attracting increasing interests in many fields of catalysis and energy, and intensive efforts are focused on the integration of transition-metal sites in carbon as noble-metal-free candidates. Recently, the discovery of single-atom dispersed catalyst (SAC) provides a new frontier in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the electrocatalytic application of SAC is still subject to several theoretical and experimental limitations. Further advances depend on a better design of SAC through optimizing its interaction with adsorbates during catalysis. Here, distinctive from previous studies, favorable 3d electronic occupation and enhanced metal-adsorbates interactions in single-atom centers via the construction of nonplanar coordination is achieved, which is confirmed by advanced X-ray spectroscopic and electrochemical studies. The as-designed atomically dispersed cobalt sites within nonplanar coordination show significantly improved catalytic activity and selectivity toward the oxygen reduction reaction, approaching the benchmark Pt-based catalysts. More importantly, the illustration of the active sites in SAC indicates metal-natured catalytic sites and a media-dependent catalytic pathway. Achieving structural and electronic engineering on SAC that promotes its catalytic performances provides a paradigm to bridge the gap between single-atom catalysts design and electrocatalytic applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Action Type Deontic Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentzen, Martin Mose

2014-01-01

A new deontic logic, Action Type Deontic Logic, is presented. To motivate this logic, a number of benchmark cases are shown, representing inferences a deontic logic should validate. Some of the benchmark cases are singled out for further comments and some formal approaches to deontic reasoning...... are evaluated with respect to the benchmark cases. After that follows an informal introduction to the ideas behind the formal semantics, focussing on the distinction between action types and action tokens. Then the syntax and semantics of Action Type Deontic Logic is presented and it is shown to meet...

77 FR 65195 - Announcement of the Award of Four Single-Source Program Expansion Supplement Grants To Support...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-25

... for Children and Families, Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice of award of four single-source... Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, announces the award of single-source program... systems and improved outcomes for young children and families including strategies to support parent...

Analysis of spin and gauge models with variational methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dagotto, E.; Masperi, L.; Moreo, A.; Della Selva, A.; Fiore, R.

1985-01-01

Since independent-site (link) or independent-link (plaquette) variational states enhance the order or the disorder, respectively, in the treatment of spin (gauge) models, we prove that mixed states are able to improve the critical coupling while giving the qualitatively correct behavior of the relevant parameters

Action observation training of community ambulation for improving walking ability of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyun-Ju; Oh, Duck-Won; Choi, Jong-Duk; Kim, Jong-Man; Kim, Suhn-Yeop; Cha, Yong-Jun; Jeon, Su-Jin

2017-08-01

To investigate the effects of action observation training involving community-based ambulation for improving walking ability after stroke. Randomized, controlled pilot study. Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. A total of 25 inpatients with post-stroke hemiparesis were randomly assigned to either the experimental group ( n = 12) or control group ( n = 13). Subjects of the experimental group watched video clips demonstrating four-staged ambulation training with a more complex environment factor for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks. Meanwhile, subjects of the control group watched video clips, which showed different landscape pictures. Walking function was evaluated before and after the four-week intervention using a 10-m walk test, community walk test, activities-specific balance confidence scale, and spatiotemporal gait measures. Changes in the values for the 10-m walk test (0.17 ±0.19 m/s vs. 0.05 ±0.08 m/s), community walk test (-151.42 ±123.82 seconds vs. 67.08 ±176.77 seconds), and activities-specific balance confidence (6.25 ±5.61 scores vs. 0.72 ±2.24 scores) and the spatiotemporal parameters (i.e. stride length (19.00 ±11.34 cm vs. 3.16 ±11.20 cm), single support (5.87 ±5.13% vs. 0.25 ±5.95%), and velocity (15.66 ±12.34 cm/s vs. 2.96 ±10.54 cm/s)) indicated a significant improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group. In the experimental group, walking function and ambulation confidence was significantly different between the pre- and post-intervention, whereas the control group showed a significant difference only in the 10-m walk test. Action observation training of community ambulation may be favorably used for improving walking function of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis.

Foreign Affairs: Specific Action Plan Needed to Improve Response to Parental Child Abductions

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-01

the child or prejudice to interested parties; (3) secure the voluntary return of the child or to bring about an amicable resolution of the issues, and...FOREIGN AFFAIRS Specific Action Plan Needed to Improve Response to Parental Child Abductions DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A Approved for Public Release...International Parental Child Abduction 17 Page 1 GAO/NSIAD-00-10 Parental Child Abduction Page 2 GAO/NSIAD-00-10 Parental Child Abduction GAP

How could health information be improved? Recommended actions from the Victorian Consultation on Health Literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Sophie J; Sofra, Tanya A

2017-03-07

Objective Health literacy is on the policy agenda. Accessible, high-quality health information is a major component of health literacy. Health information materials include print, electronic or other media-based information enabling people to understand health and make health-related decisions. The aim of the present study was to present the findings and recommended actions as they relate to health information of the Victorian Consultation on Health Literacy. Methods Notes and submissions from the 2014 Victorian Consultation workshops and submissions were analysed thematically and a report prepared with input from an advisory committee. Results Health information needs to improve and recommendations are grouped into two overarching themes. First, the quality of information needs to be increased and this can be done by developing a principle-based framework to inform updating guidance for information production, formulating standards to raise quality and improving the systems for delivering information to people. Second, there needs to be a focus on users of health information. Recommendation actions were for information that promoted active participation in health encounters, resources to encourage critical users of health information and increased availability of information tailored to population diversity. Conclusion A framework to improve health information would underpin the efforts to meet literacy needs in a more consistent way, improving standards and ultimately increasing the participation by consumers and carers in health decision making and self-management. What is known about the topic? Health information is a critical component of the concept of health literacy. Poorer health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes across a range of measures. Improving access to and the use of quality sources of health information is an important strategy for meeting the health literacy needs of the population. In recent years, health services and

Very high order lattice perturbation theory for Wilson loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsley, R.

2010-10-01

We calculate perturbativeWilson loops of various sizes up to loop order n=20 at different lattice sizes for pure plaquette and tree-level improved Symanzik gauge theories using the technique of Numerical Stochastic Perturbation Theory. This allows us to investigate the behavior of the perturbative series at high orders. We observe differences in the behavior of perturbative coefficients as a function of the loop order. Up to n=20 we do not see evidence for the often assumed factorial growth of the coefficients. Based on the observed behavior we sum this series in a model with hypergeometric functions. Alternatively we estimate the series in boosted perturbation theory. Subtracting the estimated perturbative series for the average plaquette from the non-perturbative Monte Carlo result we estimate the gluon condensate. (orig.)

Spatial and frequency domain ring source models for the single muscle fiber action potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henneberg, Kaj-åge; R., Plonsey

1994-01-01

In the paper, single-fibre models for the extracellular action potential are developed that will allow the potential to the evaluated at an arbitrary field point in the extracellular space. Fourier-domain models are restricted in that they evaluate potentials at equidistant points along a line...... parallel to the fibre axis. Consequently, they cannot easily evaluate the potential at the boundary nodes of a boundary-element electrode model. The Fourier-domain models employ axial-symmetric ring source models, and thereby provide higher accuracy that the line source model, where the source is lumped...... including anisotropy show that the spatial models require extreme care in the integration procedure owing to the singularity in the weighting functions. With adequate sampling, the spatial models can evaluate extracellular potentials with high accuracy....

A moving story: Whole-body motor training selectively improves the appraisal of action meanings in naturalistic narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevisan, Piergiorgio; Sedeño, Lucas; Birba, Agustina; Ibáñez, Agustín; García, Adolfo M

2017-10-02

This study examined whether systematic whole-body stimulation and increased attention to visuospatial motion patterns can enhance the appraisal of action meanings evoked by naturalistic texts. Participants listened to action and neutral (non-action) narratives before and after videogame-based bodily training, and responded to questions on information realized by verbs (denoting abstract and action processes) and circumstances (conveying locative or temporal details, for example). Strategically, we worked with dyslexic children, whose potential comprehension deficits could give room to post-training improvements. Results showed a selective boost in understanding of action information, even when controlling for baseline performance. Also, this effect proved uninfluenced by short-term memory skills, and it was absent when training relied on non-action videogames requiring minimal bodily engagement. Of note, the movements described in the texts did not match those performed by participants, suggesting that well-established effector- and direction-specific language embodiment effects may be accompanied by more coarse-grained sensorimotor resonance, driven by activation of motor and visuospatial sensory systems. In sum, the stimulation of movement-related mechanisms seems to selectively boost the appraisal of actions evoked by naturalistic texts. By demonstrating such links between two real-life activities, our study offers an empirical tie between embodied and situated accounts of cognition.

Understanding fine structure constants and three generations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, D.L.; Nielsen, H.B.

1988-02-01

We put forward a model inspired by random dynamics that relates the smallness of the gauge coupling constants to the number of generations being 'large'. The new element in the present version of our model is the appearance of a free parameter χ that is a measure of the (presumably relatively minor) importance of a term in the plaquette action proportional to the trace in the (1/6, 2, 3) representation of the Standard Model. Calling N gen the number of generations, the sets of allowed (N gen , χN gen )-pairs obtained by imposing the three measured coupling constant values of the Standard Model form three lines. In addition to finding that these lines cross at a single point (as needed for a consistent fit), the intersection occurs with surprising accuracy at the integer N gen = 3 (thereby predicting exactly three generations). It is also encouraging that the parameter χ turns out to be small and positive as expected. (orig.)

An Evaluation of Professional Development to Improve Teachers' Perspectives and Behaviors: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Beckford-Young, Paulette Vivienne

2016-01-01

The purpose of this action research study was to conduct a professional development activity to provide content-area teachers with academic vocabulary strategies to be implemented during instruction on a daily basis. Professional development is essential for teachers to gain new knowledge and skills in order to hone their craft to improve student…

Scaling studies of QCD with the dynamical highly improved staggered quark action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazavov, A.; Freeman, W.; Toussaint, D.; Bernard, C.; Laiho, J.; DeTar, C.; Levkova, L.; Oktay, M.; Gottlieb, Steven; Heller, U. M.; Hetrick, J. E.; Osborn, J.; Sugar, R. L.; Van de Water, R. S.

2010-01-01

We study the lattice spacing dependence, or scaling, of physical quantities using the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action introduced by the HPQCD/UKQCD Collaboration, comparing our results to similar simulations with the asqtad fermion action. Results are based on calculations with lattice spacings approximately 0.15, 0.12, and 0.09 fm, using four flavors of dynamical HISQ quarks. The strange and charm quark masses are near their physical values, and the light-quark mass is set to 0.2 times the strange-quark mass. We look at the lattice spacing dependence of hadron masses, pseudoscalar meson decay constants, and the topological susceptibility. In addition to the commonly used determination of the lattice spacing through the static quark potential, we examine a determination proposed by the HPQCD Collaboration that uses the decay constant of a fictitious ''unmixed ss'' pseudoscalar meson. We find that the lattice artifacts in the HISQ simulations are much smaller than those in the asqtad simulations at the same lattice spacings and quark masses.

How to learn action research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kurt Aagaard; Svensson, Lennart

2006-01-01

The authors suggest routines and educational structures that could improve a succesfull learning and education of action research.......The authors suggest routines and educational structures that could improve a succesfull learning and education of action research....

Action video games improve reading abilities and visual-to-auditory attentional shifting in English-speaking children with dyslexia.

Science.gov (United States)

Franceschini, Sandro; Trevisan, Piergiorgio; Ronconi, Luca; Bertoni, Sara; Colmar, Susan; Double, Kit; Facoetti, Andrea; Gori, Simone

2017-07-19

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties in learning to read and there is some evidence that action video games (AVG), without any direct phonological or orthographic stimulation, improve reading efficiency in Italian children with dyslexia. However, the cognitive mechanism underlying this improvement and the extent to which the benefits of AVG training would generalize to deep English orthography, remain two critical questions. During reading acquisition, children have to integrate written letters with speech sounds, rapidly shifting their attention from visual to auditory modality. In our study, we tested reading skills and phonological working memory, visuo-spatial attention, auditory, visual and audio-visual stimuli localization, and cross-sensory attentional shifting in two matched groups of English-speaking children with dyslexia before and after they played AVG or non-action video games. The speed of words recognition and phonological decoding increased after playing AVG, but not non-action video games. Furthermore, focused visuo-spatial attention and visual-to-auditory attentional shifting also improved only after AVG training. This unconventional reading remediation program also increased phonological short-term memory and phoneme blending skills. Our report shows that an enhancement of visuo-spatial attention and phonological working memory, and an acceleration of visual-to-auditory attentional shifting can directly translate into better reading in English-speaking children with dyslexia.

Action Simulation Plays a Critical Role in Deceptive Action Recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tidoni, Emmanuele; Borgomaneri, Sara; Di Pellegrino, Giuseppe; Avenanti, Alessio

2013-01-01

The ability to infer deceptive intents from nonverbal behavior is critical for social interactions. By combining single-pulse and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy humans, we provide both correlational and causative evidence that action simulation is actively involved in

Evaluation of accuracy in implant site preparation performed in single- or multi-step drilling procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Marheineke, Nadine; Scherer, Uta; Rücker, Martin; von See, Constantin; Rahlf, Björn; Gellrich, Nils-Claudius; Stoetzer, Marcus

2018-06-01

Dental implant failure and insufficient osseointegration are proven results of mechanical and thermal damage during the surgery process. We herein performed a comparative study of a less invasive single-step drilling preparation protocol and a conventional multiple drilling sequence. Accuracy of drilling holes was precisely analyzed and the influence of different levels of expertise of the handlers and additional use of drill template guidance was evaluated. Six experimental groups, deployed in an osseous study model, were representing template-guided and freehanded drilling actions in a stepwise drilling procedure in comparison to a single-drill protocol. Each experimental condition was studied by the drilling actions of respectively three persons without surgical knowledge as well as three highly experienced oral surgeons. Drilling actions were performed and diameters were recorded with a precision measuring instrument. Less experienced operators were able to significantly increase the drilling accuracy using a guiding template, especially when multi-step preparations are performed. Improved accuracy without template guidance was observed when experienced operators were executing single-step versus multi-step technique. Single-step drilling protocols have shown to produce more accurate results than multi-step procedures. The outcome of any protocol can be further improved by use of guiding templates. Operator experience can be a contributing factor. Single-step preparations are less invasive and are promoting osseointegration. Even highly experienced surgeons are achieving higher levels of accuracy by combining this technique with template guidance. Hereby template guidance enables a reduction of hands-on time and side effects during surgery and lead to a more predictable clinical diameter.

ASSESSMENT FORM - NEW IMPROVEMENT OF ACTIONS: CONCENTRATION AND RESEARCH AREAS / CURRICULUM STRUCTURE / FUNDRAISING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iracema MP Calderon

Full Text Available Objective: This review aims to develop a critical and current analysis of the basic structure of a Postgraduate program for proposing improvement actions and new evaluation criteria. Method: To examine the items that are areas of concentration (AC, research lines (LP, research projects (PP, curricular structure and fundraising were consulted the Area Document, the 2013 Evaluation Report and the Assessment Sheets of Medicine III programs, evaluated in the 2010-2012 period. Results: Consistency is recommended especially among AC, LP and PP, with genuine link between activities and permanent teachers skills and based on structured curriculum in the education of the student. The Program Proposal interfere, and much, in qualifying a program. The curriculum should provide subsidy to the formation of the researcher, through the core subjects, and development of PP, being the concept of disciplines to support lines and research projects. Fundraise should be set out in research projects and in the CV-Lattes. The area recommended that at least 40-50% of permanent teachers present fundraising and the minimum 20-25% of these teachers to have productivity scholarship PQ / CNPq during the triennium. Conclusion: It is necessary to promote wide discussion and find a consensus denominator for these issues. The actions should contribute to the improvement of evaluation forms and certainly for the qualification of the programs but graduate.

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project: Cost Reduction and Productivity Improvement Program Project Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

The purpose of the Cost Reduction/Productivity Improvement Program Plan is to formalize and improve upon existing efforts to control costs which have been underway since project inception. This program plan has been coordinated with the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) and the DOE Field Office, Albuquerque (AL). It incorporates prior Uranium Mill Tallings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Office guidance issued on the subject. The opportunities for reducing cosh and improving productivity are endless. The CR/PIP has these primary objectives: Improve productivity and quality; heighten the general cost consciousness of project participants, at all levels of their organizations; identify and implement specific innovative employee ideas that extend beyond what is required through existing processes and procedures; emphasize efforts that create additional value for the money spent by maintaining the project Total Estimated Cost (TEC) at the lowest possible level

An analysis of root cause identification and continuous quality improvement in public health H1N1 after-action reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Singleton, Christa-Marie; Debastiani, Summer; Rose, Dale; Kahn, Emily B

2014-01-01

To identify the extent to which the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program's (HSEEP) After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) template was followed by public health entities and facilitated the identification of detailed corrective actions and continuous improvement. Data were drawn from the US H1N1 Public Health Emergency Response (PHER) federal grant awardees (n = 62). After action report/improvement plan text was examined to identify the presence of AAR/IP HSEEP elements and characterized as "minimally complete," "partially complete," or "complete." Corrective actions (CA) and recommendations within the IP focusing on performance deficits were coded as specific, measurable, and time-bound, and whether they were associated with a problem that met root cause criteria and whether the CA/recommendation was intended to address or fix the root cause. A total of 2619 CA/recommendations were identified. More than half (n = 1480, 57%) addressed root causes. Corrective actions/recommendations associated with complete AARs more frequently addressed root cause (58% vs 51%, χ = 9.1, P < 0.003) and were more specific (34% vs 23%, χ = 32.3, P < 0.0001), measurable (30% vs 18%, χ = 37.9, P < 0.0001), and time-bound (38% vs 15%, χ = 115.5, P < 0.0001) than partially complete AARs. The same pattern was not observed with completeness of IPs. Corrective actions and recommendations were similarly specific and measurable. Recommendations significantly addressed root cause more than CAs. Our analysis indicates a possible lack of awardee distinction between CA and recommendations in AARs. As HSEEP adapts to align with the 2011 National Preparedness Goal and National Preparedness System, future HSEEP documents should emphasize the importance of root cause analysis as a required element within AAR documents and templates in the exercise and real incident environment, as well as the need for specific and measurable CAs.

NRG1-Fc improves metabolic health via dual hepatic and central action.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Kuang, Henry; He, Yanlin; Idiga, Sharon O; Li, Siming; Chen, Zhimin; Yang, Zhao; Cai, Xing; Zhang, Kezhong; Potthoff, Matthew J; Xu, Yong; Lin, Jiandie D

2018-03-08

Neuregulins (NRGs) are emerging as an important family of signaling ligands that regulate glucose and lipid homeostasis. NRG1 lowers blood glucose levels in obese mice, whereas the brown fat-enriched secreted factor NRG4 protects mice from high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. However, the therapeutic potential of NRGs remains elusive, given the poor plasma half-life of the native ligands. Here, we engineered a fusion protein using human NRG1 and the Fc domain of human IgG1 (NRG1-Fc) that exhibited extended half-life in circulation and improved potency in receptor signaling. We evaluated its efficacy in improving metabolic parameters and dissected the mechanisms of action. NRG1-Fc treatment triggered potent AKT activation in the liver, lowered blood glucose, improved insulin sensitivity, and suppressed food intake in obese mice. NRG1-Fc acted as a potent secretagogue for the metabolic hormone FGF21; however, the latter was largely dispensable for its metabolic effects. NRG1-Fc directly targeted the hypothalamic POMC neurons to promote membrane depolarization and increase firing rate. Together, NRG1-Fc exhibits improved pharmacokinetic properties and exerts metabolic benefits through dual inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis and caloric intake.

An efficiency improved single-phase PFC converter for electric vehicle charger applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Dexuan; Tang, Yi; Jin, Chi

2013-01-01

This paper presents an efficiency improved single-phase power factor correction (PFC) converter with its target application to plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) charging systems. The proposed PFC converter features sinusoidal input current, three-level output characteristic, and wide range...

Perturbative calculations for the HISQ action: the gluon action at Ο(Nfαsa2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, A.; Hippel, G.M. von; Horgan, R.R.

2008-08-01

We present a new (and general) algorithm for deriving lattice Feynman rules which is capable of handling actions as complex as the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action. This enables us to perform a perturbative calculation of the influence of dynamical HISQ fermions on the perturbative improvement of the gluonic action in the same way as we have previously done for asqtad fermions. We find the fermionic contributions to the radiative corrections in the Luescher-Weisz gauge action to be somewhat larger for HISQ fermions than for asqtad. (orig.)

Variations in interpulse interval of double action potentials during propagation in single neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Villagran-Vargas, Edgar; Rodríguez-Sosa, Leonardo; Hustert, Reinhold; Blicher, Andreas; Laub, Katrine; Heimburg, Thomas

2013-02-01

In this work, we analyzed the interpulse interval (IPI) of doublets and triplets in single neurons of three biological models. Pulse trains with two or three spikes originate from the process of sensory mechanotransduction in neurons of the locust femoral nerve, as well as through spontaneous activity both in the abdominal motor neurons and the caudal photoreceptor of the crayfish. We show that the IPI for successive low-frequency single action potentials, as recorded with two electrodes at two different points along a nerve axon, remains constant. On the other hand, IPI in doublets either remains constant, increases or decreases by up to about 3 ms as the pair propagates. When IPI increases, the succeeding pulse travels at a slower speed than the preceding one. When IPI is reduced, the succeeding pulse travels faster than the preceding one and may exceed the normal value for the specific neuron. In both cases, IPI increase and reduction, the speed of the preceding pulse differs slightly from the normal value, therefore the two pulses travel at different speeds in the same nerve axon. On the basis of our results, we may state that the effect of attraction or repulsion in doublets suggests a tendency of the spikes to reach a stable configuration. We strongly suggest that the change in IPI during spike propagation of doublets opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for neural coding and may have major implications for understanding information processing in nervous systems. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Action Research Study Designed to Implement Student Negotiation to Improve Speaking Classroom Practice in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Uztosun, Mehmet Sercan; Skinner, Nigel; Cadorath, Jill

2014-01-01

This paper reports the second stage of an action research study designed to improve the effectiveness of speaking classes through negotiating the lesson contents with students. The data were collected through interviews, questionnaires and observations as a way of eliciting students' views. The research, conducted in an English language teaching…

Shared intention and the doxastic single end condition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blomberg, Olle

2016-01-01

end condition captures a feature at the very heart of the phenomenon of intentional joint action. For instance, just as several simple actions are only unified into a complex intentional singular activity if the agent believes or assumes that there is a single end that each action is directed to, so...... several agents’ actions are only unified into an intentional joint activity if each agent believes or assumes that there is a single end that each intends to contribute to. Influential accounts of intentional joint action, including Christopher Kutz's and Michael Bratman's, implicitly include...

The effective action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeWitt, B.

1987-01-01

The concept of the effective action in quantum field theory was introduced into physics by Julian Schwinger in 1954. The effective action summarizes, in a single functional, all the quantum properties of the fields under consideration. The functional derivative of the effective action yields the effective field equations, which replace the classical field equations as descriptors of the dynamical behavior of quantized fields. Solutions of these equations are 'in-out' matrix elements of the field operators and, when substituted back into the effective action itself, yield logarithms of the corresponding 'in-out' amplitudes. The classical field equations are gauge covariant, a fact that derives from the gauge invariance of the classical action. One has learned how to construct effective actions that are similarly gauge invariant (in each order of perturbation theory) and that yield effective field equations having the covariance properties of their classical analogs. Despite this advance, problems remain, stemming from the fact that there is not one but an infinite number of gauge invariant effective actions, one for every background-covariant choice of supplementary conditions and ghost fields. Vilkovisky (1984) has argued persuasively that by requiring additionally that the effective action be invariant under local invertible changes in the choice of basic field variables, one can construct a natural unique gauge invariant effective action. This lecture will examine Vilkovisky's ideas. 3 refs

Actions improving the image of a nurse in electronic media. Opinion of students at medical courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakubowska Klaudia

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Aim. The aim of study was to define actions improving the image of nurses in electronic media. Material and method. 219 women and 44 men took part in a survey. They were the students of the following courses: nursing, medical rescue, obstetrics, medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutics, physiotherapy, public health. The studies were undertaken with use of own questionnaire in 2015. Results. Majority of respondents 64,6% (n=169 stated that improvement of image of their own profession belongs to the nurses, and only 35,4% (n=93 respondents indicated that the professional organizations of nurses and midwives have their impact on it. According to the students, the most crucial action that should be undertaken by professional organizations in order to improve the image of profession in electronic media was the improvement of wages and working conditions (72,2%, n=189 and better promotion of the profession in electronic media (73,8%, n=193. The nurses can influence the improvement of their image in media by taking care of the good opinion about the profession by setting good example (32%, n=84, and also by creating blogs, social forum, online information services, etc. (26,2%, n=69. Conclusions. According to the respondents, the image of a nurse in electronic media is shaped by the television and radio. The mentioned media tend to present nursing environment in a negative light. The data analysis shows that according to the respondents, the professional organizations of nurses and midwives and nurses themselves should be responsible for improvement of the situation. In order to improve the image, the nurses should promote professional achievements, change the stereotype used in shows and movies, and familiarize the public with the profession. The following branches of mass media should be used: internet websites, television and radio.

Action potential-evoked calcium release is impaired in single skeletal muscle fibers from heart failure patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marino DiFranco

Full Text Available Exercise intolerance in chronic heart failure (HF has been attributed to abnormalities of the skeletal muscles. Muscle function depends on intact excitation-contraction coupling (ECC, but ECC studies in HF models have been inconclusive, due to deficiencies in the animal models and tools used to measure calcium (Ca2+ release, mandating investigations in skeletal muscle from HF patients. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that Ca2+ release is significantly impaired in the skeletal muscle of HF patients in whom exercise capacity is severely diminished compared to age-matched healthy volunteers.Using state-of-the-art electrophysiological and optical techniques in single muscle fibers from biopsies of the locomotive vastus lateralis muscle, we measured the action potential (AP-evoked Ca2+ release in 4 HF patients and 4 age-matched healthy controls. The mean peak Ca2+ release flux in fibers obtained from HF patients (10±1.2 µM/ms was markedly (2.6-fold and significantly (p<0.05 smaller than in fibers from healthy volunteers (28±3.3 µM/ms. This impairment in AP-evoked Ca2+ release was ubiquitous and was not explained by differences in the excitability mechanisms since single APs were indistinguishable between HF patients and healthy volunteers.These findings prove the feasibility of performing electrophysiological experiments in single fibers from human skeletal muscle, and offer a new approach for investigations of myopathies due to HF and other diseases. Importantly, we have demonstrated that one step in the ECC process, AP-evoked Ca2+ release, is impaired in single muscle fibers in HF patients.

Combining administrative data feedback, reflection and action planning to engage primary care professionals in quality improvement: qualitative assessment of short term program outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vachon, Brigitte; Désorcy, Bruno; Gaboury, Isabelle; Camirand, Michel; Rodrigue, Jean; Quesnel, Louise; Guimond, Claude; Labelle, Martin; Huynh, Ai-Thuy; Grimshaw, Jeremy

2015-09-18

Improving primary care for chronic disease management requires a coherent, integrated approach to quality improvement. Evidence in the continuing professional development (CPD) field suggests the importance of using strategies such as feedback delivery, reflective practice and action planning to facilitate recognition of gaps and service improvement needs. Our study explored the outcomes of a CPD intervention, named the COMPAS Project, which consists of a three-hour workshop composed of three main activities: feedback, critical reflection and action planning. The feedback intervention is delivered face-to-face and presents performance indicators extracted from clinical-administrative databases. This aim of this study was to assess the short term outcomes of this intervention to engage primary care professional in continuous quality improvement (QI). In order to develop an understanding of our intervention and of its short term outcomes, a program evaluation approach was used. Ten COMPAS workshops on diabetes management were directly observed and qualitative data was collected to assess the intervention short term outcomes. Data from both sources were combined to describe the characteristics of action plans developed by professionals. Two independent coders analysed the content of these plans to assess if they promoted engagement in QI and interprofessional collaboration. During the ten workshops held, 26 interprofessional work teams were formed. Twenty-two of them developed a QI project they could implement themselves and that targeted aspects of their own practice they perceived in need of change. Most frequently prioritized strategies for change were improvement of systematic clientele follow-up, medication compliance, care pathway and support to improve adoption of healthier life habits. Twenty-one out of 22 action plans were found to target some level of improvement of interprofessional collaboration in primary care. Our study results demonstrate that the

Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, Dominic W; Scheel, Stefan; Myers, Casey R; Sanders, Barry C; Knight, Peter L; Laflamme, Raymond

2004-01-01

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by distinguishable photons, dark counts or multiphoton components in the input

Habits as action sequences: hierarchical action control and changes in outcome value.

Science.gov (United States)

Dezfouli, Amir; Lingawi, Nura W; Balleine, Bernard W

2014-11-05

Goal-directed action involves making high-level choices that are implemented using previously acquired action sequences to attain desired goals. Such a hierarchical schema is necessary for goal-directed actions to be scalable to real-life situations, but results in decision-making that is less flexible than when action sequences are unfolded and the decision-maker deliberates step-by-step over the outcome of each individual action. In particular, from this perspective, the offline revaluation of any outcomes that fall within action sequence boundaries will be invisible to the high-level planner resulting in decisions that are insensitive to such changes. Here, within the context of a two-stage decision-making task, we demonstrate that this property can explain the emergence of habits. Next, we show how this hierarchical account explains the insensitivity of over-trained actions to changes in outcome value. Finally, we provide new data that show that, under extended extinction conditions, habitual behaviour can revert to goal-directed control, presumably as a consequence of decomposing action sequences into single actions. This hierarchical view suggests that the development of action sequences and the insensitivity of actions to changes in outcome value are essentially two sides of the same coin, explaining why these two aspects of automatic behaviour involve a shared neural structure. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Improving throughput of single-relay DF channel using linear constellation precoding

KAUST Repository

Fareed, Muhammad Mehboob

2014-08-01

In this letter, we propose a transmission scheme to improve the overall throughput of a cooperative communication system with single decode-and-forward relay. Symbol error rate and throughput analysis of the new scheme are presented to facilitate the performance comparison with the existing decode-and-forward relaying schemes. Simulation results are further provided to corroborate the analytical results. © 2012 IEEE.

Improving throughput of single-relay DF channel using linear constellation precoding

KAUST Repository

Fareed, Muhammad Mehboob; Yang, Hongchuan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2014-01-01

In this letter, we propose a transmission scheme to improve the overall throughput of a cooperative communication system with single decode-and-forward relay. Symbol error rate and throughput analysis of the new scheme are presented to facilitate the performance comparison with the existing decode-and-forward relaying schemes. Simulation results are further provided to corroborate the analytical results. © 2012 IEEE.

Action simulation plays a critical role in deceptive action recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Tidoni, Emmanuele; Borgomaneri, Sara; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe; Avenanti, Alessio

2013-01-09

The ability to infer deceptive intents from nonverbal behavior is critical for social interactions. By combining single-pulse and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy humans, we provide both correlational and causative evidence that action simulation is actively involved in the ability to recognize deceptive body movements. We recorded motor-evoked potentials during a faked-action discrimination (FAD) task: participants watched videos of actors lifting a cube and judged whether the actors were trying to deceive them concerning the real weight of the cube. Seeing faked actions facilitated the observers' motor system more than truthful actions in a body-part-specific manner, suggesting that motor resonance was sensitive to deceptive movements. Furthermore, we found that TMS virtual lesion to the anterior node of the action observation network, namely the left inferior frontal cortex (IFC), reduced perceptual sensitivity in the FAD task. In contrast, no change in FAD task performance was found after virtual lesions to the left temporoparietal junction (control site). Moreover, virtual lesion to the IFC failed to affect performance in a difficulty-matched spatial-control task that did not require processing of spatiotemporal (acceleration) and configurational (limb displacement) features of seen actions, which are critical to detecting deceptive intent in the actions of others. These findings indicate that the human IFC is critical for recognizing deceptive body movements and suggest that FAD relies on the simulation of subtle changes in action kinematics within the motor system.

Online Evolution for Multi-Action Adversarial Games

OpenAIRE

Justesen, Niels; Mahlmann, Tobias; Togelius, Julian

2016-01-01

We present Online Evolution, a novel method for playing turn-based multi-action adversarial games. Such games, which include most strategy games, have extremely high branching factors due to each turn having multiple actions. In Online Evolution, an evolutionary algorithm is used to evolve the combination of atomic actions that make up a single move, with a state evaluation function used for fitness. We implement Online Evolution for the turn-based multi-action game Hero Academy and compare i...

THEORY OF REASONED ACTION FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CAPABILITIES: A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janaina Siegler

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The importance of interaction between Operations Management (OM and Human Behavior has been recently re-addressed. This paper introduced the Reasoned Action Theory suggested by Froehle and Roth (2004 to analyze Operational Capabilities exploring the suitability of this model in the context of OM. It also seeks to discuss the behavioral aspects of operational capabilities from the perspective of organizational routines. This theory was operationalized using Fishbein and Ajzen (F/A behavioral model and a multi-case strategy was employed to analyze the Continuous Improvement (CI capability. The results posit that the model explains partially the CI behavior in an operational context and some contingency variables might influence the general relationsamong the variables involved in the F/A model. Thus intention might not be the determinant variable of behavior in this context.

Efficient implementation of the Monte Carlo method for lattice gauge theory calculations on the floating point systems FPS-164

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriarty, K.J.M.; Blackshaw, J.E.

1983-01-01

The computer program calculates the average action per plaquette for SU(6)/Z 6 lattice gauge theory. By considering quantum field theory on a space-time lattice, the ultraviolet divergences of the theory are regulated through the finite lattice spacing. The continuum theory results can be obtained by a renormalization group procedure. Making use of the FPS Mathematics Library (MATHLIB), we are able to generate an efficient code for the Monte Carlo algorithm for lattice gauge theory calculations which compares favourably with the performance of the CDC 7600. (orig.)

The effect of physician feedback and an action checklist on diabetes care measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Schectman, Joel M; Schorling, John B; Nadkarni, Mohan M; Lyman, Jason A; Siadaty, Mir S; Voss, John D

2004-01-01

The objective was to evaluate whether physician feedback accompanied by an action checklist improved diabetes care process measures. Eighty-three physicians in an academic general medicine clinic were provided a single feedback report on the most recent date and result of diabetes care measures (glycosylated hemoglobin [A1c], urine microalbumin, serum creatinine, lipid levels, retinal examination) as well as recent diabetes medication refills with calculated dosing and adherence on 789 patients. An educational session regarding the feedback and adherence information was provided. The physicians were asked to complete a checklist accompanying the feedback on each of their patients, indicating requested actions with respect to follow-up, testing, and counseling. The physicians completed 82% of patient checklists, requesting actions consistent with patient needs on the basis of the feedback. Of the physicians, 93% felt the patient information and intervention format to be useful. The odds of urine microalbumin testing, serum creatinine, lipid profile, A1c, and retinal examination increased in the 6 months after the feedback. The increase was sustained at 1 year only for microalbumin and retinal exams. There was no significant change in refill adherence for the group overall after the feedback, although adherence did improve among patients of physicians attending the educational session. No significant change was noted in lipid or A1c levels during the study period. In conclusion, a simple physician feedback tool with action checklist can be both helpful and popular for improving rates of diabetes care guideline adherence. More complex interventions are likely required to improve diabetes outcomes.

Pedagogical actions under pressure? Primary school teachers’ perceptions of their pedagogical actions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gemmink, Michelle; Fokkens-Bruinsma, Marjon; Pauw, Ietje; van Veen, Klaas

2017-01-01

In Dutch primary schools, pedagogical actions seem to receive much less attention than content knowledge. This is the consequence of several developments and innovations that aimed at enhancing pupils’ learning outcomes and at improving teachers’ content knowledge and didactic actions. This results

ACE Action Fellowship Bridges Climate Education into Action for Young People

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, R. K.

2016-12-01

Alliance for Climate Education educates young people on the science of climate change and empowers them to take action. Since 2009, ACE has educated over two million students and trained more than 4,000 young leaders. The ACE Action Fellowship is a yearlong training program that gives young people the knowledge, skills and confidence to be strong climate leaders. Here, we present the results of the first year of evaluation of the Fellowship program in the 2014-15 school year. Sixty high school students completed matched surveys before and after completing the program. Students were evaluated on skills learned, actions taken, confidence gained, civic engagement, and plans to continue action on climate in the future. Results show that the Fellowship increases young people's confidence: 52% of Fellows report an increase in confidence in leading a group of peers on a climate-related campaign. Fellows also gained leadership skills. More than half of Fellows say they improved in the areas of recruitment, interpersonal communication skills, campaign planning, and public speaking. 50% of Fellows reported an increase in their likelihood of seeking elected office when of age. The Fellowship positively influences young people's intent to study a climate, energy or sustainability-related field. 63% of Fellows identify as people of color. Notably, despite entering the Fellowship with significantly lower self-ratings than white students in experience and skill sets, young people of color reported greater improvement in the areas of public speaking (25% improvement vs. 6% improvement) and petitioning (27% improvement vs. 1% improvement). These results show that the ACE Fellowship gives young people tangible skills and confidence that puts them on a path of climate leadership. Further evaluation will be done to expand the dataset, but early indications show that these young people are poised to make valuable contributions and bring a much needed diverse youth perspective to the

Nuclear security. DOE actions to improve the personnel clearance program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fultz, Keith O.; Bannerman, Carl J.; Daniel, Beverly A.

1988-11-01

The status of the Department of Energy's (DOE) implementation of recommendations in our two reports on DOE's personnel security clearance program was determined. The recommendations were aimed at improving the timeliness, accuracy, and efficiency of personnel security clearance decisions. Specifically, the objective was to determine and report on steps DOE is taking to implement these recommendations. In summary, it was found that DOE has either initiated action or is studying ways to address all the recommendations, but none of the recommendations have been completely implemented. The effectiveness of the DOE actions will depend, in part, on the adequacy of its internal control system for overseeing and evaluating program operations. DOE's personnel security clearance program is intended to provide reasonable assurance that personnel with access to classified information and materials are trustworthy. The Department requests that the Office of Personnel Management or the Federal Bureau of Investigation collect personal data on each person who requires such access to do his or her job. Based on these background investigations, DOE officials authorize individuals whose personal histories indicate that they are trustworthy to have access to classified information, secured facilities, and controlled materials as needed to perform their jobs. DOE has five types of these authorizations or personnel security clearances and must update information on personnel holding each type at 5-year intervals to confirm their continuing reliability. The five types are based on the types of security interests to which the person needs access, e.g., persons needing nuclear weapons-related data must have a Q clearance, and persons with a top secret clearance can have access to national security data classified as top secret

Action video games improve reading abilities and visual-to-auditory attentional shifting in English-speaking children with dyslexia

OpenAIRE

Franceschini, Sandro; Trevisan, Piergiorgio; Ronconi, Luca; Bertoni, Sara; Colmar, Susan; Double, Kit; Facoetti, Andrea; Gori, Simone

2017-01-01

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties in learning to read and there is some evidence that action video games (AVG), without any direct phonological or orthographic stimulation, improve reading efficiency in Italian children with dyslexia. However, the cognitive mechanism underlying this improvement and the extent to which the benefits of AVG training would generalize to deep English orthography, remain two critical questions. During reading acquisition, children have to integrate written ...

Electronic audit and feedback intervention with action implementation toolbox to improve pain management in intensive care: protocol for a laboratory experiment and cluster randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gude, Wouter T; Roos-Blom, Marie-José; van der Veer, Sabine N; de Jonge, Evert; Peek, Niels; Dongelmans, Dave A; de Keizer, Nicolette F

2017-05-25

Audit and feedback is often used as a strategy to improve quality of care, however, its effects are variable and often marginal. In order to learn how to design and deliver effective feedback, we need to understand their mechanisms of action. This theory-informed study will investigate how electronic audit and feedback affects improvement intentions (i.e. information-intention gap), and whether an action implementation toolbox with suggested actions and materials helps translating those intentions into action (i.e. intention-behaviour gap). The study will be executed in Dutch intensive care units (ICUs) and will be focused on pain management. We will conduct a laboratory experiment with individual ICU professionals to assess the impact of feedback on their intentions to improve practice. Next, we will conduct a cluster randomised controlled trial with ICUs allocated to feedback without or feedback with action implementation toolbox group. Participants will not be told explicitly what aspect of the intervention is randomised; they will only be aware that there are two variations of providing feedback. ICUs are eligible for participation if they submit indicator data to the Dutch National Intensive Care Evaluation (NICE) quality registry and agree to allocate a quality improvement team that spends 4 h per month on the intervention. All participating ICUs will receive access to an online quality dashboard that provides two functionalities: gaining insight into clinical performance on pain management indicators and developing action plans. ICUs with access to the toolbox can develop their action plans guided by a list of potential barriers in the care process, associated suggested actions, and supporting materials to facilitate implementation of the actions. The primary outcome measure for the laboratory experiment is the proportion of improvement intentions set by participants that are consistent with recommendations based on peer comparisons; for the randomised

Action research in collaborative improvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Middel, H.G.A.; Coghlan, David; Brennan, Louis; McNichols, Tim

2006-01-01

There is an increasing need to apply and transfer continuous improvement (CI) to inter-organisational processes. As such collaborative improvement (CoI) is emerging as a new concept within managerial literature and practice. This paper begins with a discussion on the logic and value of applying

Improvement of Klobuchar model for GNSS single-frequency ionospheric delay corrections

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ningbo; Yuan, Yunbin; Li, Zishen; Huo, Xingliang

2016-04-01

Broadcast ionospheric model is currently an effective approach to mitigate the ionospheric time delay for real-time Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) single-frequency users. Klobuchar coefficients transmitted in Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation message have been widely used in various GNSS positioning and navigation applications; however, this model can only reduce the ionospheric error by approximately 50% in mid-latitudes. With the emerging BeiDou and Galileo, as well as the modernization of GPS and GLONASS, more precise ionospheric correction models or algorithms are required by GNSS single-frequency users. Numerical analysis of the initial phase and nighttime term in Klobuchar algorithm demonstrates that more parameters should be introduced to better describe the variation of nighttime ionospheric total electron content (TEC). In view of this, several schemes are proposed for the improvement of Klobuchar algorithm. Performance of these improved Klobuchar-like models are validated over the continental and oceanic regions during high (2002) and low (2006) levels of solar activities, respectively. Over the continental region, GPS TEC generated from 35 International GNSS Service (IGS) and the Crust Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) stations are used as references. Over the oceanic region, TEC data from TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 altimeters are used for comparison. A ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model, which describes the nighttime term as a linear function of geomagnetic latitude, is finally proposed for GNSS single-frequency ionospheric corrections. Compared to GPS TEC, while GPS broadcast model can correct for 55.0% and 49.5% of the ionospheric delay for the year 2002 and 2006, respectively, the proposed ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model can reduce the ionospheric error by 68.4% and 64.7% for the same period. Compared to TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 TEC, the improved ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model can mitigate the ionospheric

Low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation over left dorsal premotor cortex improves the dynamic control of visuospatially cued actions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ward, Nick S; Bestmann, Sven; Hartwigsen, Gesa

2010-01-01

Left rostral dorsal premotor cortex (rPMd) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) have been implicated in the dynamic control of actions. In 12 right-handed healthy individuals, we applied 30 min of low-frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over left rPMd to investigate...... the involvement of left rPMd and SMG in the rapid adjustment of actions guided by visuospatial cues. After rTMS, subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while making spatially congruent button presses with the right or left index finger in response to a left- or right-sided target. Subjects were...... that left rPMd and SMG-AIP contribute toward dynamic control of actions and demonstrate that low-frequency rTMS can enhance functional coupling between task-relevant brain regions and improve some aspects of motor performance....

A call for action: Improve reporting of research studies to increase the scientific basis for regulatory decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ågerstrand, Marlene; Christiansen, Sofie; Hanberg, Annika

2018-01-01

This is a call for action to scientific journals to introduce reporting requirements for toxicity and ecotoxicity studies. Such reporting requirements will support the use of peer-reviewed research studies in regulatory decision-making. Moreover, this could improve the reliability and reproducibi...

Humanin: a novel central regulator of peripheral insulin action.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radhika H Muzumdar

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Decline in insulin action is a metabolic feature of aging and is involved in the development of age-related diseases including Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM and Alzheimer's disease (AD. A novel mitochondria-associated peptide, Humanin (HN, has a neuroprotective role against AD-related neurotoxicity. Considering the association between insulin resistance and AD, we investigated if HN influences insulin sensitivity.Using state of the art clamp technology, we examined the role of central and peripheral HN on insulin action. Continuous infusion of HN intra-cerebro-ventricularly significantly improved overall insulin sensitivity. The central effects of HN on insulin action were associated with activation of hypothalamic STAT-3 signaling; effects that were negated by co-inhibition of hypothalamic STAT-3. Peripheral intravenous infusions of novel and potent HN derivatives reproduced the insulin-sensitizing effects of central HN. Inhibition of hypothalamic STAT-3 completely negated the effects of IV HN analog on liver, suggesting that the hepatic actions of HN are centrally mediated. This is consistent with the lack of a direct effect of HN on primary hepatocytes. Furthermore, single treatment with a highly-potent HN analog significantly lowered blood glucose in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. Based upon the link of HN with two age-related diseases, we examined if there were age associated changes in HN levels. Indeed, the amount of detectable HN in hypothalamus, skeletal muscle, and cortex was decreased with age in rodents, and circulating levels of HN were decreased with age in humans and mice.We conclude that the decline in HN with age could play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases including AD and T2DM. HN represents a novel link between T2DM and neurodegeneration and along with its analogues offers a potential therapeutic tool to improve insulin action and treat T2DM.

Improvement of energy efficiency and quality of street lighting in South Italy as an action of Sustainable Energy Action Plans. The case study of Comiso (RG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beccali, Marco; Bonomolo, Marina; Ciulla, Giuseppina; Galatioto, Alessandra; Lo Brano, Valerio

2015-01-01

Existing street lighting systems, in most of South Italy cities, are often inefficient due to the obsolescence of lamps and luminaires and of ineffective light control systems unable to implement efficient on-off and dimming strategies. Energy efficiency improvement, in street lighting systems, is often one of the key actions to be adopted by Public Administration in their Sustainable Energy Action Plan in the framework of the “Covenant of Majors” activities. As a task of FACTOR 20 project, a set of planning options has been analysed and proposed. Particularly, street lighting efficiency projects have been studied for representative case studies. A detailed survey of the public lighting systems, in Comiso, allowed represent current performance figures such us installed power, luminance and illuminance levels in roads categories, electricity consumption, switching and dimming schedules. A project of system upgrade has been elaborated. To do this, many lighting simulations, energy and economic assessments in three scenarios have been performed. The obtained results show that high improvements of the lighting quality are foreseeable together with large energy and economic saving. An economic sensitivity analysis, has shown how the performance can change. The proposed methodology can be applied in many similar South Italy cities. - Highlights: • Retrofit actions in urban lighting systems of typical South Italy cities are studied. • A methodology for the comparison of baseline and design scenarios is presented. • An analysis of energy and economic savings of different scenarios is performed. • A sensitivity analysis of payback times is presented for different costs of LED and kWhe.

Improving Single-Carbon-Nanotube-Electrode Contacts Using Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Krittayavathananon, Atiweena; Ngamchuea, Kamonwad; Li, Xiuting; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Kätelhön, Enno; Chaisiwamongkhol, Korbua; Sawangphruk, Montree; Compton, Richard G

2017-08-17

We report the use of an electroactive species, acetaminophen, to modify the electrical connection between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and an electrode. By applying a potential across two electrodes, some of the CNTs in solution occasionally contact the electrified interface and bridge between two electrodes. By observing a single CNT contact between two microbands of an interdigitated Au electrode in the presence and absence of acetaminophen, the role of the molecular species at the electronic junction is revealed. As compared with the pure CNT, the current magnitude of the acetaminophen-modified CNTs significantly increases with the applied potentials, indicating that the molecule species improves the junction properties probably via redox shuttling.

Clarification of TMI action plan requirements. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-11-01

This document, NUREG-0737, is a letter from D.G. Eisenhut, Director of the Division of Licensing, NRR, to licensees of operating power reactors and applicants for operating licenses forwarding post-TMI requirements which have been approved for implementation. Following the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2, the NRC staff developed the Action Plan, NUREG-0660, to provide a comprehensive and integrated plan to improve safety at power reactors. Specific items from NUREG-0660 have been approved by the Commission for implementation at reactors. In this NRC report, these specific items comprise a single document which includes additional information about schedules, applicability, method of implementation review, submittal dates, and clarification of technical positions. It should be noted that the total set of TMI-related actions have been collected in NUREG-0660, but only those items that the Commission has approved for implementation to date are included in this document, NUREG-0737

Affirmative Action: History and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Garrison-Wade, Dorothy F.; Lewis, Chance W.

2004-01-01

From its inception, affirmative action policies were created to improve the employment and/or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and women. Even today, however, the debate continues over the future of affirmative action. Proponents offer empirical evidence illustrating that affirmative action has been favorable in aiding…

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, July--September 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1988) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, October--December 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1988) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, April-June 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April-June 1987) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, April--June 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1988) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, July-September 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July-September 1987) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved: Quarterly progress report, January-March 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-06-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January-March 1988) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwong, Enid Wy; Hung, Maria Sy; Woo, Kevin

2016-11-25

A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs) in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning), changing (action), and refreezing (results) were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff's practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the revised risk assessment method, the timely and appropriate

Where one hand meets the other: limb-specific and action-dependent movement plans decoded from preparatory signals in single human frontoparietal brain areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallivan, Jason P; McLean, D Adam; Flanagan, J Randall; Culham, Jody C

2013-01-30

Planning object-directed hand actions requires successful integration of the movement goal with the acting limb. Exactly where and how this sensorimotor integration occurs in the brain has been studied extensively with neurophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates, yet to date, because of limitations of non-invasive methodologies, the ability to examine the same types of planning-related signals in humans has been challenging. Here we show, using a multivoxel pattern analysis of functional MRI (fMRI) data, that the preparatory activity patterns in several frontoparietal brain regions can be used to predict both the limb used and hand action performed in an upcoming movement. Participants performed an event-related delayed movement task whereby they planned and executed grasp or reach actions with either their left or right hand toward a single target object. We found that, although the majority of frontoparietal areas represented hand actions (grasping vs reaching) for the contralateral limb, several areas additionally coded hand actions for the ipsilateral limb. Notable among these were subregions within the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), ventral premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, presupplementary motor area, and motor cortex, a region more traditionally implicated in contralateral movement generation. Additional analyses suggest that hand actions are represented independently of the intended limb in PPC and PMd. In addition to providing a unique mapping of limb-specific and action-dependent intention-related signals across the human cortical motor system, these findings uncover a much stronger representation of the ipsilateral limb than expected from previous fMRI findings.

Action principles for the Vlasov equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, H.; Morrison, P.J.

1992-01-01

Five action principles for the Vlasov--Poisson and Vlasov--Maxwell equations, which differ by the variables incorporated to describe the distribution of particles in phase space, are presented. Three action principles previously known for the Vlasov--Maxwell equations are altered so as to produce the Vlasov--Poisson equation upon variation with respect to only the particle variables, and one action principle previously known for the Vlasov--Poisson equation is altered to produce the Vlasov--Maxwell equations upon variations with respect to particle and field variables independently. Also, a new action principle for both systems, which is called the leaf action, is presented. This new action has the desirable features of using only a single generating function as the dynamical variable for describing the particle distribution, and manifestly preserving invariants of the system known as Casimir invariants. The relationships between the various actions are described, and it is shown that the leaf action is a link between actions written in terms of Lagrangian and Eulerian variables

Corrective action program reengineering project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vernick, H.R.

1996-01-01

A series of similar refueling floor events that occurred during the early 1990s prompted Susquehanna steam electric station (SSES) management to launch a broad-based review of how the Nuclear Department conducts business. This was accomplished through the formation of several improvement initiative teams. Clearly, one of the key areas that benefited from this management initiative was the corrective action program. The corrective action improvement team was charged with taking a comprehensive look at how the Nuclear Department identified and resolved problems. The 10-member team included management and bargaining unit personnel as well as an external management consultant. This paper provides a summary of this self-assessment initiative, including a discussion of the issues identified, opportunities for improvement, and subsequent completed or planned actions

Action Research to Improve the Learning Space for Diagnostic Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen Ariel

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The module described and evaluated here was created in response to perceived learning difficulties in diagnostic test design and interpretation for students in third-year Clinical Microbiology. Previously, the activities in lectures and laboratory classes in the module fell into the lower cognitive operations of “knowledge” and “understanding.” The new approach was to exchange part of the traditional activities with elements of interactive learning, where students had the opportunity to engage in deep learning using a variety of learning styles. The effectiveness of the new curriculum was assessed by means of on-course student assessment throughout the module, a final exam, an anonymous questionnaire on student evaluation of the different activities and a focus group of volunteers. Although the new curriculum enabled a major part of the student cohort to achieve higher pass grades (p < 0.001, it did not meet the requirements of the weaker students, and the proportion of the students failing the module remained at 34%. The action research applied here provided a number of valuable suggestions from students on how to improve future curricula from their perspective. Most importantly, an interactive online program that facilitated flexibility in the learning space for the different reagents and their interaction in diagnostic tests was proposed. The methods applied to improve and assess a curriculum refresh by involving students as partners in the process, as well as the outcomes, are discussed.

Action Research to Improve the Learning Space for Diagnostic Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariel, Ellen; Owens, Leigh

2015-12-01

The module described and evaluated here was created in response to perceived learning difficulties in diagnostic test design and interpretation for students in third-year Clinical Microbiology. Previously, the activities in lectures and laboratory classes in the module fell into the lower cognitive operations of "knowledge" and "understanding." The new approach was to exchange part of the traditional activities with elements of interactive learning, where students had the opportunity to engage in deep learning using a variety of learning styles. The effectiveness of the new curriculum was assessed by means of on-course student assessment throughout the module, a final exam, an anonymous questionnaire on student evaluation of the different activities and a focus group of volunteers. Although the new curriculum enabled a major part of the student cohort to achieve higher pass grades (p < 0.001), it did not meet the requirements of the weaker students, and the proportion of the students failing the module remained at 34%. The action research applied here provided a number of valuable suggestions from students on how to improve future curricula from their perspective. Most importantly, an interactive online program that facilitated flexibility in the learning space for the different reagents and their interaction in diagnostic tests was proposed. The methods applied to improve and assess a curriculum refresh by involving students as partners in the process, as well as the outcomes, are discussed. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Report: Agency-Wide Application of Region 7 NPDES Program Process Improvements Could Increase EPA Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Report #11-P-0315, July 6, 2011. Although Region 7 NPDES Kaizen event participants continued to follow up on the commitments and action items identified, no single authority was responsible for tracking the process improvement outcomes.

Nurses in action: An introduction to action research in nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. C. McKibbin

1996-03-01

Full Text Available Action Research is one of the new generation of qualitative research methods in the social sciences which has special significance for nurses in South Africa. The collaborative, participative and reflective qualities of Action Research appeal to practitioners, and lend themselves to joint problem solving activities in local contexts. This paper sets out a rationale for Action Research, then describes its features, strengths, and limitations. Ways of overcoming the latter are suggested. The paper concludes that Action Research has potential application in the field of nursing, not only for the purposes of practical problem solving, but also for improving the personal and professional practice of nurses, and for emancipating nurses from their subordinate position in the hierarchy of health science.

Improved Design Methods for Robust Single- and Three-Phase ac-dc-ac Power Converters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Zian

. The approaches for improving their performance, in terms of the voltage stress, efficiency, power density, cost, loss distribution, and temperature, will be studied. The structure of the thesis is as follows, Chapter 1 presents the introduction and motivation of the whole project as well as the background...... becomes a emerging challenge. Accordingly, installation of sustainable power generators like wind turbines and solar panels has experienced a large increase during the last decades. Meanwhile, power electronics converters, as interfaces in electrical system, are delivering approximately 80 % electricity...... back-to-back, and meanwhile improve the harmonics, control flexibility, and thermal distribution between the switches. Afterwards, active power decoupling methods for single-phase inverters or rectifiers that are similar to the single-phase ac-dc-ac converter, are studied in Chapter 4...

Improving the Amazonian Hydrologic Cycle in a Coupled Land-Atmosphere, Single Column Model

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, A. B.; Denning, S.; Baker, I.; Prihodko, L.; Branson, M.

2006-12-01

We have coupled a land-surface model, the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3), to a single column of the Colorado State University General Circulation Model (CSU-GCM) in the Amazon River Basin. This is a preliminary step in the broader goal of improved simulation of Basin-wide hydrology. A previous version of the coupled model (SiB2) showed drought and catastrophic dieback of the Amazon rain forest. SiB3 includes updated soil hydrology and root physiology. Our test area for the coupled single column model is near Santarem, Brazil, where measurements from the km 83 flux tower in the Tapajos National Forest can be used to evaluate model output. The model was run for 2001 using NCEP2 Reanalysis as driver data. Preliminary results show that the updated biosphere model coupled to the GCM produces improved simulations of the seasonal cycle of surface water balance and precipitation. Comparisons of the diurnal and seasonal cycles of surface fluxes are also being made.

The perturbative construction of Symanzik's improved action for [Phi][sup 4][sub 4] and QED[sub 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keller, G. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Physik, Werner-Heisenberg-Inst., Muenchen (Germany))

1993-08-01

For the perturbative Euclidean massive [Phi][sup 4][sub 4] and QED[sub 4] (with a small photon mass) an explicit construction of Symanzik's improved action is presented. It is established rigorously that all the Green functions exhibit improved convergence as the momentum space UV cutoff is sent to infinity. These results are obtained by an application of the powerful yet technically simple flow equation method. (orig.)

Online evolution for multi-action adversarial games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Niels Orsleff; Mahlmann, Tobias; Togelius, Julian

2016-01-01

the combination of atomic actions that make up a single move, with a state evaluation function used for fitness. We implement Online Evolution for the turn-based multi-action game Hero Academy and compare it with a standard Monte Carlo Tree Search implementation as well as two types of greedy algorithms. Online...

Latent Toxoplasma gondii infection leads to improved action control.

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Heintschel von Heinegg, Evelyn; Köhling, Hedda-Luise; Beste, Christian

2014-03-01

The parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been found to manipulate the behavior of its secondary hosts to increase its own dissemination which is commonly believed to be to the detriment of the host (manipulation hypothesis). The manipulation correlates with an up-regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission. In humans, different pathologies have been associated with T. gondii infections but most latently infected humans do not seem to display overt impairments. Since a dopamine plus does not necessarily bear exclusively negative consequences in humans, we investigated potential positive consequences of latent toxoplasmosis (and the presumed boosting of dopaminergic neurotransmission) on human cognition and behavior. For this purpose, we focused on action cascading which has been shown to be modulated by dopamine. Based on behavioral and neurophysiological (EEG) data obtained by means of a stop-change paradigm, we were able to demonstrate that healthy young humans can actually benefit from latent T. gondii infection as regards their performance in this task (as indicated by faster response times and a smaller P3 component). The data shows that a latent infection which is assumed to affect the dopaminergic system can lead to paradoxical improvements of cognitive control processes in humans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How and why actions are selected: action selection and the dark room problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Venter Elmarie

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I examine an evolutionary approach to the action selection problem and illustrate how it helps raise an objection to the predictive processing account. Clark examines the predictive processing account as a theory of brain function that aims to unify perception, action, and cognition, but - despite this aim - fails to consider action selection overtly. He off ers an account of action control with the implication that minimizing prediction error is an imperative of living organisms because, according to the predictive processing account, action is employed to fulfill expectations and reduce prediction error. One way in which this can be achieved is by seeking out the least stimulating environment and staying there (Friston et al. 2012: 2. Bayesian, neuroscientific, and machine learning approaches into a single framework whose overarching principle is the minimization of surprise (or, equivalently, the maximization of expectation. But, most living organisms do not find, and stay in, surprise free environments. This paper explores this objection, also called the “dark room problem”, and examines Clark’s response to the problem. Finally, I recommend that if supplemented with an account of action selection, Clark’s account will avoid the dark room problem.

PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL TO IMPROVE PSYCHOMOTORIC SKILLS: A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Sumarni

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the application of project-based learning (PBL to improve student’ psychomotor skills and concept understanding, as well as knowing what PBL contribution to the improvement of student’ psychomotor skills in chemistry learning. The study was conducted in three cycles. Each cycle consisted of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection steps. One set of data consists of student’ psychomotor skills assesment, student’ conceptual understanding and questionnaire responses were obtained from the action research. Learning process was performed in the eleventh grade students included 37 students (10 males and 27 females and 3 collaborators. The successful research was indicated by 85% of students achieve the mastery learning on concept understanding and well on psychomotor aspects. Data collection was performed using documentation method by questionnaire, observations, and tests. Data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results show that all aspects of the psychomotor assessed include sets, mechanical response, complex response, adaptation, and origination were in high category. At the end of the lesson, the project assigned to students were evaluated jointly between teachers and students. The project results in the form of a series of distillation apparatus is applied to separate the natural compounds.

Improved generation of single nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond by ion implantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naydenov, Boris; Beck, Johannes; Steiner, Matthias; Balasubramanian, Gopalakrishnan; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Joerg [3. Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart (Germany); Richter, Vladimir; Kalish, Rafi [Solid State Institute, Technion City, Haifa (Israel); Achard, Jocelyn [Laboratoire d' Ingenieurie des Materiaux et des Hautes Pressions, CNRS, Villetaneuse (France)

2010-07-01

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have recently attracted the attention of many research groups due to their possible application as quantum bits (qubits), ultra low magnetic field sensors and single photon sources. These color centers can be produced by nitrogen ion implantation, although the yield is usually below 5 % at low ion energies. Here we report an increase of the NV production efficiency by subsequently implanting carbon ions in the area of implanted nitrogen ions. This method improves the production yield by more than 50 %. We also show that very low nitrogen concentration (below 0.1 ppb) in diamond can be determined by converting the intrinsic nitrogen atoms to single NV centers and detecting the latter using a confocal microscope.

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enid WY Kwong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. Methods A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning, changing (action, and refreezing (results were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff’s practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. Results The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the

Priority actions (Environmental protection in Macedonia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The priority actions were based on environmental needs in the short to medium term, keeping in mind that there are severe budgetary constraints and the environmental institutions are still being developed. The private sector will be encouraged to participate, wherever possible in implementing the priority actions.Based on the evaluation of all the environmental priorities, the following are considered priority actions which should be addressed within the next five years: air quality improvement; water quality improvement; solid waste management; biodiversity conservation; renewal and preservation of forests; technical assistance. (author)

Action observation and motor imagery for rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and an integrative hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Caligiore, Daniele; Mustile, Magda; Spalletta, Gianfranco; Baldassarre, Gianluca

2017-01-01

This article discusses recent evidence supporting the use of action observation therapy and motor imagery practice for rehabilitation of Parkinson's disease. A main question that emerges from the review regards the different effectiveness of these approaches and the possibility of integrating them into a single method to enhance motor behaviour in subjects with Parkinson's disease. In particular, the reviewed studies suggest that action observation therapy can have a positive effect on motor facilitation of patients and that a long-term rehabilitation program based on action observation therapy or motor imagery practice can bring some benefit on their motor recovery. Moreover, the paper discusses how the research on the combined use of action observation and motor imagery for motor improvements in healthy subjects may encourage the combined use of action observation therapy and motor imagery practice for therapeutic aims in Parkinson's disease. To date, this hypothesis has never been experimented. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dual simulation of the massless lattice Schwinger model with topological term and non-zero chemical potential

Science.gov (United States)

Göschl, Daniel

2018-03-01

We discuss simulation strategies for the massless lattice Schwinger model with a topological term and finite chemical potential. The simulation is done in a dual representation where the complex action problem is solved and the partition function is a sum over fermion loops, fermion dimers and plaquette-occupation numbers. We explore strategies to update the fermion loops coupled to the gauge degrees of freedom and check our results with conventional simulations (without topological term and at zero chemical potential), as well as with exact summation on small volumes. Some physical implications of the results are discussed.

Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babraj, John A; Vollaard, Niels B J; Keast, Cameron

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Traditional high volume aerobic exercise training reduces cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk but involves a substantial time commitment. Extremely low volume high-intensity interval training (HIT) has recently been demonstrated to produce improvements to aerobic function...... cycle sprints per session). Aerobic performance (250-kJ self-paced cycling time trial), and glucose, insulin and NEFA responses to a 75-g oral glucose load (oral glucose tolerance test; OGTT) were determined before and after training. RESULTS: Following 2 weeks of HIT, the area under the plasma glucose......, to substantially improve insulin action in young sedentary subjects is remarkable. This novel time-efficient training paradigm can be used as a strategy to reduce metabolic risk factors in young and middle aged sedentary populations who otherwise would not adhere to time consuming traditional aerobic exercise...

Quality maternity care for every woman, everywhere: a call to action.

Science.gov (United States)

Koblinsky, Marjorie; Moyer, Cheryl A; Calvert, Clara; Campbell, James; Campbell, Oona M R; Feigl, Andrea B; Graham, Wendy J; Hatt, Laurel; Hodgins, Steve; Matthews, Zoe; McDougall, Lori; Moran, Allisyn C; Nandakumar, Allyala K; Langer, Ana

2016-11-05

To improve maternal health requires action to ensure quality maternal health care for all women and girls, and to guarantee access to care for those outside the system. In this paper, we highlight some of the most pressing issues in maternal health and ask: what steps can be taken in the next 5 years to catalyse action toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 livebirths by 2030, with no single country exceeding 140? What steps can be taken to ensure that high-quality maternal health care is prioritised for every woman and girl everywhere? We call on all stakeholders to work together in securing a healthy, prosperous future for all women. National and local governments must be supported by development partners, civil society, and the private sector in leading efforts to improve maternal-perinatal health. This effort means dedicating needed policies and resources, and sustaining implementation to address the many factors influencing maternal health-care provision and use. Five priority actions emerge for all partners: prioritise quality maternal health services that respond to the local specificities of need, and meet emerging challenges; promote equity through universal coverage of quality maternal health services, including for the most vulnerable women; increase the resilience and strength of health systems by optimising the health workforce, and improve facility capability; guarantee sustainable finances for maternal-perinatal health; and accelerate progress through evidence, advocacy, and accountability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single and joint action toxicity evaluation of insecticide and laundry ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Further analysis based on the isobologram model was in conformity with RTU and SR models. The significance of this study showed the relevance of joint action toxicity studies in setting realistic safe limits in order to protect aquatic organisms. Therefore, proper disposal and management strategies for wastes should be ...

The Potential of Deweyan-Inspired Action Research

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, Jody L.

2014-01-01

In its broadest sense, pragmatism could be said to be the philosophical orientation of all action research. Action research is characterized by research, action, and participation grounded in democratic principles and guided by the aim of social improvement. Furthermore, action research is an active process of inquiry that does not admit…

Action principles for the Vlasov equation: Four old, one new

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Huanchun; Morrison, P.J.

1991-01-01

Action principles for the Vlasov equation are presented. Four previously known action principles, which differ by the choice of dynamical variables, are described and the interrelationship between them discussed. A new action principle called the leaf action, which manifestly preserves the Casimir invariants and possess a single function as the dynamical variable, is presented. The relationship to the noncanonical Hamiltonian formalism is also explored. 21 refs

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved material licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved material licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Perturbative calculations for the HISQ action. The gluon action at O(N{sub f}{alpha}{sub s}a{sup 2})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hart, A [School of Physics and Astronomy, Univ. of Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Hippel, G.M. von [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Horgan, R R [DAMTP, CMS, Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2008-08-15

We present a new (and general) algorithm for deriving lattice Feynman rules which is capable of handling actions as complex as the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action. This enables us to perform a perturbative calculation of the influence of dynamical HISQ fermions on the perturbative improvement of the gluonic action in the same way as we have previously done for asqtad fermions. We find the fermionic contributions to the radiative corrections in the Luescher-Weisz gauge action to be somewhat larger for HISQ fermions than for asqtad. (orig.)

Co-lateralized bilingual mechanisms for reading in single and dual language contexts: evidence from visual half-field processing of action words in proficient bilinguals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlena eKrefta

2015-08-01

Full Text Available When reading, proficient bilinguals seem to engage the same cognitive circuits regardless of the language in use. Yet, whether or not such ‘bilingual’ mechanisms would be lateralized in the same way in distinct – single or dual – language contexts is a question for debate. To fill this gap, we tested 18 highly proficient Polish (L1 – English (L2 childhood bilinguals whose task was to read aloud one of the two laterally presented action verbs, one stimulus per visual half field. While in the single-language blocks only L1 or L2 words were shown, in the subsequent mixed-language blocks words from both languages were concurrently displayed. All stimuli were presented for 217 ms followed by masks in which letters were replaced with hash marks. Since in non-simultaneous bilinguals the control of language, skilled actions (including reading, and representations of action concepts are typically left lateralized, the vast majority of our participants showed the expected, significant right visual field advantage for L1 and L2, both for accuracy and response times. The observed effects were nevertheless associated with substantial variability in the strength of the lateralization of the mechanisms involved. Moreover, although it could be predicted that participants’ performance should be better in a single-language context, accuracy was significantly higher and response times were significantly shorter in a dual-language context, irrespective of the language tested. Finally, for both accuracy and response times, there were significant positive correlations between the laterality indices (LIs of both languages independent of the context, with a significantly greater left-sided advantage for L1 vs. L2 in the mixed-language blocks, based on LIs calculated for response times. Thus, despite similar representations of the two languages in the bilingual brain, these results also point to the functional separation of L1 and L2 in the dual

Improving regulatory effectiveness in federal/state siting actions: water supplies and the nuclear licensing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davenport, F.S.

1977-07-01

The Interstate Conference on Water Problems (ICWP) is a national association of State, intrastate, and interstate officials concerned with water resources administration and related matters. The Conference was established in 1959 as an outgrowth of regional conferences on water problems as recognized in the same year by action of the General Assembly of the States. This report was produced by the Interstate Conference on Water Problems in an effort to provide a compilation and summary of the views of selected States regarding relationships of water supplies to the nuclear power plant licensing process. This publication does not represent the official position of the U.S Water Resources Council, or the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nor does it represent the position of any single state or the ICWP

Mixed Methods and Action Research: similar or different?

OpenAIRE

Wiśniewska, Danuta

2011-01-01

This article attempts to analyse and compare ELT studies grounded solely in mixed methods and ELT action research studies based on a mixed methods approach in order to identify to what degree action research studies combining different methods in a single study comply with the principles of rigorous mixed methods study.

A call for action: Improve reporting of research studies to increase the scientific basis for regulatory decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ågerstrand, Marlene; Christiansen, Sofie; Hanberg, Annika

2018-01-01

This is a call for action to scientific journals to introduce reporting requirements for toxicity and ecotoxicity studies. Such reporting requirements will support the use of peer-reviewed research studies in regulatory decision-making. Moreover, this could improve the reliability...... and reproducibility of published studies in general and make better use of the resources spent in research....

Running Newton constant, improved gravitational actions, and galaxy rotation curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, M.; Weyer, H.

2004-01-01

A renormalization group (RG) improvement of the Einstein-Hilbert action is performed which promotes Newton's constant and the cosmological constant to scalar functions on spacetime. They arise from solutions of an exact RG equation by means of a 'cutoff identification' which associates RG scales to the points of spacetime. The resulting modified Einstein equations for spherically symmetric, static spacetimes are derived and analyzed in detail. The modifications of the Newtonian limit due to the RG evolution are obtained for the general case. As an application, the viability of a scenario is investigated where strong quantum effects in the infrared cause Newton's constant to grow at large (astrophysical) distances. For two specific RG trajectories exact vacuum spacetimes modifying the Schwarzschild metric are obtained by means of a solution-generating Weyl transformation. Their possible relevance to the problem of the observed approximately flat galaxy rotation curves is discussed. It is found that a power law running of Newton's constant with a small exponent of the order 10 -6 would account for their non-Keplerian behavior without having to postulate the presence of any dark matter in the galactic halo

Enhanced change detection performance reveals improved strategy use in avid action video game players.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Kait; Fleck, Mathias S; Mitroff, Stephen R

2011-01-01

Recent research has shown that avid action video game players (VGPs) outperform non-video game players (NVGPs) on a variety of attentional and perceptual tasks. However, it remains unknown exactly why and how such differences arise; while some prior research has demonstrated that VGPs' improvements stem from enhanced basic perceptual processes, other work indicates that they can stem from enhanced attentional control. The current experiment used a change-detection task to explore whether top-down strategies can contribute to VGPs' improved abilities. Participants viewed alternating presentations of an image and a modified version of the image and were tasked with detecting and localizing the changed element. Consistent with prior claims of enhanced perceptual abilities, VGPs were able to detect the changes while requiring less exposure to the change than NVGPs. Further analyses revealed this improved change detection performance may result from altered strategy use; VGPs employed broader search patterns when scanning scenes for potential changes. These results complement prior demonstrations of VGPs' enhanced bottom-up perceptual benefits by providing new evidence of VGPs' potentially enhanced top-down strategic benefits. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Improved Genetic Algorithm for Single-Machine Inverse Scheduling Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhui Mou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of the scheduling is to arrange operations on suitable machines with optimal sequence for corresponding objectives. In order to meet market requirements, scheduling systems must own enough flexibility against uncertain events. These events can change production status or processing parameters, even causing the original schedule to no longer be optimal or even to be infeasible. Traditional scheduling strategies, however, cannot cope with these cases. Therefore, a new idea of scheduling called inverse scheduling has been proposed. In this paper, the inverse scheduling with weighted completion time (SMISP is considered in a single-machine shop environment. In this paper, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA with a local searching strategy is proposed. To improve the performance of IGA, efficient encoding scheme, fitness evaluation mechanism, feasible initialization methods, and a local search procedure have been employed in the paper. Because of the local improving method, the proposed IGA can balance its exploration ability and exploitation ability. We adopt 27 instances to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results illustrated that the proposed algorithm can generate satisfactory solutions. This approach also has been applied to solve the scheduling problem in the real Chinese shipyard and can bring some benefits.

Decontamination tests using an electrolytic method on NS 22 S stainless steel discs (1963); Essais de decontamination par voie electrolytique de plaquettes en acier inoxydable NS 22 S (1963)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boutot, P; Schipfer, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Centre de Production de Plutonium, Marcoule (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-07-01

These tests were carried out with a view to observing the results obtained by using electrolytic polishing for the decontamination operations. The experimental equipment consists essentially of a current rectifier and adjuster, and of an electrolytic cell fitted with an automatic system for thermal regulation and agitation. The samples made of type NS 22 S stainless steel are contaminated with an active solution of fission products. The activity of the discs is measured before and after each treatment using a bell counter. For each electrolyte, the parameters studied are: - the time, - the reactant concentration, - the temperature, - the current density, - the corrosion. Taking into account the necessity of transforming as little as possible the surface of the part to be treated, the best results are generally obtained using intermediate concentrations of the reactant, low temperatures, and high current densities. (authors) [French] Ces essais ont ete effectues dans le but d'observer les resultats obtenus en utilisant le procede de polissage electrolytique pour les operations de decontamination. Le dispositif experimental consiste essentiellement en un redresseur-variateur de courant et en une cellule electrolytique munie d'un systeme automatique de regulation thermique et d'agitation. Les echantillons en acier inoxydable du type NS 22 S sont contamines par une solution active de produits de fission. L'activite des plaquettes est mesuree avant et apres chaque traitement au moyen d'un compteur cloche. Pour chaque electrolyte, les parametres etudies sont: - le temps, - la concentration du reactif, - la temperature, - la densite de courant, - la corrosion. En tenant compte de la necessite de transformer au minimum l'etat de surface de la piece a traiter, les resultats les meilleurs sont generalement obtenus pour des concentrations moyennes de reactif, des temperatures basses et des densites de courant elevees. (auteurs)

Collaborative Improvement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaltoft, Rasmus

The thesis data have been collected in the EU-sponsored project: Collaborative Improvement Tool for the Extended Manufacturing Enterprise, CO-IMPROVE. In this project four universities (Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and The Netherlands), two software vendors (Greece and Sweden) and three companies...... (Denmark, Italy and The Netherlands) each with three to five suppliers were involved. The CO-IMPROVE project and the thesis is based on “action research” and “action learning”. The main aim of the whole project is through actual involvement and actions make the researchers, companies and selected suppliers...... learn how to improve operations in (hopefully) a win-win like manner through collaboration....

APPLICATIONS OF ACTION CAM SENSORS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL YARD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Pepe

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, special digital cameras called “action camera” or “action cam”, have become popular due to their low price, smallness, lightness, strength and capacity to make videos and photos even in extreme environment surrounding condition. Indeed, these particular cameras have been designed mainly to capture sport actions and work even in case of dirt, bumps, or underwater and at different external temperatures. High resolution of Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR cameras are usually preferred to be employed in photogrammetric field. Indeed, beyond the sensor resolution, the combination of such cameras with fixed lens with low distortion are preferred to perform accurate 3D measurements; at the contrary, action cameras have small and wide-angle lens, with a lower performance in terms of sensor resolution, lens quality and distortions. However, by considering the characteristics of the action cameras to acquire under conditions that may result difficult for standard DSLR cameras and because of their lower price, these could be taken into consideration as a possible and interesting approach during archaeological excavation activities to document the state of the places. In this paper, the influence of lens radial distortion and chromatic aberration on this type of cameras in self-calibration mode and an evaluation of their application in the field of Cultural Heritage will be investigated and discussed. Using a suitable technique, it has been possible to improve the accuracy of the 3D model obtained by action cam images. Case studies show the quality and the utility of the use of this type of sensor in the survey of archaeological artefacts.

Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N. [Project Performance Corporation, Sterling, VA (United States)

1994-12-31

The Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Environmental Management Program is the country`s largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE`s environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program`s management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities.

Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N.

1994-01-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Environmental Management Program is the country's largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE's environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program's management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities

Linnorm: improved statistical analysis for single cell RNA-seq expression data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Shun H; Wang, Panwen; Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Sham, Pak Chung; Wang, Junwen

2017-12-15

Linnorm is a novel normalization and transformation method for the analysis of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Linnorm is developed to remove technical noises and simultaneously preserve biological variations in scRNA-seq data, such that existing statistical methods can be improved. Using real scRNA-seq data, we compared Linnorm with existing normalization methods, including NODES, SAMstrt, SCnorm, scran, DESeq and TMM. Linnorm shows advantages in speed, technical noise removal and preservation of cell heterogeneity, which can improve existing methods in the discovery of novel subtypes, pseudo-temporal ordering of cells, clustering analysis, etc. Linnorm also performs better than existing DEG analysis methods, including BASiCS, NODES, SAMstrt, Seurat and DESeq2, in false positive rate control and accuracy. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Failed fuel action plan guidelines: Special report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-11-01

The objective of this document is to provide a generic guideline that can be used to formulate a failed fuel action plan (FFAP) for specific application by a utility. This document is intended to be part of a comprehensive fuel reliability monitoring, management, and improvement program. The utilities may utilize this document as one resource in developing a failed fuel action plan. This document is not intended to be used as a failed fuel action plan standard. This document is intended to provide guidance on: management responsibilities; fuel performance parameters; cost/benefit analysis; action levels; long-term improvement methods; and data collection, analysis, and trending. 3 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs

Lie-transformed action principle for classical plasma dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufman, A.N.

1984-06-01

The Lie transform for a single particle in a wave is embedded in a Lagrangian action principle for self-consistent plasma dynamics. Variation of the action then yields the Vlasov equation for the oscillation-center distribution, the ray equations and amplitude transport for the wave, and the Poisson equation for the quasistatic field

Improving screening and diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction: a call to action.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, John M; Hallstrand, Teal S; Parsons, Jonathan P; Randolph, Christopher; Silvers, William S; Storms, William W; Bronstone, Amy

2014-01-01

This article summarizes the findings of an expert panel of nationally recognized allergists and pulmonologists who met to discuss how to improve detection and diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), a transient airway narrowing that occurs during and most often after exercise in people with and without underlying asthma. EIB is both commonly underdiagnosed and overdiagnosed. EIB underdiagnosis may result in habitual avoidance of sports and physical activity, chronic deconditioning, weight gain, poor asthma control, low self-esteem, and reduced quality of life. Routine use of a reliable and valid self-administered EIB screening questionnaire by professionals best positioned to screen large numbers of people could substantially improve the detection of EIB. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature that evaluated the accuracy of EIB screening questionnaires that might be adopted for widespread EIB screening in the general population. Results of this review indicated that no existing EIB screening questionnaire had adequate sensitivity and specificity for this purpose. The authors present a call to action to develop a new EIB screening questionnaire, and discuss the rigorous qualitative and quantitative research necessary to develop and validate such an instrument, including key methodological pitfalls that must be avoided. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of newly developed written asthma action plan in improvement of asthma outcome in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakupoch, Kingthong; Manuyakorn, Wiparat; Preutthipan, Aroonwan; Kamalaporn, Harutai

2017-09-17

Providing asthma education about controller medication use and appropriate management of asthma exacerbation are the keys to improving the disease outcome. Many asthma guidelines recommend that physicians provide written asthma action plan (WAAP) to all of their asthmatic patients. However, the benefit of WAAP is unclear. Thus, we have created a new WAAP which is simplified in Thai and more user friendly. To determine the effectiveness of the newly developed asthma action plan in management of children with asthma. Asthmatic children who meet inclusion criteria all received the WAAP and they were followed up for 6 months with measurement of outcome variables, such as asthma exacerbation that required emergency room visit, unscheduled OPD visit, admission and school absence in order to compare with the past 6 months before receiving the WAAP. The analyzed outcomes of forty-nine children show significantly reduced emergency room visit (P-value 0.005), unscheduled OPD visit (P-value 0.046), admission days (P-value 0.026) and school absence days (P-value 0.022). Well controlled group and mild severity group were not the factors that contribute to decreased emergency room visit but step up therapy may be the co-factor to decreased ER visit. The results of this study suggest that the provision of newly developed WAAP is useful for improving self-care of asthma patients and reducing asthma exacerbation.

Improved variational description of the Wick-Cutkosky model with the most general quadratic trial action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenfelder, R.; Schreiber, A.W.

2002-01-01

We generalize the worldline variational approach to field theory by introducing a trial action which allows for anisotropic terms to be induced by external 4-momenta of Green's functions. By solving the ensuing variational equations numerically we demonstrate that within the (quenched) scalar Wick-Cutkosky model considerable improvement can be achieved over results obtained previously with isotropic actions. In particular, the critical coupling associated with the instability of the model is lowered, in accordance with expectations from Baym's proof of the instability in the unquenched theory. The physical picture associated with a different quantum mechanical motion of the dressed particle along and perpendicular to its classical momentum is discussed. Indeed, we find that for large couplings the dressed particle is strongly distorted in the direction of its four-momentum. In addition, we obtain an exact relation between the renormalized coupling of the theory and the propagator. Along the way we introduce new and efficient methods to evaluate the averages needed in the variational approach and apply them to the calculation of the 2-point function. (orig.)

Improved state observers for sensorless single phase BLDC-PM motor drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lepure, Liviu L.; Boldea, Ion; Andreescu, Gheorghe Daniel

2010-01-01

Two methods of extracting the rotor position and speed for a sensorless single phase BLDC-PM motor drive by measuring only the phase current are presented here. Both methods are based on a generated orthogonal flux system. The first method extracts the position information by using the tan−1...... function and then an improved observer is created by adding a 4th order harmonic term in the estimated position, while the second method uses a phase locked loop structure. The proposed state observers are detailed using simulation results and then validated by experimental results....

On the quark-antiquark potential at short distances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altevogt, P.

1994-12-01

We investigate the static quark-antiquark potential up to distances of 8 lattice units for pure SU(2) gauge theory on lattices with anisotropic couplings. The action is the Wilson action with a coupling fro time-like plaquettes which differs from those for space-like ones. Numerical simulations are performed in a large range of β. The potential is obtained by fitting 'cooled' Wilson loops with up to 4 exponential terms. An interpolation of the potentials by a sum of a perturbative term, a linear term and by lattice artifacts shows poor scaling in comparison with the isotropic case. If the coupling in the time-like region is reduced, the linear term is much smaller than in the isotropic case, and vice versa. Consequences for the bag picture for hadrons are discussed. (orig.)

One nuclear calcium transient induced by a single burst of action potentials represents the minimum signal strength in activity-dependent transcription in hippocampal neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yan; Oberlaender, Kristin; Bengtson, C Peter; Bading, Hilmar

2017-07-01

Neurons undergo dramatic changes in their gene expression profiles in response to synaptic stimulation. The coupling of neuronal excitation to gene transcription is well studied and is mediated by signaling pathways activated by cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium transients. Despite this, the minimum synaptic activity required to induce gene expression remains unknown. To address this, we used cultured hippocampal neurons and cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescence in situ hybridization (catFISH) that allows detection of nascent transcripts in the cell nucleus. We found that a single burst of action potentials, consisting of 24.4±5.1 action potentials during a 6.7±1.9s depolarization of 19.5±2.0mV causing a 9.3±0.9s somatic calcium transient, is sufficient to activate transcription of the immediate early gene arc (also known as Arg3.1). The total arc mRNA yield produced after a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient was very small and, compared to unstimulated control neurons, did not lead to a significant increase in arc mRNA levels measured using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) of cell lysates. Significantly increased arc mRNA levels became detectable in hippocampal neurons that had undergone 5-8 consecutive burst-induced nuclear calcium transients at 0.05-0.15Hz. These results indicate that a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient can activate gene expression and that transcription is rapidly shut off after synaptic stimulation has ceased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human action recognition using trajectory-based representation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiam A. Abdul-Azim

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Recognizing human actions in video sequences has been a challenging problem in the last few years due to its real-world applications. A lot of action representation approaches have been proposed to improve the action recognition performance. Despite the popularity of local features-based approaches together with “Bag-of-Words” model for action representation, it fails to capture adequate spatial or temporal relationships. In an attempt to overcome this problem, a trajectory-based local representation approaches have been proposed to capture the temporal information. This paper introduces an improvement of trajectory-based human action recognition approaches to capture discriminative temporal relationships. In our approach, we extract trajectories by tracking the detected spatio-temporal interest points named “cuboid features” with matching its SIFT descriptors over the consecutive frames. We, also, propose a linking and exploring method to obtain efficient trajectories for motion representation in realistic conditions. Then the volumes around the trajectories’ points are described to represent human actions based on the Bag-of-Words (BOW model. Finally, a support vector machine is used to classify human actions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was evaluated on three popular datasets (KTH, Weizmann and UCF sports. Experimental results showed that the proposed approach yields considerable performance improvement over the state-of-the-art approaches.

Radiative corrections to the lattice gluon action for HISQ improved staggered quarks and the effect of such corrections on the static potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, A.; Horgan, R.R.

2008-12-01

We perform a perturbative calculation of the influence of dynamical HISQ fermions on the perturbative improvement of the gluonic action in the same way as we have previously done for asqtad fermions. We nd the fermionic contributions to the radiative corrections in the Luescher-Weisz gauge action to be somewhat larger for HISQ fermions than for asqtad. Using one-loop perturbation theory as a test, we estimate that omission of the fermion-induced radiative corrections in dynamical asqtad simulations will give a measurable effect. The one-loop result gives a systematic shift of about -0:6% in r 1 on the coarsest asqtad improved staggered ensembles. This is the correct sign and magnitude to explain the scaling violations seen in Φ B on dynamical lattice ensembles. (orig.)

Implementation of Health Action Process Approach to Improve Dietary Adherence in Type 2 Diabetic Patient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kusnanto Kusnanto

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Type 2 diabetic patients usually unsuccessful to follow the diet recommendation due to lack of motivation, memory and intention. This study attempts to increase the motivation and also to improve intention in dietary adherence through the implementation of Health Action Process Approach (HAPA. Method: This study was a quasy-experiment. The population were type 2 diabetic patients in Puskesmas Krian Sidoarjo in March-April 2015. Respondents were only 16 and had been divided into experiment and control group. The independent variable was the implementation of HAPA. The dependent variable were self-efficacy, dietary adherence and blood sugar levels. The instruments in this study were questionnaires and blood sugar monitoring devices. Data were analyzed using statistical wilcoxon sign rank test and mann whitney u  test with significance level α ≤ 0.05. Result: Wilcoxon sign rank test showed there were differences between pre and post test significantly on self-efficacy (p=0.014, dietary adherence  (p=0.025, blood sugar levels (p=0.009 in  experiment group, while no significant differences in control group. Mann Witney U test showed that there was significant difference on dietary adherence (p=0.002 between two groups. Discussion: In conclusion, the implementation of HAPA can improve dietary adherence in type 2 diabetic patient. Further, following studies are expected with large number respondents and identify the whole variables in the HAPA theory. Keywords: Health Action Process Approach (HAPA, self efficacy, dietary adherence, blood glucose, Diabetes Mellitus (DM

Modeling Interdependent and Periodic Real-World Action Sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Kurashima, Takeshi; Althoff, Tim; Leskovec, Jure

2018-01-01

Mobile health applications, including those that track activities such as exercise, sleep, and diet, are becoming widely used. Accurately predicting human actions in the real world is essential for targeted recommendations that could improve our health and for personalization of these applications. However, making such predictions is extremely difficult due to the complexities of human behavior, which consists of a large number of potential actions that vary over time, depend on each other, and are periodic. Previous work has not jointly modeled these dynamics and has largely focused on item consumption patterns instead of broader types of behaviors such as eating, commuting or exercising. In this work, we develop a novel statistical model, called TIPAS, for Time-varying, Interdependent, and Periodic Action Sequences. Our approach is based on personalized, multivariate temporal point processes that model time-varying action propensities through a mixture of Gaussian intensities. Our model captures short-term and long-term periodic interdependencies between actions through Hawkes process-based self-excitations. We evaluate our approach on two activity logging datasets comprising 12 million real-world actions (e.g., eating, sleep, and exercise) taken by 20 thousand users over 17 months. We demonstrate that our approach allows us to make successful predictions of future user actions and their timing. Specifically, TIPAS improves predictions of actions, and their timing, over existing methods across multiple datasets by up to 156%, and up to 37%, respectively. Performance improvements are particularly large for relatively rare and periodic actions such as walking and biking, improving over baselines by up to 256%. This demonstrates that explicit modeling of dependencies and periodicities in real-world behavior enables successful predictions of future actions, with implications for modeling human behavior, app personalization, and targeting of health interventions. PMID

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Semiannual progress report, July 1996--December 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July-December 1996) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Semiannual progress report, July 1996--December 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July-December 1996) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

The success of opening single chronic total occlusion lesions to improve myocardialviabilitytrial (SOS-COMEDY)

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rongchong; Song, Xiantao; Zhang, Haishan; Tian, Wen; Huang, Zheng; Zhang, Xingwei; Yang, Junqing; Zhang, Dongfeng; Wu, Jian; Zhong, Lei; Ting, Henry H.

2018-01-01

Abstract Aims: Success of opening single (SOS)-comedy is a prospective multicenter study to compare the improvement in the decrease of myocardial viability by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with that by optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a single coronary artery. Methods and results: The risks and the benefits of both options (PCI and OMT) were listed in a CTO decision aid (DA). Eligible participants detected by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were divided into PCI or OMT groups according to patients’ choice after shared-decision making process with DA. Participants will undergo positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and proceed to ICA and revascularization if possible. Blinded core laboratory interpretation will be performed for ICA, CCTA, PET/CT, CMR, and TTE. All participants will be followed up for 12 months. The primary endpoint is the improvement to the decrease of myocardial viability from baseline assessed with the use of PET/CT after 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: All of the patients are appropriately consented before enrolling in this study, which has been approved by the Ethics Committee. Results of SOS-COMEDY will be helpful to develop a strategy for single CTO patients. PMID:29668609

Community–University Partnerships: Using Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Kearney

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This article positions participatory action learning and action research (PALAR as a preferred methodology for community-university partnerships to achieve a holistic outcome that benefits the common interest. Evidence for this claim is illustrated through case studies of two community engagement programs, one in South Africa and the other in Australia. The South African study explains how relationships, reflection and recognition (the three R’s of PALAR are important elements that promote a truly participatory approach to knowledge creation and practical improvement in social circumstances. The Australian study then highlights what can be achieved. It does this by showing the potential for PALAR participants to learn how to design and implement a community engagement program, and how to cascade their own learning into their community to improve educational opportunities. Both studies demonstrate PALAR’s potential to disrupt traditional understandings of the research process, particularly in terms of researcher–participant relationships. At the same time, both studies identify the challenges arising from the theoretical and practical implications of PALAR as an approach to community development. This article is therefore significant for universities and funding organisations engaging in community-based research and development through partnerships, specifically in contexts of disadvantage. Keywords: Participatory action learning and action research, PALAR, community development, community engagement, community partnerships, disadvantaged communities, higher education.

Improvements in the error calculation of the action of a kicked beam

CERN Document Server

Sherman, Alexander Charles

2013-01-01

This report details a new calculation for the action performed in the optics measurement and correction software. The action of a kicked beam is used to calculate the dynamic aperture and detuning with amplitude. The current method of calculation has a large uncertainty due to the use of all BPMs (including those near interaction points and ones which are malfunctioning) and the model beta function. Instead, only good BPMs are kept and the measured beta function from phase is used, and significant decreases are seen in the relative uncertainty of the action.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved industrial licensees. Quarterly progress report, April 1994--June 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April - June 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to industrial licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved material licensees. Quarterly progress report, April 1995--June 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April-June 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Action Research Empowers School Librarians

Science.gov (United States)

Robins, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Successful school library programs occur through careful planning and reflection. This reflective process is improved when it is applied in a systematic way through action research. The action research described in this paper enabled school librarians to reflect based on evidence, using data they had collected. This study presents examples of the…

Coronary vasodilatory action after a single dose of nicorandil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H. Suryapranata (Harry); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); P.J. de Feyter (Pim); P.D. Verdouw (Pieter); P.G. Hugenholtz (Paul)

1988-01-01

textabstractCoronary hemodynamics and vasodilatory effects on major epicardial arteries were investigated after a single dose of nicorandil in 22 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease. Nicorandil, 20 mg, was administered sublingually to 11 consecutive

Non-perturbative renormalization of quark bilinear operators with N{sub f}=2 (tmQCD) Wilson fermions and the tree-level improved gauge action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Constantinou, M. [Cyprus Univ., Nicosia (Cyprus). Dept. of Physics; Dimopoulos, P. [Roma ' ' La Sapienza' ' Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; INFN, Rome (Italy); Frezzotti, R. [Roma ' ' Tor Vergata' ' Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; INFN, Roma (IT)] (and others)

2010-06-15

We present results for the renormalization constants of bilinear quark operators obtained b4>UNL<426>UNL using the tree-level Symanzik improved gauge action and the N{sub f}=2 twisted mass fermion action at maximal twist, which guarantees automatic O(a)- improvement. Our results are also relevant for the corresponding standard (untwisted) Wilson fermionic action since the two actions only differ, in the massless limit, by a chiral rotation of the quark fields. The scale-independent renormalization constants Z{sub V}, Z{sub A} and the ratio Z{sub P}/Z{sub S} have been computed using the RI-MOM approach, as well as other alternative methods. For Z{sub A} and Z{sub P}/Z{sub S}, the latter are based on both standard twisted mass and Osterwalder-Seiler fermions, while for Z{sub V} a Ward Identity has been used. The quark field renormalization constant Z{sub q} and the scale dependent renormalization constants Z{sub S}, Z{sub P} and Z{sub T} are determined in the RI-MOM scheme. Leading discretization effects of O(g{sup 2}a{sup 2}), evaluated in one-loop perturbation theory, are explicitly subtracted from the RI-MOM estimates. (orig.)

The color-flavor transformation of induced QCD

CERN Document Server

Shnir, Ya M

2002-01-01

The color-flavor transformation is applied to the $U(N_c)$ lattice model, in which the gauge theory is induced by the chiral scalar field associated with an elementary plaquette. The flavor degrees of freedom are related with the number of generations of the auxiliary field, and flavor components of each generation are associated with all the plaquettes having a lattice site in common. The property of the dual color-flavor transformed theory, which is expressed in terms of the gauge singlets, are analyzed in $d=2$ and $d=3$ dimensions. The saddle point solution of the model in the large-$N_c$ limit is discussed. The correlations between the plaquettes, which are described by the dual theory, allows to define the dual lattice. In $d=3$ dimensions it is made of tetradecahedra which correspond to the cubes of the original lattice. The continuum limit of $d=2$ effective theory is discussed.

The color-flavor transformation of induced QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shnir, Ya.

2002-09-01

The color-flavor transformation is applied to the U(N c ) lattice model, in which the gauge theory is induced by the chiral scalar field associated with an elementary plaquette. The flavor degrees of freedom are related with the number of generations of the auxiliary field, and flavor components of each generation are associated with all the plaquettes having a lattice site in common. The property of the dual color-flavor transformed theory, which is expressed in terms of the gauge singlets, are analyzed in d=2 and d=3 dimensions. The saddle point solution of the model in the large-N c limit is discussed. The correlations between the plaquettes, which are described by the dual theory, allows to define the dual lattice. In d=3 dimensions it is made of tetradecahedra which correspond to the cubes of the original lattice. The continuum limit of d=2 effective theory is discussed. (author)

Partial agonism at the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor improves attention, impulsive action and vigilance in low attentive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, Andrew; Adamson, Lisa; Neill, Joanna C

2017-04-01

Inattention is a disabling symptom in conditions such as schizophrenia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Nicotine can improve attention and vigilance, but is unsuitable for clinical use due to abuse liability. Genetic knockout of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) induces attention deficits therefore selective agonism may improve attention, without the abuse liability associated with nicotine. The α7 nAChR partial agonist encenicline (formerly EVP-6124) enhances memory in rodents and humans. Here we investigate, for the first time, efficacy of encenicline to improve attention and vigilance in animals behaviourally grouped for low attentive traits in the 5 choice-continuous performance task (5C-CPT). Female Lister Hooded rats were trained to perform the 5C-CPT with a variable stimulus duration (SD). Animals were then grouped based on performance into upper and lower quartiles of d' (vigilance) and accuracy (selective attention), producing high-attentive (HA) and low-attentive (LA) groups. LA animals showed an increase in selective attention and vigilance at 0.3mg/kg encenicline, a reduction in impulsive action (probability of false alarms) and increase in vigilance following 1mg/kg at 0.75sSD. At 1mg/kg, HA animals had reduced selective attention at 0.75sSD and reduced vigilance at 0.75 and 1.25sSD. Improvement of attention, vigilance and impulsive action in LA animals demonstrates that encenicline has pro-attentive properties dependent on baseline levels of performance. Our work suggests that α7 nAChR partial agonism may improve attention particularly in conditions with low attention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

Phase transition in a modified square Josephson-junction array

CERN Document Server

Han, J

1999-01-01

We study the phase transition in a modified square proximity-coupled Josephson-junction array with small superconducting islands at the center of each plaquette. We find that the modified square array undergoes a Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii-like phase transition, but at a lower temperature than the simple square array with the same single-junction critical current. The IV characteristics, as well as the phase transition, resemble qualitatively those of a disordered simple square array. The effects of the presence of the center islands in the modified square array are discussed.

Single breath-hold real-time cine MR imaging: improved temporal resolution using generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wintersperger, Bernd J.; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Dietrich, Olaf; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Rieber, Johannes; Nittka, Matthias

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test parallel imaging techniques for improvement of temporal resolution in multislice single breath-hold real-time cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) in comparison with standard segmented single-slice SSFP techniques. Eighteen subjects were examined on a 1.5-T scanner using a multislice real-time cine SSFP technique using the GRAPPA algorithm. Global left ventricular parameters (EDV, ESV, SV, EF) were evaluated and results compared with a standard segmented single-slice SSFP technique. Results for EDV (r=0.93), ESV (r=0.99), SV (r=0.83), and EF (r=0.99) of real-time multislice SSFP imaging showed a high correlation with results of segmented SSFP acquisitions. Systematic differences between both techniques were statistically non-significant. Single breath-hold multislice techniques using GRAPPA allow for improvement of temporal resolution and for accurate assessment of global left ventricular functional parameters. (orig.)

Action video games make dyslexic children read better.

Science.gov (United States)

Franceschini, Sandro; Gori, Simone; Ruffino, Milena; Viola, Simona; Molteni, Massimo; Facoetti, Andrea

2013-03-18

Learning to read is extremely difficult for about 10% of children; they are affected by a neurodevelopmental disorder called dyslexia [1, 2]. The neurocognitive causes of dyslexia are still hotly debated [3-12]. Dyslexia remediation is far from being fully achieved [13], and the current treatments demand high levels of resources [1]. Here, we demonstrate that only 12 hr of playing action video games-not involving any direct phonological or orthographic training-drastically improve the reading abilities of children with dyslexia. We tested reading, phonological, and attentional skills in two matched groups of children with dyslexia before and after they played action or nonaction video games for nine sessions of 80 min per day. We found that only playing action video games improved children's reading speed, without any cost in accuracy, more so than 1 year of spontaneous reading development and more than or equal to highly demanding traditional reading treatments. Attentional skills also improved during action video game training. It has been demonstrated that action video games efficiently improve attention abilities [14, 15]; our results showed that this attention improvement can directly translate into better reading abilities, providing a new, fast, fun remediation of dyslexia that has theoretical relevance in unveiling the causal role of attention in reading acquisition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finite action for Chern-Simons Ads gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mora, P.; Olea, R.; Troncoso, R.; Zanelli, J. E-mail: jz@cecs.cl

2004-06-01

A finite principle for Chern-Simons AdS gravity is presented. The construction is carried out in detail first in five dimensions, where the bulk action is given by a particular combination of the Einstein-Hilbert action with negative cosmological constant and a Gauss-Bonnet term; and is then generalized for arbitrary odd dimensions. The boundary term needed to render the action finite is singled out demanding the action to attain an extremum for an appropriate set of boundary conditions. The boundary term is a local function of the fields at the boundary and is sufficient to render the action finite for asymptotically AdS solutions, without requiring background fields. It is shown that the Euclidean continuation of the action correctly describes black hole thermodynamics in the canonical ensemble. Additionally, background independent conserved charges associated with the asymptotic symmetries can be written as surface integrals by direct application of Noether's theorem. (author)

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved; Quarterly progress report, October--December 1993: Volume 12, No. 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-03-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October - December 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved. Quarterly progress report, April--June 1993: Volume 12, No. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1993) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

improvement of the programs of formation of Asco in the period 2010-2015. achievements and actions in March

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Heredia, R.

2015-01-01

The improvement plan is one of the plans of action included in the Strategic Plan of ANAV and is focused on achieving and consolidating the commitment of managers with the training, being them the training program for their unit owners. also the gradual implementation of the methodology Systematic Approach to Training and consolidate the structure of committees of training as a tool of management of training programmes. (Author)

Nf=2 Lattice QCD and Chiral Perturbation Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scorzato, L.; Farchioni, F.; Hofmann, P.; Jansen, K.; Montvay, I.; Muenster, G.; Papinutto, M.; Scholz, E.E.; Shindler, A.; Ukita, N.; Urbach, C.; Wenger, U.; Wetzorke, I.

2006-01-01

By employing a twisted mass term, we compare recent results from lattice calculations of N f =2 dynamical Wilson fermions with Wilson Chiral Perturbation Theory (WChPT). The final goal is to determine some com- binations of Gasser-Leutwyler Low Energy Constants (LECs). A wide set of data with different lattice spacings (a ∼ 0.2 - 0.12 fm), different gauge actions (Wilson plaquette, DBW2) and different quark masses (down to the lowest pion mass allowed by lattice artifacts and including negative quark masses) provide a strong check of the applicability of WChPT in this regime and the scaling behaviours in the continuum limit

Brazilian union actions for workers' health protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolpho Repullo Junior

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Many authors have emphasized the importance of worker strength through unionized organizations, in relation to the improvement of working procedures, and have reported on the decisiveness of labor movement actions in achieving modifications within the field of work and health. OBJECTIVE: To describe the ways in which Brazilian unions have tried to intervene in health-illness and work processes, identifying the existence of commonality in union actions in this field. TYPE OF STUDY: Qualitative study. SETTING: Postgraduate Program, Environmental Health Department, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Union health advisers and directors were interviewed. Documents relating to union action towards protecting workers' health were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Unions articulate actions regarding workers' health of a technical and political nature that involve many aspects and high complexity. These have been divided into thematic categories for better analysis. DISCUSSION: Union actions regarding workers' health in Brazil are restricted to some unions, located mainly in the southern, southeastern and northeastern regions of the country. Nonetheless, the unions undertaking such actions represent many professions of great economic and political importance. CONCLUSIONS: The recent changes in health and safety at work regulations, recognition of professional diseases, creation of workers' health services and programs within the unified health system, and operational improvements in companies' specialized safety and occupational medicine services, all basically result from union action. There is commonality of union action in this field in its seeking of technical and political strengthening for all workers and their general and local representation. This has the objective of benefiting collective bargaining between employers and workers. Inter-institutional action on behalf of workers' rights

Reduced attentional capture in action video game players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chisholm, J; Hickey, C.; Theeuwes, J.; Kingstone, A.

2010-01-01

Recent studies indicate that playing action video games improves performance on a number of attention-based tasks. However, it remains unclear whether action video game experience primarily affects endogenous or exogenous forms of spatial orienting. To examine this issue, action video game players

Improving access in gastroenterology: The single point of entry model for referrals

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Kerri L; Van Zanten, Sander Veldhuyzen; Pendharkar, Sachin R

2013-01-01

In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta) adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM) for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI), in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies. PMID:24040629

Improving Access in Gastroenterology: The Single Point of Entry Model for Referrals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerri L Novak

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta. SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI, in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies.

Improving access in gastroenterology: the single point of entry model for referrals.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Kerri; Veldhuyzen Van Zanten, Sander; Pendharkar, Sachin R

2013-11-01

In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta) adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM) for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI), in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies.

Story Telling: Research and Action to Improve 6th Grade Students' Views about Certain Aspects of Nature of Science

Science.gov (United States)

Kahraman, Feray; Karatas, Faik Özgür

2015-01-01

This study is a four-week section of ongoing attempts that aim to improve 6th grade students' understandings of the nature of science. The study was carried out in a sixth grade science and technology class at a rural middle school with 15 students on the basis of action research methodology. During the study, four different stories based on the…

A Unified Approach to the Recognition of Complex Actions from Sequences of Zone-Crossings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sanromà, G.; Patino, L.; Burghouts, G.J.; Schutte, K.; Ferryman, J.

2014-01-01

We present a method for the recognition of complex actions. Our method combines automatic learning of simple actions and manual definition of complex actions in a single grammar. Contrary to the general trend in complex action recognition, that consists in dividing recognition into two stages, our

Action adaptation during natural unfolding social scenes influences action recognition and inferences made about actor beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe, Bruce D; Wincenciak, Joanna; Jellema, Tjeerd; Ward, James W; Barraclough, Nick E

2016-07-01

When observing another individual's actions, we can both recognize their actions and infer their beliefs concerning the physical and social environment. The extent to which visual adaptation influences action recognition and conceptually later stages of processing involved in deriving the belief state of the actor remains unknown. To explore this we used virtual reality (life-size photorealistic actors presented in stereoscopic three dimensions) to see how visual adaptation influences the perception of individuals in naturally unfolding social scenes at increasingly higher levels of action understanding. We presented scenes in which one actor picked up boxes (of varying number and weight), after which a second actor picked up a single box. Adaptation to the first actor's behavior systematically changed perception of the second actor. Aftereffects increased with the duration of the first actor's behavior, declined exponentially over time, and were independent of view direction. Inferences about the second actor's expectation of box weight were also distorted by adaptation to the first actor. Distortions in action recognition and actor expectations did not, however, extend across different actions, indicating that adaptation is not acting at an action-independent abstract level but rather at an action-dependent level. We conclude that although adaptation influences more complex inferences about belief states of individuals, this is likely to be a result of adaptation at an earlier action recognition stage rather than adaptation operating at a higher, more abstract level in mentalizing or simulation systems.

Coordinating talk and practical action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oshima, Sae; Streeck, Jürgen

2015-01-01

This paper investigates how talk and practical action are coordinated during one type of activity involving professional communication: the service-assessment sequence in hair salons. During this activity, a practical inspection of the haircut must be coupled with sequentially produced verbal acts....... Our analysis of four examples reveals that there is no fixed relationship between the organization of talk and practical action. Instead, people manipulate this relationship on a moment-by-moment basis, often coordinating the two into a single, integral package, or relying on one stream of action...... to achieve progress in the other. These findings imply that some multimodal activities that are brought into alignment may have their own, separate and independent procedural logic and sequencing patterns and that these can be brought into play to create or deal with constraints in each other....

THE USE OF FACEBOOK GROUP DISCUSSION TO IMPROVE READING STRATEGIES, AN ACTION RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endang Yuliani

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of technology influence people‘s life in many aspects including the process of teaching and learning in university, school etc. Some social medias are popular in society, one of them is Facebook. This social networking can be used for any purposes Such as interacting, marketing, publishing, learning etc. The study aims to prove whether Facebook‘s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies which are normally developed through classroom interaction. It is an action research design involving one group consisting of 37 students randomly sampled out from a population of 198 students. A plan-act-observe-reflect design of the study will be carried out in two cycles. Each cycle involves pretest, treatment and post test. Cycle 1 is undertaken to see if there is a significant difference between the pretest and post test upon treatment. The indicator of success of the treatment is that the post test outscores the pretest. If it does, then Cycle 2 will be conducted to convince the results. If the two cycles show an increase in the mean scores, it can be claimed that the method is effective. In other words, Facebook‘s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies.

24 Command Fire Improvement Action Program Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GRIFFIN, G.B.

2000-01-01

Fluor Hanford (FH) is responsible for providing support to the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (RL) in the implementation of the Hanford Emergency Preparedness (EP) program. During fiscal year 2000, a number of program improvements were identified from various sources including a major range fire (24 Command Fire). Evaluations of the emergency preparedness program have confirmed that it currently meets all requirements and that performance of personnel involved is good, however the desire to effect continuous improvement resulted in the development of this improvement program plan. This program plan defines the activities that will be performed in order to achieve the desired performance improvements

Leaky valves : New operation improves the heart's pumping action

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pistecky, P.; Havlik, P.; Van Kasteren, J.

2003-01-01

The action of any pump will start to decline when the valves no longer close properly. The same goes for the heart, the pump that maintains the circulation in our vascular system. Consequently, a major field of focus of open heart surgery is the repair or replacement of heart valves. Petr Havl a

The ANSTO waste management action plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levins, D.

1997-01-01

ANSTO's Waste Management Action Plan is a five-year program which addresses legacy issues that have arisen from the accumulation of radioactive wastes at Lucas Heights over the last forty years. Following an extensive review of waste management practices, a detailed Action Plan was prepared involving seventeen projects in the areas of solid wastes, liquid wastes, control of effluents and emissions, spent reactor fuel and organisational issues. The first year of the Waste Management Action Plan has resulted in significant achievements, especially in the areas of improved storage of solid wastes, stabilisation of uranium scrap, commissioning and operation of a scanning system for low-level waste drums, treatment of intermediate-level liquid wastes and improvements in the methods for monitoring of spent fuel storage facilities. The main goal of the Waste Management Action Plan is to achieve consistency, by the year 2000, with best practice as identified in the Radioactive Waste Safety Standards and Guidelines currently under development by the IAEA

Measurement Models for Reasoned Action Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin

2012-03-01

Quantitative researchers distinguish between causal and effect indicators. What are the analytic problems when both types of measures are present in a quantitative reasoned action analysis? To answer this question, we use data from a longitudinal study to estimate the association between two constructs central to reasoned action theory: behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward the behavior. The belief items are causal indicators that define a latent variable index while the attitude items are effect indicators that reflect the operation of a latent variable scale. We identify the issues when effect and causal indicators are present in a single analysis and conclude that both types of indicators can be incorporated in the analysis of data based on the reasoned action approach.

Improving regulatory effectiveness in Federal/State siting actions: Federal/State regulatory permitting actions in selected nuclear power station licensing cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baroff, J.

1977-06-01

The Federal/State regulatory permitting actions in 12 case histories of nuclear power station licensing in nine different states are documented. General observations regarding Federal/State siting roles in the siting process are included. Eleven of the case histories are illustrated with a logic network that gives the actions of the utilities in addition to the Federal/State permits

Valve system incorporating single failure protection logic

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Rodger; Timmerman, Walter J. H.

1980-01-01

A valve system incorporating single failure protective logic. The system consists of a valve combination or composite valve which allows actuation or de-actuation of a device such as a hydraulic cylinder or other mechanism, integral with or separate from the valve assembly, by means of three independent input signals combined in a function commonly known as two-out-of-three logic. Using the input signals as independent and redundant actuation/de-actuation signals, a single signal failure, or failure of the corresponding valve or valve set, will neither prevent the desired action, nor cause the undesired action of the mechanism.

Preclinical safety profile of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1): Mechanism of action of its cytotoxic component retained with improved tolerability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poon, Kirsten Achilles, E-mail: achilles.kirsten@gene.com [Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA (United States); Flagella, Kelly; Beyer, Joseph [Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA (United States); Tibbitts, Jay [UCB, Brussels (Belgium); Kaur, Surinder; Saad, Ola; Yi, Joo-Hee; Girish, Sandhya; Dybdal, Noel; Reynolds, Theresa [Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA (United States)

2013-12-01

Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is the first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer. The therapeutic premise of ADCs is based on the hypothesis that targeted delivery of potent cytotoxic drugs to tumors will provide better tolerability and efficacy compared with non-targeted delivery, where poor tolerability can limit efficacious doses. Here, we present results from preclinical studies characterizing the toxicity profile of T-DM1, including limited assessment of unconjugated DM1. T-DM1 binds primate ErbB2 and human HER2 but not the rodent homolog c-neu. Therefore, antigen-dependent and non-antigen-dependent toxicity was evaluated in monkeys and rats, respectively, in both single- and repeat-dose studies; toxicity of DM1 was assessed in rats only. T-DM1 was well tolerated at doses up to 40 mg/kg (∼ 4400 μg DM1/m{sup 2}) and 30 mg/kg (∼ 6000 μg DM1/m{sup 2}) in rats and monkeys, respectively. In contrast, DM1 was only tolerated up to 0.2 mg/kg (1600 μg DM1/m{sup 2}). This suggests that at least two-fold higher doses of the cytotoxic agent are tolerated in T-DM1, supporting the premise of ADCs to improve the therapeutic index. In addition, T-DM1 and DM1 safety profiles were similar and consistent with the mechanism of action of DM1 (i.e., microtubule disruption). Findings included hepatic, bone marrow/hematologic (primarily platelet), lymphoid organ, and neuronal toxicities, and increased numbers of cells of epithelial and phagocytic origin in metaphase arrest. These adverse effects did not worsen with chronic dosing in monkeys and are consistent with those reported in T-DM1-treated patients to date. - Highlights: • T-DM1 was well tolerated in preclinical studies in rats and cynomolgus monkeys. • T-DM1 is associated with bone marrow/hematologic, hepatic, and neuronal toxicities. • T-DM1 toxicities are related to DM1 mechanisms of action and pharmacologic

Compliance and Enforcement Actions (CEA) -

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — Compliance and Enforcement Actions application provides process assistance / improvements for conducting investigation and enforcement activities. The Compliance and...

Two-body spectra of pseudoscalar mesons with an O(a2)-improved lattice action using Wilson fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiebig, H.R.; Mihaly, A.; Woloshyn, R.M.

1998-01-01

We extend our calculations with the second-order tree-level and tadpole improved next-nearest-neighbor action to meson-meson systems. Correlation matrices built from interpolating fields representing two pseudoscalar mesons (π-π) with relative momenta vector-p are diagonalized, and the mass spectrum is extracted. Link variable fuzzing and operator smearing at both sinks and sources is employed. Calculations are presented for two values of the hopping parameter. The spectrum is used to discuss the residual interaction in the meson-meson system. (orig.)

Developing Ethics and Standards in Action Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Boog

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In a globalizing world, what role can social science research – particularly action research – play in order to address the risks of exclusion, poverty, social and physical insecurity and environmental deprivation? More specifically, how can this type of research be conducted in a participatory, responsible, transparent and scientific way? In other words: what about the ethics and standards in action research? This was the main focus of the World Congress on Action Research and Action Learning (August 2006 organized by the University of Groningen and the Higher Education Group of the Northern Netherlands. We begin by discussing the core characteristics of action research with reference to theory and practice. Reflection and action are key constituents of the process through the enactment of action research. The middle section draws upon the research findings presented at the congress and published in a book [B. Boog, J. Preece, M. Slagter and J. Zeelen (Eds. (2008 Towards Quality Improvement of Action Research. Developing Ethics and Standards, Rotterdam/Taipei: Sense Publishers]. Citing authors who contributed chapters to the book mentioned above, we analyze four important subthemes: ‘participation, power and rapport’; ‘quality of research and quality management’; ‘learning to solve your own problems in complex responsive social systems, and ‘heuristics (rules of thumb for action research practice’. Finally, we comment on possible quality improvements for action research. Our remarks relate to the problems of implementing the concept of participation, the ambition of action research to contribute to both knowledge production and social change and the need for systematic reconstruction (scientific validation of action research.

Action video game play facilitates the development of better perceptual templates

Science.gov (United States)

Bejjanki, Vikranth R.; Zhang, Ruyuan; Li, Renjie; Pouget, Alexandre; Green, C. Shawn; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Bavelier, Daphne

2014-01-01

The field of perceptual learning has identified changes in perceptual templates as a powerful mechanism mediating the learning of statistical regularities in our environment. By measuring threshold-vs.-contrast curves using an orientation identification task under varying levels of external noise, the perceptual template model (PTM) allows one to disentangle various sources of signal-to-noise changes that can alter performance. We use the PTM approach to elucidate the mechanism that underlies the wide range of improvements noted after action video game play. We show that action video game players make use of improved perceptual templates compared with nonvideo game players, and we confirm a causal role for action video game play in inducing such improvements through a 50-h training study. Then, by adapting a recent neural model to this task, we demonstrate how such improved perceptual templates can arise from reweighting the connectivity between visual areas. Finally, we establish that action gamers do not enter the perceptual task with improved perceptual templates. Instead, although performance in action gamers is initially indistinguishable from that of nongamers, action gamers more rapidly learn the proper template as they experience the task. Taken together, our results establish for the first time to our knowledge the development of enhanced perceptual templates following action game play. Because such an improvement can facilitate the inference of the proper generative model for the task at hand, unlike perceptual learning that is quite specific, it thus elucidates a general learning mechanism that can account for the various behavioral benefits noted after action game play. PMID:25385590

Action video game play facilitates the development of better perceptual templates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bejjanki, Vikranth R; Zhang, Ruyuan; Li, Renjie; Pouget, Alexandre; Green, C Shawn; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Bavelier, Daphne

2014-11-25

The field of perceptual learning has identified changes in perceptual templates as a powerful mechanism mediating the learning of statistical regularities in our environment. By measuring threshold-vs.-contrast curves using an orientation identification task under varying levels of external noise, the perceptual template model (PTM) allows one to disentangle various sources of signal-to-noise changes that can alter performance. We use the PTM approach to elucidate the mechanism that underlies the wide range of improvements noted after action video game play. We show that action video game players make use of improved perceptual templates compared with nonvideo game players, and we confirm a causal role for action video game play in inducing such improvements through a 50-h training study. Then, by adapting a recent neural model to this task, we demonstrate how such improved perceptual templates can arise from reweighting the connectivity between visual areas. Finally, we establish that action gamers do not enter the perceptual task with improved perceptual templates. Instead, although performance in action gamers is initially indistinguishable from that of nongamers, action gamers more rapidly learn the proper template as they experience the task. Taken together, our results establish for the first time to our knowledge the development of enhanced perceptual templates following action game play. Because such an improvement can facilitate the inference of the proper generative model for the task at hand, unlike perceptual learning that is quite specific, it thus elucidates a general learning mechanism that can account for the various behavioral benefits noted after action game play.

Examining participation in relation to students’ development of health-related action competence in a school food setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruge, Dorte; Nielsen, Morten Kromann; Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

2016-01-01

: Current study is an example of how the IVACE matrix can be applied in order to plan, conduct and evaluate LOMA educational activities. It is an aspiration of the authors that this could be considered as a contribution to the HPS scientific community. Also, this would be useful for other schools...... skills that made students able to take action regarding food and health in everyday life. Methods: Research was undertaken as a single case study of the development of an integrated education and health program called LOMA-Local Food (LOMA) in a secondary school in Denmark. Qualitative methods were...... applied, including an action research component, where researcher and teachers examined how students developed action competence. The program was based on a whole school approach with the aim of improving F&HRAC. As a way to obtain this, students participated in planning, preparing, cooking and serving...

Improvement of stress-rupture property by Cr addition in Ni-based single crystal superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.Y.; Feng, Q.; Cao, L.M.; Sun, Z.Q.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Cr improved the stress-rupture life of single crystal superalloys significantly. → Cr increased the Re partitioning ratio and resulted in more negative misfit. → Mechanism for improving the stress-rupture life by Cr addition is addressed here. - Abstract: The effects of Cr addition on the microstructure and stress-rupture property have been investigated in three experimental Ni-based single crystal superalloys containing various levels of Cr addition (0-5.7 wt.%). The Re partitioning ratio increased and the lattice misfit became more negative with increasing the Cr addition in both dendrite core and interdendritic region. The changes of elemental partitioning behaviors and the lattice misfit show good agreement with the change of γ' morphology. Cr addition increased the stress-rupture life at 1100 deg. C/140 MPa significantly due to higher γ' volume fraction, more negative lattice misfit and a well rafting structure as well as less width of γ channels. High Cr addition (5.7 wt.%) increased the degree of Re and Cr supersaturation in the γ phase and promoted the formation of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases significantly under thermal exposure and creep deformation at 1100 deg. C.

34 CFR 200.42 - Corrective action.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... action; and (ii) Any underlying staffing, curriculum, or other problems in the school; (2) Is designed to... provide all students enrolled in the school with the option to transfer to another public school in... Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies Lea and School Improvement § 200.42 Corrective action. (a...

The different intracellular action potentials of fast and slow muscle fibres = Différences entre les potentiels d'action intracellulaires de fibres musculaires rapides et lentes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wallinga, W.; Gielen, Frans L.H.; Wirtz, Peter; de Jong, Paul; Broenink, Johannes F.

1985-01-01

The time course of the intracellular action potential was studied quantitatively, because it is an important factor in the generation of electromyographic signals. In in vivo preparations of the m. EDL and m. soleus of the rat single motor units were stimulated and intracellular action potentials

Uncertainty evaluation of EnPIs in industrial applications as a key factor in setting improvement actions

Science.gov (United States)

D'Emilia, G.; Di Gasbarro, D.; Gaspari, A.; Natale, E.

2015-11-01

A methodology is proposed assuming high-level Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs) uncertainty as quantitative indicator of the evolution of an Energy Management System (EMS). Motivations leading to the selection of the EnPIs, uncertainty evaluation techniques and criteria supporting decision-making are discussed, in order to plan and pursue reliable measures for energy performance improvement. In this paper, problems, priorities, operative possibilities and reachable improvement limits are examined, starting from the measurement uncertainty assessment. Two different industrial cases are analysed with reference to the following aspects: absence/presence of energy management policy and action plans; responsibility level for the energy issues; employees’ training and motivation in respect of the energy problems; absence/presence of adequate infrastructures for monitoring and sharing of energy information; level of standardization and integration of methods and procedures linked to the energy activities; economic and financial resources for the improvement of energy efficiency. A critic and comparative analysis of the obtained results is realized. The methodology, experimentally validated, allows developing useful considerations for effective, realistic and economically feasible improvement plans, depending on the specific situation. Recursive application of the methodology allows getting reliable and resolved assessment of the EMS status, also in dynamic industrial contexts.

Distributed Feedback Laser Based on Single Crystal Perovskite

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shang; Xiao, Shumin; Song, Qinghai

2017-06-01

We demonstrate a single crystal perovskite based, with grating-structured photoresist on top, highly polarized distributed feedback laser. A lower laser threshold than the Fabry-Perot mode lasers from the same single crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 microplate was obtained. Single crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 microplates was synthesized with one-step solution processed precipitation method. Once the photoresist on top of the microplate was patterned with electron beam, the device was realized. This one-step fabrication process utilized the advantage of single crystal to the greatest extend. The ultra-low defect density in single crystalline microplate offer an opportunity for lower threshold lasing action compare with poly-crystal perovskite films. In the experiment, the lasing action based on the distributed feedback grating design was found with lower threshold and higher intensity than the Fabry-Perot mode lasers supported by the flat facets of the same microplate.

Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Kamla Kant; Mahdi, Abbas Ali; Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem; Shankhwar, Satya Narain; Rajender, Singh; Jaiswar, Shyam Pyari

2009-12-01

To understand the mechanism of action of Mucuna pruriens in the treatment of male infertility. Prospective study. Departments of Biochemistry, Urology, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S.M. Medical University, Lucknow, India. Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (controls) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening. High-performance liquid chromatography assay for quantitation of dopa, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in seminal plasma and blood. Estimation by RIA of hormonal parameters in blood plasma, namely T, LH, FSH, and PRL. Before and after treatment, serum T, LH, FSH, PRL, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in seminal and blood plasma were measured. Decreased sperm count and motility were seen in infertile subjects. Serum T and LH levels, as well as seminal plasma and blood levels of dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were also decreased in all groups of infertile men. This was accompanied by significantly increased serum FSH and PRL levels in oligozoospermic subjects. Treatment with M. pruriens significantly improved T, LH, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline levels in infertile men and reduced levels of FSH and PRL. Sperm count and motility were significantly recovered in infertile men after treatment. Treatment with M. pruriens regulates steroidogenesis and improves semen quality in infertile men.

Code-specific learning rules improve action selection by populations of spiking neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Johannes; Urbanczik, Robert; Senn, Walter

2014-08-01

Population coding is widely regarded as a key mechanism for achieving reliable behavioral decisions. We previously introduced reinforcement learning for population-based decision making by spiking neurons. Here we generalize population reinforcement learning to spike-based plasticity rules that take account of the postsynaptic neural code. We consider spike/no-spike, spike count and spike latency codes. The multi-valued and continuous-valued features in the postsynaptic code allow for a generalization of binary decision making to multi-valued decision making and continuous-valued action selection. We show that code-specific learning rules speed up learning both for the discrete classification and the continuous regression tasks. The suggested learning rules also speed up with increasing population size as opposed to standard reinforcement learning rules. Continuous action selection is further shown to explain realistic learning speeds in the Morris water maze. Finally, we introduce the concept of action perturbation as opposed to the classical weight- or node-perturbation as an exploration mechanism underlying reinforcement learning. Exploration in the action space greatly increases the speed of learning as compared to exploration in the neuron or weight space.

Replication protein A (RPA hampers the processive action of APOBEC3G cytosine deaminase on single-stranded DNA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artem G Lada

Full Text Available Editing deaminases have a pivotal role in cellular physiology. A notable member of this superfamily, APOBEC3G (A3G, restricts retroviruses, and Activation Induced Deaminase (AID generates antibody diversity by localized deamination of cytosines in DNA. Unconstrained deaminase activity can cause genome-wide mutagenesis and cancer. The mechanisms that protect the genomic DNA from the undesired action of deaminases are unknown. Using the in vitro deamination assays and expression of A3G in yeast, we show that replication protein A (RPA, the eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA binding protein, severely inhibits the deamination activity and processivity of A3G.We found that mutations induced by A3G in the yeast genomic reporter are changes of a single nucleotide. This is unexpected because of the known property of A3G to catalyze multiple deaminations upon one substrate encounter event in vitro. The addition of recombinant RPA to the oligonucleotide deamination assay severely inhibited A3G activity. Additionally, we reveal the inverse correlation between RPA concentration and the number of deaminations induced by A3G in vitro on long ssDNA regions. This resembles the "hit and run" single base substitution events observed in yeast.Our data suggest that RPA is a plausible antimutator factor limiting the activity and processivity of editing deaminases in the model yeast system. Because of the similar antagonism of yeast RPA and human RPA with A3G in vitro, we propose that RPA plays a role in the protection of the human genome cell from A3G and other deaminases when they are inadvertently diverged from their natural targets. We propose a model where RPA serves as one of the guardians of the genome that protects ssDNA from the destructive processive activity of deaminases by non-specific steric hindrance.

Replication protein A (RPA) hampers the processive action of APOBEC3G cytosine deaminase on single-stranded DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Lada, Artem G; Waisertreiger, Irina S-R; Grabow, Corinn E; Prakash, Aishwarya; Borgstahl, Gloria E O; Rogozin, Igor B; Pavlov, Youri I

2011-01-01

Editing deaminases have a pivotal role in cellular physiology. A notable member of this superfamily, APOBEC3G (A3G), restricts retroviruses, and Activation Induced Deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity by localized deamination of cytosines in DNA. Unconstrained deaminase activity can cause genome-wide mutagenesis and cancer. The mechanisms that protect the genomic DNA from the undesired action of deaminases are unknown. Using the in vitro deamination assays and expression of A3G in yeast, we show that replication protein A (RPA), the eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein, severely inhibits the deamination activity and processivity of A3G. We found that mutations induced by A3G in the yeast genomic reporter are changes of a single nucleotide. This is unexpected because of the known property of A3G to catalyze multiple deaminations upon one substrate encounter event in vitro. The addition of recombinant RPA to the oligonucleotide deamination assay severely inhibited A3G activity. Additionally, we reveal the inverse correlation between RPA concentration and the number of deaminations induced by A3G in vitro on long ssDNA regions. This resembles the "hit and run" single base substitution events observed in yeast. Our data suggest that RPA is a plausible antimutator factor limiting the activity and processivity of editing deaminases in the model yeast system. Because of the similar antagonism of yeast RPA and human RPA with A3G in vitro, we propose that RPA plays a role in the protection of the human genome cell from A3G and other deaminases when they are inadvertently diverged from their natural targets. We propose a model where RPA serves as one of the guardians of the genome that protects ssDNA from the destructive processive activity of deaminases by non-specific steric hindrance.

An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization for Selective Single Machine Scheduling with Sequence Dependent Setup Costs and Downstream Demands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a special single machine scheduling problem derived from practical industries, namely, the selective single machine scheduling with sequence dependent setup costs and downstream demands. Different from traditional single machine scheduling, this problem further takes into account the selection of jobs and the demands of downstream lines. This problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model and an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO is proposed to solve it. To enhance the exploitation ability of the PSO, an adaptive neighborhood search with different search depth is developed based on the decision characteristics of the problem. To improve the search diversity and make the proposed PSO algorithm capable of getting out of local optimum, an elite solution pool is introduced into the PSO. Computational results based on extensive test instances show that the proposed PSO can obtain optimal solutions for small size problems and outperform the CPLEX and some other powerful algorithms for large size problems.

Risks from Past, Current, and Potential Hanford Single Shell Tank Leaks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Triplett, Mark B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Watson, David J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wellman, Dawn M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2013-05-01

Due to significant delays in constructing and operating the Waste Treatment Plant, which is needed to support retrieval of waste from Hanford’s single shell tanks (SSTs), SSTs may now be required to store tank waste for two to three more decades into the future. Many SSTs were built almost 70 years ago, and all SSTs are well beyond their design lives. Recent examination of monitoring data suggests several of the tanks, which underwent interim stabilization a decade or more ago, may be leaking small amounts (perhaps 150–300 gallons per year) to the subsurface environment. A potential leak from tank T-111 is estimated to have released approximately 2,000 gallons into the subsurface. Observations of past leak events, recently published simulation results, and new simulations all suggest that recent leaks are unlikely to affect underlying groundwater above regulatory limits. However, these recent observations remind us that much larger source terms are still contained in the tanks and are also present in the vadose zone from historical intentional and unintentional releases. Recently there have been significant improvements in methods for detecting and characterizing soil moisture and contaminant releases, understanding and controlling mass-flux, and remediating deep vadose zone and groundwater plumes. To ensure extended safe storage of tank waste in SSTs, the following actions are recommended: 1) Improve capabilities for intrusion and leak detection. 2) Develop defensible conceptual models of intrusion and leak mechanisms. 3) Apply enhanced subsurface characterization methods to improve detection and quantification of moisture changes beneath tanks. 4) Maintain a flux-based assessment of past, present, and potential tank leaks to assess risks and to maintain priorities for applying mitigation actions. 5) Implement and maintain effective mitigation and remediation actions to protect groundwater resources. These actions will enable limited resources to be applied to

Relationship between increase in flexibility and improvement in the execution of daily actions by adults participating in supervised exercise program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo

2000-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to relate flexibility improvements from a supervised exercise program (SEP attendance, to possible improvements in the execution of daily actions by adults. The sample consisted of 20 subjects, the majority of them cardiac patients, with an average age of 58 ± 9 years, actively participating in an SEP, selected intentionally. The Flexitest, was used to determine flexibility. In addition, the subjects answered an 11-question questionnaire, aiming to assess relative difficulty in daily actions. The questionnaire was completed between three and 18 months after beginning the program and assessed the subjects’ opinion on their improvements in daily actions since starting on the SEP. After the SEP, improvements were observed in the execution of 11 daily actions, global flexibility, and six individual movements on the Flexitest (p RESUMO Este estudo objetivou relacionar ganhos de flexibilidade decorrentes da participa��ão em programa de exercício supervisionado (PES com eventuais facilitações na execução de ações cotidianas em adultos. Vinte indivíduos, a maioria coronariopatas, com idade de 58 ± 9 anos, que estavam freqüentando um PES, foram selecionados intencionalmente. Para a avaliação da flexibilidade utilizou-se o Flexiteste. Em adendo, os indivíduos responderam um questionário com 11 perguntas para avaliar subjetivamente, a facilidade e/ou dificuldade de realizar ações cotidianas, no início do PES e no momento em que estavam respondendo o questionário. Após o PES, houve ganhos na facilidade de execução das 11 ações, na flexibilidade global passiva e em seis movimentos individuais do Flexiteste (p<0,05. Há correlação significativa entre as diferenças das respostas ao questionário e as variações na flexibilidade global (r=0,45; p<0,04. Existe relação inversa entre as variações de peso e de flexibilidade (r=-0,66; p<0,05. Concluiu-se que a facilitação na realização de a

Novel fat-link fermion actions for lattice QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zanotti, J.; Bilson-Thompson, S.; Bonnet, F.; Leinweber, D.; Melnitchouk, W.; Williams, A.

2000-01-01

Full text: We are currently exploring new ideas for lattice fermion actions. Naive implementations of fermion actions encounter the well known fermion-doubling problem. In order to solve this problem, Wilson introduced an irrelevant (energy) dimension-five operator (the so-called Wilson term) which explicitly breaks chiral symmetry. The scaling properties of this Wilson action can be improved by introducing any number of irrelevant operators of increasing dimension which also vanish in the continuum limit. In this manner, one can improve fermion actions at finite 'a' by combining operators to eliminate O(a) and perhaps O(a 2 ) errors etc. A popular formulation of a lattice fermion action that achieves this is the Clover action which removes the O(a) error introduced by the Wilson term by introducing an additional irrelevant dimension-five operator. The Clover action can be O(a) improved to all orders in the strong coupling 'g'. While the Clover action displays excellent scaling, it is responsible for revealing the exceptional configuration problem where the quark propagator encounters singular behaviour particularly as the quark mass becomes small. Moreover, its free dispersion relation between energy and momentum is unchanged from the standard Wilson action dispersion and shows a continuum like behaviour only for relatively small momenta [F. X. Lee and D. B. Leinweber, Phys. Rev. D59, 074504 (1999), hep-lat/9711044]. Finally, significant chiral symmetry breaking is apparent as the renormalised quark mass differs significantly from the bare mass of the theory. Hence we propose a different approach to fermion action improvement. One in which the additive renormalisations become small while expressing good chiral behaviour. This can be achieved through the consideration of 'fat-link' fermion actions [T. DeGrand (the MILC collaboration, Phys. Rev. D60, 094501 (1999)]. Fat links are created by averaging or smearing links on the lattice with their nearest neighbours in

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved material licensees (non-medical). Quarterly progress report, October 1994--December 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October - December 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees (non-medical) with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved material licensees (non-medical). Quarterly progress report, October 1994--December 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October - December 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees (non-medical) with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Regulatory actions post - Fukushima

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciurea Ercau, C.

2013-01-01

The paper presents the results of the safety reviews performed in Romania after the Fukushima accident and the resulting actions for improving the safety. The actions taken by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) to improve the regulatory framework include the development of new regulations and the enhancement of inspection practices, taking account of the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. A regulation on the response to transients, accidents and emergency situations at nuclear power plants has been developed, which includes requirements on transient and accident scenarios that have to be covered by the Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), accident scenarios to be covered by the Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs), emergency situations to be covered by the on-site emergency response plan and emergency response procedures. (authors)

Improved and Reproducible Flow Cytometry Methodology for Nuclei Isolation from Single Root Meristem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaís Cristina Ribeiro Silva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Root meristems have increasingly been target of cell cycle studies by flow cytometric DNA content quantification. Moreover, roots can be an alternative source of nuclear suspension when leaves become unfeasible and for chromosome analysis and sorting. In the present paper, a protocol for intact nuclei isolation from a single root meristem was developed. This proceeding was based on excision of the meristematic region using a prototypical slide, followed by short enzymatic digestion and mechanical isolation of nuclei during homogenization with a hand mixer. Such parameters were optimized for reaching better results. Satisfactory nuclei amounts were extracted and analyzed by flow cytometry, producing histograms with reduced background noise and CVs between 3.2 and 4.1%. This improved and reproducible technique was shown to be rapid, inexpensive, and simple for nuclear extraction from a single root tip, and can be adapted for other plants and purposes.

Improving the conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes films by heat treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Jiaping [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Sun Jing, E-mail: jingsun@mail.sic.ac.c [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Gao Lian, E-mail: liangaoc@online.sh.c [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Liu Yangqiao; Wang Yan; Zhang Jing [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Kajiura, Hisashi; Li Yongming; Noda, Kazuhiro [Advanced Materials Laboratories, Sony Corporation, Atsugi Tec. No. 2, 4-16-1 Okata Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0021 (Japan)

2009-10-19

A simple heat treatment method was applied to remove surfactants remaining in the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) films at 300 deg. C for 5 h in air. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and reflected light interference microscope (RLIM) were employed to verify the elimination of surfactants. The comprehensive performance, especially the conductivity, could be improved by more than one order after heat treatment. For example, using SDBS as dispersant, the sheet resistance decreased from 782,600 OMEGA/square to 40,460 OMEGA/square with the transmittance of about 99.5% at 550 nm.

Knowledge Integration and Inter-Disciplinary Communication in Action Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hahn Heidi Ann

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In a plenary talk at WMSCI 2012 entitled "Planning for Action Research: Looking at Practice through a Different Lens," this author asserted that behavioral science practitioners, often "back into" action research – they start out doing a process improvement or intervention and discover something along the way, i.e., generalizable knowledge, that seems worthwhile to share with their community of practice. It was further asserted that, had the efforts been conceived of as research from the outset, the contributions to the body of knowledge would be more robust and the utility of the projects would improve as well. This paper continues on that theme. Action research and process improvement methods are briefly described and compared. A comparison of two Los Alamos National Laboratory engineering ethics training projects – one developed using a process improvement framework, the other using an action research framework – is put forth to provide evidence that use of a research "lens" can enhance behavioral science interventions and the knowledge that may result from them. The linkage between the Specifying Learning and Diagnosing stages of the Action Research Cycle provides one mechanism for integrating the knowledge gained into the product or process being studied and should provide a reinforcing loop that leads to continual improvement. The collaborative relationships among researchers and the individual, group, or organization that is the subject of the imp rovement op p ortunity (the "client", who are likely from very different backgrounds, and the interpretive epistemology that are among the hallmarks of action research also contribute to the quality of the knowledge gained. This paper closes with a discussion of how Inter-Disciplinary Communication is embedded within the action research paradigm and how this likely also enriches the knowledge gained.

Effort to grapple with improvement of security and reliability of nuclear power plant. Actions of the Japan Atomic Power Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishiguma, Kazuo

2012-01-01

Following the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, Tokai No.2 reactor was shut down automatically. Three of emergency diesel generators worked automatically at loss-of-offsite-power and began to work the cooling system of reactor. The reactor could be kept stable and safe in cold state by management of power from the gas turbine electric generator and power source car. Actions of Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) for cold shutdown and Tsunami were stated. Inspection results after the earthquake and testimony of staff was described. Countermeasure of improvement of safety of nuclear power station is explained by ensuring of power source and water supply, crisis management system, countermeasure of accident, ensuring, and training of workers, and action for better understanding of reliance. (S.Y.)

Improvement on image quality of single photon ECT with converging collimator system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murayama, Hideo; Nohara, Norimasa; Tanaka, Eiichi

1986-01-01

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with converging collimator system was proposed to improve quality of reconstructed images. The collimator system was designed to enhance sensitivity at the center region of field-of-view, where the probability photons escape the attenuating medium is smaller than at the off-center region. In order to evaluate efficiency of the improvement on image quality, the weighting function of projection, which is defined as relative sensitivity to the average on the lateral sampling of projection, was adopted to the image reconstruction algorithm of Radial Post Correction method. Statistical mean square noise in a reconstructed image was formulated in this method. Simulation studies using typical weighting function showed that center-enhanced weighting function brings effective improvement on image quality, especially, at the center region of cold area surrounded by annularly distributed activity. A new SPECT system was proposed as one example of the converging collimator systems. The system is composed of four gamma cameras with four fan-beam collimators, which have different focal distances one another. Simple simulation studies showed that the proposed system has reasonable center-enhanced weighting function, and the image quality based on the proposed system was fairly improved as compared with one based on uniform weighting function at the center region of the field-of-view. (author)

Using Data to Improve Educational Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthijs Koopmans

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Review of the book “Action Research in the Classroom: Helping Teachers Assess and Improve their Work” by Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs and Bruce S. Cooper There are many ways in which research can contribute to the improvement of educational practice, and action research is one of them. Action research bridges the gap that typically separates research from practice by having practitioners conduct specific projects to address their own questions and improve their effectiveness based on the answers they obtain. One of the advantages of this type of research is that results are often immediately accessible and have actionable implications. Thus, action research is a good tool for making improvements to the field based on evidence.

Continuum limit and improved action in lattice theories. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Symanzik, K.

1983-03-01

Corrections to continuum theory results stemming from finite lattice-spacing can be diminished systematically by use of lattice actions that include also suitable irrelevant terms. We describe in detail the principles of such constructions at the example of PHI 4 theory. (orig.)

A quality improvement project to reduce the intraoperative use of single-dose fentanyl vials across multiple patients in a pediatric institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, David; Subramanyam, Rajeev; Varughese, Anna

2016-01-01

The use of a single-dose vial across multiple patients presents a risk to sterility and is against CDC guidelines. We initiated a quality improvement (QI) project to reduce the intraoperative use of single-dose vials of fentanyl across multiple patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). The initial step of the improvement project was the development of a Key Driver Diagram. The diagram has the SMART aim of the project, key drivers inherent to the process we are trying to improve, and specific interventions targeting the key drivers. The number of patients each week receiving an IV dose of fentanyl, from a vial previously accessed for another patient was tracked in a high turnover operating room (OR). The improvement model used was based on the concept of building Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Tests of change included provider education, provision of an increased number of fentanyl vials, alternate wasting processes, and provision of single-use fentanyl syringes by the pharmacy. Prior to initiation of this project, it was common for a single fentanyl vial to be accessed for multiple patients. Our data showed an average percentage of failures of just over 50%. During the end of the project, after 7 months, the mean percentage failures had dropped to 5%. Preparation of 20 mcg single-use fentanyl syringes by pharmacy, combined with education of providers on appropriate use, was successful in reducing failures to below our goal of 25%. Appropriately sized fentanyl syringes prepared by pharmacy, education on correct use of single-dose vials, and reminders in the OR, reduced the percentage of patients receiving a dose of fentanyl from a vial previously accessed for another patient in a high-volume otolaryngology room. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A single dose of oxytocin nasal spray improves higher-order social cognition in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Guastella, Adam J; Ward, Philip B; Hickie, Ian B; Shahrestani, Sara; Hodge, Marie Antoinette Redoblado; Scott, Elizabeth M; Langdon, Robyn

2015-11-01

Schizophrenia is associated with significant impairments in both higher and lower order social cognitive performance and these impairments contribute to poor social functioning. People with schizophrenia report poor social functioning to be one of their greatest unmet treatment needs. Recent studies have suggested the potential of oxytocin as such a treatment, but mixed results render it uncertain what aspects of social cognition are improved by oxytocin and, subsequently, how oxytocin might best be applied as a therapeutic. The aim of this study was to determine whether a single dose of oxytocin improved higher-order and lower-order social cognition performance for patients with schizophrenia across a well-established battery of social cognition tests. Twenty-one male patients received both a single dose of oxytocin nasal spray (24IU) and a placebo, two weeks apart in a randomized within-subjects placebo controlled design. Following each administration, participants completed the social cognition tasks, as well as a test of general neurocognition. Results revealed that oxytocin particularly enhanced performance on higher order social cognition tasks, with no effects on general neurocognition. Results for individual tasks showed most improvement on tests measuring appreciation of indirect hints and recognition of social faux pas. These results suggest that oxytocin, if combined to enhance social cognition learning, may be beneficial when targeted at higher order social cognition domains. This study also suggests that these higher order tasks, which assess social cognitive processing in a social communication context, may provide useful markers of response to oxytocin in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconstructing a general inflationary action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bean, Rachel; Chung, Daniel J. H.; Geshnizjani, Ghazal

2008-01-01

If inflation is to be considered in an unbiased way, as possibly originating from one of a wide range of underlying theories, then observations need not be simply applied to reconstructing the inflaton potential V(φ) or a specific kinetic term, as in Dirac-Born-Infeld inflation, but rather to reconstruct the inflationary action in its entirety. We discuss the constraints that can be placed on a general single field action from measurements of the primordial scalar and tensor fluctuation power spectra and non-Gaussianities. The analytic form of the action that is consistent with data turns out to be surprisingly simple and easy to categorize. We also present the flow equation formalism for reconstructing a general inflationary Lagrangian L(X,φ), with X=(1/2)∂ μ φ∂ μ φ, in a general gauge, that reduces to canonical and DBI inflation in the specific gauge L X =c s -1 .

Revealing chemical processes and kinetics of drug action within single living cells via plasmonic Raman probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shan-Shan; Guan, Qi-Yuan; Meng, Gang; Chang, Xiao-Feng; Wei, Ji-Wu; Wang, Peng; Kang, Bin; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

2017-05-23

Better understanding the drug action within cells may extend our knowledge on drug action mechanisms and promote new drugs discovery. Herein, we studied the processes of drug induced chemical changes on proteins and nucleic acids in human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells via time-resolved plasmonic-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PERS) in combination with principal component analysis (PCA). Using three popular chemotherapy drugs (fluorouracil, cisplatin and camptothecin) as models, chemical changes during drug action process were clearly discriminated. Reaction kinetics related to protein denaturation, conformational modification, DNA damage and their associated biomolecular events were calculated. Through rate constants and reaction delay times, the different action modes of these drugs could be distinguished. These results may provide vital insights into understanding the chemical reactions associated with drug-cell interactions.

Improvement of cosmic ray ruggedness of hybrid vehicles power semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, Shuichi; Ohnishi, Toyokazu; Fujikawa, Touma; Nose, Noboru; Hamada, Kimimori; Shoji, Tomoyuki; Ishiko, Masayasu

2010-01-01

Power semiconductors which are used under high voltage conditions in HVs (Hybrid Vehicles) are required to have high destruction tolerance against cosmic rays as well as to meet conventional quality standards. In this paper, an SEB (Single Event Burnout) failure mechanism induced by cosmic rays in IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) was investigated. Through an optimized device design in which thyristor action was suppressed, the device destruction tolerance was greatly improved. (author)

Action video game training reduces the Simon Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, Claire V; Barrett, Doug J K; Nitka, Aleksander; Raynes, Kerry

2016-04-01

A number of studies have shown that training on action video games improves various aspects of visual cognition including selective attention and inhibitory control. Here, we demonstrate that action video game play can also reduce the Simon Effect, and, hence, may have the potential to improve response selection during the planning and execution of goal-directed action. Non-game-players were randomly assigned to one of four groups; two trained on a first-person-shooter game (Call of Duty) on either Microsoft Xbox or Nintendo DS, one trained on a visual training game for Nintendo DS, and a control group who received no training. Response times were used to contrast performance before and after training on a behavioral assay designed to manipulate stimulus-response compatibility (the Simon Task). The results revealed significantly faster response times and a reduced cost of stimulus-response incompatibility in the groups trained on the first-person-shooter game. No benefit of training was observed in the control group or the group trained on the visual training game. These findings are consistent with previous evidence that action game play elicits plastic changes in the neural circuits that serve attentional control, and suggest training may facilitate goal-directed action by improving players' ability to resolve conflict during response selection and execution.

Efficient strategy for detecting gene × gene joint action and its application in schizophrenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Won, Sungho; Kwon, Min-Seok; Mattheisen, Manuel; Park, Suyeon; Park, Changsoon; Kihara, Daisuke; Cichon, Sven; Ophoff, Roel; Nöthen, Markus M.; Rietschel, Marcella; Baur, Max; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Hofmann, A.; Lange, Christoph; Kahn, René S.; Linszen, Don H.; van Os, Jim; Wiersma, Durk; Bruggeman, Richard; Cahn, Wiepke; de Haan, Lieuwe; Krabbendam, Lydia; Myin-Germeys, Inez

2014-01-01

We propose a new approach to detect gene × gene joint action in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for case-control designs. This approach offers an exhaustive search for all two-way joint action (including, as a special case, single gene action) that is computationally feasible at the

Covariant and background independent functional RG flow for the effective average action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safari, Mahmoud; Vacca, Gian Paolo [Dipartimento di Fisica and INFN - Sezione di Bologna,via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna (Italy)

2016-11-23

We extend our prescription for the construction of a covariant and background-independent effective action for scalar quantum field theories to the case where momentum modes below a certain scale are suppressed by the presence of an infrared regulator. The key step is an appropriate choice of the infrared cutoff for which the Ward identity, capturing the information from single-field dependence of the ultraviolet action, continues to be exactly solvable, and therefore, in addition to covariance, manifest background independence of the effective action is guaranteed at any scale. A practical consequence is that in this framework one can adopt truncations dependent on the single total field. Furthermore we discuss the necessary and sufficient conditions for the preservation of symmetries along the renormalization group flow.

Two-body spectra of pseudoscalar mesons with an O(a{sup 2})-improved lattice action using Wilson fermions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiebig, H.R. [FIU-University Park, Miami, FL (United States). Phys. Dept.; Markum, H.; Rabitsch, K. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet Wien, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Mihaly, A. [Department of Theoretical Physics, Lajos Kossuth University, 4010 Debrecen (Hungary); Woloshyn, R.M. [TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3 (Canada)

1998-04-01

We extend our calculations with the second-order tree-level and tadpole improved next-nearest-neighbor action to meson-meson systems. Correlation matrices built from interpolating fields representing two pseudoscalar mesons ({pi}-{pi}) with relative momenta vector-p are diagonalized, and the mass spectrum is extracted. Link variable fuzzing and operator smearing at both sinks and sources is employed. Calculations are presented for two values of the hopping parameter. The spectrum is used to discuss the residual interaction in the meson-meson system. (orig.). 6 refs.

Single coil bistable, bidirectional micromechanical actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Tabat, Ned; Guckel, Henry

1998-09-15

Micromechanical actuators capable of bidirectional and bistable operation can be formed on substrates using lithographic processing techniques. Bistable operation of the microactuator is obtained using a single coil and a magnetic core with a gap. A plunger having two magnetic heads is supported for back and forth linear movement with respect to the gap in the magnetic core, and is spring biased to a neutral position in which the two heads are on each side of the gap in the core. The single electrical coil is coupled to the core and is provided with electrical current to attract one of the heads toward the core by reluctance action to drive the plunger to a limit of travel in one direction. The current is then cut off and the plunger returns by spring action toward the gap, whereafter the current is reapplied to the coil to attract the other head of the plunger by reluctance action to drive the plunger to its other limit of travel. This process can be repeated at a time when switching of the actuator is required.

Series expansions of the density of states in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denbleyker, A.; Du, Daping; Liu, Yuzhi; Meurice, Y.; Velytsky, A.

2008-01-01

We calculate numerically the density of states n(S) for SU(2) lattice gauge theory on L 4 lattices [S is the Wilson's action and n(S) measures the relative number of ways S can be obtained]. Small volume dependences are resolved for small values of S. We compare ln(n(S)) with weak and strong coupling expansions. Intermediate order expansions show a good overlap for values of S corresponding to the crossover. We relate the convergence of these expansions to those of the average plaquette. We show that, when known logarithmic singularities are subtracted from ln(n(S)), expansions in Legendre polynomials appear to converge and could be suitable to determine the Fisher's zeros of the partition function.

Improving the safety and protective automatic actions of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter detector control system

CERN Document Server

Jimenez Estupinan, Raul; Cirkovic, Predrag; Di Calafiori, Diogo Raphael; Dissertori, Guenther; Djambazov, Lubomir; Jovanovic, Dragoslav; Lustermann, Werner; Milenovic, Predrag; Zelepoukine, Serguei

2017-01-01

The CMS ECAL Detector Control System (DCS) features several monitoring mechanisms able to react and perform automatic actions based on pre-defined action matrices. The DCS is capable of early detection of anomalies inside the ECAL and on its off-detector support systems, triggering automatic actions to mitigate the impact of these events and preventing them from escalating to the safety system. The treatment of such events by the DCS allows for a faster recovery process, better understanding of the development of issues, and in most cases, actions with higher granularity than the safety system. This paper presents the details of the DCS automatic action mechanisms, as well as their evolution based on several years of CMS ECAL operations.

Draft Guidance for Protective Action Strategies Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sang Hyun; Jeong, Seung Young; Kim, Wanjoo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

National nuclear emergency preparedness and response (EPR) framework has been improved since the Fukushima accident in 2011. There are still many needs to be amended and improved in regulatory requirements and technical criteria to warrant efficacy of the EPR framework. As an important part of the framework, protective actions have to be implemented with optimized and justified manner during whole emergency phases. In this study, to enhance protective action strategies in response to severe accident or general emergency, existing procedures were reviewed. And generic guidance to develop protective action recommendations (PARs) was proposed considering revised EPZ and recent technical information on protective action strategies. The generic guidance for PARs based on facility status was introduced. Revision of EPZ and some recent information on protective action strategies, such as staged evacuation, specific approach for rapidly progressing accident were considered. It would be employed as a basis to develop site-specific strategies of PARs and regulatory guidance for emergency plan by nuclear licensee. It was focused on an early phase of nuclear emergency. Further efforts to develop site specific strategies of PARs and strategies which cover full range of nuclear emergency would be followed by several stake holders.

The Effect of Sympathetic Antagonists on the Antidepressant Action of Alprazolam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gorash ZM

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Alprazolam is an anti-anxiety drug shown to be effective in the treatment of depression. In this study, the effect of sympathetic receptor antagonists on alprazolam–induced antidepressant action was studied using a mouse model of forced swimming behavioral despair. The interaction of three sympathetic receptor antagonists with benzodiazepines, which may impact the clinical use of alprazolam, was also studied. Behavioral despair was examined in six groups of albino mice. Drugs were administered intraperitoneally. The control group received only a single dose of 1% Tween 80. The second group received a single dose of alprazolam, and the third group received an antagonist followed by alprazolam. The fourth group was treated with imipramine, and the fifth group received an antagonist followed by imipramine. The sixth group was treated with a single dose of an antagonist alone (atenolol, a β1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist; propranolol, a non selective β-adrenoceptor antagonist; and prazocin, an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist. Results confirmed the antidepressant action of alprazolam and imipramine. Prazocin treatment alone produced depression, but it significantly potentiated the antidepressant actions of imipramine and alprazolam. Atenolol alone produced an antidepressant effect and potentiated the antidepressant action of alprazolam. Propranolol treatment alone produced depression, and antagonized the effects of alprazolam and imipramine, even producing depression in combined treatments. In conclusion, our results reveal that alprazolam may produce antidepressant effects through the release of noradrenaline, which stimulates β2 receptors to produce an antidepressant action. Imipramine may act by activating β2 receptors by blocking or down-regulating β1 receptors.

Rapid Improvement in Visual Selective Attention Related to Action Video Gaming Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Qiu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A central issue in cognitive science is understanding how learning induces cognitive and neural plasticity, which helps illuminate the biological basis of learning. Research in the past few decades showed that action video gaming (AVG offered new, important perspectives on learning-related cognitive and neural plasticity. However, it is still unclear whether cognitive and neural plasticity is observable after a brief AVG session. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, this study examined the plasticity of visual selective attention (VSA associated with a 1 h AVG session. Both AVG experts and non-experts participated in this study. Their VSA was assessed prior to and after the AVG session. Within-group comparisons on the participants' performance before and after the AVG session showed improvements in response time in both groups and modulations of electrophysiological measures in the non-experts. Furthermore, between-group comparisons showed that the experts had superior VSA, relative to the non-experts, prior to the AVG session. These findings suggested an association between the plasticity of VSA and AVG. Most importantly, this study showed that the plasticity of VSA was observable after even a 1 h AVG session.

Rapid Improvement in Visual Selective Attention Related to Action Video Gaming Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Nan; Ma, Weiyi; Fan, Xin; Zhang, Youjin; Li, Yi; Yan, Yuening; Zhou, Zhongliang; Li, Fali; Gong, Diankun; Yao, Dezhong

2018-01-01

A central issue in cognitive science is understanding how learning induces cognitive and neural plasticity, which helps illuminate the biological basis of learning. Research in the past few decades showed that action video gaming (AVG) offered new, important perspectives on learning-related cognitive and neural plasticity. However, it is still unclear whether cognitive and neural plasticity is observable after a brief AVG session. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, this study examined the plasticity of visual selective attention (VSA) associated with a 1 h AVG session. Both AVG experts and non-experts participated in this study. Their VSA was assessed prior to and after the AVG session. Within-group comparisons on the participants' performance before and after the AVG session showed improvements in response time in both groups and modulations of electrophysiological measures in the non-experts. Furthermore, between-group comparisons showed that the experts had superior VSA, relative to the non-experts, prior to the AVG session. These findings suggested an association between the plasticity of VSA and AVG. Most importantly, this study showed that the plasticity of VSA was observable after even a 1 h AVG session.

Can Dual Task Walking Improve in Parkinson's Disease After External Focus of Attention Exercise? A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Eric N; Intzandt, Brittany N; Almeida, Quincy J

2018-01-01

It may be possible to use attention-based exercise to decrease demands associated with walking in Parkinson's disease (PD), and thus improve dual task walking ability. For example, an external focus of attention (focusing on the effect of an action on the environment) may recruit automatic control processes degenerated in PD, whereas an internal focus (limb movement) may recruit conscious (nonautomatic) control processes. Thus, we aimed to investigate how externally and internally focused exercise influences dual task walking and symptom severity in PD. Forty-seven participants with PD were randomized to either an Externally (n = 24) or Internally (n = 23) focused group and completed 33 one-hour attention-based exercise sessions over 11 weeks. In addition, 16 participants were part of a control group. Before, after, and 8 weeks following the program (pre/post/washout), gait patterns were measured during single and dual task walking (digit-monitoring task, ie, walking while counting numbers announced by an audio-track), and symptom severity (UPDRS-III) was assessed ON and OFF dopamine replacement. Pairwise comparisons (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) and repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted. Pre to post: Dual task step time decreased in the external group (Δ = 0.02 seconds, CI 0.01-0.04). Dual task step length (Δ = 2.3 cm, CI 0.86-3.75) and velocity (Δ = 4.5 cm/s, CI 0.59-8.48) decreased (became worse) in the internal group. UPDRS-III scores (ON and OFF) decreased (improved) in only the External group. Pre to washout: Dual task step time ( P = .005) and percentage in double support ( P = .014) significantly decreased (improved) in both exercise groups, although only the internal group increased error on the secondary counting task (ie, more errors monitoring numbers). UPDRS-III scores in both exercise groups significantly decreased ( P = .001). Since dual task walking improvements were found immediately, and 8 weeks after the cessation of an

34 CFR 200.53 - LEA corrective action.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... operated by the LEA to a higher-performing public school operated by another LEA in accordance with § 200... Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies Lea and School Improvement § 200.53 LEA corrective action... SEA to identify an LEA for corrective action; and (ii) Any underlying staffing, curriculum, or other...

Jump into Action

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Stephen; Cohen, Ann; Meyer, Margaret

2012-01-01

Jump Into Action (JIA) is a school-based team-taught program to help fifth-grade students make healthy food choices and be more active. The JIA team (physical education teacher, classroom teacher, school nurse, and parent) work together to provide a supportive environment as students set goals to improve food choices and increase activity.…

Monitoring Activities Review action report for the Environmental Monitoring Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhelmsen, R.N.; Wright, K.C.

1990-12-01

To improve program planning and to provide bases for technical improvement of the monitoring program, the EG ampersand G Environmental Monitoring (EM) organization has regularly used the Monitoring Activities Review (MAR) process since 1982. Each MAR is conducted by a committee of individuals selected for their experience in the various types of monitoring performed by the EM organization. An MAR of the Environmental Monitoring Program was conducted in 1988. This action report identifies and discusses the recommendations of this MAR committee. This action report also identifies the actions already taken by the EM Unit in response to these recommendations, as well as the actions and schedules to be taken. 10 refs

Single-layer centrifugation through colloid selects improved quality of epididymal cat sperm.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatdarong, K; Thuwanut, P; Morrell, J M

2010-06-01

The objectives were to determine the: 1) extent of epithelial and red blood cell contamination in epididymal cat sperm samples recovered by the cutting method; 2) efficacy of simple washing, single-layer centrifugation (SLC), and swim-up for selecting epididymal cat sperm; and 3) effects of freezing and thawing on cat sperm selected by various techniques. Ten unit samples were studied; each contained sperm from the cauda epididymides of four cats (total, approximately 200 x 10(6) sperm) and was equally allocated into four treatments: 1) simple washing, 2) single-layer centrifugation through colloid prior to cryopreservation (SLC-PC), 3) single-layer centrifugation through colloid after cryopreservation (SLC-AC), and 4) swim-up. Centrifugation (300 x g for 20 min) was done for all methods. The SLC-PC had a better recovery rate than the SLC-AC and swim-up methods (mean+/-SD of 16.4+/-8.7, 10.7+/-8.9, and 2.3+/-1.7%, respectively; Pblood cell contamination than simple washed samples (0.02+/-0.01, 0.02+/-0.04, 0.03+/-0.04, and 0.44+/-0.22 x 10(6) cells/mL, respectively; P0.05), SLC-PC yielded the highest percentage of sperm with normal midpieces and tails (P0.05). In conclusion, both SLC-PC and swim-up improved the quality of epididymal cat sperm, including better morphology, membrane and DNA integrity, and removal of cellular contamination. However, SLC had a better sperm recovery rate than swim-up. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE USE OF RESEARCH PAPER WRITING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALSTO IMPROVE STUDENTS‟ACADEMIC WRITING: A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ali Ghufron

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Most of students in English Education Department of IKIP PGRI Bojonegoro frequently consider that academic writing, in term of writing scientific paper, is not easy task to do. The result of their academic writing performance at preliminary research indicated that they achieved low scores in writing a scientific article. Consequently, they are not motivated in academic writing. For this case, I used Research Paper Writing Instructional Materials as sources in teaching and learning. This research investigatedwhether the use of Research Paper Writing Instructional Materials can improve students‘ academic writing andhow class situation is when Research Paper Writing Instructional Materials are used as a source of teaching and learning process. This is a Classroom Action Research (CAR which is conducted at the fourth semester students of English Education Department of IKIP PGRI Bojonegoro in the academic year of 2014/2015. This research was done in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four steps: Planning, Acting, Observing, and Reflecting. The qualitative data were collected through observation and interview. The quantitative data were collected through test. The research findings revealed that the use of Research Paper Writing Instructional Materialscan improve students‘ academic writing and improve students‘ motivation in academic writing class.Derived from the findings, it can be concluded that the use of Research Paper Writing Instructional Materialscan improve students‘ academic writing and class situation. Therefore, it is recommended for the lecturers to use Research Paper Writing Instructional Materialsas it can improve students‘ academic writing as well as class situation.

Improved control of exogenous attention in action video game players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S Cain

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Action video game players have demonstrated a number of attentional advantages over non-players. Here, we propose that many of those benefits might be underpinned by improved control over exogenous (i.e., stimulus-driven attention. To test this we used an anti-cuing task, in which a sudden-onset cue indicated that the target would likely appear in a separate location on the opposite side of the fixation point. When the time between the cue onset and the target onset was short (40 ms, non-players (nVGPs showed a typical exogenous attention effect. Their response times were faster to targets presented at the cued (but less probable location compared with the opposite (more probable location. Video game players (VGPs, however, were less likely to have their attention drawn to the location of the cue. When the onset asynchrony was long (600 ms, VGPs and nVGPs were equally able to endogenously shift their attention to the likely (opposite target location. In order to rule out processing-speed differences as an explanation for this result, we also tested VGPs and nVGPs on an attentional blink task. In a version of the attentional blink task that minimized demands on task switching and iconic memory, VGPs and nVGPs did not differ in second target identification performance (i.e., VGPs had the same magnitude of attentional blink as nVGPs, suggesting that the anti-cuing results were due to flexible control over exogenous attention rather than to more general speed-of-processing differences.

Improved single particle potential for transport model simulations of nuclear reactions induced by rare isotope beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Chang; Li Baoan

2010-01-01

Taking into account more accurately the isospin dependence of nucleon-nucleon interactions in the in-medium many-body force term of the Gogny effective interaction, new expressions for the single-nucleon potential and the symmetry energy are derived. Effects of both the spin (isospin) and the density dependence of nuclear effective interactions on the symmetry potential and the symmetry energy are examined. It is shown that they both play a crucial role in determining the symmetry potential and the symmetry energy at suprasaturation densities. The improved single-nucleon potential will be useful for more accurate simulation of nuclear reactions induced by rare-isotope beams within transport models.

Call to action: A new path for improving diabetes care for Indigenous peoples, a global review.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Stewart B; Tompkins, Jordan W; TeHiwi, Braden

2017-01-01

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Indigenous populations around the globe, and there is an urgent need to improve the health and health equity of Indigenous peoples with diabetes through timely and appropriate diabetes prevention and management strategies. This review describes the evolution of the diabetes epidemic in Indigenous populations and associated risk factors, highlighting gestational diabetes and intergenerational risk, lifestyle risk factors and social determinants as having particular importance and impact on Indigenous peoples. This review further describes the impact of chronic disease and diabetes on Indigenous peoples and communities, specifically diabetes-related comorbidities and complications. This review provides continued evidence that dramatic changes are necessary to reduce diabetes-related inequities in Indigenous populations, with a call to action to support programmatic primary healthcare transformation capable of empowering Indigenous peoples and communities and improving chronic disease prevention and management. Promising strategies for transforming health services and care for Indigenous peoples include quality improvement initiatives, facilitating diabetes and chronic disease registry and surveillance systems to identify care gaps, and prioritizing evaluation to build the evidence-base necessary to guide future health policy and planning locally and on a global scale. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of action video game training on visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Blacker, Kara J; Curby, Kim M; Klobusicky, Elizabeth; Chein, Jason M

2014-10-01

The ability to hold visual information in mind over a brief delay is critical for acquiring information and navigating a complex visual world. Despite the ubiquitous nature of visual working memory (VWM) in our everyday lives, this system is fundamentally limited in capacity. Therefore, the potential to improve VWM through training is a growing area of research. An emerging body of literature suggests that extensive experience playing action video games yields a myriad of perceptual and attentional benefits. Several lines of converging work suggest that action video game play may influence VWM as well. The current study utilized a training paradigm to examine whether action video games cause improvements to the quantity and/or the quality of information stored in VWM. The results suggest that VWM capacity, as measured by a change detection task, is increased after action video game training, as compared with training on a control game, and that some improvement to VWM precision occurs with action game training as well. However, these findings do not appear to extend to a complex span measure of VWM, which is often thought to tap into higher-order executive skills. The VWM improvements seen in individuals trained on an action video game cannot be accounted for by differences in motivation or engagement, differential expectations, or baseline differences in demographics as compared with the control group used. In sum, action video game training represents a potentially unique and engaging platform by which this severely capacity-limited VWM system might be enhanced.

FINANCING ACTIONS OFENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

OpenAIRE

Holubka, S. M.; Shtuler, I. Y.; Biloskyrskiy, Р. Р.

2018-01-01

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the financing actions of ecological and economic development in Ukraine with the identification of the main disadvantages and perspective ways of improvement. The differences between financing environmental protection measures and actions of ecological and economic development are found out. Environmental measures grately involve expenditure of a forced, restrictive nature. Instead, financing actions of environmental and economic development ai...

Dynamic, continuous multitasking training leads to task-specific improvements but does not transfer across action selection tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Angela D.; Filmer, Hannah L.; Naughtin, Claire K.; Dux, Paul E.

2017-12-01

The ability to perform multiple tasks concurrently is an ever-increasing requirement in our information-rich world. Despite this, multitasking typically compromises performance due to the processing limitations associated with cognitive control and decision-making. While intensive dual-task training is known to improve multitasking performance, only limited evidence suggests that training-related performance benefits can transfer to untrained tasks that share overlapping processes. In the real world, however, coordinating and selecting several responses within close temporal proximity will often occur in high-interference environments. Over the last decade, there have been notable reports that training on video action games that require dynamic multitasking in a demanding environment can lead to transfer effects on aspects of cognition such as attention and working memory. Here, we asked whether continuous and dynamic multitasking training extends benefits to tasks that are theoretically related to the trained tasks. To examine this issue, we asked a group of participants to train on a combined continuous visuomotor tracking task and a perceptual discrimination task for six sessions, while an active control group practiced the component tasks in isolation. A battery of tests measuring response selection, response inhibition, and spatial attention was administered before and immediately after training to investigate transfer. Multitasking training resulted in substantial, task-specific gains in dual-task ability, but there was no evidence that these benefits generalized to other action control tasks. The findings suggest that training on a combined visuomotor tracking and discrimination task results in task-specific benefits but provides no additional value for untrained action selection tasks.

Fusion Peptide Improves Stability and Bioactivity of Single Chain Antibody against Rabies Virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Hualong; Zhang, Kaixin; Yin, Yanchun; Gu, Tiejun; Sun, Qing; Shi, Linqing; Zhang, Renxia; Jiang, Chunlai; Kong, Wei; Wu, Yongge

2017-04-28

The combination of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) with a vaccine is currently effective against rabies infections, but improvements are needed. Genetic engineering antibody technology is an attractive approach for developing novel antibodies to replace RIG. In our previous study, a single-chain variable fragment, scFv57R, against rabies virus glycoprotein was constructed. However, its inherent weak stability and short half-life compared with the parent RIG may limit its diagnostic and therapeutic application. Therefore, an acidic tail of synuclein (ATS) derived from the C-terminal acidic tail of human alpha-synuclein protein was fused to the C-terminus of scFv57R in order to help it resist adverse stress and improve the stability and halflife. The tail showed no apparent effect on the preparation procedure and affinity of the protein, nor did it change the neutralizing potency in vitro. In the ELISA test of molecular stability, the ATS fusion form of the protein, scFv57R-ATS, showed an increase in thermal stability and longer half-life in serum than scFv57R. The protection against fatal rabies virus challenge improved after fusing the tail to the scFv, which may be attributed to the improved stability. Thus, the ATS fusion approach presented here is easily implemented and can be used as a new strategy to improve the stability and half-life of engineered antibody proteins for practical applications.

Action Recognition by Joint Spatial-Temporal Motion Feature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weihua Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a method for human action recognition based on optical flow motion features extraction. Automatic spatial and temporal alignments are combined together in order to encourage the temporal consistence on each action by an enhanced dynamic time warping (DTW algorithm. At the same time, a fast method based on coarse-to-fine DTW constraint to improve computational performance without reducing accuracy is induced. The main contributions of this study include (1 a joint spatial-temporal multiresolution optical flow computation method which can keep encoding more informative motion information than recent proposed methods, (2 an enhanced DTW method to improve temporal consistence of motion in action recognition, and (3 coarse-to-fine DTW constraint on motion features pyramids to speed up recognition performance. Using this method, high recognition accuracy is achieved on different action databases like Weizmann database and KTH database.

Does double-row rotator cuff repair improve functional outcome of patients compared with single-row technique? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

DeHaan, Alexander M; Axelrad, Thomas W; Kaye, Elizabeth; Silvestri, Lorenzo; Puskas, Brian; Foster, Timothy E

2012-05-01

The advantage of single-row versus double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques has been a controversial issue in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. There is biomechanical evidence that double-row techniques are superior to single-row techniques; however, there is no clinical evidence that the double-row technique provides an improved functional outcome. When compared with single-row rotator cuff repair, double-row fixation, although biomechanically superior, has no clinical benefit with respect to retear rate or improved functional outcome. Systematic review. The authors reviewed prospective studies of level I or II clinical evidence that compared the efficacy of single- and double-row rotator cuff repairs. Functional outcome scores included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder scale, the Constant shoulder score, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale. Radiographic failures and complications were also analyzed. A test of heterogeneity for patient demographics was also performed to determine if there were differences in the patient profiles across the included studies. Seven studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The test of heterogeneity across these studies showed no differences. The functional ASES, Constant, and UCLA outcome scores revealed no difference between single- and double-row rotator cuff repairs. The total retear rate, which included both complete and partial retears, was 43.1% for the single-row repair and 27.2% for the double-row repair (P = .057), representing a trend toward higher failures in the single-row group. Through a comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis of current arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs, we found that the single-row repairs did not differ from the double-row repairs in functional outcome scores. The double-row repairs revealed a trend toward a lower radiographic proven retear rate, although the data did not reach statistical significance. There

Human Action Recognition Using Ordinal Measure of Accumulated Motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Wonjun

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a method for recognizing human actions from a single query action video. We propose an action recognition scheme based on the ordinal measure of accumulated motion, which is robust to variations of appearances. To this end, we first define the accumulated motion image (AMI using image differences. Then the AMI of the query action video is resized to a subimage by intensity averaging and a rank matrix is generated by ordering the sample values in the sub-image. By computing the distances from the rank matrix of the query action video to the rank matrices of all local windows in the target video, local windows close to the query action are detected as candidates. To find the best match among the candidates, their energy histograms, which are obtained by projecting AMI values in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, are compared with those of the query action video. The proposed method does not require any preprocessing task such as learning and segmentation. To justify the efficiency and robustness of our approach, the experiments are conducted on various datasets.

Improving a health information system for real-time data entries: An action research project using socio-technical systems theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Adaba, Godfried Bakiyem; Kebebew, Yohannes

2018-03-01

This paper presents the findings of an action research (AR) project to improve a health information system (HIS) at the Operating Theater Department (OTD) of a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in South East England, the UK. Informed by socio-technical systems (STS) theory, AR was used to design an intervention to enhance an existing patient administration system (PAS) to enable data entries in real time while contributing to the literature. The study analyzed qualitative data collected through interviews, participant observations, and document reviews. The study found that the design of the PAS was unsuitable to the work of the three units of the OTD. Based on the diagnoses and STS theory, the project developed and implemented a successful intervention to enhance the legacy system for data entries in real time. The study demonstrates the value of AR from a socio-technical perspective for improving existing systems in healthcare settings. The steps adopted in this study could be applied to improve similar systems. A follow-up study will be essential to assess the sustainability of the improved system.

The Spectral Shift Control Reactor as an option for much improved uranium utilisation in single-batch SMRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindley, B.A., E-mail: bal29@cam.ac.uk; Parks, G.T.

2016-12-01

Highlights: • A PWR with mixed D{sub 2}O/H{sub 2}O moderator/coolant is investigated for SMR applications. • Heavy water concentration varied over the cycle to give ‘spectral shift’ operation. • Much wetter lattice than normal is neutronically favourable. • Taller fuel stack is thus needed to ensure acceptable MDNBR. • 35–43% increase in uranium utilisation for single batch reactor is possible. - Abstract: The Spectral Shift Control Reactor (SSCR) uses a mix of D{sub 2}O and H{sub 2}O to moderate and cool the reactor. Initially, a high proportion of D{sub 2}O is used, such that the reactor is substantially under-moderated, with excess neutrons being primarily captured in {sup 238}U, breeding {sup 239}Pu. Towards the end of the cycle (EOC), the coolant is predominantly H{sub 2}O, thermalising the neutron spectrum and increasing reactivity. Recently, small modular reactors (SMRs) have gained significant interest as a means of providing a power source that requires little maintenance and refuelling. This motivates long cycles and reduced batch operation. For a single-batch reactor, there is typically a 33% penalty to uranium utilisation compared to a 3-batch reactor. Lattice calculations demonstrate the potential of the SSCR to greatly improve uranium utilisation in single-batch reactors over a range of enrichments. A relatively ‘wet’ lattice is employed which further improves uranium utilisation. Cases with 5% and 15% fissile loading are considered, for which it is respectively possible to achieve 47% and 39% increases in natural uranium utilisation using the SSCR relative to a ‘reference’ light water reactor. In the latter case, if 25% thorium is mixed into the fuel, the improvement in uranium utilisation increases to a total of 49%. Hence, in both cases, it is possible to in effect eliminate the penalty of using a single fuel batch. The ‘wet’ lattice introduces substantial thermal-hydraulic challenges due to the significantly higher fuel

Saha equation, single and two particle states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraeft, W.D.; Girardeau, M.D.; Strege, B.

1990-01-01

Single and two particle porperties in dense plasma are discussed in connection with their role in the mass action law for a partially ionized plasma. The two particle bound states are nearly density independent, while the continuum is essentially shifted. The single particle states are damped, and their energy has a negative shift and a parabolic behaviour for small momenta. (orig.)

Metaphysics of the principle of least action

Science.gov (United States)

Terekhovich, Vladislav

2018-05-01

Despite the importance of the variational principles of physics, there have been relatively few attempts to consider them for a realistic framework. In addition to the old teleological question, this paper continues the recent discussion regarding the modal involvement of the principle of least action and its relations with the Humean view of the laws of nature. The reality of possible paths in the principle of least action is examined from the perspectives of the contemporary metaphysics of modality and Leibniz's concept of essences or possibles striving for existence. I elaborate a modal interpretation of the principle of least action that replaces a classical representation of a system's motion along a single history in the actual modality by simultaneous motions along an infinite set of all possible histories in the possible modality. This model is based on an intuition that deep ontological connections exist between the possible paths in the principle of least action and possible quantum histories in the Feynman path integral. I interpret the action as a physical measure of the essence of every possible history. Therefore only one actual history has the highest degree of the essence and minimal action. To address the issue of necessity, I assume that the principle of least action has a general physical necessity and lies between the laws of motion with a limited physical necessity and certain laws with a metaphysical necessity.

Simulation of action potential propagation in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukhov, Vladimir; Nerush, Vladimir; Orlova, Lyubov; Vodeneev, Vladimir

2011-12-21

Action potential is considered to be one of the primary responses of a plant to action of various environmental factors. Understanding plant action potential propagation mechanisms requires experimental investigation and simulation; however, a detailed mathematical model of plant electrical signal transmission is absent. Here, the mathematical model of action potential propagation in plants has been worked out. The model is a two-dimensional system of excitable cells; each of them is electrically coupled with four neighboring ones. Ion diffusion between excitable cell apoplast areas is also taken into account. The action potential generation in a single cell has been described on the basis of our previous model. The model simulates active and passive signal transmission well enough. It has been used to analyze theoretically the influence of cell to cell electrical conductivity and H(+)-ATPase activity on the signal transmission in plants. An increase in cell to cell electrical conductivity has been shown to stimulate an increase in the length constant, the action potential propagation velocity and the temperature threshold, while the membrane potential threshold being weakly changed. The growth of H(+)-ATPase activity has been found to induce the increase of temperature and membrane potential thresholds and the reduction of the length constant and the action potential propagation velocity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, material licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1997; Volume 16, Number 2, Part 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July--December 1997) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, reactor licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1997; Volume 16, Number 2, Part 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July--December 1997) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, material licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1997; Volume 16, Number 2, Part 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July--December 1997) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to material licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, reactor licensees. Semiannual progress report, January--June 1997; Volume 16, Number 1, Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (January--June 1997) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, reactor licensees. Semiannual progress report, July--December 1997; Volume 16, Number 2, Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-04-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during the period (July--December 1997) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Dynamic remedial action scheme using online transient stability analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Arun

configuration and operating state. The generation-shedding cost is calculated using pre-RAS and post-RAS OPF costs. The criteria for selecting generators to trip is based on the minimum cost rather than minimum amount of generation to shed. For an unstable Category C contingency, the RAS control action that results in stable system with minimum generation shedding cost is selected among possible candidate solutions. The RAS control actions update whenever there is a change in operating condition, system configuration, or cost functions. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by simulations on the IEEE 9-bus system, the IEEE 39-bus system, and IEEE 145-bus system. This dissertation also proposes an improved, yet relatively simple, technique for solving Transient Stability-Constrained Optimal Power Flow (TSC-OPF) problem. Using the SIME method, the sets of dynamic and transient stability constraints are reduced to a single stability constraint, decreasing the overall size of the optimization problem. The transient stability constraint is formulated using the critical machines' power at the initial time step, rather than using the machine rotor angles. This avoids the addition of machine steady state stator algebraic equations in the conventional OPF algorithm. A systematic approach to reach an optimal solution is developed by exploring the quasi-linear behavior of critical machine power and stability margin. The proposed method shifts critical machines active power based on generator costs using an OPF algorithm. Moreover, the transient stability limit is based on stability margin, and not on a heuristically set limit on OMIB rotor angle. As a result, the proposed TSC-OPF solution is more economical and transparent. The proposed technique enables the use of fast and robust commercial OPF tool and time-domain simulation software for solving large scale TSC-OPF problem, which makes the proposed method also suitable for real-time application.

Crossover learning of gestures in two ideomotor apraxia patients: A single case experimental design study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Daisuke; Tanemura, Rumi

2017-06-01

Crossover learning may aid rehabilitation in patients with neurological disorders. Ideomotor apraxia (IMA) is a common sequela of left-brain damage that comprises a deficit in the ability to perform gestures to verbal commands or by imitation. This study elucidated whether crossover learning occurred in two post-stroke IMA patients without motor paralysis after gesture training approximately 2 months after stroke onset. We quantitatively analysed the therapeutic intervention history and investigated whether revised action occurred during gesture production. Treatment intervention was to examine how to influence improvement and generalisation of the ability to produce the gesture. This study used an alternating treatments single-subject design, and the intervention method was errorless learning. Results indicated crossover learning in both patients. Qualitative analysis indicated that revised action occurred during the gesture-production process in one patient and that there were two types of post-revised action gestures: correct and incorrect gestures. We also discovered that even when a comparably short time had elapsed since stroke onset, generalisation was difficult. Information transfer between the left and right hemispheres of the brain via commissural fibres is important in crossover learning. In conclusion, improvements in gesture-production skill should be made with reference to the left cerebral hemisphere disconnection hypothesis.

Impaired imitation of meaningless gestures in ideomotor apraxia: a conceptual problem not a disorder of action control? A single case investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunderland, Alan

2007-04-09

A defining characteristic of ideomotor apraxia is an inability to imitate meaningless gestures. This is widely interpreted as being due to difficulties in the formulation or execution of motor programs for complex action, but an alternative view is that there is a higher level cognitive problem in conceptualisation of the target posture. In a single case with inferior left parietal and temporal damage, severely impaired imitation was accompanied by preserved motor skill and spatial awareness but inability to make a conceptual match between the fingers of his own hand and an observed hand. Also, he was able to match pictures of visually similar gestures but not cartoon drawings of gestures which were conceptually the same but visually dissimilar. Knowledge of body structure seemed largely intact as he was only slightly inaccurate in showing correspondences between locations on drawings of a human figure and his own body, or a visually dissimilar figure. This indicated that difficulty on matching gestures was specific to representation of body posture rather than body structure, or that gesture imitation tasks place higher demand on a structural representation of the body. These data imply that for at least some cases of ideomotor apraxia, impaired gesture imitation is due to a deficit in representing the observed posture and is not a deficit in memory for action or of motor control.

Overview of IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monti, Stefano

2012-01-01

The IAEA Action Plan represents a work programme to strengthen and improve nuclear safety world wide. The plan identifies actions for Member States and the IAEA. Success depends upon: • Cooperation between IAEA, Member States, and other stakeholders; • Availability of appropriate financial resources (MS voluntary contributions)

Confinement-Higgs transition in a disordered gauge theory and the accuracy threshold for quantum memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chenyang; Harrington, Jim; Preskill, John

2003-01-01

We study the ±J random-plaquette Z 2 gauge model (RPGM) in three spatial dimensions, a three-dimensional analog of the two-dimensional ±J random-bond Ising model (RBIM). The model is a pure Z 2 gauge theory in which randomly chosen plaquettes (occurring with concentration p) have couplings with the 'wrong sign' so that magnetic flux is energetically favored on these plaquettes. Excitations of the model are one-dimensional 'flux tubes' that terminate at 'magnetic monopoles' located inside lattice cubes that contain an odd number of wrong-sign plaquettes. Electric confinement can be driven by thermal fluctuations of the flux tubes, by the quenched background of magnetic monopoles, or by a combination of the two. Like the RBIM, the RPGM has enhanced symmetry along a 'Nishimori line' in the p-T plane (where T is the temperature). The critical concentration p c of wrong-sign plaquettes at the confinement-Higgs phase transition along the Nishimori line can be identified with the accuracy threshold for robust storage of quantum information using topological error-correcting codes: if qubit phase errors, qubit bit-flip errors, and errors in the measurement of local check operators all occur at rates below p c , then encoded quantum information can be protected perfectly from damage in the limit of a large code block. Through Monte-Carlo simulations, we measure p c0 , the critical concentration along the T=0 axis (a lower bound on p c ), finding p c0 =.0293±.0002. We also measure the critical concentration of antiferromagnetic bonds in the two-dimensional RBIM on the T=0 axis, finding p c0 =.1031±.0001. Our value of p c0 is incompatible with the value of p c =.1093±.0002 found in earlier numerical studies of the RBIM, in disagreement with the conjecture that the phase boundary of the RBIM is vertical (parallel to the T axis) below the Nishimori line. The model can be generalized to a rank-r antisymmetric tensor field in d dimensions, in the presence of quenched

Criticality safety studies involved in actions to improve conditions for storing 'RA' research reactor spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matausek, M.; Marinkovic, N.

1998-01-01

A project has recently been initiated by the VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences to improve conditions in the spent fuel storage pool at the 6.5 MW research reactor RA, as well as to consider transferring this spent fuel into a new dry storage facility built for the purpose. Since quantity and contents of fissile material in the spent fuel storage at the RA reactor are such that possibility of criticality accident can not be a priori excluded, according to standards and regulations for handling fissile material outside a reactor, before any action is undertaken subcriticality should be proven under normal, as well as under credible abnormal conditions. To perform this task, comprehensive nuclear criticality safety studies had to be performed. (author)

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Quarterly progress report, October--December 1994, Volume 13, No. 4, Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1994) and includes copies of letters Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, reactor licensees. Quarterly progress report, July--September 1994; Volume 13, Number 3, Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved. Reactor licensees: Volume 14, No. 1, Part 1, Quarterly progress report January--March 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved, medical licensees. Quarterly progress report, July--September 1994: Volume 13, Number 3, Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-12-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (July--September 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to medical licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Volume 14, No. 2, Part 2, Quarterly progress report, April--June 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Quarterly progress report, October--December 1994, Volume 13, No. 4, Part 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-02-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (October--December 1994) and includes copies of letters Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Volume 14, No. 2, Part 2, Quarterly progress report, April--June 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (April--June 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved reactor licensees. Volume 13, No. 1, Part 1: Quarterly progress report, January--March 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January--March 1994) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reactor licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to these described in this publication

Superspace actions and duality transformations for N=2 tensor multiplets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galperin, A.; Ivanov, E.; Ogievetsky, V.

1985-01-01

General actions for self-interacting N=2 tensor multiplets are considered in the harmonic superspace approach. All of them are shown to be equivalent, by superfield duality transformations, to some restricted class of the hypermultiplets actions. In particular, the improved tensor multiplet theory is dual to a free hypermultiplet one. Superspace couplings of these improved matter multiplets against conformal supergravity are also constructed

Improving student performance in an introductory biology majors course: A social action project in the scholarship of teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Sara Lang Ketchum

This social action study followed an introductory biology course for a three-year period to determine whether changes in teaching personnel, instructional techniques and reorientation to student-centered learning would impact student performance. The course was redirected from a traditional lecture-laboratory format to one emphasizing active learning inquiry methods. Student retention, achievement, and failure were observed for three years in addition to one year prior, and one year following, the study. The study examined the two semester introductory biology course required of all biology majors and those intending a career in science, medicine or dentistry. During the first semester of the study, the dropout rate decreased from 46% to 21%. Prior to the study, 39% of the students completing the course received a grade of D or F while only 4% received a grade of B or above. During the first semester of the study 14% of the students received a grade of D or F while 46% received a B, B+ or A grade. Similar results were seen in other semesters of the study. A statistical comparison of student retention and performance was carried out using grade data for classes taught by the original faculty, the action study faculty and the post-study faculty. The differences between the original faculty and the action study faculty were statistically significant. Effect size calculations indicated large differences between the action study faculty and the two other faculty groups in terms of student retention, achievement and failure. The results are attributed to both the personnel change and, more significantly, the change in teaching methods and emphasis on student-active learning. Comparison between the pre- and post-study teams showed less dramatic effect sizes than when the action study data were compared with the data from either other team. Nevertheless, the post-study results showed that although the retention rate dropped during the year after the study, the improvement

Good practice or positive action? Using Q methodology to identify competing views on improving gender equality in academic medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Louise D; Burkinshaw, Paula; House, Allan O; West, Robert M; Ward, Vicky

2017-08-22

The number of women entering medicine has increased significantly, yet women are still under-represented at senior levels in academic medicine. To support the gender equality action plan at one School of Medicine, this study sought to (1) identify the range of viewpoints held by staff on how to address gender inequality and (2) identify attitudinal barriers to change. Q methodology. 50 potential interventions representing good practice or positive action, and addressing cultural, organisational and individual barriers to gender equality, were ranked by participants according to their perception of priority. The School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, UK. Fifty-five staff members were purposively sampled to represent gender and academic pay grade. Principal components analysis identified six competing viewpoints on how to address gender inequality. Four viewpoints favoured positive action interventions: (1) support careers of women with childcare commitments, (2) support progression of women into leadership roles rather than focus on women with children, (3) support careers of all women rather than just those aiming for leadership, and (4) drive change via high-level financial and strategic initiatives. Two viewpoints favoured good practice with no specific focus on women by (5) recognising merit irrespective of gender and (6) improving existing career development practice. No viewpoint was strongly associated with gender, pay grade or role; however, latent class analysis identified that female staff were more likely than male to prioritise the setting of equality targets. Attitudinal barriers to the setting of targets and other positive action initiatives were identified, and it was clear that not all staff supported positive action approaches. The findings and the approach have utility for those involved in gender equality work in other medical and academic institutions. However, the impact of such initiatives needs to be evaluated in the longer term. �

Action research regarding the optimisation of radiological protection for nurses during vascular interventional radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Hiroshige

2015-01-01

The optimisation and decision-making processes for radiological protection have been broadened by the introduction of re-examination or feedback after introducing protective measures. In this study, action research was used to reduce the occupational exposure of vascular interventional radiology (IR) nurses. Four radiological protection improvement measures were continuously performed in cooperation with the researchers, nurses and stakeholders, and the nurses’ annual effective doses were compared before and after the improvements. First, the dosimetry equipment was changed from one electronic personal dosimeter (EPD) to two silver-activated phosphate glass dosimeters (PGDs). Second, the nurses were educated regarding maintaining a safe distance from the sources of scattered and leakage radiation. Third, portable radiation shielding screens were placed in the IR rooms. Fourth, the x-ray units’ pulse rates were reduced by half. On changing the dosimetry method, the two PGDs recorded a 4.4 fold greater dose than the single EPD. Educating nurses regarding radiological protection and reducing the pulse rates by half decreased their effective doses to one-third and two-fifths of the baseline dose, respectively. No significant difference in their doses was detected after the placement of the shielding screens. Therefore, the action research effectively decreased the occupational doses of the vascular IR nurses. (practical matter)

Action research regarding the optimisation of radiological protection for nurses during vascular interventional radiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Hiroshige

2015-06-01

The optimisation and decision-making processes for radiological protection have been broadened by the introduction of re-examination or feedback after introducing protective measures. In this study, action research was used to reduce the occupational exposure of vascular interventional radiology (IR) nurses. Four radiological protection improvement measures were continuously performed in cooperation with the researchers, nurses and stakeholders, and the nurses' annual effective doses were compared before and after the improvements. First, the dosimetry equipment was changed from one electronic personal dosimeter (EPD) to two silver-activated phosphate glass dosimeters (PGDs). Second, the nurses were educated regarding maintaining a safe distance from the sources of scattered and leakage radiation. Third, portable radiation shielding screens were placed in the IR rooms. Fourth, the x-ray units' pulse rates were reduced by half. On changing the dosimetry method, the two PGDs recorded a 4.4 fold greater dose than the single EPD. Educating nurses regarding radiological protection and reducing the pulse rates by half decreased their effective doses to one-third and two-fifths of the baseline dose, respectively. No significant difference in their doses was detected after the placement of the shielding screens. Therefore, the action research effectively decreased the occupational doses of the vascular IR nurses.

Green function simulation of Hamiltonian lattice models with stochastic reconfiguration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beccaria, M.

2000-01-01

We apply a recently proposed Green function Monte Carlo procedure to the study of Hamiltonian lattice gauge theories. This class of algorithms computes quantum vacuum expectation values by averaging over a set of suitable weighted random walkers. By means of a procedure called stochastic reconfiguration the long standing problem of keeping fixed the walker population without a priori knowledge of the ground state is completely solved. In the U(1) 2 model, which we choose as our theoretical laboratory, we evaluate the mean plaquette and the vacuum energy per plaquette. We find good agreement with previous works using model-dependent guiding functions for the random walkers. (orig.)

Quenched Magnon excitations by oxygen sublattice reconstruction in (SrCuO2)n/(SrTiO3)2 superlattices.

Science.gov (United States)

Dantz, M; Pelliciari, J; Samal, D; Bisogni, V; Huang, Y; Olalde-Velasco, P; Strocov, V N; Koster, G; Schmitt, T

2016-09-12

The recently discovered structural reconstruction in the cuprate superlattice (SrCuO2)n/(SrTiO3)2 has been investigated across the critical value of n = 5 using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). We find that at the critical value of n, the cuprate layer remains largely in the bulk-like two-dimensional structure with a minority of Cu plaquettes being reconstructed. The partial reconstruction leads to quenching of the magnons starting at the Γ-point due to the minority plaquettes acting as scattering points. Although comparable in relative abundance, the doped charge impurities in electron-doped cuprate superconductors do not show this quenching of magnetic excitations.

Magnetization process and low-temperature thermodynamics of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg octahedral chain

Science.gov (United States)

Strečka, Jozef; Richter, Johannes; Derzhko, Oleg; Verkholyak, Taras; Karľová, Katarína

2018-05-01

Low-temperature magnetization curves and thermodynamics of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg octahedral chain with the intra-plaquette and monomer-plaquette interactions are examined within a two-component lattice-gas model of hard-core monomers, which takes into account all low-lying energy modes in a highly frustrated parameter space involving the monomer-tetramer, localized many-magnon and fully polarized ground states. It is shown that the developed lattice-gas model satisfactorily describes all pronounced features of the low-temperature magnetization process and the magneto-thermodynamics such as abrupt changes of the isothermal magnetization curves, a double-peak structure of the specific heat or a giant magnetocaloric effect.

Improved insulin sensitivity after exercise: focus on insulin signaling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frøsig, Christian; Richter, Erik

2009-01-01

After a single bout of exercise, the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake is markedly improved locally in the previously active muscles. This makes exercise a potent stimulus counteracting insulin resistance characterizing type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is believed that at least part...... of the mechanism relates to an improved ability of insulin to stimulate translocation of glucose transporters (GLUT4) to the muscle membrane after exercise. How this is accomplished is still unclear; however, an obvious possibility is that exercise interacts with the insulin signaling pathway to GLUT4...... translocation allowing for a more potent insulin response. Parallel to unraveling of the insulin signaling cascade, this has been investigated within the past 25 years. Reviewing existing studies clearly indicates that improved insulin action can occur independent of interactions with proximal insulin signaling...

Action Research: A Tool for Promoting Faculty Development and Continuous Improvement in Leadership Preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Carver, Cynthia L.; Klein, C. Suzanne

2013-01-01

This paper introduces the use of action research to examine the content and outcomes of university-based leadership preparation programs. Using examples drawn from an ongoing action research project with candidates in a master's level principal preparation program, we demonstrate how the collection and analysis of candidate's written reflections,…

Effects of competition and cooperation interaction between agents on networks in the presence of a market capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Sonubi, A.; Arcagni, A.; Stefani, S.; Ausloos, M.

2016-08-01

A network effect is introduced taking into account competition, cooperation, and mixed-type interaction among agents along a generalized Verhulst-Lotka-Volterra model. It is also argued that the presence of a market capacity undoubtedly enforces a definite limit on the agent's size growth. The state stability of triadic agents, i.e., the most basic network plaquette, is investigated analytically for possible scenarios, through a fixed-point analysis. It is discovered that: (i) market demand is only satisfied for full competition when one agent monopolizes the market; (ii) growth of agent size is encouraged in full cooperation; (iii) collaboration among agents to compete against one single agent may result in the disappearance of this single agent out of the market; and (iv) cooperating with two rivals may become a growth strategy for an intelligent agent.

Effects of competition and cooperation interaction between agents on networks in the presence of a market capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonubi, A; Arcagni, A; Stefani, S; Ausloos, M

2016-08-01

A network effect is introduced taking into account competition, cooperation, and mixed-type interaction among agents along a generalized Verhulst-Lotka-Volterra model. It is also argued that the presence of a market capacity undoubtedly enforces a definite limit on the agent's size growth. The state stability of triadic agents, i.e., the most basic network plaquette, is investigated analytically for possible scenarios, through a fixed-point analysis. It is discovered that: (i) market demand is only satisfied for full competition when one agent monopolizes the market; (ii) growth of agent size is encouraged in full cooperation; (iii) collaboration among agents to compete against one single agent may result in the disappearance of this single agent out of the market; and (iv) cooperating with two rivals may become a growth strategy for an intelligent agent.

Uniqueness of the gauge invariant action for cosmological perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokopec, Tomislav; Weenink, Jan

2012-01-01

In second order perturbation theory different definitions are known of gauge invariant perturbations in single field inflationary models. Consequently the corresponding gauge invariant cubic actions do not have the same form. Here we show that the cubic action for one choice of gauge invariant variables is unique in the following sense: the action for any other, non-linearly related variable can be brought to the same bulk action, plus additional boundary terms. These boundary terms correspond to the choice of hypersurface and generate extra, disconnected contributions to the bispectrum. We also discuss uniqueness of the action with respect to conformal frames. When expressed in terms of the gauge invariant curvature perturbation on uniform field hypersurfaces the action for cosmological perturbations has a unique form, independent of the original Einstein or Jordan frame. Crucial is that the gauge invariant comoving curvature perturbation is frame independent, which makes it extremely helpful in showing the quantum equivalence of the two frames, and therefore in calculating quantum effects in nonminimally coupled theories such as Higgs inflation

Effective potential in the strong-coupling lattice QCD with next-to-next-to-learning order effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Takashi Z.; Miura, Kohtaroh; Ohnishi, Akira

2010-01-01

We derive an analytic expression of the effective potential at finite temperature (T) and chemical potential (μ) in the strong-coupling lattice QCD for color SU(3) including next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) effects in the strong coupling expansion. NNLO effective action terms are systematically evaluated in the leading order of the large dimensional (1/d) expansion, and are found to come from some types of connected two-plaquette configurations. We apply the extended Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation and a gluonic-dressed fermion technique to the effective action, and obtain the effective potential as a function of T, μ, and two order parameters: chiral condensate and vector potential field. The next-to-leading order (NLO) and NNLO effects result in modifications of the wave function renormalization factor, quark mass, and chemical potential. We find that T c,μ =0 and μ c,T =0 are similar to the NLO results, whereas the position of the critical point is sensitive to NNLO corrections. (author)

The Single-Molecule Centroid Localization Algorithm Improves the Accuracy of Fluorescence Binding Assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Boyang; Wang, Yanbo; Park, Seongjin; Han, Kyu Young; Singh, Digvijay; Kim, Jin H; Cheng, Wei; Ha, Taekjip

2018-03-13

Here, we demonstrate that the use of the single-molecule centroid localization algorithm can improve the accuracy of fluorescence binding assays. Two major artifacts in this type of assay, i.e., nonspecific binding events and optically overlapping receptors, can be detected and corrected during analysis. The effectiveness of our method was confirmed by measuring two weak biomolecular interactions, the interaction between the B1 domain of streptococcal protein G and immunoglobulin G and the interaction between double-stranded DNA and the Cas9-RNA complex with limited sequence matches. This analysis routine requires little modification to common experimental protocols, making it readily applicable to existing data and future experiments.

Continuous Improvement in Action: Educators' Evidence Use for School Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Cannata, Marisa; Redding, Christopher; Rubin, Mollie

2016-01-01

The focus of the article is the process educators use to interpret data to turn it into usable knowledge (Honig & Coburn, 2008) while engaging in a continuous improvement process. The authors examine the types of evidence educators draw upon, its perceived relevance, and the social context in which the evidence is examined. Evidence includes…

The action of chemical and mechanical stresses on single and dual species biofilm removal of drinking water bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, I B; Lemos, M; Mathieu, L; Simões, M; Simões, L C

2018-08-01

The presence of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) is a global public health concern as they can harbor pathogenic microorganisms. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is the most commonly used disinfectant for microbial growth control in DWDS. However, its effect on biofilm removal is still unclear. This work aims to evaluate the effects of the combination of chemical (NaOCl) and mechanical stresses on the removal of single and dual species biofilms of two bacteria isolated from DWDS and considered opportunistic, Acinectobacter calcoaceticus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. A rotating cylinder reactor was successfully used for the first time in drinking water biofilm studies with polyvinyl chloride as substratum. The single and dual species biofilms presented different characteristics in terms of metabolic activity, mass, density, thickness and content of proteins and polysaccharides. Their complete removal was not achieved even when a high NaOCl concentrations and an increasing series of shear stresses (from 2 to 23Pa) were applied. In general, NaOCl pre-treatment did not improve the impact of mechanical stress on biofilm removal. Dual species biofilms were colonized mostly by S. maltophilia and were more susceptible to chemical and mechanical stresses than these single species. The most efficient treatment (93% biofilm removal) was the combination of NaOCl at 175mg·l -1 with mechanical stress against dual species biofilms. Of concern was the high tolerance of S. maltophilia to chemical and mechanical stresses in both single and dual species biofilms. The overall results demonstrate the inefficacy of NaOCl on biofilm removal even when combined with high shear stresses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-Session Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Temporarily Improves Symptoms, Mood, and Self-Regulatory Control in Bulimia Nervosa: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kekic, Maria; McClelland, Jessica; Bartholdy, Savani; Boysen, Elena; Musiat, Peter; Dalton, Bethan; Tiza, Meyzi; David, Anthony S; Campbell, Iain C; Schmidt, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Evidence suggests that pathological eating behaviours in bulimia nervosa (BN) are underpinned by alterations in reward processing and self-regulatory control, and by functional changes in neurocircuitry encompassing the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Manipulation of this region with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may therefore alleviate symptoms of the disorder. This double-blind sham-controlled proof-of-principle trial investigated the effects of bilateral tDCS over the DLPFC in adults with BN. Thirty-nine participants (two males) received three sessions of tDCS in a randomised and counterbalanced order: anode right/cathode left (AR/CL), anode left/cathode right (AL/CR), and sham. A battery of psychological/neurocognitive measures was completed before and after each session and the frequency of bulimic behaviours during the following 24-hours was recorded. AR/CL tDCS reduced eating disorder cognitions (indexed by the Mizes Eating Disorder Cognitions Questionnaire-Revised) when compared to AL/CR and sham tDCS. Both active conditions suppressed the self-reported urge to binge-eat and increased self-regulatory control during a temporal discounting task. Compared to sham stimulation, mood (assessed with the Profile of Mood States) improved after AR/CL but not AL/CR tDCS. Lastly, the three tDCS sessions had comparable effects on the wanting/liking of food and on bulimic behaviours during the 24 hours post-stimulation. These data suggest that single-session tDCS transiently improves symptoms of BN. They also help to elucidate possible mechanisms of action and highlight the importance of selecting the optimal electrode montage. Multi-session trials are needed to determine whether tDCS has potential for development as a treatment for adult BN.

Improved long-term survival after intra-operative single high-dose ATG-Fresenius induction in renal transplantation: a single centre experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaden, Jürgen; May, Gottfried; Völp, Andreas; Wesslau, Claus

2009-01-01

In organ grafts donor-specific sensitization is initiated immediately after revascularization. Therefore, in 1990 we introduced the intra-operative single high-dose ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) induction in addition to standard triple drug therapy (TDT) consisting of steroids, azathioprine and cyclosporin. A total of 778 first renal transplantations from deceased donors, performed between 1987 and 1998, were included in this evaluation. This retrospective analysis of clinic records and electronic databases presents data of all recipients of first kidney grafts who received two different ATG-F inductions (1(st) group: 9 mg/kg body weight as single high-dose intra-operatively, n=484; 2(nd) group: 3 mg/kg body weight on 7 or 8 consecutive days as multiple-dose starting also intra-operatively, n=78) and standard TDT alone (3(rd) group: TDT alone, n=216). The 10-year patient survival rates were 72.6+/-2.6% (TDT + ATG-F single high-dose), 79.5+/-5.1% (TDT + ATG-F multiple-dose) and 67.2+/-3.7%% (TDT alone; Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; ATG-F vs TDT alone, p=0.001). The 10-year graft survival rates with censoring of patients that died with a functioning graft were 73.8+/-2.4%, 57.7+/-5.8% and 58.4+/-3.6% (Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; 1(st) vs 2(nd )and 3(rd) group, respectively, p<0.001) and the 10-year graft survival rates with patient death counted as graft failure were 58.3+/-2.7%, 55.7+/-5.8% and 48.2+/-3.5% (Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; ATG-F single high-dose vs TDT, p=0.023). In pre-sensitized recipients there were also significant differences in favour of ATG-F, more notably in the single high-dose ATG-F induction. A total of 69% of the patients in the two cohorts receiving ATG-F did not experience any transplant rejections compared to 56% in patients undergoing TDT alone (p=0.018). The incidence of infectious complications was comparable across all groups. According to evidence obtained from the routine documentation of 778

Indirect effects in dual radiation action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaider, M.; Rossi, H.H.

1988-01-01

The basic aim in this paper is to establish the link between indirect effects of radiation action and the spatial distribution of radicals at the time of energy deposition as well as throughout subsequent diffusion and interaction. The fact that radicals diffuse for a finite distance before damaging a biomolecule has dramatic effects on their subsequent probability to result in lesions. Thus at very low DMSO concentrations, where p = 0.5, one expects - all other things being equal - some 75% of the lesions to result from indirect or semidirect lesions. The number calculated here is lower (15%), a direct result of the fact that such lesions involve proximity functions modulated by diffusion. At higher DMSO concentrations this percentage becomes progressively smaller, as expected. It appears thus that for low-LET radiation, the relative amount of indirect damage in single tracks (also termed intratrack or single events) action is very small. By contrast, intertrack (or two-event) contributions will have the ratio between direct and (indirect + semidirect) contributions given by p 2 /(1-p 2 ). The reason for this is that sublesions from different tracks are uniformly distributed throughout the cell nucleus; their probability of interaction should not depend on any previous diffusional processes. For the example given above (p = 0.5) they do expect 65% of intertrack (two-hit) lesions to have resulted from indirect or semidirect mechanisms. This contrast between the almost exclusively direct character of intratrack lesions and the dominant role of indirect action in intertrack lesions produced by low-LET radiation is an important conclusion of this study

Educators as action researchers: some key considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daneel Rossouw

2009-02-01

Full Text Available A characteristic of expert educators is their ability to interpret classroom acti­vities critically, to identify and solve problems regarding their teaching practice, and to make thoughtful or reflective instructional and classroom management decisions that are conducive to learning. For educators to be efficacious, they should be active participants in the classroom and observers of the learning and teaching processes, assessing and interpreting the data forthcoming from the classroom and using that knowledge, together with more academic or public theory and research, as a basis for planning and decision-making. Action re­search provides educators with a strategy to enhance their reflective teaching practice, thereby sharpening their understanding of instruction and improving their instructional and classroom management skills, thus promoting educa­tional change. In this article I discuss an action research model for educators to assist them in finding alternatives to current practice by gathering data and using the data to create meaning, which is then fed back into the system with a view to improved action. The proposed action research model is highly rele­vant to pre-service and in-service teacher training.

An improved single cell ultrahigh throughput screening method based on in vitro compartmentalization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuqiang Ma

Full Text Available High-throughput screening is a key technique in discovery and engineering of enzymes. In vitro compartmentalization based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (IVC-FACS has recently emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of biocatalysts. However, the accuracy of current IVC-FACS assays is severely limited by the wide polydispersity of micro-reactors generated by homogenizing. Here, an improved protocol based on membrane-extrusion technique was reported to generate the micro-reactors in a more uniform manner. This crucial improvement enables ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymatic activity at a speed of >10⁸ clones/day with an accuracy that could discriminate as low as two-fold differences in enzymatic activity inside the micro-reactors, which is higher than similar IVC-FACS systems ever have reported. The enzymatic reaction in the micro-reactors has very similar kinetic behavior compared to the bulk reaction system and shows wide dynamic range. By using the modified IVC-FACS, E. coli cells with esterase activity could be enriched 330-fold from large excesses of background cells through a single round of sorting. The utility of this new IVC-FACS system was further illustrated by the directed evolution of thermophilic esterase AFEST. The catalytic activity of the very efficient esterase was further improved by ∼2-fold, resulting in several improved mutants with k(cat/K(M values approaching the diffusion-limited efficiency of ∼10⁸ M⁻¹s⁻¹.

'Action 2016': AREVA's strategic action plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marie, Patricia; Briand, Pauline; Floquet-Daubigeon, Fleur; Michaut, Maxime; De Scorbiac, Marie; Du Repaire, Philippine

2011-01-01

On December 13, 2011, Luc Oursel, CEO, and Pierre Aubouin, Chief Financial Officer presented the group's strategic plan for the period 2012-2016. The plan has been drawn up collectively and is based on a thorough-going analysis and a realistic assessment of perspectives for all group activities and associated resources. Development of nuclear and renewable energies: the fundamentals are unchanged. In this context, the German decision remains an isolated case and the great majority of nuclear programs around the world have been confirmed. More conservative in its projections than the International Energy Agency, the group expects growth of 2.2% annually, reaching 583 GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2030, against 378 GW today. However, the Fukushima accident will lead to delays in launching new programs. 'Action 2016' plan aims to consolidate AREVA's leadership in nuclear energy and become a leading player in renewable energy. The group's strategic action plan 'Action 2016' is based on the following strategic choices: - commercial priority given to value creation, - selectivity in investments, - strengthening of the financial structure. These demand an improvement in the group's performance by 2015. This plan makes nuclear safety a strategic priority for the industrial and commercial performance of the group. This ambitious performance plan for the period 2012-2016 will give the group the wherewithal to withstand a temporary slowdown in the market resulting from the Fukushima accident and to deliver safe and sustainable growth of the business. The plan sets out the strategic direction for the group's employees for the years ahead: taking advantage of the expected growth in nuclear and renewable energies, targeted investment programs, and return to self-financing as of 2014

Engaging pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) clinical staff to lead practice improvement: the PICU participatory action research project (PICU-PAR).

Science.gov (United States)

Collet, Jean-Paul; Skippen, Peter W; Mosavianpour, Mir Kaber; Pitfield, Alexander; Chakraborty, Bubli; Hunte, Garth; Lindstrom, Ronald; Kissoon, Niranjan; McKellin, William H

2014-01-08

Despite considerable efforts, engaging staff to lead quality improvement activities in practice settings is a persistent challenge. At British Columbia Children's Hospital (BCCH), the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) undertook a new phase of quality improvement actions based on the Community of Practice (CoP) model with Participatory Action Research (PAR). This approach aims to mobilize the PICU 'community' as a whole with a focus on practice; namely, to create a 'community of practice' to support reflection, learning, and innovation in everyday work. An iterative two-stage PAR process using mixed methods has been developed among the PICU CoP to describe the environment (stage 1) and implement specific interventions (stage 2). Stage 1 is ethnographic description of the unit's care practice. Surveys, interviews, focus groups, and direct observations describe the clinical staff's experiences and perspectives around bedside care and quality endeavors in the PICU. Contrasts and comparisons across participants, time and activities help understanding the PICU culture and experience. Stage 2 is a succession of PAR spirals, using results from phase 1 to set up specific interventions aimed at building the staff's capability to conduct QI projects while acquiring appropriate technical skills and leadership capacity (primary outcome). Team communication, information, and interaction will be enhanced through a knowledge exchange (KE) and a wireless network of iPADs. Lack of leadership at the staff level in order to improve daily practice is a recognized challenge that faces many hospitals. We believe that the PAR approach within a highly motivated CoP is a sound method to create the social dynamic and cultural context within which clinical teams can grow, reflect, innovate and feel proud to better serve patients.

Single cell amperometry reveals curcuminoids modulate the release of neurotransmitters during exocytosis from PC12 cells

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xianchan; Mohammadi, Amir Saeid; Ewing, Andrew G.

2016-01-01

We used single cell amperometry to examine whether curcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), substances that are suggested to affect learning and memory, can modulate monoamine release from PC12 cells. Our results indicate both curcumin and BDMC need long-term treatment (72 h in this study) to influence exocytosis effectively. By analyzing the parameters calculated from single exocytosis events, it can be concluded that curcumin and BDMC affect exocytosis through different mechanisms. Curcumin accelerates the event dynamics with no significant change of the monoamine amount released from single exocytotic events, whereas BDMC attenuates the amount from single exocytotic event with no significant change of the event dynamics. This comparison of the effect of curcumin and BDMC on exocytosis at the single cell level brings insight into their different mechanisms, which might lead to different biological actions. The effect of curcumin and BDMC on the opening and closing of the exocytotic fusion pore were also investigated. These results might be helpful for understanding the improvement of learning and memory and the anti-depression properties of curcuminoids. PMID:28579928

Improving the singles rate method for modeling accidental coincidences in high-resolution PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, Josep F; Rafecas, Magdalena

2010-01-01

Random coincidences ('randoms') are one of the main sources of image degradation in PET imaging. In order to correct for this effect, an accurate method to estimate the contribution of random events is necessary. This aspect becomes especially relevant for high-resolution PET scanners where the highest image quality is sought and accurate quantitative analysis is undertaken. One common approach to estimate randoms is the so-called singles rate method (SR) widely used because of its good statistical properties. SR is based on the measurement of the singles rate in each detector element. However, recent studies suggest that SR systematically overestimates the correct random rate. This overestimation can be particularly marked for low energy thresholds, below 250 keV used in some applications and could entail a significant image degradation. In this work, we investigate the performance of SR as a function of the activity, geometry of the source and energy acceptance window used. We also investigate the performance of an alternative method, which we call 'singles trues' (ST) that improves SR by properly modeling the presence of true coincidences in the sample. Nevertheless, in any real data acquisition the knowledge of which singles are members of a true coincidence is lost. Therefore, we propose an iterative method, STi, that provides an estimation based on ST but which only requires the knowledge of measurable quantities: prompts and singles. Due to inter-crystal scatter, for wide energy windows ST only partially corrects SR overestimations. While SR deviations are in the range 86-300% (depending on the source geometry), the ST deviations are systematically smaller and contained in the range 4-60%. STi fails to reproduce the ST results, although for not too high activities the deviation with respect to ST is only a few percent. For conventional energy windows, i.e. those without inter-crystal scatter, the ST method corrects the SR overestimations, and deviations from

A fully three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm with the nonstationary filter for improved single-orbit cone beam SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Z.J.; Tsui, B.M.

1993-01-01

Conventional single-orbit cone beam tomography presents special problems. They include incomplete sampling and inadequate three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction algorithm. The commonly used Feldkamp reconstruction algorithm simply extends the two-dimensional (2D) fan beam algorithm to 3D cone beam geometry. A truly 3D reconstruction formulation has been derived for the single-orbit cone beam SPECT based on the 3D Fourier slice theorem. In the formulation, a nonstationary filter which depends on the distance from the central plane of the cone beam was derived. The filter is applied to the 2D projection data in directions along and normal to the axis-of-rotation. The 3D reconstruction algorithm with the nonstationary filter was evaluated using both computer simulation and experimental measurements. Significant improvement in image quality was demonstrated in terms of decreased artifacts and distortions in cone beam reconstructed images. However, compared with the Feldkamp algorithm, a five-fold increase in processing time is required. Further improvement in image quality needs complete sampling in frequency space

Looking in the mirror: Teachers' use of autobiography and action research to improve practice

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Nancy T.

1996-03-01

This study presents an argument for valuing subjective, reflective knowledge based on Habermas' category of cognitive interest of emancipatory knowing. Using the teachers' autobiographies and action research as data sources, the process of personal empowerment is explored. A model of change derived from analysis of teachers' writings is proposed that includes disturbance, alternatives, confidence and action.

Applying a health action model to predict and improve healthy behaviors in coal miners.

Science.gov (United States)

Vahedian-Shahroodi, Mohammad; Tehrani, Hadi; Mohammadi, Faeze; Gholian-Aval, Mahdi; Peyman, Nooshin

2018-05-01

One of the most important ways to prevent work-related diseases in occupations such as mining is to promote healthy behaviors among miners. This study aimed to predict and promote healthy behaviors among coal miners by using a health action model (HAM). The study was conducted on 200 coal miners in Iran in two steps. In the first step, a descriptive study was implemented to determine predictive constructs and effectiveness of HAM on behavioral intention. The second step involved a quasi-experimental study to determine the effect of an HAM-based education intervention. This intervention was implemented by the researcher and the head of the safety unit based on the predictive construct specified in the first step over 12 sessions of 60 min. The data was collected using an HAM questionnaire and a checklist of healthy behavior. The results of the first step of the study showed that attitude, belief, and normative constructs were meaningful predictors of behavioral intention. Also, the results of the second step revealed that the mean score of attitude and behavioral intention increased significantly after conducting the intervention in the experimental group, while the mean score of these constructs decreased significantly in the control group. The findings of this study showed that HAM-based educational intervention could improve the healthy behaviors of mine workers. Therefore, it is recommended to extend the application of this model to other working groups to improve healthy behaviors.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved medical licensees. Quarterly progress report, January 1995--March 1995. Volume 14, No. 1, Part 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January-March 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to medical licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication.

Enforcement actions: Significant actions resolved medical licensees. Quarterly progress report, January 1995--March 1995. Volume 14, No. 1, Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-05-01

This compilation summarizes significant enforcement actions that have been resolved during one quarterly period (January-March 1995) and includes copies of letters, Notices, and Orders sent by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to medical licensees with respect to these enforcement actions. It is anticipated that the information in this publication will be widely disseminated to managers and employees engaged in activities licensed by the NRC, so that actions can be taken to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those described in this publication

Single dose systemic acetaminophen to improve patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory segmental mastectomy: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled, clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Rodes, Meghan E; Bialek, Jane; Kendall, Mark C; McCarthy, Robert J

2017-11-15

Few systemic drug interventions are efficacious to improve patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory surgery. We aimed to evaluate whether a single dose systemic acetaminophen improve quality of recovery in female patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery. We hypothesized that patients receiving a single dose systemic acetaminophen at the end of the surgical procedure would have a better global quality of postsurgical recovery compared to the ones receiving saline. The study was a prospective randomized double blinded, placebo controlled, clinical trial. Healthy female subjects were randomized to receive 1 g single dose systemic acetaminophen at the end of the surgery or the same volume of saline. The primary outcome was the Quality of Recovery 40 (QOR-40) questionnaire at 24 hours after surgery. Other data collected included opioid consumption and pain scores. Data were analyzed using group t tests and the Wilcoxon exact test. The association between opioid consumption and quality of recovery was evaluated using Spearman rho. P quality of recovery, P = .007. A single dose of systemic acetaminophen improves patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory breast surgery. The use of systemic acetaminophen is an efficacious strategy to improve patient perceived quality of postsurgical recovery and analgesic outcomes after hospital discharge for ambulatory breast surgery. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Actions on social determinants and interventions in primary health to improve mother and child health and health equity in Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutayeb, Wiam; Lamlili, Mohamed; Maamri, Abdellatif; Ben El Mostafa, Souad; Boutayeb, Abdesslam

2016-02-02

Over the last two decades, Moroccan authorities launched a number of actions and strategies to enhance access to health services and improve health outcomes for the whole population in general and for mother and child in particular. The Ministry of Health launched the action plans 2008-2012 and 2012-2016 and created the maternal mortality surveillance system. The Moroccan government opted for national health coverage through a mandatory health insurance and a scheme of health assistance to the poorest households. Other initiatives were devoted indirectly to health by acting on social determinants of health and poverty reduction. In this paper, we present results of an evaluation of interventions and programmes and their impact on health inequity in Morocco. We used data provided by national surveys over the last decades, information released on the website of the Ministry of Health, documentation published by the Moroccan government and international reports and studies related to Morocco and published by international bodies like the World Health Organisation, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank. A short review of scientific publications was also carried out in order to select papers published on health equity, social determinants, health system and interventions in primary health in Morocco. Inferential and descriptive statistics (including principal component analysis) were carried out using software SPSS version 18. The findings indicate that substantial achievements were obtained in terms of access to health care and health outcomes for the whole Moroccan population in general and for mothers and children in particular. However, achievements are unfairly distributed between advantaged and less advantaged regions, literate and illiterate women, rural and urban areas, and rich and poor segments of the Moroccan population. Studies have shown that it is difficult to trace the effect of a primary

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 536: Area 3 Release Site, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (Rev. 0 / June 2003), Including Record of Technical Change No. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2003-06-27

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives (CAAs) appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 536: Area 3 Release Site, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 536 consists of a single Corrective Action Site (CAS): 03-44-02, Steam Jenny Discharge. The CAU 536 site is being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of possible contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives for CAS 03-44-02. The additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation (CAI) prior to evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for this CAS. The results of this field investigation are to be used to support a defensible evaluation of corrective action alternatives in the corrective action decision document. Record of Technical Change No. 1 is dated 3-2004.

COST Action TU1206 "SUB-URBAN - A European network to improve understanding and use of the ground beneath our cities"

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Diarmad; de Beer, Johannes; Lawrence, David; van der Meulen, Michiel; Mielby, Susie; Hay, David; Scanlon, Ray; Campenhout, Ignace; Taugs, Renate; Eriksson, Ingelov

2014-05-01

Sustainable urbanisation is the focus of SUB-URBAN, a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action TU1206 - A European network to improve understanding and use of the ground beneath our cities. This aims to transform relationships between experts who develop urban subsurface geoscience knowledge - principally national Geological Survey Organisations (GSOs), and those who can most benefit from it - urban decision makers, planners, practitioners and the wider research community. Under COST's Transport and Urban Development Domain, SUB-URBAN has established a network of GSOs and other researchers in over 20 countries, to draw together and evaluate collective urban geoscience research in 3D/4D characterisation, prediction and visualisation. Knowledge exchange between researchers and City-partners within 'SUB-URBAN' is already facilitating new city-scale subsurface projects, and is developing a tool-box of good-practice guidance, decision-support tools, and cost-effective methodologies that are appropriate to local needs and circumstances. These are intended to act as catalysts in the transformation of relationships between geoscientists and urban decision-makers more generally. As a result, the importance of the urban sub-surface in the sustainable development of our cities will be better appreciated, and the conflicting demands currently placed on it will be acknowledged, and resolved appropriately. Existing city-scale 3D/4D model exemplars are being developed by partners in the UK (Glasgow, London), Germany (Hamburg) and France (Paris). These draw on extensive ground investigation (10s-100s of thousands of boreholes) and other data. Model linkage enables prediction of groundwater, heat, SuDS, and engineering properties. Combined subsurface and above-ground (CityGML, BIMs) models are in preparation. These models will provide valuable tools for more holistic urban planning; identifying subsurface opportunities and saving costs by reducing uncertainty in

Improvement of brain single photon emission tomography (SPET) using transmission data acquisition in a four-head SPET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Kenya; Tanada, Shuji; Inoue, Takeshi; Sugawara, Yoshifumi; Hamamoto, Ken

1993-01-01

Attenuation coefficient maps (μ-maps) are a useful way to compensate for non-uniform attenuation when performing single photon emission tomography (SPET). A new method was developed to record single photon transmission data and a μ-map for the brain was produced using a four-head SPET scanner. Transmission data were acquired by a gamma camera of opposite to a flood radioactive source attached to one of four gamma cameras in the four-head SPET scanner. Attenuation correction was performed using the iterative expectation maximization algorithm and the μ-map. Phantom studies demonstrated that this method could reconstruct the distribution of radioactivity more accurately than conventional methods, even for a severely non-uniform μ-map, and could improve the quality of SPET images. Clinical application to technetium-99m hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPET also demonstrated the usefulness of this method. Thus, this method appears to be promising for improvement in the image quality and quantitative accuracy of brain SPET. (orig.)

Participative leadership practice in junior high schools and actions to improve the practice : a case study of Sekyere south district, Ghana

OpenAIRE

Gyasi, Kwame

2015-01-01

Gyasi, Kwame. 2015. Participative leadership practice in junior high schools and actions to improve the practice: a case study of Sekyere south district, Ghana Master's Thesis in Education. University of Jyväskylä. Department of Education Participative leadership practice is seen as the kind of school leadership which recognizes parents’ contribution and teachers’ ability and talents in leadership by sharing with them roles and responsibilities in the school administrative process. Th...

Single excitation-emission fluorescence spectrum (EEF) for determination of cetane improver in diesel fuel.

Science.gov (United States)

Insausti, Matías; Fernández Band, Beatriz S

2015-04-05

A highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method has been developed for the determination of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate in diesel fuel. Usually, this compound is used as an additive in order to improve cetane number. The analytical method consists in building the chemometric model as a first step. Then, it is possible to quantify the analyte with only recording a single excitation-emission fluorescence spectrum (EEF), whose data are introduced in the chemometric model above mentioned. Another important characteristic of this method is that the fuel sample was used without any pre-treatment for EEF. This work provides an interest improvement to fluorescence techniques using the rapid and easily applicable EEF approach to analyze such complex matrices. Exploding EEF was the key to a successful determination, obtaining a detection limit of 0.00434% (v/v) and a limit of quantification of 0.01446% (v/v). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.