Spatial Frequency Discrimination: Effects of Age, Reward, and Practice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlijn van den Boomen

Full Text Available Social interaction starts with perception of the world around you. This study investigated two fundamental issues regarding the development of discrimination of higher spatial frequencies, which are important building blocks of perception. Firstly, it mapped the typical developmental trajectory of higher spatial frequency discrimination. Secondly, it developed and validated a novel design that could be applied to improve atypically developed vision. Specifically, this study examined the effect of age and reward on task performance, practice effects, and motivation (i.e., number of trials completed in a higher spatial frequency (reference frequency: 6 cycles per degree discrimination task. We measured discrimination thresholds in children aged between 7 to 12 years and adults (N = 135. Reward was manipulated by presenting either positive reinforcement or punishment. Results showed a decrease in discrimination thresholds with age, thus revealing that higher spatial frequency discrimination continues to develop after 12 years of age. This development continues longer than previously shown for discrimination of lower spatial frequencies. Moreover, thresholds decreased during the run, indicating that discrimination abilities improved. Reward did not affect performance or improvement. However, in an additional group of 5-6 year-olds (N = 28 punishments resulted in the completion of fewer trials compared to reinforcements. In both reward conditions children aged 5-6 years completed only a fourth or half of the run (64 to 128 out of 254 trials and were not motivated to continue. The design thus needs further adaptation before it can be applied to this age group. Children aged 7-12 years and adults completed the run, suggesting that the design is successful and motivating for children aged 7-12 years. This study thus presents developmental differences in higher spatial frequency discrimination thresholds. Furthermore, it presents a design that can be

Spatial Frequency Discrimination: Effects of Age, Reward, and Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Boomen, Carlijn; Peters, Judith Carolien

2017-01-01

Social interaction starts with perception of the world around you. This study investigated two fundamental issues regarding the development of discrimination of higher spatial frequencies, which are important building blocks of perception. Firstly, it mapped the typical developmental trajectory of higher spatial frequency discrimination. Secondly, it developed and validated a novel design that could be applied to improve atypically developed vision. Specifically, this study examined the effect of age and reward on task performance, practice effects, and motivation (i.e., number of trials completed) in a higher spatial frequency (reference frequency: 6 cycles per degree) discrimination task. We measured discrimination thresholds in children aged between 7 to 12 years and adults (N = 135). Reward was manipulated by presenting either positive reinforcement or punishment. Results showed a decrease in discrimination thresholds with age, thus revealing that higher spatial frequency discrimination continues to develop after 12 years of age. This development continues longer than previously shown for discrimination of lower spatial frequencies. Moreover, thresholds decreased during the run, indicating that discrimination abilities improved. Reward did not affect performance or improvement. However, in an additional group of 5-6 year-olds (N = 28) punishments resulted in the completion of fewer trials compared to reinforcements. In both reward conditions children aged 5-6 years completed only a fourth or half of the run (64 to 128 out of 254 trials) and were not motivated to continue. The design thus needs further adaptation before it can be applied to this age group. Children aged 7-12 years and adults completed the run, suggesting that the design is successful and motivating for children aged 7-12 years. This study thus presents developmental differences in higher spatial frequency discrimination thresholds. Furthermore, it presents a design that can be used in future

Cortical feedback signals generalise across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs.

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Revina, Yulia; Petro, Lucy S; Muckli, Lars

2017-09-22

Visual processing in cortex relies on feedback projections contextualising feedforward information flow. Primary visual cortex (V1) has small receptive fields and processes feedforward information at a fine-grained spatial scale, whereas higher visual areas have larger, spatially invariant receptive fields. Therefore, feedback could provide coarse information about the global scene structure or alternatively recover fine-grained structure by targeting small receptive fields in V1. We tested if feedback signals generalise across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs, or if they are tuned to the spatial scale of the visual scene. Using a partial occlusion paradigm, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) we investigated whether feedback to V1 contains coarse or fine-grained information by manipulating the spatial frequency of the scene surround outside an occluded image portion. We show that feedback transmits both coarse and fine-grained information as it carries information about both low (LSF) and high spatial frequencies (HSF). Further, feedback signals containing LSF information are similar to feedback signals containing HSF information, even without a large overlap in spatial frequency bands of the HSF and LSF scenes. Lastly, we found that feedback carries similar information about the spatial frequency band across different scenes. We conclude that cortical feedback signals contain information which generalises across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Development of Spatial Frequency Biases in Face Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Hayley C.; Karmiloff-Smith, Annette; Johnson, Mark H.

2010-01-01

Previous research has suggested that a mid-band of spatial frequencies is critical to face recognition in adults, but few studies have explored the development of this bias in children. We present a paradigm adapted from the adult literature to test spatial frequency biases throughout development. Faces were presented on a screen with particular…

Spatial frequency information modulates response inhibition and decision-making processes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Jahfari

Full Text Available We interact with the world through the assessment of available, but sometimes imperfect, sensory information. However, little is known about how variance in the quality of sensory information affects the regulation of controlled actions. In a series of three experiments, comprising a total of seven behavioral studies, we examined how different types of spatial frequency information affect underlying processes of response inhibition and selection. Participants underwent a stop-signal task, a two choice speed/accuracy balance experiment, and a variant of both these tasks where prior information was given about the nature of stimuli. In all experiments, stimuli were either intact, or contained only high-, or low- spatial frequencies. Overall, drift diffusion model analysis showed a decreased rate of information processing when spatial frequencies were removed, whereas the criterion for information accumulation was lowered. When spatial frequency information was intact, the cost of response inhibition increased (longer SSRT, while a correct response was produced faster (shorter reaction times and with more certainty (decreased errors. When we manipulated the motivation to respond with a deadline (i.e., be fast or accurate, removal of spatial frequency information slowed response times only when instructions emphasized accuracy. However, the slowing of response times did not improve error rates, when compared to fast instruction trials. These behavioral studies suggest that the removal of spatial frequency information differentially affects the speed of response initiation, inhibition, and the efficiency to balance fast or accurate responses. More generally, the present results indicate a task-independent influence of basic sensory information on strategic adjustments in action control.

Recognition memory for low- and high-frequency-filtered emotional faces: Low spatial frequencies drive emotional memory enhancement, whereas high spatial frequencies drive the emotion-induced recognition bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohr, Michaela; Tröger, Johannes; Michely, Nils; Uhde, Alarith; Wentura, Dirk

2017-07-01

This article deals with two well-documented phenomena regarding emotional stimuli: emotional memory enhancement-that is, better long-term memory for emotional than for neutral stimuli-and the emotion-induced recognition bias-that is, a more liberal response criterion for emotional than for neutral stimuli. Studies on visual emotion perception and attention suggest that emotion-related processes can be modulated by means of spatial-frequency filtering of the presented emotional stimuli. Specifically, low spatial frequencies are assumed to play a primary role for the influence of emotion on attention and judgment. Given this theoretical background, we investigated whether spatial-frequency filtering also impacts (1) the memory advantage for emotional faces and (2) the emotion-induced recognition bias, in a series of old/new recognition experiments. Participants completed incidental-learning tasks with high- (HSF) and low- (LSF) spatial-frequency-filtered emotional and neutral faces. The results of the surprise recognition tests showed a clear memory advantage for emotional stimuli. Most importantly, the emotional memory enhancement was significantly larger for face images containing only low-frequency information (LSF faces) than for HSF faces across all experiments, suggesting that LSF information plays a critical role in this effect, whereas the emotion-induced recognition bias was found only for HSF stimuli. We discuss our findings in terms of both the traditional account of different processing pathways for HSF and LSF information and a stimulus features account. The double dissociation in the results favors the latter account-that is, an explanation in terms of differences in the characteristics of HSF and LSF stimuli.

Modulation of microsaccades by spatial frequency during object categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Craddock, Matt; Oppermann, Frank; Müller, Matthias M; Martinovic, Jasna

2017-01-01

The organization of visual processing into a coarse-to-fine information processing based on the spatial frequency properties of the input forms an important facet of the object recognition process. During visual object categorization tasks, microsaccades occur frequently. One potential functional role of these eye movements is to resolve high spatial frequency information. To assess this hypothesis, we examined the rate, amplitude and speed of microsaccades in an object categorization task in which participants viewed object and non-object images and classified them as showing either natural objects, man-made objects or non-objects. Images were presented unfiltered (broadband; BB) or filtered to contain only low (LSF) or high spatial frequency (HSF) information. This allowed us to examine whether microsaccades were modulated independently by the presence of a high-level feature - the presence of an object - and by low-level stimulus characteristics - spatial frequency. We found a bimodal distribution of saccades based on their amplitude, with a split between smaller and larger microsaccades at 0.4° of visual angle. The rate of larger saccades (⩾0.4°) was higher for objects than non-objects, and higher for objects with high spatial frequency content (HSF and BB objects) than for LSF objects. No effects were observed for smaller microsaccades (<0.4°). This is consistent with a role for larger microsaccades in resolving HSF information for object identification, and previous evidence that more microsaccades are directed towards informative image regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial Frequency Discrimination : Effects of Age, Reward, and Practice

OpenAIRE

van den Boomen, Carlijn; Peters, Judith Carolien

2017-01-01

Social interaction starts with perception of the world around you. This study investigated two fundamental issues regarding the development of discrimination of higher spatial frequencies, which are important building blocks of perception. Firstly, it mapped the typical developmental trajectory of higher spatial frequency discrimination. Secondly, it developed and validated a novel design that could be applied to improve atypically developed vision. Specifically, this study examined the effec...

Figure/ground segregation from temporal delay is best at high spatial frequencies

OpenAIRE

Kojima, Haruyuki

1998-01-01

Two experiments investigated the role of spatial frequency in performance of a figure/ground segregation task based on temporal cues. Figure orientation was much easier to judge when figure and ground portions of the target were defined exclusively by random texture composed entirely of high spatial frequencies. When target components were defined by low spatial frequencies only, the task was nearly impossible except with long temporal delay between figure and ground. These results are incons...

Joint entropy for space and spatial frequency domains estimated from psychometric functions of achromatic discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Vladímir de Aquino; Souza, Givago da Silva; Gomes, Bruno Duarte; Rodrigues, Anderson Raiol; Silveira, Luiz Carlos de Lima

2014-01-01

We used psychometric functions to estimate the joint entropy for space discrimination and spatial frequency discrimination. Space discrimination was taken as discrimination of spatial extent. Seven subjects were tested. Gábor functions comprising unidimensionalsinusoidal gratings (0.4, 2, and 10 cpd) and bidimensionalGaussian envelopes (1°) were used as reference stimuli. The experiment comprised the comparison between reference and test stimulithat differed in grating's spatial frequency or envelope's standard deviation. We tested 21 different envelope's standard deviations around the reference standard deviation to study spatial extent discrimination and 19 different grating's spatial frequencies around the reference spatial frequency to study spatial frequency discrimination. Two series of psychometric functions were obtained for 2%, 5%, 10%, and 100% stimulus contrast. The psychometric function data points for spatial extent discrimination or spatial frequency discrimination were fitted with Gaussian functions using the least square method, and the spatial extent and spatial frequency entropies were estimated from the standard deviation of these Gaussian functions. Then, joint entropy was obtained by multiplying the square root of space extent entropy times the spatial frequency entropy. We compared our results to the theoretical minimum for unidimensional Gábor functions, 1/4π or 0.0796. At low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts, joint entropy reached levels below the theoretical minimum, suggesting non-linear interactions between two or more visual mechanisms. We concluded that non-linear interactions of visual pathways, such as the M and P pathways, could explain joint entropy values below the theoretical minimum at low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts. These non-linear interactions might be at work at intermediate and high contrasts at all spatial frequencies once there was a substantial decrease in joint

One-dimensional low spatial frequency LIPSS with rotating orientation on fused silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwarz, Simon, E-mail: simon.schwarz@h-ab.de; Rung, Stefan; Hellmann, Ralf

2017-07-31

Highlights: • Generation of one-dimensional low spatial frequency LIPSS on transparent material. • Varying the angle of incidence results in a rotation of the one-dimensional LSFL. • Rotation angle of LSFL decreases with increasing the applied fluence. • Orientation of the LSFL is mirror-inverted when reversing the scanning direction. - Abstract: We report on the generation of one-dimensional low spatial frequency LIPSS on transparent material. The influence of the applied laser fluence and angle of incidence on the periodicity, orientation and quality of the one-dimensional low spatial frequency LIPSS is investigated, facilitating the generation of highly uniform LIPSS alongside a line. Most strikingly, however, we observe a previously unreported effect of a pronounced rotation of the one-dimensional low spatial frequency LIPSS for varying angle of incidence upon inclined laser irradiation.

Presence and the utility of audio spatialization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bormann, Karsten

2005-01-01

The primary concern of this paper is whether the utility of audio spatialization, as opposed to the fidelity of audio spatialization, impacts presence. An experiment is reported that investigates the presence-performance relationship by decoupling spatial audio fidelity (realism) from task...... performance by varying the spatial fidelity of the audio independently of its relevance to performance on the search task that subjects were to perform. This was achieved by having conditions in which subjects searched for a music-playing radio (an active sound source) and having conditions in which...... supplied only nonattenuated audio was detrimental to performance. Even so, this group of subjects consistently had the largest increase in presence scores over the baseline experiment. Further, the Witmer and Singer (1998) presence questionnaire was more sensitive to whether the audio source was active...

Figure/ground segregation from temporal delay is best at high spatial frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, H

1998-12-01

Two experiments investigated the role of spatial frequency in performance of a figure/ground segregation task based on temporal cues. Figure orientation was much easier to judge when figure and ground portions of the target were defined exclusively by random texture composed entirely of high spatial frequencies. When target components were defined by low spatial frequencies only, the task was nearly impossible except with long temporal delay between figure and ground. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that M-cell activity is primarily responsible for figure/ground segregation from temporal delay. Instead, these results point to a distinction between temporal integration and temporal differentiation. Additionally, the present results can be related to recent work on the binding of spatial features over time.

Capturing the Interpersonal Implications of Evolved Preferences? Frequency of Sex Shapes Automatic, but Not Explicit, Partner Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Lindsey L; McNulty, James K; Meltzer, Andrea L; Olson, Michael A

2016-06-01

A strong predisposition to engage in sexual intercourse likely evolved in humans because sex is crucial to reproduction. Given that meeting interpersonal preferences tends to promote positive relationship evaluations, sex within a relationship should be positively associated with relationship satisfaction. Nevertheless, prior research has been inconclusive in demonstrating such a link, with longitudinal and experimental studies showing no association between sexual frequency and relationship satisfaction. Crucially, though, all prior research has utilized explicit reports of satisfaction, which reflect deliberative processes that may override the more automatic implications of phylogenetically older evolved preferences. Accordingly, capturing the implications of sexual frequency for relationship evaluations may require implicit measurements that bypass deliberative reasoning. Consistent with this idea, one cross-sectional and one 3-year study of newlywed couples revealed a positive association between sexual frequency and automatic partner evaluations but not explicit satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of automatic measurements to understanding interpersonal relationships. © The Author(s) 2016.

Visual long-term memory for spatial frequency?

Science.gov (United States)

Lages, Martin; Paul, Aileen

2006-06-01

It has been suggested that a visual long-term memory based on a sensory representation of the stimulus accounts for discrimination performance when the reference and the test stimuli are separated in time. Decision processes involved in setting response criteria, however, may also contribute to discrimination performance. In the present study, it is shown that under proper control, spatial frequency discrimination thresholds from a group of observers, each performing on a single trial, are significantly higher for a 2-h than for a 5-sec retention interval, whereas thresholds from individual observers performing in repeated trials with a 2-h retention interval are considerably lower. The results suggest that discrimination performance may depend on the retention of task-relevant information, such as a response criterion, rather than on visual memory of the stimulus. It is concluded that it is risky to postulate a high-fidelity long-term visual memory for spatial frequency on the basis of psychophysical group discrimination thresholds.

Spatial resolution dependence on spectral frequency in human speech cortex electrocorticography

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Muller, Leah; Hamilton, Liberty S.; Edwards, Erik; Bouchard, Kristofer E.; Chang, Edward F.

2016-10-01

Objective. Electrocorticography (ECoG) has become an important tool in human neuroscience and has tremendous potential for emerging applications in neural interface technology. Electrode array design parameters are outstanding issues for both research and clinical applications, and these parameters depend critically on the nature of the neural signals to be recorded. Here, we investigate the functional spatial resolution of neural signals recorded at the human cortical surface. We empirically derive spatial spread functions to quantify the shared neural activity for each frequency band of the electrocorticogram. Approach. Five subjects with high-density (4 mm center-to-center spacing) ECoG grid implants participated in speech perception and production tasks while neural activity was recorded from the speech cortex, including superior temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and postcentral gyrus. The cortical surface field potential was decomposed into traditional EEG frequency bands. Signal similarity between electrode pairs for each frequency band was quantified using a Pearson correlation coefficient. Main results. The correlation of neural activity between electrode pairs was inversely related to the distance between the electrodes; this relationship was used to quantify spatial falloff functions for cortical subdomains. As expected, lower frequencies remained correlated over larger distances than higher frequencies. However, both the envelope and phase of gamma and high gamma frequencies (30-150 Hz) are largely uncorrelated (<90%) at 4 mm, the smallest spacing of the high-density arrays. Thus, ECoG arrays smaller than 4 mm have significant promise for increasing signal resolution at high frequencies, whereas less additional gain is achieved for lower frequencies. Significance. Our findings quantitatively demonstrate the dependence of ECoG spatial resolution on the neural frequency of interest. We demonstrate that this relationship is consistent across patients and

Spatial frequency domain spectroscopy of two layer media

Science.gov (United States)

Yudovsky, Dmitry; Durkin, Anthony J.

2011-10-01

Monitoring of tissue blood volume and oxygen saturation using biomedical optics techniques has the potential to inform the assessment of tissue health, healing, and dysfunction. These quantities are typically estimated from the contribution of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin to the absorption spectrum of the dermis. However, estimation of blood related absorption in superficial tissue such as the skin can be confounded by the strong absorption of melanin in the epidermis. Furthermore, epidermal thickness and pigmentation varies with anatomic location, race, gender, and degree of disease progression. This study describes a technique for decoupling the effect of melanin absorption in the epidermis from blood absorption in the dermis for a large range of skin types and thicknesses. An artificial neural network was used to map input optical properties to spatial frequency domain diffuse reflectance of two layer media. Then, iterative fitting was used to determine the optical properties from simulated spatial frequency domain diffuse reflectance. Additionally, an artificial neural network was trained to directly map spatial frequency domain reflectance to sets of optical properties of a two layer medium, thus bypassing the need for iteration. In both cases, the optical thickness of the epidermis and absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the dermis were determined independently. The accuracy and efficiency of the iterative fitting approach was compared with the direct neural network inversion.

Influence of spatial frequency and emotion expression on face processing in patients with panic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Miseon; Kim, Do-Won; Yoon, Sunkyung; Park, Gewnhi; Im, Chang-Hwan; Lee, Seung-Hwan

2016-06-01

Deficits in facial emotion processing is a major characteristic of patients with panic disorder. It is known that visual stimuli with different spatial frequencies take distinct neural pathways. This study investigated facial emotion processing involving stimuli presented at broad, high, and low spatial frequencies in patients with panic disorder. Eighteen patients with panic disorder and 19 healthy controls were recruited. Seven event-related potential (ERP) components: (P100, N170, early posterior negativity (EPN); vertex positive potential (VPP), N250, P300; and late positive potential (LPP)) were evaluated while the participants looked at fearful and neutral facial stimuli presented at three spatial frequencies. When a fearful face was presented, panic disorder patients showed a significantly increased P100 amplitude in response to low spatial frequency compared to high spatial frequency; whereas healthy controls demonstrated significant broad spatial frequency dependent processing in P100 amplitude. Vertex positive potential amplitude was significantly increased in high and broad spatial frequency, compared to low spatial frequency in panic disorder. Early posterior negativity amplitude was significantly different between HSF and BSF, and between LSF and BSF processing in both groups, regardless of facial expression. The possibly confounding effects of medication could not be controlled. During early visual processing, patients with panic disorder prefer global to detailed information. However, in later processing, panic disorder patients overuse detailed information for the perception of facial expressions. These findings suggest that unique spatial frequency-dependent facial processing could shed light on the neural pathology associated with panic disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Role of Low-Spatial Frequencies in Lexical Decision and Masked Priming

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, C.; Giaschi, D.

2009-01-01

Spatial frequency filtering was used to test the hypotheses that low-spatial frequency information in printed text can: (1) lead to a rapid lexical decision or (2) facilitate word recognition. Adult proficient readers made lexical decisions in unprimed and masked repetition priming experiments with unfiltered, low-pass, high-pass and notch…

Task and spatial frequency modulations of object processing: an EEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Craddock, Matt; Martinovic, Jasna; Müller, Matthias M

2013-01-01

Visual object processing may follow a coarse-to-fine sequence imposed by fast processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF) and slow processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF). Objects can be categorized at varying levels of specificity: the superordinate (e.g. animal), the basic (e.g. dog), or the subordinate (e.g. Border Collie). We tested whether superordinate and more specific categorization depend on different spatial frequency ranges, and whether any such dependencies might be revealed by or influence signals recorded using EEG. We used event-related potentials (ERPs) and time-frequency (TF) analysis to examine the time course of object processing while participants performed either a grammatical gender-classification task (which generally forces basic-level categorization) or a living/non-living judgement (superordinate categorization) on everyday, real-life objects. Objects were filtered to contain only HSF or LSF. We found a greater positivity and greater negativity for HSF than for LSF pictures in the P1 and N1 respectively, but no effects of task on either component. A later, fronto-central negativity (N350) was more negative in the gender-classification task than the superordinate categorization task, which may indicate that this component relates to semantic or syntactic processing. We found no significant effects of task or spatial frequency on evoked or total gamma band responses. Our results demonstrate early differences in processing of HSF and LSF content that were not modulated by categorization task, with later responses reflecting such higher-level cognitive factors.

Frequency-chirped readout of spatial-spectral absorption features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Tiejun; Mohan, R. Krishna; Harris, Todd L.; Merkel, Kristian D.; Tian Mingzhen; Babbitt, Wm. Randall

2004-01-01

This paper examines the physical mechanisms of reading out spatial-spectral absorption features in an inhomogeneously broadened medium using linear frequency-chirped electric fields. A Maxwell-Bloch model using numerical calculation for angled beams with arbitrary phase modulation is used to simulate the chirped field readout process. The simulation results indicate that any spatial-spectral absorption feature can be read out with a chirped field with the appropriate bandwidth, duration, and intensity. Mapping spectral absorption features into temporal intensity modulations depends on the chirp rate of the field. However, when probing a spatial-spectral grating with a chirped field, a beat signal representing the grating period can be created by interfering the emitted photon echo chirped field with a reference chirped field, regardless of the chirp rate. Comparisons are made between collinear and angled readout configurations. Readout signal strength and spurious signal distortions are investigated as functions of the grating strength and the Rabi frequency of the readout pulse. Using a collinear readout geometry, distortions from optical nutation on the transmitted field and higher-order harmonics are observed, both of which are avoided in an angled beam geometry

Spatial Tuning of a RF Frequency Selective Surface through Origami (Postprint)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-12

computational tools to systematically predict optimal folds. 15. SUBJECT TERMS origami, frequency selective surface, tuning, radio frequency 16...experimental study and motivates the development of computational tools to systematically predict optimal fold patterns for targeted frequency response...folding motions. The precise mapping of origami presents a novel method to spatially tune radio frequency (RF) devices, including adaptive antennas

The Role of Spatial Frequency Information in Face Classification by Race

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Guoping; Wang, Zeyao; Wu, Jie; Zhao, Lun

2017-01-01

It was found that face classification by race is more quickly for other-race than own-race faces (other-race classification advantage, ORCA). Controlling the spatial frequencies of face images, the current study investigated the perceptual processing differences based on spatial frequencies between own-race and other-race faces that might account for the ORCA. Regardless of the races of the observers, the own-race faces were classified faster and more accurately for broad-band faces than for ...

The frequency spectrum crisis - Issues and answers

Science.gov (United States)

Armes, G. L.

The frequency spectrum represents a unique resource which can be overtaxed. In the present investigation, it is attempted to evalute the demand for satellite and microwave services. Dimensions of increased demand are discussed, taking into account developments related to the introduction of the personal computer, the activities of the computer and communications industries in preparation for the office of the future, and electronic publishing. Attention is given to common carrier spectrum congestion, common carrier microwave, satellite communications, teleports, international implications, satellite frequency bands, satellite spectrum implications, alternatives regarding the utilization of microwave frequency bands, U.S. Government spectrum utilization, and the impact at C-band.

Occlusion culling and calculation for a computer generated hologram using spatial frequency index method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Kai; Yan, Xingpeng; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Huang, Yingqing

2015-01-01

A spatial frequency index method is proposed to cull occlusion and generate a hologram. Object points with the same spatial frequency are put into a set for their mutual occlusion. The hidden surfaces of the three-dimensional (3D) scene are quickly removed through culling the object points that are furthest from the hologram plane in the set. The phases of plane wave, which are only interrelated with the spatial frequencies, are precomputed and stored in a table. According to the spatial frequency of the object points, the phases of plane wave for generating fringes are obtained directly from the table. Three 3D scenes are chosen to verify the spatial frequency index method. Both numerical simulation and optical reconstruction are performed. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can cull the hidden surfaces of the 3D scene correctly. The occlusion effect of the 3D scene can be well reproduced. The computational speed is better than that obtained using conventional methods but is still time-consuming. (paper)

Developmental changes in ERP responses to spatial frequencies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boomen, Carlijn; Jonkman, Lisa M; Jaspers-Vlamings, Petra H J M; Cousijn, Janna; Kemner, Chantal

2015-01-01

Social interaction starts with perception of other persons. One of the first steps in perception is processing of basic information such as spatial frequencies (SF), which represent details and global information. However, although behavioural perception of SF is well investigated, the developmental

Rapid Fear Detection Relies on High Spatial Frequencies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stein, T.; Seymour, K.; Hebart, M.N.; Sterzer, P.

Signals of threat—such as fearful faces—are processed with priority and have privileged access to awareness. This fear advantage is commonly believed to engage a specialized subcortical pathway to the amygdala that bypasses visual cortex and processes predominantly low-spatial-frequency information

Extreme Precipitation Estimation with Typhoon Morakot Using Frequency and Spatial Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hone-Jay Chu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Typhoon Morakot lashed Taiwan and produced copious amounts of precipitation in 2009. From the point view of hydrological statistics, the impact of the precipitation from typhoon Morakot using a frequency analysis can be analyzed and discussed. The frequency curve, which was fitted mathematically to historical observed data, can be used to estimate the probability of exceedance for runoff events of a certain magnitude. The study integrates frequency analysis and spatial analysis to assess the effect of Typhoon Morakot event on rainfall frequency in the Gaoping River basin of southern Taiwan. First, extreme rainfall data are collected at sixteen stations for durations of 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours and then an appropriate probability distribution was selected to analyze the impact of the extreme hydrological event. Spatial rainfall patterns for a return period of 200-yr with 24-hr duration with and without Typhoon Morakot are estimated. Results show that the rainfall amount is significantly different with long duration with and without the event for frequency analysis. Furthermore, spatial analysis shows that extreme rainfall for a return period of 200-yr is highly dependent on topography and is smaller in the southwest than that in the east. The results not only demonstrate the distinct effect of Typhoon Morakot on frequency analysis, but also could provide reference in future planning of hydrological engineering.

Task and spatial frequency modulations of object processing: an EEG study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Craddock

Full Text Available Visual object processing may follow a coarse-to-fine sequence imposed by fast processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF and slow processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF. Objects can be categorized at varying levels of specificity: the superordinate (e.g. animal, the basic (e.g. dog, or the subordinate (e.g. Border Collie. We tested whether superordinate and more specific categorization depend on different spatial frequency ranges, and whether any such dependencies might be revealed by or influence signals recorded using EEG. We used event-related potentials (ERPs and time-frequency (TF analysis to examine the time course of object processing while participants performed either a grammatical gender-classification task (which generally forces basic-level categorization or a living/non-living judgement (superordinate categorization on everyday, real-life objects. Objects were filtered to contain only HSF or LSF. We found a greater positivity and greater negativity for HSF than for LSF pictures in the P1 and N1 respectively, but no effects of task on either component. A later, fronto-central negativity (N350 was more negative in the gender-classification task than the superordinate categorization task, which may indicate that this component relates to semantic or syntactic processing. We found no significant effects of task or spatial frequency on evoked or total gamma band responses. Our results demonstrate early differences in processing of HSF and LSF content that were not modulated by categorization task, with later responses reflecting such higher-level cognitive factors.

The highs and lows of object impossibility: effects of spatial frequency on holistic processing of impossible objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Freud, Erez; Avidan, Galia; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-02-01

Holistic processing, the decoding of a stimulus as a unified whole, is a basic characteristic of object perception. Recent research using Garner's speeded classification task has shown that this processing style is utilized even for impossible objects that contain an inherent spatial ambiguity. In particular, similar Garner interference effects were found for possible and impossible objects, indicating similar holistic processing styles for the two object categories. In the present study, we further investigated the perceptual mechanisms that mediate such holistic representation of impossible objects. We relied on the notion that, whereas information embedded in the high-spatial-frequency (HSF) content supports fine-detailed processing of object features, the information conveyed by low spatial frequencies (LSF) is more crucial for the emergence of a holistic shape representation. To test the effects of image frequency on the holistic processing of impossible objects, participants performed the Garner speeded classification task on images of possible and impossible cubes filtered for their LSF and HSF information. For images containing only LSF, similar interference effects were observed for possible and impossible objects, indicating that the two object categories were processed in a holistic manner. In contrast, for the HSF images, Garner interference was obtained only for possible, but not for impossible objects. Importantly, we provided evidence to show that this effect could not be attributed to a lack of sensitivity to object possibility in the LSF images. Particularly, even for full-spectrum images, Garner interference was still observed for both possible and impossible objects. Additionally, performance in an object classification task revealed high sensitivity to object possibility, even for LSF images. Taken together, these findings suggest that the visual system can tolerate the spatial ambiguity typical to impossible objects by relying on information

History of Reading Struggles Linked to Enhanced Learning in Low Spatial Frequency Scenes

Science.gov (United States)

Schneps, Matthew H.; Brockmole, James R.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Pomplun, Marc

2012-01-01

People with dyslexia, who face lifelong struggles with reading, exhibit numerous associated low-level sensory deficits including deficits in focal attention. Countering this, studies have shown that struggling readers outperform typical readers in some visual tasks that integrate distributed information across an expanse. Though such abilities would be expected to facilitate scene memory, prior investigations using the contextual cueing paradigm failed to find corresponding advantages in dyslexia. We suggest that these studies were confounded by task-dependent effects exaggerating known focal attention deficits in dyslexia, and that, if natural scenes were used as the context, advantages would emerge. Here, we investigate this hypothesis by comparing college students with histories of severe lifelong reading difficulties (SR) and typical readers (TR) in contexts that vary attention load. We find no differences in contextual-cueing when spatial contexts are letter-like objects, or when contexts are natural scenes. However, the SR group significantly outperforms the TR group when contexts are low-pass filtered natural scenes [F(3, 39) = 3.15, p<.05]. These findings suggest that perception or memory for low spatial frequency components in scenes is enhanced in dyslexia. These findings are important because they suggest strengths for spatial learning in a population otherwise impaired, carrying implications for the education and support of students who face challenges in school. PMID:22558210

History of reading struggles linked to enhanced learning in low spatial frequency scenes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew H Schneps

Full Text Available People with dyslexia, who face lifelong struggles with reading, exhibit numerous associated low-level sensory deficits including deficits in focal attention. Countering this, studies have shown that struggling readers outperform typical readers in some visual tasks that integrate distributed information across an expanse. Though such abilities would be expected to facilitate scene memory, prior investigations using the contextual cueing paradigm failed to find corresponding advantages in dyslexia. We suggest that these studies were confounded by task-dependent effects exaggerating known focal attention deficits in dyslexia, and that, if natural scenes were used as the context, advantages would emerge. Here, we investigate this hypothesis by comparing college students with histories of severe lifelong reading difficulties (SR and typical readers (TR in contexts that vary attention load. We find no differences in contextual-cueing when spatial contexts are letter-like objects, or when contexts are natural scenes. However, the SR group significantly outperforms the TR group when contexts are low-pass filtered natural scenes [F(3, 39 = 3.15, p<.05]. These findings suggest that perception or memory for low spatial frequency components in scenes is enhanced in dyslexia. These findings are important because they suggest strengths for spatial learning in a population otherwise impaired, carrying implications for the education and support of students who face challenges in school.

Improvement in spatial frequency characteristics of magneto-optical Kerr microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ogasawara, Takeshi

2017-10-01

The spatial resolution of a conventional magneto-optical Kerr microscope, compared with those of conventional optical microscopes, inevitably deteriorates owing to oblique illumination. An approach to obtaining the maximum spatial resolution using multiple images with different illumination directions is demonstrated here. The method was implemented by rotating the illumination path around the optical axis using a motorized stage. The Fourier transform image of the observed magnetic domain indicates that the spatial frequency component that is lost in the conventional method is restored.

Every photon counts: improving low, mid, and high-spatial frequency errors on astronomical optics and materials with MRF

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Chris; Lormeau, Jean Pierre; Dumas, Paul

2016-07-01

fluid, called C30, has been developed to finish surfaces to ultra-low roughness (ULR) and has been used as the low removal rate fluid required for fine figure correction of mid-spatial frequency errors. This novel MRF fluid is able to achieve <4Å RMS on Nickel-plated Aluminum and even <1.5Å RMS roughness on Silicon, Fused Silica and other materials. C30 fluid is best utilized within a fine figure correction process to target mid-spatial frequency errors as well as smooth surface roughness 'for free' all in one step. In this paper we will discuss recent advancements in MRF technology and the ability to meet requirements for precision optics in low, mid and high spatial frequency regimes and how improved MRF performance addresses the need for achieving tight specifications required for astronomical optics.

Extending the Effective Ranging Depth of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography by Spatial Frequency Domain Multiplexing

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Tong Wu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We present a spatial frequency domain multiplexing method for extending the imaging depth range of a spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT system without any expensive device. This method uses two galvo scanners with different pivot-offset distances in two independent reference arms for spatial frequency modulation and multiplexing. The spatial frequency contents corresponding to different depth regions of the sample can be shifted to different frequency bands. The spatial frequency domain multiplexing SDOCT system provides an approximately 1.9-fold increase in the effective ranging depth compared with that of a conventional full-range SDOCT system. The reconstructed images of phantom and biological tissue demonstrate the expected increase in ranging depth. The parameters choice criterion for this method is discussed.

Spatial Frequency Discrimination : Effects of Age, Reward, and Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boomen, Carlijn; Peters, Judith Carolien

2017-01-01

Social interaction starts with perception of the world around you. This study investigated two fundamental issues regarding the development of discrimination of higher spatial frequencies, which are important building blocks of perception. Firstly, it mapped the typical developmental trajectory of

Spatial Frequency Discrimination : Effects of Age, Reward, and Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boomen, Carlijn; Peters, Judith Carolien

Social interaction starts with perception of the world around you. This study investigated two fundamental issues regarding the development of discrimination of higher spatial frequencies, which are important building blocks of perception. Firstly, it mapped the typical developmental trajectory of

A Space-Frequency Data Compression Method for Spatially Dense Laser Doppler Vibrometer Measurements

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José Roberto de França Arruda

1996-01-01

Full Text Available When spatially dense mobility shapes are measured with scanning laser Doppler vibrometers, it is often impractical to use phase-separation modal parameter estimation methods due to the excessive number of highly coupled modes and to the prohibitive computational cost of processing huge amounts of data. To deal with this problem, a data compression method using Chebychev polynomial approximation in the frequency domain and two-dimensional discrete Fourier series approximation in the spatial domain, is proposed in this article. The proposed space-frequency regressive approach was implemented and verified using a numerical simulation of a free-free-free-free suspended rectangular aluminum plate. To make the simulation more realistic, the mobility shapes were synthesized by modal superposition using mode shapes obtained experimentally with a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer. A reduced and smoothed model, which takes advantage of the sinusoidal spatial pattern of structural mobility shapes and the polynomial frequency-domain pattern of the mobility shapes, is obtained. From the reduced model, smoothed curves with any desired frequency and spatial resolution can he produced whenever necessary. The procedure can he used either to generate nonmodal models or to compress the measured data prior to modal parameter extraction.

Deriving frequency-dependent spatial patterns in MEG-derived resting state sensorimotor network: A novel multiband ICA technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Nugent, Allison C; Luber, Bruce; Carver, Frederick W; Robinson, Stephen E; Coppola, Richard; Zarate, Carlos A

2017-02-01

Recently, independent components analysis (ICA) of resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings has revealed resting state networks (RSNs) that exhibit fluctuations of band-limited power envelopes. Most of the work in this area has concentrated on networks derived from the power envelope of beta bandpass-filtered data. Although research has demonstrated that most networks show maximal correlation in the beta band, little is known about how spatial patterns of correlations may differ across frequencies. This study analyzed MEG data from 18 healthy subjects to determine if the spatial patterns of RSNs differed between delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma, and high gamma frequency bands. To validate our method, we focused on the sensorimotor network, which is well-characterized and robust in both MEG and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) resting state data. Synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) was used to project signals into anatomical source space separately in each band before a group temporal ICA was performed over all subjects and bands. This method preserved the inherent correlation structure of the data and reflected connectivity derived from single-band ICA, but also allowed identification of spatial spectral modes that are consistent across subjects. The implications of these results on our understanding of sensorimotor function are discussed, as are the potential applications of this technique. Hum Brain Mapp 38:779-791, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Evidence for Separate Contributions of High and Low Spatial Frequencies during Visual Word Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Winsler, Kurt; Holcomb, Phillip J; Midgley, Katherine J; Grainger, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Previous studies have shown that different spatial frequency information processing streams interact during the recognition of visual stimuli. However, it is a matter of debate as to the contributions of high and low spatial frequency (HSF and LSF) information for visual word recognition. This study examined the role of different spatial frequencies in visual word recognition using event-related potential (ERP) masked priming. EEG was recorded from 32 scalp sites in 30 English-speaking adults in a go/no-go semantic categorization task. Stimuli were white characters on a neutral gray background. Targets were uppercase five letter words preceded by a forward-mask (#######) and a 50 ms lowercase prime. Primes were either the same word (repeated) or a different word (un-repeated) than the subsequent target and either contained only high, only low, or full spatial frequency information. Additionally within each condition, half of the prime-target pairs were high lexical frequency, and half were low. In the full spatial frequency condition, typical ERP masked priming effects were found with an attenuated N250 (sub-lexical) and N400 (lexical-semantic) for repeated compared to un-repeated primes. For HSF primes there was a weaker N250 effect which interacted with lexical frequency, a significant reversal of the effect around 300 ms, and an N400-like effect for only high lexical frequency word pairs. LSF primes did not produce any of the classic ERP repetition priming effects, however they did elicit a distinct early effect around 200 ms in the opposite direction of typical repetition effects. HSF information accounted for many of the masked repetition priming ERP effects and therefore suggests that HSFs are more crucial for word recognition. However, LSFs did produce their own pattern of priming effects indicating that larger scale information may still play a role in word recognition.

Effect of Spatial-Dependent Utility on Social Group Domination

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Nathaniel; Meyertholen, Andrew

2012-02-01

The mathematical modeling of social group competition has garnered much attention. We consider a model originated by Abrams and Strogatz [Nature 424, 900 (2003)] that predicts the extinction of one of two social groups. This model assigns a utility to each social group, which is constant over the entire society. We find by allowing this utility to vary over a society, through the introduction of a network or spatial dependence, this model may result in the coexistence of the two social groups.

SYMPOSIUM - MACRONUTRIENT UTILIZATION DURING EXERCISE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE AND SUPPLEMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darryn S. Willoughby

2004-09-01

Full Text Available The review articles constitute a mini-symposium entitled "Macronutrient Utilization During Exercise: Implications for Performance and Supplementation" that were recently presented at the 2004 annual conference of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in Las Vegas, NV. Much controversy often surrounds macronutrient intake, utilization, and subsequent metabolism regarding exercise and athletic performance. Furthermore, the role of macronutrient supplementation with the specificintent of improving body composition and exercise performance by way of nutrient timing is also an important issue. As such, the articles provide a comprehensive overview of metabolic and performance-enhancing implications regarding carbohydrate, fat, and protein.

2D Spatial Frequency Considerations in Comparing 1D Power Spectral Density Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takacs, P.Z.; Barber, S.; Church, E.L.; Kaznatcheev, K.; McKinney, W.R.; Yashchuk, V.Y.

2010-01-01

The frequency footprint of ID and 2D profiling instruments needs to be carefully considered in comparing ID surface roughness spectrum measurements made by different instruments. Contributions from orthogonal direction frequency components can not be neglected. The use of optical profiling instruments is ubiquitous in the measurement of the roughness of optical surfaces. Their ease-of-use and non-contact measurement method found widespread use in the optics industry for measuring the quality of delicate optical surfaces. Computerized digital data acquisition with these instruments allowed for quick and easy calculation of surface roughness statistics, such as root-mean-square (RMS) roughness. The computing power of the desktop computer allowed for the rapid conversion of spatial domain data into the frequency domain, enabling the application of sophisticated signal processing techniques to be applied to the analysis of surface roughness, the most powerful of which is the power spectral density (PSP) function. Application of the PSD function to surface statistics introduced the concept of 'bandwidth-limited' roughness, where the value of the RMS roughness depends critically upon the spatial frequency response of the instrument. Different instruments with different spatial frequency response characteristics give different answers when measuring the same surface.

Coarse-to-Fine Encoding of Spatial Frequency Information into Visual Short-Term Memory for Faces but Impartial Decay

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zaifeng; Bentin, Shlomo

2011-01-01

Face perception studies investigated how spatial frequencies (SF) are extracted from retinal display while forming a perceptual representation, or their selective use during task-imposed categorization. Here we focused on the order of encoding low-spatial frequencies (LSF) and high-spatial frequencies (HSF) from perceptual representations into…

Spatial-Frequency Azimuthally Stable Cartography of Biological Polycrystalline Networks

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V. A. Ushenko

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A new azimuthally stable polarimetric technique processing microscopic images of optically anisotropic structures of biological tissues histological sections is proposed. It has been used as a generalized model of phase anisotropy definition of biological tissues by using superposition of Mueller matrices of linear birefringence and optical activity. The matrix element M44 has been chosen as the main information parameter, whose value is independent of the rotation angle of both sample and probing beam polarization plane. For the first time, the technique of concerted spatial-frequency filtration has been used in order to separate the manifestation of linear birefringence and optical activity. Thereupon, the method of azimuthally stable spatial-frequency cartography of biological tissues histological sections has been elaborated. As the analyzing tool, complex statistic, correlation, and fractal analysis of coordinate distributions of M44 element has been performed. The possibility of using the biopsy of the uterine wall tissue in order to differentiate benign (fibromyoma and malignant (adenocarcinoma conditions has been estimated.

Two dimensional microcirculation mapping with real time spatial frequency domain imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yang; Chen, Xinlin; Lin, Weihao; Cao, Zili; Zhu, Xiuwei; Zeng, Bixin; Xu, M.

2018-02-01

We present a spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) study of local hemodynamics in the human finger cuticle of healthy volunteers performing paced breathing and the forearm of healthy young adults performing normal breathing with our recently developed Real Time Single Snapshot Multiple Frequency Demodulation - Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SSMD-SFDI) system. A two-layer model was used to map the concentrations of deoxy-, oxy-hemoglobin, melanin, epidermal thickness and scattering properties at the subsurface of the forearm and the finger cuticle. The oscillations of the concentrations of deoxy- and oxy-hemoglobin at the subsurface of the finger cuticle and forearm induced by paced breathing and normal breathing, respectively, were found to be close to out-of-phase, attributed to the dominance of the blood flow modulation by paced breathing or heartbeat. Our results suggest that the real time SFDI platform may serve as one effective imaging modality for microcirculation monitoring.

Spatial Vertical Directionality and Correlation of Low-Frequency Ambient Noise in Deep Ocean Direct-Arrival Zones

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Qiulong Yang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources contribute to the total noise field in the deep ocean direct-arrival zones. Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources may significantly and simultaneously affect the spatial characteristics of the total noise field to some extent. In this work, a ray approach and parabolic equation solution method were jointly utilized to model the low-frequency ambient noise field in a range-dependent deep ocean environment by considering their calculation accuracy and efficiency in near-field wind-driven and far-field distant shipping noise fields. The reanalysis databases of National Center of Environment Prediction (NCEP and Volunteer Observation System (VOS were used to model the ambient noise source intensity and distribution. Spatial vertical directionality and correlation were analyzed in three scenarios that correspond to three wind speed conditions. The noise field was dominated by distant shipping noise sources when the wind speed was less than 3 m/s, and then the spatial vertical directionality and vertical correlation of the total noise field were nearly consistent with those of distant shipping noise field. The total noise field was completely dominated by near field wind generated noise sources when the wind speed was greater than 12 m/s at 150 Hz, and then the spatial vertical correlation coefficient and directionality pattern of the total noise field was approximately consistent with that of the wind-driven noise field. The spatial characteristics of the total noise field for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 12 m/s were the weighted results of wind-driven and distant shipping noise fields. Furthermore, the spatial characteristics of low-frequency ambient noise field were compared with the classical Cron/Sherman deep water noise field coherence function. Simulation results with the described modeling method showed good agreement with the experimental measurement results based on the vertical line

Spatial Vertical Directionality and Correlation of Low-Frequency Ambient Noise in Deep Ocean Direct-Arrival Zones

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiulong; Yang, Kunde; Cao, Ran; Duan, Shunli

2018-01-01

Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources contribute to the total noise field in the deep ocean direct-arrival zones. Wind-driven and distant shipping noise sources may significantly and simultaneously affect the spatial characteristics of the total noise field to some extent. In this work, a ray approach and parabolic equation solution method were jointly utilized to model the low-frequency ambient noise field in a range-dependent deep ocean environment by considering their calculation accuracy and efficiency in near-field wind-driven and far-field distant shipping noise fields. The reanalysis databases of National Center of Environment Prediction (NCEP) and Volunteer Observation System (VOS) were used to model the ambient noise source intensity and distribution. Spatial vertical directionality and correlation were analyzed in three scenarios that correspond to three wind speed conditions. The noise field was dominated by distant shipping noise sources when the wind speed was less than 3 m/s, and then the spatial vertical directionality and vertical correlation of the total noise field were nearly consistent with those of distant shipping noise field. The total noise field was completely dominated by near field wind generated noise sources when the wind speed was greater than 12 m/s at 150 Hz, and then the spatial vertical correlation coefficient and directionality pattern of the total noise field was approximately consistent with that of the wind-driven noise field. The spatial characteristics of the total noise field for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 12 m/s were the weighted results of wind-driven and distant shipping noise fields. Furthermore, the spatial characteristics of low-frequency ambient noise field were compared with the classical Cron/Sherman deep water noise field coherence function. Simulation results with the described modeling method showed good agreement with the experimental measurement results based on the vertical line array deployed near

When homogeneity meets heterogeneity: the geographically weighted regression with spatial lag approach to prenatal care utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Shoff, Carla; Chen, Vivian Yi-Ju; Yang, Tse-Chuan

2014-01-01

Using geographically weighted regression (GWR), a recent study by Shoff and colleagues (2012) investigated the place-specific risk factors for prenatal care utilization in the US and found that most of the relationships between late or not prenatal care and its determinants are spatially heterogeneous. However, the GWR approach may be subject to the confounding effect of spatial homogeneity. The goal of this study is to address this concern by including both spatial homogeneity and heterogeneity into the analysis. Specifically, we employ an analytic framework where a spatially lagged (SL) effect of the dependent variable is incorporated into the GWR model, which is called GWR-SL. Using this innovative framework, we found evidence to argue that spatial homogeneity is neglected in the study by Shoff et al. (2012) and the results are changed after considering the spatially lagged effect of prenatal care utilization. The GWR-SL approach allows us to gain a place-specific understanding of prenatal care utilization in US counties. In addition, we compared the GWR-SL results with the results of conventional approaches (i.e., OLS and spatial lag models) and found that GWR-SL is the preferred modeling approach. The new findings help us to better estimate how the predictors are associated with prenatal care utilization across space, and determine whether and how the level of prenatal care utilization in neighboring counties matters. PMID:24893033

Spatial frequency discrimination: visual long-term memory or criterion setting?

Science.gov (United States)

Lages, M; Treisman, M

1998-02-01

A long-term sensory memory is believed to account for spatial frequency discrimination when reference and test stimuli are separated by long intervals. We test an alternative proposal: that discrimination is determined by the range of test stimuli, through their entrainment of criterion-setting processes. Experiments 1 and 2 show that the 50% point of the psychometric function is largely determined by the midpoint of the stimulus range, not by the reference stimulus. Experiment 3 shows that discrimination of spatial frequencies is similarly affected by orthogonal contextual stimuli and parallel contextual stimuli and that these effects can be explained by criterion-setting processes. These findings support the hypothesis that discrimination over long intervals is explained by the operation of criterion-setting processes rather than by long-term sensory retention of a neural representation of the stimulus.

Fundamental Frequency and Model Order Estimation Using Spatial Filtering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

2014-01-01

extend this procedure to account for inharmonicity using unconstrained model order estimation. The simulations show that beamforming improves the performance of the joint estimates of fundamental frequency and the number of harmonics in low signal to interference (SIR) levels, and an experiment......In signal processing applications of harmonic-structured signals, estimates of the fundamental frequency and number of harmonics are often necessary. In real scenarios, a desired signal is contaminated by different levels of noise and interferers, which complicate the estimation of the signal...... parameters. In this paper, we present an estimation procedure for harmonic-structured signals in situations with strong interference using spatial filtering, or beamforming. We jointly estimate the fundamental frequency and the constrained model order through the output of the beamformers. Besides that, we...

Study of urban spatial utilization on socio-cultural and environment based on sustainability index (study in Denpasar city)

Science.gov (United States)

Wiryananda, N. G. A. K.; Hasibuan, H. S.; Madiasworo, T.

2018-03-01

The rapid development of tourism and population growth in Denpasar City stimulated the dynamic changes in the spatial utilization. This study aims to analyse the impact of spatial utilization on sociocultural and environment and formulate the sustainable spatial utilization that accommodate both social and environmental aspects. This research uses methods of spatial analysis and sustainability index. The results showed that during the period of 2011 to 2015 there was an increase of settlement and tourism land uses, meanwhile at the same period the paddy field decreased. The impact of spatial utilization on sociocultural leads to unsustainable, that showed by the decreasing of the sociocultural index from 1.038 in 2011 to 1.036 in 2015. The low of sociocultural index was stated by the increasing poverty, the obedience of traditional rules of purity radius of Temple and the height limit of the building. The impact of spatial utilization on environmental leads to unsustainable, with the environmental index of 1.065 in 2011 decreased to 1.056 in 2015. The decline of environmental index is due to reduced green open space and paddy field. The strategy formulation of sustainable spatial utilization is done by integrating traditional rules into spatial planning, plan the vertical building, strengthening implementation of traditional rules, implementation of perennial paddy field, and the establishment of traditional task control unit of spatial control.

Spatial filtering with photonic crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maigyte, Lina [Departament de Física i Enginyeria Nuclear, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, Terrassa 08222 (Spain); Staliunas, Kestutis [Departament de Física i Enginyeria Nuclear, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, Terrassa 08222 (Spain); Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010 (Spain)

2015-03-15

Photonic crystals are well known for their celebrated photonic band-gaps—the forbidden frequency ranges, for which the light waves cannot propagate through the structure. The frequency (or chromatic) band-gaps of photonic crystals can be utilized for frequency filtering. In analogy to the chromatic band-gaps and the frequency filtering, the angular band-gaps and the angular (spatial) filtering are also possible in photonic crystals. In this article, we review the recent advances of the spatial filtering using the photonic crystals in different propagation regimes and for different geometries. We review the most evident configuration of filtering in Bragg regime (with the back-reflection—i.e., in the configuration with band-gaps) as well as in Laue regime (with forward deflection—i.e., in the configuration without band-gaps). We explore the spatial filtering in crystals with different symmetries, including axisymmetric crystals; we discuss the role of chirping, i.e., the dependence of the longitudinal period along the structure. We also review the experimental techniques to fabricate the photonic crystals and numerical techniques to explore the spatial filtering. Finally, we discuss several implementations of such filters for intracavity spatial filtering.

Spatial Release From Masking in Simulated Cochlear Implant Users With and Without Access to Low-Frequency Acoustic Hearing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Williges

2015-12-01

Full Text Available For normal-hearing listeners, speech intelligibility improves if speech and noise are spatially separated. While this spatial release from masking has already been quantified in normal-hearing listeners in many studies, it is less clear how spatial release from masking changes in cochlear implant listeners with and without access to low-frequency acoustic hearing. Spatial release from masking depends on differences in access to speech cues due to hearing status and hearing device. To investigate the influence of these factors on speech intelligibility, the present study measured speech reception thresholds in spatially separated speech and noise for 10 different listener types. A vocoder was used to simulate cochlear implant processing and low-frequency filtering was used to simulate residual low-frequency hearing. These forms of processing were combined to simulate cochlear implant listening, listening based on low-frequency residual hearing, and combinations thereof. Simulated cochlear implant users with additional low-frequency acoustic hearing showed better speech intelligibility in noise than simulated cochlear implant users without acoustic hearing and had access to more spatial speech cues (e.g., higher binaural squelch. Cochlear implant listener types showed higher spatial release from masking with bilateral access to low-frequency acoustic hearing than without. A binaural speech intelligibility model with normal binaural processing showed overall good agreement with measured speech reception thresholds, spatial release from masking, and spatial speech cues. This indicates that differences in speech cues available to listener types are sufficient to explain the changes of spatial release from masking across these simulated listener types.

Investigating the effects of 217 Hz frequency of cell phone on learning and spatial memory in rats

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Kohzad S

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Extremely low frequency (0-300 Hz fields from power lines, electronic equipment and medical devices, have been reported to produce various biological effects. Global system for mobile (GSM is most largely used in everybody's life. This system utilizes a low frequency band as well as a high frequency range of electromagnetic field. This study investigated the effects of 217 Hz electromagnetic field (the modulating signal in GSM on spatial learning and memory in rat.Methods: Twenty four male Wistar rat (200- 250 g were randomly divided in to three groups as: test, sham and control. Using a Helmholtz coil system, the test group was exposed to a uniform pulsed EMF of 200 µT (micro Tesla intensity for 4 h/day for 21 days (2 time in a day. This procedure was repeated for the sham group but with no field. All groups were trained prior to the day 21 on the 15th day for five days four trial per day in Morris Water-Maze system. Then the probe test was carried out for 60 seconds with no platform.Results: The ANOVA test revealed that no significant differences were found between control and exposed rats in all day of learning acquisition. Also, in probe test for investigating the memory, no significant differences observed. (P≤0.05 is accepted for significant level.Conclusion: This finding is in consistent with previous studies and indicates low frequency band of electromagnetic fields (EMF (200 µT intensity in cell phone may not have any effect on the learning acquisition and spatial memory in rat.

Selective attention modulates human auditory brainstem responses: relative contributions of frequency and spatial cues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Lehmann

Full Text Available Selective attention is the mechanism that allows focusing one's attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, for instance, on a single conversation in a noisy room. Attending to one sound source rather than another changes activity in the human auditory cortex, but it is unclear whether attention to different acoustic features, such as voice pitch and speaker location, modulates subcortical activity. Studies using a dichotic listening paradigm indicated that auditory brainstem processing may be modulated by the direction of attention. We investigated whether endogenous selective attention to one of two speech signals affects amplitude and phase locking in auditory brainstem responses when the signals were either discriminable by frequency content alone, or by frequency content and spatial location. Frequency-following responses to the speech sounds were significantly modulated in both conditions. The modulation was specific to the task-relevant frequency band. The effect was stronger when both frequency and spatial information were available. Patterns of response were variable between participants, and were correlated with psychophysical discriminability of the stimuli, suggesting that the modulation was biologically relevant. Our results demonstrate that auditory brainstem responses are susceptible to efferent modulation related to behavioral goals. Furthermore they suggest that mechanisms of selective attention actively shape activity at early subcortical processing stages according to task relevance and based on frequency and spatial cues.

Classificaiton and Discrimination of Sources with Time-Varying Frequency and Spatial Spectra

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Amin, Moeness G; Zhang, Yimin; Wang, Genyuan; Obeidat, Baha; Setlur, Pawan; Estephan, Habib

2007-01-01

.... We have introduced the spatial polarimetric time-frequency distributions (SPTFDs) as a platform for processing polarized nonstationary signals incident on multiple dual-polarized double-feed antennas...

An operational modal analysis method in frequency and spatial domain

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tong; Zhang, Lingmi; Tamura, Yukio

2005-12-01

A frequency and spatial domain decomposition method (FSDD) for operational modal analysis (OMA) is presented in this paper, which is an extension of the complex mode indicator function (CMIF) method for experimental modal analysis (EMA). The theoretical background of the FSDD method is clarified. Singular value decomposition is adopted to separate the signal space from the noise space. Finally, an enhanced power spectrum density (PSD) is proposed to obtain more accurate modal parameters by curve fitting in the frequency domain. Moreover, a simulation case and an application case are used to validate this method.

Impaired recognition of facial emotions from low-spatial frequencies in Asperger syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kätsyri, Jari; Saalasti, Satu; Tiippana, Kaisa; von Wendt, Lennart; Sams, Mikko

2008-01-01

The theory of 'weak central coherence' [Happe, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5-25] implies that persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have a perceptual bias for local but not for global stimulus features. The recognition of emotional facial expressions representing various different levels of detail has not been studied previously in ASDs. We analyzed the recognition of four basic emotional facial expressions (anger, disgust, fear and happiness) from low-spatial frequencies (overall global shapes without local features) in adults with an ASD. A group of 20 participants with Asperger syndrome (AS) was compared to a group of non-autistic age- and sex-matched controls. Emotion recognition was tested from static and dynamic facial expressions whose spatial frequency contents had been manipulated by low-pass filtering at two levels. The two groups recognized emotions similarly from non-filtered faces and from dynamic vs. static facial expressions. In contrast, the participants with AS were less accurate than controls in recognizing facial emotions from very low-spatial frequencies. The results suggest intact recognition of basic facial emotions and dynamic facial information, but impaired visual processing of global features in ASDs.

Signal Adaptive System for Space/Spatial-Frequency Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veselin N. Ivanović

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines the development of a multiple-clock-cycle implementation (MCI of a signal adaptive two-dimensional (2D system for space/spatial-frequency (S/SF signal analysis. The design is based on a method for improved S/SF representation of the analyzed 2D signals, also proposed here. The proposed MCI design optimizes critical design performances related to hardware complexity, making it a suitable system for real time implementation on an integrated chip. Additionally, the design allows the implemented system to take a variable number of clock cycles (CLKs (the only necessary ones regarding desirable—2D Wigner distribution-presentation of autoterms in different frequency-frequency points during the execution. This ability represents a major advantage of the proposed design which helps to optimize the time required for execution and produce an improved, cross-terms-free S/SF signal representation. The design has been verified by a field-programmable gate array (FPGA circuit design, capable of performing S/SF analysis of 2D signals in real time.

Frequency Stepped Pulse Train Modulated Wind Sensing Lidar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Anders Sig; Pedersen, Anders Tegtmeier; Rottwitt, Karsten

2011-01-01

of frequency shifts corresponding to a specific distance. The spatial resolution depends on the repetition rate of the pulses in the pulse train. Directional wind measurements are shown and compared to a CW lidar measurement. The carrier to noise ratio of the FSPT lidar compared to a CW lidar is discussed......In this paper a wind sensing lidar utilizing a Frequency Stepped Pulse Train (FSPT) is demonstrated. One of the advantages in the FSTP lidar is that it enables direct measurement of wind speed as a function of distance from the lidar. Theoretically the FSPT lidar continuously produces measurements...... as is the case with a CW lidar, but at the same time with a spatial resolution, and without the range ambiguity originating from e.g. clouds. The FSPT lidar utilizes a frequency sweeping source for generation of the FSPT. The source generates a pulse train where each pulse has an optical carrier frequency...

Distributed generation and its implications for the utility industry

CERN Document Server

Sioshansi, Fereidoon P

2014-01-01

Distributed Generation and its Implications for the Utility Industry examines the current state of the electric supply industry; the upstream and downstream of the meter; the various technological, business, and regulatory strategies; and case studies that look at a number of projects that put new models into practice. A number of powerful trends are beginning to affect the fundamentals of the electric utility business as we know it. Recent developments have led to a fundamental re-thinking of the electric supply industry and its traditional method of measuring consumption on a volumetric basis. These developments include decreasing electricity demand growth; the rising cost of fossil fuels and its impact on electricity costs; investment in energy efficiency; increasing numbers of prosumers who generate for some or all of their own needs; and market reforms. This book examines the implications of these trends in chapters focusing on distributed and decentralized generation, transactive energy, the role of ele...

Utilization of HIV Testing and Counseling in Ghana: Implications for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Utilization of HIV Testing and Counseling in Ghana: Implications for Universal Coverage. ... HIV testing and counselling (HTC) is a gateway to all systems of AIDS-related care. This study examined ... AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO ...

Object Categorization in Finer Levels Relies More on Higher Spatial Frequencies and Takes Longer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashtiani, Matin N; Kheradpisheh, Saeed R; Masquelier, Timothée; Ganjtabesh, Mohammad

2017-01-01

The human visual system contains a hierarchical sequence of modules that take part in visual perception at different levels of abstraction, i.e., superordinate, basic, and subordinate levels. One important question is to identify the "entry" level at which the visual representation is commenced in the process of object recognition. For a long time, it was believed that the basic level had a temporal advantage over two others. This claim has been challenged recently. Here we used a series of psychophysics experiments, based on a rapid presentation paradigm, as well as two computational models, with bandpass filtered images of five object classes to study the processing order of the categorization levels. In these experiments, we investigated the type of visual information required for categorizing objects in each level by varying the spatial frequency bands of the input image. The results of our psychophysics experiments and computational models are consistent. They indicate that the different spatial frequency information had different effects on object categorization in each level. In the absence of high frequency information, subordinate and basic level categorization are performed less accurately, while the superordinate level is performed well. This means that low frequency information is sufficient for superordinate level, but not for the basic and subordinate levels. These finer levels rely more on high frequency information, which appears to take longer to be processed, leading to longer reaction times. Finally, to avoid the ceiling effect, we evaluated the robustness of the results by adding different amounts of noise to the input images and repeating the experiments. As expected, the categorization accuracy decreased and the reaction time increased significantly, but the trends were the same. This shows that our results are not due to a ceiling effect. The compatibility between our psychophysical and computational results suggests that the temporal

Spatially distributed patterns of oscillatory coupling between high-frequency amplitudes and low-frequency phases in human iEEG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maris, Eric; van Vugt, Marieke; Kahana, Michael

2011-01-01

Spatially distributed coherent oscillations provide temporal windows of excitability that allow for interactions between distinct neuronal groups. It has been hypothesized that this mechanism for neuronal communication is realized by bursts of high-frequency oscillations that are phase-coupled to a

Brief Report: Developing Spatial Frequency Biases for Face Recognition in Autism and Williams Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Hayley C.; Annaz, Dagmara; Karmiloff-Smith, Annette; Johnson, Mark H.

2011-01-01

The current study investigated whether contrasting face recognition abilities in autism and Williams syndrome could be explained by different spatial frequency biases over developmental time. Typically-developing children and groups with Williams syndrome and autism were asked to recognise faces in which low, middle and high spatial frequency…

P1-14: Relationship between Colorfulness Adaptation and Spatial Frequency Components in Natural Image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shun Sakaibara

2012-10-01

Full Text Available We previously found the effect of colorfulness-adaptation in natural images. It was observed to be stronger in natural images than unnatural images, suggesting the influence of naturalness on the adaptation. However, what characteristics of images and what levels of visual system were involved were not examined enough. This research investigates whether the effect of colorfulness-adaptation is associated with spatial frequency components in natural images. If adaptation was a mechanism in early cortical level, the effect would be strong for adaptation and test images sharing similar spatial frequency components. In the experiment, we examined how the colorfulness impression of a test image changed following adaptation images with different levels of saturation. We selected several types of natural image from a standard image database for test and adaptation images. We also processed them to make shuffled images with spatial frequency component differed from the originals and phase-scrambled images with the component similar to the originals, for both adaptation and test images. Observers evaluated whether a test image was colorful or faded. Results show that the colorfulness perception of the test images was influenced by the saturation of the adaptation images. The effect was the strongest for the combination of natural (original adaptation and natural test images regardless of image types. The effect for the combination of phase-scrambled images was weaker than those of original images and stronger than those of shuffled images. They suggest that not only the spatial frequency components of an image but also the recognition of images would contribute to colorfulness-adaptation.

Behavioral assessment of emotional and motivational appraisal during visual processing of emotional scenes depending on spatial frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fradcourt, B; Peyrin, C; Baciu, M; Campagne, A

2013-10-01

Previous studies performed on visual processing of emotional stimuli have revealed preference for a specific type of visual spatial frequencies (high spatial frequency, HSF; low spatial frequency, LSF) according to task demands. The majority of studies used a face and focused on the appraisal of the emotional state of others. The present behavioral study investigates the relative role of spatial frequencies on processing emotional natural scenes during two explicit cognitive appraisal tasks, one emotional, based on the self-emotional experience and one motivational, based on the tendency to action. Our results suggest that HSF information was the most relevant to rapidly identify the self-emotional experience (unpleasant, pleasant, and neutral) while LSF was required to rapidly identify the tendency to action (avoidance, approach, and no action). The tendency to action based on LSF analysis showed a priority for unpleasant stimuli whereas the identification of emotional experience based on HSF analysis showed a priority for pleasant stimuli. The present study confirms the interest of considering both emotional and motivational characteristics of visual stimuli. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychophysical and physiological responses to gratings with luminance and chromatic components of different spatial frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Bonnie; Sun, Hao; Lee, Barry B

2012-02-01

Gratings that contain luminance and chromatic components of different spatial frequencies were used to study the segregation of signals in luminance and chromatic pathways. Psychophysical detection and discrimination thresholds to these compound gratings, with luminance and chromatic components of the one either half or double the spatial frequency of the other, were measured in human observers. Spatial frequency tuning curves for detection of compound gratings followed the envelope of those for luminance and chromatic gratings. Different grating types were discriminable at detection threshold. Fourier analysis of physiological responses of macaque retinal ganglion cells to compound waveforms showed chromatic information to be restricted to the parvocellular pathway and luminance information to the magnocellular pathway. Taken together, the human psychophysical and macaque physiological data support the strict segregation of luminance and chromatic information in independent channels, with the magnocellular and parvocellular pathways, respectively, serving as likely the physiological substrates. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Effect of Temporal Constraints on Hemispheric Asymmetries during Spatial Frequency Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Peyrin, Carole; Mermillod, Martial; Chokron, Sylvie; Marendaz, Christian

2006-01-01

Studies on functional hemispheric asymmetries have suggested that the right vs. left hemisphere should be predominantly involved in low vs. high spatial frequency (SF) analysis, respectively. By manipulating exposure duration of filtered natural scene images, we examined whether the temporal characteristics of SF analysis (i.e., the temporal…

Life expectancy impacts due to heating energy utilization in China: Distribution, relations, and policy implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shaobin; Luo, Kunli

2018-01-01

The relation between life expectancy and energy utilization is of particular concern. Different viewpoints concerned the health impacts of heating policy in China. However, it is still obscure that what kind of heating energy or what pattern of heating methods is the most related with the difference of life expectancies in China. The aim of this paper is to comprehensively investigate the spatial relations between life expectancy at birth (LEB) and different heating energy utilization in China by using spatial autocorrelation models including global spatial autocorrelation, local spatial autocorrelation and hot spot analysis. The results showed that: (1) Most of heating energy exhibit a distinct north-south difference, such as central heating supply, stalks and domestic coal. Whereas spatial distribution of domestic natural gas and electricity exhibited west-east differences. (2) Consumption of central heating, stalks and domestic coal show obvious spatial dependence. Whereas firewood, natural gas and electricity did not show significant spatial autocorrelation. It exhibited an extinct south-north difference of heat supply, stalks and domestic coal which were identified to show significant positive spatial autocorrelation. (3) Central heating, residential boilers and natural gas did not show any significant correlations with LEB. While, the utilization of domestic coal and biomass showed significant negative correlations with LEB, and household electricity shows positive correlations. The utilization of domestic coal in China showed a negative effect on LEB, rather than central heating. To improve the solid fuel stoves and control consumption of domestic coal consumption and other low quality solid fuel is imperative to improve the public health level in China in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

All-dielectric metamaterial frequency selective surface based on spatial arrangement ceramic resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liyang; Wang, Jun; Feng, Mingde; Ma, Hua; Wang, Jiafu; Du, Hongliang; Qu, Shaobo

In this paper, we demonstrate a method of designing all-dielectric metamaterial frequency selective surface (FSS) with ceramic resonators in spatial arrangement. Compared with the traditional way, spatial arrangement provides a flexible way to handle the permutation and combination of different ceramic resonators. With this method, the resonance response can be adjusted easily to achieve pass/stop band effects. As an example, a stop band spatial arrangement all-dielectric metamaterial FSS is designed. Its working band is in 11.65-12.23GHz. By adjusting permittivity and geometrical parameters of ceramic resonators, we can easily modulate the resonances, band pass or band stop characteristic, as well as the working band.

A temperature-compensated high spatial resolution distributed strain sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belal, Mohammad; Cho, Yuh Tat; Ibsen, Morten; Newson, Trevor P

2010-01-01

We propose and demonstrate a scheme which utilizes the temperature dependence of spontaneous Raman scattering to provide temperature compensation for a high spatial resolution Brillouin frequency-based strain sensor

Cross-media color reproduction using the frequency-based spatial gamut mapping algorithm based on human color vision

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Guangyuan; Niu, Shijun; Li, Xiaozhou; Hu, Guichun

2018-04-01

Due to the increasing globalization of printing industry, remoting proofing will become the inevitable development trend. Cross-media color reproduction will occur in different color gamuts using remote proofing technologies, which usually leads to the problem of incompatible color gamut. In this paper, to achieve equivalent color reproduction between a monitor and a printer, a frequency-based spatial gamut mapping algorithm is proposed for decreasing the loss of visual color information. The design of algorithm is based on the contrast sensitivity functions (CSF), which exploited CSF spatial filter to preserve luminance of the high spatial frequencies and chrominance of the low frequencies. First we show a general framework for how to apply CSF spatial filter in retention of relevant visual information. Then we compare the proposed framework with HPMINDE, CUSP, Bala's algorithm. The psychophysical experimental results indicated the good performance of the proposed algorithm.

Comparison of Extreme Precipitation Return Levels using Spatial Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling versus Regional Frequency Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Love, C. A.; Skahill, B. E.; AghaKouchak, A.; Karlovits, G. S.; England, J. F.; Duren, A. M.

2017-12-01

We compare gridded extreme precipitation return levels obtained using spatial Bayesian hierarchical modeling (BHM) with their respective counterparts from a traditional regional frequency analysis (RFA) using the same set of extreme precipitation data. Our study area is the 11,478 square mile Willamette River basin (WRB) located in northwestern Oregon, a major tributary of the Columbia River whose 187 miles long main stem, the Willamette River, flows northward between the Coastal and Cascade Ranges. The WRB contains approximately two ­thirds of Oregon's population and 20 of the 25 most populous cities in the state. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District operates thirteen dams and extreme precipitation estimates are required to support risk­ informed hydrologic analyses as part of the USACE Dam Safety Program. Our intent is to profile for the USACE an alternate methodology to an RFA that was developed in 2008 due to the lack of an official NOAA Atlas 14 update for the state of Oregon. We analyze 24-hour annual precipitation maxima data for the WRB utilizing the spatial BHM R package "spatial.gev.bma", which has been shown to be efficient in developing coherent maps of extreme precipitation by return level. Our BHM modeling analysis involved application of leave-one-out cross validation (LOO-CV), which not only supported model selection but also a comprehensive assessment of location specific model performance. The LOO-CV results will provide a basis for the BHM RFA comparison.

Spatial organization of frequency preference and selectivity in the human inferior colliculus

OpenAIRE

De Martino, Federico; Moerel, Michelle; van de Moortele, Pierre-Francois; Ugurbil, Kamil; Goebel, Rainer; Yacoub, Essa; Formisano, Elia

2013-01-01

To date, the functional organization of human auditory sub-cortical structures can only be inferred from animal models. Here we use high-resolution functional MRI at ultra-high magnetic fields (7 Tesla) to map the organization of spectral responses in the human inferior colliculus (hIC), a sub-cortical structure fundamental for sound processing. We reveal a tonotopic map with a spatial gradient of preferred frequencies approximately oriented from dorso-lateral (low frequencies) to ventro-medi...

Input-dependent frequency modulation of cortical gamma oscillations shapes spatial synchronization and enables phase coding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowet, Eric; Roberts, Mark; Hadjipapas, Avgis; Peter, Alina; van der Eerden, Jan; De Weerd, Peter

2015-02-01

Fine-scale temporal organization of cortical activity in the gamma range (∼25-80Hz) may play a significant role in information processing, for example by neural grouping ('binding') and phase coding. Recent experimental studies have shown that the precise frequency of gamma oscillations varies with input drive (e.g. visual contrast) and that it can differ among nearby cortical locations. This has challenged theories assuming widespread gamma synchronization at a fixed common frequency. In the present study, we investigated which principles govern gamma synchronization in the presence of input-dependent frequency modulations and whether they are detrimental for meaningful input-dependent gamma-mediated temporal organization. To this aim, we constructed a biophysically realistic excitatory-inhibitory network able to express different oscillation frequencies at nearby spatial locations. Similarly to cortical networks, the model was topographically organized with spatially local connectivity and spatially-varying input drive. We analyzed gamma synchronization with respect to phase-locking, phase-relations and frequency differences, and quantified the stimulus-related information represented by gamma phase and frequency. By stepwise simplification of our models, we found that the gamma-mediated temporal organization could be reduced to basic synchronization principles of weakly coupled oscillators, where input drive determines the intrinsic (natural) frequency of oscillators. The gamma phase-locking, the precise phase relation and the emergent (measurable) frequencies were determined by two principal factors: the detuning (intrinsic frequency difference, i.e. local input difference) and the coupling strength. In addition to frequency coding, gamma phase contained complementary stimulus information. Crucially, the phase code reflected input differences, but not the absolute input level. This property of relative input-to-phase conversion, contrasting with latency codes

Performance of Spatial Division Multiplexing MIMO with Frequency Domain Packet Scheduling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wei, Na; Pokhariyal, Akhilesh; Sørensen, Troels Bundgaard

2008-01-01

the performance bounds of SDM-FDPS. To facilitate the analysis, a unified SINR concept is utilized to make a fair comparison of MIMO schemes with different number of spatial streams. The effect of packet scheduling is included in the post-scheduling SINR distribution using an analytical model. Based on that...

Are all types of expertise created equal? Car experts use different spatial frequency scales for subordinate categorization of cars and faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Harel, Assaf; Bentin, Shlomo

2013-01-01

A much-debated question in object recognition is whether expertise for faces and expertise for non-face objects utilize common perceptual information. We investigated this issue by assessing the diagnostic information required for different types of expertise. Specifically, we asked whether face categorization and expert car categorization at the subordinate level relies on the same spatial frequency (SF) scales. Fifteen car experts and fifteen novices performed a category verification task with spatially filtered images of faces, cars, and airplanes. Images were categorized based on their basic (e.g. "car") and subordinate level (e.g. "Japanese car") identity. The effect of expertise was not evident when objects were categorized at the basic level. However, when the car experts categorized faces and cars at the subordinate level, the two types of expertise required different kinds of SF information. Subordinate categorization of faces relied on low SFs more than on high SFs, whereas subordinate expert car categorization relied on high SFs more than on low SFs. These findings suggest that expertise in the recognition of objects and faces do not utilize the same type of information. Rather, different types of expertise require different types of diagnostic visual information.

Stellar interferometers and hypertelescopes: new insights on an angular spatial frequency approach to their non-invariant imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Dettwiller, L.; Lépine, T.

2017-12-01

A general and pure wave theory of image formation for all types of stellar interferometers, including hypertelescopes, is developed in the frame of Fresnel's paraxial approximations of diffraction. For a hypertelescope, we show that the severe lack of translation invariance leads to multiple and strong spatial frequency heterodyning, which codes the very high frequencies detected by the hypertelescope into medium spatial frequencies and introduces a moiré-type ambiguity for extended objects. This explains mathematically the disappointing appearance of poor resolution observed in some image simulations for hypertelescopes.

Antitrust implications of utility participation in the market for remote photovoltaic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starrs, T.J.

1994-01-01

Remote photovoltaic systems are an important niche market in the development of a viable photovoltaics industry. Electric utilities in the US have started offering remote photovoltaic service. Utilities have the potential to use their monopoly power in regulated markets to unfair competitive advantage in competitive markets. Therefore, utility participation in remote photovoltaic markets raises potentially significant issues of antitrust law and policy. This paper describes some of the legal and factual criteria that US courts and regulatory agencies are likely to use in assessing the antitrust implications of utility participation in the market for remote photovoltaic systems

Enhanced Recovery Utilizing Variable Frequency Drives and a Distributed Power System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Randy Peden; Sanjiv Shah

2005-07-26

This report describes complete results of the project entitled ''Enhanced Recovery Utilizing Variable Frequency Drives and a Distributed Power System''. This demonstration project was initiated in July 2003 and completed in March 2005. The objective of the project was to develop an integrated power production/variable frequency drive system that could easily be deployed in the oil field that would increase production and decrease operating costs. This report describes all the activities occurred and documents results of the demonstration.

Michelson interferometer based spatial phase shift shearography.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xin; Yang, Lianxiang; Xu, Nan; Chen, Xu

2013-06-10

This paper presents a simple spatial phase shift shearography based on the Michelson interferometer. The Michelson interferometer based shearographic system has been widely utilized in industry as a practical nondestructive test tool. In the system, the Michelson interferometer is used as a shearing device to generate a shearing distance by tilting a small angle in one of the two mirrors. In fact, tilting the mirror in the Michelson interferometer also generates spatial frequency shift. Based on this feature, we introduce a simple Michelson interferometer based spatial phase shift shearography. The Fourier transform (FT) method is applied to separate the spectrum on the spatial frequency domain. The phase change due to the loading can be evaluated using a properly selected windowed inverse-FT. This system can generate a phase map of shearography by using only a single image. The effects of shearing angle, spatial resolution of couple charge device camera, and filter methods are discussed in detail. The theory and the experimental results are presented.

Face Recognition Is Affected by Similarity in Spatial Frequency Range to a Greater Degree Than Within-Category Object Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Collin, Charles A.; Liu, Chang Hong; Troje, Nikolaus F.; McMullen, Patricia A.; Chaudhuri, Avi

2004-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that face identification is more sensitive to variations in spatial frequency content than object recognition, but none have compared how sensitive the 2 processes are to variations in spatial frequency overlap (SFO). The authors tested face and object matching accuracy under varying SFO conditions. Their results…

Frequency-dependent Dispersion Measures and Implications for Pulsar Timing

Science.gov (United States)

Cordes, J. M.; Shannon, R. M.; Stinebring, D. R.

2016-01-01

The dispersion measure (DM), the column density of free electrons to a pulsar, is shown to be frequency dependent because of multipath scattering from small-scale electron-density fluctuations. DMs vary between propagation paths whose transverse extent varies strongly with frequency, yielding arrival times that deviate from the high-frequency scaling expected for a cold, uniform, unmagnetized plasma (1/frequency2). Scaling laws for thin phase screens are verified with simulations; extended media are also analyzed. The rms DM difference across an octave band near 1.5 GHz is ˜ 4 × 10-5 pc cm-3 for pulsars at ˜1 kpc distance. The corresponding arrival-time variations are a few to hundreds of nanoseconds for DM ≲ 30 pc cm-3 but increase rapidly to microseconds or more for larger DMs and wider frequency ranges. Chromatic DMs introduce correlated noise into timing residuals with a power spectrum of “low pass” form. The correlation time is roughly the geometric mean of the refraction times for the highest and lowest radio frequencies used, ranging from days to years, depending on the pulsar. We discuss implications for methodologies that use large frequency separations or wide bandwidth receivers for timing measurements. Chromatic DMs are partially mitigable by including an additional chromatic term in arrival time models. Without mitigation, an additional term in the noise model for pulsar timing is implied. In combination with measurement errors from radiometer noise, an arbitrarily large increase in total frequency range (or bandwidth) will yield diminishing benefits and may be detrimental to overall timing precision.

Frequency Assignment, Sharing and Conservation in Systems (Aerospace). (l’Attribution, le partage et la conservation des frequences pour les systemes aeronautiques et spatiales)

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

NETWORKS C. Bousofto-Calzön A.R. Figueiras-Vidal Dpto. Tecnologias de las Comunicaciones Univ. Carlos III de Madrid C/Butarque, 15; 28911 Leganes...Attribution, le partage et la conservation des frequences pour les systemes aeronautiques et spatiales) Papers presented at the Information Systems...PROCEEDINGS 13 Frequency Assignment, Sharing and Conservation in Systems (Aerospace) (V Attribution, le partage et la conservation des frequences pour

Preliminary In-vivo Results For Spatially Coded Synthetic Transmit Aperture Ultrasound Based On Frequency Division

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gran, Fredrik; Hansen, Kristoffer Lindskov; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2006-01-01

This paper investigates the possibility of using spatial coding based on frequency division for in-vivo synthetic transmit aperture (STA) ultrasound imaging. When using spatial encoding for STA, it is possible to use several transmitters simultaneously and separate the signals at the receiver....... This increases the maximum transmit power compared to conventional STA, where only one transmitter can be active. The signal-to-noise-ratio can therefore he increased and better penetration can be obtained. For frequency division, the coding is achieved by designing a number of transmit waveforms with disjoint...... spectral support, spanning the passband of the ultrasound transducer. The signals can therefore he separated at the receiver using matched filtering. The method is tested using a commercial linear array transducer with a center frequency of 9 MHz and 68% fractional bandwidth. In this paper, the transmit...

Spatial frequency discrimination : visual long-term memory or criterion setting?

OpenAIRE

1998-01-01

A long-term sensory memory is believed to account for spatial frequency discrimination when reference and test stimuli are separated by long intervals. We test an alternative proposal: that discrimination is determined by the range of test stimuli, through their entrainment of criterion-setting processes. Experiments 1 and 2 show that the 50% point of the psychometric function is largely determined by the midpoint of the stimulus range, not by the reference stimulus. Experiment 3 shows that d...

Increased fusiform area activation in schizophrenia during processing of spatial frequency-degraded faces, as revealed by fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstein, S M; All, S D; Kasi, R; Berten, S; Essex, B; Lathrop, K L; Little, D M

2010-07-01

People with schizophrenia demonstrate perceptual organization impairments, and these are thought to contribute to their face processing difficulties. We examined the neural substrates of emotionally neutral face processing in schizophrenia by investigating neural activity under three stimulus conditions: faces characterized by the full spectrum of spatial frequencies, faces with low spatial frequency information removed [high spatial frequency (HSF) condition], and faces with high spatial frequency information removed [low spatial frequency (LSF) condition]. Face perception in the HSF condition is more reliant on local feature processing whereas perception in the LSF condition requires greater reliance on global form processing. Past studies of perceptual organization in schizophrenia indicate that patients perform relatively more poorly with degraded stimuli but also that, when global information is absent, patients may perform better than controls because of their relatively increased ability to initially process individual features. Therefore, we hypothesized that people with schizophrenia (n=14) would demonstrate greater face processing difficulties than controls (n=13) in the LSF condition, whereas they would demonstrate a smaller difference or superior performance in the HSF condition. In a gender-discrimination task, behavioral data indicated high levels of accuracy for both groups, with a trend toward an interaction involving higher patient performance in the HSF condition and poorer patient performance in the LSF condition. Patients demonstrated greater activity in the fusiform gyrus compared to controls in both degraded conditions. These data suggest that impairments in basic integration abilities may be compensated for by relatively increased activity in this region.

Patterns of nutrient utilization. Implications for nitrogen metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldham, J.D.

1983-01-01

Nutrients react within both the rumen and the ruminant body, and the patterns of availability of different nutrients greatly influence their net utilization. In the rumen, microbial capture of N substrates, especially ammonia, depends on the degree of synchronization between rates of production of N substrates and of ATP to drive microbial protein synthesis. The form of dietary carbohydrate and of dietary N and the frequency of feeding can all affect the efficiency of microbial growth and digestion. The pattern of supply of nutrients to the body will also influence nutrient utilization. Disparities between diurnal patterns of supply of volatile fatty acids from the rumen and amino acids from the intestines will result in changes in balance of metabolic pathways. The balance between supply of glucogenic and lipogenic nutrients will influence efficiency of fattening. A major factor determining the pattern of utilization/metabolism of amino acids is the metabolic demand for protein synthesis, which varies with physiological state. (author)

Simultaneous storage of medical images in the spatial and frequency domain: A comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Acharya U Rajendra

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Digital watermarking is a technique of hiding specific identification data for copyright authentication. This technique is adapted here for interleaving patient information with medical images, to reduce storage and transmission overheads. Methods The patient information is encrypted before interleaving with images to ensure greater security. The bio-signals are compressed and subsequently interleaved with the image. This interleaving is carried out in the spatial domain and Frequency domain. The performance of interleaving in the spatial, Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT, Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT coefficients is studied. Differential pulse code modulation (DPCM is employed for data compression as well as encryption and results are tabulated for a specific example. Results It can be seen from results, the process does not affect the picture quality. This is attributed to the fact that the change in LSB of a pixel changes its brightness by 1 part in 256. Spatial and DFT domain interleaving gave very less %NRMSE as compared to DCT and DWT domain. Conclusion The Results show that spatial domain the interleaving, the %NRMSE was less than 0.25% for 8-bit encoded pixel intensity. Among the frequency domain interleaving methods, DFT was found to be very efficient.

FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT DISPERSION MEASURES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PULSAR TIMING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cordes, J. M. [Astronomy Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Shannon, R. M. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710 (Australia); Stinebring, D. R., E-mail: cordes@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: ryan.shannon@csiro.au, E-mail: dan.stinebring@oberlin.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH 44074 (United States)

2016-01-20

The dispersion measure (DM), the column density of free electrons to a pulsar, is shown to be frequency dependent because of multipath scattering from small-scale electron-density fluctuations. DMs vary between propagation paths whose transverse extent varies strongly with frequency, yielding arrival times that deviate from the high-frequency scaling expected for a cold, uniform, unmagnetized plasma (1/frequency{sup 2}). Scaling laws for thin phase screens are verified with simulations; extended media are also analyzed. The rms DM difference across an octave band near 1.5 GHz is ∼ 4 × 10{sup −5} pc cm{sup −3} for pulsars at ∼1 kpc distance. The corresponding arrival-time variations are a few to hundreds of nanoseconds for DM ≲ 30 pc cm{sup −3} but increase rapidly to microseconds or more for larger DMs and wider frequency ranges. Chromatic DMs introduce correlated noise into timing residuals with a power spectrum of “low pass” form. The correlation time is roughly the geometric mean of the refraction times for the highest and lowest radio frequencies used, ranging from days to years, depending on the pulsar. We discuss implications for methodologies that use large frequency separations or wide bandwidth receivers for timing measurements. Chromatic DMs are partially mitigable by including an additional chromatic term in arrival time models. Without mitigation, an additional term in the noise model for pulsar timing is implied. In combination with measurement errors from radiometer noise, an arbitrarily large increase in total frequency range (or bandwidth) will yield diminishing benefits and may be detrimental to overall timing precision.

Fault diagnosis for analog circuits utilizing time-frequency features and improved VVRKFA

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wei; He, Yigang; Luo, Qiwu; Zhang, Chaolong

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a novel scheme for analog circuit fault diagnosis utilizing features extracted from the time-frequency representations of signals and an improved vector-valued regularized kernel function approximation (VVRKFA). First, the cross-wavelet transform is employed to yield the energy-phase distribution of the fault signals over the time and frequency domain. Since the distribution is high-dimensional, a supervised dimensionality reduction technique—the bilateral 2D linear discriminant analysis—is applied to build a concise feature set from the distributions. Finally, VVRKFA is utilized to locate the fault. In order to improve the classification performance, the quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization technique is employed to gradually tune the learning parameter of the VVRKFA classifier. The experimental results for the analog circuit faults classification have demonstrated that the proposed diagnosis scheme has an advantage over other approaches.

Frequency and spatial correlation functions in a fading communication channel through the ionosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.H.; Yeh, K.C.

1975-01-01

Equations for the two-frequency two-position mutual coherence functions are derived under the usual parabolic and Markov approximations. These equations are then solved numerically. It is shown that the mutual coherence functions occur naturally in the study of pulse distortion through a random communication channel and in the investigation of signal correlations. Contour plots of correlation functions show the possibility of having equal values at two frequency separations for a given spatial separation. This behavior is explainable in terms of overlapping Fresnel zones

Blind Separation of Nonstationary Sources Based on Spatial Time-Frequency Distributions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Yimin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Blind source separation (BSS based on spatial time-frequency distributions (STFDs provides improved performance over blind source separation methods based on second-order statistics, when dealing with signals that are localized in the time-frequency (t-f domain. In this paper, we propose the use of STFD matrices for both whitening and recovery of the mixing matrix, which are two stages commonly required in many BSS methods, to provide robust BSS performance to noise. In addition, a simple method is proposed to select the auto- and cross-term regions of time-frequency distribution (TFD. To further improve the BSS performance, t-f grouping techniques are introduced to reduce the number of signals under consideration, and to allow the receiver array to separate more sources than the number of array sensors, provided that the sources have disjoint t-f signatures. With the use of one or more techniques proposed in this paper, improved performance of blind separation of nonstationary signals can be achieved.

Spatially-Heterodyned Holography

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Clarence E [Knoxville, TN; Hanson, Gregory R [Clinton, TN

2006-02-21

A method of recording a spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram, including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, includes: splitting a laser beam into a reference beam and an object beam; interacting the object beam with an object; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form a spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; digital recording the spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram; Fourier transforming axes of the recorded spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined by an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; cutting off signals around an origin; and performing an inverse Fourier transform.

The effects of feeding frequency on waiting time, milking frequency, cubicle and feeding fence utilization for cows in an automatic milking system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oostra, H.H.; Stefanowska, J.; Sallvik, K.

2005-01-01

In this trial, the effects of the forage feeding frequency on the waiting time prior to milking and the cowshed facility utilization by cows milked in an automatic milking unit (AMU) were studied. The feeding frequency was increased from two times per day to six times per day. It was found that the

Statistical model of natural stimuli predicts edge-like pooling of spatial frequency channels in V2

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Gutmann Michael

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been shown that the classical receptive fields of simple and complex cells in the primary visual cortex emerge from the statistical properties of natural images by forcing the cell responses to be maximally sparse or independent. We investigate how to learn features beyond the primary visual cortex from the statistical properties of modelled complex-cell outputs. In previous work, we showed that a new model, non-negative sparse coding, led to the emergence of features which code for contours of a given spatial frequency band. Results We applied ordinary independent component analysis to modelled outputs of complex cells that span different frequency bands. The analysis led to the emergence of features which pool spatially coherent across-frequency activity in the modelled primary visual cortex. Thus, the statistically optimal way of processing complex-cell outputs abandons separate frequency channels, while preserving and even enhancing orientation tuning and spatial localization. As a technical aside, we found that the non-negativity constraint is not necessary: ordinary independent component analysis produces essentially the same results as our previous work. Conclusion We propose that the pooling that emerges allows the features to code for realistic low-level image features related to step edges. Further, the results prove the viability of statistical modelling of natural images as a framework that produces quantitative predictions of visual processing.

Spatial hearing ability of the pigmented Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus): Minimum audible angle and spatial release from masking in azimuth.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Nathaniel T; Anbuhl, Kelsey L; Ferber, Alexander T; DeGuzman, Marisa; Allen, Paul D; Tollin, Daniel J

2018-08-01

Despite the common use of guinea pigs in investigations of the neural mechanisms of binaural and spatial hearing, their behavioral capabilities in spatial hearing tasks have surprisingly not been thoroughly investigated. To begin to fill this void, we tested the spatial hearing of adult male guinea pigs in several experiments using a paradigm based on the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response. In the first experiment, we presented continuous broadband noise from one speaker location and switched to a second speaker location (the "prepulse") along the azimuth prior to presenting a brief, ∼110 dB SPL startle-eliciting stimulus. We found that the startle response amplitude was systematically reduced for larger changes in speaker swap angle (i.e., greater PPI), indicating that using the speaker "swap" paradigm is sufficient to assess stimulus detection of spatially separated sounds. In a second set of experiments, we swapped low- and high-pass noise across the midline to estimate their ability to utilize interaural time- and level-difference cues, respectively. The results reveal that guinea pigs can utilize both binaural cues to discriminate azimuthal sound sources. A third set of experiments examined spatial release from masking using a continuous broadband noise masker and a broadband chirp signal, both presented concurrently at various speaker locations. In general, animals displayed an increase in startle amplitude (i.e., lower PPI) when the masker was presented at speaker locations near that of the chirp signal, and reduced startle amplitudes (increased PPI) indicating lower detection thresholds when the noise was presented from more distant speaker locations. In summary, these results indicate that guinea pigs can: 1) discriminate changes in source location within a hemifield as well as across the midline, 2) discriminate sources of low- and high-pass sounds, demonstrating that they can effectively utilize both low-frequency interaural

Spatial frequency characteristics at image decision-point locations for observers with different radiological backgrounds in lung nodule detection

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrzyk, Mariusz W.; Manning, David J.; Dix, Alan; Donovan, Tim

2009-02-01

Aim: The goal of the study is to determine the spatial frequency characteristics at locations in the image of overt and covert observers' decisions and find out if there are any similarities in different observers' groups: the same radiological experience group or the same accuracy scored level. Background: The radiological task is described as a visual searching decision making procedure involving visual perception and cognitive processing. Humans perceive the world through a number of spatial frequency channels, each sensitive to visual information carried by different spatial frequency ranges and orientations. Recent studies have shown that particular physical properties of local and global image-based elements are correlated with the performance and the level of experience of human observers in breast cancer and lung nodule detections. Neurological findings in visual perception were an inspiration for wavelet applications in vision research because the methodology tries to mimic the brain processing algorithms. Methods: The wavelet approach to the set of postero-anterior chest radiographs analysis has been used to characterize perceptual preferences observers with different levels of experience in the radiological task. Psychophysical methodology has been applied to track eye movements over the image, where particular ROIs related to the observers' fixation clusters has been analysed in the spaces frame by Daubechies functions. Results: Significance differences have been found between the spatial frequency characteristics at the location of different decisions.

Frequency characteristics of the laser film digitizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimitsu, Y.; Taira, R.K.; Huang, H.K.

1988-01-01

The frequency characteristics of the laser film digitizer in the parallel and in the perpendicular scan direction are different. Because of this difference, moire pattern artifacts may appear in the digitized image. The authors found that this phenomenon is due to the frequency transfer characteristics of the various components in the laser film digitizer. From this observation, they derive a relationship between the spatial frequency content of the original image and the laser beam spot size based on the concept of image contrast. This relationship can be utilized to avoid the appearance of the moire pattern in the digitized image

Correcting Spatial Variance of RCM for GEO SAR Imaging Based on Time-Frequency Scaling

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ze; Lin, Peng; Xiao, Peng; Kang, Lihong; Li, Chunsheng

2016-01-01

Compared with low-Earth orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a geosynchronous (GEO) SAR can have a shorter revisit period and vaster coverage. However, relative motion between this SAR and targets is more complicated, which makes range cell migration (RCM) spatially variant along both range and azimuth. As a result, efficient and precise imaging becomes difficult. This paper analyzes and models spatial variance for GEO SAR in the time and frequency domains. A novel algorithm for GEO SAR imaging with a resolution of 2 m in both the ground cross-range and range directions is proposed, which is composed of five steps. The first is to eliminate linear azimuth variance through the first azimuth time scaling. The second is to achieve RCM correction and range compression. The third is to correct residual azimuth variance by the second azimuth time-frequency scaling. The fourth and final steps are to accomplish azimuth focusing and correct geometric distortion. The most important innovation of this algorithm is implementation of the time-frequency scaling to correct high-order azimuth variance. As demonstrated by simulation results, this algorithm can accomplish GEO SAR imaging with good and uniform imaging quality over the entire swath. PMID:27428974

Assessment of plasma impedance probe for measuring electron density and collision frequency in a plasma with spatial and temporal gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, Mark A.; King, Lyon B.

2014-01-01

Numerical simulations and experimental measurements were combined to determine the ability of a plasma impedance probe (PIP) to measure plasma density and electron collision frequency in a plasma containing spatial gradients as well as time-varying oscillations in the plasma density. A PIP is sensitive to collision frequency through the width of the parallel resonance in the Re[Z]-vs.-frequency characteristic, while also being sensitive to electron density through the zero-crossing of the Im[Z]-vs.-frequency characteristic at parallel resonance. Simulations of the probe characteristic in a linear plasma gradient indicated that the broadening of Re[Z] due to the spatial gradient obscured the broadening due to electron collision frequency, preventing a quantitative measurement of the absolute collision frequency for gradients considered in this study. Simulation results also showed that the PIP is sensitive to relative changes in electron collision frequency in a spatial density gradient, but a second broadening effect due to time-varying oscillations made collision frequency measurements impossible. The time-varying oscillations had the effect of causing multiple zero-crossings in Im[Z] at parallel resonance. Results of experiments and simulations indicated that the lowest-frequency zero-crossing represented the lowest plasma density in the oscillations and the highest-frequency zero-crossing represented the highest plasma density in the oscillations, thus the PIP probe was found to be an effective tool to measure both the average plasma density as well as the maximum and minimum densities due to temporal oscillations

Low-frequency spatial wave manipulation via phononic crystals with relaxed cell symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celli, Paolo; Gonella, Stefano

2014-01-01

Phononic crystals enjoy unique wave manipulation capabilities enabled by their periodic topologies. On one hand, they feature frequency-dependent directivity, which allows directional propagation of selected modes even at low frequencies. However, the stellar nature of the propagation patterns and the inability to induce single-beam focusing represent significant limitations of this functionality. On the other hand, one can realize waveguides by defecting the periodic structure of a crystal operating in bandgap mode along some desired path. Waveguides of this type are only activated in the relatively high and narrow frequency bands corresponding to total bandgaps, which limits their potential technological applications. In this work, we introduce a class of phononic crystals with relaxed cell symmetry and we exploit symmetry relaxation of a population of auxiliary microstructural elements to achieve spatial manipulation of elastic waves at very low frequencies, in the range of existence of the acoustic modes. By this approach, we achieve focusing without modifying the default static properties of the medium and by invoking mechanisms that are well suited to envision adaptive configurations for semi-active wave control

Measuring streetscape complexity based on the statistics of local contrast and spatial frequency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Cavalcante

Full Text Available Streetscapes are basic urban elements which play a major role in the livability of a city. The visual complexity of streetscapes is known to influence how people behave in such built spaces. However, how and which characteristics of a visual scene influence our perception of complexity have yet to be fully understood. This study proposes a method to evaluate the complexity perceived in streetscapes based on the statistics of local contrast and spatial frequency. Here, 74 streetscape images from four cities, including daytime and nighttime scenes, were ranked for complexity by 40 participants. Image processing was then used to locally segment contrast and spatial frequency in the streetscapes. The statistics of these characteristics were extracted and later combined to form a single objective measure. The direct use of statistics revealed structural or morphological patterns in streetscapes related to the perception of complexity. Furthermore, in comparison to conventional measures of visual complexity, the proposed objective measure exhibits a higher correlation with the opinion of the participants. Also, the performance of this method is more robust regarding different time scenarios.

Measuring Auditory Selective Attention using Frequency Tagging

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Hari M Bharadwaj

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Frequency tagging of sensory inputs (presenting stimuli that fluctuate periodically at rates to which the cortex can phase lock has been used to study attentional modulation of neural responses to inputs in different sensory modalities. For visual inputs, the visual steady-state response (VSSR at the frequency modulating an attended object is enhanced, while the VSSR to a distracting object is suppressed. In contrast, the effect of attention on the auditory steady-state response (ASSR is inconsistent across studies. However, most auditory studies analyzed results at the sensor level or used only a small number of equivalent current dipoles to fit cortical responses. In addition, most studies of auditory spatial attention used dichotic stimuli (independent signals at the ears rather than more natural, binaural stimuli. Here, we asked whether these methodological choices help explain discrepant results. Listeners attended to one of two competing speech streams, one simulated from the left and one from the right, that were modulated at different frequencies. Using distributed source modeling of magnetoencephalography results, we estimate how spatially directed attention modulates the ASSR in neural regions across the whole brain. Attention enhances the ASSR power at the frequency of the attended stream in the contralateral auditory cortex. The attended-stream modulation frequency also drives phase-locked responses in the left (but not right precentral sulcus (lPCS, a region implicated in control of eye gaze and visual spatial attention. Importantly, this region shows no phase locking to the distracting stream suggesting that the lPCS in engaged in an attention-specific manner. Modeling results that take account of the geometry and phases of the cortical sources phase locked to the two streams (including hemispheric asymmetry of lPCS activity help partly explain why past ASSR studies of auditory spatial attention yield seemingly contradictory

Research on a Micro-Grid Frequency Modulation Strategy Based on Optimal Utilization of Air Conditioners

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Qingzhu Wan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available With the proportion of air conditioners increasing gradually, they can provide a certain amount of frequency-controlled reserves for a micro-grid. Optimizing utilization of air conditioners and considering load response characteristics and customer comfort, the frequency adjustment model is a quadratic function model between the trigger temperature of the air conditioner compressor, and frequency variation is provided, which can be used to regulate the trigger temperature of the air conditioner when the micro-grid frequency rises and falls. This frequency adjustment model combines a primary frequency modulation method and a secondary frequency modulation method of the energy storage system, in order to optimize the frequency of a micro-grid. The simulation results show that the frequency modulation strategy for air conditioners can effectively improve the frequency modulation ability of air conditioners and frequency modulation effects of a micro-grid in coordination with an energy storage system.

Investigation of spatial resolution characteristics of an in vivo microcomputed tomography system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghani, Muhammad U. [Center for Biomedical engineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Zhou, Zhongxing [Center for Biomedical engineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); School of Precision and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Ren, Liqiang; Wong, Molly; Li, Yuhua; Zheng, Bin [Center for Biomedical engineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Yang, Kai [Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114 (United States); Liu, Hong, E-mail: liu@ou.edu [Center for Biomedical engineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States)

2016-01-21

The spatial resolution characteristics of an in vivo microcomputed tomography (CT) system was investigated in the in-plane (x–y), cross plane (z) and projection imaging modes. The microCT system utilized in this study employs a flat panel detector with a 127 µm pixel pitch, a microfocus x-ray tube with a focal spot size ranging from 5–30 µm, and accommodates three geometric magnifications (M) of 1.72, 2.54 and 5.10. The in-plane modulation transfer function (MTF) curves were measured as a function of the number of projections, geometric magnification (M), detector binning and reconstruction magnification (M{sub Recon}). The in plane cutoff frequency (10% MTF) ranged from 2.31 lp/mm (M=1.72, 2×2 binning) to 12.56 lp/mm (M=5.10, 1×1 binning) and a bar pattern phantom validated those measurements. A slight degradation in the spatial resolution was observed when comparing the image reconstruction with 511 and 918 projections, whose effect was visible at the lower frequencies. Small value of M{sub Recon} has little or no impact on the in-plane spatial resolution owning to a stable system. Large value of M{sub Recon} has implications on the spatial resolution and it was evident when comparing the bar pattern images reconstructed with M{sub Recon}=1.25 and 2.5. The cross plane MTF curves showed that the spatial resolution increased as the slice thickness decreased. The cutoff frequencies in the projection imaging mode yielded slightly higher values as compared to the in-plane and cross plane modes at all the geometric magnifications (M). At M=5.10, the cutoff resolution of the projection and cross plane on an ultra-high contrast resolution bar chip phantom were 14.9 lp/mm and 13–13.5 lp/mm. Due to the finite focal spot size of the x-ray tube, the detector blur and the reconstruction kernel functions, the system's spatial resolution does not reach the limiting spatial resolution as defined by the Nyquist's detector criteria with an ideal point source

Prenatal methylmercury exposure affects spatial vision in adult monkeys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burbacher, Thomas M.; Grant, Kimberly S.; Mayfield, David B.; Gilbert, Steven G.; Rice, Deborah C.

2005-01-01

Decades of research have demonstrated that exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, can have both early and long-term neurobehavioral consequences in exposed offspring. The present study assessed visual functioning in adult macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) exposed in utero to 0, 50, 70, or 90 μg/kg/day of MeHg hydroxide. Twenty-one full-term, normal birth weight offspring (9 controls, 12 exposed) were tested at approximately 11-14.5 years of age on a visual contrast sensitivity task. A forced-choice tracking procedure was utilized with spatial frequencies of 1, 4, 10, and 20 cycles per degree of visual angle. On each test session, a single spatial frequency was presented across five levels of contrast, each differing by 3 dB. Methylmercury-exposed monkeys exhibited reduced contrast sensitivity thresholds, particularly at the higher spatial frequencies. The degree of visual impairment was not related to MeHg body burden or clearance and almost half of the exposed animals were unimpaired. The results from this study demonstrate that chronic in utero MeHg exposure, at subclinical levels, is associated with permanent adverse effects on spatial vision in adult monkeys

The Utilization of High-Frequency Gravitational Waves for Global Communications

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Robert M L Baker

2012-10-01

Full Text Available For over 1000 years electromagnetic radiation has been utilized for long-distance communication. Smoke signals, heliographs, telegraphs, telephones and radio have all served our previous communication needs. Nevertheless, electromagnetic radiation has one major difficulty: it is easily absorbed. In this paper we consider a totally different radiation, a radiation that is not easily absorbed: gravitational radiation. Such radiation, like gravity itself, is not absorbed by earth, water or any material substance. In particular we discuss herein means to generate and detect high-frequency gravitational waves or HFGWs, and how they can be utilized for communication. There are two barriers to their practical utilization: they are extremely difficult to generate (a large power required to generate very weak GWs and it is extremely difficult to detect weak GWs. We intend to demonstrate theoretically in this paper their phase-coherent generation utilizing an array of in-phase microelectro-mechanical systems or MEMS resonator elements in which the HFGW flux is proportional to the square of the number of elements. This process solves the transmitter difficulty. Three HFGW detectors have previously been built; but their sensitivity is insufficient for meaningful HFGW reception; greater sensitivity is necessary. A new Li-Baker HFGW detector, discussed herein, is based upon a different measurement technique than the other detectors and is predicted to achieve a sensitivity to satisfy HFGW communication needs.

How vision is shaped by language comprehension--top-down feedback based on low-spatial frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Zwitserlood, Pienie

2011-03-04

Effects of language comprehension on visual processing have been extensively studied within the embodied-language framework. However, it is unknown whether these effects are caused by passive repetition suppression in visual processing areas, or depend on active feedback, based on partial input, from prefrontal regions. Based on a model of top-down feedback during visual recognition, we predicted diminished effects when low-spatial frequencies were removed from targets. We compared low-pass and high-pass filtered pictures in a sentence-picture-verification task. Target pictures matched or mismatched the implied shape of an object mentioned in a preceding sentence, or were unrelated to the sentences. As predicted, there was a large match advantage when the targets contained low-spatial frequencies, but no effect of linguistic context when these frequencies were filtered out. The proposed top-down feedback model is superior to repetition suppression in explaining the current results, as well as earlier results about the lateralization of this effect, and peculiar color match effects. We discuss these findings in the context of recent general proposals of prediction and top-down feedback. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Newborns' Face Recognition Is Based on Spatial Frequencies below 0.5 Cycles per Degree

Science.gov (United States)

de Heering, Adelaide; Turati, Chiara; Rossion, Bruno; Bulf, Hermann; Goffaux, Valerie; Simion, Francesca

2008-01-01

A critical question in Cognitive Science concerns how knowledge of specific domains emerges during development. Here we examined how limitations of the visual system during the first days of life may shape subsequent development of face processing abilities. By manipulating the bands of spatial frequencies of face images, we investigated what is…

A conceptual framework to identify spatial implications of new ways of learning in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beckers, R; van der Voordt, Theo; Dewulf, G

2015-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the spatial implications of new learning theories and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach - Based on a review of literature, a theoretical framework has been developed that

High Speed and High Spatial Density Parameter Measurement Using Fiber Optic Sensing Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Allen R. Jr. (Inventor); Chan, Hon Man (Inventor); Richards, William Lance (Inventor); Piazza, Anthony (Inventor); Hamory, Philip J (Inventor)

2017-01-01

The present invention is an improved fiber optic sensing system (FOSS) having the ability to provide both high spatial resolution and high frequency strain measurements. The inventive hybrid FOSS fiber combines sensors from high acquisition speed and low spatial resolution Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) systems and from low acquisition speed and high spatial resolution Optical Frequency Domain Reflection (OFDR) systems. Two unique light sources utilizing different wavelengths are coupled with the hybrid FOSS fiber to generate reflected data from both the WDM sensors and OFDR sensors operating on a single fiber optic cable without incurring interference from one another. The two data sets are then de-multiplexed for analysis, optionally with conventionally-available WDM and OFDR system analyzers.

A conceptual framework to identify spatial implications of new ways of learning in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geert Dewulf; Theo van der Voordt; Ronald Beckers

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the spatial implications of new learning theories and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature, a theoretical framework has been developed

A conceptual framework to identify spatial implications of new ways of learning in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beckers, Ronald; van der Voordt, Theo; Dewulf, Geert P.M.R.

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the spatial implications of new learning theories and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature, a theoretical framework has been developed that

Proficient use of low spatial frequencies facilitates face memory but shows protracted maturation throughout adolescence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, Judith C; Kemner, Chantal

2017-01-01

Face perception is characterized by configural processing, which depends on visual information in the low spatial frequency (LSF) ranges. However, it is unclear whether LSF content is equally important for face memory. The present study investigated how face information in the low and high SF range

Low spatial frequency bias in schizophrenia is not face specific: When the integration of coarse and fine information fails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent eLaprevote

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia exhibit visual processing impairments, particularly regarding the processing of spatial frequencies. In a previous work, we found that, compared to healthy volunteers, patients were biased towards low spatial frequencies (LSF to identify facial expression at a glance. Given the ubiquity of faces in visual perception, it remains an open question whether the LSF bias is face specific or also occurs with other visual objects. Here, fifteen patients with schizophrenia and eleven healthy control adults performed a categorization task with hybrid stimuli. These stimuli were single images consisting of two different objects, a fruit and an animal, each in a specific spatial frequency range, either low (LSF or high (HSF. Observers were asked to report if they saw an animal or a fruit. The reported category demonstrated which spatial scale was preferentially perceived in each trial. In a control experiment, participants performed the same task but with images of only a single object, either a LSF or HSF filtered animal or fruit, to verify that participants could perceive both HSF or LSF when presented in isolation. The results on the categorization task showed that patients chose more frequently LSF with hybrid stimuli compared to healthy controls. However, both populations performed equally well with HSF and LSF filtered pictures in the control experiment, demonstrating that the LSF preference found with hybrid stimuli in patients was not due to an inability to perceive HSF.The LSF preference found in schizophrenia confirms our previous study conducted with faces, and shows that this LSF bias generalizes to other categories of objects. When a broad range of spatial frequencies are present in the image, as in normal conditions of viewing, patients preferentially rely on coarse visual information contained in LSF. This result may be interpreted as a dysfunction of the guidance of HSF processing by LSF

The Utilization of Low Frequency Raman Spectra of Gases for the Study of Molecules with Large Amplitude Vibration

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

James R. Durig; Sarah Xiao-hua Zhou; Joshua Klaassen; Arindam Ganguly

2009-01-01

The utilization of the Raman spectra of the low frequency bending mode for three quasi-linear molecules, disiloxane, (SiH3)2 O; methylisocyanate, CH3NCO; and dimethy lisocyanate, (CH3)2SiHNCO for observing the low frequency anharmonic bending vibration is demonstrated which is superior to the corresponding far infrared spectra. From the observed frequencies from the Raman spectra the potential function governing the heavy atom motion to linearity has been obtained from which the barrier has been determined. These experimental values are compared to the ab ini-tio predicted values. Also low frequency Raman spectra of the ring puckering vibration of chlorocy-clobutane, c-C4H7Cl, bromocyclobutane, c-C4H7Br, and aminocyclobutane, c-C4H7NH2, have been utilized to obtain the potential function governing the ring inversion for these molecules. The deter-mined barriers to planarity are compared to those obtained from MP2 (full) ab initio and density functional theory B3LYP calculations by utilizing a variety of basis sets. For all of these studies it is shown that the Raman spectra are superior to the infrared spectra for determining the frequencies of the excited state transitions.

Processing of spatial sounds in the impaired auditory system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arweiler, Iris

with an intelligibility-weighted “efficiency factor” which revealed that the spectral characteristics of the ER’s caused the reduced benefit. Hearing-impaired listeners were able to utilize the ER energy as effectively as normal-hearing listeners, most likely because binaural processing was not required...... implications for speech perception models and the development of compensation strategies in future generations of hearing instruments.......Understanding speech in complex acoustic environments presents a challenge for most hearing-impaired listeners. In conditions where normal-hearing listeners effortlessly utilize spatial cues to improve speech intelligibility, hearing-impaired listeners often struggle. In this thesis, the influence...

Real-time and quantitative isotropic spatial resolution susceptibility imaging for magnetic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Pi, Shiqiang; Liu, Wenzhong; Jiang, Tao

2018-03-01

The magnetic transparency of biological tissue allows the magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) to be a promising functional sensor and contrast agent. The complex susceptibility of MNPs, strongly influenced by particle concentration, excitation magnetic field and their surrounding microenvironment, provides significant implications for biomedical applications. Therefore, magnetic susceptibility imaging of high spatial resolution will give more detailed information during the process of MNP-aided diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we present a novel spatial magnetic susceptibility extraction method for MNPs under a gradient magnetic field, a low-frequency drive magnetic field, and a weak strength high-frequency magnetic field. Based on this novel method, a magnetic particle susceptibility imaging (MPSI) of millimeter-level spatial resolution (<3 mm) was achieved using our homemade imaging system. Corroborated by the experimental results, the MPSI shows real-time (1 s per frame acquisition) and quantitative abilities, and isotropic high resolution.

Early puzzle play: a predictor of preschoolers' spatial transformation skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Susan C; Ratliff, Kristin R; Huttenlocher, Janellen; Cannon, Joanna

2012-03-01

Individual differences in spatial skill emerge prior to kindergarten entry. However, little is known about the early experiences that may contribute to these differences. The current study examined the relation between children's early puzzle play and their spatial skill. Children and parents (n = 53) were observed at home for 90 min every 4 months (6 times) between 2 and 4 years of age (26 to 46 months). When children were 4 years 6 months old, they completed a spatial task involving mental transformations of 2-dimensional shapes. Children who were observed playing with puzzles performed better on this task than those who did not, controlling for parent education, income, and overall parent word types. Moreover, among those children who played with puzzles, frequency of puzzle play predicted performance on the spatial transformation task. Although the frequency of puzzle play did not differ for boys and girls, the quality of puzzle play (a composite of puzzle difficulty, parent engagement, and parent spatial language) was higher for boys than for girls. In addition, variation in puzzle play quality predicted performance on the spatial transformation task for girls but not for boys. Implications of these findings as well as future directions for research on the role of puzzle play in the development of spatial skill are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Early Puzzle Play: A predictor of preschoolers’ spatial transformation skill

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, S.C.; Ratliff, K.R.; Huttenlocher, J.; Cannon, J.

2011-01-01

Individual differences in spatial skill emerge prior to kindergarten entry. However, little is known about the early experiences that may contribute to these differences. The current study examines the relation between children’s early puzzle play and their spatial skill. Children and parents (n = 53) were observed at home for 90 minutes every four months (six times) between 2 and 4 years of age (26 to 46 months). When children were 4 years 6 months old, they completed a spatial task involving mental transformations of 2D shapes. Children who were observed playing with puzzles performed better on this task than those who did not, controlling for parent education, income, and overall parent word types. Moreover, among those children who played with puzzles, frequency of puzzle play predicted performance on the spatial transformation task. Although the frequency of puzzle play did not differ for boys and girls, the quality of puzzle play (a composite of puzzle difficulty, parent engagement, and parent spatial language) was higher for boys than girls. In addition, variation in puzzle play quality predicted performance on the spatial transformation task for girls but not boys. Implications of these findings as well as future directions for research on the role of the role of puzzle play in the development of spatial skill are discussed. PMID:22040312

Utilization of negative beat-frequencies for maximizing the update-rate of OFDR

Science.gov (United States)

Gabai, Haniel; Botsev, Yakov; Hahami, Meir; Eyal, Avishay

2015-07-01

In traditional OFDR systems, the backscattered profile of a sensing fiber is inefficiently duplicated to the negative band of spectrum. In this work, we present a new OFDR design and algorithm that remove this redundancy and make use of negative beat frequencies. In contrary to conventional OFDR designs, it facilitates efficient use of the available system bandwidth and enables distributed sensing with the maximum allowable interrogation update-rate for a given fiber length. To enable the reconstruction of negative beat frequencies an I/Q type receiver is used. In this receiver, both the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the backscatter field are detected. Following detection, both components are digitally combined to produce a complex backscatter signal. Accordingly, due to its asymmetric nature, the produced spectrum will not be corrupted by the appearance of negative beat-frequencies. Here, via a comprehensive computer simulation, we show that in contrast to conventional OFDR systems, I/Q OFDR can be operated at maximum interrogation update-rate for a given fiber length. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of I/Q OFDR to utilize negative beat-frequencies for long-range distributed sensing.

Non-Linear Detection for Joint Space-Frequency Block Coding and Spatial Multiplexing in OFDM-MIMO Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahman, Imadur Mohamed; Marchetti, Nicola; Fitzek, Frank

2005-01-01

(SIC) receiver where the detection is done on subcarrier by sub-carrier basis based on both Zero Forcing (ZF) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) nulling criterion for the system. In terms of Frame Error Rate (FER), MMSE based SIC receiver performs better than all other receivers compared......In this work, we have analyzed a joint spatial diversity and multiplexing transmission structure for MIMO-OFDM system, where Orthogonal Space-Frequency Block Coding (OSFBC) is used across all spatial multiplexing branches. We have derived a BLAST-like non-linear Successive Interference Cancellation...... in this paper. We have found that a linear two-stage receiver for the proposed system [1] performs very close to the non-linear receiver studied in this work. Finally, we compared the system performance in spatially correlated scenario. It is found that higher amount of spatial correlation at the transmitter...

Prevalence of pure versus mixed snow cover pixels across spatial resolutions in alpine environments: implications for binary and fractional remote sensing approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Selkowitz, David J.; Forster, Richard; Caldwell, Megan K.

2014-01-01

Remote sensing of snow-covered area (SCA) can be binary (indicating the presence/absence of snow cover at each pixel) or fractional (indicating the fraction of each pixel covered by snow). Fractional SCA mapping provides more information than binary SCA, but is more difficult to implement and may not be feasible with all types of remote sensing data. The utility of fractional SCA mapping relative to binary SCA mapping varies with the intended application as well as by spatial resolution, temporal resolution and period of interest, and climate. We quantified the frequency of occurrence of partially snow-covered (mixed) pixels at spatial resolutions between 1 m and 500 m over five dates at two study areas in the western U.S., using 0.5 m binary SCA maps derived from high spatial resolution imagery aggregated to fractional SCA at coarser spatial resolutions. In addition, we used in situ monitoring to estimate the frequency of partially snow-covered conditions for the period September 2013–August 2014 at 10 60-m grid cell footprints at two study areas with continental snow climates. Results from the image analysis indicate that at 40 m, slightly above the nominal spatial resolution of Landsat, mixed pixels accounted for 25%–93% of total pixels, while at 500 m, the nominal spatial resolution of MODIS bands used for snow cover mapping, mixed pixels accounted for 67%–100% of total pixels. Mixed pixels occurred more commonly at the continental snow climate site than at the maritime snow climate site. The in situ data indicate that some snow cover was present between 186 and 303 days, and partial snow cover conditions occurred on 10%–98% of days with snow cover. Four sites remained partially snow-free throughout most of the winter and spring, while six sites were entirely snow covered throughout most or all of the winter and spring. Within 60 m grid cells, the late spring/summer transition from snow-covered to snow-free conditions lasted 17–56 days and averaged 37

Feasibility of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) for optically characterizing a preclinical oncology model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabassum, Syeda; Zhao, Yanyu; Istfan, Raeef; Wu, Junjie; Waxman, David J; Roblyer, Darren

2016-10-01

Determination of chemotherapy efficacy early during treatment would provide more opportunities for physicians to alter and adapt treatment plans. Diffuse optical technologies may be ideally suited to track early biological events following chemotherapy administration due to low cost and high information content. We evaluated the use of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) to characterize a small animal tumor model in order to move towards the goal of endogenous optical monitoring of cancer therapy in a controlled preclinical setting. The effects of key measurement parameters including the choice of imaging spatial frequency and the repeatability of measurements were evaluated. The precision of SFDI optical property extractions over repeat mouse measurements was determined to be within 3.52% for move and replace experiments. Baseline optical properties and chromophore values as well as intratumor heterogeneity were evaluated over 25 tumors. Additionally, tumor growth and chemotherapy response were monitored over a 45 day longitudinal study in a small number of mice to demonstrate the ability of SFDI to track treatment effects. Optical scattering and oxygen saturation increased as much as 70% and 25% respectively in treated tumors, suggesting SFDI may be useful for preclinical tracking of cancer therapies.

Broadband analog to digital conversion with spatial-spectral holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babbitt, W. Randall; Neifeld, Mark A.; Merkel, Kristian D.

2007-01-01

A new approach to broadband photonic-assisted analog-to-digital converter (ADC) technology is proposed and analyzed. The core of the device is a spatial spectral holographic (SSH) material, which can directly record the signals of interest in the frequency domain. An SSH-ADC acts as a frequency-domain stretch processor, which leverages the high performance of conventional ADCs by converting high bandwidth input signals to low bandwidth output signals without loss of information. Analysis of a 10 GHz bandwidth SSH-ADC predicts that 10-bit performance can be achieved with currently available materials and components. SSH-ADC technology is scalable to bandwidths over 100 GHz with recently developed SSH materials. While the SSH-ADC is a transient digitizer, the spatial parallelism of SSH materials can be utilized to enable continuous digitization

Broadband analog to digital conversion with spatial-spectral holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babbitt, W. Randall [Spectrum Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3510 (United States)]. E-mail: babbitt@physics.montana.edu; Neifeld, Mark A. [Spectrum Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3510 (United States); Merkel, Kristian D. [Spectrum Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3510 (United States)

2007-11-15

A new approach to broadband photonic-assisted analog-to-digital converter (ADC) technology is proposed and analyzed. The core of the device is a spatial spectral holographic (SSH) material, which can directly record the signals of interest in the frequency domain. An SSH-ADC acts as a frequency-domain stretch processor, which leverages the high performance of conventional ADCs by converting high bandwidth input signals to low bandwidth output signals without loss of information. Analysis of a 10 GHz bandwidth SSH-ADC predicts that 10-bit performance can be achieved with currently available materials and components. SSH-ADC technology is scalable to bandwidths over 100 GHz with recently developed SSH materials. While the SSH-ADC is a transient digitizer, the spatial parallelism of SSH materials can be utilized to enable continuous digitization.

Assessing the utility of frequency dependent nudging for reducing biases in biogeochemical models

Science.gov (United States)

Lagman, Karl B.; Fennel, Katja; Thompson, Keith R.; Bianucci, Laura

2014-09-01

Bias errors, resulting from inaccurate boundary and forcing conditions, incorrect model parameterization, etc. are a common problem in environmental models including biogeochemical ocean models. While it is important to correct bias errors wherever possible, it is unlikely that any environmental model will ever be entirely free of such errors. Hence, methods for bias reduction are necessary. A widely used technique for online bias reduction is nudging, where simulated fields are continuously forced toward observations or a climatology. Nudging is robust and easy to implement, but suppresses high-frequency variability and introduces artificial phase shifts. As a solution to this problem Thompson et al. (2006) introduced frequency dependent nudging where nudging occurs only in prescribed frequency bands, typically centered on the mean and the annual cycle. They showed this method to be effective for eddy resolving ocean circulation models. Here we add a stability term to the previous form of frequency dependent nudging which makes the method more robust for non-linear biological models. Then we assess the utility of frequency dependent nudging for biological models by first applying the method to a simple predator-prey model and then to a 1D ocean biogeochemical model. In both cases we only nudge in two frequency bands centered on the mean and the annual cycle, and then assess how well the variability in higher frequency bands is recovered. We evaluate the effectiveness of frequency dependent nudging in comparison to conventional nudging and find significant improvements with the former.

Spatial grids for hurricane climate research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elsner, James B.; Hodges, Robert E.; Jagger, Thomas H. [Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL (United States)

2012-07-15

The authors demonstrate a spatial framework for studying hurricane climatology. The framework consists of a spatial tessellation of the hurricane basin using equal-area hexagons. The hexagons are efficient at covering hurricane tracks and provide a scaffolding to combine attribute data from tropical cyclones with spatial climate data. The framework's utility is demonstrated using examples from recent hurricane seasons. Seasons that have similar tracks are quantitatively assessed and grouped. Regional cyclone frequency and intensity variations are mapped. A geographically-weighted regression of cyclone intensity on sea-surface temperature emphasizes the importance of a warm ocean in the intensification of cyclones over regions where the heat content is greatest. The largest differences between model predictions and observations occur near the coast. The authors suggest the framework is ideally suited for comparing tropical cyclones generated from different numerical simulations. (orig.)

Utilization of accident databases and fuzzy sets to estimate frequency of HazMat transport accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Yuanhua; Keren, Nir; Mannan, M. Sam

2009-01-01

Risk assessment and management of transportation of hazardous materials (HazMat) require the estimation of accident frequency. This paper presents a methodology to estimate hazardous materials transportation accident frequency by utilizing publicly available databases and expert knowledge. The estimation process addresses route-dependent and route-independent variables. Negative binomial regression is applied to an analysis of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) accident database to derive basic accident frequency as a function of route-dependent variables, while the effects of route-independent variables are modeled by fuzzy logic. The integrated methodology provides the basis for an overall transportation risk analysis, which can be used later to develop a decision support system.

Spatial heterogeneity, frequency-dependent selection and polymorphism in host-parasite interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tellier Aurélien

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genomic and pathology analysis has revealed enormous diversity in genes involved in disease, including those encoding host resistance and parasite effectors (also known in plant pathology as avirulence genes. It has been proposed that such variation may persist when an organism exists in a spatially structured metapopulation, following the geographic mosaic of coevolution. Here, we study gene-for-gene relationships governing the outcome of plant-parasite interactions in a spatially structured system and, in particular, investigate the population genetic processes which maintain balanced polymorphism in both species. Results Following previous theory on the effect of heterogeneous environments on maintenance of polymorphism, we analysed a model with two demes in which the demes have different environments and are coupled by gene flow. Environmental variation is manifested by different coefficients of natural selection, the costs to the host of resistance and to the parasite of virulence, the cost to the host of being diseased and the cost to an avirulent parasite of unsuccessfully attacking a resistant host. We show that migration generates negative direct frequency-dependent selection, a condition for maintenance of stable polymorphism in each deme. Balanced polymorphism occurs preferentially if there is heterogeneity for costs of resistance and virulence alleles among populations and to a lesser extent if there is variation in the cost to the host of being diseased. We show that the four fitness costs control the natural frequency of oscillation of host resistance and parasite avirulence alleles. If demes have different costs, their frequencies of oscillation differ and when coupled by gene flow, there is amplitude death of the oscillations in each deme. Numerical simulations show that for a multiple deme island model, costs of resistance and virulence need not to be present in each deme for stable polymorphism to occur

Identification of two-phase flow pattern by using specific spatial frequency of differential pressure signal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Bin; Tong Yunxian; Wu Shaorong

1992-11-01

It is a classical method by using analysis of differential pressure fluctuation signal to identify two-phase flow pattern. The method which uses trait peak in the frequency-domain will result confusion between bubble flow and intermittent flow due to the influence of gas speed. Considering the spatial geometric significance of two-phase slow patterns and using the differential pressure gauge as a sensor, the Strouhal number 'Sr' is taken as the basis for distinguishing flow patterns. Using Strouhal number 'Sr' to identify flow pattern has clear physical meaning. The experimental results using the spatial analytical technique to measure the flow pattern are also given

Inferring the flood frequency distribution for an ungauged basin using a spatially distributed rainfall-runoff model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Moretti

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The estimation of the peak river flow for ungauged river sections is a topical issue in applied hydrology. Spatially distributed rainfall-runoff models can be a useful tool to this end, since they are potentially able to simulate the river flow at any location of the watershed drainage network. However, it is not fully clear to what extent these models can provide reliable simulations over a wide range of spatial scales. This issue is investigated here by applying a spatially distributed, continuous simulation rainfall-runoff model to infer the flood frequency distribution of the Riarbero River. This is an ungauged mountain creek located in northern Italy, whose drainage area is 17 km². The hydrological model is first calibrated by using a 1-year record of hourly meteorological data and river flows observed at the outlet of the 1294 km² wide Secchia River basin, of which the Riarbero is a tributary. The model is then validated by performing a 100-year long simulation of synthetic river flow data, which allowed us to compare the simulated and observed flood frequency distributions at the Secchia River outlet and the internal cross river section of Cavola Bridge, where the basin area is 337 km². Finally, another simulation of hourly river flows was performed by referring to the outlet of the Riarbero River, therefore allowing us to estimate the related flood frequency distribution. The results were validated by using estimates of peak river flow obtained by applying hydrological similarity principles and a regional method. The results show that the flood flow estimated through the application of the distributed model is consistent with the estimate provided by the regional procedure as well as the behaviors of the river banks. Conversely, the method based on hydrological similarity delivers an estimate that seems to be not as reliable. The analysis highlights interesting perspectives for the application of

Spatial frequency domain imaging using a snap-shot filter mosaic camera with multi-wavelength sensitive pixels

Science.gov (United States)

Strömberg, Tomas; Saager, Rolf B.; Kennedy, Gordon T.; Fredriksson, Ingemar; Salerud, Göran; Durkin, Anthony J.; Larsson, Marcus

2018-02-01

Spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) utilizes a digital light processing (DLP) projector for illuminating turbid media with sinusoidal patterns. The tissue absorption (μa) and reduced scattering coefficient (μ,s) are calculated by analyzing the modulation transfer function for at least two spatial frequencies. We evaluated different illumination strategies with a red, green and blue light emitting diodes (LED) in the DLP, while imaging with a filter mosaic camera, XiSpec, with 16 different multi-wavelength sensitive pixels in the 470-630 nm wavelength range. Data were compared to SFDI by a multispectral camera setup (MSI) consisting of four cameras with bandpass filters centered at 475, 560, 580 and 650 nm. A pointwise system for comprehensive microcirculation analysis was used (EPOS) for comparison. A 5-min arterial occlusion and release protocol on the forearm of a Caucasian male with fair skin was analyzed by fitting the absorption spectra of the chromophores HbO2, Hb and melanin to the estimatedμa. The tissue fractions of red blood cells (fRBC), melanin (/mel) and the Hb oxygenation (S02 ) were calculated at baseline, end of occlusion, early after release and late after release. EPOS results showed a decrease in S02 during the occlusion and hyperemia during release (S02 = 40%, 5%, 80% and 51%). The fRBC showed an increase during occlusion and release phases. The best MSI resemblance to the EPOS was for green LED illumination (S02 = 53%, 9%, 82%, 65%). Several illumination and analysis strategies using the XiSpec gave un-physiological results (e.g. negative S02 ). XiSpec with green LED illumination gave the expected change in /RBC , while the dynamics in S02 were less than those for EPOS. These results may be explained by the calculation of modulation using an illumination and detector setup with a broad spectral transmission bandwidth, with considerable variation in μa of included chromophores. Approaches for either reducing the effective bandwidth of

Spatially resolved ultrasonic attenuation in resistance spot welds: implications for nondestructive testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mozurkewich, George; Ghaffari, Bita; Potter, Timothy J

2008-09-01

Spatial variation of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity has been measured in plane parallel specimens extracted from resistance spot welds. In a strong weld, attenuation is larger in the nugget than in the parent material, and the region of increased attenuation is surrounded by a ring of decreased attenuation. In the center of a stick weld, attenuation is even larger than in a strong weld, and the low-attenuation ring is absent. These spatial variations are interpreted in terms of differences in grain size and martensite formation. Measured frequency dependences indicate the presence of an additional attenuation mechanism besides grain scattering. The observed attenuations do not vary as commonly presumed with weld quality, suggesting that the common practice of using ultrasonic attenuation to indicate weld quality is not a reliable methodology.

Energy technologies for distributed utility applications: Cost and performance trends, and implications for photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eyer, J.M.

1994-01-01

Utilities are evaluating several electric generation and storage (G ampersand S) technologies for distributed utility (DU) applications. Attributes of leading DU technologies and implications for photovoltaics (PV) are described. Included is a survey of present and projected cost and performance for: (1) small, advanced combustion turbines (CTs); (2) advanced, natural gas-fired, diesel engines (diesel engines); and (3) advanced lead-acid battery systems (batteries). Technology drivers and relative qualitative benefits are described. A levelized energy cost-based cost target for PV for DU applications is provided. The analysis addresses only relative cost, for PV and for three selected alternative DU technologies. Comparable size, utility, and benefits are assumed, although relative value is application-specific and often technology- and site-specific

Clinical utility of the Taylor spatial frame for limb deformities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keshet D

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Doron Keshet, Mark Eidelman Pediatric Orthopedics Unit, Rambam Health Care Center, Haifa, Israel Abstract: The Taylor spatial frame (TSF is a hexapod external fixator that can correct six-axis deformities. The mathematical base of all hexapod systems is projective geometry, which describes complex repositioning of an object in space. The Taylor brothers developed one of the first six-axis correction systems, which is known today as TSF. Over the years, this system has become the most used six-axis deformity correction device. In this review, we describe the history behind TSF development, and describe the principles and clinical utility for application of the TSF in different settings, such as acute trauma, malunions, and various deformities of the lower and upper limb. Keywords: external fixator, deformity correction, hexapod

Priming Facial Gender and Emotional Valence: The Influence of Spatial Frequency on Face Perception in ASD

Science.gov (United States)

Vanmarcke, Steven; Wagemans, Johan

2017-01-01

Adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) performed two priming experiments in which they implicitly processed a prime stimulus, containing high and/or low spatial frequency information, and then explicitly categorized a target face either as male/female (gender task) or as positive/negative (Valence task). Adolescents with ASD…

Does feeding frequency affect utilization of added amino acids in Nile tilapia?

OpenAIRE

Hoque, Rezaul; Bajgai, Biswas

2014-01-01

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the major farmed fish species, with main production in Asia, South and Central America that can tolerate a wide range of environmental stress and easily adapt with low quality of feed ingredients. The aims of the experiments were to determine effects of feeding frequency on utilization of protein and energy in Nile tilapia, to quantify differences in excretion of ammonia and ammonium in Nile tilapia fed the same daily ration, distributed over 2 a...

Continuous-wave spatial quantum correlations of light induced by multiple scattering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smolka, Stephan; Ott, Johan Raunkjær; Huck, Alexander

2012-01-01

and reflectance. Utilizing frequency-resolved quantum noise measurements, we observe that the strength of the spatial quantum correlation function can be controlled by changing the quantum state of an incident bright squeezed-light source. Our results are found to be in excellent agreement with the developed......We present theoretical and experimental results on spatial quantum correlations induced by multiple scattering of nonclassical light. A continuous-mode quantum theory is derived that enables determining the spatial quantum correlation function from the fluctuations of the total transmittance...... theory and form a basis for future research on, e. g., quantum interference of multiple quantum states in a multiple scattering medium....

Low-frequency rTMS in the superior parietal cortex affects the working memory in horizontal axis during the spatial task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Jéssica Alves; Marinho, Francisco Victor Costa; Rocha, Kaline; Magalhães, Francisco; Baptista, Abrahão Fontes; Velasques, Bruna; Ribeiro, Pedro; Cagy, Mauricio; Bastos, Victor Hugo; Gupta, Daya; Teixeira, Silmar

2018-03-01

Spatial working memory has been extensively investigated with different tasks, treatments, and analysis tools. Several studies suggest that low frequency of the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the parietal cortex may influence spatial working memory (SWM). However, it is not yet known if after low-frequency rTMS applied to the superior parietal cortex, according to Pz electroencephalography (EEG) electrode, would change the orientation interpretation about the vertical and horizontal axes coordinates in an SWM task. The current study aims at filling this gap and obtains a better understanding of the low-frequency rTMS effect in SWM. In this crossover study, we select 20 healthy subjects in two conditions (control and 1-Hz rTMS). The subjects performed an SWM task with two random coordinates. Our results presented that low-frequency rTMS applied over the superior parietal cortex may influence the SWM to lead to a larger distance of axes interception point (p low-frequency rTMS over the superior parietal cortex (SPC) changes the SWM performance, and it has more predominance in horizontal axis.

Temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of disturbance wave in a hypersonic boundary layer due to single-frequency entropy disturbance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenqing; Tang, Xiaojun; Lv, Hongqing; Shi, Jianqiang

2014-01-01

By using a high-order accurate finite difference scheme, direct numerical simulation of hypersonic flow over an 8° half-wedge-angle blunt wedge under freestream single-frequency entropy disturbance is conducted; the generation and the temporal and spatial nonlinear evolution of boundary layer disturbance waves are investigated. Results show that, under the freestream single-frequency entropy disturbance, the entropy state of boundary layer is changed sharply and the disturbance waves within a certain frequency range are induced in the boundary layer. Furthermore, the amplitudes of disturbance waves in the period phase are larger than that in the response phase and ablation phase and the frequency range in the boundary layer in the period phase is narrower than that in these two phases. In addition, the mode competition, dominant mode transformation, and disturbance energy transfer exist among different modes both in temporal and in spatial evolution. The mode competition changes the characteristics of nonlinear evolution of the unstable waves in the boundary layer. The development of the most unstable mode along streamwise relies more on the motivation of disturbance waves in the upstream than that of other modes on this motivation.

Expected utility without utility

OpenAIRE

Castagnoli, E.; Licalzi, M.

1996-01-01

This paper advances an interpretation of Von Neumann–Morgenstern’s expected utility model for preferences over lotteries which does not require the notion of a cardinal utility over prizes and can be phrased entirely in the language of probability. According to it, the expected utility of a lottery can be read as the probability that this lottery outperforms another given independent lottery. The implications of this interpretation for some topics and models in decision theory are considered....

Economic Value of Li-ion Energy Storage System in Frequency Regulation Application from Utility Firm’s Perspective in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wonchang Hur

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Energy Storage Systems (ESSs have recently been highlighted because of their many benefits such as load-shifting, frequency regulation, price arbitrage, renewables, and so on. Among those benefits, we aim at evaluating their economic value in frequency regulation application. However, unlike previous literature focusing on profits obtained from participating in the ancillary service market, our approach concentrates on the cost reduction from the perspective of a utility firm that has an obligation to pay energy fees to a power exchange. More specifically, we focus on the payments between the power exchange market and the utility firm as a major source of economic benefits. The evaluation is done by cost- benefit analysis (CBA with a dataset of the Korean market while considering operational constraint costs as well as scheduled energy payments, and a simulation algorithm for the evaluation is provided. Our results show the potential for huge profits to be made by cost reduction. We believe that this research can provide a guideline for a utility firm considering investing in ESSs for frequency regulation application as a source of cost reduction.

Resource utilization implications of treatment were able to be assessed from appropriately reported clinical trial data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poole-Wilson, Philip A.; Kirwan, Bridget-Anne; Voko, Zoltan; de Brouwer, Sophie; Dunselman, Peter H. J. M.; van Dalen, Frederik J.; Lubsen, Jacobus

Background and Objective: Published clinical trial data rarely allow assessment of the health care resource utilization implications of treatment. We give an example of how these can be assessed given appropriate tabulation of data. Methods: Data from a trial comparing long-acting nifedipine

Utility of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI) to non-invasively diagnose burn depth in a porcine model☆

Science.gov (United States)

Burmeister, David M.; Ponticorvo, Adrien; Yang, Bruce; Becerra, Sandra C.; Choi, Bernard; Durkin, Anthony J.; Christy, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Surgical intervention of second degree burns is often delayed because of the difficulty in visual diagnosis, which increases the risk of scarring and infection. Non-invasive metrics have shown promise in accurately assessing burn depth. Here, we examine the use of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI) for predicting burn depth. Contact burn wounds of increasing severity were created on the dorsum of a Yorkshire pig, and wounds were imaged with SFDI/LSI starting immediately after-burn and then daily for the next 4 days. In addition, on each day the burn wounds were biopsied for histological analysis of burn depth, defined by collagen coagulation, apoptosis, and adnexal/vascular necrosis. Histological results show that collagen coagulation progressed from day 0 to day 1, and then stabilized. Results of burn wound imaging using non-invasive techniques were able to produce metrics that correlate to different predictors of burn depth. Collagen coagulation and apoptosis correlated with SFDI scattering coefficient parameter ( μs′) and adnexal/vascular necrosis on the day of burn correlated with blood flow determined by LSI. Therefore, incorporation of SFDI scattering coefficient and blood flow determined by LSI may provide an algorithm for accurate assessment of the severity of burn wounds in real time. PMID:26138371

Improved control for distributed parameter systems with time-dependent spatial domains utilizing mobile sensor–actuator networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jian-Zhong; Cui Bao-Tong; Zhuang Bo

2017-01-01

A guidance policy for controller performance enhancement utilizing mobile sensor–actuator networks (MSANs) is proposed for a class of distributed parameter systems (DPSs), which are governed by diffusion partial differential equations (PDEs) with time-dependent spatial domains. Several sufficient conditions for controller performance enhancement are presented. First, the infinite dimensional operator theory is used to derive an abstract evolution equation of the systems under some rational assumptions on the operators, and a static output feedback controller is designed to control the spatial process. Then, based on Lyapunov stability arguments, guidance policies for collocated and non-collocated MSANs are provided to enhance the performance of the proposed controller, which show that the time-dependent characteristic of the spatial domains can significantly affect the design of the mobile scheme. Finally, a simulation example illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed policy. (paper)

Volterra equalization of complex modulation utilizing frequency chirp in directly modulated lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shaohua; Yi, Xingwen; Zhang, Jing; Song, Yang; Zhu, Mingyue; Qiu, Kun

2018-02-01

We apply Volterra-based equalization for complex modulated optical signals utilizing the frequency chirp in DMLs. We experimentally demonstrate that the higher order Volterra filter is necessary in the higher speed transmissions. For further study, we isolate the adiabatic chirp by injection locking and realize the optical PM transmission. We make a comparison among IM, FM and PM with Volterra equalization, finding that PM and FM are more power insensitive and suitable for high speed, power limited fiber transmission. The performance can be further improved by exploiting the diversity gain.

Magneto-thermal-acoustic differential-frequency imaging of magnetic nanoparticle with magnetic spatial localization: a theoretical prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Daqing

2017-02-01

The magneto-thermo-acoustic effect that we predicted in 2013 refers to the generation of acoustic-pressure wave from magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) when thermally mediated under an alternating magnetic field (AMF) at a pulsed or frequency-chirped application. Several independent experimental studies have since validated magneto-thermoacoustic effect, and a latest report has discovered acoustic-wave generation from MNP at the second-harmonic frequency of the AMF when operating continuously. We propose that applying two AMFs with differing frequencies to MNP will produce acoustic-pressure wave at the summation and difference of the two frequencies, in addition to the two second-harmonic frequencies. Analysis of the specific absorption dynamics of the MNP when exposed to two AMFs of differing frequencies has shown some interesting patterns of acoustic-intensity at the multiple frequency components. The ratio of the acoustic-intensity at the summation-frequency over that of the difference-frequency is determined by the frequency-ratio of the two AMFs, but remains independent of the AMF strengths. The ratio of the acoustic-intensity at the summation- or difference-frequency over that at each of the two second-harmonic frequencies is determined by both the frequency-ratio and the field-strength-ratio of the two AMFs. The results indicate a potential strategy for localization of the source of a continuous-wave magneto-thermalacoustic signal by examining the frequency spectrum of full-field non-differentiating acoustic detection, with the field-strength ratio changed continuously at a fixed frequency-ratio. The practicalities and challenges of this magnetic spatial localization approach for magneto-thermo-acoustic imaging using a simple envisioned set of two AMFs arranged in parallel to each other are discussed.

An Experiential-Based Learning Method Aiming to Improve Spatial Awareness Utilizing GPS, Geocaching, and Geo-Selfies

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, K. Colton; Popp, Jennie

2016-01-01

Many educators have suggested that spatial awareness is vital in the foundation of geography curricula, as well as the ability to utilize geospatial technologies (National Research Council 2006; Kerski 2008; Lee and Bednarz 2009; Favier and Van der Schee 2014). The purpose of this research was to identify a low-cost and effective method to improve…

A Spatial Frequency Account of the Detriment that Local Processing of Navon Letters Has on Face Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Hills, Peter J.; Lewis, Michael B.

2009-01-01

Five minutes of processing the local features of a Navon letter causes a detriment in subsequent face-recognition performance (Macrae & Lewis, 2002). We hypothesize a perceptual after effect explanation of this effect in which face recognition is less accurate after adapting to high-spatial frequencies at high contrasts. Five experiments were…

Thermal conductivity profile determination in proton-irradiated ZrC by spatial and frequency scanning thermal wave methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, C.; Chirtoc, M.; Horny, N.; Antoniow, J. S.; Pron, H.; Ban, H.

2013-01-01

Using complementary thermal wave methods, the irradiation damaged region of zirconium carbide (ZrC) is characterized by quantifiably profiling the thermophysical property degradation. The ZrC sample was irradiated by a 2.6 MeV proton beam at 600 °C to a dose of 1.75 displacements per atom. Spatial scanning techniques including scanning thermal microscopy (SThM), lock-in infrared thermography (lock-in IRT), and photothermal radiometry (PTR) were used to directly map the in-depth profile of thermal conductivity on a cross section of the ZrC sample. The advantages and limitations of each system are discussed and compared, finding consistent results from all techniques. SThM provides the best resolution finding a very uniform thermal conductivity envelope in the damaged region measuring ∼52 ± 2 μm deep. Frequency-based scanning PTR provides quantification of the thermal parameters of the sample using the SThM measured profile to provide validation of a heating model. Measured irradiated and virgin thermal conductivities are found to be 11.9 ± 0.5 W m −1 K −1 and 26.7 ±1 W m −1 K −1 , respectively. A thermal resistance evidenced in the frequency spectra of the PTR results was calculated to be (1.58 ± 0.1) × 10 −6 m 2 K W −1 . The measured thermal conductivity values compare well with the thermal conductivity extracted from the SThM calibrated signal and the spatially scanned PTR. Combined spatial and frequency scanning techniques are shown to provide a valuable, complementary combination for thermal property characterization of proton-irradiated ZrC. Such methodology could be useful for other studies of ion-irradiated materials

Fringe order correction for the absolute phase recovered by two selected spatial frequency fringe projections in fringe projection profilometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yi; Peng, Kai; Yu, Miao; Lu, Lei; Zhao, Kun

2017-08-01

The performance of the two selected spatial frequency phase unwrapping methods is limited by a phase error bound beyond which errors will occur in the fringe order leading to a significant error in the recovered absolute phase map. In this paper, we propose a method to detect and correct the wrong fringe orders. Two constraints are introduced during the fringe order determination of two selected spatial frequency phase unwrapping methods. A strategy to detect and correct the wrong fringe orders is also described. Compared with the existing methods, we do not need to estimate the threshold associated with absolute phase values to determine the fringe order error, thus making it more reliable and avoiding the procedure of search in detecting and correcting successive fringe order errors. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by the experimental results.

Spatial Intensity Duration Frequency Relationships Using Hierarchical Bayesian Analysis for Urban Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Rupa, Chandra; Mujumdar, Pradeep

2016-04-01

In urban areas, quantification of extreme precipitation is important in the design of storm water drains and other infrastructure. Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) relationships are generally used to obtain design return level for a given duration and return period. Due to lack of availability of extreme precipitation data for sufficiently large number of years, estimating the probability of extreme events is difficult. Typically, a single station data is used to obtain the design return levels for various durations and return periods, which are used in the design of urban infrastructure for the entire city. In an urban setting, the spatial variation of precipitation can be high; the precipitation amounts and patterns often vary within short distances of less than 5 km. Therefore it is crucial to study the uncertainties in the spatial variation of return levels for various durations. In this work, the extreme precipitation is modeled spatially using the Bayesian hierarchical analysis and the spatial variation of return levels is studied. The analysis is carried out with Block Maxima approach for defining the extreme precipitation, using Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution for Bangalore city, Karnataka state, India. Daily data for nineteen stations in and around Bangalore city is considered in the study. The analysis is carried out for summer maxima (March - May), monsoon maxima (June - September) and the annual maxima rainfall. In the hierarchical analysis, the statistical model is specified in three layers. The data layer models the block maxima, pooling the extreme precipitation from all the stations. In the process layer, the latent spatial process characterized by geographical and climatological covariates (lat-lon, elevation, mean temperature etc.) which drives the extreme precipitation is modeled and in the prior level, the prior distributions that govern the latent process are modeled. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm (Metropolis Hastings

Spatial assessment of fishing effort around European marine reserves: implications for successful fisheries management.

Science.gov (United States)

Stelzenmüller, Vanessa; Maynou, Francesc; Bernard, Guillaume; Cadiou, Gwenaël; Camilleri, Matthew; Crec'hriou, Romain; Criquet, Géraldine; Dimech, Mark; Esparza, Oscar; Higgins, Ruth; Lenfant, Philippe; Pérez-Ruzafa, Angel

2008-12-01

We examined the spatial dynamic of artisanal fishing fleets around five European marine protected areas (MPAs) to derive general implications for the evaluation of MPAs as fisheries management tools. The coastal MPAs studied were located off France, Malta and Spain and presented a variety of spatial designs and processes of establishment. We developed a standardized methodology to define factors influencing effort allocation and to produce fishing effort maps by merging GIS with geostatistical modelling techniques. Results revealed that in most cases the factors "distance to the no-take", "water depth", and "distance to the port" had a significant influence on effort allocation by the fishing fleets. Overall, we found local concentration of fishing effort around the MPA borders. Thus, neglecting the pattern of fishing effort distribution in evaluating MPA benefits, such as spillover of biomass, could hamper sound interpretation of MPAs as fisheries management tools.

How Low Can You Go: Spatial Frequency Sensitivity in Pure Alexia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Starrfelt, Randi; Nielsen, S.; Habekost, T.

Objective: Pure alexia is a seemingly selective deficit in reading, follow- ing focal lesions to the posterior left hemisphere. The hallmark feature of pure alexia is a word length effect in single word reading, where reaction times may increase with hundreds of milliseconds per additional letter...... in a word. Other language functions, including writing, are intact. It has been suggested that pure alexia is caused by a general deficit in visual processing, one that affects reading disproportionally compared to other visual stimuli. The most concrete hypothesis to date suggests that pure alexia...... is caused by a lack of sensitivity to particular spatial frequencies (e.g., Fiset et al., 2006), and that this results in the characteristic word length effect, as well as effects of letter confusability on reading times. Participants and Methods: We have tested this hypothesis in a patient with pure alexia...

Spatial waves of advance with bistable dynamics: cytoplasmic and genetic analogues of Allee effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, N H; Turelli, Michael

2011-09-01

Unlike unconditionally advantageous "Fisherian" variants that tend to spread throughout a species range once introduced anywhere, "bistable" variants, such as chromosome translocations, have two alternative stable frequencies, absence and (near) fixation. Analogous to populations with Allee effects, bistable variants tend to increase locally only once they become sufficiently common, and their spread depends on their rate of increase averaged over all frequencies. Several proposed manipulations of insect populations, such as using Wolbachia or "engineered underdominance" to suppress vector-borne diseases, produce bistable rather than Fisherian dynamics. We synthesize and extend theoretical analyses concerning three features of their spatial behavior: rate of spread, conditions to initiate spread from a localized introduction, and wave stopping caused by variation in population densities or dispersal rates. Unlike Fisherian variants, bistable variants tend to spread spatially only for particular parameter combinations and initial conditions. Wave initiation requires introduction over an extended region, while subsequent spatial spread is slower than for Fisherian waves and can easily be halted by local spatial inhomogeneities. We present several new results, including robust sufficient conditions to initiate (and stop) spread, using a one-parameter cubic approximation applicable to several models. The results have both basic and applied implications.

Infrared and visual image fusion method based on discrete cosine transform and local spatial frequency in discrete stationary wavelet transform domain

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xin; Jiang, Qian; Yao, Shaowen; Zhou, Dongming; Nie, Rencan; Lee, Shin-Jye; He, Kangjian

2018-01-01

In order to promote the performance of infrared and visual image fusion and provide better visual effects, this paper proposes a hybrid fusion method for infrared and visual image by the combination of discrete stationary wavelet transform (DSWT), discrete cosine transform (DCT) and local spatial frequency (LSF). The proposed method has three key processing steps. Firstly, DSWT is employed to decompose the important features of the source image into a series of sub-images with different levels and spatial frequencies. Secondly, DCT is used to separate the significant details of the sub-images according to the energy of different frequencies. Thirdly, LSF is applied to enhance the regional features of DCT coefficients, and it can be helpful and useful for image feature extraction. Some frequently-used image fusion methods and evaluation metrics are employed to evaluate the validity of the proposed method. The experiments indicate that the proposed method can achieve good fusion effect, and it is more efficient than other conventional image fusion methods.

Reconstructing spatial organizations of chromosomes through manifold learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Guangxiang; Deng, Wenxuan; Hu, Hailin; Ma, Rui; Zhang, Sai; Yang, Jinglin; Peng, Jian; Kaplan, Tommy; Zeng, Jianyang

2018-02-02

Decoding the spatial organizations of chromosomes has crucial implications for studying eukaryotic gene regulation. Recently, chromosomal conformation capture based technologies, such as Hi-C, have been widely used to uncover the interaction frequencies of genomic loci in a high-throughput and genome-wide manner and provide new insights into the folding of three-dimensional (3D) genome structure. In this paper, we develop a novel manifold learning based framework, called GEM (Genomic organization reconstructor based on conformational Energy and Manifold learning), to reconstruct the three-dimensional organizations of chromosomes by integrating Hi-C data with biophysical feasibility. Unlike previous methods, which explicitly assume specific relationships between Hi-C interaction frequencies and spatial distances, our model directly embeds the neighboring affinities from Hi-C space into 3D Euclidean space. Extensive validations demonstrated that GEM not only greatly outperformed other state-of-art modeling methods but also provided a physically and physiologically valid 3D representations of the organizations of chromosomes. Furthermore, we for the first time apply the modeled chromatin structures to recover long-range genomic interactions missing from original Hi-C data. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Determination of acoustic properties of thin polymer films utilizing the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient of ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Tohmyoh, Hironori; Sakamoto, Yuhei

2015-11-01

This paper reports on a technique to measure the acoustic properties of a thin polymer film utilizing the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient of ultrasound reflected back from a system comprising a reflection plate, the film, and a material that covers the film. The frequency components of the echo reflected from the back of the plate, where the film is attached, take their minimum values at the resonant frequency, and from these frequency characteristics, the acoustic impedance, sound velocity, and the density of the film can be determined. We applied this technique to characterize an ion exchange membrane, which has high water absorbability, and successfully determined the acoustic properties of the membrane without getting it wet.

Multi-component time, spatial and frequency analysis of Paleoclimatic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Cristiano, Luigia; Stampa, Johannes; Feeser, Ingo; Dörfler, Walter; Meier, Thomas

2017-04-01

The investigation of the paleoclimatic data offers a powerful tool for understanding the impact of extreme climatic events as well as gradual climatic variations on the human development and cultural changes. The current global record of paleoclimatic data is relatively rich but is not generally uniformly structured and regionally distributed. The general characteristic of the reconstructed time series of paleoclimatic data is a not constant sampling interval and data resolution together with the presence of gaps in the record. Our database consists of pollen concentration from annually laminated lake sediments in two sites in Northern Germany. Such data characteristic offers the possibility for high-resolution palynological and sedimentological analyses on a well constrained time scale. Specifically we are interested to investigate the time dependence of proxies, and time and spatial correlation of the different observables respect each other. We present here a quantitative analysis of the pollent data in the frequency and time. In particular we are interested to understand the complexity of the system and understand the cause of sudden as well as the slow changes in the time dependence of the observables. We show as well our approach for handling the not uniform sampling interval and the broad frequency content characterizing the paleoclimatic databases. In particular we worked to the development of a robust data analysis to answer the key questions about the correlation between rapid climatic changes and changes in the human habits and quantitatively elaborate a model for the processed data. Here we present the preliminary results on synthetics as well as on real data for the data visualization for the trend identification with a smoothing procedure, for the identification of sharp changes in the data as function of time with AutoRegressive approach. In addition to that we use the cross-correlation and cross spectrum by applying the Multiple Filtering Technique

Chování "Mid Spatial Frequencies" při CNC opracování optických ploch

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Procháska, František; Matoušek, Ondřej; Psota, Pavel; Beneš, Jiří

2015-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 10 (2015), s. 293-295 ISSN 0447-6441 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1206; GA TA ČR(CZ) TA03010843 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Mid Spatial Frequencies * CNC optical surface processing Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing

Characterization of spatial distribution of Tetranychus urticae in peppermint in California and implication for improving sampling plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijal, Jhalendra P; Wilson, Rob; Godfrey, Larry D

2016-02-01

Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is an important pest of peppermint in California, USA. Spider mite feeding on peppermint leaves causes physiological changes in the plant, which coupling with the favorable environmental condition can lead to increased mite infestations. Significant yield loss can occur in absence of pest monitoring and timely management. Understating the within-field spatial distribution of T. urticae is critical for the development of reliable sampling plan. The study reported here aims to characterize the spatial distribution of mite infestation in four commercial peppermint fields in northern California using spatial techniques, variogram and Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE). Variogram analysis revealed that there was a strong evidence for spatially dependent (aggregated) mite population in 13 of 17 sampling dates and the physical distance of the aggregation reached maximum to 7 m in peppermint fields. Using SADIE, 11 of 17 sampling dates showed aggregated distribution pattern of mite infestation. Combining results from variogram and SADIE analysis, the spatial aggregation of T. urticae was evident in all four fields for all 17 sampling dates evaluated. Comparing spatial association using SADIE, ca. 62% of the total sampling pairs showed a positive association of mite spatial distribution patterns between two consecutive sampling dates, which indicates a strong spatial and temporal stability of mite infestation in peppermint fields. These results are discussed in relation to behavior of spider mite distribution within field, and its implications for improving sampling guidelines that are essential for effective pest monitoring and management.

Simultaneous spatial and temporal walk-off compensation in frequency-doubling femtosecond pulses in β -BaB2O4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehr, R.J.; Kimmel, M.W.; Smith, A.V.

1998-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate the benefits of simultaneous compensation of spatial and temporal walk-off in frequency doubling of 800-nm 250-fs pulses, using three active and two compensating β-BaB 2 O 4 crystals. The compensating crystals reverse both birefringent and group-velocity walk-off, resulting in a factor-of-4.5 improvement in doubling efficiency relative to one of the active crystals while maintaining the short pulse duration and the symmetric spatial profile that are characteristic of the single crystal. copyright 1998 Optical Society of America

Spatial and object-based attention modulates broadband high-frequency responses across the human visual cortical hierarchy.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidesco, Ido; Harel, Michal; Ramot, Michal; Kramer, Uri; Kipervasser, Svetlana; Andelman, Fani; Neufeld, Miri Y; Goelman, Gadi; Fried, Itzhak; Malach, Rafael

2013-01-16

One of the puzzling aspects in the visual attention literature is the discrepancy between electrophysiological and fMRI findings: whereas fMRI studies reveal strong attentional modulation in the earliest visual areas, single-unit and local field potential studies yielded mixed results. In addition, it is not clear to what extent spatial attention effects extend from early to high-order visual areas. Here we addressed these issues using electrocorticography recordings in epileptic patients. The patients performed a task that allowed simultaneous manipulation of both spatial and object-based attention. They were presented with composite stimuli, consisting of a small object (face or house) superimposed on a large one, and in separate blocks, were instructed to attend one of the objects. We found a consistent increase in broadband high-frequency (30-90 Hz) power, but not in visual evoked potentials, associated with spatial attention starting with V1/V2 and continuing throughout the visual hierarchy. The magnitude of the attentional modulation was correlated with the spatial selectivity of each electrode and its distance from the occipital pole. Interestingly, the latency of the attentional modulation showed a significant decrease along the visual hierarchy. In addition, electrodes placed over high-order visual areas (e.g., fusiform gyrus) showed both effects of spatial and object-based attention. Overall, our results help to reconcile previous observations of discrepancy between fMRI and electrophysiology. They also imply that spatial attention effects can be found both in early and high-order visual cortical areas, in parallel with their stimulus tuning properties.

Utilizing NASA DISCOVER-AQ Data to Examine Spatial Gradients in Complex Emission Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Buzanowicz, M. E.; Moore, W.; Crawford, J. H.; Schroeder, J.

2017-12-01

Although many regulations have been enacted with the goal of improving air quality, many parts of the US are still classified as `non-attainment areas' because they frequently violate federal air quality standards. Adequately monitoring the spatial distribution of pollutants both within and outside of non-attainment areas has been an ongoing challenge for regulators. Observations of near-surface pollution from space-based platforms would provide an unprecedented view of the spatial distribution of pollution, but this goal has not yet been realized due to fundamental limitations of satellites, specifically because the footprint size of satellite measurements may not be sufficiently small enough to capture true gradients in pollution, and rather represents an average over a large area. NASA's DISCOVER-AQ was a multi-year field campaign aimed at improving our understanding of the role that remote sensing, including satellite-based remote sensing, could play in air quality monitoring systems. DISCOVER-AQ data will be utilized to create a metric to examine spatial gradients and how satellites can capture those gradients in areas with complex emission environments. Examining horizontal variability within a vertical column is critical to understanding mixing within the atmosphere. Aircraft spirals conducted during DISCOVER-AQ were divided into octants, and averages of a given a species were calculated, with certain points receiving a flag. These flags were determined by calculating gradients between subsequent octants. Initial calculations have shown that over areas with large point source emissions, such as Platteville and Denver-La Casa in Colorado, and Essex, Maryland, satellite retrievals may not adequately capture spatial variability in the atmosphere, thus complicating satellite inversion techniques and limiting our ability to understand human exposure on sub-grid scales. Further calculations at other locations and for other trace gases are necessary to determine

Utilization of a liquid crystal spatial light modulator in a gray scale detour phase method for Fourier holograms.

Science.gov (United States)

Makey, Ghaith; El-Daher, Moustafa Sayem; Al-Shufi, Kanj

2012-11-10

This paper introduces a new modification for the well-known binary detour phase method, which is largely used to represent Fourier holograms; the modification utilizes gray scale level control provided by a liquid crystal spatial light modulator to improve the traditional binary detour phase. Results are shown by both simulation and experiment.

Transformation of a Spatial Map across the Hippocampal-Lateral Septal Circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Tingley, David; Buzsáki, György

2018-05-15

The hippocampus constructs a map of the environment. How this "cognitive map" is utilized by other brain regions to guide behavior remains unexplored. To examine how neuronal firing patterns in the hippocampus are transmitted and transformed, we recorded neurons in its principal subcortical target, the lateral septum (LS). We observed that LS neurons carry reliable spatial information in the phase of action potentials, relative to hippocampal theta oscillations, while the firing rates of LS neurons remained uninformative. Furthermore, this spatial phase code had an anatomical microstructure within the LS and was bound to the hippocampal spatial code by synchronous gamma frequency cell assemblies. Using a data-driven model, we show that rate-independent spatial tuning arises through the dynamic weighting of CA1 and CA3 cell assemblies. Our findings demonstrate that transformation of the hippocampal spatial map depends on higher-order theta-dependent neuronal sequences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall: Implications of Contrasting Trends in the Spatial Variability of Means and Extremes

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Subimal; Vittal, H.; Sharma, Tarul; Karmakar, Subhankar; Kasiviswanathan, K. S.; Dhanesh, Y.; Sudheer, K. P.; Gunthe, S. S.

2016-01-01

India’s agricultural output, economy, and societal well-being are strappingly dependent on the stability of summer monsoon rainfall, its variability and extremes. Spatial aggregate of intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events over Central India are significantly increasing, while at local scale they are spatially non-uniform with increasing spatial variability. The reasons behind such increase in spatial variability of extremes are poorly understood and the trends in mean monsoon rainfall have been greatly overlooked. Here, by using multi-decadal gridded daily rainfall data over entire India, we show that the trend in spatial variability of mean monsoon rainfall is decreasing as exactly opposite to that of extremes. The spatial variability of extremes is attributed to the spatial variability of the convective rainfall component. Contrarily, the decrease in spatial variability of the mean rainfall over India poses a pertinent research question on the applicability of large scale inter-basin water transfer by river inter-linking to address the spatial variability of available water in India. We found a significant decrease in the monsoon rainfall over major water surplus river basins in India. Hydrological simulations using a Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model also revealed that the water yield in surplus river basins is decreasing but it is increasing in deficit basins. These findings contradict the traditional notion of dry areas becoming drier and wet areas becoming wetter in response to climate change in India. This result also calls for a re-evaluation of planning for river inter-linking to supply water from surplus to deficit river basins. PMID:27463092

Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall: Implications of Contrasting Trends in the Spatial Variability of Means and Extremes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subimal Ghosh

Full Text Available India's agricultural output, economy, and societal well-being are strappingly dependent on the stability of summer monsoon rainfall, its variability and extremes. Spatial aggregate of intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events over Central India are significantly increasing, while at local scale they are spatially non-uniform with increasing spatial variability. The reasons behind such increase in spatial variability of extremes are poorly understood and the trends in mean monsoon rainfall have been greatly overlooked. Here, by using multi-decadal gridded daily rainfall data over entire India, we show that the trend in spatial variability of mean monsoon rainfall is decreasing as exactly opposite to that of extremes. The spatial variability of extremes is attributed to the spatial variability of the convective rainfall component. Contrarily, the decrease in spatial variability of the mean rainfall over India poses a pertinent research question on the applicability of large scale inter-basin water transfer by river inter-linking to address the spatial variability of available water in India. We found a significant decrease in the monsoon rainfall over major water surplus river basins in India. Hydrological simulations using a Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC model also revealed that the water yield in surplus river basins is decreasing but it is increasing in deficit basins. These findings contradict the traditional notion of dry areas becoming drier and wet areas becoming wetter in response to climate change in India. This result also calls for a re-evaluation of planning for river inter-linking to supply water from surplus to deficit river basins.

Evaluation of Social Media Utilization by Latino Adolescents: Implications for Mobile Health Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Amita; Turner, Monique; Glick, Sara; Wood, Susan

2015-01-01

Background Trends in social media use, including sending/receiving short message service (SMS) and social networking, are constantly changing, yet little is known about adolescent’s utilization and behaviors. This longitudinal study examines social media utilization among Latino youths, and differences by sex and acculturation. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine Latino adolescents’ social media utilization and behavior over a 16-month period, and to assess whether changes in use differed by sex and acculturation. Methods This study included 555 Latino youths aged 13-19 who completed baseline and 16-month follow-up surveys. Prevalence of social media utilization and frequency, by sex and acculturation categories, was examined using generalized estimating equations. Results Women are more likely to use SMS, but men are significantly more likely to SMS a girl/boyfriend (P=.03). The use of Internet by men and women to research health information increased over time. Facebook use declined over time (PInstagram (P<.001) increased, especially among women and more US acculturated youths. Conclusion Social media is ubiquitous in Latino adolescents’ lives and may be a powerful mode for public health intervention delivery. PMID:26420553

Evaluation of Social Media Utilization by Latino Adolescents: Implications for Mobile Health Interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Megan; Vyas, Amita; Turner, Monique; Glick, Sara; Wood, Susan

2015-09-29

Trends in social media use, including sending/receiving short message service (SMS) and social networking, are constantly changing, yet little is known about adolescent's utilization and behaviors. This longitudinal study examines social media utilization among Latino youths, and differences by sex and acculturation. The purpose of this study was to examine Latino adolescents' social media utilization and behavior over a 16-month period, and to assess whether changes in use differed by sex and acculturation. This study included 555 Latino youths aged 13-19 who completed baseline and 16-month follow-up surveys. Prevalence of social media utilization and frequency, by sex and acculturation categories, was examined using generalized estimating equations. Women are more likely to use SMS, but men are significantly more likely to SMS a girl/boyfriend (P=.03). The use of Internet by men and women to research health information increased over time. Facebook use declined over time (Puse of YouTube (P=.03) and Instagram (Pincreased, especially among women and more US acculturated youths. Social media is ubiquitous in Latino adolescents' lives and may be a powerful mode for public health intervention delivery.

Experimental demonstration of producing high resolution zone plates by spatial-frequency multiplication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, W.B.; Howells, M.R.

1987-01-01

In an earlier publication, the possibility of producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray applications by spatial-frequency multiplication was analyzed theoretically. The theory predicted that for a daughter zone plate generated from the interference of mth and nth diffraction orders of a parent zone plate, its primary focal spot size and focal length are one (m + n)th of their counterparts of the parent zone plate, respectively. It was also shown that a zone plate with the outermost zone width of as small as 13.8 nm might be produced by this technique. In this paper, we report an experiment which we carried out with laser light (λ = 4166A) for demonstrating this technique. In addition, an outlook for producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray application is briefly discussed

Applying geo-spatial analysis in community needs assessment: Implications for planning and prioritizing based on data.

Science.gov (United States)

Baig, Kamran; Shaw-Ridley, Mary; Munoz, Oscar J

2016-10-01

Colonias are sub standardized and unincorporated areas located along the US-Mexico border, with severely lacking infrastructure. Residents have poor health and limited availability, accessibility and/or utilization of healthcare services in the region. Using 2006-2007 community needs assessment (CNA) surveys collected by the Center for Housing and Urban Development of Texas A&M University, 410 randomly selected surveys from Hidalgo County, Texas were analyzed. Descriptive and spatial analyses were performed and Odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Out of 410 surveys, 333 were geo-coded to identify areas most in need of dental and vision care. Two hospitals existed within 5 miles radius of the mean centers for the two areas. Distance to health care facility was not statistically predictive of the need of dental care OR=0.96 (95% CI=0.855-1.078, p value=0.492) and vision care OR=1.083 (95% CI=0.968-1.212, p value=0.164). Integrating spatial analysis and CNA enhances planning to improve service accessibility and utilization in underserved areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trait-Based Cue Utilization and Initial Skill Acquisition: Implications for Models of the Progression to Expertise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark eWiggins

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The primary aim of this study was to examine the role of cue utilization in the initial acquisition of psychomotor skills. Two experiments were undertaken, the first of which examined the relationship between cue utilization typologies and levels of accuracy following four simulated, power-off landing trials in a light aircraft simulator. The results indicated that higher levels of cue utilization were associated with a greater level of landing accuracy following training exposure. In the second study, participants’ levels of cue utilization were assessed prior to two 15 minute periods during which they practiced take-offs and landings using a simulated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV. Consistent with Study 1, the outcomes of Study 2 revealed a statistically significant relationship between levels of cue utilization and the number of trials to criterion on the take-off task, and the proportion of successful trials during both take-off and landing. In combination, the results suggest that the capacity for the acquisition and the subsequent utilization of cues is an important predictor of skill acquisition, particularly during the initial stages of the process. The implications for theory and applied practice are discussed.

Architectural Implications for Spatial Object Association Algorithms*

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Vijay S.; Kurc, Tahsin; Saltz, Joel; Abdulla, Ghaleb; Kohn, Scott R.; Matarazzo, Celeste

2013-01-01

Spatial object association, also referred to as crossmatch of spatial datasets, is the problem of identifying and comparing objects in two or more datasets based on their positions in a common spatial coordinate system. In this work, we evaluate two crossmatch algorithms that are used for astronomical sky surveys, on the following database system architecture configurations: (1) Netezza Performance Server®, a parallel database system with active disk style processing capabilities, (2) MySQL Cluster, a high-throughput network database system, and (3) a hybrid configuration consisting of a collection of independent database system instances with data replication support. Our evaluation provides insights about how architectural characteristics of these systems affect the performance of the spatial crossmatch algorithms. We conducted our study using real use-case scenarios borrowed from a large-scale astronomy application known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). PMID:25692244

Spatially explicit spectral analysis of point clouds and geospatial data

Science.gov (United States)

Buscombe, Daniel D.

2015-01-01

The increasing use of spatially explicit analyses of high-resolution spatially distributed data (imagery and point clouds) for the purposes of characterising spatial heterogeneity in geophysical phenomena necessitates the development of custom analytical and computational tools. In recent years, such analyses have become the basis of, for example, automated texture characterisation and segmentation, roughness and grain size calculation, and feature detection and classification, from a variety of data types. In this work, much use has been made of statistical descriptors of localised spatial variations in amplitude variance (roughness), however the horizontal scale (wavelength) and spacing of roughness elements is rarely considered. This is despite the fact that the ratio of characteristic vertical to horizontal scales is not constant and can yield important information about physical scaling relationships. Spectral analysis is a hitherto under-utilised but powerful means to acquire statistical information about relevant amplitude and wavelength scales, simultaneously and with computational efficiency. Further, quantifying spatially distributed data in the frequency domain lends itself to the development of stochastic models for probing the underlying mechanisms which govern the spatial distribution of geological and geophysical phenomena. The software packagePySESA (Python program for Spatially Explicit Spectral Analysis) has been developed for generic analyses of spatially distributed data in both the spatial and frequency domains. Developed predominantly in Python, it accesses libraries written in Cython and C++ for efficiency. It is open source and modular, therefore readily incorporated into, and combined with, other data analysis tools and frameworks with particular utility for supporting research in the fields of geomorphology, geophysics, hydrography, photogrammetry and remote sensing. The analytical and computational structure of the toolbox is

Spatially explicit spectral analysis of point clouds and geospatial data

Science.gov (United States)

Buscombe, Daniel

2016-01-01

The increasing use of spatially explicit analyses of high-resolution spatially distributed data (imagery and point clouds) for the purposes of characterising spatial heterogeneity in geophysical phenomena necessitates the development of custom analytical and computational tools. In recent years, such analyses have become the basis of, for example, automated texture characterisation and segmentation, roughness and grain size calculation, and feature detection and classification, from a variety of data types. In this work, much use has been made of statistical descriptors of localised spatial variations in amplitude variance (roughness), however the horizontal scale (wavelength) and spacing of roughness elements is rarely considered. This is despite the fact that the ratio of characteristic vertical to horizontal scales is not constant and can yield important information about physical scaling relationships. Spectral analysis is a hitherto under-utilised but powerful means to acquire statistical information about relevant amplitude and wavelength scales, simultaneously and with computational efficiency. Further, quantifying spatially distributed data in the frequency domain lends itself to the development of stochastic models for probing the underlying mechanisms which govern the spatial distribution of geological and geophysical phenomena. The software package PySESA (Python program for Spatially Explicit Spectral Analysis) has been developed for generic analyses of spatially distributed data in both the spatial and frequency domains. Developed predominantly in Python, it accesses libraries written in Cython and C++ for efficiency. It is open source and modular, therefore readily incorporated into, and combined with, other data analysis tools and frameworks with particular utility for supporting research in the fields of geomorphology, geophysics, hydrography, photogrammetry and remote sensing. The analytical and computational structure of the toolbox is described

Multiattribute Utility Theory, Intertemporal Utility and Correlation Aversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steffen; Harrison, Glenn W.; Lau, Morten

2018-01-01

Convenient assumptions about qualitative properties of the intertemporal utility function have generated counterintuitive implications for the relationship between atemporal risk aversion and the intertemporal elasticity of substitution. If the intertemporal utility function is additively separable...... aversion. Our results show that subjects are correlation averse over lotteries with intertemporal income profiles....

Spatial stability of jets - the nonaxisymmetric fundamental and reflection modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardee, P.E.

1987-01-01

A spatial stability analysis of the relativistic dispersion relation governing the growth and propagation of harmonic components comprising a perturbation to the surface of a cylindrical jet is performed. The spatial growth of harmonic components associated with the nonaxisymmetric fundamental solution and reflection solutions of several Fourier modes are analyzed. Approximate analytical expressions describing resonant frequencies and wavelengths, and maximum growth rates at resonance applicable to relativistic jets are found from the dispersion relation, and the nature of the resonances is explored. On transonic jets there is only a fundamental solution for each Fourier mode with no resonance or maximum growth rate. On supersonic jets there is a fundamental solution and reflection solutions for each Fourier mode, and each solution contains a resonance at which the growth rate is a maximum. A numerical analysis of the fundamental and first three reflection solutions of the axisymmetric and first three nonaxisymmetric Fourier modes is performed. The numerical analysis is restricted to nonrelativistic flows but otherwise covers a broad range of Mach numbers and jet densities. The numerical results are used along with the analytical results to obtain accurate expressions for resonant frequencies, wavelengths, and growth rates as a function of Mach numnber and jet density. In all cases the fastest spatial growth rate at a given frequency is of harmonic components associated with the fundamental solution of one of the nonaxisymmetric Fourier modes. The application of these results to jet structure and implication of these results for jet structure in extragalactic radio sources are considered. 23 references

Diagnosis of Unmagnetized Plasma Electron Number Density and Electron-neutral Collision Frequency by Using Microwave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Zhongcai; Shi Jiaming; Xu Bo

2005-01-01

The plasma diagnostic method using the transmission attenuation of microwaves at double frequencies (PDMUTAMDF) indicates that the frequency and the electron-neutral collision frequency of the plasma can be deduced by utilizing the transmission attenuation of microwaves at two neighboring frequencies in a non-magnetized plasma. Then the electron density can be obtained from the plasma frequency. The PDMUTAMDF is a simple method to diagnose the plasma indirectly. In this paper, the interaction of electromagnetic waves and the plasma is analyzed. Then, based on the attenuation and the phase shift of a microwave in the plasma, the principle of the PDMUTAMDF is presented. With the diagnostic method, the spatially mean electron density and electron collision frequency of the plasma can be obtained. This method is suitable for the elementary diagnosis of the atmospheric-pressure plasma

Effects of spatial and spectral frequencies on wide-field functional imaging (wifi) characterization of preclinical breast cancer models

Science.gov (United States)

Moy, Austin; Kim, Jae G.; Lee, Eva Y. H. P.; Choi, Bernard

2010-02-01

A common strategy to study breast cancer is the use of the preclinical model. These models provide a physiologically relevant and controlled environment in which to study both response to novel treatments and the biology of the cancer. Preclinical models, including the spontaneous tumor model and mammary window chamber model, are very amenable to optical imaging and to this end, we have developed a wide-field functional imaging (WiFI) instrument that is perfectly suited to studying tumor metabolism in preclinical models. WiFI combines two optical imaging modalities, spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI). Our current WiFI imaging protocol consists of multispectral imaging in the near infrared (650-980 nm) spectrum, over a wide (7 cm x 5 cm) field of view. Using SFDI, the spatially-resolved reflectance of sinusoidal patterns projected onto the tissue is assessed, and optical properties of the tissue are determined, which are then used to extract tissue chromophore concentrations in the form of oxy-, deoxy-, and total hemoglobin concentrations, and percentage of lipid and water. In the current study, we employ Monte Carlo simulations of SFDI light propagation in order to characterize the penetration depth of light in both the spontaneous tumor model and mammary window chamber model. Preliminary results suggest that different spatial frequency and wavelength combinations have different penetration depths, suggesting the potential depth sectioning capability of the SFDI component of WiFI.

Identification of modal parameters and spatial matrix in frequency domain. Basic theory; Shuhasu ryoiki ni okeru mode tokusei to tokusei gyoretsu no dotei. Kiso riron no kento

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwahara, M [Isuzu Advanced Engineering Center, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Sugiura, T; Takaiwa, H; Nagamatsu, A [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

An approach is presented for the identification of spatial matrix with modal parameters in the frequency domain. Modal parameters are transformed to spatial matrix with constraints of modal vector orthogonality and characteristic equation. Adding the connecting conditions or unconnected conditions of measuring points, spatial matrix is determined by modal parameters whose number is smaller than that of dimension of spatial matrix. 9 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Spatial planning, infrastructure and implementation: Implications for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Infrastructure plays key roles in shaping the spatial form of the city at a macro- and a more local scale, and it influences the sustainability, efficiency and inclusiveness of cities and local areas. Linking infrastructure and spatial planning is therefore critical. Wide-ranging sets of knowledge and skills are required to enable ...

Reimbursements and frequency of tests in privately insured testicular cancer patients in the United States: Implications to national guidelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed H Kamel

2017-01-01

Conclusions: Testicular cancer is not an inexpensive disease. Surgery is the less utilized than radiation and chemotherapy despite lower cost. This may have implications to national guidelines and training since these treatments often carry the same grade of recommendation.

Small-Area Estimation of Spatial Access to Care and Its Implications for Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gentili, Monica; Isett, Kim; Serban, Nicoleta; Swann, Julie

2015-10-01

Local or small-area estimates to capture emerging trends across large geographic regions are critical in identifying and addressing community-level health interventions. However, they are often unavailable due to lack of analytic capabilities in compiling and integrating extensive datasets and complementing them with the knowledge about variations in state-level health policies. This study introduces a modeling approach for small-area estimation of spatial access to pediatric primary care that is data "rich" and mathematically rigorous, integrating data and health policy in a systematic way. We illustrate the sensitivity of the model to policy decision making across large geographic regions by performing a systematic comparison of the estimates at the census tract and county levels for Georgia and California. Our results show the proposed approach is able to overcome limitations of other existing models by capturing patient and provider preferences and by incorporating possible changes in health policies. The primary finding is systematic underestimation of spatial access, and inaccurate estimates of disparities across population and across geography at the county level with respect to those at the census tract level with implications on where to focus and which type of interventions to consider.

Optimising 4-D surface change detection: an approach for capturing rockfall magnitude–frequency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. G. Williams

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We present a monitoring technique tailored to analysing change from near-continuously collected, high-resolution 3-D data. Our aim is to fully characterise geomorphological change typified by an event magnitude–frequency relationship that adheres to an inverse power law or similar. While recent advances in monitoring have enabled changes in volume across more than 7 orders of magnitude to be captured, event frequency is commonly assumed to be interchangeable with the time-averaged event numbers between successive surveys. Where events coincide, or coalesce, or where the mechanisms driving change are not spatially independent, apparent event frequency must be partially determined by survey interval.The data reported have been obtained from a permanently installed terrestrial laser scanner, which permits an increased frequency of surveys. Surveying from a single position raises challenges, given the single viewpoint onto a complex surface and the need for computational efficiency associated with handling a large time series of 3-D data. A workflow is presented that optimises the detection of change by filtering and aligning scans to improve repeatability. An adaptation of the M3C2 algorithm is used to detect 3-D change to overcome data inconsistencies between scans. Individual rockfall geometries are then extracted and the associated volumetric errors modelled. The utility of this approach is demonstrated using a dataset of  ∼  9  ×  103 surveys acquired at  ∼  1 h intervals over 10 months. The magnitude–frequency distribution of rockfall volumes generated is shown to be sensitive to monitoring frequency. Using a 1 h interval between surveys, rather than 30 days, the volume contribution from small (< 0.1 m3 rockfalls increases from 67 to 98 % of the total, and the number of individual rockfalls observed increases by over 3 orders of magnitude. High-frequency monitoring therefore holds considerable

Optimising 4-D surface change detection: an approach for capturing rockfall magnitude-frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jack G.; Rosser, Nick J.; Hardy, Richard J.; Brain, Matthew J.; Afana, Ashraf A.

2018-02-01

We present a monitoring technique tailored to analysing change from near-continuously collected, high-resolution 3-D data. Our aim is to fully characterise geomorphological change typified by an event magnitude-frequency relationship that adheres to an inverse power law or similar. While recent advances in monitoring have enabled changes in volume across more than 7 orders of magnitude to be captured, event frequency is commonly assumed to be interchangeable with the time-averaged event numbers between successive surveys. Where events coincide, or coalesce, or where the mechanisms driving change are not spatially independent, apparent event frequency must be partially determined by survey interval.The data reported have been obtained from a permanently installed terrestrial laser scanner, which permits an increased frequency of surveys. Surveying from a single position raises challenges, given the single viewpoint onto a complex surface and the need for computational efficiency associated with handling a large time series of 3-D data. A workflow is presented that optimises the detection of change by filtering and aligning scans to improve repeatability. An adaptation of the M3C2 algorithm is used to detect 3-D change to overcome data inconsistencies between scans. Individual rockfall geometries are then extracted and the associated volumetric errors modelled. The utility of this approach is demonstrated using a dataset of ˜ 9 × 103 surveys acquired at ˜ 1 h intervals over 10 months. The magnitude-frequency distribution of rockfall volumes generated is shown to be sensitive to monitoring frequency. Using a 1 h interval between surveys, rather than 30 days, the volume contribution from small (< 0.1 m3) rockfalls increases from 67 to 98 % of the total, and the number of individual rockfalls observed increases by over 3 orders of magnitude. High-frequency monitoring therefore holds considerable implications for magnitude-frequency derivatives, such as hazard return

Gender Identification Using High-Frequency Speech Energy: Effects of Increasing the Low-Frequency Limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Donai, Jeremy J; Halbritter, Rachel M

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of normal-hearing listeners to use high-frequency energy for gender identification from naturally produced speech signals. Two experiments were conducted using a repeated-measures design. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff (i.e., increasing the low-frequency spectral limit) on gender identification from naturally produced vowel segments. Experiment 2 studied the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff on gender identification from naturally produced sentences. Confidence ratings for the gender identification task were also obtained for both experiments. Listeners in experiment 1 were capable of extracting talker gender information at levels significantly above chance from vowel segments high-pass filtered up to 8.5 kHz. Listeners in experiment 2 also performed above chance on the gender identification task from sentences high-pass filtered up to 12 kHz. Cumulatively, the results of both experiments provide evidence that normal-hearing listeners can utilize information from the very high-frequency region (above 4 to 5 kHz) of the speech signal for talker gender identification. These findings are at variance with current assumptions regarding the perceptual information regarding talker gender within this frequency region. The current results also corroborate and extend previous studies of the use of high-frequency speech energy for perceptual tasks. These findings have potential implications for the study of information contained within the high-frequency region of the speech spectrum and the role this region may play in navigating the auditory scene, particularly when the low-frequency portion of the spectrum is masked by environmental noise sources or for listeners with substantial hearing loss in the low-frequency region and better hearing sensitivity in the high-frequency region (i.e., reverse slope hearing loss).

Spatially Resolved Isotopic Source Signatures of Wetland Methane Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Ganesan, A. L.; Stell, A. C.; Gedney, N.; Comyn-Platt, E.; Hayman, G.; Rigby, M.; Poulter, B.; Hornibrook, E. R. C.

2018-04-01

We present the first spatially resolved wetland δ13C(CH4) source signature map based on data characterizing wetland ecosystems and demonstrate good agreement with wetland signatures derived from atmospheric observations. The source signature map resolves a latitudinal difference of 10‰ between northern high-latitude (mean -67.8‰) and tropical (mean -56.7‰) wetlands and shows significant regional variations on top of the latitudinal gradient. We assess the errors in inverse modeling studies aiming to separate CH4 sources and sinks by comparing atmospheric δ13C(CH4) derived using our spatially resolved map against the common assumption of globally uniform wetland δ13C(CH4) signature. We find a larger interhemispheric gradient, a larger high-latitude seasonal cycle, and smaller trend over the period 2000-2012. The implication is that erroneous CH4 fluxes would be derived to compensate for the biases imposed by not utilizing spatially resolved signatures for the largest source of CH4 emissions. These biases are significant when compared to the size of observed signals.

Implications of Microwave Holography Using Minimum Required Frequency Samples for Weakly- and Strongly-Scattering Indications

Science.gov (United States)

Fallahpour, M.; Case, J. T.; Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.

2010-01-01

Microwave imaging techniques, an integral component of nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDTE), have received significant attention in the past decade. These techniques have included the implementation of synthetic aperture focusing (SAF) algorithms for obtaining high spatial resolution images. The next important step in these developments is the implementation of 3-D holographic imaging algorithms. These are well-known wideband imaging technique requiring a swept-frequency (i.e., wideband), which unlike SAF that is a single frequency technique, are not easily performed on a real-time basis. This is due to the fact that a significant number of data points (in the frequency domain) must be obtained within the frequency band of interest. This not only makes for a complex imaging system design, it also significantly increases the image-production time. Consequently in an attempt to reduce the measurement time and system complexity, an investigation was conducted to determine the minimum required number of frequency samples needed to image a specific object while preserving a desired maximum measurement range and range resolution. To this end the 3-D holographic algorithm was modified to use properlyinterpolated frequency data. Measurements of the complex reflection coefficient for several samples were conducted using a swept-frequency approach. Subsequently, holographical images were generated using data containing a relatively large number of frequency samples and were compared with images generated by the reduced data set data. Quantitative metrics such as average, contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio were used to evaluate the quality of images generated using reduced data sets. Furthermore, this approach was applied to both weakly- and strongly-scattering indications. This paper presents the methods used and the results of this investigation.

Frequency conversion of structured light.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinlechner, Fabian; Hermosa, Nathaniel; Pruneri, Valerio; Torres, Juan P

2016-02-15

Coherent frequency conversion of structured light, i.e. the ability to manipulate the carrier frequency of a wave front without distorting its spatial phase and intensity profile, provides the opportunity for numerous novel applications in photonic technology and fundamental science. In particular, frequency conversion of spatial modes carrying orbital angular momentum can be exploited in sub-wavelength resolution nano-optics and coherent imaging at a wavelength different from that used to illuminate an object. Moreover, coherent frequency conversion will be crucial for interfacing information stored in the high-dimensional spatial structure of single and entangled photons with various constituents of quantum networks. In this work, we demonstrate frequency conversion of structured light from the near infrared (803 nm) to the visible (527 nm). The conversion scheme is based on sum-frequency generation in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal pumped with a 1540-nm Gaussian beam. We observe frequency-converted fields that exhibit a high degree of similarity with the input field and verify the coherence of the frequency-conversion process via mode projection measurements with a phase mask and a single-mode fiber. Our results demonstrate the suitability of exploiting the technique for applications in quantum information processing and coherent imaging.

Efficient visual object and word recognition relies on high spatial frequency coding in the left posterior fusiform gyrus: evidence from a case-series of patients with ventral occipito-temporal cortex damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Daniel J; Woollams, Anna M; Kim, Esther; Beeson, Pelagie M; Rapcsak, Steven Z; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A

2013-11-01

Recent visual neuroscience investigations suggest that ventral occipito-temporal cortex is retinotopically organized, with high acuity foveal input projecting primarily to the posterior fusiform gyrus (pFG), making this region crucial for coding high spatial frequency information. Because high spatial frequencies are critical for fine-grained visual discrimination, we hypothesized that damage to the left pFG should have an adverse effect not only on efficient reading, as observed in pure alexia, but also on the processing of complex non-orthographic visual stimuli. Consistent with this hypothesis, we obtained evidence that a large case series (n = 20) of patients with lesions centered on left pFG: 1) Exhibited reduced sensitivity to high spatial frequencies; 2) demonstrated prolonged response latencies both in reading (pure alexia) and object naming; and 3) were especially sensitive to visual complexity and similarity when discriminating between novel visual patterns. These results suggest that the patients' dual reading and non-orthographic recognition impairments have a common underlying mechanism and reflect the loss of high spatial frequency visual information normally coded in the left pFG.

Low frequency phase signal measurement with high frequency squeezing

OpenAIRE

Zhai, Zehui; Gao, Jiangrui

2011-01-01

We calculate the utility of high-frequency squeezed-state enhanced two-frequency interferometry for low-frequency phase measurement. To use the high-frequency sidebands of the squeezed light, a two-frequency intense laser is used in the interferometry instead of a single-frequency laser as usual. We find that the readout signal can be contaminated by the high-frequency phase vibration, but this is easy to check and avoid. A proof-of-principle experiment is in the reach of modern quantum optic...

Frequency downshifting and trapping of an electromagnetic wave by a rapidly created spatially periodic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faith, J.; Kuo, S.P.; Huang, J.

1997-01-01

Experimental and numerical results of the interaction of electromagnetic waves with rapidly time varying spatially periodic plasmas are presented. It is shown that a number of Floquet modes, each with their own oscillation frequency, are created during the interaction. Included among these modes are downshifted waves which will not exist in the single slab case, and also waves with a larger upshifted frequency than one can obtain with a single plasma layer of the same density. In addition, the periodic structure is characterized by pass and stop bands that are different from those of a single plasma layer, and the frequencies of the downshifted modes falling in the stop band of a single plasma layer. Therefore these waves are trapped within the plasma structure until the plasma decays away. To show this phenomenon a chamber experiment is conducted, with the periodic plasma being produced by a capacitive discharge. The power spectrum recorded for waves interacting with the plasma shows vastly improved efficiency in the downshift mechanism, which the numerical calculations suggest is related to the trapping of the wave within the plasma. Reproducible results are recorded which are found to agree well with the numerical simulation. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Implications of sensor design for coral reef detection: Upscaling ground hyperspectral imagery in spatial and spectral scales

Science.gov (United States)

Caras, Tamir; Hedley, John; Karnieli, Arnon

2017-12-01

Remote sensing offers a potential tool for large scale environmental surveying and monitoring. However, remote observations of coral reefs are difficult especially due to the spatial and spectral complexity of the target compared to sensor specifications as well as the environmental implications of the water medium above. The development of sensors is driven by technological advances and the desired products. Currently, spaceborne systems are technologically limited to a choice between high spectral resolution and high spatial resolution, but not both. The current study explores the dilemma of whether future sensor design for marine monitoring should prioritise on improving their spatial or spectral resolution. To address this question, a spatially and spectrally resampled ground-level hyperspectral image was used to test two classification elements: (1) how the tradeoff between spatial and spectral resolutions affects classification; and (2) how a noise reduction by majority filter might improve classification accuracy. The studied reef, in the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat), Israel, is heterogeneous and complex so the local substrate patches are generally finer than currently available imagery. Therefore, the tested spatial resolution was broadly divided into four scale categories from five millimeters to one meter. Spectral resolution resampling aimed to mimic currently available and forthcoming spaceborne sensors such as (1) Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) that is characterized by 25 bands of 6.5 nm width; (2) VENμS with 12 narrow bands; and (3) the WorldView series with broadband multispectral resolution. Results suggest that spatial resolution should generally be prioritized for coral reef classification because the finer spatial scale tested (pixel size mind, while the focus in this study was on the technologically limited spaceborne design, aerial sensors may presently provide an opportunity to implement the suggested setup.

Utilization of Satellite Data to Identify and Monitor Changes in Frequency of Meteorological Events

Science.gov (United States)

Mast, J. C.; Dessler, A. E.

2017-12-01

Increases in temperature and climate variability due to human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme heat events (i.e., heatwaves). This will have a detrimental impact on the health of human populations and habitability of certain land locations. Here we seek to utilize satellite data records to identify and monitor extreme heat events. We analyze satellite data sets (MODIS and AIRS land surface temperatures (LST) and water vapor profiles (WV)) due to their global coverage and stable calibration. Heat waves are identified based on the frequency of maximum daily temperatures above a threshold, determined as follows. Land surface temperatures are gridded into uniform latitude/longitude bins. Maximum daily temperatures per bin are determined and probability density functions (PDF) of these maxima are constructed monthly and seasonally. For each bin, a threshold is calculated at the 95th percentile of the PDF of maximum temperatures. Per each bin, an extreme heat event is defined based on the frequency of monthly and seasonal days exceeding the threshold. To account for the decreased ability of the human body to thermoregulate with increasing moisture, and to assess lethality of the heat events, we determine the wet-bulb temperature at the locations of extreme heat events. Preliminary results will be presented.

Process Inference from High Frequency Temporal Variations in Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) Dynamics Across Nested Spatial Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Tunaley, C.; Tetzlaff, D.; Lessels, J. S.; Soulsby, C.

2014-12-01

In order to understand aquatic ecosystem functioning it is critical to understand the processes that control the spatial and temporal variations in DOC. DOC concentrations are highly dynamic, however, our understanding at short, high frequency timescales is still limited. Optical sensors which act as a proxy for DOC provide the opportunity to investigate near-continuous DOC variations in order to understand the hydrological and biogeochemical processes that control concentrations at short temporal scales. Here we present inferred 15 minute stream water DOC data for a 12 month period at three nested scales (1km2, 3km2 and 31km2) for the Bruntland Burn, a headwater catchment in NE Scotland. High frequency data were measured using FDOM and CDOM probes which work by measuring the fluorescent component and coloured component, respectively, of DOC when exposed to ultraviolet light. Both FDOM and CDOM were strongly correlated (r2 >0.8) with DOC allowing high frequency estimations. Results show the close coupling of DOC with discharge throughout the sampling period at all three spatial scales. However, analysis at the event scale highlights anticlockwise hysteresis relationships between DOC and discharge due to the delay in DOC being flushed from the increasingly large areas of peaty soils as saturation zones expand and increase hydrological connectivity. Lag times vary between events dependent on antecedent conditions. During a 10 year drought period in late summer 2013 it was apparent that very small changes in discharge on a 15 minute timescale result in high increases in DOC. This suggests transport limitation during this period where DOC builds up in the soil and is not flushed regularly, therefore any subsequent increase in discharge results in large DOC peaks. The high frequency sensors also reveal diurnal variability during summer months related to the photo-oxidation, evaporative and biological influences of DOC during the day. This relationship is less

Quantitative, depth-resolved determination of particle motion using multi-exposure, spatial frequency domain laser speckle imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Tyler B; Kwan, Elliott; Hayakawa, Carole K; Durkin, Anthony J; Choi, Bernard; Tromberg, Bruce J

2013-01-01

Laser Speckle Imaging (LSI) is a simple, noninvasive technique for rapid imaging of particle motion in scattering media such as biological tissue. LSI is generally used to derive a qualitative index of relative blood flow due to unknown impact from several variables that affect speckle contrast. These variables may include optical absorption and scattering coefficients, multi-layer dynamics including static, non-ergodic regions, and systematic effects such as laser coherence length. In order to account for these effects and move toward quantitative, depth-resolved LSI, we have developed a method that combines Monte Carlo modeling, multi-exposure speckle imaging (MESI), spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI), and careful instrument calibration. Monte Carlo models were used to generate total and layer-specific fractional momentum transfer distributions. This information was used to predict speckle contrast as a function of exposure time, spatial frequency, layer thickness, and layer dynamics. To verify with experimental data, controlled phantom experiments with characteristic tissue optical properties were performed using a structured light speckle imaging system. Three main geometries were explored: 1) diffusive dynamic layer beneath a static layer, 2) static layer beneath a diffuse dynamic layer, and 3) directed flow (tube) submerged in a dynamic scattering layer. Data fits were performed using the Monte Carlo model, which accurately reconstructed the type of particle flow (diffusive or directed) in each layer, the layer thickness, and absolute flow speeds to within 15% or better.

Big data integration shows Australian bush-fire frequency is increasing significantly.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Ritaban; Das, Aruneema; Aryal, Jagannath

2016-02-01

Increasing Australian bush-fire frequencies over the last decade has indicated a major climatic change in coming future. Understanding such climatic change for Australian bush-fire is limited and there is an urgent need of scientific research, which is capable enough to contribute to Australian society. Frequency of bush-fire carries information on spatial, temporal and climatic aspects of bush-fire events and provides contextual information to model various climate data for accurately predicting future bush-fire hot spots. In this study, we develop an ensemble method based on a two-layered machine learning model to establish relationship between fire incidence and climatic data. In a 336 week data trial, we demonstrate that the model provides highly accurate bush-fire incidence hot-spot estimation (91% global accuracy) from the weekly climatic surfaces. Our analysis also indicates that Australian weekly bush-fire frequencies increased by 40% over the last 5 years, particularly during summer months, implicating a serious climatic shift.

Low frequency sawtooth precursor activity in ASDEX Upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papp, G; Pokol, G I; Por, G; Magyarkuti, A; Lazanyi, N; Horvath, L [Department of Nuclear Techniques, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Association EURATOM, Pf 91, H-1521 Budapest (Hungary); Igochine, V; Maraschek, M, E-mail: papp@reak.bme.h [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Association EURATOM, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2011-06-15

This paper describes the precursor activity observed in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak before sawtooth crashes in various neutral beam heated plasmas, utilizing the soft x-ray diagnostic. In addition to the well-known (m, n) = (1,1) internal kink mode and its harmonics, a lower frequency mode is studied in detail. Power modulation of this mode is found to correlate with the power modulation of the (1, 1) kink mode in the quasistationary intervals indicating possible nonlinear interaction. Throughout the studied sawtooth crashes, the power of the lower frequency mode rose by several orders of magnitude just before the crash. In addition to its temporal behaviour, its spatial structure was estimated and the most likely value was found to be (1, 1). A possible role of this mode in the mechanism of the sawtooth crash is discussed.

Low frequency sawtooth precursor activity in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, G; Pokol, G I; Por, G; Magyarkuti, A; Lazanyi, N; Horvath, L; Igochine, V; Maraschek, M

2011-01-01

This paper describes the precursor activity observed in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak before sawtooth crashes in various neutral beam heated plasmas, utilizing the soft x-ray diagnostic. In addition to the well-known (m, n) = (1,1) internal kink mode and its harmonics, a lower frequency mode is studied in detail. Power modulation of this mode is found to correlate with the power modulation of the (1, 1) kink mode in the quasistationary intervals indicating possible nonlinear interaction. Throughout the studied sawtooth crashes, the power of the lower frequency mode rose by several orders of magnitude just before the crash. In addition to its temporal behaviour, its spatial structure was estimated and the most likely value was found to be (1, 1). A possible role of this mode in the mechanism of the sawtooth crash is discussed.

Maternal and child health and family planning service utilization in Guatemala: implications for service integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Seiber, Eric E; Hotchkiss, David R; Rous, Jeffrey J; Berruti, Andrés A

2005-07-01

Does the utilization of modern maternal and child health (MCH) services influence subsequent contraceptive use? The answer to this question holds important implications for proposals which advocate MCH and family planning service integration. This study uses data from the 1995/6 Guatemalan Demographic Health Survey and its 1997 Providers Census to test the influence of MCH service utilization on individual contraceptive use decisions. We use a full-information maximum likelihood regression model to control for unobserved heterogeneity. This model produces estimates of the MCH effect, independent of individual women's underlying receptiveness to MCH and contraceptive messages. The results of the analysis indicate that the intensity of MCH service use is indeed positively associated with subsequent contraceptive use among Guatemalan women, even after controlling for observed and unobserved individual- , household- , and community-level factors. Importantly, this finding holds even after controlling for the unobserved factors that 'predispose' some women to use both types of services. Simulations reveal that, for these Guatemalan women, key determinants such as age and primary schooling work indirectly through MCH service use to increase contraceptive utilization.

Spatial transformation-enabled electromagnetic devices: from radio frequencies to optical wavelengths

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi Hao; Turpin, Jeremy P.; Morgan, Kennith; Lu, Bingqian; Werner, Douglas H.

2015-01-01

Transformation optics provides scientists and engineers with a new powerful design paradigm to manipulate the flow of electromagnetic waves in a user-defined manner and with unprecedented flexibility, by controlling the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic properties of a medium. Using this approach, over the past decade, various previously undiscovered physical wave phenomena have been revealed and novel electromagnetic devices have been demonstrated throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. In this paper, we present versatile theoretical and experimental investigations on designing transformation optics-enabled devices for shaping electromagnetic wave radiation and guidance, at both radio frequencies and optical wavelengths. Different from conventional coordinate transformations, more advanced and versatile coordinate transformations are exploited here to benefit diverse applications, thereby providing expanded design flexibility, enhanced device performance, as well as reduced implementation complexity. These design examples demonstrate the comprehensive capability of transformation optics in controlling electromagnetic waves, while the associated novel devices will open up new paths towards future integrated electromagnetic component synthesis and design, from microwave to optical spectral regimes. PMID:26217054

Spatial transformation-enabled electromagnetic devices: from radio frequencies to optical wavelengths.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi Hao; Turpin, Jeremy P; Morgan, Kennith; Lu, Bingqian; Werner, Douglas H

2015-08-28

Transformation optics provides scientists and engineers with a new powerful design paradigm to manipulate the flow of electromagnetic waves in a user-defined manner and with unprecedented flexibility, by controlling the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic properties of a medium. Using this approach, over the past decade, various previously undiscovered physical wave phenomena have been revealed and novel electromagnetic devices have been demonstrated throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. In this paper, we present versatile theoretical and experimental investigations on designing transformation optics-enabled devices for shaping electromagnetic wave radiation and guidance, at both radio frequencies and optical wavelengths. Different from conventional coordinate transformations, more advanced and versatile coordinate transformations are exploited here to benefit diverse applications, thereby providing expanded design flexibility, enhanced device performance, as well as reduced implementation complexity. These design examples demonstrate the comprehensive capability of transformation optics in controlling electromagnetic waves, while the associated novel devices will open up new paths towards future integrated electromagnetic component synthesis and design, from microwave to optical spectral regimes. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Understanding the brain through its spatial structure

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Will Zachary

The spatial location of cells in neural tissue can be easily extracted from many imaging modalities, but the information contained in spatial relationships between cells is seldom utilized. This is because of a lack of recognition of the importance of spatial relationships to some aspects of brain function, and the reflection in spatial statistics of other types of information. The mathematical tools necessary to describe spatial relationships are also unknown to many neuroscientists, and biologists in general. We analyze two cases, and show that spatial relationships can be used to understand the role of a particular type of cell, the astrocyte, in Alzheimer's disease, and that the geometry of axons in the brain's white matter sheds light on the process of establishing connectivity between areas of the brain. Astrocytes provide nutrients for neuronal metabolism, and regulate the chemical environment of the brain, activities that require manipulation of spatial distributions (of neurotransmitters, for example). We first show, through the use of a correlation function, that inter-astrocyte forces determine the size of independent regulatory domains in the cortex. By examining the spatial distribution of astrocytes in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease, we determine that astrocytes are not actively transported to fight the disease, as was previously thought. The paths axons take through the white matter determine which parts of the brain are connected, and how quickly signals are transmitted. The rules that determine these paths (i.e. shortest distance) are currently unknown. By measurement of axon orientation distributions using three-point correlation functions and the statistics of axon turning and branching, we reveal that axons are restricted to growth in three directions, like a taxicab traversing city blocks, albeit in three-dimensions. We show how geometric restrictions at the small scale are related to large-scale trajectories. Finally we discuss the

Increased spatial granularity of left brain activation and unique age/gender signatures: a 4D frequency domain approach to cerebral lateralization at rest.

Science.gov (United States)

Agcaoglu, O; Miller, R; Mayer, A R; Hugdahl, K; Calhoun, V D

2016-12-01

Cerebral lateralization is a well-studied topic. However, most of the research to date in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been carried out on hemodynamic fluctuations of voxels, networks, or regions of interest (ROIs). For example, cerebral differences can be revealed by comparing the temporal activation of an ROI in one hemisphere with the corresponding homotopic region in the other hemisphere. While this approach can reveal significant information about cerebral organization, it does not provide information about the full spatiotemporal organization of the hemispheres. The cerebral differences revealed in literature suggest that hemispheres have different spatiotemporal organization in the resting state. In this study, we evaluate cerebral lateralization in the 4D spatiotemporal frequency domain to compare the hemispheres in the context of general activation patterns at different spatial and temporal scales. We use a gender-balanced resting fMRI dataset comprising over 600 healthy subjects ranging in age from 12 to 71, that have previously been studied with a network specific voxel-wise and global analysis of lateralization (Agcaoglu, et al. NeuroImage, 2014). Our analysis elucidates significant differences in the spatiotemporal organization of brain activity between hemispheres, and generally more spatiotemporal fluctuation in the left hemisphere especially in the high spatial frequency bands, and more power in the right hemisphere in the low and middle spatial frequencies. Importantly, the identified effects are not visible in the context of a typical assessment of voxelwise, regional, or even global laterality, thus our study highlights the value of 4D spatiotemporal frequency domain analyses as a complementary and powerful tool for studying brain function.

In vivo spatial frequency domain spectroscopy of two layer media

Science.gov (United States)

Yudovsky, Dmitry; Nguyen, John Quan M.; Durkin, Anthony J.

2012-10-01

Monitoring of tissue blood volume and local oxygen saturation can inform the assessment of tissue health, healing, and dysfunction. These quantities can be estimated from the contribution of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin to the absorption spectrum of the dermis. However, estimation of blood related absorption in skin can be confounded by the strong absorption of melanin in the epidermis and epidermal thickness and pigmentation varies with anatomic location, race, gender, and degree of disease progression. Therefore, a method is desired that decouples the effect of melanin absorption in the epidermis from blood absorption in the dermis for a large range of skin types and thicknesses. A previously developed inverse method based on a neural network forward model was applied to simulated spatial frequency domain reflectance of skin for multiple wavelengths in the near infrared. It is demonstrated that the optical thickness of the epidermis and absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the dermis can be determined independently and with minimal coupling. Then, the same inverse method was applied to reflectance measurements from a tissue simulating phantom and in vivo human skin. Oxygen saturation and total hemoglobin concentrations were estimated from the volar forearms of weakly and strongly pigmented subjects using a standard homogeneous model and the present two layer model.

High frequency seismic signal generated by landslides on complex topographies: from point source to spatially distributed sources

Science.gov (United States)

Mangeney, A.; Kuehnert, J.; Capdeville, Y.; Durand, V.; Stutzmann, E.; Kone, E. H.; Sethi, S.

2017-12-01

During their flow along the topography, landslides generate seismic waves in a wide frequency range. These so called landquakes can be recorded at very large distances (a few hundreds of km for large landslides). The recorded signals depend on the landslide seismic source and the seismic wave propagation. If the wave propagation is well understood, the seismic signals can be inverted for the seismic source and thus can be used to get information on the landslide properties and dynamics. Analysis and modeling of long period seismic signals (10-150s) have helped in this way to discriminate between different landslide scenarios and to constrain rheological parameters (e.g. Favreau et al., 2010). This was possible as topography poorly affects wave propagation at these long periods and the landslide seismic source can be approximated as a point source. In the near-field and at higher frequencies (> 1 Hz) the spatial extent of the source has to be taken into account and the influence of the topography on the recorded seismic signal should be quantified in order to extract information on the landslide properties and dynamics. The characteristic signature of distributed sources and varying topographies is studied as a function of frequency and recording distance.The time dependent spatial distribution of the forces applied to the ground by the landslide are obtained using granular flow numerical modeling on 3D topography. The generated seismic waves are simulated using the spectral element method. The simulated seismic signal is compared to observed seismic data from rockfalls at the Dolomieu Crater of Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion).Favreau, P., Mangeney, A., Lucas, A., Crosta, G., and Bouchut, F. (2010). Numerical modeling of landquakes. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(15):1-5.

Utilization of multiple frequencies in 3D nonlinear microwave imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter Damsgaard; Rubæk, Tonny; Mohr, Johan Jacob

2012-01-01

The use of multiple frequencies in a nonlinear microwave algorithm is considered. Using multiple frequencies allows for obtaining the improved resolution available at the higher frequencies while retaining the regularizing effects of the lower frequencies. However, a number of different challenges...... at lower frequencies are used as starting guesses for reconstructions at higher frequencies. The performance is illustrated using simulated 2-D data and data obtained with the 3-D DTU microwave imaging system....

Confidential data in a competitive utility environment: A regulatory perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vine, E.

1996-08-01

Historically, the electric utility industry has been regarded as one of the most open industries in the United States in sharing information but their reputation is being challenged by competitive energy providers, the general public, regulators, and other stakeholders. As the prospect of competition among electricity power providers has increased in recent years, many utilities have been requesting that the data they submit to their utility regulatory commissions remain confidential. Withholding utility information from the public is likely to have serious and significant policy implications with respect to: (1) consumer education, the pursuit of truth, mutual respect among parties, and social cooperation; (2) the creation of a fair market for competitive energy services; (3) the regulatory balance; (4) regional and national assessments of energy-savings opportunities; (5) research and development; and (6) evaluations of utility programs, plans, and policies. In a telephone survey of all public utility commissions (PUCs) that regulate electric and gas utilities in the U.S., we found that almost all PUCs have received requests from utility companies for data to be filed as confidential, and confidential data filings appear to have increased (both in scope and in frequency) in those states where utility restructuring is being actively discussed. The most common types of data submitted as confidential by utilities dealt with specific customer data, market data, avoided costs, and utility costs.

Utilizing time-frequency amplitude and phase synchrony measure to assess feedback processing in a gambling task.

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Adreanna T M; Tootell, Anne V; Fix, Spencer T; Aviyente, Selin; Bernat, Edward M

2018-04-29

The neurophysiological mechanisms involved in the evaluation of performance feedback have been widely studied in the ERP literature over the past twenty years, but understanding has been limited by the use of traditional time-domain amplitude analytic approaches. Gambling outcome valence has been identified as an important factor modulating event-related potential (ERP) components, most notably the feedback negativity (FN). Recent work employing time-frequency analysis has shown that processes indexed by the FN are confounded in the time-domain and can be better represented as separable feedback-related processes in the theta (3-7 Hz) and delta (0-3 Hz) frequency bands. In addition to time-frequency amplitude analysis, phase synchrony measures have begun to further our understanding of performance evaluation by revealing how feedback information is processed within and between various brain regions. The current study aimed to provide an integrative assessment of time-frequency amplitude, inter-trial phase synchrony, and inter-channel phase synchrony changes following monetary feedback in a gambling task. Results revealed that time-frequency amplitude activity explained separable loss and gain processes confounded in the time-domain. Furthermore, phase synchrony measures explained unique variance above and beyond amplitude measures and demonstrated enhanced functional integration between medial prefrontal and bilateral frontal, motor, and occipital regions for loss relative to gain feedback. These findings demonstrate the utility of assessing time-frequency amplitude, inter-trial phase synchrony, and inter-channel phase synchrony together to better elucidate the neurophysiology of feedback processing. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Generation and dynamics of quadratic birefringent spatial gap solitons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anghel-Vasilescu, P.; Dorignac, J.; Geniet, F.; Leon, J.; Taki, A.

2011-01-01

A method is proposed to generate and study the dynamics of spatial light solitons in a birefringent medium with quadratic nonlinearity. Although no analytical expression for propagating solitons has been obtained, our numerical simulations show the existence of stable localized spatial solitons in the frequency forbidden band gap of the medium. The dynamics of these objects is quite rich and manifests for instance elastic reflections, or inelastic collisions where two solitons merge and propagate as a single solitary wave. We derive the dynamics of the slowly varying envelopes of the three fields (second harmonic pump and two-component signal) and study this new system theoretically. We show that it does present a threshold for nonlinear supratransmission that can be calculated from a series expansion approach with a very high accuracy. Specific physical implications of our theoretical predictions are illustrated on LiGaTe 2 (LGT) crystals. Once irradiated by a cw laser beam of 10 μm wavelength, at an incidence beyond the extinction angle, such crystals will transmit light, in the form of spatial solitons generated in the nonlinear regime above the nonlinear supratransmission threshold.

Spatial Frequency Multiplexing of Fiber-Optic Interferometric Refractive Index Sensors Based on Graded-Index Multimode Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Li; Gong, Yuan; Wu, Yu; Zhao, Tian; Wu, Hui-Juan; Rao, Yun-Jiang

2012-01-01

Fiber-optic interferometric sensors based on graded-index multimode fibers have very high refractive-index sensitivity, as we previously demonstrated. In this paper, spatial-frequency multiplexing of this type of fiber-optic refractive index sensors is investigated. It is estimated that multiplexing of more than 10 such sensors is possible. In the multiplexing scheme, one of the sensors is used to investigate the refractive index and temperature responses. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the combined reflective spectra is analyzed. The intensity of the FFT spectra is linearly related with the refractive index and is not sensitive to the temperature.

Spatial frequency-dependent feedback of visual cortical area 21a modulating functional orientation column maps in areas 17 and 18 of the cat.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Luoxiu; Chen, Xin; Shou, Tiande

2004-02-20

The feedback effect of activity of area 21a on orientation maps of areas 17 and 18 was investigated in cats using intrinsic signal optical imaging. A spatial frequency-dependent decrease in response amplitude of orientation maps to grating stimuli was observed in areas 17 and 18 when area 21a was inactivated by local injection of GABA, or by a lesion induced by liquid nitrogen freezing. The decrease in response amplitude of orientation maps of areas 17 and 18 after the area 21a inactivation paralleled the normal response without the inactivation. Application in area 21a of bicuculline, a GABAa receptor antagonist caused an increase in response amplitude of orientation maps of area 17. The results indicate a positive feedback from high-order visual cortical area 21a to lower-order areas underlying a spatial frequency-dependent mechanism.

Controlling Energy Radiations of Electromagnetic Waves via Frequency Coding Metamaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Haotian; Liu, Shuo; Wan, Xiang; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Dan; Li, Lianlin; Cui, Tie Jun

2017-09-01

Metamaterials are artificial structures composed of subwavelength unit cells to control electromagnetic (EM) waves. The spatial coding representation of metamaterial has the ability to describe the material in a digital way. The spatial coding metamaterials are typically constructed by unit cells that have similar shapes with fixed functionality. Here, the concept of frequency coding metamaterial is proposed, which achieves different controls of EM energy radiations with a fixed spatial coding pattern when the frequency changes. In this case, not only different phase responses of the unit cells are considered, but also different phase sensitivities are also required. Due to different frequency sensitivities of unit cells, two units with the same phase response at the initial frequency may have different phase responses at higher frequency. To describe the frequency coding property of unit cell, digitalized frequency sensitivity is proposed, in which the units are encoded with digits "0" and "1" to represent the low and high phase sensitivities, respectively. By this merit, two degrees of freedom, spatial coding and frequency coding, are obtained to control the EM energy radiations by a new class of frequency-spatial coding metamaterials. The above concepts and physical phenomena are confirmed by numerical simulations and experiments.

Radio Frequency Identification Queuing & Geo-Location (RAQGEO): A spatial solution to inventory management at XYZ Logistics, Inc

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Bradley Joseph

New supply chain management methods using radio frequency identification (RFID) and global positioning system (GPS) technology are quickly being adopted by companies as various inventory management benefits are being realized. For example, companies such as Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Logistics use the technology coupled with geospatial support systems for distributors to quickly find and manage freight containers. Traditional supply chain management methods require pen-to-paper reporting, searching inventory on foot, and human data entry. Some companies that prioritize supply chain management have not adopted the new technology, because they may feel that their traditional methods save the company expenses. This thesis serves as a pilot study that examines how information technology (IT) utilizing RFID and GPS technology can serve to increase workplace productivity, decrease human labor associated with inventorying, plus be used for spatial analysis by management. This pilot study represents the first attempt to couple RFID technology with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in supply chain management efforts to analyze and locate mobile assets by exploring costs and benefits of implementation plus how the technology can be employed. This pilot study identified a candidate to implement a new inventory management method as XYZ Logistics, Inc. XYZ Logistics, Inc. is a fictitious company but represents a factual corporation. The name has been changed to provide the company with anonymity and to not disclose confidential business information. XYZ Logistics, Inc., is a nation-wide company that specializes in providing space solutions for customers including portable offices, storage containers, and customizable buildings.

Reference-free determination of tissue absorption coefficient by modulation transfer function characterization in spatial frequency domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weiting; Zhao, Huijuan; Li, Tongxin; Yan, Panpan; Zhao, Kuanxin; Qi, Caixia; Gao, Feng

2017-08-08

Spatial frequency domain (SFD) measurement allows rapid and non-contact wide-field imaging of the tissue optical properties, thus has become a potential tool for assessing physiological parameters and therapeutic responses during photodynamic therapy of skin diseases. The conventional SFD measurement requires a reference measurement within the same experimental scenario as that for a test one to calibrate mismatch between the real measurements and the model predictions. Due to the individual physical and geometrical differences among different tissues, organs and patients, an ideal reference measurement might be unavailable in clinical trials. To address this problem, we present a reference-free SFD determination of absorption coefficient that is based on the modulation transfer function (MTF) characterization. Instead of the absolute amplitude that is used in the conventional SFD approaches, we herein employ the MTF to characterize the propagation of the modulated lights in tissues. With such a dimensionless relative quantity, the measurements can be naturally corresponded to the model predictions without calibrating the illumination intensity. By constructing a three-dimensional database that portrays the MTF as a function of the optical properties (both the absorption coefficient μ a and the reduced scattering coefficient [Formula: see text]) and the spatial frequency, a look-up table approach or a least-square curve-fitting method is readily applied to recover the absorption coefficient from a single frequency or multiple frequencies, respectively. Simulation studies have verified the feasibility of the proposed reference-free method and evaluated its accuracy in the absorption recovery. Experimental validations have been performed on homogeneous tissue-mimicking phantoms with μ a ranging from 0.01 to 0.07 mm -1 and [Formula: see text] = 1.0 or 2.0 mm -1 . The results have shown maximum errors of 4.86 and 7% for [Formula: see text] = 1.0 mm -1 and

EMGAN: A computer program for time and frequency domain reduction of electromyographic data

Science.gov (United States)

Hursta, W. N.

1975-01-01

An experiment in electromyography utilizing surface electrode techniques was developed for the Apollo-Soyuz test project. This report describes the computer program, EMGAN, which was written to provide first order data reduction for the experiment. EMG signals are produced by the membrane depolarization of muscle fibers during a muscle contraction. Surface electrodes detect a spatially summated signal from a large number of muscle fibers commonly called an interference pattern. An interference pattern is usually so complex that analysis through signal morphology is extremely difficult if not impossible. It has become common to process EMG interference patterns in the frequency domain. Muscle fatigue and certain myopathic conditions are recognized through changes in muscle frequency spectra.

Combining time-frequency and spatial information for the detection of sleep spindles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian eO'Reilly

2015-02-01

Full Text Available EEG sleep spindles are short (0.5-2.0 s bursts of activity in the 11-16 Hz band occurring during non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep. This sporadic activity is thought to play a role in memory consolidation, brain plasticity, and protection of sleep integrity. Many automatic detectors have been proposed to assist or replace experts for sleep spindle scoring. However, these algorithms usually detect too many events making it difficult to achieve a good tradeoff between sensitivity (Se and false detection rate (FDr. In this work, we propose a semi-automatic detector comprising a sensitivity phase based on well-established criteria followed by a specificity phase using spatial and spectral criteria.In the sensitivity phase, selected events are those which amplitude in the 10 – 16 Hz band and spectral ratio characteristics both reject a null hypothesis (p <0.1 stating that the considered event is not a spindle. This null hypothesis is constructed from events occurring during rapid eye movement (REM sleep epochs. In the specificity phase, a hierarchical clustering of the selected candidates is done based on events’ frequency and spatial position along the anterior-posterior axis. Only events from the classes grouping most (at least 80% spindles scored by an expert are kept. We obtain Se = 93.2% and FDr = 93.0% in the first phase and Se = 85.4% and FDr = 86.2% in the second phase. For these two phases, Matthew’s correlation coefficients are respectively 0.228 and 0.324. Results suggest that spindles are defined by specific spatio-spectral properties and that automatic detection methods can be improved by considering these features.

NMR with generalized dynamics of spin and spatial coordinates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang Jae.

1987-11-01

This work is concerned with theoretical and experimental aspects of the generalized dynamics of nuclear spin and spatial coordinates under magnetic-field pulses and mechanical motions. The main text begins with an introduction to the concept of ''fictitious'' interactions. A systematic method for constructing fictitious spin-1/2 operators is given. The interaction of spins with a quantized-field is described. The concept of the fictitious interactions under the irradiation of multiple pulses is utilized to design sequences for selectively averaging linear and bilinear operators. Relations between the low-field sequences and high-field iterative schemes are clarified. These relations and the transformation properties of the spin operators are exploited to develop schemes for heteronuclear decoupling of multi-level systems. The resulting schemes are evaluated for heteronuclear decoupling of a dilute spin-1/2 from a spin-1 in liquid crystal samples and from a homonuclear spin-1/2 pair in liquids. A relation between the spin and the spatial variables is discussed. The transformation properties of the spin operators are applied to spatial coordinates and utilized to develop methods for removing the orientational dependence responsible for line broadening in a powder sample. Elimination of the second order quadrupole effects, as well as the first order anisotropies is discussed. It is shown that various sources of line broadening can effectively be eliminated by spinning and/or hopping the sample about judiciously chosen axes along with appropriate radio-frequency pulse sequences

Utilizing Participatory Mapping and GIS to Examine the Activity Spaces of Homeless Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Townley, Greg; Pearson, L; Lehrwyn, Josephine M; Prophet, Nicole T; Trauernicht, Mareike

2016-06-01

Although previous studies have informed our understanding of certain aspects of youth homelessness, few studies have critically examined the spatial and social environments utilized by youth as they navigate life on the streets. This study employed participatory mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the activity spaces of homeless youth as they relate to sense of community and psychological well-being. Participants were 28 youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon, USA. Results suggest that youth engage most frequently in service-related activities, and their activity participation is significantly associated with sense of community and psychological well-being. The utility of innovative participatory methods for better understanding the diverse experiences of homeless youth is discussed alongside examination of their practical implications. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Classification of radiological errors in chest radiographs, using support vector machine on the spatial frequency features of false- negative and false-positive regions

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrzyk, Mariusz W.; Donovan, Tim; Brennan, Patrick C.; Dix, Alan; Manning, David J.

2011-03-01

Aim: To optimize automated classification of radiological errors during lung nodule detection from chest radiographs (CxR) using a support vector machine (SVM) run on the spatial frequency features extracted from the local background of selected regions. Background: The majority of the unreported pulmonary nodules are visually detected but not recognized; shown by the prolonged dwell time values at false-negative regions. Similarly, overestimated nodule locations are capturing substantial amounts of foveal attention. Spatial frequency properties of selected local backgrounds are correlated with human observer responses either in terms of accuracy in indicating abnormality position or in the precision of visual sampling the medical images. Methods: Seven radiologists participated in the eye tracking experiments conducted under conditions of pulmonary nodule detection from a set of 20 postero-anterior CxR. The most dwelled locations have been identified and subjected to spatial frequency (SF) analysis. The image-based features of selected ROI were extracted with un-decimated Wavelet Packet Transform. An analysis of variance was run to select SF features and a SVM schema was implemented to classify False-Negative and False-Positive from all ROI. Results: A relative high overall accuracy was obtained for each individually developed Wavelet-SVM algorithm, with over 90% average correct ratio for errors recognition from all prolonged dwell locations. Conclusion: The preliminary results show that combined eye-tracking and image-based features can be used for automated detection of radiological error with SVM. The work is still in progress and not all analytical procedures have been completed, which might have an effect on the specificity of the algorithm.

Implications of recurrent disturbance for genetic diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Ian D; Cary, Geoffrey J; Landguth, Erin L; Lindenmayer, David B; Banks, Sam C

2016-02-01

Exploring interactions between ecological disturbance, species' abundances and community composition provides critical insights for ecological dynamics. While disturbance is also potentially an important driver of landscape genetic patterns, the mechanisms by which these patterns may arise by selective and neutral processes are not well-understood. We used simulation to evaluate the relative importance of disturbance regime components, and their interaction with demographic and dispersal processes, on the distribution of genetic diversity across landscapes. We investigated genetic impacts of variation in key components of disturbance regimes and spatial patterns that are likely to respond to climate change and land management, including disturbance size, frequency, and severity. The influence of disturbance was mediated by dispersal distance and, to a limited extent, by birth rate. Nevertheless, all three disturbance regime components strongly influenced spatial and temporal patterns of genetic diversity within subpopulations, and were associated with changes in genetic structure. Furthermore, disturbance-induced changes in temporal population dynamics and the spatial distribution of populations across the landscape resulted in disrupted isolation by distance patterns among populations. Our results show that forecast changes in disturbance regimes have the potential to cause major changes to the distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations. We highlight likely scenarios under which future changes to disturbance size, severity, or frequency will have the strongest impacts on population genetic patterns. In addition, our results have implications for the inference of biological processes from genetic data, because the effects of dispersal on genetic patterns were strongly mediated by disturbance regimes.

Delayed discrimination of spatial frequency for gratings of different orientation: behavioral and fMRI evidence for low-level perceptual memory stores in early visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Oliver; Endestad, Tor; Magnussen, Svein; Greenlee, Mark W

2008-07-01

The concept of perceptual memory refers to the neural and cognitive processes underlying the storage of specific stimulus features such as spatial frequency, orientation, shape, contrast, and color. Psychophysical studies of perceptual memory indicate that observers can retain visual information about the spatial frequency of Gabor patterns independent of the orientation with which they are presented. Compared to discrimination of gratings with the same orientation, reaction times to orthogonally oriented gratings, however, increase suggesting additional processing. Using event-related fMRI we examined the pattern of neural activation evoked when subjects discriminated the spatial frequency of Gabors presented with the same or orthogonal orientation. Blood-oxygen level dependent BOLD fMRI revealed significantly elevated bilateral activity in visual areas (V1, V2) when the gratings to be compared had an orthogonal orientation, compared to when they had the same orientation. These findings suggest that a change in an irrelevant stimulus dimension requires additional processing in primary and secondary visual areas. The finding that the task-irrelevant stimulus property (orientation) had no significant effect on the prefrontal and intraparietal cortex supports a model of working memory in which discrimination and retention of basic stimulus dimensions is based on low-level perceptual memory stores that are located at an early stage in the visual process. Our findings suggest that accessing different stores requires time and has higher metabolic costs.

Optimizing signal output: effects of viscoelasticity and difference frequency on vibroacoustic radiation of tissue-mimicking phantoms

Science.gov (United States)

Namiri, Nikan K.; Maccabi, Ashkan; Bajwa, Neha; Badran, Karam W.; Taylor, Zachary D.; St. John, Maie A.; Grundfest, Warren S.; Saddik, George N.

2018-02-01

Vibroacoustography (VA) is an imaging technology that utilizes the acoustic response of tissues to a localized, low frequency radiation force to generate a spatially resolved, high contrast image. Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of VA for tissue identification and margin delineation in cancer tissues. However, the relationship between specimen viscoelasticity and vibroacoustic emission remains to be fully quantified. This work utilizes the effects of variable acoustic wave profiles on unique tissue-mimicking phantoms (TMPs) to maximize VA signal power according to tissue mechanical properties, particularly elasticity. A micro-indentation method was utilized to provide measurements of the elastic modulus for each biological replica. An inverse relationship was found between elastic modulus (E) and VA signal amplitude among homogeneous TMPs. Additionally, the difference frequency (Δf ) required to reach maximum VA signal correlated with specimen elastic modulus. Peak signal diminished with increasing Δf among the polyvinyl alcohol specimen, suggesting an inefficient vibroacoustic response by the specimen beyond a threshold of resonant Δf. Comparison of these measurements may provide additional information to improve tissue modeling, system characterization, as well as insights into the unique tissue composition of tumors in head and neck cancer patients.

Employment Effects of Spatial Dispersal of Refugees

OpenAIRE

Damm, Anna Piil; Rosholm, Michael

2005-01-01

We argue that spatial dispersal influences labour market assimilation of refugees through two mechanisms: first, the local job offer arrival rate and, second, place utility. Our partial search model with simultaneous job and residential location search predicts that the reservation wage for local jobs decreases with place utility. We argue that spatial dispersal decreases average place utility of refugees which decreases the transition rate into first job due to large local reservation wages....

China’s Water Utilization Efficiency: An Analysis with Environmental Considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hailiang Ma

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This paper estimates China’s water utilization efficiency using the directional distance function to take into account the environmental degradation affecting the economy. We further analyze the spatial correlation and the factors influencing the utilization efficiency using spatial panel data models. The results show that water utilization efficiency in China differs between provinces and regions. For example, water utilization efficiency in the eastern coastal provinces is significantly higher than that of inland provinces. The pattern of spatial auto-correlation Moran’s I index presents significant spatial auto-correlation and evident cluster tendencies in China’s inter-provincial water utilization. Factors that contribute to water utilization efficiency include economic development, technological progress, and economic openness. Negative factors affecting water utilization efficiency arise from industrial structure, government interference, and water resources endowment. In addition, the price of water resources is insignificant. The improvement of water utilization efficiency is essential to sustainable economic development. To raise the utilization efficiency of water resources, China should focus on transforming its industrial restructure, advancing technological development, enhancing economic openness, and encouraging entrepreneurial innovations. Moreover, establishing a mechanism to encourage water conservation and reduce wastewater pollution will further increase water utilization efficiency.

Spatially explicit assessment of ecosystem services in China's Loess Plateau: Patterns, interactions, drivers, and implications

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chong; Zhang, Haiyan; Zhang, Zhidong

2018-02-01

Human demands for natural resources have significantly changed the natural landscape and induced ecological degradation and associated ecosystem services. An understanding of the patterns, interactions, and drivers of ecosystem services is essential for the ecosystem management and guiding targeted land use policy-making. The Losses Plateau (LP) provides ecosystem services including the carbon sequestration and soil retention, and exerts tremendous impacts on the midstream and downstream of the Yellow River. Three dominant ecosystem services between 2000 and 2012 within the LP were presented based on multiple source datasets and biophysical models. In addition, paired ecosystem services interactions were quantified using the correlation analysis and constraint line approach. The main conclusions are as follows. It was observed that the warming and wetting climate and ecological program jointly promoted the vegetation growth and carbon sequestration. The increasing precipitation throughout 2000-2012 was related to the soil retention and hydrological regulation fluctuations. The vegetation restoration played a positive role in the soil retention enhancement, thus substantially reduced water and sediment yields. The relationships between ecosystem services were not only correlations (tradeoffs or synergies), but rather constraint effects. The constraint effects between the three paired ecosystem services could be classified as the negative convex (carbon sequestration vs. hydrological regulation) and hump-shaped (soil retention vs. carbon sequestration and soil retention vs. hydrological regulation), and the coefficients of determination for the entire LP were 0.78, 0.84, and 0.65, respectively. In the LP, the rainfall (water availability) was the key constraint factor that affected the relationships between the paired ecosystem services. The spatially explicit mapping of ecosystem services and interaction analyses utilizing constraint line approach enriched the

Spatial implications of covariate adjustment on patterns of risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sabel, Clive Eric; Wilson, Jeff Gaines; Kingham, Simon

2007-01-01

Epidemiological studies that examine the relationship between environmental exposures and health often address other determinants of health that may influence the relationship being studied by adjusting for these factors as covariates. While disease surveillance methods routinely control...... for covariates such as deprivation, there has been limited investigative work on the spatial movement of risk at the intraurban scale due to the adjustment. It is important that the nature of any spatial relocation be well understood as a relocation to areas of increased risk may also introduce additional...... localised factors that influence the exposure-response relationship. This paper examines the spatial patterns of relative risk and clusters of hospitalisations based on an illustrative small-area example from Christchurch, New Zealand. A four-stage test of the spatial relocation effects of covariate...

Complex sparse spatial filter for decoding mixed frequency and phase coded steady-state visually evoked potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Morikawa, Naoki; Tanaka, Toshihisa; Islam, Md Rabiul

2018-07-01

Mixed frequency and phase coding (FPC) can achieve the significant increase of the number of commands in steady-state visual evoked potential-based brain-computer interface (SSVEP-BCI). However, the inconsistent phases of the SSVEP over channels in a trial and the existence of non-contributing channels due to noise effects can decrease accurate detection of stimulus frequency. We propose a novel command detection method based on a complex sparse spatial filter (CSSF) by solving ℓ 1 - and ℓ 2,1 -regularization problems for a mixed-coded SSVEP-BCI. In particular, ℓ 2,1 -regularization (aka group sparsification) can lead to the rejection of electrodes that are not contributing to the SSVEP detection. A calibration data based canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and CSSF with ℓ 1 - and ℓ 2,1 -regularization cases were demonstrated for a 16-target stimuli with eleven subjects. The results of statistical test suggest that the proposed method with ℓ 1 - and ℓ 2,1 -regularization significantly achieved the highest ITR. The proposed approaches do not need any reference signals, automatically select prominent channels, and reduce the computational cost compared to the other mixed frequency-phase coding (FPC)-based BCIs. The experimental results suggested that the proposed method can be usable implementing BCI effectively with reduce visual fatigue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local edge detectors: a substrate for fine spatial vision at low temporal frequencies in rabbit retina.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wyk, Michiel; Taylor, W Rowland; Vaney, David I

2006-12-20

Visual acuity is limited by the size and density of the smallest retinal ganglion cells, which correspond to the midget ganglion cells in primate retina and the beta-ganglion cells in cat retina, both of which have concentric receptive fields that respond at either light-On or light-Off. In contrast, the smallest ganglion cells in the rabbit retina are the local edge detectors (LEDs), which respond to spot illumination at both light-On and light-Off. However, the LEDs do not predominate in the rabbit retina and the question arises, what role do they play in fine spatial vision? We studied the morphology and physiology of LEDs in the isolated rabbit retina and examined how their response properties are shaped by the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Although the LEDs comprise only approximately 15% of the ganglion cells, neighboring LEDs are separated by 30-40 microm on the visual streak, which is sufficient to account for the grating acuity of the rabbit. The spatial and temporal receptive-field properties of LEDs are generated by distinct inhibitory mechanisms. The strong inhibitory surround acts presynaptically to suppress both the excitation and the inhibition elicited by center stimulation. The temporal properties, characterized by sluggish onset, sustained firing, and low bandwidth, are mediated by the temporal properties of the bipolar cells and by postsynaptic interactions between the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. We propose that the LEDs signal fine spatial detail during visual fixation, when high temporal frequencies are minimal.

Near infrared spatial frequency domain fluorescence imaging of tumor phantoms containing erythrocyte-derived optical nanoplatforms

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Joshua M.; Schaefer, Elise; Anvari, Bahman

2018-02-01

Light-activated theranostic constructs provide a multi-functional platform for optical imaging and phototherapeutic applications. Our group has engineered nano-sized vesicles derived from erythrocytes that encapsulate the FDAapproved near infrared (NIR) absorber indocyanine green (ICG). We refer to these constructs as NIR erythrocytemimicking transducers (NETs). Once photo-excited by NIR light these constructs can transduce the photons energy to emit fluorescence, generate heat, or induce chemical reactions. In this study, we investigated fluorescence imaging of NETs embedded within tumor phantoms using spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI). Using SFDI, we were able to fluorescently image simulated tumors doped with different concentration of NETs. These preliminary results suggest that NETs can be used in conjunction with SFDI for potential tumor imaging applications.

Non-local spatial frequency response of photopolymer materials containing chain transfer agents: I. Theoretical modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Jinxin; Gleeson, Michael R; Liu, Shui; Sheridan, John T

2011-01-01

The non-local photopolymerization driven diffusion (NPDD) model predicts that a reduction in the non-local response length within a photopolymer material will improve its high spatial frequency response. The introduction of a chain transfer agent reduces the average molecular weight of polymer chains formed during free radical polymerization. Therefore a chain transfer agent (CTA) provides a practical method to reduce the non-local response length. An extended NPDD model is presented, which includes the chain transfer reaction and most major photochemical processes. The addition of a chain transfer agent into an acrylamide/polyvinyl alcohol photopolymer material is simulated and the predictions of the model are examined. The predictions of the model are experimentally examined in part II of this paper

Simplified fringe order correction for absolute phase maps recovered with multiple-spatial-frequency fringe projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Yi; Peng, Kai; Lu, Lei; Zhong, Kai; Zhu, Ziqi

2017-01-01

Various kinds of fringe order errors may occur in the absolute phase maps recovered with multi-spatial-frequency fringe projections. In existing methods, multiple successive pixels corrupted by fringe order errors are detected and corrected pixel-by-pixel with repeating searches, which is inefficient for applications. To improve the efficiency of multiple successive fringe order corrections, in this paper we propose a method to simplify the error detection and correction by the stepwise increasing property of fringe order. In the proposed method, the numbers of pixels in each step are estimated to find the possible true fringe order values, repeating the search in detecting multiple successive errors can be avoided for efficient error correction. The effectiveness of our proposed method is validated by experimental results. (paper)

Spatial variability of turbulent fluxes in the roughness sublayer of an even-aged pine forest

Science.gov (United States)

Katul, G.; Hsieh, C.-I.; Bowling, D.; Clark, K.; Shurpali, N.; Turnipseed, A.; Albertson, J.; Tu, K.; Hollinger, D.; Evans, B. M.; Offerle, B.; Anderson, D.; Ellsworth, D.; Vogel, C.; Oren, R.

1999-01-01

The spatial variability of turbulent flow statistics in the roughness sublayer (RSL) of a uniform even-aged 14 m (= h) tall loblolly pine forest was investigated experimentally. Using seven existing walkup towers at this stand, high frequency velocity, temperature, water vapour and carbon dioxide concentrations were measured at 15.5 m above the ground surface from October 6 to 10 in 1997. These seven towers were separated by at least 100 m from each other. The objective of this study was to examine whether single tower turbulence statistics measurements represent the flow properties of RSL turbulence above a uniform even-aged managed loblolly pine forest as a best-case scenario for natural forested ecosystems. From the intensive space-time series measurements, it was demonstrated that standard deviations of longitudinal and vertical velocities (??(u), ??(w)) and temperature (??(T)) are more planar homogeneous than their vertical flux of momentum (u(*)2) and sensible heat (H) counterparts. Also, the measured H is more horizontally homogeneous when compared to fluxes of other scalar entities such as CO2 and water vapour. While the spatial variability in fluxes was significant (> 15%), this unique data set confirmed that single tower measurements represent the 'canonical' structure of single-point RSL turbulence statistics, especially flux-variance relationships. Implications to extending the 'moving-equilibrium' hypothesis for RSL flows are discussed. The spatial variability in all RSL flow variables was not constant in time and varied strongly with spatially averaged friction velocity u(*), especially when u(*) was small. It is shown that flow properties derived from two-point temporal statistics such as correlation functions are more sensitive to local variability in leaf area density when compared to single point flow statistics. Specifically, that the local relationship between the reciprocal of the vertical velocity integral time scale (I(w)) and the arrival

Soil pH Errors Propagation from Measurements to Spatial Predictions - Cost Benefit Analysis and Risk Assessment Implications for Practitioners and Modelers

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, P. R.; Libohova, Z.; Seybold, C. A.; Wills, S. A.; Peaslee, S.; Beaudette, D.; Lindbo, D. L.

2017-12-01

The measurement errors and spatial prediction uncertainties of soil properties in the modeling community are usually assessed against measured values when available. However, of equal importance is the assessment of errors and uncertainty impacts on cost benefit analysis and risk assessments. Soil pH was selected as one of the most commonly measured soil properties used for liming recommendations. The objective of this study was to assess the error size from different sources and their implications with respect to management decisions. Error sources include measurement methods, laboratory sources, pedotransfer functions, database transections, spatial aggregations, etc. Several databases of measured and predicted soil pH were used for this study including the United States National Cooperative Soil Survey Characterization Database (NCSS-SCDB), the US Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database. The distribution of errors among different sources from measurement methods to spatial aggregation showed a wide range of values. The greatest RMSE of 0.79 pH units was from spatial aggregation (SSURGO vs Kriging), while the measurement methods had the lowest RMSE of 0.06 pH units. Assuming the order of data acquisition based on the transaction distance i.e. from measurement method to spatial aggregation the RMSE increased from 0.06 to 0.8 pH units suggesting an "error propagation". This has major implications for practitioners and modeling community. Most soil liming rate recommendations are based on 0.1 pH unit increments, while the desired soil pH level increments are based on 0.4 to 0.5 pH units. Thus, even when the measured and desired target soil pH are the same most guidelines recommend 1 ton ha-1 lime, which translates in 111 ha-1 that the farmer has to factor in the cost-benefit analysis. However, this analysis need to be based on uncertainty predictions (0.5-1.0 pH units) rather than measurement errors (0.1 pH units) which would translate in 555-1,111 investment that

The effect of exercise repetition on the frequency characteristics of motor output force: implications for Achilles tendinopathy rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grigg, Nicole L; Wearing, Scott C; O'Toole, John M; Smeathers, James E

2014-01-01

To investigate the frequency characteristics of the ground reaction force (GRF) recorded throughout the eccentric Achilles tendon rehabilitation programme described by Alfredson. Controlled laboratory study, longitudinal. Nine healthy adult males performed six sets (15 repetitions per set) of eccentric ankle exercise. Ground reaction force was recorded throughout the exercise protocol. For each exercise repetition the frequency power spectrum of the resultant ground reaction force was calculated and normalised to total power. The magnitude of peak relative power within the 8-12 Hz bandwidth and the frequency at which this peak occurred was determined. The magnitude of peak relative power within the 8-12 Hz bandwidth increased with each successive exercise set and following the 4th set (60 repetitions) of exercise the frequency at which peak relative power occurred shifted from 9 to 10 Hz. The increase in magnitude and frequency of ground reaction force vibrations with an increasing number of exercise repetitions is likely connected to changes in muscle activation with fatigue and tendon conditioning. This research illustrates the potential for the number of exercise repetitions performed to influence the tendons' mechanical environment, with implications for tendon remodelling and the clinical efficacy of eccentric rehabilitation programmes for Achilles tendinopathy. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of spatial frequency-domain imaging for monitoring palpable breast lesions

Science.gov (United States)

Robbins, Constance M.; Raghavan, Guruprasad; Antaki, James F.; Kainerstorfer, Jana M.

2017-12-01

In breast cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring, there is a need for frequent, noninvasive disease progression evaluation. Breast tumors differ from healthy tissue in mechanical stiffness as well as optical properties, which allows optical methods to detect and monitor breast lesions noninvasively. Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) is a reflectance-based diffuse optical method that can yield two-dimensional images of absolute optical properties of tissue with an inexpensive and portable system, although depth penetration is limited. Since the absorption coefficient of breast tissue is relatively low and the tissue is quite flexible, there is an opportunity for compression of tissue to bring stiff, palpable breast lesions within the detection range of SFDI. Sixteen breast tissue-mimicking phantoms were fabricated containing stiffer, more highly absorbing tumor-mimicking inclusions of varying absorption contrast and depth. These phantoms were imaged with an SFDI system at five levels of compression. An increase in absorption contrast was observed with compression, and reliable detection of each inclusion was achieved when compression was sufficient to bring the inclusion center within ˜12 mm of the phantom surface. At highest compression level, contrasts achieved with this system were comparable to those measured with single source-detector near-infrared spectroscopy.

Kyoto : implications for utility regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunsky, P.

2003-01-01

The author provided a historical perspective of energy use and the role of carbon in the western hemisphere by displaying a series of graphs showing carbon intensity of energy, carbon emissions from energy, and the long path to green power. The 1990s represented a decade of progress. Almost three times as much wind capacity as nuclear capacity was added worldwide in 2001. The main challenge for the 21st century will be to bring under-developed countries into the fold while perpetuating the economic and human progress of the twentieth century. It was emphasized that environmental damage caused by utilities must be reversed. The contemporary context for the Kyoto Protocol was reviewed. Canada's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 per cent below 1990 levels. The challenge for utility regulators to meet this commitment was examined. The costs are not entirely excessive. Some of the regulatory issues were discussed, namely revising a broad rate making framework, cost recovery and others. The Kyoto compliance plan was also reviewed with reference to internal options, external options, identification of regulatory barriers, and consideration of greenhouse gas credit markets. figs

Binocular rivalry produced by temporal frequency differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David eAlais

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Binocular rivalry occurs when each eye views images that are markedly different. Rather than seeing a binocular fusion of the two, each image is seen exclusively in a stochastic alternation of the monocular images. Here we examine whether temporal frequency differences will trigger binocular rivalry by presenting two random dot arrays that are spatially matched but which modulate temporally at two different rates and contained no net translation. We found that a perceptual alternation between the two temporal frequencies did indeed occur, provided the frequencies were sufficiently different, indicating that temporal information can produce binocular rivalry in the absence of spatial conflict. This finding is discussed with regard to the dependence of rivalry on conflict between spatial and temporal channels.

Reproducibility of lateral cephalometric landmarks on conventional radiographs and spatial frequency-processed digital images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Jeong Won; Heo, Min Suk; Lee, Sam Sun; Choi, Hyun Bae; Choi, Soon Chul; Choi, Hang Moon

2002-01-01

Computed radiography (CR) has been used in cephalometric radiography and many studies have been carried out to improve image quality using various digital enhancement and filtering techniques. During CR image acquisition, the frequency rank and type affect to the image quality. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic quality of conventional cephalometric radiographs to those of computed radiography. The diagnostic quality of conventional cephalometric radiographs (M0) and their digital image counterparts were compared, and at the same time, six modalities (M1-M6) of spatial frequency-processed digital images were compared by evaluating the reproducibility of 23 cephalometric landmark locations. Reproducibility was defined as an observer's deviation (in mm) from the mean between all observers. In comparison with the conventional cephalometric radiograph (M0), M1 showed statistically significant differences in 8 locations, M2 in 9, M3 12, M4 in 7, M5 in 12, and M6 showed significant differences in 14 of 23 landmark locations (p<0.05). The number of reproducible landmarks that each modality possesses were 7 in M6, 6 in M5, 5 in M3, 4 in M4, 3 in M2, 2 in M1, and 1 location in M0. The image modality that observers selected as having the best image quality was M5.

Frequency and spatial distribution of animal and object hoarder behavior in Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graziela Ribeiro da Cunha

Full Text Available Abstract: This study aimed to establish the frequency and spatial distribution of animal and object hoarding in Curitiba (Paraná State, the eighth most populous city in Brazil. All hoarding complaints received by the City Secretaries of Health, Environment and Social Assistance between September 2013 and April 2015 were collected (n = 226 and suspicious cases were individually investigated. A total of 113/226 (50% of complaints were confirmed as hoarding cases, representing an overall ratio of 6.45 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Curitiba, of which 48/113 (42.5% involved object hoarders, 41/113 (36.3% animal hoarders and 24/113 (21.2% both animal and object hoarders. A correlation of total identified cases with neighborhood population density and all population stratums analyzed (total, gender, age was significantly positive (p < 0.01, and with neighborhood mean monthly income (r = -0.2; p = 0.03 significantly negative. A spatial cluster of cases was found in the north of the city (OR = 8.57; p < 0.01. Hoarding cases were relatively frequent in Curitiba and were associated with population distribution patterns and inversely related to neighborhood income.

Spatial hearing in Cope's gray treefrog

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caldwell, Michael S; Lee, Norman; Schrode, Katrina M

2014-01-01

, advertisement calls, and frequency-modulated sweeps to examine the influence of frequency, signal level, lung inflation, and sex on ear directionality. Interaural differences in the amplitude of tympanum vibrations were 1-4 dB greater than sound pressure differences adjacent to the two tympana, while interaural...... of spatial hearing in H. chrysoscelis, and lends valuable perspective to behavioral studies on the use of spatial information by this species and other frogs....

Spatially variable stage-driven groundwater-surface water interaction inferred from time-frequency analysis of distributed temperature sensing data

Science.gov (United States)

Mwakanyamale, Kisa; Slater, Lee; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Elwaseif, Mehrez; Johnson, Carole D.

2012-01-01

Characterization of groundwater-surface water exchange is essential for improving understanding of contaminant transport between aquifers and rivers. Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FODTS) provides rich spatiotemporal datasets for quantitative and qualitative analysis of groundwater-surface water exchange. We demonstrate how time-frequency analysis of FODTS and synchronous river stage time series from the Columbia River adjacent to the Hanford 300-Area, Richland, Washington, provides spatial information on the strength of stage-driven exchange of uranium contaminated groundwater in response to subsurface heterogeneity. Although used in previous studies, the stage-temperature correlation coefficient proved an unreliable indicator of the stage-driven forcing on groundwater discharge in the presence of other factors influencing river water temperature. In contrast, S-transform analysis of the stage and FODTS data definitively identifies the spatial distribution of discharge zones and provided information on the dominant forcing periods (≥2 d) of the complex dam operations driving stage fluctuations and hence groundwater-surface water exchange at the 300-Area.

Frequency-Selective Attention in Auditory Scenes Recruits Frequency Representations Throughout Human Superior Temporal Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Riecke, Lars; Peters, Judith C; Valente, Giancarlo; Kemper, Valentin G; Formisano, Elia; Sorger, Bettina

2017-05-01

A sound of interest may be tracked amid other salient sounds by focusing attention on its characteristic features including its frequency. Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings have indicated that frequency representations in human primary auditory cortex (AC) contribute to this feat. However, attentional modulations were examined at relatively low spatial and spectral resolutions, and frequency-selective contributions outside the primary AC could not be established. To address these issues, we compared blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses in the superior temporal cortex of human listeners while they identified single frequencies versus listened selectively for various frequencies within a multifrequency scene. Using best-frequency mapping, we observed that the detailed spatial layout of attention-induced BOLD response enhancements in primary AC follows the tonotopy of stimulus-driven frequency representations-analogous to the "spotlight" of attention enhancing visuospatial representations in retinotopic visual cortex. Moreover, using an algorithm trained to discriminate stimulus-driven frequency representations, we could successfully decode the focus of frequency-selective attention from listeners' BOLD response patterns in nonprimary AC. Our results indicate that the human brain facilitates selective listening to a frequency of interest in a scene by reinforcing the fine-grained activity pattern throughout the entire superior temporal cortex that would be evoked if that frequency was present alone. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Spatial and temporal correlation between beach and wave processes: implications for bar-berm sediment transition

Science.gov (United States)

Joevivek, V.; Chandrasekar, N.; Saravanan, S.; Anandakumar, H.; Thanushkodi, K.; Suguna, N.; Jaya, J.

2018-06-01

Investigation of a beach and its wave conditions is highly requisite for understanding the physical processes in a coast. This study composes spatial and temporal correlation between beach and nearshore processes along the extensive sandy beach of Nagapattinam coast, southeast peninsular India. The data collection includes beach profile, wave data, and intertidal sediment samples for 2 years from January 2011 to January 2013. The field data revealed significant variability in beach and wave morphology during the northeast (NE) and southwest (SW) monsoon. However, the beach has been stabilized by the reworking of sediment distribution during the calm period. The changes in grain sorting and longshore sediment transport serve as a clear evidence of the sediment migration that persevered between foreshore and nearshore regions. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were utilized to investigate the spatial and temporal linkages between beach and nearshore criterions. The outcome of the multivariate analysis unveiled that the seasonal variations in the wave climate tends to influence the bar-berm sediment transition that is discerned in the coast.

Spatial and temporal correlation between beach and wave processes: implications for bar-berm sediment transition

Science.gov (United States)

Joevivek, V.; Chandrasekar, N.; Saravanan, S.; Anandakumar, H.; Thanushkodi, K.; Suguna, N.; Jaya, J.

2017-06-01

Investigation of a beach and its wave conditions is highly requisite for understanding the physical processes in a coast. This study composes spatial and temporal correlation between beach and nearshore processes along the extensive sandy beach of Nagapattinam coast, southeast peninsular India. The data collection includes beach profile, wave data, and intertidal sediment samples for 2 years from January 2011 to January 2013. The field data revealed significant variability in beach and wave morphology during the northeast (NE) and southwest (SW) monsoon. However, the beach has been stabilized by the reworking of sediment distribution during the calm period. The changes in grain sorting and longshore sediment transport serve as a clear evidence of the sediment migration that persevered between foreshore and nearshore regions. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were utilized to investigate the spatial and temporal linkages between beach and nearshore criterions. The outcome of the multivariate analysis unveiled that the seasonal variations in the wave climate tends to influence the bar-berm sediment transition that is discerned in the coast.

Wind energy and spatial planning procedures; La programmation spatiale des projects eoliens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

Wind turbines projects have been increasing, but some are very conflicted. May be it is a reason why some local authorities have to deal with different point of view, above the only energy question and including local specificity. To give local authorities the possibility to be implicated and to be in control of wind projects in their territory, wind spatial planning should permit to choose suitable areas and to optimize wind power development. In this context this synthesis presents the wind spatial planning in Finistere (France), the french regulation, some international experiences (Danish, Flemish, Walloon region, Dutch) and the different approaches of spatial planning. (A.L.B.)

Cueing spatial attention through timing and probability.

Science.gov (United States)

Girardi, Giovanna; Antonucci, Gabriella; Nico, Daniele

2013-01-01

Even when focused on an effortful task we retain the ability to detect salient environmental information, and even irrelevant visual stimuli can be automatically detected. However, to which extent unattended information affects attentional control is not fully understood. Here we provide evidences of how the brain spontaneously organizes its cognitive resources by shifting attention between a selective-attending and a stimulus-driven modality within a single task. Using a spatial cueing paradigm we investigated the effect of cue-target asynchronies as a function of their probabilities of occurrence (i.e., relative frequency). Results show that this accessory information modulates attentional shifts. A valid spatial cue improved participants' performance as compared to an invalid one only in trials in which target onset was highly predictable because of its more robust occurrence. Conversely, cuing proved ineffective when spatial cue and target were associated according to a less frequent asynchrony. These patterns of response depended on asynchronies' probability and not on their duration. Our findings clearly demonstrate that through a fine decision-making, performed trial-by-trial, the brain utilizes implicit information to decide whether or not voluntarily shifting spatial attention. As if according to a cost-planning strategy, the cognitive effort of shifting attention depending on the cue is performed only when the expected advantages are higher. In a trade-off competition for cognitive resources, voluntary/automatic attending may thus be a more complex process than expected. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequency Domain Image Filtering Using CUDA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Awais Rajput

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the implementation of image filtering in frequency domain using NVIDIA?s CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture. In contrast to signal and image filtering in spatial domain which uses convolution operations and hence is more compute-intensive for filters having larger spatial extent, the frequency domain filtering uses FFT (Fast Fourier Transform which is much faster and significantly reduces the computational complexity of the filtering. We implement the frequency domain filtering on CPU and GPU respectively and analyze the speed-up obtained from the CUDA?s parallel processing paradigm. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of frequency domain filtering on CUDA, we implement three frequency domain filters, i.e., Butterworth, low-pass and Gaussian for processing different sizes of images on CPU and GPU respectively and perform the GPU vs. CPU benchmarks. The results presented in this paper show that the frequency domain filtering with CUDA achieves significant speed-up over the CPU processing in frequency domain with the same level of (output image quality on both the processing architectures

Frequency domain image filtering using cuda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajput, M.A.; Khan, U.A.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the implementation of image filtering in frequency domain using NVIDIA's CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture). In contrast to signal and image filtering in spatial domain which uses convolution operations and hence is more compute-intensive for filters having larger spatial extent, the frequency domain filtering uses FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) which is much faster and significantly reduces the computational complexity of the filtering. We implement the frequency domain filtering on CPU and GPU respectively and analyze the speed-up obtained from the CUDA's parallel processing paradigm. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of frequency domain filtering on CUDA, we implement three frequency domain filters, i.e., Butter worth, low-pass and Gaussian for processing different sizes of images on CPU and GPU respectively and perform the GPU vs. CPU benchmarks. The results presented in this paper show that the frequency domain filtering with CUDA achieves significant speed-up over the CPU processing in frequency domain with the same level of (output) image quality on both the processing architectures. (author)

Optical Frequency Optimization of a High Intensity Laser Power Beaming System Utilizing VMJ Photovoltaic Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Raible, Daniel E.; Dinca, Dragos; Nayfeh, Taysir H.

2012-01-01

An effective form of wireless power transmission (WPT) has been developed to enable extended mission durations, increased coverage and added capabilities for both space and terrestrial applications that may benefit from optically delivered electrical energy. The high intensity laser power beaming (HILPB) system enables long range optical 'refueling" of electric platforms such as micro unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAV), airships, robotic exploration missions and spacecraft platforms. To further advance the HILPB technology, the focus of this investigation is to determine the optimal laser wavelength to be used with the HILPB receiver, which utilizes vertical multi-junction (VMJ) photovoltaic cells. Frequency optimization of the laser system is necessary in order to maximize the conversion efficiency at continuous high intensities, and thus increase the delivered power density of the HILPB system. Initial spectral characterizations of the device performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) indicate the approximate range of peak optical-to-electrical conversion efficiencies, but these data sets represent transient conditions under lower levels of illumination. Extending these results to high levels of steady state illumination, with attention given to the compatibility of available commercial off-the-shelf semiconductor laser sources and atmospheric transmission constraints is the primary focus of this paper. Experimental hardware results utilizing high power continuous wave (CW) semiconductor lasers at four different operational frequencies near the indicated band gap of the photovoltaic VMJ cells are presented and discussed. In addition, the highest receiver power density achieved to date is demonstrated using a single photovoltaic VMJ cell, which provided an exceptionally high electrical output of 13.6 W/sq cm at an optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of 24 percent. These results are very promising and scalable, as a potential 1.0 sq m HILPB receiver of

Space climate implications from substorm frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Newell, P. T.; Gjerloev, J. W.; Mitchell, E. J.

2013-10-01

solar wind impacting the Earth varies over a wide range of time scales, driving a corresponding range of geomagnetic activity. Past work has strongly indicated that the rate of merging on the frontside magnetosphere is the most important predictor for magnetospheric activity, especially over a few hours. However, the magnetosphere exhibits variations on other time scales, including UT, seasonal, and solar cycle variations. Much of this geomagnetic variation cannot be reasonably attributed to changes in the solar wind driving—that is, it is not created by the original Russell-McPherron effect or any generalization thereof. In this paper we examine the solar cycle, seasonal, and diurnal effects based upon the frequency of substorm onsets, using a data set of 53,000 substorm onsets. These were identified through the SuperMAG collaboration and span three decades with continuous coverage. Solar cycle variations include a profound minimum in 2009 (448 substorms) and peak in 2003 (3727). The magnitude of this variation (a factor of 8.3) is not explained through variations in estimators of the frontside merging rate (such as dΦMP/dt), even when the more detailed probability distribution functions are examined. Instead, v, or better, n1/2v2 seems to be implicated in the dramatic difference between active and quiet years, even beyond the role of velocity in modulating merging. Moreover, we find that although most substorms are preceded by flux loading (78.5% are above the mean and 83.8% above median solar wind driving), a high solar wind v is almost as important (68.3% above mean, 74.8% above median). This and other evidence suggest that either v or n1/2v2 (but probably not p) plays a strong secondary role in substorm onset. As for the seasonal and diurnal effects, the elliptical nature of the Earth's orbit, which is closest to the Sun in January, leads to a larger solar wind driving (measured by Bs, vBs, or dΦMP/dt) in November, as is confirmed by 22 years of solar wind

A survey of utility experience with real time pricing: implications for policymakers seeking price responsive demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbose, Galen; Goldman, Charles; Neenan, Bernard

2005-01-01

Economists and policy makers frequently propose real time pricing (RTP) as a strategy for facilitating price responsive demand, thereby improving the performance of electricity markets and regional networks. While theoretically appealing, many practical and empirical issues related to RTP remain unresolved or poorly understood. Over the past two decades, more than 70 utilities in the U.S. have offered voluntary RTP tariffs, on either a pilot or permanent basis. However, most have operated in relative obscurity, and little information has made its way into the public domain. To address this gap, we conducted a conducted a comprehensive review of voluntary RTP programs in the U.S. by surveying 43 U.S. utilities and reviewing regulatory documents, tariffs, program evaluations, and other publicly available sources. Based on this review of RTP program experience, we identify key trends related to utilities' motivations and goals for implementing RTP, evolution of RTP tariff design, program participation, participant price response, and program outlook. Experience with voluntary RTP programs has been mixed. Several utilities have demonstrated that voluntary RTP programs are capable of generating significant load reductions. However, most programs have attracted relatively few participants and therefore have generated quite limited load reductions. About 2700 non-residential customers were enrolled in RTP programs in 2003, representing more than 11 000 MW of load. We then draw from these findings to identify implications for policy makers and regulators that are currently considering RTP as a strategy for facilitating price responsive demand

Spatial and temporal vision of macaques after central retinal lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merigan, W.H.; Pasternak, T.; Zehl, D.

1981-01-01

Spatial contrast and temporal modulation sensitivity of two macaque monkeys were measured at three luminance levels before and after binocular laser coagulation of the fovea. The radius of the lesions ranged from 1.6 to 2.2 degree from the center of the fovea. After placement of the lesions, the visibility of high spatial frequencies was greatly reduced, although sensitivity at middle and low spatial frequencies was unaffected. No loss of spatial resolution was found at the lowest luminance tested. When temporal modulation sensitivity was tested with 4 deg targets, foveal lesions had no effect at any temporal frequency or luminance. However, with a 0.57 degree target, sensitivity to lower temporal frequencies was impaired. Thus visual loss after destruction of the fovea is limited to high luminance, small targets, and the resolution of fine detail

Spatial-temporal variation of low-frequency earthquake bursts near Parkfield, California

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chunquan; Guyer, Robert; Shelly, David R.; Trugman, D.; Frank, William; Gomberg, Joan S.; Johnson, P.

2015-01-01

Tectonic tremor (TT) and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) have been found in the deeper crust of various tectonic environments globally in the last decade. The spatial-temporal behaviour of LFEs provides insight into deep fault zone processes. In this study, we examine recurrence times from a 12-yr catalogue of 88 LFE families with ∼730 000 LFEs in the vicinity of the Parkfield section of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) in central California. We apply an automatic burst detection algorithm to the LFE recurrence times to identify the clustering behaviour of LFEs (LFE bursts) in each family. We find that the burst behaviours in the northern and southern LFE groups differ. Generally, the northern group has longer burst duration but fewer LFEs per burst, while the southern group has shorter burst duration but more LFEs per burst. The southern group LFE bursts are generally more correlated than the northern group, suggesting more coherent deep fault slip and relatively simpler deep fault structure beneath the locked section of SAF. We also found that the 2004 Parkfield earthquake clearly increased the number of LFEs per burst and average burst duration for both the northern and the southern groups, with a relatively larger effect on the northern group. This could be due to the weakness of northern part of the fault, or the northwesterly rupture direction of the Parkfield earthquake.

Spatial characteristics of white matter abnormalities in schizophrenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.J.H. White (Tonya); S.M. Ehrlich (Stefan); B.C. Ho (Beng ); D.S. Manoach (Dara); A. Caprihan (Arvind); S.C. Schulz (S. Charles); N.C. Andreasen; R.L. Gollub (Randy); V.D. Calhoun (Vince); V. Magnotta

2013-01-01

textabstractThere is considerable evidence implicating brain white matter (WM) abnormalities in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia; however, the spatial localization of WM abnormalities reported in the existing studies is heterogeneous. Thus, the goal of this study was to quantify the spatial

Combined Deterministic and Stochastic Approach to Determine Spatial Distribution of Drought Frequency and Duration in the Great Hungarian Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, J. A.; Kuti, L.; Bakacsi, Zs.; Pásztor, L.; Tahy, Á.

2009-04-01

Drought is one of the major weather driven natural hazards, which has most harm impacts on environment, agricultural and hydrological factors than the other hazards. In spite of the fact that Hungary - that country is situated in Central Europe - belongs to the continental climate zone (influenced by Atlantic and Mediterranean streams) and this weather conditions should be favourable for agricultural production, the drought is a serious risk factor in Hungary, especially on the so called "Great Hungarian Plain", which area has been hit by severe drought events. These drought events encouraged the Ministry of Environment and Water of Hungary to embark on a countrywide drought planning programme to coordinate drought planning efforts throughout the country, to ensure that available water is used efficiently and to provide guidance on how drought planning can be accomplished. With regard to this plan, it is indispensable to analyze the regional drought frequency and duration in the target region of the programme as fundamental information for the further works. According to these aims, first we initiated a methodological development for simulating drought in a non-contributing area. As a result of this work, it has been agreed that the most appropriate model structure for our purposes using a spatially distributed physically based Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) model embedded into a Markov Chain-Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for estimate multi-year drought frequency and duration. In this framework: - the spatially distributed SVAT component simulates all the fundamental SVAT processes (such as: interception, snow-accumulation and melting, infiltration, water uptake by vegetation and evapotranspiration, vertical and horizontal distribution of soil moisture, etc.) taking the groundwater table as lower, and the hydrometeorological fields as upper boundary conditions into account; - and the MCMC based stochastic component generates time series of daily weather

Spatial resolution recovery utilizing multi-ray tracing and graphic processing unit in PET image reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Yicheng; Peng, Hao

2015-01-01

Depth-of-interaction (DOI) poses a major challenge for a PET system to achieve uniform spatial resolution across the field-of-view, particularly for small animal and organ-dedicated PET systems. In this work, we implemented an analytical method to model system matrix for resolution recovery, which was then incorporated in PET image reconstruction on a graphical processing unit platform, due to its parallel processing capacity. The method utilizes the concepts of virtual DOI layers and multi-ray tracing to calculate the coincidence detection response function for a given line-of-response. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated for a small-bore PET insert to be used for simultaneous PET/MR breast imaging. In addition, the performance comparisons were studied among the following three cases: 1) no physical DOI and no resolution modeling; 2) two physical DOI layers and no resolution modeling; and 3) no physical DOI design but with a different number of virtual DOI layers. The image quality was quantitatively evaluated in terms of spatial resolution (full-width-half-maximum and position offset), contrast recovery coefficient and noise. The results indicate that the proposed method has the potential to be used as an alternative to other physical DOI designs and achieve comparable imaging performances, while reducing detector/system design cost and complexity. (paper)

Investigations on the sensitivity of a stepped-frequency radar utilizing a vector network analyzer for Ground Penetrating Radar

Science.gov (United States)

Seyfried, Daniel; Schubert, Karsten; Schoebel, Joerg

2014-12-01

Employing a continuous-wave radar system, with the stepped-frequency radar being one type of this class, all reflections from the environment are present continuously and simultaneously at the receiver. Utilizing such a radar system for Ground Penetrating Radar purposes, antenna cross-talk and ground bounce reflection form an overall dominant signal contribution while reflections from objects buried in the ground are of quite weak amplitude due to attenuation in the ground. This requires a large dynamic range of the receiver which in turn requires high sensitivity of the radar system. In this paper we analyze the sensitivity of our vector network analyzer utilized as stepped-frequency radar system for GPR pipe detection. We furthermore investigate the performance of increasing the sensitivity of the radar by means of appropriate averaging and low-noise pre-amplification of the received signal. It turns out that the improvement in sensitivity actually achievable may differ significantly from theoretical expectations. In addition, we give a descriptive explanation why our appropriate experiments demonstrate that the sensitivity of the receiver is independent of the distance between the target object and the source of dominant signal contribution. Finally, our investigations presented in this paper lead to a preferred setting of operation for our vector network analyzer in order to achieve best detection capability for weak reflection amplitudes, hence making the radar system applicable for Ground Penetrating Radar purposes.

Frequency Characteristics of Surface Wave Generated by Single-Line Pulsed Laser Beam with Two Kinds of Spatial Energy Profile Models: Gaussian and Square-Like

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Ho Geon; Kim, Myung Hwan; Choi, Sung Ho; Kim, Chung Seok; Jhang, Kyung Young [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-08-15

Using a single-line pulsed laser beam is well known as a useful noncontact method to generate a directional surface acoustic wave. In this method, different laser beam energy profiles produce different waveforms and frequency characteristics. In this paper, we considered two typical kinds of laser beam energy profiles, Gaussian and square-like, to find out a difference in the frequency characteristics. To achieve this, mathematical models were proposed first for Gaussian laser beam profile and square-like respectively, both of which depended on the laser beam width. To verify the theoretical models, experimental setups with a cylindrical lens and a line-slit mask were respectively designed to produce a line laser beam with Gaussian spatial energy profile and square-like. The frequency responses of the theoretical models showed good agreement with experimental results in terms of the existence of harmonic frequency components and the shift of the first peak frequencies to low.

Femtosecond laser irradiation on Nd:YAG crystal: Surface ablation and high-spatial-frequency nanograting

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Yingying; Zhang, Limu; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R.; Chen, Feng

2018-05-01

In this work, we systematically study the surface modifications of femtosecond (fs) laser irradiated Nd:YAG crystal in stationary focusing case (i.e., the beam focused on the target in the steady focusing geometry) or dynamic scanning case (i.e., focused fs-laser beam scanning over the target material). Micro-sized structures (e.g. micro-craters or lines) are experimentally produced in a large scale of parameters in terms of pulse energy as well as (effective) pulse number. Surface ablation of Nd:YAG surface under both processing cases are investigated, involving the morphological evolution, parameter dependence, the ablation threshold fluences and the incubation factors. Meanwhile, under specific irradiation conditions, periodic surface structures with high-spatial-frequency (Investigations on the evolution of nanograting formation and fluence dependence of period are performed. The experimental results obtained under different cases and the comparison between them reveal that incubation effect plays an important role not only in the ablation of Nd:YAG surface but also in the processes of nanograting formation.

Spatial analysis and planning under imprecision

CERN Document Server

Leung, Y

1988-01-01

The book deals with complexity, imprecision, human valuation, and uncertainty in spatial analysis and planning, providing a systematic exposure of a new philosophical and theoretical foundation for spatial analysis and planning under imprecision. Regional concepts and regionalization, spatial preference-utility-choice structures, spatial optimization with single and multiple objectives, dynamic spatial systems and their controls are analyzed in sequence.The analytical framework is based on fuzzy set theory. Basic concepts of fuzzy set theory are first discussed. Many numerical examples and emp

Frequency spirals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ottino-Löffler, Bertrand; Strogatz, Steven H.

2016-01-01

We study the dynamics of coupled phase oscillators on a two-dimensional Kuramoto lattice with periodic boundary conditions. For coupling strengths just below the transition to global phase-locking, we find localized spatiotemporal patterns that we call “frequency spirals.” These patterns cannot be seen under time averaging; they become visible only when we examine the spatial variation of the oscillators' instantaneous frequencies, where they manifest themselves as two-armed rotating spirals. In the more familiar phase representation, they appear as wobbly periodic patterns surrounding a phase vortex. Unlike the stationary phase vortices seen in magnetic spin systems, or the rotating spiral waves seen in reaction-diffusion systems, frequency spirals librate: the phases of the oscillators surrounding the central vortex move forward and then backward, executing a periodic motion with zero winding number. We construct the simplest frequency spiral and characterize its properties using analytical and numerical methods. Simulations show that frequency spirals in large lattices behave much like this simple prototype.

Frequency spirals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ottino-Löffler, Bertrand; Strogatz, Steven H., E-mail: strogatz@cornell.edu [Center for Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

2016-09-15

We study the dynamics of coupled phase oscillators on a two-dimensional Kuramoto lattice with periodic boundary conditions. For coupling strengths just below the transition to global phase-locking, we find localized spatiotemporal patterns that we call “frequency spirals.” These patterns cannot be seen under time averaging; they become visible only when we examine the spatial variation of the oscillators' instantaneous frequencies, where they manifest themselves as two-armed rotating spirals. In the more familiar phase representation, they appear as wobbly periodic patterns surrounding a phase vortex. Unlike the stationary phase vortices seen in magnetic spin systems, or the rotating spiral waves seen in reaction-diffusion systems, frequency spirals librate: the phases of the oscillators surrounding the central vortex move forward and then backward, executing a periodic motion with zero winding number. We construct the simplest frequency spiral and characterize its properties using analytical and numerical methods. Simulations show that frequency spirals in large lattices behave much like this simple prototype.

Utility maximization and mode of payment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koning, R.H.; Ridder, G.; Heijmans, R.D.H.; Pollock, D.S.G.; Satorra, A.

2000-01-01

The implications of stochastic utility maximization in a model of choice of payment are examined. Three types of compatibility with utility maximization are distinguished: global compatibility, local compatibility on an interval, and local compatibility on a finite set of points. Keywords:

An underestimated role of precipitation frequency in regulating summer soil moisture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Chaoyang; Chen, Jing M; Pumpanen, Jukka; Cescatti, Alessandro; Marcolla, Barbara; Blanken, Peter D; Ardö, Jonas; Tang, Yanhong; Magliulo, Vincenzo; Georgiadis, Teodoro; Soegaard, Henrik; Cook, David R; Harding, Richard J

2012-01-01

Soil moisture induced droughts are expected to become more frequent under future global climate change. Precipitation has been previously assumed to be mainly responsible for variability in summer soil moisture. However, little is known about the impacts of precipitation frequency on summer soil moisture, either interannually or spatially. To better understand the temporal and spatial drivers of summer drought, 415 site yr measurements observed at 75 flux sites world wide were used to analyze the temporal and spatial relationships between summer soil water content (SWC) and the precipitation frequencies at various temporal scales, i.e., from half-hourly, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h measurements. Summer precipitation was found to be an indicator of interannual SWC variability with r of 0.49 (p < 0.001) for the overall dataset. However, interannual variability in summer SWC was also significantly correlated with the five precipitation frequencies and the sub-daily precipitation frequencies seemed to explain the interannual SWC variability better than the total of precipitation. Spatially, all these precipitation frequencies were better indicators of summer SWC than precipitation totals, but these better performances were only observed in non-forest ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that precipitation frequency may play an important role in regulating both interannual and spatial variations of summer SWC, which has probably been overlooked or underestimated. However, the spatial interpretation should carefully consider other factors, such as the plant functional types and soil characteristics of diverse ecoregions. (letter)

Spatial planning, infrastructure and implementation: Implications for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Infrastructure plays key roles in shaping the spatial form of the city at a macro- ... matrix of knowledge and skills is produced, and the way these fields of study have been ... the case in African cities. ... ternational urban development circles, .... facilities and associated bulk network ..... Urban and Regional Planning Course.

Employment effects of spatial dispersal of refugees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damm, Anna Piil; Rosholm, Michael

2010-01-01

Refugees subjected to a spatial dispersal tend to be assigned to a location outside the immigrant-dense cities. We argue that such locations are associated with low place utility. Our partial equilibrium search model with simultaneous job and residential location search predicts that the reservat......Refugees subjected to a spatial dispersal tend to be assigned to a location outside the immigrant-dense cities. We argue that such locations are associated with low place utility. Our partial equilibrium search model with simultaneous job and residential location search predicts...... that the reservation wage for local jobs decreases with place utility. We test the theoretical prediction by estimating the effects of characteristics of the location of assignment on the transition rate into the first job. Our sample is male refugees aged 30-59 who were subjected to the Danish spatial dispersal...

Attention to Hierarchical Level Influences Attentional Selection of Spatial Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Flevaris, Anastasia V.; Bentin, Shlomo; Robertson, Lynn C.

2011-01-01

Ample evidence suggests that global perception may involve low spatial frequency (LSF) processing and that local perception may involve high spatial frequency (HSF) processing (Shulman, Sullivan, Gish, & Sakoda, 1986; Shulman & Wilson, 1987; Robertson, 1996). It is debated whether SF selection is a low-level mechanism associating global…

Developing a training module on Gender & spatial justice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tummers, L.C.

2015-01-01

Justice is more than a legal matter: it has spatial and environmental implications and is related to engineering. The concept of ‘spatial justice’ was introduced in 2010 in planning by Eduard Soja. It indicates the accessibility of urban resources such as education and healthcare. Under democratic

Self-Control of Haptic Assistance for Motor Learning: Influences of Frequency and Opinion of Utility

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Camille K.; Tseung, Victrine; Carnahan, Heather

2017-01-01

Studies of self-controlled practice have shown benefits when learners controlled feedback schedule, use of assistive devices and task difficulty, with benefits attributed to information processing and motivational advantages of self-control. Although haptic assistance serves as feedback, aids task performance and modifies task difficulty, researchers have yet to explore whether self-control over haptic assistance could be beneficial for learning. We explored whether self-control of haptic assistance would be beneficial for learning a tracing task. Self-controlled participants selected practice blocks on which they would receive haptic assistance, while participants in a yoked group received haptic assistance on blocks determined by a matched self-controlled participant. We inferred learning from performance on retention tests without haptic assistance. From qualitative analysis of open-ended questions related to rationales for/experiences of the haptic assistance that was chosen/provided, themes emerged regarding participants’ views of the utility of haptic assistance for performance and learning. Results showed that learning was directly impacted by the frequency of haptic assistance for self-controlled participants only and view of haptic assistance. Furthermore, self-controlled participants’ views were significantly associated with their requested haptic assistance frequency. We discuss these findings as further support for the beneficial role of self-controlled practice for motor learning. PMID:29255438

Assessment of Global Wind Energy Resource Utilization Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, M.; He, B.; Guan, Y.; Zhang, H.; Song, S.

2017-09-01

Development of wind energy resource (WER) is a key to deal with climate change and energy structure adjustment. A crucial issue is to obtain the distribution and variability of WER, and mine the suitable location to exploit it. In this paper, a multicriteria evaluation (MCE) model is constructed by integrating resource richness and stability, utilization value and trend of resource, natural environment with weights. The global resource richness is assessed through wind power density (WPD) and multi-level wind speed. The utilizable value of resource is assessed by the frequency of effective wind. The resource stability is assessed by the coefficient of variation of WPD and the frequency of prevailing wind direction. Regression slope of long time series WPD is used to assess the trend of WER. All of the resource evaluation indicators are derived from the atmospheric reanalysis data ERA-Interim with spatial resolution 0.125°. The natural environment factors mainly refer to slope and land-use suitability, which are derived from multi-resolution terrain elevation data 2010 (GMTED 2010) and GlobalCover2009. Besides, the global WER utilization potential map is produced, which shows most high potential regions are located in north of Africa. Additionally, by verifying that 22.22 % and 48.8 9% operational wind farms fall on medium-high and high potential regions respectively, the result can provide a basis for the macroscopic siting of wind farm.

How Spatial Relationships Influence Economic Preferences for Wind Power—A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren Knapp

2015-06-01

Full Text Available An increasing number of studies in the environmental and resource economic literature suggest that preferences for changes or improvements in environmental amenities, from water quality to recreation, are spatially heterogeneous. One of these effects in particular, distance decay, suggests that respondents exhibit a higher willingness to pay (WTP the closer they live to a proposed environmental improvement and vice versa. The importance of spatial effects cannot be underestimated. Several of these studies find significant biases in aggregate WTP values, and therefore social welfare, from models that disregard spatial factors. This relationship between spatial aspects and preferences, however, remains largely ignored in the non-market valuation literature applied to valuing preferences for renewable energy, generally, and wind power, specifically. To our knowledge, fourteen peer-reviewed studies have been conducted to estimate stated preferences (SP for onshore and/or offshore wind development, yet less than half of those utilize any measure to account for the relationship between spatial effects and preferences. Fewer still undertake more robust measures that account for these spatially dependent relationships, such as via GIS, outside incorporating a single ‘distance’ attribute within the choice experiment (CE referenda. This paper first reviews the methodologies of the SP wind valuation studies that have integrated measure(s to account for spatial effects. We then categorize these effects into three dimensions—distance to a proposed wind project, distance to existing wind project(s, and cumulative effects—supporting each with a discussion of significant findings, including those found in the wind hedonic and acceptance literature. Policy implications that can be leveraged to maximize social welfare when siting future wind projects as well as recommendations for additional research to control for preference spatial heterogeneity in wind

Employment Effects of Spatial Dispersal of Refugees

OpenAIRE

Anna Piil Damm; Michael Rosholm

2006-01-01

Spatial dispersal policies may influence labour market integration of refugees through two mechanisms. First, it may affect the local job offer arrival rate, and second, it may affect place utility. We investigate the second mechanism theoretically by formulating a partial search model in which an individual searches simultaneously for a job and for a new residential location. The model predicts that the reservation wage for local jobs is decreasing in place utility. We argue that spatial dis...

Dynamic changes in spectral and spatial signatures of high frequency oscillations in rat hippocampi during epileptogenesis in acute and chronic stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pan-Pan Song

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze spectral and spatial signatures of high frequency oscillations (HFOs, which include ripples and fast ripples (FRs, > 200 Hz by quantitatively assessing average and peak spectral power in a rat model of different stages of epileptogenesis.Methods: The lithium–pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy was used. The acute phase of epilepsy was assessed by recording intracranial electroencephalography (EEG activity for 1 day after status epilepticus (SE. The chronic phase of epilepsy, including spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs, was assessed by recording EEG activity for 28 days after SE. Average and peak spectral power of five frequency bands of EEG signals in CA1, CA3 and DG regions of the hippocampus were analyzed with wavelet and digital filter.Results: FRs occurred in the hippocampus in the animal model. Significant dynamic changes in the spectral power of FRS were identified in CA1 and CA3. The average spectral power of ripples increased at 20 min before SE (p < 0.05, peaked at 10 min before diazepam injection. It decreased at 10 min after diazepam (p < 0.05 and returned to baseline after 1 hour (h. The average spectral power of FRs increased at 30 min before SE (p < 0.05 and peaked at 10 min before diazepam. It decreased at 10 min after diazepam (p < 0.05 and returned to baseline at 2 h after injection. The dynamic changes were similar between average and peak spectral power of FRs. Average and peak spectral power of both ripples and FRs in the chronic phase showed a gradual downward trend compared with normal rats 14 days after SE.Significance: The spectral power of HFOs may be utilized to distinguish between normal and pathologic HFOs. Ictal average and peak spectral power of FRs were two parameters for predicting acute epileptic seizures, which could be used as a new quantitative biomarker and early warning marker of seizure. Changes in interictal HFOs power in the hippocampus at the chronic stage may be not

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....

Cortical feedback signals generalise across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs

OpenAIRE

Revina, Yulia; Petro, Lucy S.; Muckli, Lars

2017-01-01

Visual processing in cortex relies on feedback projections contextualising feedforward information flow. Primary visual cortex (V1) has small receptive fields and processes feedforward information at a fine-grained spatial scale, whereas higher visual areas have larger, spatially invariant receptive fields. Therefore, feedback could provide coarse information about the global scene structure or alternatively recover fine-grained structure by targeting small receptive fields in V1. We tested i...

ULF wave effects on high frequency signal propagation through the ionosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Waters

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Variations in the total electron content (TEC of the ionosphere alter the propagation characteristics of EM radiation for frequencies above a few megahertz (MHz. Spatial and temporal variations of the ionosphere TEC influence highly sensitive, ground based spatial measurements such as those used in radio astronomy and Global Positioning System (GPS applications. In this paper we estimate the magnitudes of the changes in TEC and the time delays of high frequency signals introduced by variations in the ionosphere electron density caused by the natural spectrum of ultra-low frequency (ULF wave activity that originates in near-Earth space. The time delays and associated phase shifts depend on the frequency, spatial structure and amplitude of the ULF waves.

Evaluation of cephalogram using multi-objective frequency processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagiwara, Sakae; Takizawa, Tsutomu; Osako, Miho; Kaneda, Takashi; Kasai, Kazutaka [Nihon Univ., Chiba (Japan). School of Dentistry at Matsudo

2002-12-01

A diagnosis with cephalogram is important for orthodontic treatment. Recently, computed radiography (CR) has been performed to the cephalogram. However, evaluation of multi-objective frequency processing (MFP) for cephalograms has been received little attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cephalogram using MFP CR. At first, 450 lateral cephalograms were made, from 50 orthodontic patients, with 9 possible spatial frequency parameter combinations and a contrast scale held fixed in images processing. For each film, the clarity of radiographic images were estimated and scored with respect to landmark identification (total 26 points, 20 points of hard tissue and 6 points of soft tissue). A specific combination of spatial frequency scales (multi-frequency balance types (MRB) F-type, multi-frequency enhancement (MRE) 8) was proved to be adequate to achieve the optimal image quality in the cephalogram. (author)

Evaluation of cephalogram using multi-objective frequency processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagiwara, Sakae; Takizawa, Tsutomu; Osako, Miho; Kaneda, Takashi; Kasai, Kazutaka

2002-01-01

A diagnosis with cephalogram is important for orthodontic treatment. Recently, computed radiography (CR) has been performed to the cephalogram. However, evaluation of multi-objective frequency processing (MFP) for cephalograms has been received little attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cephalogram using MFP CR. At first, 450 lateral cephalograms were made, from 50 orthodontic patients, with 9 possible spatial frequency parameter combinations and a contrast scale held fixed in images processing. For each film, the clarity of radiographic images were estimated and scored with respect to landmark identification (total 26 points, 20 points of hard tissue and 6 points of soft tissue). A specific combination of spatial frequency scales (multi-frequency balance types (MRB) F-type, multi-frequency enhancement (MRE) 8) was proved to be adequate to achieve the optimal image quality in the cephalogram. (author)

An API for Integrating Spatial Context Models with Spatial Reasoning Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

2006-01-01

The integration of context-aware applications with spatial context models is often done using a common query language. However, algorithms that estimate and reason about spatial context information can benefit from a tighter integration. An object-oriented API makes such integration possible...... and can help reduce the complexity of algorithms making them easier to maintain and develop. This paper propose an object-oriented API for context models of the physical environment and extensions to a location modeling approach called geometric space trees for it to provide adequate support for location...... modeling. The utility of the API is evaluated in several real-world cases from an indoor location system, and spans several types of spatial reasoning algorithms....

Microfluidic devices for analysis of spatial orientation behaviors in semi-restrained Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathryn E McCormick

Full Text Available This article describes the fabrication and use of microfluidic devices for investigating spatial orientation behaviors in nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans. Until now, spatial orientation has been studied in freely moving nematodes in which the frequency and nature of encounters with the gradient are uncontrolled experimental variables. In the new devices, the nematode is held in place by a restraint that aligns the longitudinal axis of the body with the border between two laminar fluid streams, leaving the animal's head and tail free to move. The content of the fluid streams can be manipulated to deliver step gradients in space or time. We demonstrate the utility of the device by identifying previously uncharacterized aspects of the behavioral mechanisms underlying chemotaxis, osmotic avoidance, and thermotaxis in this organism. The new devices are readily adaptable to behavioral and imaging studies involving fluid borne stimuli in a wide range of sensory modalities.

Can spatial autocorrelation method be applied to arbitrary array shape; Kukan jiko sokanho no nin`i array eno tekiyo kanosei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, H; Iwamoto, K; Saito, T; Tachibana, M [Iwate University, Iwate (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-05-27

Methods to learn underground structures by utilizing the dispersion phenomenon of surface waves contained in microtremors include the frequency-wave number analysis method (the F-K method) and the spatial autocorrelation method (the SAC method). Despite the fact that the SAC method is capable of exploring structures at greater depths, the method is not utilized because of its stringent restriction in arrangement of seismometers during observation that they must be arranged evenly on the same circumference. In order to eliminate this restriction in the SAC method, a research group in the Hokuriku University has proposed an expanded spatial autocorrelation (ESAC) method. Using the concept of the ESAC method as its base, a method was realized to improve phase velocity estimation by making a simulation on an array shifted to the radius direction. As a result of the discussion, it was found that the proposed improvement method can be applied to places where waves come from a number of directions, such as urban areas. If the improvement method can be applied, the spatial autocorrelation function needs not be even in the circumferential direction. In other words, the SAC method can be applied to arbitrary arrays. 1 ref., 7 figs.

Spatial-temporal changes of maximum and minimum temperatures in the Wei River Basin, China: Changing patterns, causes and implications

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Saiyan; Huang, Shengzhi; Xie, Yangyang; Huang, Qiang; Leng, Guoyong; Hou, Beibei; Zhang, Ying; Wei, Xiu

2018-05-01

Due to the important role of temperature in the global climate system and energy cycles, it is important to investigate the spatial-temporal change patterns, causes and implications of annual maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperatures. In this study, the Cloud model were adopted to fully and accurately analyze the changing patterns of annual Tmax and Tmin from 1958 to 2008 by quantifying their mean, uniformity, and stability in the Wei River Basin (WRB), a typical arid and semi-arid region in China. Additionally, the cross wavelet analysis was applied to explore the correlations among annual Tmax and Tmin and the yearly sunspots number, Arctic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and soil moisture with an aim to determine possible causes of annual Tmax and Tmin variations. Furthermore, temperature-related impacts on vegetation cover and precipitation extremes were also examined. Results indicated that: (1) the WRB is characterized by increasing trends in annual Tmax and Tmin, with a more evident increasing trend in annual Tmin, which has a higher dispersion degree and is less uniform and stable than annual Tmax; (2) the asymmetric variations of Tmax and Tmin can be generally explained by the stronger effects of solar activity (primarily), large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, and soil moisture on annual Tmin than on annual Tmax; and (3) increasing annual Tmax and Tmin have exerted strong influences on local precipitation extremes, in terms of their duration, intensity, and frequency in the WRB. This study presents new analyses of Tmax and Tmin in the WRB, and the findings may help guide regional agricultural production and water resources management.

GPS data processing of networks with mixed single- and dual-frequency receivers for deformation monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, X.; Deng, Z.; Ge, M.; Dick, G.; Jiang, W.; Liu, J.

2010-07-01

In order to obtain crustal deformations of higher spatial resolution, existing GPS networks must be densified. This densification can be carried out using single-frequency receivers at moderate costs. However, ionospheric delay handling is required in the data processing. We adapt the Satellite-specific Epoch-differenced Ionospheric Delay model (SEID) for GPS networks with mixed single- and dual-frequency receivers. The SEID model is modified to utilize the observations from the three nearest dual-frequency reference stations in order to avoid contaminations from more remote stations. As data of only three stations are used, an efficient missing data constructing approach with polynomial fitting is implemented to minimize data losses. Data from large scale reference networks extended with single-frequency receivers can now be processed, based on the adapted SEID model. A new data processing scheme is developed in order to make use of existing GPS data processing software packages without any modifications. This processing scheme is evaluated using a sub-network of the German SAPOS network. The results verify that the new scheme provides an efficient way to densify existing GPS networks with single-frequency receivers.

Increased fire frequency promotes stronger spatial genetic structure and natural selection at regional and local scales in Pinus halepensis Mill.

Science.gov (United States)

Budde, Katharina B; González-Martínez, Santiago C; Navascués, Miguel; Burgarella, Concetta; Mosca, Elena; Lorenzo, Zaida; Zabal-Aguirre, Mario; Vendramin, Giovanni G; Verdú, Miguel; Pausas, Juli G; Heuertz, Myriam

2017-04-01

The recurrence of wildfires is predicted to increase due to global climate change, resulting in severe impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Recurrent fires can drive plant adaptation and reduce genetic diversity; however, the underlying population genetic processes have not been studied in detail. In this study, the neutral and adaptive evolutionary effects of contrasting fire regimes were examined in the keystone tree species Pinus halepensis Mill. (Aleppo pine), a fire-adapted conifer. The genetic diversity, demographic history and spatial genetic structure were assessed at local (within-population) and regional scales for populations exposed to different crown fire frequencies. Eight natural P. halepensis stands were sampled in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, five of them in a region exposed to frequent crown fires (HiFi) and three of them in an adjacent region with a low frequency of crown fires (LoFi). Samples were genotyped at nine neutral simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and at 251 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from coding regions, some of them potentially important for fire adaptation. Fire regime had no effects on genetic diversity or demographic history. Three high-differentiation outlier SNPs were identified between HiFi and LoFi stands, suggesting fire-related selection at the regional scale. At the local scale, fine-scale spatial genetic structure (SGS) was overall weak as expected for a wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed tree species. HiFi stands displayed a stronger SGS than LoFi stands at SNPs, which probably reflected the simultaneous post-fire recruitment of co-dispersed related seeds. SNPs with exceptionally strong SGS, a proxy for microenvironmental selection, were only reliably identified under the HiFi regime. An increasing fire frequency as predicted due to global change can promote increased SGS with stronger family structures and alter natural selection in P. halepensis and in plants with similar life history traits

ARCGIS ONLINE UTILIZATION AS MEDIA SUBMISSION OF THE SPATIAL INFORMATION IN MALANG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhmad Faruq Hamdani

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Development of technology has encouraged the delivery of information to be more interactive. Technology is the provision of spatial information via ArcGIS Online. ArcGIS Online is a geographic information system based on Web developed by ESRI to use, create, analyze, and share maps. ArcGIS Online can be used to present the spatial data Malang. The results of the analysis in the form of presentation of spatial information Malang in the shape of an interactive map that contains a general overview of Malang, geographical conditions, and social conditions of Malang through a feature story map in ArcGIS Online.

Some considerations about frequency tuning effects in ECRIS plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mascali, D.; Gammino, S.; Celona, L.; Ciavola, G.; Neri, L.; Miracoli, R.; Gambino, N.; Castro, G.; Maimone, F.

2012-01-01

In the recent past many experiments demonstrated that slight variations of the microwave frequency used for the ignition of ECRIS plasmas strongly influence their performances (frequency tuning effect) either in terms of extracted current, of mean charge state and of beam emittance. According with theoretical investigations, this phenomenon can be explained by assuming that the plasma chamber works as a resonant cavity: the excited standing waves, whose spatial structure considerably changes with the pumping frequency, globally influences either the energy absorption rate and the plasma spatial structure. The paper is followed by the slides of the presentation. (authors)

Reading laterally: the cerebral hemispheric use of spatial frequencies in visual word recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadros, Karine; Dupuis-Roy, Nicolas; Fiset, Daniel; Arguin, Martin; Gosselin, Frédéric

2013-01-04

It is generally accepted that the left hemisphere (LH) is more capable for reading than the right hemisphere (RH). Left hemifield presentations (initially processed by the RH) lead to a globally higher error rate, slower word identification, and a significantly stronger word length effect (i.e., slower reaction times for longer words). Because the visuo-perceptual mechanisms of the brain for word recognition are primarily localized in the LH (Cohen et al., 2003), it is possible that this part of the brain possesses better spatial frequency (SF) tuning for processing the visual properties of words than the RH. The main objective of this study is to determine the SF tuning functions of the LH and RH for word recognition. Each word image was randomly sampled in the SF domain using the SF bubbles method (Willenbockel et al., 2010) and was presented laterally to the left or right visual hemifield. As expected, the LH requires less visual information than the RH to reach the same level of performance, illustrating the well-known LH advantage for word recognition. Globally, the SF tuning of both hemispheres is similar. However, these seemingly identical tuning functions hide important differences. Most importantly, we argue that the RH requires higher SFs to identify longer words because of crowding.

First-in-human pilot study of a spatial frequency domain oxygenation imaging system

Science.gov (United States)

Gioux, Sylvain; Mazhar, Amaan; Lee, Bernard T.; Lin, Samuel J.; Tobias, Adam M.; Cuccia, David J.; Stockdale, Alan; Oketokoun, Rafiou; Ashitate, Yoshitomo; Kelly, Edward; Weinmann, Maxwell; Durr, Nicholas J.; Moffitt, Lorissa A.; Durkin, Anthony J.; Tromberg, Bruce J.; Frangioni, John V.

2011-08-01

Oxygenation measurements are widely used in patient care. However, most clinically available instruments currently consist of contact probes that only provide global monitoring of the patient (e.g., pulse oximetry probes) or local monitoring of small areas (e.g., spectroscopy-based probes). Visualization of oxygenation over large areas of tissue, without a priori knowledge of the location of defects, has the potential to improve patient management in many surgical and critical care applications. In this study, we present a clinically compatible multispectral spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) system optimized for surgical oxygenation imaging. This system was used to image tissue oxygenation over a large area (16×12 cm) and was validated during preclinical studies by comparing results obtained with an FDA-approved clinical oxygenation probe. Skin flap, bowel, and liver vascular occlusion experiments were performed on Yorkshire pigs and demonstrated that over the course of the experiment, relative changes in oxygen saturation measured using SFDI had an accuracy within 10% of those made using the FDA-approved device. Finally, the new SFDI system was translated to the clinic in a first-in-human pilot study that imaged skin flap oxygenation during reconstructive breast surgery. Overall, this study lays the foundation for clinical translation of endogenous contrast imaging using SFDI.

Networking Micro-Processors for Effective Computer Utilization in Nursing

OpenAIRE

Mangaroo, Jewellean; Smith, Bob; Glasser, Jay; Littell, Arthur; Saba, Virginia

1982-01-01

Networking as a social entity has important implications for maximizing computer resources for improved utilization in nursing. This paper describes the one process of networking of complementary resources at three institutions. Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas School of Public Health, which has effected greater utilization of computers at the college. The results achieved in this project should have implications for nurses, users, and consumers in...

Heterodyne frequency-domain multispectral diffuse optical tomography of breast cancer in the parallel-plane transmission geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ban, H. Y.; Kavuri, V. C., E-mail: venk@physics.upenn.edu; Cochran, J. M.; Pathak, S.; Chung, S. H.; Yodh, A. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Schweiger, M.; Arridge, S. R. [Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Xie, L. [Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Busch, D. R. [Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Katrašnik, J. [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana 1000 (Slovenia); Lee, K. [Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 711-813 (Korea, Republic of); Choe, R. [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 (United States); Czerniecki, B. J. [Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2016-07-15

Purpose: The authors introduce a state-of-the-art all-optical clinical diffuse optical tomography (DOT) imaging instrument which collects spatially dense, multispectral, frequency-domain breast data in the parallel-plate geometry. Methods: The instrument utilizes a CCD-based heterodyne detection scheme that permits massively parallel detection of diffuse photon density wave amplitude and phase for a large number of source–detector pairs (10{sup 6}). The stand-alone clinical DOT instrument thus offers high spatial resolution with reduced crosstalk between absorption and scattering. Other novel features include a fringe profilometry system for breast boundary segmentation, real-time data normalization, and a patient bed design which permits both axial and sagittal breast measurements. Results: The authors validated the instrument using tissue simulating phantoms with two different chromophore-containing targets and one scattering target. The authors also demonstrated the instrument in a case study breast cancer patient; the reconstructed 3D image of endogenous chromophores and scattering gave tumor localization in agreement with MRI. Conclusions: Imaging with a novel parallel-plate DOT breast imager that employs highly parallel, high-resolution CCD detection in the frequency-domain was demonstrated.

Assessing Wildfire Risk in Cultural Heritage Properties Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Satellite Imagery and Spatially Explicit Fire Simulations: The Case of Holy Mount Athos, Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgos Mallinis

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Fire management implications and the design of conservation strategies on fire prone landscapes within the UNESCO World Heritage Properties require the application of wildfire risk assessment at landscape level. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variation of wildfire risk on Holy Mount Athos in Greece. Mt. Athos includes 20 monasteries and other structures that are threatened by increasing frequency of wildfires. Site-specific fuel models were created by measuring in the field several fuel parameters in representative natural fuel complexes, while the spatial extent of the fuel types was determined using a synergy of high-resolution imagery and high temporal information from medium spatial resolution imagery classified through object-based analysis and a machine learning classifier. The Minimum Travel Time (MTT algorithm, as it is embedded in FlamMap software, was applied in order to evaluate Burn Probability (BP, Conditional Flame Length (CFL, Fire Size (FS, and Source-Sink Ratio (SSR. The results revealed low burn probabilities for the monasteries; however, nine out of the 20 monasteries have high fire potential in terms of fire intensity, which means that if an ignition occurs, an intense fire is expected. The outputs of this study may be used for decision-making for short-term predictions of wildfire risk at an operational level, contributing to fire suppression and management of UNESCO World Heritage Properties.

Spatial sorting promotes the spread of maladaptive hybridization

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Winsor H.; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Allendorf, Fred W.

2015-01-01

Invasive hybridization is causing loss of biodiversity worldwide. The spread of such introgression can occur even when hybrids have reduced Darwinian fitness, which decreases the frequency of hybrids due to low survival or reproduction through time. This paradox can be partially explained by spatial sorting, where genotypes associated with dispersal increase in frequency at the edge of expansion, fueling further expansion and allowing invasive hybrids to increase in frequency through space rather than time. Furthermore, because all progeny of a hybrid will be hybrids (i.e., will possess genes from both parental taxa), nonnative admixture in invaded populations can increase even when most hybrid progeny do not survive. Broader understanding of spatial sorting is needed to protect native biodiversity.

Response of coral assemblages to thermal stress: are bleaching intensity and spatial patterns consistent between events?

Science.gov (United States)

Penin, Lucie; Vidal-Dupiol, Jeremie; Adjeroud, Mehdi

2013-06-01

Mass bleaching events resulting in coral mortality are among the greatest threats to coral reefs, and are projected to increase in frequency and intensity with global warming. Achieving a better understanding of the consistency of the response of coral assemblages to thermal stress, both spatially and temporally, is essential to determine which reefs are more able to tolerate climate change. We compared variations in spatial and taxonomic patterns between two bleaching events at the scale of an island (Moorea Island, French Polynesia). Despite similar thermal stress and light conditions, bleaching intensity was significantly lower in 2007 (approximately 37 % of colonies showed signs of bleaching) than in 2002, when 55 % of the colonies bleached. Variations in the spatial patterns of bleaching intensity were consistent between the two events. Among nine sampling stations at three locations and three depths, the stations at which the bleaching response was lowest in 2002 were those that showed the lowest levels of bleaching in 2007. The taxonomic patterns of susceptibility to bleaching were also consistent between the two events. These findings have important implications for conservation because they indicate that corals are capable of acclimatization and/or adaptation and that, even at small spatial scales, some areas are consistently more susceptible to bleaching than others.

Effective Connectivity Reveals Right-Hemisphere Dominance in Audiospatial Perception: Implications for Models of Spatial Neglect

Science.gov (United States)

Friston, Karl J.; Mattingley, Jason B.; Roepstorff, Andreas; Garrido, Marta I.

2014-01-01

Detecting the location of salient sounds in the environment rests on the brain's ability to use differences in sounds arriving at both ears. Functional neuroimaging studies in humans indicate that the left and right auditory hemispaces are coded asymmetrically, with a rightward attentional bias that reflects spatial attention in vision. Neuropsychological observations in patients with spatial neglect have led to the formulation of two competing models: the orientation bias and right-hemisphere dominance models. The orientation bias model posits a symmetrical mapping between one side of the sensorium and the contralateral hemisphere, with mutual inhibition of the ipsilateral hemisphere. The right-hemisphere dominance model introduces a functional asymmetry in the brain's coding of space: the left hemisphere represents the right side, whereas the right hemisphere represents both sides of the sensorium. We used Dynamic Causal Modeling of effective connectivity and Bayesian model comparison to adjudicate between these alternative network architectures, based on human electroencephalographic data acquired during an auditory location oddball paradigm. Our results support a hemispheric asymmetry in a frontoparietal network that conforms to the right-hemisphere dominance model. We show that, within this frontoparietal network, forward connectivity increases selectively in the hemisphere contralateral to the side of sensory stimulation. We interpret this finding in light of hierarchical predictive coding as a selective increase in attentional gain, which is mediated by feedforward connections that carry precision-weighted prediction errors during perceptual inference. This finding supports the disconnection hypothesis of unilateral neglect and has implications for theories of its etiology. PMID:24695717

Time and Frequency Localized Pulse Shape for Resolution Enhancement in STFT-BOTDR

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Linqing Luo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Short-Time Fourier Transform-Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (STFT-BOTDR implements STFT over the full frequency spectrum to measure the distributed temperature and strain along the optic fiber, providing new research advances in dynamic distributed sensing. The spatial and frequency resolution of the dynamic sensing are limited by the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR and the Time-Frequency (T-F localization of the input pulse shape. T-F localization is fundamentally important for the communication system, which suppresses interchannel interference (ICI and intersymbol interference (ISI to improve the transmission quality in multicarrier modulation (MCM. This paper demonstrates that the T-F localized input pulse shape can enhance the SNR and the spatial and frequency resolution in STFT-BOTDR. Simulation and experiments of T-F localized different pulses shapes are conducted to compare the limitation of the system resolution. The result indicates that rectangular pulse should be selected to optimize the spatial resolution and Lorentzian pulse could be chosen to optimize the frequency resolution, while Gaussian shape pulse can be used in general applications for its balanced performance in both spatial and frequency resolution. Meanwhile, T-F localization is proved to be useful in the pulse shape selection for system resolution optimization.

Spatial evaluation of larvae of Culicidae (Diptera from different breeding sites: application of a geospatial method and implications for vector control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Piovezan

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Spatial evaluation of Culicidae (Diptera larvae from different breeding sites: application of a geospatial method and implications for vector control. This study investigates the spatial distribution of urban Culicidae and informs entomological monitoring of species that use artificial containers as larval habitats. Collections of mosquito larvae were conducted in the São Paulo State municipality of Santa Bárbara d' Oeste between 2004 and 2006 during house-to-house visits. A total of 1,891 samples and nine different species were sampled. Species distribution was assessed using the kriging statistical method by extrapolating municipal administrative divisions. The sampling method followed the norms of the municipal health services of the Ministry of Health and can thus be adopted by public health authorities in disease control and delimitation of risk areas. Moreover, this type of survey and analysis can be employed for entomological surveillance of urban vectors that use artificial containers as larval habitat.

Structural evolution of utility systems and its implications for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iannucci, J.J.; Shugar, D.S.

1993-01-01

Photovoltaics (PV) differ substantially from the central generating stations traditionally employed by utilities. PV utilizes a fuel which disappears nightly, operating only while the sun shines. It has the potential of being highly reliable while requiring low levels of operating and maintenance attention, and it can be deployed in a highly modular fashion close to load. It is precisely these differences that give rise to PV's greatest opportunities in successfully entering the utility market. The purpose of this paper is to explore an emerging utility paradigm, the Distributed Utility concept, and how utilities might change their current planning and resource selection processes to take advantage of it, both to the betterment of the PV industry and the utility's customers. Out of this exploration emerges the photovoltaics Diffusion Model strategy that bridges the gap from currently economic stand-alone special applications of PV in utility operations to bulk power production. (author). 12 refs, 5 figs

Engineering frequency-dependent superfluidity in Bose-Fermi mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Arzamasovs, Maksims; Liu, Bo

2018-04-01

Unconventional superconductivity and superfluidity are among the most exciting and fascinating quantum phenomena in condensed-matter physics. Usually such states are characterized by nontrivial spin or spatial symmetry of the pairing order parameter, such as "spin triplet" or "p wave." However, besides spin and spatial dependence the order parameter may have unconventional frequency dependence which is also permitted by Fermi-Dirac statistics. Odd-frequency fermionic pairing is an exciting paradigm when discussing exotic superfluidity or superconductivity and is yet to be realized in experiments. In this paper we propose a symmetry-based method of controlling frequency dependence of the pairing order parameter via manipulating the inversion symmetry of the system. First, a toy model is introduced to illustrate that frequency dependence of the order parameter can be achieved through our proposed approach. Second, by taking advantage of recent rapid developments in producing spin-orbit-coupled dispersions in ultracold gases, we propose a Bose-Fermi mixture to realize such frequency-dependent superfluid. The key idea is introducing the frequency-dependent attraction between fermions mediated by Bogoliubov phonons with asymmetric dispersion. Our proposal should pave an alternative way for exploring frequency-dependent superfluids with cold atoms.

The effect of extending high-frequency bandwidth on the acceptable noise level (ANL) of hearing-impaired listeners.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Earl; Ricketts, Todd; Hornsby, Benjamin

2009-01-01

This study examined the effects of extending high-frequency bandwidth, for both a speech signal and a background noise, on the acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of listeners with mild sensorineural hearing loss through utilization of the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) procedure. In addition to extending high-frequency bandwidth, the effects of reverberation time and background noise type and shape were also examined. The study results showed a significant increase in the mean ANL (i.e. participants requested a better SNR for an acceptable listening situation) when high-frequency bandwidth was extended from 3 to 9 kHz and from 6 to 9 kHz. No change in the ANL of study participants was observed as a result of isolated modification to reverberation time or background noise stimulus. An interaction effect, however, of reverberation time and background noise stimulus was demonstrated. These findings may have implications for future design of hearing aid memory programs for listening to speech in the presence of broadband background noise.

Response-only method for damage detection of beam-like structures using high accuracy frequencies with auxiliary mass spatial probing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Shuncong; Oyadiji, S. Olutunde; Ding, Kang

2008-04-01

This paper proposes a new approach based on auxiliary mass spatial probing using spectral centre correction method (SCCM), to provide a simple solution for damage detection by just using the response time history of beam-like structures. The natural frequencies of a damaged beam with a traversing auxiliary mass change due to change in the inertia of the beam as the auxiliary mass is traversed along the beam, as well as the point-to-point variations in the flexibility of the beam. Therefore the auxiliary mass can enhance the effects of the crack on the dynamics of the beam and, therefore, facilitate the identification and location of damage in the beam. That is, the auxiliary mass can be used to probe the dynamic characteristic of the beam by traversing the mass from one end of the beam to the other. However, it is impossible to obtain accurate modal frequencies by the direct operation of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the response data of the structure because the frequency spectrum can be only calculated from limited sampled time data which results in the well-known leakage effect. SCCM is identical to the energy centrobaric correction method (ECCM) which is a practical and effective method used in rotating mechanical fault diagnosis and which resolves the shortcoming of FFT and can provide high accuracy estimate of frequency, amplitude and phase. In the present work, the modal responses of damaged simply supported beams with auxiliary mass are computed using the finite element method (FEM). The graphical plots of the natural frequencies calculated by SCCM versus axial location of auxiliary mass are obtained. However, it is difficult to locate the crack directly from the curve of natural frequencies. A simple and fast method, the derivatives of natural frequency curve, is proposed in the paper which can provide crack information for damage detection of beam-like structures. The efficiency and practicability of the proposed method is illustrated via numerical

Spatial frequency domain imaging of burn wounds in a preclinical model of graded burn severity

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, John Quan; Crouzet, Christian; Mai, Tuan; Riola, Kathleen; Uchitel, Daniel; Liaw, Lih-Huei; Bernal, Nicole; Ponticorvo, Adrien; Choi, Bernard; Durkin, Anthony J.

2013-06-01

Frequent monitoring of early-stage burns is necessary for deciding optimal treatment and management. Both superficial and full thickness burns are relatively easy to diagnose based on clinical observation. In between these two extremes are superficial-partial thickness and deep-partial thickness burns. These burns, while visually similar, differ dramatically in terms of clinical treatment and are known to progress in severity over time. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) for noninvasively mapping quantitative changes in chromophore and optical properties that may be an indicative of burn wound severity. A controlled protocol of graded burn severity was developed and applied to 17 rats. SFDI data was acquired at multiple near-infrared wavelengths over a course of 3 h. Burn severity was verified using hematoxylin and eosin histology. From this study, we found that changes in water concentration (edema), deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration, and optical scattering (tissue denaturation) to be statistically significant at differentiating superficial partial-thickness burns from deep-partial thickness burns.

Biotic Drivers of Spatial Heterogeneity and Implications for River Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Wohl, Ellen

2017-04-01

Rivers throughout the northern hemisphere have been simplified and homogenized by the removal of beavers and instream wood, along with numerous forms of channel engineering and flow regulation. Loss of spatial heterogeneity in river corridors - channels and floodplains - affects downstream fluxes of water, sediment, organic matter, and nutrients, as well as stream metabolism, biomass, and biodiversity. Recent work in streams of the Colorado Rocky Mountains illustrates how the presence of beavers and instream wood can facilitate spatial heterogeneity by creating stable, persistent, multithread channel planform and high channel-floodplain and channel-hyporheic zone connectivity. This spatial heterogeneity facilitates retention of water in pools, floodplain wetlands, and hyporheic storage. Suspended sediment, particulate organic matter (POM), and solutes are also more likely to be retained in these stream segments than in more uniform stream segments with greater downstream conveyance. Retention of POM and solutes equates to greater volumes of organic carbon storage per unit valley length and greater rates of nitrogen uptake. Spatially heterogeneous stream segments also exhibit greater biomass and biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates, salmonid fish, and riparian spiders than do more uniform stream segments. These significant differences in stream form and function are unlikely to be unique to this field area and can provide a conceptual model for understanding and restoring ecosystem functions in other rivers.

Faster processing of multiple spatially-heterodyned direct to digital holograms

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, Gregory R [Clinton, TN; Bingham, Philip R [Knoxville, TN

2008-09-09

Systems and methods are described for faster processing of multiple spatially-heterodyned direct to digital holograms. A method includes of obtaining multiple spatially-heterodyned holograms, includes: digitally recording a first spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; digitally recording a second spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; Fourier analyzing the recorded first spatially-heterodyned hologram by shifting a first original origin of the recorded first spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a spatial-heterodyne carrier frequency defined as a first angle between a first reference beam and a first object beam; applying a first digital filter to cut off signals around the first original origin and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the result; Fourier analyzing the recorded second spatially-heterodyned hologram by shifting a second original origin of the recorded second spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a spatial-heterodyne carrier frequency defined as a second angle between a second reference beam and a second object beam; and applying a second digital filter to cut off signals around the second original origin and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the result, wherein digitally recording the first spatially-heterodyned hologram is completed before digitally recording the second spatially-heterodyned hologram and a single digital image includes both the first spatially-heterodyned hologram and the second spatially-heterodyned hologram.

Implications of U.S. electricity deregulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gottfried, D.A.

1997-01-01

This article is a concise summary of the potential impacts of electric utility deregulation, including the resolution of stranded costs, impact on electricity rates, reformation of utilities, and reshuffling of the nation's fuel portfolio. The national and state implications of the deregulation of the electricity industry are monumental and overwhelming. The implications occur on many fronts, including monetary, quality, reliability, and environmental issues. Many significant changes will occur as a result--some will be positive and others may be more disturbing

Spatial orientation in bone samples and Young's modulus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geraets, W.G.M.; van Ruijven, L.J.; Verheij, H.G.C.; van der Stelt, P.F.; van Eijden, T.M.G.J.

2008-01-01

Bone mass is the most important determinant of the mechanical strength of bones, and spatial structure is the second. In general, the spatial structure and mechanical properties of bones such as the breaking strength are direction dependent. The mean intercept length (MIL) and line frequency

Effects of Secondary Task Modality and Processing Code on Automation Trust and Utilization During Simulated Airline Luggage Screening

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Rachel; Madhavan, Poornima

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of environmental distractions on human trust and utilization of automation during the process of visual search. Participants performed a computer-simulated airline luggage screening task with the assistance of a 70% reliable automated decision aid (called DETECTOR) both with and without environmental distractions. The distraction was implemented as a secondary task in either a competing modality (visual) or non-competing modality (auditory). The secondary task processing code either competed with the luggage screening task (spatial code) or with the automation's textual directives (verbal code). We measured participants' system trust, perceived reliability of the system (when a target weapon was present and absent), compliance, reliance, and confidence when agreeing and disagreeing with the system under both distracted and undistracted conditions. Results revealed that system trust was lower in the visual-spatial and auditory-verbal conditions than in the visual-verbal and auditory-spatial conditions. Perceived reliability of the system (when the target was present) was significantly higher when the secondary task was visual rather than auditory. Compliance with the aid increased in all conditions except for the auditory-verbal condition, where it decreased. Similar to the pattern for trust, reliance on the automation was lower in the visual-spatial and auditory-verbal conditions than in the visual-verbal and auditory-spatial conditions. Confidence when agreeing with the system decreased with the addition of any kind of distraction; however, confidence when disagreeing increased with the addition of an auditory secondary task but decreased with the addition of a visual task. A model was developed to represent the research findings and demonstrate the relationship between secondary task modality, processing code, and automation use. Results suggest that the nature of environmental distractions influence

Evaluation of automatic dose rate control for flat panel imaging using a spatial frequency domain figure of merit

Science.gov (United States)

Dehairs, M.; Bosmans, H.; Desmet, W.; Marshall, N. W.

2017-08-01

Current automatic dose rate controls (ADRCs) of dynamic x-ray imaging systems adjust their acquisition parameters in response to changes in patient thickness in order to achieve a constant signal level in the image receptor. This work compares a 3 parameter (3P) ADRC control to a more flexible 5-parameter (5P) method to meet this goal. A phantom composed of 15 composite poly(methyl) methacrylate (PMMA)/aluminium (Al) plates was imaged on a Siemens Artis Q dynamic system using standard 3P and 5P ADRC techniques. Phantom thickness covered a water equivalent thickness (WET) range of 2.5 cm to 37.5 cm. Acquisition parameter settings (tube potential, tube current, pulse length, copper filtration and focus size) and phantom entrance air kerma rate (EAKR) were recorded as the thickness changed. Signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) was measured using a 0.3 mm iron insert centred in the PMMA stack, positioned at the system isocentre. SDNR was then multiplied by modulation transfer function (MTF) based correction factors for focal spot penumbral blurring and motion blurring, to give a spatial frequency dependent parameter, SDNR(u). These MTF correction factors were evaluated for an object motion of 25 mm s-1 and at a spatial frequency of 1.4 mm-1 in the object plane, typical for cardiac imaging. The figure of merit (FOM) was calculated as SDNR(u)²/EAKR for the two ADRC regimes. Using 5P versus 3P technique showed clear improvements over all thicknesses. Averaged over clinically relevant adult WET values (20 cm-37.5 cm), EAKR was reduced by 13% and 27% for fluoroscopy and acquisition modes, respectively, while the SDNR(u) based FOM increased by 16% and 34% for fluoroscopy and acquisition. In conclusion, the generalized FOM, taking into account the influence of focus size and object motion, showed benefit in terms of image quality and patient dose for the 5-parameter control over 3-parameter method for the ADRC programming of dynamic x-ray imaging systems.

The Relationship Between Utilization of Computer Games and Spatial Abilities Among High School Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahid Motamedi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at investigating the relationship between computer game use and spatial abilities among high school students. The sample consisted of 300 high school male students selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Data gathering tools consisted of a researcher made questionnaire (to collect information on computer game usage and the Newton and Bristol spatial ability questionnaire with reliability value of .85. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results showed that there was a meaningful relationship between the use of computer games and spatial ability (r = .59 and p = 00.00, there was a meaningful relationship between the use of computer games and the spatial perceived ability (r = .60 and p = .00, there was a meaningful relationship between the use of computer games and mental rotation ability (r = .48 and p = .00 and there was a meaningful relationship between computer game use and spatial visualization ability (r = .48 and p = .00. In general, the findings showed there was a positive and a significant relationship between the use of computer games and spatial abilities in students.

Assessment of the biophysical impacts of utility-scale photovoltaics through observations and modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Broadbent, A. M.; Georgescu, M.; Krayenhoff, E. S.; Sailor, D.

2017-12-01

Utility-scale solar power plants are a rapidly growing component of the solar energy sector. Utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation in the United States has increased by 867% since 2012 (EIA, 2016). This expansion is likely to continue as the cost PV technologies decrease. While most agree that solar power can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the biophysical effects of PV systems on surface energy balance (SEB), and implications for surface climate, are not well understood. To our knowledge, there has never been a detailed observational study of SEB at a utility-scale solar array. This study presents data from an eddy covariance observational tower, temporarily placed above a utility-scale PV array in Southern Arizona. Comparison of PV SEB with a reference (unmodified) site, shows that solar panels can alter the SEB and near surface climate. SEB observations are used to develop and validate a new and more complete SEB PV model. In addition, the PV model is compared to simpler PV modelling methods. The simpler PV models produce differing results to our newly developed model and cannot capture the more complex processes that influence PV SEB. Finally, hypothetical scenarios of PV expansion across the continental United States (CONUS) were developed using various spatial mapping criteria. CONUS simulations of PV expansion reveal regional variability in biophysical effects of PV expansion. The study presents the first rigorous and validated simulations of the biophysical effects of utility-scale PV arrays.

. Redundancy and blocking in the spatial domain: A connectionist model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. P. L. Mc Laren

2002-01-01

Full Text Available How can the observations of spatial blocking (Rodrigo, Chamizo, McLaren & Mackintosh, 1997 and cue redundancy (O’Keefe and Conway, 1978 be reconciled within the framework provided by an error-correcting, connectionist account of spatial navigation? I show that an implementation of McLaren’s (1995 better beta model can serve this purpose, and examine some of the implications for spatial learning and memory.

Variation in estuarine littoral nematode populations over three spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

Hodda, M.

1990-04-01

The population characteristics of the nematode fauna from five replicate cores taken over four seasons at nine sites within mangroves, at three different estuaries on the south-east coast of Australia, are compared. Using cluster analysis, principal co-ordinate analysis and other statistical techniques, the variation in nematode populations is identified as arising from several sources: temperature changes between the more northerly and southerly estuaries (5%); changes in grain size and organic content of the sediment between sites (22%); changes between sites in the frequency of samples containing certain types of food, particularly associated with pools of water and surface topography (30%); stochastic changes in nematode populations within individual samples, probably caused by small scale spatial and temporal variability in food sources (35%); and seasonal changes at all the sites and estuaries (8%). The implications of this pattern of variation for the biology of the nematodes is discussed.

An iterative detection method of MIMO over spatial correlated frequency selective channel: using list sphere decoding for simplification

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Zhiping; Yan, Bing

2010-08-01

In multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) wireless systems, combining good channel codes(e.g., Non-binary Repeat Accumulate codes) with adaptive turbo equalization is a good option to get better performance and lower complexity under Spatial Correlated Frequency Selective(SCFS) Channel. The key of this method is after joint antennas MMSE detection (JAD/MMSE) based on interruption cancelling using soft information, considering the detection result as an output of a Gaussian equivalent flat fading channel, and performing maximum likelihood detection(ML) to get more correct estimated result. But the using of ML brings great complexity increase, which is not allowed. In this paper, a low complexity method called list sphere decoding is introduced and applied to replace the ML in order to simplify the adaptive iterative turbo equalization system.

Spatially localized, temporally quasiperiodic, discrete nonlinear excitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, D.; Bishop, A.R.; Gronbech-Jensen, N.

1995-01-01

In contrast to the commonly discussed discrete breather, which is a spatially localized, time-periodic solution, we present an exact solution of a discrete nonlinear Schroedinger breather which is a spatially localized, temporally quasiperiodic nonlinear coherent excitation. This breather is a multiple-soliton solution in the sense of the inverse scattering transform. A discrete breather of multiple frequencies is conceptually important in studies of nonlinear lattice systems. We point out that, for this breather, the incommensurability of its frequencies is a discrete lattice effect and these frequencies become commensurate in the continuum limit. To understand the dynamical properties of the breather, we also discuss its stability and its behavior in the presence of an external potential. Finally, we indicate how to obtain an exact N-soliton breather as a discrete generalization of the continuum multiple-soliton solution

Spatial Aggregation of Forest Songbird Territories and Possible Implications for Area Sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Bourque

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Habitat area requirements of forest songbirds vary greatly among species, but the causes of this variation are not well understood. Large area requirements could result from advantages for certain species when settling their territories near those of conspecifics. This phenomenon would result in spatial aggregations much larger than single territories. Species that aggregate their territories could show reduced population viability in highly fragmented forests, since remnant patches may remain unoccupied if they are too small to accommodate several territories. The objectives of this study were twofold: (1 to seek evidence of territory clusters of forest birds at various spatial scales, lags of 250-550 m, before and after controlling for habitat spatial patterns; and (2 to measure the relationship between spatial autocorrelation and apparent landscape sensitivity for these species. In analyses that ignored spatial variation of vegetation within remnant forest patches, nine of the 17 species studied significantly aggregated their territories within patches. After controlling for forest vegetation, the locations of eight out of 17 species remained significantly clustered. The aggregative pattern that we observed may, thus, be indicative of a widespread phenomenon in songbird populations. Furthermore, there was a tendency for species associated with higher forest cover to be more spatially aggregated [ERRATUM].

Mutual Information in Frequency and Its Application to Measure Cross-Frequency Coupling in Epilepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Malladi, Rakesh; Johnson, Don H.; Kalamangalam, Giridhar P.; Tandon, Nitin; Aazhang, Behnaam

2018-06-01

We define a metric, mutual information in frequency (MI-in-frequency), to detect and quantify the statistical dependence between different frequency components in the data, referred to as cross-frequency coupling and apply it to electrophysiological recordings from the brain to infer cross-frequency coupling. The current metrics used to quantify the cross-frequency coupling in neuroscience cannot detect if two frequency components in non-Gaussian brain recordings are statistically independent or not. Our MI-in-frequency metric, based on Shannon's mutual information between the Cramer's representation of stochastic processes, overcomes this shortcoming and can detect statistical dependence in frequency between non-Gaussian signals. We then describe two data-driven estimators of MI-in-frequency: one based on kernel density estimation and the other based on the nearest neighbor algorithm and validate their performance on simulated data. We then use MI-in-frequency to estimate mutual information between two data streams that are dependent across time, without making any parametric model assumptions. Finally, we use the MI-in- frequency metric to investigate the cross-frequency coupling in seizure onset zone from electrocorticographic recordings during seizures. The inferred cross-frequency coupling characteristics are essential to optimize the spatial and spectral parameters of electrical stimulation based treatments of epilepsy.

Spatial attention in written word perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronica eMontani

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The role of attention in visual word recognition and reading aloud is a long debated issue. Studies of both developmental and acquired reading disorders provide growing evidence that spatial attention is critically involved in word reading, in particular for the phonological decoding of unfamiliar letter strings. However, studies on healthy participants have produced contrasting results. The aim of this study was to investigate how the allocation of spatial attention may influence the perception of letter strings in skilled readers. High frequency words, low frequency words and pseudowords were briefly and parafoveally presented either in the left or the right visual field. Attentional allocation was modulated by the presentation of a spatial cue before the target string. Accuracy in reporting the target string was modulated by the spatial cue but this effect varied with the type of string. For unfamiliar strings, processing was facilitated when attention was focused on the string location and hindered when it was diverted from the target. This finding is consistent the assumptions of the CDP+ model of reading aloud, as well as with familiarity sensitivity models that argue for a flexible use of attention according with the specific requirements of the string. Moreover, we found that processing of high-frequency words was facilitated by an extra-large focus of attention. The latter result is consistent with the hypothesis that a broad distribution of attention is the default mode during reading of familiar words because it might optimally engage the broad receptive fields of the highest detectors in the hierarchical system for visual word recognition.

Laser frequency modulator for modulating a laser cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Erbert, Gaylen V.

1992-01-01

The present invention relates to a laser frequency modulator for modulating a laser cavity. It is known in the prior art to utilize a PZT (piezoelectric transducer) element in combination with a mirror to change the cavity length of a laser cavity (which changes the laser frequency). Using a PZT element to drive the mirror directly is adequate at frequencies below 10 kHz. However, in high frequency applications (100 kHz and higher) PZT elements alone do not provide a sufficient change in the cavity length. The present invention utilizes an ultrasonic concentrator with a PZT element and mirror to provide modulation of the laser cavity. With an ultrasonic concentrator, the mirror element at the end of a laser cavity can move at larger amplitudes and higher frequencies.

Signal Identification and Isolation Utilizing Radio Frequency Photonics

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

RF filter is the use of either a FIR or an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter. The FIR filter is simply the discrete convolution sum of the...by using a feedback loop of a fixed delay. In this case, the signal will ideally be a summation of an infinite number of delay round trips. While...and Infinite Impulse Response filters. A combination of FIR and IIR filters can be used to identify the center frequency of an RF signal, as seen in

Employment Effects of Spatial Dispersal of Refugees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damm, Anna Piil; Rosholm, Michael

We argue that spatial dispersal influences labour market assimilation of refugees through two mechanisms: first, the local job offer arrival rate and, second, place utility. Our partial search model with simultaneous job and residential location search predicts that the reservation wage for local...... by evaluating the employment effects of the Danish spatial dispersal policy carried out 1986-1998....

Spatial data quality and coastal spill modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.; Brimicombe, A.J.; Ralphs, M.P.

1998-01-01

Issues of spatial data quality are central to the whole oil spill modelling process. Both model and data quality performance issues should be considered as indispensable parts of a complete oil spill model specification and testing procedure. This paper presents initial results of research that will emphasise to modeler and manager alike the practical issues of spatial data quality for coastal oil spill modelling. It is centred around a case study of Jiao Zhou Bay in the People's Republic of China. The implications for coastal oil spill modelling are discussed and some strategies for managing the effects of spatial data quality in the outputs of oil spill modelling are explored. (author)

What Do They Have in Common? Drivers of Streamflow Spatial Correlation and Prediction of Flow Regimes in Ungauged Locations

Science.gov (United States)

Betterle, A.; Radny, D.; Schirmer, M.; Botter, G.

2017-12-01

The spatial correlation of daily streamflows represents a statistical index encapsulating the similarity between hydrographs at two arbitrary catchment outlets. In this work, a process-based analytical framework is utilized to investigate the hydrological drivers of streamflow spatial correlation through an extensive application to 78 pairs of stream gauges belonging to 13 unregulated catchments in the eastern United States. The analysis provides insight on how the observed heterogeneity of the physical processes that control flow dynamics ultimately affect streamflow correlation and spatial patterns of flow regimes. Despite the variability of recession properties across the study catchments, the impact of heterogeneous drainage rates on the streamflow spatial correlation is overwhelmed by the spatial variability of frequency and intensity of effective rainfall events. Overall, model performances are satisfactory, with root mean square errors between modeled and observed streamflow spatial correlation below 10% in most cases. We also propose a method for estimating streamflow correlation in the absence of discharge data, which proves useful to predict streamflow regimes in ungauged areas. The method consists in setting a minimum threshold on the modeled flow correlation to individuate hydrologically similar sites. Catchment outlets that are most correlated (ρ>0.9) are found to be characterized by analogous streamflow distributions across a broad range of flow regimes.

Spatial Representations in Local Field Potential Activity of Primate Anterior Intraparietal Cortex (AIP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian J Lehmann

Full Text Available The execution of reach-to-grasp movements in order to interact with our environment is an important subset of the human movement repertoire. To coordinate such goal-directed movements, information about the relative spatial position of target and effector (in this case the hand has to be continuously integrated and processed. Recently, we reported the existence of spatial representations in spiking-activity of the cortical fronto-parietal grasp network (Lehmann & Scherberger 2013, and in particular in the anterior intraparietal cortex (AIP. To further investigate the nature of these spatial representations, we explored in two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta how different frequency bands of the local field potential (LFP in AIP are modulated by grip type, target position, and gaze position, during the planning and execution of reach-to-grasp movements. We systematically varied grasp type, spatial target, and gaze position and found that both spatial and grasp information were encoded in a variety of frequency bands (1-13Hz, 13-30Hz, 30-60Hz, and 60-100Hz, respectively. Whereas the representation of grasp type strongly increased towards and during movement execution, spatial information was represented throughout the task. Both spatial and grasp type representations could be readily decoded from all frequency bands. The fact that grasp type and spatial (reach information was found not only in spiking activity, but also in various LFP frequency bands of AIP, might significantly contribute to the development of LFP-based neural interfaces for the control of upper limb prostheses.

Evaluating spatial patterns of dioxins in sediments to aid determination of potential implications for marine reptiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermanussen, S.; Gaus, C. [National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, Brisbane (Australia); Limpus, C.J. [Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane (Australia); Paepke, O. [ERGO Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg (Germany); Blanshard, W. [Sea World, Gold Coast (Australia); Connell, D. [School of Public Health, Griffith Univ., Brisbane (Australia)

2004-09-15

Recent investigations have identified elevated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (dioxins) in marine sediments and wildlife of Queensland, Australia. While it has been demonstrated that the contamination is widespread and predominantly land-based, limited information exists on the pathways and fate of these compounds within the near-shore marine system. This environment supports unique and threatened species including green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Adult green turtles are predominantly herbivorous, feeding on seagrass and algae. Apart from initial migration to feeding grounds (at {proportional_to}10 years of age) and intermittent migrations to breeding grounds (at {proportional_to}30-50 years and thereafter), green turtles remain and feed within relatively small home ranges. Long life-span (50 years or more), near-shore feeding grounds and highly specialized food requirements render green turtles potentially vulnerable to contaminant exposure. Recent studies have shown a relationship between PCDD/F concentrations found in herbivorous marine wildlife and concentrations in sediments of their habitats. Hence, the spatial evaluation of sediment PCDD/F distribution may assist the assessment of green turtle exposure and its potential implications. The present study provides baseline information on green turtle PCDD/F concentrations in Queensland, Australia and investigates exposure pathways. In addition, spatial distribution of PCDD/Fs in sediments from known green turtle feeding regions is assessed using geographic information systems. This represents the first stage of a large scale investigation into the exposure and sensitivity of marine reptiles to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds and to evaluate whether poor health status observed in some populations may be related to contaminant exposure.

Slot Machine Response Frequency Predicts Pathological Gambling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jakob; Rømer Thomsen, Kristine; Møller, Arne

2013-01-01

. This study tested the hypothesis that response frequency is associated with symptom severity in pathological gambling. We tested response frequency among twenty-two pathological gambling sufferers and twenty-one non-problem gamblers on a commercially available slot machine, and screened for pathological...... in individuals with exacerbated pathological gambling symptoms. These findings may have important implications for detecting behaviors underlying pathological gambling....

Optimizing the Utility Power of a Geothermal Power Plant using Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) (Case Study: Sibayak Geothermal Power Plant)

Science.gov (United States)

Sinaga, R. H. M.; Manik, Y.

2018-03-01

Sibayak Geothermal Power Plant (SGPP) is one of the plants being developed by Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) at the upstream phase. At the downstream phase, State - owned Electricity Company (PLN) through PT. Dizamatra Powerindo is the developer. The gross capacity of the power plant is 13.3 MW, consisting 1 unit of Monoblock (2 MW) developed by PGE and 2 units (2×5.65 MW) operated through Energy Sales Contract by PLN. During the development phase of a geothermal power plant, there is a chance to reduce the utility power in order to increase the overall plant efficiency. Reducing the utility power can be attempted by utilizing the wet bulb temperature fluctuation. In this study, a modeling process is developed by using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software version 9.430. The possibility of energy saving is indicated by condenser pressure changes as a result of wet bulb temperature fluctuation. The result of this study indicates that the change of condenser pressure is about 50.8% on the constant liquid/gas (L/G) condition of the wet bulb temperature of 15°C to 25°C. Further result indicates that in this power plant, Cooling Tower Fan (CTF) is the facility that has the greatest utility load, followed by Hot Well Pump (HWP). The saving of the greatest utility load is applied trough Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) instrumentation. The result of this modeling has been validated by actual operations data (log sheet). The developed model has also been reviewed trough Specific Steam Consumption (SSC), resulting that constant L/G condition allows the optimum condition on of the wet bulb temperature of 15°C to 25°C.

Spatial Game Analytics and Visualization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drachen, Anders; Schubert, Matthias

2013-01-01

, techniques for spatial analysis had their share in these developments. However, the methods for analyzing and visualizing spatial and spatio-temporal patterns in player behavior being used by the game industry are not as diverse as the range of techniques utilized in game research, leaving room...... for a continuing development. This paper presents a review of current work on spatial and spatio-temporal game analytics across industry and research, describing and defining the key terminology, outlining current techniques and their application. We summarize the current problems and challenges in the field......The recently emerged field of game analytics and the development and adaptation of business intelligence techniques to support game design and development has given data-driven techniques a direct role in game development. Given that all digital games contain some sort of spatial operation...

Benefits and Barriers of Implementation and Utilization of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems in Transfusion Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Coustasse, Alberto; Cunningham, Brian; Deslich, Stacie; Willson, Eric; Meadows, Pamela

2015-01-01

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is used by hospital supply chains to track medical products and monitor inventories. Hospitals have also begun incorporating RFID technology as part of their transfusion processes. The purpose of this review was to analyze how healthcare organization supply chains can benefit from the utilization of RFID systems in transfusion service departments. The methodology for this study was a literature review following the steps of a systematic review with a total of 52 sources referenced. RFID technology is used to manage and track blood products from the initial donor phlebotomy to final disposition or product transfusion. RFID-enabled transfusion practices have successfully increased provider productivity and product quality through work-time reduction and error reduction. Findings of this research study suggest that RFID has provided improvements in quality of care and efficiency, while initial costs, security, and privacy appear to be the principal barriers to adoption.

Spatial filtering velocimeter for vehicle navigation with extended measurement range

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xin; Zhou, Jian; Nie, Xiaoming; Long, Xingwu

2015-05-01

The idea of using spatial filtering velocimeter is proposed to provide accurate velocity information for vehicle autonomous navigation system. The presented spatial filtering velocimeter is based on a CMOS linear image sensor. The limited frame rate restricts high speed measurement of the vehicle. To extend measurement range of the velocimeter, a method of frequency shifting is put forward. Theoretical analysis shows that the frequency of output signal can be reduced and the measurement range can be doubled by this method when the shifting direction is set the same with that of image velocity. The approach of fast Fourier transform (FFT) is employed to obtain the power spectra of the spatially filtered signals. Because of limited frequency resolution of FFT, a frequency spectrum correction algorithm, called energy centrobaric correction, is used to improve the frequency resolution. The correction accuracy energy centrobaric correction is analyzed. Experiments are carried out to measure the moving surface of a conveyor belt. The experimental results show that the maximum measurable velocity is about 800deg/s without frequency shifting, 1600deg/s with frequency shifting, when the frame rate of the image is about 8117 Hz. Therefore, the measurement range is doubled by the method of frequency shifting. Furthermore, experiments were carried out to measure the vehicle velocity simultaneously using both the designed SFV and a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). The measurement results of the presented SFV are coincident with that of the LDV, but with bigger fluctuation. Therefore, it has the potential of application to vehicular autonomous navigation.

Spatial and temporal patterns of airflow across a foredune and beach surface under offshore winds: implications for aeolian sediment transport

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, D.; Delgado-Fernandez, I.; Lynch, K.; Baas, A. C.; Cooper, J. A.; Beyers, M.

2010-12-01

The input of aeolian sediment into foredune systems from beaches represents a key component of sediment budget analysis along many soft sedimentary coastlines. Where there are significant offshore wind components in local wind regimes this is normally excluded from analysis. However, recent work has shown that if the topography of the foredune is favourable then this offshore component is steered or undergoes flow reversal through leeside eddying to give onshore transport events at the back beach under offshore flow conditions. At particular distances from the foredune crest flow reattaches to the surface to continue its incident offshore direction. The location of this reattachment point has important implications for aeolian transport of sand on the back beach and foredune toe locations. This study reports initial results where the positioning of the reattachment point is mobile and is driven by incident wind velocity (at the foredune crest) and the actual undulations of the foredune crest’s topography, dictating heterogeneous flow behaviour at the beach. Using detailed field measurements (25 Hz, three-dimensional sonic anemometry) and computational fluid dynamic modelling, a temporal and spatial pattern of reattachment positions are described. Implications for aeolian transport and dune evolution are also examined.

Design implications for task-specific search utilities for retrieval and re-engineering of code

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Rahat; Grzywaczewski, Adam; Halloran, John; Doctor, Faiyaz; Iqbal, Kashif

2017-05-01

The importance of information retrieval systems is unquestionable in the modern society and both individuals as well as enterprises recognise the benefits of being able to find information effectively. Current code-focused information retrieval systems such as Google Code Search, Codeplex or Koders produce results based on specific keywords. However, these systems do not take into account developers' context such as development language, technology framework, goal of the project, project complexity and developer's domain expertise. They also impose additional cognitive burden on users in switching between different interfaces and clicking through to find the relevant code. Hence, they are not used by software developers. In this paper, we discuss how software engineers interact with information and general-purpose information retrieval systems (e.g. Google, Yahoo!) and investigate to what extent domain-specific search and recommendation utilities can be developed in order to support their work-related activities. In order to investigate this, we conducted a user study and found that software engineers followed many identifiable and repeatable work tasks and behaviours. These behaviours can be used to develop implicit relevance feedback-based systems based on the observed retention actions. Moreover, we discuss the implications for the development of task-specific search and collaborative recommendation utilities embedded with the Google standard search engine and Microsoft IntelliSense for retrieval and re-engineering of code. Based on implicit relevance feedback, we have implemented a prototype of the proposed collaborative recommendation system, which was evaluated in a controlled environment simulating the real-world situation of professional software engineers. The evaluation has achieved promising initial results on the precision and recall performance of the system.

Wind Turbines Support Techniques during Frequency Drops — Energy Utilization Comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayman B. Attya

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The supportive role of wind turbines during frequency drops is still not clear enough, although there are many proposed algorithms. Most of the offered techniques make the wind turbine deviates from optimum power generation operation to special operation modes, to guarantee the availability of reasonable power support, when the system suffers frequency deviations. This paper summarizes the most dominant support algorithms and derives wind turbine power curves for each one. It also conducts a comparison from the point of view of wasted energy, with respect to optimum power generation. The authors insure the advantage of a frequency support algorithm, they previously presented, as it achieved lower amounts of wasted energy. This analysis is performed in two locations that are promising candidates for hosting wind farms in Egypt. Additionally, two different types of wind turbines from two different manufacturers are integrated. Matlab and Simulink are the implemented simulation environments.

Tourism and spatial transformations; implications for policy and planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ashworth, G.J.; Dietvorst, A.G.J.

1995-01-01

The transformation of space by tourism and recreation is examined and the implications for tourism policy and planning are drawn out. A general model of transformation as a guide to intervention is presented. The first part of the book focuses on the procedures and includes case-studies from the

Temporal dynamics of divided spatial attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Itthipuripat, Sirawaj; Garcia, Javier O; Serences, John T

2013-05-01

In naturalistic settings, observers often have to monitor multiple objects dispersed throughout the visual scene. However, the degree to which spatial attention can be divided across spatially noncontiguous objects has long been debated, particularly when those objects are in close proximity. Moreover, the temporal dynamics of divided attention are unclear: is the process of dividing spatial attention gradual and continuous, or does it onset in a discrete manner? To address these issues, we recorded steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) as subjects covertly monitored two flickering targets while ignoring an intervening distractor that flickered at a different frequency. All three stimuli were clustered within either the lower left or the lower right quadrant, and our dependent measure was SSVEP power at the target and distractor frequencies measured over time. In two experiments, we observed a temporally discrete increase in power for target- vs. distractor-evoked SSVEPs extending from ∼350 to 150 ms prior to correct (but not incorrect) responses. The divergence in SSVEP power immediately prior to a correct response suggests that spatial attention can be divided across noncontiguous locations, even when the targets are closely spaced within a single quadrant. In addition, the division of spatial attention appears to be relatively discrete, as opposed to slow and continuous. Finally, the predictive relationship between SSVEP power and behavior demonstrates that these neurophysiological measures of divided attention are meaningfully related to cognitive function.

Helper T lymphocyte precursor frequency analysis in alloreactivity detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cukrova, V.; Dolezalova, L.; Loudova, M.; Vitek, A.

1998-01-01

The utility of IL-2 secreting helper T lymphocyte precursors (HTLp) frequency testing has been evaluated for detecting alloreactivity. The frequency of HTLp was approached by limiting dilution assay. High HTLp frequency was detected in 20 out of 30 HLA matched unrelated pairs (67%). The comparison of HTLp and CTLp (cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors) frequencies in HLA matched unrelated pairs showed that the two examinations are not fully alternative in detecting alloreactivity. This could suggest the utility of combined testing of both HTLp and CTLp frequencies for alloreactivity assessment. In contrast, five positive HTLp values were only found among 28 HLA genotypic identical siblings (18%). Previous CTLp limiting dilution studies showed very low or undetectable CTLp frequency results in that group. For that, HTLp assay remains to be the only cellular in vitro technique detecting alloreactivity in these combinations. (authors)

Feature Point Extraction from the Local Frequency Map of an Image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesmin Khan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a novel technique for detecting rotation- and scale-invariant interest points from the local frequency representation of an image. Local or instantaneous frequency is the spatial derivative of the local phase, where the local phase of any signal can be found from its Hilbert transform. Local frequency estimation can detect edge, ridge, corner, and texture information at the same time, and it shows high values at those dominant features of an image. For each pixel, we select an appropriate width of the window for computing the derivative of the phase. In order to select the width of the window for any given pixel, we make use of the measure of the extent to which the phases, in the neighborhood of that pixel, are in the same direction. The local frequency map, thus obtained, is then thresholded by employing a global thresholding approach to detect the interest or feature points. Repeatability rate, a performance evaluation criterion for an interest point detector, is used to check the geometric stability of the proposed method under different transformations. We present simulation results of the detection of feature points from image utilizing the suggested technique and compare the proposed method with five existing approaches that yield good results. The results prove the efficacy of the proposed feature point detection algorithm. Moreover, in terms of repeatability rate; the results show that the performance of the proposed method with respect to different aspect is compatible with the existing methods.

Modification of response functions of cat visual cortical cells by spatially congruent perturbing stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabara, J F; Bonds, A B

2001-12-01

Responses of cat striate cortical cells to a drifting sinusoidal grating were modified by the superimposition of a second, perturbing grating (PG) that did not excite the cell when presented alone. One consequence of the presence of a PG was a shift in the tuning curves. The orientation tuning of all 41 cells exposed to a PG and the spatial frequency tuning of 83% of the 23 cells exposed to a PG showed statistically significant dislocations of both the response function peak and center of mass from their single grating values. As found in earlier reports, the presence of PGs suppressed responsiveness. However, reductions measured at the single grating optimum orientation or spatial frequency were on average 1.3 times greater than the suppression found at the peak of the response function modified by the presence of the PG. Much of the loss in response seen at the single grating optimum is thus a result of a shift in the tuning function rather than outright suppression. On average orientation shifts were repulsive and proportional (approximately 0.10 deg/deg) to the angle between the perturbing stimulus and the optimum single grating orientation. Shifts in the spatial frequency response function were both attractive and repulsive, resulting in an overall average of zero. For both simple and complex cells, PGs generally broadened orientation response function bandwidths. Similarly, complex cell spatial frequency response function bandwidths broadened. Simple cell spatial frequency response functions usually did not change, and those that did broadened only 4% on average. These data support the hypothesis that additional sinusoidal components in compound stimuli retune cells' response functions for orientation and spatial frequency.

Mule deer spatial association patterns and potential implications for transmission of an epizootic disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Fernanda Mejía-Salazar

Full Text Available Animal social behaviour can have important effects on the long-term dynamics of diseases. In particular, preferential spatial relationships between individuals can lead to differences in the rates of disease spread within a population. We examined the concurrent influence of genetic relatedness, sex, age, home range overlap, time of year, and prion disease status on proximal associations of adult Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus in a chronic wasting disease endemic area. We also quantified the temporal stability of these associations across different sex, age, and disease status classes. We used three years of high frequency telemetry data from 74 individuals to record encounters within 25 m of each other, and to calculate seasonal home range overlap measured by volume of intersection (VI. The strength of pairwise spatial association between adult mule deer was independent of genetic relatedness, age and disease status. Seasonal variation in association strength was not consistent across years, perhaps due to annual changes in weather conditions. The influence of home range overlap on association strength varied seasonally, whereby associations were stronger in pre-rut and fawning than in the rest of the seasons. The sexes of individuals also interacted with both VI and season. At increasing levels of VI, associations were stronger between females than between males and between females and males. The strongest associations in pre-rut were between males, while the strongest in rut were between females and males. The temporal stability of associations was markedly dependant on the sex and the diagnosis of the associating pair. Our findings highlight the importance of considering concurrent effects of biological and environmental factors when seeking to understand the role of social preference in behavioural ecology and disease spread. Applying this knowledge in epidemiological modelling will shed light on the dynamics of

Price and quality in spatial competition

OpenAIRE

Brekke, Kurt R.; Siciliani, Luigi; Straume, Odd Rune

2010-01-01

We study the relationship between competition and quality within a spatial competition framework where firms compete in prices and quality. We generalise existing literature on spatial price–quality competition along several dimensions, including utility functions that are non-linear in income and cost functions that are non-separable in output and quality. Our main message is that the scope for a positive relationship between competition and quality is underestimated in the existing literatu...

Prevalence of Pure Versus Mixed Snow Cover Pixels across Spatial Resolutions in Alpine Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Selkowitz

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Remote sensing of snow-covered area (SCA can be binary (indicating the presence/absence of snow cover at each pixel or fractional (indicating the fraction of each pixel covered by snow. Fractional SCA mapping provides more information than binary SCA, but is more difficult to implement and may not be feasible with all types of remote sensing data. The utility of fractional SCA mapping relative to binary SCA mapping varies with the intended application as well as by spatial resolution, temporal resolution and period of interest, and climate. We quantified the frequency of occurrence of partially snow-covered (mixed pixels at spatial resolutions between 1 m and 500 m over five dates at two study areas in the western U.S., using 0.5 m binary SCA maps derived from high spatial resolution imagery aggregated to fractional SCA at coarser spatial resolutions. In addition, we used in situ monitoring to estimate the frequency of partially snow-covered conditions for the period September 2013–August 2014 at 10 60-m grid cell footprints at two study areas with continental snow climates. Results from the image analysis indicate that at 40 m, slightly above the nominal spatial resolution of Landsat, mixed pixels accounted for 25%–93% of total pixels, while at 500 m, the nominal spatial resolution of MODIS bands used for snow cover mapping, mixed pixels accounted for 67%–100% of total pixels. Mixed pixels occurred more commonly at the continental snow climate site than at the maritime snow climate site. The in situ data indicate that some snow cover was present between 186 and 303 days, and partial snow cover conditions occurred on 10%–98% of days with snow cover. Four sites remained partially snow-free throughout most of the winter and spring, while six sites were entirely snow covered throughout most or all of the winter and spring. Within 60 m grid cells, the late spring/summer transition from snow-covered to snow-free conditions lasted 17–56 days

Implications of spatial data variations for protected areas management: an example from East Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowhaniuk, Nicholas; Hartter, Joel; Ryan, Sadie J

2014-09-01

Geographic information systems and remote sensing technologies have become an important tool for visualizing conservation management and developing solutions to problems associated with conservation. When multiple organizations separately develop spatial data representations of protected areas, implicit error arises due to variation between data sets. We used boundary data produced by three conservation organizations (International Union for the Conservation of Nature, World Resource Institute, and Uganda Wildlife Authority), for seven Ugandan parks, to study variation in the size represented and the location of boundaries. We found variation in the extent of overlapping total area encompassed by the three data sources, ranging from miniscule (0.4 %) differences to quite large ones (9.0 %). To underscore how protected area boundary discrepancies may have implications to protected area management, we used a landcover classification, defining crop, shrub, forest, savanna, and grassland. The total area in the different landcover classes varied most in smaller protected areas (those less than 329 km(2)), with forest and cropland area estimates varying up to 65 %. The discrepancies introduced by boundary errors could, in this hypothetical case, generate erroneous findings and could have a significant impact on conservation, such as local-scale management for encroachment and larger-scale assessments of deforestation.

Role of update dynamics in the collective cooperation on the spatial snowdrift games: Beyond unconditional imitation and replicator dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Chengyi; Wang Juan; Wang Li; Sun Shiwen; Sun Junqing; Wang Jinsong

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We investigate the role of update rules in the spatial snowdrift game on regular lattices. ► Compared with UI and replicator rules, the cooperation can be further promoted by the Moran rule. ► f c and the cluster formation pattern for these three update rules are carefully explored. ► The frequency of cooperators is insensitive to the random initial set of players. - Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the role of update or imitation rules in the spatial snowdrift game on regular lattices. Three different update rules, including unconditional imitation (UI), replicator dynamics (RD) and the Moran process, are utilized to update the strategies of focal players during the game process in the spatial snowdrift on the lattice. We observe that the aggregate cooperation level between players is largely elevated by using the Moran process in the spatial snowdrift game, when compared to the UI or replicator dynamics. Meanwhile, we carefully explore the dynamical evolution of frequency of cooperators and the cluster formation pattern for these three update rules. Moreover, it is also shown that the evolutionary behavior under the Moran update is independent of and insensitive to the randomly initial configurations of cooperators and defectors. The current results clearly indicate that the introduction of moderate randomness in the strategy update will highly promote the maintenance and persistence of cooperation among selfish individuals, which will be greatly instrumental to deeply understand the evolution of cooperation within many natural, biological and social systems.

Role of high-order aberrations in senescent changes in spatial vision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot, S; Choi, S S; Doble, N; Hardy, J L; Evans, J W; Werner, J S

2009-01-06

The contributions of optical and neural factors to age-related losses in spatial vision are not fully understood. We used closed-loop adaptive optics to test the visual benefit of correcting monochromatic high-order aberrations (HOAs) on spatial vision for observers ranging in age from 18-81 years. Contrast sensitivity was measured monocularly using a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) procedure for sinusoidal gratings over 6 mm and 3 mm pupil diameters. Visual acuity was measured using a spatial 4AFC procedure. Over a 6 mm pupil, young observers showed a large benefit of AO at high spatial frequencies, whereas older observers exhibited the greatest benefit at middle spatial frequencies, plus a significantly larger increase in visual acuity. When age-related miosis is controlled, young and old observers exhibited a similar benefit of AO for spatial vision. An increase in HOAs cannot account for the complete senescent decline in spatial vision. These results may indicate a larger role of additional optical factors when the impact of HOAs is removed, but also lend support for the importance of neural factors in age-related changes in spatial vision.

Spatial and temporal remote sensing data fusion for vegetation monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

The suite of available remote sensing instruments varies widely in terms of sensor characteristics, spatial resolution and acquisition frequency. For example, the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global observations at 250m to 1km spatial resolution. While imagery...

The emergence of spatial cyberinfrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Dawn J; Wang, Shaowen

2011-04-05

Cyberinfrastructure integrates advanced computer, information, and communication technologies to empower computation-based and data-driven scientific practice and improve the synthesis and analysis of scientific data in a collaborative and shared fashion. As such, it now represents a paradigm shift in scientific research that has facilitated easy access to computational utilities and streamlined collaboration across distance and disciplines, thereby enabling scientific breakthroughs to be reached more quickly and efficiently. Spatial cyberinfrastructure seeks to resolve longstanding complex problems of handling and analyzing massive and heterogeneous spatial datasets as well as the necessity and benefits of sharing spatial data flexibly and securely. This article provides an overview and potential future directions of spatial cyberinfrastructure. The remaining four articles of the special feature are introduced and situated in the context of providing empirical examples of how spatial cyberinfrastructure is extending and enhancing scientific practice for improved synthesis and analysis of both physical and social science data. The primary focus of the articles is spatial analyses using distributed and high-performance computing, sensor networks, and other advanced information technology capabilities to transform massive spatial datasets into insights and knowledge.

Interface Design Implications for Recalling the Spatial Configuration of Virtual Auditory Environments

Science.gov (United States)

McMullen, Kyla A.

Although the concept of virtual spatial audio has existed for almost twenty-five years, only in the past fifteen years has modern computing technology enabled the real-time processing needed to deliver high-precision spatial audio. Furthermore, the concept of virtually walking through an auditory environment did not exist. The applications of such an interface have numerous potential uses. Spatial audio has the potential to be used in various manners ranging from enhancing sounds delivered in virtual gaming worlds to conveying spatial locations in real-time emergency response systems. To incorporate this technology in real-world systems, various concerns should be addressed. First, to widely incorporate spatial audio into real-world systems, head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) must be inexpensively created for each user. The present study further investigated an HRTF subjective selection procedure previously developed within our research group. Users discriminated auditory cues to subjectively select their preferred HRTF from a publicly available database. Next, the issue of training to find virtual sources was addressed. Listeners participated in a localization training experiment using their selected HRTFs. The training procedure was created from the characterization of successful search strategies in prior auditory search experiments. Search accuracy significantly improved after listeners performed the training procedure. Next, in the investigation of auditory spatial memory, listeners completed three search and recall tasks with differing recall methods. Recall accuracy significantly decreased in tasks that required the storage of sound source configurations in memory. To assess the impacts of practical scenarios, the present work assessed the performance effects of: signal uncertainty, visual augmentation, and different attenuation modeling. Fortunately, source uncertainty did not affect listeners' ability to recall or identify sound sources. The present

Emotional state and local versus global spatial memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunyé, Tad T; Mahoney, Caroline R; Augustyn, Jason S; Taylor, Holly A

2009-02-01

The present work investigated the effects of participant emotional state on global versus local memory for map-based information. Participants were placed into one of four emotion induction groups, crossing high and low arousal with positive and negative valence, or a control group. They then studied a university campus map and completed two memory tests, free recall and spatial statement verification. Converging evidence from these two tasks demonstrated that arousal amplifies symbolic distance effects and leads to a globally-focused spatial mental representation, partially at the expense of local knowledge. These results were found for both positively- and negatively-valenced affective states. The present study is the first investigation of emotional effects on spatial memory, and has implications for theories of emotion and spatial cognition.

Wideband Radio Frequency Interference Detection for Microwave Radiometer Subsystem

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Anthropogenic Radio-Frequency Interference (RFI) is threatening the quality and utility of multi-frequency passive microwave radiometry. The GPM Microwave Imager...

Fast convergent frequency-domain MIMO equalizer for few-mode fiber communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xuan; Weng, Yi; Wang, Junyi; Pan, Z.

2018-02-01

Space division multiplexing using few-mode fibers has been extensively explored to sustain the continuous traffic growth. In few-mode fiber optical systems, both spatial and polarization modes are exploited to transmit parallel channels, thus increasing the overall capacity. However, signals on spatial channels inevitably suffer from the intrinsic inter-modal coupling and large accumulated differential mode group delay (DMGD), which causes spatial modes de-multiplex even harder. Many research articles have demonstrated that frequency domain adaptive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) equalizer can effectively compensate the DMGD and demultiplex the spatial channels with digital signal processing (DSP). However, the large accumulated DMGD usually requires a large number of training blocks for the initial convergence of adaptive MIMO equalizers, which will decrease the overall system efficiency and even degrade the equalizer performance in fast-changing optical channels. Least mean square (LMS) algorithm is always used in MIMO equalization to dynamically demultiplex the spatial signals. We have proposed to use signal power spectral density (PSD) dependent method and noise PSD directed method to improve the convergence speed of adaptive frequency domain LMS algorithm. We also proposed frequency domain recursive least square (RLS) algorithm to further increase the convergence speed of MIMO equalizer at cost of greater hardware complexity. In this paper, we will compare the hardware complexity and convergence speed of signal PSD dependent and noise power directed algorithms against the conventional frequency domain LMS algorithm. In our numerical study of a three-mode 112 Gbit/s PDM-QPSK optical system with 3000 km transmission, the noise PSD directed and signal PSD dependent methods could improve the convergence speed by 48.3% and 36.1% respectively, at cost of 17.2% and 10.7% higher hardware complexity. We will also compare the frequency domain RLS algorithm against

FIND: difFerential chromatin INteractions Detection using a spatial Poisson process.

Science.gov (United States)

Djekidel, Mohamed Nadhir; Chen, Yang; Zhang, Michael Q

2018-02-12

Polymer-based simulations and experimental studies indicate the existence of a spatial dependency between the adjacent DNA fibers involved in the formation of chromatin loops. However, the existing strategies for detecting differential chromatin interactions assume that the interacting segments are spatially independent from the other segments nearby. To resolve this issue, we developed a new computational method, FIND, which considers the local spatial dependency between interacting loci. FIND uses a spatial Poisson process to detect differential chromatin interactions that show a significant difference in their interaction frequency and the interaction frequency of their neighbors. Simulation and biological data analysis show that FIND outperforms the widely used count-based methods and has a better signal-to-noise ratio. © 2018 Djekidel et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Frequency Up-Converted Low Frequency Vibration Energy Harvester Using Trampoline Effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, S; Chae, S H; Choi, Y; Jun, S; Park, S M; Lee, S; Ji, C-H; Lee, H W

2013-01-01

This paper presents a non-resonant vibration energy harvester based on magnetoelectric transduction mechanism and mechanical frequency up-conversion using trampoline effect. The harvester utilizes a freely movable spherical permanent magnet which bounces off the aluminum springs integrated at both ends of the cavity, achieving frequency up-conversion from low frequency input vibration. Moreover, bonding method of magnetoelectric laminate composite has been optimized to provide higher strain to piezoelectric material and thus obtain a higher output voltage. A proof-of-concept energy harvesting device has been fabricated and tested. Maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2V has been obtained and output power of 0.57μW has been achieved for a 50kΩ load, when the fabricated energy harvester was hand-shaken

Frequency Up-Converted Low Frequency Vibration Energy Harvester Using Trampoline Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, S.; Chae, S. H.; Choi, Y.; Jun, S.; Park, S. M.; Lee, S.; Lee, H. W.; Ji, C.-H.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a non-resonant vibration energy harvester based on magnetoelectric transduction mechanism and mechanical frequency up-conversion using trampoline effect. The harvester utilizes a freely movable spherical permanent magnet which bounces off the aluminum springs integrated at both ends of the cavity, achieving frequency up-conversion from low frequency input vibration. Moreover, bonding method of magnetoelectric laminate composite has been optimized to provide higher strain to piezoelectric material and thus obtain a higher output voltage. A proof-of-concept energy harvesting device has been fabricated and tested. Maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2V has been obtained and output power of 0.57μW has been achieved for a 50kΩ load, when the fabricated energy harvester was hand-shaken.

Estimating landholders' probability of participating in a stewardship program, and the implications for spatial conservation priorities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa M Adams

Full Text Available The need to integrate social and economic factors into conservation planning has become a focus of academic discussions and has important practical implications for the implementation of conservation areas, both private and public. We conducted a survey in the Daly Catchment, Northern Territory, to inform the design and implementation of a stewardship payment program. We used a choice model to estimate the likely level of participation in two legal arrangements--conservation covenants and management agreements--based on payment level and proportion of properties required to be managed. We then spatially predicted landholders' probability of participating at the resolution of individual properties and incorporated these predictions into conservation planning software to examine the potential for the stewardship program to meet conservation objectives. We found that the properties that were least costly, per unit area, to manage were also the least likely to participate. This highlights a tension between planning for a cost-effective program and planning for a program that targets properties with the highest probability of participation.

Asymmetric Spatial Processing Under Cognitive Load.

Science.gov (United States)

Naert, Lien; Bonato, Mario; Fias, Wim

2018-01-01

Spatial attention allows us to selectively process information within a certain location in space. Despite the vast literature on spatial attention, the effect of cognitive load on spatial processing is still not fully understood. In this study we added cognitive load to a spatial processing task, so as to see whether it would differentially impact upon the processing of visual information in the left versus the right hemispace. The main paradigm consisted of a detection task that was performed during the maintenance interval of a verbal working memory task. We found that increasing cognitive working memory load had a more negative impact on detecting targets presented on the left side compared to those on the right side. The strength of the load effect correlated with the strength of the interaction on an individual level. The implications of an asymmetric attentional bias with a relative disadvantage for the left (vs the right) hemispace under high verbal working memory (WM) load are discussed.

Asymmetric Spatial Processing Under Cognitive Load

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lien Naert

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Spatial attention allows us to selectively process information within a certain location in space. Despite the vast literature on spatial attention, the effect of cognitive load on spatial processing is still not fully understood. In this study we added cognitive load to a spatial processing task, so as to see whether it would differentially impact upon the processing of visual information in the left versus the right hemispace. The main paradigm consisted of a detection task that was performed during the maintenance interval of a verbal working memory task. We found that increasing cognitive working memory load had a more negative impact on detecting targets presented on the left side compared to those on the right side. The strength of the load effect correlated with the strength of the interaction on an individual level. The implications of an asymmetric attentional bias with a relative disadvantage for the left (vs the right hemispace under high verbal working memory (WM load are discussed.

Image enhancement by spatial frequency post-processing of images obtained with pupil filters

Science.gov (United States)

Estévez, Irene; Escalera, Juan C.; Stefano, Quimey Pears; Iemmi, Claudio; Ledesma, Silvia; Yzuel, María J.; Campos, Juan

2016-12-01

The use of apodizing or superresolving filters improves the performance of an optical system in different frequency bands. This improvement can be seen as an increase in the OTF value compared to the OTF for the clear aperture. In this paper we propose a method to enhance the contrast of an image in both its low and its high frequencies. The method is based on the generation of a synthetic Optical Transfer Function, by multiplexing the OTFs given by the use of different non-uniform transmission filters on the pupil. We propose to capture three images, one obtained with a clear pupil, one obtained with an apodizing filter that enhances the low frequencies and another one taken with a superresolving filter that improves the high frequencies. In the Fourier domain the three spectra are combined by using smoothed passband filters, and then the inverse transform is performed. We show that we can create an enhanced image better than the image obtained with the clear aperture. To evaluate the performance of the method, bar tests (sinusoidal tests) with different frequency content are used. The results show that a contrast improvement in the high and low frequencies is obtained.

Spatial ecology of the aquatic garter snake, Thamnophis atratus, in a free-flowing stream environment

Science.gov (United States)

H. H. Welsh; C. A. Wheeler; A. J. Lind

2010-01-01

Spatial patterns of animals have important implications for population dynamics and can reveal other key aspects of a species' ecology. Movements and the resulting spatial arrangements have fitness and genetic consequences for both individuals and populations. We studied the spatial and dispersal patterns of the Oregon Gartersnake, Thamnophis atratus...

Deregulation of the electric utility industry - implications for nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fern, A.R.

2001-01-01

The deregulation movement sweeping the international electric utility community represents a dramatic shift from the traditional utility business model. This paper will focus on deregulation in the United States and the new challenges for nuclear power plant operators. An overview of the new operating models being implemented in the US will lead into a discussion on new economic and operating concerns for nuclear power plant operators. (author)

Correlation of Spatially Filtered Dynamic Speckles in Distance Measurement Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semenov, Dmitry V.; Nippolainen, Ervin; Kamshilin, Alexei A.; Miridonov, Serguei V.

2008-01-01

In this paper statistical properties of spatially filtered dynamic speckles are considered. This phenomenon was not sufficiently studied yet while spatial filtering is an important instrument for speckles velocity measurements. In case of spatial filtering speckle velocity information is derived from the modulation frequency of filtered light power which is measured by photodetector. Typical photodetector output is represented by a narrow-band random noise signal which includes non-informative intervals. Therefore more or less precious frequency measurement requires averaging. In its turn averaging implies uncorrelated samples. However, conducting research we found that correlation is typical property not only of dynamic speckle patterns but also of spatially filtered speckles. Using spatial filtering the correlation is observed as a response of measurements provided to the same part of the object surface or in case of simultaneously using several adjacent photodetectors. Found correlations can not be explained using just properties of unfiltered dynamic speckles. As we demonstrate the subject of this paper is important not only from pure theoretical point but also from the point of applied speckle metrology. E.g. using single spatial filter and an array of photodetector can greatly improve accuracy of speckle velocity measurements

MGlu5 antagonism impairs exploration and memory of spatial and non-spatial stimuli in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Gert Rene Juul; Simonyi, Agnes; Schachtman, Todd R.

2008-01-01

and it was found that: 1) Locomotion during exploration of spatial environments and exploration time at novel objects were reduced by i.p. but not by prelimbic administration of MPEP, 2) spatial short-term memory was impaired in cross-maze and object discrimination was reduced after both types of administration, 3......) long-term retention of spatial conditioning in the cross-maze was inhibited after i.p. applications which 4) also inhibited spontaneous alternation performance during maze-exploration. Reduced exploratory locomotion and exploration time after i.p. injections may have contributed to the observed......Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) has been implicated in memory processing in some but not all learning tasks.  The reason why this receptor is involved in some tasks but not in others remains to be determined.  The present experiments using rats examined effects of the mGlu5...

Towards an enhanced performance of uniform circular arrays at low frequencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiana Roig, Elisabet; Torras Rosell, Antoni; Fernandez Grande, Efren

2013-01-01

are mounted on a scatterer such as a rigid cylinder or a sphere. The beamforming output improves with increasing frequency, up to a certain frequency where spatial aliasing occurs. At low frequencies the performance is limited by the radius of the array; in other words, given a certain number of microphones...

Complex mode indication function and its applications to spatial domain parameter estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, C. Y.; Tsuei, Y. G.; Allemang, R. J.; Brown, D. L.

1988-10-01

This paper introduces the concept of the Complex Mode Indication Function (CMIF) and its application in spatial domain parameter estimation. The concept of CMIF is developed by performing singular value decomposition (SVD) of the Frequency Response Function (FRF) matrix at each spectral line. The CMIF is defined as the eigenvalues, which are the square of the singular values, solved from the normal matrix formed from the FRF matrix, [ H( jω)] H[ H( jω)], at each spectral line. The CMIF appears to be a simple and efficient method for identifying the modes of the complex system. The CMIF identifies modes by showing the physical magnitude of each mode and the damped natural frequency for each root. Since multiple reference data is applied in CMIF, repeated roots can be detected. The CMIF also gives global modal parameters, such as damped natural frequencies, mode shapes and modal participation vectors. Since CMIF works in the spatial domain, uneven frequency spacing data such as data from spatial sine testing can be used. A second-stage procedure for accurate damped natural frequency and damping estimation as well as mode shape scaling is also discussed in this paper.

Sex differences in visual-spatial working memory: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Voyer, Daniel; Voyer, Susan D; Saint-Aubin, Jean

2017-04-01

Visual-spatial working memory measures are widely used in clinical and experimental settings. Furthermore, it has been argued that the male advantage in spatial abilities can be explained by a sex difference in visual-spatial working memory. Therefore, sex differences in visual-spatial working memory have important implication for research, theory, and practice, but they have yet to be quantified. The present meta-analysis quantified the magnitude of sex differences in visual-spatial working memory and examined variables that might moderate them. The analysis used a set of 180 effect sizes from healthy males and females drawn from 98 samples ranging in mean age from 3 to 86 years. Multilevel meta-analysis was used on the overall data set to account for non-independent effect sizes. The data also were analyzed in separate task subgroups by means of multilevel and mixed-effects models. Results showed a small but significant male advantage (mean d = 0.155, 95 % confidence interval = 0.087-0.223). All the tasks produced a male advantage, except for memory for location, where a female advantage emerged. Age of the participants was a significant moderator, indicating that sex differences in visual-spatial working memory appeared first in the 13-17 years age group. Removing memory for location tasks from the sample affected the pattern of significant moderators. The present results indicate a male advantage in visual-spatial working memory, although age and specific task modulate the magnitude and direction of the effects. Implications for clinical applications, cognitive model building, and experimental research are discussed.

Deregulation of the electric utility industry - implications for nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fern, A.Rose

2000-01-01

The deregulation movement sweeping the international electric utility community represents a dramatic shift om the traditional business model of utilities. This paper will focus on deregulation in thc United States and the new challenges for nuclear power plant operators. An overview of the new operating models being implemented in the US will lead into a discussion on new economic and operating concerns for nuclear power plant operators. (author)

Preclinical evaluation of spatial frequency domain-enabled wide-field quantitative imaging for enhanced glioma resection

Science.gov (United States)

Sibai, Mira; Fisher, Carl; Veilleux, Israel; Elliott, Jonathan T.; Leblond, Frederic; Roberts, David W.; Wilson, Brian C.

2017-07-01

5-Aminolevelunic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) enables maximum safe resection of glioma by providing real-time tumor contrast. However, the subjective visual assessment and the variable intrinsic optical attenuation of tissue limit this technique to reliably delineating only high-grade tumors that display strong fluorescence. We have previously shown, using a fiber-optic probe, that quantitative assessment using noninvasive point spectroscopic measurements of the absolute PpIX concentration in tissue further improves the accuracy of FGR, extending it to surgically curable low-grade glioma. More recently, we have shown that implementing spatial frequency domain imaging with a fluorescent-light transport model enables recovery of two-dimensional images of [PpIX], alleviating the need for time-consuming point sampling of the brain surface. We present first results of this technique modified for in vivo imaging on an RG2 rat brain tumor model. Despite the moderate errors in retrieving the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients in the subdiffusive regime of 14% and 19%, respectively, the recovered [PpIX] maps agree within 10% of the point [PpIX] values measured by the fiber-optic probe, validating its potential as an extension or an alternative to point sampling during glioma resection.

Spatial vision in Bombus terrestris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aravin eChakravarthi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Bombus terrestris is one of the most commonly used insect models to investigate visually guided behavior and spatial vision in particular. Two fundamental measures of spatial vision are spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity. In this study, we report the threshold of spatial resolution in B. terrestris and characterize the contrast sensitivity function of the bumblebee visual system for a dual choice discrimination task. We trained bumblebees in a Y-maze experimental set-up to associate a vertical sinusoidal grating with a sucrose reward, and a horizontal grating with absence of a reward. Using a logistic psychometric function, we estimated a resolution threshold of 0.21 cycles deg-1 of visual angle. This resolution is in the same range but slightly lower than that found in honeybees (Apis mellifera and A. cerana and another bumblebee species (B. impatiens. We also found that the contrast sensitivity of B. terrestris was 1.57 for the spatial frequency 0.09 cycles deg-1 and 1.26. for 0.18 cycles deg-1.

Interference between postural control and spatial vs. non-spatial auditory reaction time tasks in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuhrman, Susan I; Redfern, Mark S; Jennings, J Richard; Furman, Joseph M

2015-01-01

This study investigated whether spatial aspects of an information processing task influence dual-task interference. Two groups (Older/Young) of healthy adults participated in dual-task experiments. Two auditory information processing tasks included a frequency discrimination choice reaction time task (non-spatial task) and a lateralization choice reaction time task (spatial task). Postural tasks included combinations of standing with eyes open or eyes closed on either a fixed floor or a sway-referenced floor. Reaction times and postural sway via center of pressure were recorded. Baseline measures of reaction time and sway were subtracted from the corresponding dual-task results to calculate reaction time task costs and postural task costs. Reaction time task cost increased with eye closure (p = 0.01), sway-referenced flooring (p vision x age interaction indicated that older subjects had a significant vision X task interaction whereas young subjects did not. However, when analyzed by age group, the young group showed minimal differences in interference for the spatial and non-spatial tasks with eyes open, but showed increased interference on the spatial relative to non-spatial task with eyes closed. On the contrary, older subjects demonstrated increased interference on the spatial relative to the non-spatial task with eyes open, but not with eyes closed. These findings suggest that visual-spatial interference may occur in older subjects when vision is used to maintain posture.

Minimizing the Standard Deviation of Spatially Averaged Surface Cross-Sectional Data from the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar

Science.gov (United States)

Meneghini, Robert; Kim, Hyokyung

2016-01-01

For an airborne or spaceborne radar, the precipitation-induced path attenuation can be estimated from the measurements of the normalized surface cross section, sigma 0, in the presence and absence of precipitation. In one implementation, the mean rain-free estimate and its variability are found from a lookup table (LUT) derived from previously measured data. For the dual-frequency precipitation radar aboard the global precipitation measurement satellite, the nominal table consists of the statistics of the rain-free 0 over a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg latitude-longitude grid using a three-month set of input data. However, a problem with the LUT is an insufficient number of samples in many cells. An alternative table is constructed by a stepwise procedure that begins with the statistics over a 0.25 deg x 0.25 deg grid. If the number of samples at a cell is too few, the area is expanded, cell by cell, choosing at each step that cell that minimizes the variance of the data. The question arises, however, as to whether the selected region corresponds to the smallest variance. To address this question, a second type of variable-averaging grid is constructed using all possible spatial configurations and computing the variance of the data within each region. Comparisons of the standard deviations for the fixed and variable-averaged grids are given as a function of incidence angle and surface type using a three-month set of data. The advantage of variable spatial averaging is that the average standard deviation can be reduced relative to the fixed grid while satisfying the minimum sample requirement.

Feedback and feedforward control of frequency tuning to naturalistic stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Chacron, Maurice J; Maler, Leonard; Bastian, Joseph

2005-06-08

Sensory neurons must respond to a wide variety of natural stimuli that can have very different spatiotemporal characteristics. Optimal responsiveness to subsets of these stimuli can be achieved by devoting specialized neural circuitry to different stimulus categories, or, alternatively, this circuitry can be modulated or tuned to optimize responsiveness to current stimulus conditions. This study explores the mechanisms that enable neurons within the initial processing station of the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish to shift their tuning properties based on the spatial extent of the stimulus. These neurons are tuned to low frequencies when the stimulus is restricted to a small region within the receptive field center but are tuned to higher frequencies when the stimulus impinges on large regions of the sensory epithelium. Through a combination of modeling and in vivo electrophysiology, we reveal the respective contributions of the filtering characteristics of extended dendritic structures and feedback circuitry to this shift in tuning. Our results show that low-frequency tuning can result from the cable properties of an extended dendrite that conveys receptor-afferent information to the cell body. The shift from low- to high-frequency tuning, seen in response to spatially extensive stimuli, results from increased wide-band input attributable to activation of larger populations of receptor afferents, as well as the activation of parallel fiber feedback from the cerebellum. This feedback provides a cancellation signal with low-pass characteristics that selectively attenuates low-frequency responsiveness. Thus, with spatially extensive stimuli, these cells preferentially respond to the higher-frequency components of the receptor-afferent input.

Spatial adaptation of the cortical visual evoked potential of the cat.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonds, A B

1984-06-01

Adaptation that is spatially specific for the adapting pattern has been seen psychophysically in humans. This is indirect evidence for independent analyzers (putatively single units) that are specific for orientation and spatial frequency in the human visual system, but it is unclear how global adaptation characteristics may be related to single unit performance. Spatially specific adaptation was sought in the cat visual evoked potential (VEP), with a view towards relating this phenomenon with what we know of cat single units. Adaptation to sine-wave gratings results in a temporary loss of cat VEP amplitude, with induction and recovery similar to that seen in human psychophysical experiments. The amplitude loss was specific for both the spatial frequency and orientation of the adapting pattern. The bandwidth of adaptation was not unlike the average selectivity of a population of cat single units.

Spatial chirp in Ti:sapphire multipass amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenkai; Lu Jun; Li Yanyan; Guo Xiaoyang; Wu Fenxiang; Yu Linpeng; Wang Pengfei; Xu Yi; Leng Yuxin

2017-01-01

The spatial chirp generated in the Ti:sapphire multipass amplifier is numerically investigated based on the one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) Frantz–Nodvik equations. The simulation indicates that the spatial chirp is induced by the spatially inhomogeneous gain, and it can be almost eliminated by utilization of proper beam profiles and spot sizes of the signal and pump pulses, for example, the pump pulse has a top-hatted beam profile and the signal pulse has a super-Gaussian beam profile with a relatively larger spot size. In this way, a clear understanding of spatial chirp mechanisms in the Ti:sapphire multipass amplifier is proposed, therefore we can effectively almost eliminate the spatial chirp and improve the beam quality of a high-power Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplifier system. (paper)

Electric fields in the sheath formed in a 300 mm, dual frequency capacitive argon discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnat, E V; Miller, P A; Hebner, G A; Paterson, A M; Panagopoulos, T; Hammond, E; Holland, J

2007-01-01

The spatial structure and temporal evolution of the electric fields in a sheath formed in a dual frequency, 300 mm capacitive argon discharge are measured as functions of relative mixing between a low frequency current and a high frequency current. It is found that the overall structure of the sheath (potential across the sheath and the thickness of the sheath) are dominated by the lower frequency component while (smaller) oscillations in these quantities are dictated by the higher frequency component. Comparisons of the measured spatial and temporal profiles are made for Lieberman's and Robiche et al sheath model and with a particle in a cell calculation

Spectro-spatial analysis of wave packet propagation in nonlinear acoustic metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, W. J.; Li, X. P.; Wang, Y. S.; Chen, W. Q.; Huang, G. L.

2018-01-01

The objective of this work is to analyze wave packet propagation in weakly nonlinear acoustic metamaterials and reveal the interior nonlinear wave mechanism through spectro-spatial analysis. The spectro-spatial analysis is based on full-scale transient analysis of the finite system, by which dispersion curves are generated from the transmitted waves and also verified by the perturbation method (the L-P method). We found that the spectro-spatial analysis can provide detailed information about the solitary wave in short-wavelength region which cannot be captured by the L-P method. It is also found that the optical wave modes in the nonlinear metamaterial are sensitive to the parameters of the nonlinear constitutive relation. Specifically, a significant frequency shift phenomenon is found in the middle-wavelength region of the optical wave branch, which makes this frequency region behave like a band gap for transient waves. This special frequency shift is then used to design a direction-biased waveguide device, and its efficiency is shown by numerical simulations.

Reference frames for spatial frequency in face representation differ in the temporal visual cortex and amygdala.

Science.gov (United States)

Inagaki, Mikio; Fujita, Ichiro

2011-07-13

Social communication in nonhuman primates and humans is strongly affected by facial information from other individuals. Many cortical and subcortical brain areas are known to be involved in processing facial information. However, how the neural representation of faces differs across different brain areas remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the reference frame for spatial frequency (SF) tuning of face-responsive neurons differs in the temporal visual cortex and amygdala in monkeys. Consistent with psychophysical properties for face recognition, temporal cortex neurons were tuned to image-based SFs (cycles/image) and showed viewing distance-invariant representation of face patterns. On the other hand, many amygdala neurons were influenced by retina-based SFs (cycles/degree), a characteristic that is useful for social distance computation. The two brain areas also differed in the luminance contrast sensitivity of face-responsive neurons; amygdala neurons sharply reduced their responses to low luminance contrast images, while temporal cortex neurons maintained the level of their responses. From these results, we conclude that different types of visual processing in the temporal visual cortex and the amygdala contribute to the construction of the neural representations of faces.

A utility piezoelectric energy harvester with low frequency and high-output voltage: Theoretical model, experimental verification and energy storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyi Zhang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a utility piezoelectric energy harvester with low frequency and high-output voltage is presented. Firstly, the harvester’s three theoretical models are presented, namely the static model, the quasi static model and the dynamic vibration model. By analyzing the influence of the mass ratio of the mass block to the beam on output characteristics of the harvester, we compare the quasi static model and the dynamic vibration model and then define their applicable ranges. Secondly, simulation and experiments are done to verify the models, using the harvester with PZT-5H piezoelectric material, which are proved to be consistent with each other. The experimental results show that the output open-circuit voltage and the output power can reach up to 86.36V and 27.5mW respectively. The experiments are conducted when this harvester system is excited by the first modal frequency (58.90Hz with the acceleration 10m/s2. In this low frequency vibration case, it is easy to capture the energy in the daily environment. In addition, LTC 3588-1 chip (Linear Technology Corporation is used as the medium energy circuit to transfer charges from the PZT-5H electrode to the 0.22F 5V super capacitor and ML621 rechargeable button battery. For this super-capacitor, it takes about 100min for the capacitor voltage to rise from 0V to 3.6V. For this button battery, it takes about 200min to increase the battery voltage from 2.5V to 3.48V.

Selective spatial attention modulates bottom-up informational masking of speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlile, Simon; Corkhill, Caitlin

2015-03-02

To hear out a conversation against other talkers listeners overcome energetic and informational masking. Largely attributed to top-down processes, information masking has also been demonstrated using unintelligible speech and amplitude-modulated maskers suggesting bottom-up processes. We examined the role of speech-like amplitude modulations in information masking using a spatial masking release paradigm. Separating a target talker from two masker talkers produced a 20 dB improvement in speech reception threshold; 40% of which was attributed to a release from informational masking. When across frequency temporal modulations in the masker talkers are decorrelated the speech is unintelligible, although the within frequency modulation characteristics remains identical. Used as a masker as above, the information masking accounted for 37% of the spatial unmasking seen with this masker. This unintelligible and highly differentiable masker is unlikely to involve top-down processes. These data provides strong evidence of bottom-up masking involving speech-like, within-frequency modulations and that this, presumably low level process, can be modulated by selective spatial attention.

Influence of the Spatial Dimensions of Ultrasonic Transducers on the Frequency Spectrum of Guided Waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Samaitis, Vykintas; Mažeika, Liudas

2017-08-08

Ultrasonic guided wave (UGW)-based condition monitoring has shown great promise in detecting, localizing, and characterizing damage in complex systems. However, the application of guided waves for damage detection is challenging due to the existence of multiple modes and dispersion. This results in distorted wave packets with limited resolution and the interference of multiple reflected modes. To develop reliable inspection systems, either the transducers have to be optimized to generate a desired single mode of guided waves with known dispersive properties, or the frequency responses of all modes present in the structure must be known to predict wave interaction. Currently, there is a lack of methods to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes, especially in cases when multiple modes are being excited simultaneously. Such methods are of vital importance for further understanding wave propagation within the structures as well as wave-damage interaction. In this study, a novel method to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes was proposed based on Fourier analysis of the particle velocity distribution on the excitation area. The method proposed in this study estimates an excitability function based on the spatial dimensions of the transducer, type of vibration, and dispersive properties of the medium. As a result, the response amplitude as a function of frequency for each guided wave mode present in the structure can be separately obtained. The method was validated with numerical simulations on the aluminum and glass fiber composite samples. The key findings showed that it can be applied to estimate the response spectrum of a guided wave mode on any type of material (either isotropic structures, or multi layered anisotropic composites) and under any type of excitation if the phase velocity dispersion curve and the particle velocity distribution of the wave source was known initially. Thus, the proposed method may be a beneficial tool to explain

A Secondary Spatial Analysis of Gun Violence near Boston Schools: a Public Health Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Barboza, Gia

2018-04-11

School neighborhood violence continues to be a major public health problem among urban students. A large body of research addresses violence at school; however, fewer studies have explored concentrations of violence in areas proximal to schools. This study aimed to quantify the concentration of shootings near schools to elucidate the place-based dynamics that may be focal points for violence prevention. Geocoded databases of shooting and school locations were used to examine locational patterns of firearm shootings and elementary, middle, and high schools in Boston, Massachusetts. Analyses utilized spatial statistics for point pattern data including distance matrix and K function methodology to quantify the degree of spatial dependence of shootings around schools. Results suggested that between 2012 and 2015, there were 678 shooting incidents in Boston; the average density was 5.1 per square kilometer. The nearest neighbor index (NNI = 0.335 km, p shooting incidents indicative of a spatially non-random process. The mean and median distance from any school to the nearest shooting location was 0.35 and 0.33 km, respectively. A majority (56%, 74/133) of schools in Boston had at least one shooting incident within 400 m, a distance that would take about 5 min to walk if traveling by foot. The bivariate K function indicated that a significantly greater number of shootings were clustered within short distances from schools than would be expected under a null hypothesis of no spatial dependence. Implications for students attending schools in racially homogenous neighborhoods across all income levels are discussed.

Playing an action video game reduces gender differences in spatial cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jing; Spence, Ian; Pratt, Jay

2007-10-01

We demonstrate a previously unknown gender difference in the distribution of spatial attention, a basic capacity that supports higher-level spatial cognition. More remarkably, we found that playing an action video game can virtually eliminate this gender difference in spatial attention and simultaneously decrease the gender disparity in mental rotation ability, a higher-level process in spatial cognition. After only 10 hr of training with an action video game, subjects realized substantial gains in both spatial attention and mental rotation, with women benefiting more than men. Control subjects who played a non-action game showed no improvement. Given that superior spatial skills are important in the mathematical and engineering sciences, these findings have practical implications for attracting men and women to these fields.

Tapered composite likelihood for spatial max-stable models

KAUST Repository

Sang, Huiyan

2014-05-01

Spatial extreme value analysis is useful to environmental studies, in which extreme value phenomena are of interest and meaningful spatial patterns can be discerned. Max-stable process models are able to describe such phenomena. This class of models is asymptotically justified to characterize the spatial dependence among extremes. However, likelihood inference is challenging for such models because their corresponding joint likelihood is unavailable and only bivariate or trivariate distributions are known. In this paper, we propose a tapered composite likelihood approach by utilizing lower dimensional marginal likelihoods for inference on parameters of various max-stable process models. We consider a weighting strategy based on a "taper range" to exclude distant pairs or triples. The "optimal taper range" is selected to maximize various measures of the Godambe information associated with the tapered composite likelihood function. This method substantially reduces the computational cost and improves the efficiency over equally weighted composite likelihood estimators. We illustrate its utility with simulation experiments and an analysis of rainfall data in Switzerland.

Tapered composite likelihood for spatial max-stable models

KAUST Repository

Sang, Huiyan; Genton, Marc G.

2014-01-01

Spatial extreme value analysis is useful to environmental studies, in which extreme value phenomena are of interest and meaningful spatial patterns can be discerned. Max-stable process models are able to describe such phenomena. This class of models is asymptotically justified to characterize the spatial dependence among extremes. However, likelihood inference is challenging for such models because their corresponding joint likelihood is unavailable and only bivariate or trivariate distributions are known. In this paper, we propose a tapered composite likelihood approach by utilizing lower dimensional marginal likelihoods for inference on parameters of various max-stable process models. We consider a weighting strategy based on a "taper range" to exclude distant pairs or triples. The "optimal taper range" is selected to maximize various measures of the Godambe information associated with the tapered composite likelihood function. This method substantially reduces the computational cost and improves the efficiency over equally weighted composite likelihood estimators. We illustrate its utility with simulation experiments and an analysis of rainfall data in Switzerland.

Spatial distribution of seeds and seedlings of two tropical tree species: Is there correspondence between patterns?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrado Rosselli, Angela

2007-01-01

The spatial patterns of seed and seedling distribution relative to parent trees (seed and seedling shadow, respectively) were studied for Dacryodes chimantensis (Burseraceae) and Brosimum utile (Moraceae), two common tree species of terra firme forests of Colombian Amazonia. The general objective was to assess whether the patterns imposed by seed dispersal change or persist in subsequent life stages occurring during the transition from seeds/saplings to adult stages. Seed and seedling shadows on the ground were characterized for each tree species along four 50-m radial transects from the base of the parent tree. Causes of seed and seedling predation as a function of distance to the parent tree were determined, as well as the spatial consistency between life stages. Results showed that seed density of both Dacryodes and Brosimum declined leptokurtically with distance, and it was skewed towards the parent tree. However, seed density was more skewed and leptokurtic in Dacryodes than in Brosimum. The overall trend was maintained in the seedling stage of both species and was positively correlated with the distribution patterns of seeds. Seed and seedling predation were positively correlated with density and negatively correlated with the distance from the parent tree. Factors that could be generating the high consistency between the spatial patterns of seed and seedling distribution are discussed, as well as its implications in the population structure of both species and the debate on the factors that influence the spatial distribution of plant species in tropical rain forests.

Using IBMs to Investigate Spatially-dependent Processes in Landscape Genetics Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Much of landscape and conservation genetics theory has been derived using non-spatialmathematical models. Here, we use a mechanistic, spatially-explicit, eco-evolutionary IBM to examine the utility of this theoretical framework in landscapes with spatial structure. Our analysis...

Prenatal care utilization in Zimbabwe: Examining the role of community-level factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Makate, Marshall; Makate, Clifton

2017-12-01

This paper assesses the importance of community-level factors on prenatal care utilization in Zimbabwe. The analysis is performed using data from the two most recent rounds of the nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey for Zimbabwe conducted in 2005/06 and 2010/11 linked with other community-level data. We use logistic, generalized linear regressions as well as multilevel mixed models to examine the factors associated with the frequency, timing and quality of prenatal care. Our results suggest that contraceptive prevalence, religious composition, density of nurses, health expenditures per capita and availability of government hospitals in communities are important predictors of prenatal care use in Zimbabwe. These findings have important implications for public health policy in Zimbabwe - a country with unfavorable maternal and child health outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors controlling high-frequency radiation from extended ruptures

Science.gov (United States)

Beresnev, Igor A.

2017-09-01

Small-scale slip heterogeneity or variations in rupture velocity on the fault plane are often invoked to explain the high-frequency radiation from earthquakes. This view has no theoretical basis, which follows, for example, from the representation integral of elasticity, an exact solution for the radiated wave field. The Fourier transform, applied to the integral, shows that the seismic spectrum is fully controlled by that of the source time function, while the distribution of final slip and rupture acceleration/deceleration only contribute to directivity. This inference is corroborated by the precise numerical computation of the full radiated field from the representation integral. We compare calculated radiation from four finite-fault models: (1) uniform slip function with low slip velocity, (2) slip function spatially modulated by a sinusoidal function, (3) slip function spatially modulated by a sinusoidal function with random roughness added, and (4) uniform slip function with high slip velocity. The addition of "asperities," both regular and irregular, does not cause any systematic increase in the spectral level of high-frequency radiation, except for the creation of maxima due to constructive interference. On the other hand, an increase in the maximum rate of slip on the fault leads to highly amplified high frequencies, in accordance with the prediction on the basis of a simple point-source treatment of the fault. Hence, computations show that the temporal rate of slip, not the spatial heterogeneity on faults, is the predominant factor forming the high-frequency radiation and thus controlling the velocity and acceleration of the resulting ground motions.

Enhancement of stereoscopic comfort by fast control of frequency content with wavelet transform

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmer, Nicolas; Moreau, Guillaume; Fuchs, Philippe

2003-05-01

As the scope of virtual reality applications including stereoscopic imaging becomes wider, it is quite clear that not every designer of a VR application thinks of its constraints in order to make a correct use of stereo. Stereoscopic imagery though not required can be a useful tool for depth perception. It is possible to limit the depth of field as shown by Perrin who has also undertaken research on the link between the ability of fusing stereoscopic images (stereopsis) and local disparity and spatial frequency content. We will show how we can extend and enhance this work especially on the computational complexity point of view. The wavelet theory allows us to define a local spatial frequency and then a local measure of stereoscopic comfort. This measure is based on local spatial frequency and disparity as well as on the observations made by Woepking. Local comfort estimation allows us to propose several filtering methods to enhance this comfort. The idea to modify the images such as they check a "stereoscopic comfort condition" defined as a threshold for the stereoscopic comfort condition. More technically, we seek to limit high spatial frequency content when disparity is high thanks to the use of fast algorithms.

Improvement in spatial imagery following sight onset late in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Tapan K; Ganesh, Suma; Sinha, Pawan

2014-03-01

The factors contributing to the development of spatial imagery skills are not well understood. Here, we consider whether visual experience shapes these skills. Although differences in spatial imagery between sighted and blind individuals have been reported, it is unclear whether these differences are truly due to visual deprivation or instead are due to extraneous factors, such as reduced opportunities for the blind to interact with their environment. A direct way of assessing vision's contribution to the development of spatial imagery is to determine whether spatial imagery skills change soon after the onset of sight in congenitally blind individuals. We tested 10 children who gained sight after several years of congenital blindness and found significant improvements in their spatial imagery skills following sight-restoring surgeries. These results provide evidence of vision's contribution to spatial imagery and also have implications for the nature of internal spatial representations.

The Implications of Healthcare Utilization of Diabetes Disease Management

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Webb, Jonathan R

2008-01-01

..., and $31 billion in excess general medical costs. The purpose of this study is to determine whether sustained hemoglobin HbA1c testing among patients is followed by reductions in healthcare utilization...

Spatial distribution and shell utilization in three sympatric hermit crabs at non-consolidated sublittoral of estuarine-bay complex in São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil

OpenAIRE

Sant'Anna, Bruno S. [UNESP; Zangrande, Cilene M. [UNESP; Reigada, Álvaro L.D. [UNESP; Severino-Rodrigues, Evandro

2006-01-01

The objective of the present study was to characterize the spatial distribution and shell utilization of three hermit crab species in the estuarine-bay complex of São Vicente, São Paulo State, Brazil. Monthly samples were done throughout two years, in the non-consolidated sub-littoral at the estuarine-bay complex. The environmental factors, such as temperature, salinity and depth, were measured every month. The three hermit crab species, Clibanarius vittatus, Loxopagurus loxochelis and Isoche...

Frequency-dependent spatiotemporal profiles of visual responses recorded with subdural ECoG electrodes in awake monkeys: Differences between high- and low-frequency activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Takaura, Kana; Tsuchiya, Naotsugu; Fujii, Naotaka

2016-01-01

Electrocorticography (ECoG) constitutes a powerful and promising neural recording modality in humans and animals. ECoG signals are often decomposed into several frequency bands, among which the so-called high-gamma band (80-250Hz) has been proposed to reflect local cortical functions near the cortical surface below the ECoG electrodes. It is typically assumed that the lower the frequency bands, the lower the spatial resolution of the signals; thus, there is not much to gain by analyzing the event-related changes of the ECoG signals in the lower-frequency bands. However, differences across frequency bands have not been systematically investigated. To address this issue, we recorded ECoG activity from two awake monkeys performing a retinotopic mapping task. We characterized the spatiotemporal profiles of the visual responses in the time-frequency domain. We defined the preferred spatial position, receptive field (RF), and response latencies of band-limited power (BLP) (i.e., alpha [3.9-11.7Hz], beta [15.6-23.4Hz], low [30-80Hz] and high [80-250Hz] gamma) for each electrode and compared them across bands and time-domain visual evoked potentials (VEPs). At the population level, we found that the spatial preferences were comparable across bands and VEPs. The high-gamma power showed a smaller RF than the other bands and VEPs. The response latencies for the alpha band were always longer than the latencies for the other bands and fastest in VEPs. Comparing the response profiles in both space and time for each cortical region (V1, V4+, and TEO/TE) revealed regional idiosyncrasies. Although the latencies of visual responses in the beta, low-, and high-gamma bands were almost identical in V1 and V4+, beta and low-gamma BLP occurred about 17ms earlier than high-gamma power in TEO/TE. Furthermore, TEO/TE exhibited a unique pattern in the spatial response profile: the alpha and high-gamma responses tended to prefer the foveal regions, whereas the beta and low-gamma responses

Modeling of earthquake ground motion in the frequency domain

Science.gov (United States)

Thrainsson, Hjortur

In recent years, the utilization of time histories of earthquake ground motion has grown considerably in the design and analysis of civil structures. It is very unlikely, however, that recordings of earthquake ground motion will be available for all sites and conditions of interest. Hence, there is a need for efficient methods for the simulation and spatial interpolation of earthquake ground motion. In addition to providing estimates of the ground motion at a site using data from adjacent recording stations, spatially interpolated ground motions can also be used in design and analysis of long-span structures, such as bridges and pipelines, where differential movement is important. The objective of this research is to develop a methodology for rapid generation of horizontal earthquake ground motion at any site for a given region, based on readily available source, path and site characteristics, or (sparse) recordings. The research includes two main topics: (i) the simulation of earthquake ground motion at a given site, and (ii) the spatial interpolation of earthquake ground motion. In topic (i), models are developed to simulate acceleration time histories using the inverse discrete Fourier transform. The Fourier phase differences, defined as the difference in phase angle between adjacent frequency components, are simulated conditional on the Fourier amplitude. Uniformly processed recordings from recent California earthquakes are used to validate the simulation models, as well as to develop prediction formulas for the model parameters. The models developed in this research provide rapid simulation of earthquake ground motion over a wide range of magnitudes and distances, but they are not intended to replace more robust geophysical models. In topic (ii), a model is developed in which Fourier amplitudes and Fourier phase angles are interpolated separately. A simple dispersion relationship is included in the phase angle interpolation. The accuracy of the interpolation

Spatial and temporal price variations of sawn wood utilized for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

O Y Ogunsanwo

UTILIZED FOR FURNITURE MAKING IN SELECTED CITIES IN NIGERIA ... 193 furniture factories comprising of 154 small, 28 medium and 11 large scale were selected in ... recommended that suitable policies that will ensure market integration through proper ..... Organized by the African Network for Wood Reaserch and.

Global Earthquake Hazard Frequency and Distribution

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Global Earthquake Hazard Frequency and Distribution is a 2.5 minute grid utilizing Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) Earthquake Catalog data of actual...

Frequency in Japan of carriers of the rare recessive gene causing actalasemia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamilton, H B; Neel, J V; Kobara, T Y; Ozaki, Kyoko

1961-05-17

A rapid and simple method to detect the hypocatalasemic heterozygotes for the gene responsible for acatalasemia is described. A total of 13,647 blood specimens from individuals residing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been examined in this manner, and the frequency of hypocatalasemia found to be 0.09%. Surveys in other parts of Japan have revealed frequencies of the order of 1.4%. This unevenness in the distribution of a rare recessive gene, taken in conjunction with the known variation from locality to locality in the frequency of inbreeding, has important implications for the interpretation of data on inbreeding effects. Some of these implications are discussed. 17 references, 1 figure, 6 tables.

Mesoscale raised rim depressions (MRRDs) on Earth: A review of the characteristics, processes, and spatial distributions of analogs for Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Burr, D.M.; Bruno, B.C.; Lanagan, P.D.; Glaze, L.S.; Jaeger, W.L.; Soare, R.J.; Wan, Bun Tseung J.-M.; Skinner, J.A.; Baloga, S.M.

2009-01-01

Fields of mesoscale raised rim depressions (MRRDs) of various origins are found on Earth and Mars. Examples include rootless cones, mud volcanoes, collapsed pingos, rimmed kettle holes, and basaltic ring structures. Correct identification of MRRDs on Mars is valuable because different MRRD types have different geologic and/or climatic implications and are often associated with volcanism and/or water, which may provide locales for biotic or prebiotic activity. In order to facilitate correct identification of fields of MRRDs on Mars and their implications, this work provides a review of common terrestrial MRRD types that occur in fields. In this review, MRRDs by formation mechanism, including hydrovolcanic (phreatomagmatic cones, basaltic ring structures), sedimentological (mud volcanoes), and ice-related (pingos, volatile ice-block forms) mechanisms. For each broad mechanism, we present a comparative synopsis of (i) morphology and observations, (ii) physical formation processes, and (iii) published hypothesized locations on Mars. Because the morphology for MRRDs may be ambiguous, an additional tool is provided for distinguishing fields of MRRDs by origin on Mars, namely, spatial distribution analyses for MRRDs within fields on Earth. We find that MRRDs have both distinguishing and similar characteristics, and observation that applies both to their mesoscale morphology and to their spatial distribution statistics. Thus, this review provides tools for distinguishing between various MRRDs, while highlighting the utility of the multiple working hypotheses approach. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Interaural multiple frequency tympanometry measures: clinical utility for unilateral conductive hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Norrix, Linda W; Burgan, Briana; Ramirez, Nicholas; Velenovsky, David S

2013-03-01

Tympanometry is a routine clinical measurement of the acoustic immittance of the ear as a function of ear canal air pressure. The 226 Hz tympanogram can provide clinical evidence for conditions such as a tympanic membrane perforation, Eustachian tube dysfunction, middle ear fluid, and ossicular discontinuity. Multiple frequency tympanometry using a range of probe tone frequencies from low to high has been shown to be more sensitive than a single probe tone tympanogram in distinguishing between mass- and stiffness-related middle ear pathologies (Colletti, 1975; Funasaka et al, 1984; Van Camp et al, 1986). In this study we obtained normative measures of middle ear resonance by using multiple probe tone frequency tympanometry. Ninety percent ranges for middle ear resonance and for interaural differences were calculated. In a mixed design, normative data were collected from both ears of male and female adults. Twelve male and 12 female adults with normal hearing and normal middle ear function participated in the study. Multiple frequency tympanograms were recorded with a commercially available immittance instrument (GSI Tympstar) to obtain estimates of middle ear resonant frequency (RF) using ΔB, positive tail, and negative tail methods. Data were analyzed using three-way mixed analyses of variance with gender as a between-subject variable and ear and method as within-subject variables. T-tests were performed, using the Bonferroni adjustment, to determine significant differences between means. Using the positive and negative tail methods, a wide range of approximately 500 Hz was found for middle ear resonance in adults with normal hearing and normal middle ear function. The difference in RF between an individual's ears is small with 90% ranges of approximately ±200 Hz, indicating that the right ear RF should be either 200 Hz higher or lower in frequency compared to the left ear. This was true for both negative and positive tail methods. Ninety percent ranges were

Implications of utility and deontology for the clinical nurse specialist.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayres, L

1989-01-01

Faced with prospective payment plans and personnel shortages nurses in advanced clinical practice are under pressure to find practical solutions. These solutions may reflect the institutional philosophy of utility rather than the traditional nursing ethic of deontology, illustrating the need to examine the differences between utilitarian and deontological principles as they affect nursing practice. This paper discusses deontology and utility as they apply to nursing practice, considers how these different philosophical positions may affect advanced practitioners, and describes the current status of ethics in nursing.

Radio-Frequency Illuminated Superconductive Disks: Reverse Josephson Effects and Implications for Precise Measuring of Proposed Gravity Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Noever, David A.; Koczor, Ronald J.

1998-01-01

We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of large bulk-processed high-temperature superconductors. It have been indicated three essential components to achieve anomalous gravity effects, namely large, two-layer high-temperature YBCO superconductors, magnetic levitation and AC input in the form of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. We report experiments on RF-illuminated (1-15 MHz) superconducting disks with corresponding gravity readings indicating an apparent increase in observed gravity of approximately 3-5 x l0(exp -5)cm/sq s, above and to the side of the superconductor. In this preliminary study, RF- illumination is achieved using a series of large radius (15 cm) spiral antenna with RF power inputs equal to or greater than 90 W. The observed gravitational modification range is significantly lower than the 2.1% gravity modification. The error analyses of thermal and electromagnetic interference in a magnetically shielded gravimeter with vacuum enclosures, Faraday cages and shielded instrument leads, are outlined both experimentally and theoretically. The nearly exact correspondence between the peak gravity effects reported and the well-known peak in AC resistance in superconductors (2-7 MHz, owing to reverse Josephson quantum effects) suggests that electrical resistance will arise in this frequency range and subsequently any trapped magnetic fields in the superconductor may disperse partially into the measuring instrument's local environment. Implications for propulsion initiatives and RF-heating in superconductors will be discussed.

Long-term Observations of Intense Precipitation Small-scale Spatial Variability in a Semi-arid Catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Cropp, E. L.; Hazenberg, P.; Castro, C. L.; Demaria, E. M.

2017-12-01

In the southwestern US, the summertime North American Monsoon (NAM) provides about 60% of the region's annual precipitation. Recent research using high-resolution atmospheric model simulations and retrospective predictions has shown that since the 1950's, and more specifically in the last few decades, the mean daily precipitation in the southwestern U.S. during the NAM has followed a decreasing trend. Furthermore, days with more extreme precipitation have intensified. The current work focuses the impact of these long-term changes on the observed small-scale spatial variability of intense precipitation. Since limited long-term high-resolution observational data exist to support such climatological-induced spatial changes in precipitation frequency and intensity, the current work utilizes observations from the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southeastern Arizona. Within this 150 km^2 catchment over 90 rain gauges have been installed since the 1950s, measuring at sub-hourly resolution. We have applied geospatial analyses and the kriging interpolation technique to identify long-term changes in the spatial and temporal correlation and anisotropy of intense precipitation. The observed results will be compared with the previously model simulated results, as well as related to large-scale variations in climate patterns, such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).

Interspecific bacterial interactions are reflected in multispecies biofilm spatial organization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Wenzheng; Røder, Henriette Lyng; Madsen, Jonas Stenløkke

2016-01-01

not only the enabling sub-populations. However, the specific molecular mechanisms of cellular processes affecting spatial organization, and vice versa, are poorly understood and very complex to unravel. Therefore, detailed description of the spatial organization of individual bacterial cells...... environments. Species residing in these complex bacterial communities usually interact both intra- and interspecifically. Such interactions are considered to not only be fundamental in shaping overall biomass and the spatial distribution of cells residing in multispecies biofilms, but also to result......, industrial, and clinical implications. This review briefly presents the state of the art of studying interspecies interactions and spatial organization of multispecies communities, aiming to support theoretical and practical arguments for further advancement of this field....

Improved techniques to utilize remotely sensed data from multi-frequency imaging radar polarimeter; Tashuha tahenha SAR data no riyoho no kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okada, K [Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd., Osaka (Japan); Maruyama, Y [Earth Remote Sensing Data Analysis Center, Tokyo (Japan); Tapley, I

1997-05-27

It was intended to serve for establishing specifications for a next generation SAR such as PALSAR through studying methods for evaluating and utilizing the multi-frequency, multi-polarized wave SAR data. Placing an emphasis on utilization of the NASA`s AIRSAR, identification was made on backscatter amount recorded on the SAR data, terrestrial constitutional substances, patterns of the ground surface, micro-topography and such terrestrial conditions as vegetation and land utilization. Their mutual relationships were also analyzed. A noise reduction method usable on multi-band data can be applied to the AIRSAR data, and can reduce noise effectively. Images with more volume of information can be acquired from multi-band images with the same polarization wave than from multi-polarization wave images with the same band. As a result of estimating terrestrial permitivity by using the method invented by Dubois and van Zyl, most of the subject area is judged to have terrestrial substances dried at the time of having acquired the images. A colluvium rich with exposed rock regions and gravels was identified as an area having higher permitivity than the former area. Images of terrestrial roughness were divided largely into smooth flat lands, sand and gravel distributed regions, exposed rock regions, and plant distributed regions along river basins. 3 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Human frequency-following response to speech-like sounds: correlates of off-frequency masking.

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Krishnan, Ananthanarayan; Agrawal, Smita

2010-01-01

Off-frequency masking of the second formant by energy at the first formant has been shown to influence both identification and discrimination of the second formant in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. While both excitatory spread and two-tone suppression have been implicated in this simultaneous masking, their relative contribution has been shown to depend on both the level of the masker and the frequency separation between the probe and the masker. Off-frequency masking effects were evaluated in 10 normal-hearing human adults using the frequency-following response (FFR) to two two-tone approximations of vowel stimuli (/a/ and /u/). In the first experiment, the masking effect of F(1) on F(2) was evaluated by attenuating the level of F(1) relative to a fixed F(2) level. In the second experiment, the masking effect was evaluated by increasing the frequency separation between F(1) and F(2) using F(2) frequency as the variable. Results revealed that both attenuation of the F(1) level, and increasing the frequency separation between F(1) and F(2) increased the magnitude of the FFR component at F(2). These results are consistent with a release from off-frequency masking. Given that the results presented here are for high signal and masker levels and for relatively smaller frequency separation between the masker and the probe, it is possible that both suppression and excitatory spread contributed to the masking effects observed in our data. Copyright2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Rydberg-atom based radio-frequency electrometry using frequency modulation spectroscopy in room temperature vapor cells.

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Kumar, Santosh; Fan, Haoquan; Kübler, Harald; Jahangiri, Akbar J; Shaffer, James P

2017-04-17

Rydberg atom-based electrometry enables traceable electric field measurements with high sensitivity over a large frequency range, from gigahertz to terahertz. Such measurements are particularly useful for the calibration of radio frequency and terahertz devices, as well as other applications like near field imaging of electric fields. We utilize frequency modulated spectroscopy with active control of residual amplitude modulation to improve the signal to noise ratio of the optical readout of Rydberg atom-based radio frequency electrometry. Matched filtering of the signal is also implemented. Although we have reached similarly, high sensitivity with other read-out methods, frequency modulated spectroscopy is advantageous because it is well-suited for building a compact, portable sensor. In the current experiment, ∼3 µV cm-1 Hz-1/2 sensitivity is achieved and is found to be photon shot noise limited.

Expression and Organization of Geographic Spatial Relations Based on Topic Maps

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Liang, H. J.; Wang, H.; Cui, T. J.; Guo, J. F.

2017-09-01

Spatial Relation is one of the important components of Geographical Information Science and Spatial Database. There have been lots of researches on Spatial Relation and many different spatial relations have been proposed. The relationships among these spatial relations such as hierarchy and so on are complex and this brings some difficulties to the applications and teaching of these spatial relations. This paper summaries some common spatial relations, extracts the topic types, association types, resource types of these spatial relations using the technology of Topic Maps, and builds many different relationships among these spatial relations. Finally, this paper utilizes Java and Ontopia to build a topic map among these common spatial relations, forms a complex knowledge network of spatial relations, and realizes the effective management and retrieval of spatial relations.

Videogame interventions and spatial ability interactions.

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Redick, Thomas S; Webster, Sean B

2014-01-01

Numerous research studies have been conducted on the use of videogames as tools to improve one's cognitive abilities. While meta-analyses and qualitative reviews have provided evidence that some aspects of cognition such as spatial imagery are modified after exposure to videogames, other evidence has shown that matrix reasoning measures of fluid intelligence do not show evidence of transfer from videogame training. In the current work, we investigate the available evidence for transfer specifically to nonverbal intelligence and spatial ability measures, given recent research that these abilities may be most sensitive to training on cognitive and working memory tasks. Accordingly, we highlight a few studies that on the surface provide evidence for transfer to spatial abilities, but a closer look at the pattern of data does not reveal a clean interpretation of the results. We discuss the implications of these results in relation to research design and statistical analysis practices.

Deconstruction of spatial integrity in visual stimulus detected by modulation of synchronized activity in cat visual cortex.

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Zhou, Zhiyi; Bernard, Melanie R; Bonds, A B

2008-04-02

Spatiotemporal relationships among contour segments can influence synchronization of neural responses in the primary visual cortex. We performed a systematic study to dissociate the impact of spatial and temporal factors in the signaling of contour integration via synchrony. In addition, we characterized the temporal evolution of this process to clarify potential underlying mechanisms. With a 10 x 10 microelectrode array, we recorded the simultaneous activity of multiple cells in the cat primary visual cortex while stimulating with drifting sine-wave gratings. We preserved temporal integrity and systematically degraded spatial integrity of the sine-wave gratings by adding spatial noise. Neural synchronization was analyzed in the time and frequency domains by conducting cross-correlation and coherence analyses. The general association between neural spike trains depends strongly on spatial integrity, with coherence in the gamma band (35-70 Hz) showing greater sensitivity to the change of spatial structure than other frequency bands. Analysis of the temporal dynamics of synchronization in both time and frequency domains suggests that spike timing synchronization is triggered nearly instantaneously by coherent structure in the stimuli, whereas frequency-specific oscillatory components develop more slowly, presumably through network interactions. Our results suggest that, whereas temporal integrity is required for the generation of synchrony, spatial integrity is critical in triggering subsequent gamma band synchronization.

Spatial analysis of concentrations of multiple air pollutants using NASA DISCOVER-AQ aircraft measurements: Implications for exposure assessment.

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