WorldWideScience

Sample records for strongly opposing views

  1. Islam, Islamophobia and the West: Opposing Views and Social Reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adila Pavelić

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Through reviewing different and often opposing views on the relationship between Islam and the West, the paper aims to offer a better understanding of this relationship, and of Islamophobia as an old, yet increasingly actual and in many respects relevant social problem. A short historical overview of the understanding of the relationship between Islam and the West, and various definitions of Islamophobia, are followed by examination of some recent works that from different perspectives deal with the issue. Firstly, is given insight into the works written by Western theorists who describe the relationship between Islam and the West within the framework of the idea of the clash of civilizations while, at the same time, labeling Islam often as a non-modern religion and culture whose members reject Western values such as democracy, freedom and gender equality. In contrast to them are introduced the authors whose argumentation opposes stereotypical views of Islam; among them are also those that critically address Islamophobia in today’s Western society, either by presenting results of their research on Islamophobia or by documenting the dominant media image of Islam, which has been perpetuating stereotypes, especially in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York in 2001. Lastly, it is concluded that, regardless of the origin of works dealing with the relationship between Islam and the West or of the type of their arguments, they more often than not interpret Islam and the West primarily as two separate, self-contained and in itself incompatible worlds. In doing so, the authors here argue, they employ an essentialist and reductionist approach not only to Islam – as it might be assumed – but also to the West, while the relationship between Islam and the West is simplified and schematized.

  2. A Dialogic Vaccine to Bridge Opposing Cultural Viewpoints Based on Bakhtin's Views on Dialogue and Estrangement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajima, Atsushi

    2017-09-01

    Today, we face global conflicts between opposing ideologies that may be described in terms of cultural viewpoints and value judgments. It is difficult for individuals to determine whether ideologies are right or wrong because each ideology has its own worldview and sense of justice. Psychologists have an urgent mission to defuse the likelihood of fatal clashes between opposing cultural perspectives (ideologies), and to propose paradigms for peaceful coexistence. This paper examines the series of papers (Oh, Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 51, 2017; Sakakibara, Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 51, 2017; Watanabe, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 51, 2017) contributed to this volume that investigate the effects of high school and university educational programs promoting productive dialogue aimed at bridging, or transcending, conflicting perspectives among Japanese, Chinese, and Korean students. Here, I have evaluated the capacity of these educational programs to coordinate opposing cultural ideologies using the framework of Bakhtin's theories of dialogue and estrangement. Bakhtin viewed discourse with others who had opposing viewpoints as an opportunity to learn to overcome the one-sidedness of ideology, which ensues from automatic value judgments made by each speaker according to their culture, and he affirmed the value of flexible attitudes toward opposing viewpoints. In this paper, I review Bakhtin's theories relating to communication in a context of different cultural viewpoints, assess the general values of the educational practices mentioned above, and propose new concepts for applying these methods to other educational fields in the future using Bakhtin's theoretical viewpoints.

  3. Why do older people oppose physician-assisted dying? A qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malpas, Phillipa J; Wilson, Maria K R; Rae, Nicola; Johnson, Malcolm

    2014-04-01

    Physician-assisted dying at the end of life has become a significant issue of public discussion. While legally available in a number of countries and jurisdictions, it remains controversial and illegal in New Zealand. The study aimed to explore the reasons some healthy older New Zealanders oppose physician-assisted dying in order to inform current debate. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed by the authors after some edits had been made by respondents. In all, 11 older participants (over 65 years) who responded to advertisements placed in Grey Power magazines and a University of Auckland email list were interviewed for around 1 h and asked a number of open-ended questions. Four central themes opposing physician-assisted dying were identified from the interviews: one's personal experience with health care and dying and death, religious reasoning and beliefs, slippery slope worries and concern about potential abuses if physician-assisted dying were legalised. An important finding of the study suggests that how some older individuals think about physician-assisted dying is strongly influenced by their past experiences of dying and death. While some participants had witnessed good, well-managed dying and death experiences which confirmed for them the view that physician-assisted dying was unnecessary, those who had witnessed poor dying and death experiences opposed physician-assisted dying on the grounds that such practices could come to be abused by others.

  4. Retrievable disposal - opposing views on ethics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selling, H.A.

    2000-01-01

    In the previous decades many research programmes on the disposal of radioactive waste have been completed in the Netherlands. The experts involved have reconfirmed their view that deep underground disposal in suitable geological formations would ensure a safe and prolonged isolation of the waste from the biosphere. Both rock salt and clay formations are considered to qualify as a suitable host rock. In 1993 the government in a position paper stated that such a repository should be designed in a way that the waste can be retrieved from it, should the need arise. In an attempt to involve stakeholders in the decision-making process, a research contract was awarded to an environmental group to study the ethical aspects related to retrievable disposal of radioactive waste. In their report which was published in its final form in January 2000 the authors concluded that retrievable disposal is acceptable from an ethical point of view. However, this conclusion was reached in the understanding that this situation of retrievability would be permanent. From the concept of equity between generations, each successive generation should be offered equal opportunities to decide for itself how to dispose of the radioactive waste. Consequently, the preferred disposal option is retrievable disposal (or long term storage) in a surface facility. Although this view is not in conformity with the ''official'' position on radioactive waste disposal, there is a benefit of having established a dialogue between interested parties in a broad sense. (author)

  5. Views of United States Physicians and Members of the American Medical Association House of Delegates on Physician-assisted Suicide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, Simon N.; Brown, Byron W.; Brody, Howard; Alcser, Kirsten H.; Bachman, Jerald G.; Greely, Henry T.

    2001-01-01

    Ascertained the views of physicians and physician leaders toward legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Results indicated members of AMA House of Delegates strongly oppose physician-assisted suicide, but rank-and-file physicians show no consensus either for or against its legalization. Although the debate is adversarial, most physicians are…

  6. The IMF: A Bird's Eye View of its Role and Operations

    OpenAIRE

    Graham Bird

    2007-01-01

    The International Monetary Fund is the world’s premier international financial institution with 184 member countries and active programmes in a significant number of them at any one time. The Fund attracts a great deal of attention, much of it critical. But the discussion is often polemic in style. Strongly held, but frequently opposing, views are expressed. This survey attempts to examine, in an objective way, the theory and evidence relating to the Fund’s operations. Many aspects of the emp...

  7. Effect of Slow External Flow on Flame Spreading over Solid Material: Opposed Spreading over Polyethylene Wire Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, O.; Nishizawa, K.; Ito, K.; Olson, S. L.; Kashigawa, T.

    2001-01-01

    The effect of slow external flow on solid combustion is very important from the view of fire safety in space because the solid material in spacecraft is generally exposed to the low air flow for ventilation. Further, the effect of low external flow on fuel combustion is generally fundamental information for industrial combustion system, such as gas turbine, boiler incinerator and so on. However, it is difficult to study the effect of low external flow on solid combustion in normal gravity, because the buoyancy-induced flow strongly disturbs the flow field, especially for low flow velocity. In this research therefore, the effect of slow external flow on opposed flame spreading over polyethylene (PE) wire insulation have been investigated in microgravity. The microgravity environment was provided by Japan Microgravity Center (JAMIC) in Japan and KC-135 at NASA GRC. The tested flow velocity range is 0-30cm/s with different oxygen concentration and inert gas component.

  8. Reconciliation of opposing views on membrane-sugar interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Heidi D.; Wang, Chunhua; Arleth, Lise

    2011-01-01

    It is well established that small sugars exert different types of stabilization of biomembranes both in vivo and in vitro. However, the essential question of whether sugars are bound to or expelled from membrane surfaces, i.e., the sign and size of the free energy of the interaction, remains...... unresolved, and this prevents a molecular understanding of the stabilizing mechanism. We have used small-angle neutron scattering and thermodynamic measurements to show that sugars may be either bound or expelled depending on the concentration of sugar. At low concentration, small sugars bind quite strongly...... to a lipid bilayer, and the accumulation of sugar at the interface makes the membrane thinner and laterally expanded. Above â¼0.2 M the sugars gradually become expelled from the membrane surface, and this repulsive mode of interaction counteracts membrane thinning. The dual nature of sugar...

  9. Laminar mixed convection heat transfer in a vertical circular tube under buoyancy-assisted and opposed flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammed, Hussein A.

    2008-01-01

    Laminar mixed convection heat transfer for assisted and opposed air flows in the entrance region of a vertical circular tube with the using of a uniform wall heat flux boundary condition has been experimentally investigated. The experimental setup was designed for determining the effect of flow direction and the effect of tube inclination on the surface temperature, local and average Nusselt numbers with Reynolds number ranged from 400 to 1600 and Grashof number from 2.0 x 10 5 to 6.2 x 10 6 . It was found that the circumferential surface temperature along the dimensionless tube length for opposed flow would be higher than that both of assisted flow and horizontal tube [Mohammed HA, Salman YK. Experimental investigation of combined convection heat transfer for thermally developing flow in a horizontal circular cylinder. Appl Therm Eng 2007;27(8-9):1522-33] due to the stronger free convective currents within the cross-section. The Nusselt number values would be lower for opposed flow than that for assisted flow. It was inferred that the behaviour of Nu x for opposed flow to be strongly dependent on the combination of Re and Gr numbers. Empirical equations expressing the average Nusselt numbers in terms of Grashof and Reynolds numbers were proposed for both assisted and opposed flow cases. The average heat transfer results were compared with previous literature and showed similar trend and satisfactory agreement

  10. Religious coalition opposes gene patents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, J S

    1995-05-19

    The biotechnology industry is concerned about a coalition of mainstream religious leaders, working with Jeremy Rifkin of the Foundation of Economic Trends, who oppose the patenting of human and animal life forms, body parts, and genes. The coalition called a press conference on May 18 to ask the government to prohibit the current patenting practices for genetic engineering. The biotechnology industry argues that patents indicate that a company's research tool has significant value, and encourages capitalists to invest their dollars in the development of new treatments for diseases. They also argue that the 29 biotech drugs that are on the market have been developed as a result of patents on genes. Although most business leaders are united in opposing restrictions, many scientists are divided, citing both religious and scientific reasons.

  11. Common Ground on Climate Change: Pairing Opposing Viewpoints for Conversations about Climate Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk, K. B.; Duggan-Haas, D.; Hayhoe, K.

    2017-12-01

    In American public discourse, people tend to strongly identify with the viewpoints held by their cultural and political tribes. However, entrenched positions do little to advance understanding, or work toward solving problems constructively. Worse yet, it has become commonplace to dismiss or demonize those coming from a different point of view - leading to the vitriolic stalemate that often characterizes social media and comment threads when it comes to climate change. One way to break this pattern is to invite people with opposing opinions to actually talk to one another. This presentation describes the lessons learned during the Common Ground on Climate Change project, in which people with contrasting views about climate change engage in a moderated interview with each other. Prior to the interview, participants complete a set of values-based questions. The goal is to reveal areas of common ground between apparent opposites, such as a sense of stewardship for Earth's resources, or an opinion that solutions to climate change will be more beneficial than harmful. The structure of the interviews is based on the hypothesis that if a conversation begins with an appreciation of common values, it becomes easier to broach areas of disagreement. Participants are matched up in one-on-one moderated interviews where they are encouraged to share their concerns, ideas, and priorities about the validity of climate science, the need for urgent action, and the types of solutions they find most tenable. Emerging themes from this series of interviews include the value of a diversity of outlooks, and the ability for moderated conversations to find surprising areas of agreement. Articles about the interviews also appear on the Yale Climate Connections website, https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/author/karin/.

  12. Wind wave source functions in opposing seas

    KAUST Repository

    Langodan, Sabique

    2015-08-26

    The Red Sea is a challenge for wave modeling because of its unique two opposed wave systems, forced by opposite winds and converging at its center. We investigate the different physical aspects of wave evolution and propagation in the convergence zone. The two opposing wave systems have similar amplitude and frequency, each driven by the action of its own wind. Wave patterns at the centre of the Red Sea, as derived from extensive tests and intercomparison between model and measured data, suggest that the currently available wave model source functions may not properly represent the evolution of the local fields that appear to be characterized by a less effective wind input and an enhanced white-capping. We propose and test a possible simple solution to improve the wave-model simulation under opposing winds and waves condition. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  13. Opposing incentives for collaboration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dorch, Bertil F.; Wien, Charlotte; Larsen, Asger Væring

    , and gives a bonus for publications done through inter-institutionary collaboration. Credits given to universities are fractionalized between the participating universities. So far credits are not assigned to the individual authors but only to their institutions. However, it turns out that research...... collaboration is associated with a higher number of citations than single authorship which may present the author with two opposing incentives for research collaboration....

  14. Two different approaches for creating a prescribed opposed-flow velocity field for flame spread experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmignani Luca

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Opposed-flow flame spread over solid fuels is a fundamental area of research in fire science. Typically combustion wind tunnels are used to generate the opposing flow of oxidizer against which a laminar flame spread occurs along the fuel samples. The spreading flame is generally embedded in a laminar boundary layer, which interacts with the strong buoyancy-induced flow to affect the mechanism of flame spread. In this work, two different approaches for creating the opposed-flow are compared. In the first approach, a vertical combustion tunnel is used where a thin fuel sample, thin acrylic or ashless filter paper, is held vertically along the axis of the test-section with the airflow controlled by controlling the duty cycles of four fans. As the sample is ignited, a flame spreads downward in a steady manner along a developing boundary layer. In the second approach, the sample is held in a movable cart placed in an eight-meter tall vertical chamber filled with air. As the sample is ignited, the cart is moved downward (through a remote-controlled mechanism at a prescribed velocity. The results from the two approaches are compared to establish the boundary layer effect on flame spread over thin fuels.

  15. Strong Generative Capacity and the Empirical Base of Linguistic Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis Ott

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This Perspective traces the evolution of certain central notions in the theory of Generative Grammar (GG. The founding documents of the field suggested a relation between the grammar, construed as recursively enumerating an infinite set of sentences, and the idealized native speaker that was essentially equivalent to the relation between a formal language (a set of well-formed formulas and an automaton that recognizes strings as belonging to the language or not. But this early view was later abandoned, when the focus of the field shifted to the grammar's strong generative capacity as recursive generation of hierarchically structured objects as opposed to strings. The grammar is now no longer seen as specifying a set of well-formed expressions and in fact necessarily constructs expressions of any degree of intuitive “acceptability.” The field of GG, however, has not sufficiently acknowledged the significance of this shift in perspective, as evidenced by the fact that (informal and experimentally-controlled observations about string acceptability continue to be treated as bona fide data and generalizations for the theory of GG. The focus on strong generative capacity, it is argued, requires a new discussion of what constitutes valid empirical evidence for GG beyond observations pertaining to weak generation.

  16. Penatalaksanaan Repair Palatoplasty dengan Teknik Furlow Double Opposing Z Plasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pingky Krisna Arindra

    2015-06-01

    metode Furlow double opposing z plasty dengan kombinasi insisi lateral, dan didapatkan hasil menutupnya celah di palatum mole sampai dengan uvula. Telah dilakukan operasi repair palatoplasi dengan metode Furlow double opposing z plasty. Teknik ini dilakukan untuk menghindari insisi yang terlalu luas dikarenakan terdapatnya jaringan fibrous yang tebal pada mukosa palatum pasca operasi sebelumnya. Tujuan studi kasus adalah untuk mengetahui kemampuan teknik Furlow Double Opposing Z Plasty sebagai prosedur repair palatoplasty.   Repair Palatoplasty Management with Furlow Double Opposing Z Plasty Technique. Cases of cleft lip and palate are one of the deformity disorders that often occur. There are variety of clinical appearance ranging from incomplete to complete cases. Clinical appearance with different width requires proper surgical technique. Patients with cleft lip and palate had undergone surgical intervention, so that they needed surgical correction to repair the result or failure of the previous surgery. A Four year old boy complain there was cleft on the soft palate. The patient was diagnosed with labiognatopalatoscisis. The patient had undergone two stages of cleft lip surgery and twice of cleft palate surgery with pushback method and repair with z plasty, however the result was unsatisfactory. Further, the patient underwent repair palatoplasty surgery with Furlow double opposing z plasty method combined with lateral relaxing insicion. The result in the post surgery was the closure of cleft soft palate up to uvula. Repair palataplasty surgery has been done with Furlow double opposing z plasty method. This technique could avoid extended incision due to thick fibrous tissue on the palatum mucosa as the result of serial previous surgery. The aim of this case case study is to determine the technical capabilities of Furlow Double Opposing Z Plasty as palatoplasty repair procedure.

  17. Interracial America. Opposing Viewpoints Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szumski, Bonnie, Ed.

    Books in the Opposing Viewpoints Series present debates about current issues that can be used to teach critical reading and thinking skills. The varied opinions in each book examine different aspects of a single issue. The topics covered in this volume explore the racial and ethnic tensions that concern many Americans today. The racial divide…

  18. Overeruption of teeth opposing removable partial dentures: a preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuda, Ken-Ichi; Miyashita, Yuji; Ikebe, Kazunori; Enoki, Kaori; Kurushima, Yuko; Mihara, Yusuke; Maeda, Yoshinobu

    2014-01-01

    One of the purposes of prosthodontic treatment is to prevent overeruption of opposing teeth, but there is currently minimal literature describing the efficacy of removable partial dentures (RPDs) in performing this function. This study investigated overeruption following RPD treatment. The study participants were 33 patients treated with RPDs, and overeruption was evaluated by comparing the surface computeraided design data of dental casts made at two different time points-before and after RPD treatment. Overeruption was observed in 38.1% of teeth opposed by the RPD, which was much less than the proportion of teeth that overerupted when not opposed by the RPD.

  19. Effects of Scavenging System Configuration on In-Cylinder Air Flow Organization of an Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke Engine

    OpenAIRE

    Fukang Ma; Changlu Zhao; Fujun Zhang; Zhenfeng Zhao; Shuanlu Zhang

    2015-01-01

    In-cylinder air flow is very important from the point of view of mixture formation and combustion. In this direction, intake chamber structure and piston crown shape play a very crucial role for in-cylinder air pattern of opposed-piston two-stroke (OP2S) engines. This study is concerned with the three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of in-cylinder air motion coupled with the comparison of predicted results with the zero-dimensional (0D) parametric model. Three con...

  20. A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF A STRONGLY LENSED PLANCK-ASSOCIATED SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu Hai; Cooray, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Jullo, E. [Observatoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille-Provence, 38 rue Frederic Joliot-Curie, F-13388 Marseille (France); Bussmann, R. S. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ivison, R. J. [UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Perez-Fournon, I. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Djorgovski, S. G.; Scoville, N.; Yan, L.; Riechers, D. A.; Bradford, M. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Aguirre, J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Auld, R. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Baes, M. [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); Baker, A. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 136 Frelinghuysen Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Cava, A. [Departamento de Astrofisica, Facultad de CC. Fisicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Clements, D. L. [Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Dannerbauer, H. [Institut fuer Astronomie, Universitaet Wien, Tuerkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1160 Wien (Austria); Dariush, A. [Physics Department, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); De Zotti, G., E-mail: haif@uci.edu [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); and others

    2012-07-10

    We present high-resolution maps of stars, dust, and molecular gas in a strongly lensed submillimeter galaxy (SMG) at z = 3.259. HATLAS J114637.9-001132 is selected from the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) as a strong lens candidate mainly based on its unusually high 500 {mu}m flux density ({approx}300 mJy). It is the only high-redshift Planck detection in the 130 deg{sup 2} H-ATLAS Phase-I area. Keck Adaptive Optics images reveal a quadruply imaged galaxy in the K band while the Submillimeter Array and the Jansky Very Large Array show doubly imaged 880 {mu}m and CO(1{yields}0) sources, indicating differentiated distributions of the various components in the galaxy. In the source plane, the stars reside in three major kpc-scale clumps extended over {approx}1.6 kpc, the dust in a compact ({approx}1 kpc) region {approx}3 kpc north of the stars, and the cold molecular gas in an extended ({approx}7 kpc) disk {approx}5 kpc northeast of the stars. The emissions from the stars, dust, and gas are magnified by {approx}17, {approx}8, and {approx}7 times, respectively, by four lensing galaxies at z {approx} 1. Intrinsically, the lensed galaxy is a warm (T{sub dust} {approx} 40-65 K), hyper-luminous (L{sub IR} {approx} 1.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} L{sub Sun }; star formation rate (SFR) {approx}2000 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}), gas-rich (M{sub gas}/M{sub baryon} {approx} 70%), young (M{sub stellar}/SFR {approx} 20 Myr), and short-lived (M{sub gas}/SFR {approx} 40 Myr) starburst. With physical properties similar to unlensed z > 2 SMGs, HATLAS J114637.9-001132 offers a detailed view of a typical SMG through a powerful cosmic microscope.

  1. The ethics of human reproductive cloning: when world views collide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Cynthia B

    2004-01-01

    Two camps in bioethics with seemingly opposing world views have staked out conflicting positions regarding the ethics of human reproductive cloning. These camps do not appear to share common concepts or ways of reasoning through which to exchange views and come to a meeting of minds about uses of this technology. Yet analysis of their respective approaches to several issues surrounding reproductive cloning, such as where the ethical limits of individual reproductive choice lie, whether the use of this technology would violate human dignity, whether it would create risks to the resulting fetuses and children that would make its use intolerable, and whether it would challenge certain core social values, reveals that they are not wholly opposed to one another. Indeed, it displays that they hold certain beliefs, values, and concerns in common. Moreover, it indicates that the different world views that they each presuppose, while flawed in certain respects, do not collide in every respect, but can be reconciled in significant ways that provide fertile ground for agreement about several issues related to human reproductive cloning.

  2. Perceptual Sensitivity and Response to Strong Stimuli Are Related

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna C. Bolders

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available To shed new light on the long-standing debate about the (independence of sensitivity to weak stimuli and overreactivity to strong stimuli, we examined the relation between these tendencies within the neurobehavioral framework of the Predictive and Reactive Control Systems (PARCS theory (Tops et al., 2010, 2014. Whereas previous studies only considered overreactivity in terms of the individual tendency to experience unpleasant affect (punishment reactivity resulting from strong sensory stimulation, we also took the individual tendency to experience pleasant affect (reward reactivity resulting from strong sensory stimulation into account. According to PARCS theory, these temperamental tendencies overlap in terms of high reactivity toward stimulation, but oppose each other in terms of the response orientation (approach or avoid. PARCS theory predicts that both types of reactivity to strong stimuli relate to sensitivity to weak stimuli, but that these relationships are suppressed due to the opposing relationship between reward and punishment reactivity. We measured punishment and reward reactivity to strong stimuli and sensitivity to weak stimuli using scales from the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (Evans and Rothbart, 2007. Sensitivity was also measured more objectively using the masked auditory threshold. We found that sensitivity to weak stimuli (both self-reported and objectively assessed was positively associated with self-reported punishment and reward reactivity to strong stimuli, but only when these reactivity measures were controlled for each other, implicating a mutual suppression effect. These results are in line with PARCS theory and suggest that sensitivity to weak stimuli and overreactivity are dependent, but this dependency is likely to be obscured if punishment and reward reactivity are not both taken into account.

  3. Transport synthetic acceleration with opposing reflecting boundary conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zika, M R; Adams, M L

    2000-02-01

    The transport synthetic acceleration (TSA) scheme is extended to problems with opposing reflecting boundary conditions. This synthetic method employs a simplified transport operator as its low-order approximation. A procedure is developed that allows the use of the conjugate gradient (CG) method to solve the resulting low-order system of equations. Several well-known transport iteration algorithms are cast in a linear algebraic form to show their equivalence to standard iterative techniques. Source iteration in the presence of opposing reflecting boundary conditions is shown to be equivalent to a (poorly) preconditioned stationary Richardson iteration, with the preconditioner defined by the method of iterating on the incident fluxes on the reflecting boundaries. The TSA method (and any synthetic method) amounts to a further preconditioning of the Richardson iteration. The presence of opposing reflecting boundary conditions requires special consideration when developing a procedure to realize the CG method for the proposed system of equations. The CG iteration may be applied only to symmetric positive definite matrices; this condition requires the algebraic elimination of the boundary angular corrections from the low-order equations. As a consequence of this elimination, evaluating the action of the resulting matrix on an arbitrary vector involves two transport sweeps and a transmission iteration. Results of applying the acceleration scheme to a simple test problem are presented.

  4. Opposed slant tube diabatic sorber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, Donald C.

    2004-01-20

    A sorber comprised of at least three concentric coils of tubing contained in a shell with a flow path for liquid sorbent in one direction, a flow path for heat transfer fluid which is in counter-current heat exchange relationship with sorbent flow, a sorbate vapor port in communication with at least one of sorbent inlet or exit ports, wherein each coil is coiled in opposite direction to those coils adjoining it, whereby the opposed slant tube configuration is achieved, with structure for flow modification in the core space inside the innermost coil.

  5. Strong Anderson localization in cold atom quantum quenches

    OpenAIRE

    Micklitz, T.; Müller, C. A.; Altland, A.

    2013-01-01

    Signatures of strong Anderson localization in the momentum distribution of a cold atom cloud after a quantum quench are studied. We consider a quasi one-dimensional cloud initially prepared in a well defined momentum state, and expanding for some time in a disorder speckle potential. Anderson localization leads to a formation of a coherence peak in the \\emph{forward} scattering direction (as opposed to the common weak localization backscattering peak). We present a microscopic, and fully time...

  6. Consecutive opposed interactions of light waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volkov, V V; Chirkin, Anatolii S

    1999-01-01

    The conditions were determined for the occurrence of the opposed interaction of waves having multiple frequencies in two consecutive three-frequency processes in periodically inhomogeneous nonlinear optical crystals. The necessary nonlinear susceptibility modulation period was calculated for an MgO:LiNbO 3 crystal. The characteristic features of the energy exchange between counterpropagating waves with parametric amplification in a low-frequency pump field were investigated. (nonlinear optical phenomena)

  7. The edentulous mandible opposing maxillary natural teeth: treatment considerations utilizing implant overdentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winkler, S; Monasky, G E

    1993-01-01

    The restoration of the edentulous mandible opposing all or part of the maxillary natural dentition with implant overdentures is described. There are many situations in which the maxillary teeth opposing an edentulous mandible can and should be retained. Mandibular implant overdentures can be utilized as long as health considerations, morphologic features of the resorbed mandible, and maxillomandibular jaw relationships are satisfactory.

  8. Mutually opposing forces during locomotion can eliminate the tradeoff between maneuverability and stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, Noah; Sefati, Shahin; Neveln, Izaak; Roth, Eatai; Mitchell, Terence; Snyder, James; Maciver, Malcolm; Fortune, Eric

    A surprising feature of animal locomotion is that organisms typically produce substantial forces in directions other than what is necessary to move the animal through its environment, such as perpendicular to, or counter to, the direction of travel. The effect of these forces has been difficult to observe because they are often mutually opposing and therefore cancel out. Using a combination of robotic physical modeling, computational modeling, and biological experiments, we discovered that these forces serve an important role: to simplify and enhance the control of locomotion. Specifically, we examined a well-suited model system, the glass knifefish Eigenmannia virescens, which produces mutually opposing forces during a hovering behavior. By systematically varying the locomotor parameters of our biomimetic robot, and measuring the resulting forces and kinematics, we demonstrated that the production and differential control of mutually opposing forces is a strategy that generates passive stabilization while simultaneously enhancing maneuverability. Mutually opposing forces during locomotion are widespread across animal taxa, and these results indicate that such forces can eliminate the tradeoff between stability and maneuverability, thereby simplifying robotic and neural control.

  9. Two Opposing Effects (Yin and Yang) Determine Cancer Progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shujun; Kurubanjerdjit, Nilubon; Xu, Wayne

    2017-01-01

    In this review, we introduce a new vision of cancer describing opposing effects that control progression. Cancer is a paradigm of opposing of "Yin" and "Yang," with Yin being the effect to promote cancer and Yang that to maintain the normal state. This Yin Yang hypothesis has been used to select Yin and Yang genes to develop multigene signatures for determining prognosis in lung and breast cancer. Most of the Yin genes are involved in cell survival, growth, and proliferation, whereas most Yang genes are involved in cell apoptosis. Furthermore, Yin and Yang pathways have been identified in breast cancer and compounds that can inhibit the Yin pathways or activate the Yang pathways have been examined, suggesting a new promising targeting therapy for cancer. We are building a Yin Yang model to represent the dynamic change of Yin and Yang genes and pathways.

  10. Age and the experience of strong self-conscious emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Julie D; von Hippel, William; Nangle, Matthew R; Waters, Michele

    2018-04-01

    It remains unclear whether there are age-related changes in the experience of strong self-conscious emotion, such as shame, guilt, pride and embarrassment. Because shame and guilt figure prominently in the aetiology of depressive symptoms and other mental health problems, a better understanding of how age affects the strong experience of these two negative self-conscious emotions is of particular importance. Thirty younger, 30 middle-aged and 30 older adults were compared on standardised cognitive assessments, in addition to an interview-based measure that assessed whether there are age differences in the likelihood of strongly experiencing four different types of self-conscious emotion within the past five years (shame, guilt, embarrassment and pride). The three groups did not differ in their likelihood of reporting an event that strongly elicited the positive self-conscious emotion of pride. However, older adults were more likely to report sources of pride that were other (as opposed to self) focused. Older adults were also less likely to report experiencing events that elicited all three negative self-conscious emotions, in particular, shame. Strong negative self-conscious emotion, and in particular shame, appears to be experienced less by older than younger adults.

  11. Development of strong-sense validation benchmarks for the fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blandford, E. D.

    2012-01-01

    The Fluoride salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) is a class of reactor concepts currently under development for the U. S. Dept. of Energy. The FHR is defined as a Generation IV reactor that features low-pressure liquid fluoride salt cooling, coated-particle fuel, a high-temperature power cycle, and fully passive decay heat rejection. Recent experimental work using simulant fluids have been performed to demonstrate key 'proof of principle' FHR concepts and have helped inform the reactor design process. An important element of developing FHR technology is to sufficiently validate the predictive accuracy of the computer codes used to model system response. This paper presents a set of thermal-hydraulics experiments, defined as Strong-Sense Benchmarks (SSB's), which will help establish the FHR validation domain for simulant fluid suitability. These SSB's are more specifically designed to investigate single-phase natural circulation which is the dominant mode of FHR decay heat removal during off-normal conditions. SSB s should be viewed as engineering reference standards and differ from traditional confirmatory experiments in the sense that they are more focused on fundamental physics as opposed to reproducing high levels of physical similarity with the prototypical design. (authors)

  12. Cleft Palate Repair Using a Double Opposing Z-Plasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moores, Craig; Shah, Ajul; Steinbacher, Derek M

    2016-07-01

    Cleft palate is a common congenital defect with several described surgical repairs. The most successful treatment modality remains a controversy. The goals of repair focus on achievement of normal speech and optimizing velopharyngeal function while minimizing both fistula formation and facial growth restriction. In this video, the authors demonstrate use of the double opposing Z-plasty technique in the repair of a Veau II type cleft palate. The video demonstrates the marking, incisions, dissection, and repair of the cleft. It also examines the use of von Langenbeck-type relaxing incisions and demonstrates a specific approach to the repair of this particular cleft. The authors believe that the Furlow double opposing Z-plasty with the von Langenbeck relaxing incision can provide the best postoperative outcome by combining the benefits of each individual operation. The Z-plasty technique works to correct the aberrant muscle of the soft palate while increasing the length of the palate. The authors believe that this results in better velopharyngeal function.

  13. Strength training and testosterone treatment have opposing effects on migration inhibitor factor levels in ageing men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glintborg, D.; Christensen, L. L.; Kvorning, T.

    2013-01-01

    Strength Training and Testosterone Treatment Have Opposing Effects on Migration Inhibitor Factor Levels in Ageing Men......Strength Training and Testosterone Treatment Have Opposing Effects on Migration Inhibitor Factor Levels in Ageing Men...

  14. Responsible nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lippert-Rasmussen, Kasper

    2009-01-01

    In National Responsibility and Global Justice, David Miller defends the view that a member of a nation can be collectively responsible for an outcome despite the fact that: (i) she did not control it; (ii) she actively opposed those of her nation's policies that produced the outcome; and (iii......) actively opposing the relevant policy was costly for her. I argue that Miller's arguments in favor of this strong externalist view about responsibility and control are insufficient. Specifically, I show that Miller's two models of synchronic collective responsibility*the like-minded group model...

  15. Numerical and experimental study of two turbulent opposed plane jets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Besbes, Sonia; Mhiri, Hatem [Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et Thermique, Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Monastir, Route de Ouardanine, Monastir (Tunisia); Le Palec, Georges; Bournot, Philippe [Institut de Mecanique de Marseille, UNIMECA, Technopole de Chateau-Gombert, 60 rue Joliot-Curie, 13453 Marseille (France)

    2003-09-01

    The turbulent interaction between two opposed plane jets separated by a distance H is experimentally studied by using a PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) method and numerically investigated by means of a finite volume code. Two turbulence models have been tested: the standard k-{epsilon} model and a second-order model. The validation of the numerical study was performed by comparing the results with experimental data obtained for the case of two interacting opposed jets at ambient temperature (isothermal case). The effect of the angle of inclination of the jets is studied. Conclusions of the validation are then used to study the interaction between two jets, one being maintained at ambient temperature whereas the other is heated. Results show that the stagnation point moves towards the heated jet. It is shown that the heating induces a stabilizing effect on the flow. (orig.)

  16. Opposing Amygdala and Ventral Striatum Connectivity during Emotion Identification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satterthwaite, Theodore D.; Wolf, Daniel H.; Pinkham, Amy E.; Ruparel, Kosha; Elliott, Mark A.; Valdez, Jeffrey N.; Overton, Eve; Seubert, Janina; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.; Loughead, James

    2011-01-01

    Lesion and electrophysiological studies in animals provide evidence of opposing functions for subcortical nuclei such as the amygdala and ventral striatum, but the implications of these findings for emotion identification in humans remain poorly described. Here we report a high-resolution fMRI study in a sample of 39 healthy subjects who performed…

  17. MRI of bone marrow: opposed-phase gradient-echo sequences with long repetition time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seiderer, M.; Staebler, A.; Wagner, H.

    1999-01-01

    Signal intensity for opposed-phase gradient-echo (GE) sequences of tissues composed of fat- and water-equivalent cells such as red bone marrow is extremely sensitive to variation of the ratio of both cell populations (fat-to-water ratio Q F/W ). Because most bone marrow pathology results in variation of Q F/W , GE sequences are characterized by high-contrast imaging of pathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of TR, TE, FA, Q F/W and histology on signal intensity. Signal intensity of opposed-phase GE sequences as a function of TR, TE, FA, and Q F/W was measured for a fat-water phantom and cadaver specimens of normal bone marrow (red and yellow) and pathological bone marrow (tumors). All specimens were correlated to histology. Opposed-phase GE imaging of red bone marrow pathology results in low-signal-intensity imaging of intact red bone marrow and high-signal-intensity positive contrast imaging of pathology associated with a change in Q F/W . In first-order approximation the signal intensity of pathology is linearly correlated to the change in Q F/W . Opposed-phase GE imaging is a sensitive imaging technique for red bone marrow pathology. Relative contrast of red bone marrow pathology is similar to fat-suppressed imaging techniques. Acquisition time is identical to T1-weighted SE sequences. (orig.)

  18. Effects of Scavenging System Configuration on In-Cylinder Air Flow Organization of an Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke Engine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fukang Ma

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In-cylinder air flow is very important from the point of view of mixture formation and combustion. In this direction, intake chamber structure and piston crown shape play a very crucial role for in-cylinder air pattern of opposed-piston two-stroke (OP2S engines. This study is concerned with the three-dimensional (3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD analysis of in-cylinder air motion coupled with the comparison of predicted results with the zero-dimensional (0D parametric model. Three configurations viz., a flat piston uniform scavenging chamber, a flat piston non-uniform scavenging chamber and a pit piston non-uniform scavenging chamber have been studied. 0D model analysis of in-cylinder air flow is consistent with 3D CFD simulation. It is concluded that a pit piston non-uniform scavenging chamber is the best design from the point of view of tumble ratio, turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent intensity, which play very important roles in imparting proper air motion. Meanwhile a flat piston uniform scavenging chamber can organize a higher swirl ratio and lower tumble ratio which is important to improve the scavenging process.

  19. Micro-universes and strong black-roles: a purely geometric approach to elementary particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recami, E.; Raciti, F.; Rodrigues Junior, W.A.; Zanchin, V.T.

    1993-09-01

    A panoramic view is presented of a proposed unified, bi-scale theory of gravitational and strong interactions [which is mathematically analogous to the last version of N. Rosen's bi-metric theory; and yields physical results similar to strong gravity's]. This theory, is purely geometrical in nature, adopting the methods of General Relativity for the description of hadron structure and strong interactions. In particular, hadrons are associated with strong black-holes, from the external point of view, and with micro-universes, from the internal point of view. Among the results herein presented, it should be mentioned the derivation: of confinement and asymptotic freedom from the hadron constituents; of the Yukawa behaviour for the potential at the static limit; of the strong coupling constant, and of mesonic mass spectra. (author)

  20. Opposing flow in square porous annulus: Influence of Dufour effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Athani, Abdulgaphur; Al-Rashed, Abdullah A. A. A.; Khaleed, H. M. T.

    2016-01-01

    Heat and mass transfer in porous medium is very important area of research which is also termed as double diffusive convection or thermo-solutal convection. The buoyancy ratio which is the ratio of thermal to concentration buoyancy can have negative values thus leading to opposing flow. This article is aimed to study the influence of Dufour effect on the opposing flow in a square porous annulus. The partial differential equations that govern the heat and mass transfer behavior inside porous medium are solved using finite element method. A three node triangular element is used to divide the porous domain into smaller elements. Results are presented with respect to geometric and physical parameters such as duct diameter ratio, Rayleigh number, radiation parameter etc. It is found that the heat transfer increase with increase in Rayleigh number and radiation parameter. It is observed that Dufour coefficient has more influence on velocity profile.

  1. Opposing flow in square porous annulus: Influence of Dufour effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Athani, Abdulgaphur, E-mail: abbu.bec@gmail.com [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Anjuman Institute of Technology & Management, Bhatkal (India); Al-Rashed, Abdullah A. A. A., E-mail: aa.alrashed@paaet.edu.kw [Dept. of Automotive and Marine Engineering Technology, College of Technological Studies, The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (Kuwait); Khaleed, H. M. T., E-mail: khalid-tan@yahoo.com [Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University, Madinah Munawwarra (Saudi Arabia)

    2016-06-21

    Heat and mass transfer in porous medium is very important area of research which is also termed as double diffusive convection or thermo-solutal convection. The buoyancy ratio which is the ratio of thermal to concentration buoyancy can have negative values thus leading to opposing flow. This article is aimed to study the influence of Dufour effect on the opposing flow in a square porous annulus. The partial differential equations that govern the heat and mass transfer behavior inside porous medium are solved using finite element method. A three node triangular element is used to divide the porous domain into smaller elements. Results are presented with respect to geometric and physical parameters such as duct diameter ratio, Rayleigh number, radiation parameter etc. It is found that the heat transfer increase with increase in Rayleigh number and radiation parameter. It is observed that Dufour coefficient has more influence on velocity profile.

  2. Core values versus common sense: consequentialist views appear less rooted in morality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreps, Tamar A; Monin, Benoît

    2014-11-01

    When a speaker presents an opinion, an important factor in audiences' reactions is whether the speaker seems to be basing his or her decision on ethical (as opposed to more pragmatic) concerns. We argue that, despite a consequentialist philosophical tradition that views utilitarian consequences as the basis for moral reasoning, lay perceivers think that speakers using arguments based on consequences do not construe the issue as a moral one. Five experiments show that, for both political views (including real State of the Union quotations) and organizational policies, consequentialist views are seen to express less moralization than deontological views, and even sometimes than views presented with no explicit justification. We also demonstrate that perceived moralization in turn affects speakers' perceived commitment to the issue and authenticity. These findings shed light on lay conceptions of morality and have practical implications for people considering how to express moral opinions publicly. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  3. Wear Resistance of 3D Printing Resin Material Opposing Zirconia and Metal Antagonists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Ji-Man; Ahn, Jin-Soo; Cha, Hyun-Suk; Lee, Joo-Hee

    2018-06-20

    3D printing offers many advantages in dental prosthesis manufacturing. This study evaluated the wear resistance of 3D printing resin material compared with milling and conventional resin materials. Sixty substrate specimens were prepared with three types of resin materials: 3D printed resin, milled resin, and self-cured resin. The 3D printed specimens were printed at a build angle of 0° and 100 μm layer thickness by digital light processing 3D printing. Two kinds of abraders were made of zirconia and CoCr alloy. The specimens were loaded at 5 kg for 30,000 chewing cycles with vertical and horizontal movements under thermocycling condition. The 3D printed resin did not show significant difference in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear compared to the milled and the self-cured resins. No significant difference was revealed depending on the abraders in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear. In SEM views, the 3D printed resin showed cracks and separation of inter-layer bonds when opposing the metal abrader. The results suggest that the 3D printing using resin materials provides adequate wear resistance for dental use.

  4. Jung's view on myth and post-modern psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Raya A

    2003-11-01

    Post-modern psychology embodies two core themes, the social mind and the narrative self. Whereas the social-mind thesis seems diametrically opposed to Jung's position regarding human nature, the narrative-self thesis is associated with research and theorizing about personal myth and mythmaking in ways that could make contact with Jung's concerns. Jung's view is examined here with particular attention to McAdams' theory of narrative identity. It is suggested that the ostensible differences between Jung and post-modern psychology might reflect divergent interests, rather than necessarily irreconcilable worldviews.

  5. Kantianism and Its Commitment to Non Naturalism

    OpenAIRE

    Frazier, Joseph

    2016-01-01

    Kantian ethics has a strong following amongst the philosophical community when it comes to morality and ethics. Many Kantians, including Christine Korsgaard, subscribe to the view that Kantianism is opposed to Non-Naturalism. This view, while understandable, is incorrect. In fact, the Kantian approach to ethics has a strong commitment to Non-Naturalism in its metaphysical construction. The purpose of this paper is to prove this dependence by showing the inferences and concepts of Kantianism...

  6. Evaluation of fatty liver by using in-phase and opposed-phase MR images and in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae-Seung; Im, In-Chul; Goo, Eun-Hoe; Park, Hyong-Hu; Kwak, Byung-Joon

    2012-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the necessity of in-phase and opposed-phase MR images and their correlations with weight, the aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) value, and age. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used as a reference in this study. We selected 68 people as subjects, among which 14 were volunteers with normal AST/ALT values ( liver function study and 54 were non-alcoholic fatty liver patients for whom ultrasonic images had been obtained within 3 months of the study. In this study, the liver was more enhanced than the spleen or kidney. When the Eq. (3) formula was applied to normal volunteers, the difference between the in-phase and the opposed-phase images was -3.54 ± 12.56. The MRS study result showed a high sensitivity of 96.6% and a specificity of 100% ( p = 0.000) when the cutoff value was 20%. Furthermore, this result showed a high sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 80% with a similar cutoff when the Eq. (2) formula was applied to non-alcoholic fatty liver patients ( p = 0.000). The MRS study revealed a strong correlation between normal volunteers and non-alcoholic fatty liver patients (r = 0.59, p = 0.04). The correlations between AST/ALT and Eq. (3) (r = 0.45, p = 0.004), age and Eq. (3) (r = 0.73, p = 0.03), and weight and Eq. (3) (r = 0.77, p = 0.000) values were all statistically significant. In the case of non-alcoholic liver disease, MRS was found to be significantly correlated with Eq. (1) (r = 0.39, p = 0.002), Eq. (2) (r = 0.68, p = 0.04), Eq. (3) (r = 0.67, p = 0.04), and AST/ALT (r = 0.77, p = 0.000). In conclusion, in-phase and opposed-phase images can help to distinguish a normal liver from a fatty liver in order to identify non-alcoholic fatty liver patients. The intensity difference between the in-phase and opposed-phase MR signals showed valuable correlations with respect to weight, AST/ALT value, and age, with all values being above the mild lipid value (r = 0.3).

  7. A new method of thermal protection by opposing jet for a hypersonic aeroheating strut

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Jiang; Ning, Dongpo; Feng, Yu; Zhang, Junlong; Feng, Shuo; Bao, Wen

    2017-06-01

    This paper presents the numerical investigation of thermal protection of scramjet strut by opposing jet in supersonic stream of Mach number 6 with a hydrogen fueled scramjet strut model using CFD software. Simulation results indicate that when a small amount of fuel is injected from the nose of the strut, the bow shock is pushed away from the strut, and the heat flux is reduced in the strut, especially at the leading edge. Opposing jet forms a recirculation region near the nozzle so that the strut is covered with low temperature fuel and separated from free stream. An appropriate total pressure ratio can be used to reduce not only aerodynamic heating but also the drag of strut. It is therefore concluded that thermal protection of scramjet strut by opposing jet is one of the promising ways to protect scramjet strut in high enthalpy stream.

  8. Consumers and Makers: Exploring Opposing Paradigms of Millennial College Readiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Matthew

    2017-01-01

    The political and technological circumstances of the past two decades have culminated in opposing epistemic paradigms of college readiness, where millennial students' conceptual understanding of "learning" is both narrowed to meet the demands of school systems bound to accountability and amplified by a rapidly evolving digital world. The…

  9. Aspects of extratropical synoptic-scale processes in opposing ENSO phases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwierz, C.; Wernli, H.; Hess, D.

    2003-04-01

    Energy and momentum provided by anomalous tropical heating/cooling affect the circulation on the global scale. Pacific Sea surface temperature anomalies strongly force local conditions in the equatorial Pacific, but are also known to change the climate in the extratropics, particularly over the American continent. The impact on more remote areas such as the Atlantic-European region is less clear. There the observed effects in both analyses and model studies show dependence on the resolution of the model/data, as well as on the time scales under consideration (Merkel and Latif, 2002; Compo et al., 2001). Most of the previous studies focus on larger-scale processes and seasonal time scales (or longer). Here we concentrate on the impact of opposing ENSO phases on extratropical synoptic-scale dynamics. The investigation is undertaken for the Niño/Niña events of 1972/3 and 1973/4 respectively, for 5 winter months (NDJFM) using ECMWF ERA40 data with 1o× 1o horizontal resolution and 60 vertical levels. The examination of the resulting differences in terms of standard dynamical fields (temperature, sea level pressure, precipitation, geopotential) is complemented with additional diagnostic fields (e.g. potential vorticity (PV), anti-/cyclone tracks and frequencies, PV streamers/cut-offs, blocking) in an attempt to gain more insight into aspects of extratropical synoptic-scale dynamical processes associated with ENSO SST anomalies.

  10. Disentangling opposing effects of motivational states on pain perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geuter, Stephan; Cunningham, Jonathan T.; Wager, Tor D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: Although the motivation to avoid injury and pain is central to human and animal behavior, this goal compete priority with other homeostatic goals. Animal studies have shown that competing motivational states, such as thirst, reduce pain. However, such states may also induce negative mood, which in humans has been found to increase pain. These opposing effects complicate study of the effects of motivational states in humans. Objectives: To evaluate concurrent effects of motivational state competition and mood on pain ratings. Methods: We compared a thirst challenge against a control group and measured thirst and mood as potential mediators. Pain induced through contact heat stimulation on the left forearm and was tested at 3 time points: before group randomization, after thirst induction, and after rehydration. Results: Overall, the thirst group reported more pain when thirsty compared with baseline and controls. Mediation analyses showed evidence for two opposing effects. First, the thirst challenge increased negative mood and thirstiness, which was related to increased pain. Second, the thirst challenge produced a direct, pain-reducing effect. Conclusion: Competing motivational states reduce pain but also induce concurrent mood changes that can mask motivational state-related effects. PMID:27747310

  11. The operator view of the Superconducting Cyclotron at LNS Catania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giove, D.; Cuttone, G.; Rovelli, A.

    1992-01-01

    The upper level of a distributed control system designed for the Superconducting Cyclotron (SC), will be discussed. In particular, we will present a detailed description of the operator view of this accelerator along with the tools for I/O points management, data representations, data archiving and retrieval. A dedicated program, developed by us, working under X-Window will be described as a starting point for a new man-machine interface approach in small laboratories opposed to the first industrial available packages. (author)

  12. The costly benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apel, Andrew

    2010-11-30

    Rigorous application of a simple definition of what constitutes opposition to agricultural biotechnology readily encompasses a wide array of key players in national and international systems of food production, distribution and governance. Even though the sum of political and financial benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology appears vastly to outweigh the benefits which accrue to providers of agricultural biotechnology, technology providers actually benefit from this opposition. If these barriers to biotechnology were removed, subsistence farmers still would not represent a lucrative market for improved seed. The sum of all interests involved ensures that subsistence farmers are systematically denied access to agricultural biotechnology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Subcomponents of psychopathy have opposing correlations with punishment judgments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaich Borg, Jana; Kahn, Rachel E; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter; Kurzban, Robert; Robinson, Paul H; Kiehl, Kent A

    2013-10-01

    Psychopathy research is plagued by an enigma: Psychopaths reliably act immorally, but they also accurately report whether an action is morally wrong. The current study revealed that cooperative suppressor effects and conflicting subsets of personality traits within the construct of psychopathy might help explain this conundrum. Among a sample of adult male offenders (N = 100) who ranked deserved punishment of crimes, Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) total scores were not linearly correlated with deserved punishment task performance. However, these null results masked significant opposing associations between task performance and factors of psychopathy: the PCL-R Interpersonal/Affective (i.e., manipulative and callous) factor was positively associated with task performance, while the PCL-R Social Deviance (i.e., impulsive and antisocial) factor was simultaneously negatively associated with task performance. These relationships were qualified by a significant interaction where the Interpersonal/Affective traits were positively associated with task performance when Social Deviance traits were high, but Social Deviance traits were negatively associated with task performance when Interpersonal/Affective traits were low. This interaction helped reveal a significant nonlinear relationship between PCL-R total scores and task performance such that individuals with very low or very high PCL-R total scores performed better than those with middle-range PCL-R total scores. These results may explain the enigma of why individuals with very high psychopathic traits, but not other groups of antisocial individuals, usually have normal moral judgment in laboratory settings, but still behave immorally, especially in contexts where social deviance traits have strong influence.

  14. Opposing Cholinergic and Serotonergic Modulation of Layer 6 in Prefrontal Cortex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel W. Sparks

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Prefrontal cortex is a hub for attention processing and receives abundant innervation from cholinergic and serotonergic afferents. A growing body of evidence suggests that acetylcholine (ACh and serotonin (5-HT have opposing influences on tasks requiring attention, but the underlying neurophysiology of their opposition is unclear. One candidate target population is medial prefrontal layer 6 pyramidal neurons, which provide feedback modulation of the thalamus, as well as feed-forward excitation of cortical interneurons. Here, we assess the response of these neurons to ACh and 5-HT using whole cell recordings in acute brain slices from mouse cortex. With application of exogenous agonists, we show that individual layer 6 pyramidal neurons are bidirectionally-modulated, with ACh and 5-HT exerting opposite effects on excitability across a number of concentrations. Next, we tested the responses of layer 6 pyramidal neurons to optogenetic release of endogenous ACh or 5-HT. These experiments were performed in brain slices from transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin in either ChAT-expressing cholinergic neurons or Pet1-expressing serotonergic neurons. Light-evoked endogenous neuromodulation recapitulated the effects of exogenous neurotransmitters, showing opposing modulation of layer 6 pyramidal neurons by ACh and 5-HT. Lastly, the addition of 5-HT to either endogenous or exogenous ACh significantly suppressed the excitation of pyramidal neurons in prefrontal layer 6. Taken together, this work suggests that the major corticothalamic layer of prefrontal cortex is a substrate for opposing modulatory influences on neuronal activity that could have implications for regulation of attention.

  15. Opposing Cholinergic and Serotonergic Modulation of Layer 6 in Prefrontal Cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparks, Daniel W; Tian, Michael K; Sargin, Derya; Venkatesan, Sridevi; Intson, Katheron; Lambe, Evelyn K

    2017-01-01

    Prefrontal cortex is a hub for attention processing and receives abundant innervation from cholinergic and serotonergic afferents. A growing body of evidence suggests that acetylcholine (ACh) and serotonin (5-HT) have opposing influences on tasks requiring attention, but the underlying neurophysiology of their opposition is unclear. One candidate target population is medial prefrontal layer 6 pyramidal neurons, which provide feedback modulation of the thalamus, as well as feed-forward excitation of cortical interneurons. Here, we assess the response of these neurons to ACh and 5-HT using whole cell recordings in acute brain slices from mouse cortex. With application of exogenous agonists, we show that individual layer 6 pyramidal neurons are bidirectionally-modulated, with ACh and 5-HT exerting opposite effects on excitability across a number of concentrations. Next, we tested the responses of layer 6 pyramidal neurons to optogenetic release of endogenous ACh or 5-HT. These experiments were performed in brain slices from transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin in either ChAT-expressing cholinergic neurons or Pet1-expressing serotonergic neurons. Light-evoked endogenous neuromodulation recapitulated the effects of exogenous neurotransmitters, showing opposing modulation of layer 6 pyramidal neurons by ACh and 5-HT. Lastly, the addition of 5-HT to either endogenous or exogenous ACh significantly suppressed the excitation of pyramidal neurons in prefrontal layer 6. Taken together, this work suggests that the major corticothalamic layer of prefrontal cortex is a substrate for opposing modulatory influences on neuronal activity that could have implications for regulation of attention.

  16. Serelaxin as a novel therapeutic opposing fibrosis and contraction in lung diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Maggie; Royce, Simon G; Samuel, Chrishan S; Bourke, Jane E

    2018-07-01

    The most common therapies for asthma and other chronic lung diseases are anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators. While these drugs oppose disease symptoms, they do not reverse established structural changes in the airways and their therapeutic efficacy is reduced with increasing disease severity. The peptide hormone, relaxin, is a Relaxin Family Peptide Receptor 1 (RXFP1) receptor agonist with unique combined effects in the lung that differentiates it from these existing therapies. Relaxin has previously been reported to have cardioprotective effects in acute heart failure as well anti-fibrotic actions in several organs. This review focuses on recent experimental evidence of the beneficial effects of chronic relaxin treatment in animal models of airways disease demonstrating inhibition of airway hyperresponsiveness and reversal of established fibrosis, consistent with potential therapeutic benefit. Of particular interest, accumulating evidence demonstrates that relaxin can also acutely oppose contraction by reducing the release of mast cell-derived bronchoconstrictors and by directly eliciting bronchodilation. When used in combination, chronic and acute treatment with relaxin has been shown to enhance responsiveness to both glucocorticoids and β 2 -adrenoceptor agonists respectively. While the mechanisms underlying these beneficial actions remain to be fully elucidated, translation of these promising combined preclinical findings is critical in the development of relaxin as a novel alternative or adjunct therapeutic opposing multiple aspects of airway pathology in lung diseases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Wear Resistance of 3D Printing Resin Material Opposing Zirconia and Metal Antagonists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Man Park

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available 3D printing offers many advantages in dental prosthesis manufacturing. This study evaluated the wear resistance of 3D printing resin material compared with milling and conventional resin materials. Sixty substrate specimens were prepared with three types of resin materials: 3D printed resin, milled resin, and self-cured resin. The 3D printed specimens were printed at a build angle of 0° and 100 μm layer thickness by digital light processing 3D printing. Two kinds of abraders were made of zirconia and CoCr alloy. The specimens were loaded at 5 kg for 30,000 chewing cycles with vertical and horizontal movements under thermocycling condition. The 3D printed resin did not show significant difference in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear compared to the milled and the self-cured resins. No significant difference was revealed depending on the abraders in the maximal depth loss or the volume loss of wear. In SEM views, the 3D printed resin showed cracks and separation of inter-layer bonds when opposing the metal abrader. The results suggest that the 3D printing using resin materials provides adequate wear resistance for dental use.

  18. Re: Penetration Behavior of Opposed Rows of Staggered Secondary Air Jets Depending on Jet Penetration Coefficient and Momentum Flux Ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holdeman, James D.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to explain why the extension of the previously published C = (S/Ho)sqrt(J) scaling for opposed rows of staggered jets wasn't directly successful in the study by Choi et al. (2016). It is not surprising that staggered jets from opposite sides do not pass each other at the expected C value, because Ho/D and sqrt(J) are much larger than the maximum in previous studies. These, and large x/D's, tend to suggest development of 2-dimensional flow. Although there are distinct optima for opposed rows of in-line jets, single-side injection, and opposed rows of staggered jets based on C, opposed rows of staggered jets provide as good or better mixing performance, at any C value, than opposed rows of in-line jets or jets from single-side injection.

  19. An Experimental Investigation on the Combustion and Heat Release Characteristics of an Opposed-Piston Folded-Cranktrain Diesel Engine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fukang Ma

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engines, the relative movement rules of opposed-pistons, combustion chamber components and injector position are different from those of conventional diesel engines. The combustion and heat release characteristics of an opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engine under different operating conditions were investigated. Four phases: ignition delay, premixed combustion, diffusion combustion and after combustion are used to describe the heat release process of the engine. Load changing has a small effect on premixed combustion duration while it influences diffusion combustion duration significantly. The heat release process has more significant isochoric and isobaric combustion which differs from the conventional diesel engine situation, except at high exhaust pressure and temperature, due to its two-stroke and uniflow scavenging characteristics. Meanwhile, a relatively high-quality exhaust heat energy is produced in opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engines.

  20. Modeling the Gratification-Seeking Process of Television Viewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Carolyn A.

    1993-01-01

    Examines adolescents' television viewing motives, activities, and satisfaction, in an attempt to integrate the audience activity construct into the uses and gratifications model. Suggests that more strongly motivated viewers engage more actively in various audience activities throughout the viewing process and receive greater viewing satisfaction…

  1. Screening for skeletal metastases of the spine and pelvis: gradient echo opposed-phase MRI compared with bone scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumann, K.; Hosten, N.; Venz, S.

    1995-01-01

    Opposed-phase gradient echo (GRE) MRI at 0.5 T was compared with T1-weighted GRE MRI and bone scintigraphy regarding the detection of malignant bone marrow infiltrates of the spine and pelvis. Seventeen control patients and 41 patients with suspected skeletal metastases were studied with plain and gadolinium-enhanced MRI. In the control group only a vertebral haemangioma showed contrast enhancement, while all metastases (confirmed histologically or by follow-up) were enhancing. Opposed-phase surface coil MRI showed a significantly higher contrast-to-noise ratio of 56 metastases than T1-weighted images. In 28 patients body coil opposed-phase MRI detected more metastatic foci of the spine and pelvis than did bone scintigraphy (84 vs 56). No scintigraphically visualised lesion was missed by MRI. In conclusion, body coil gadolinium-enhanced opposed-phase GRE MRI may be applied as a screening method for skeletal metastases of the spine and pelvis at intermediate field strengths. (orig.)

  2. Screening for skeletal metastases of the spine and pelvis: gradient echo opposed-phase MRI compared with bone scintigraphy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neumann, K. [Zentralinstitut fuer Roentgendiagnostik, Universitaetsklinikum Essen, Gesamthochschule Essen (Germany); Hosten, N. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Universitaetsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Venz, S. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Universitaetsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany)

    1995-11-01

    Opposed-phase gradient echo (GRE) MRI at 0.5 T was compared with T1-weighted GRE MRI and bone scintigraphy regarding the detection of malignant bone marrow infiltrates of the spine and pelvis. Seventeen control patients and 41 patients with suspected skeletal metastases were studied with plain and gadolinium-enhanced MRI. In the control group only a vertebral haemangioma showed contrast enhancement, while all metastases (confirmed histologically or by follow-up) were enhancing. Opposed-phase surface coil MRI showed a significantly higher contrast-to-noise ratio of 56 metastases than T1-weighted images. In 28 patients body coil opposed-phase MRI detected more metastatic foci of the spine and pelvis than did bone scintigraphy (84 vs 56). No scintigraphically visualised lesion was missed by MRI. In conclusion, body coil gadolinium-enhanced opposed-phase GRE MRI may be applied as a screening method for skeletal metastases of the spine and pelvis at intermediate field strengths. (orig.)

  3. Strong factor in the SO(2,3) S matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amado, R.D.; Sparrow, D.A.

    1986-01-01

    The group theoretic S matrix of Alhassid, Iachello, and Wu is factorable into a product of Coulomb and strong factors. The strong factor is examined with a view to relating it to more fa- miliar potential and phase shift descriptions. We find simple approximate expressions for the phase shifts which are very accurate for heavy-ion-type applications. For peripheral scattering it is possible to obtain simple expressions relating the strong factor to an effective potential

  4. Repair of closely opposed cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers in UV-sensitive human diploid fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lam, L.H.; Reynolds, R.J.

    1986-01-01

    An enzyme-sensitive site assay has been used to examine the fate of closely opposed pyrimidine dimers in fibroblasts from individuals afflicted with various genetic disorders that confer increased cellular sensitivity to UV radiation. The disappearance of bifilar enzyme-sensitive sites was found to be normal in cells from individuals with Fanconi's anemia, Cockayne's syndrome, dyskeratosis congenita and the variant form of xeroderma pigmentosum. The rate of bifilar enzyme-sensitive site removal in XP cells assigned to complementation group C was reduced by an amount similar to that observed for the repair of isolated dimers. Our results indicate that the initiation of repair at closely opposed dimers is slow in XP-C cells but normal in all other cells examined. (Auth.)

  5. High rate reactive sputtering in an opposed cathode closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sproul, William D.; Rudnik, Paul J.; Graham, Michael E.; Rohde, Suzanne L.

    1990-01-01

    Attention is given to an opposed cathode sputtering system constructed with the ability to coat parts with a size up to 15 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length. Initial trials with this system revealed very low substrate bias currents. When the AlNiCo magnets in the two opposed cathodes were arranged in a mirrored configuration, the plasma density at the substrate was low, and the substrate bias current density was less than 1 mA/sq cm. If the magnets were arranged in a closed-field configuration where the field lines from one set of magnets were coupled with the other set, the substrate bias current density was as high as 5.7 mA/sq cm when NdFeB magnets were used. In the closed-field configuration, the substrate bias current density was related to the magnetic field strength between the two cathodes and to the sputtering pressure. Hard well-adhered TiN coatings were reactively sputtered in the opposed cathode system in the closed-field configuration, but the mirrored configuration produced films with poor adhesion because of etching problems and low plasma density at the substrate.

  6. NKT Cell Subsets Can Exert Opposing Effects in Autoimmunity, Tumor Surveillance and Inflammation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viale, Rachael; Ware, Randle; Maricic, Igor; Chaturvedi, Varun; Kumar, Vipin

    2014-01-01

    The innate-like natural killer T (NKT) cells are essential regulators of immunity. These cells comprise at least two distinct subsets and recognize different lipid antigens presented by the MHC class I like molecules CD1d. The CD1d-dependent recognition pathway of NKT cells is highly conserved from mouse to humans. While most type I NKT cells can recognize αGalCer and express a semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR), a major population of type II NKT cells reactive to sulfatide utilizes an oligoclonal TCR. Furthermore TCR recognition features of NKT subsets are also distinctive with almost parallel as opposed to perpendicular footprints on the CD1d molecules for the type I and type II NKT cells respectively. Here we present a view based upon the recent studies in different clinical and experimental settings that while type I NKT cells are more often pathogenic, they may also be regulatory. On the other hand, sulfatide-reactive type II NKT cells mostly play an inhibitory role in the control of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Since the activity and cytokine secretion profiles of NKT cell subsets can be modulated differently by lipid ligands or their analogs, novel immunotherapeutic strategies are being developed for their differential activation for potential intervention in inflammatory diseases. PMID:25288922

  7. Relevance of variations in the opposing dentition for the functionality of fixed and removable partial dentures: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pommer, Bernhard; Krainhöfner, Martin; Watzek, Georg; Tepper, Gabor; Dintsios, Charalabos-Markos

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the functionality of fixed and removable partial dentures as test interventions in relation to variations in the opposing dentition and their prosthetic restoration. The abstracts identified in the respective databases were screened independently by two investigators. RCTs and uncontrolled studies were considered, provided the patients were included consecutively and the confounding variables were adequately monitored. Seventeen papers were included. The study and publication quality was assessed using a "biometric quality" tool showing an overall poor quality. The reported outcomes, such as survival rates, were in each case obtained from a single study. Two possible trends could be deduced for the endpoint longevity: (a) the first trend in favor of removable partial dentures, compared to fixed partial dentures, with a fully edentulous opposing arch fitted with a removable prosthesis; (b) the second trend in favor of implant-supported partial dentures, compared to conventionally fixed partial dentures, with natural opposing dentition or with a removable partial denture in the opposing arch. No evidence could be generated as to whether, and if so how, variations in the opposing dentition have a bearing on the decision to fit a partially edentulous arch with a fixed or removable partial denture.

  8. Relevance of Variations in the Opposing Dentition for the Functionality of Fixed and Removable Partial Dentures: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernhard Pommer

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the functionality of fixed and removable partial dentures as test interventions in relation to variations in the opposing dentition and their prosthetic restoration. The abstracts identified in the respective databases were screened independently by two investigators. RCTs and uncontrolled studies were considered, provided the patients were included consecutively and the confounding variables were adequately monitored. Seventeen papers were included. The study and publication quality was assessed using a “biometric quality” tool showing an overall poor quality. The reported outcomes, such as survival rates, were in each case obtained from a single study. Two possible trends could be deduced for the endpoint longevity: (a the first trend in favor of removable partial dentures, compared to fixed partial dentures, with a fully edentulous opposing arch fitted with a removable prosthesis; (b the second trend in favor of implant-supported partial dentures, compared to conventionally fixed partial dentures, with natural opposing dentition or with a removable partial denture in the opposing arch. No evidence could be generated as to whether, and if so how, variations in the opposing dentition have a bearing on the decision to fit a partially edentulous arch with a fixed or removable partial denture.

  9. Opposed-flow Flame Spread Over Solid Fuels in Microgravity: the Effect of Confined Spaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuangfeng; Hu, Jun; Xiao, Yuan; Ren, Tan; Zhu, Feng

    2015-09-01

    Effects of confined spaces on flame spread over thin solid fuels in a low-speed opposing flow is investigated by combined use of microgravity experiments and computations. The flame behaviors are observed to depend strongly on the height of the flow tunnel. In particular, a non-monotonic trend of flame spread rate versus tunnel height is found, with the fastest flame occurring in the 3 cm high tunnel. The flame length and the total heat release rate from the flame also change with tunnel height, and a faster flame has a larger length and a higher heat release rate. The computation analyses indicate that a confined space modifies the flow around the spreading flame. The confinement restricts the thermal expansion and accelerates the flow in the streamwise direction. Above the flame, the flow deflects back from the tunnel wall. This inward flow pushes the flame towards the fuel surface, and increases oxygen transport into the flame. Such a flow modification explains the variations of flame spread rate and flame length with tunnel height. The present results suggest that the confinement effects on flame behavior in microgravity should be accounted to assess accurately the spacecraft fire hazard.

  10. POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FORMATION IN OPPOSED FLOW DIFFUSION FLAMES OF ETHANE. (R825412)

    Science.gov (United States)

    AbstractThe effect of fuel-side carbon density on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation in atmospheric pressure, opposed flow, ethane diffusion flames has been studied using heated micro-probe sampling and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (...

  11. Ultimate and proximate explanations of strong reciprocity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vromen, Jack

    2017-08-23

    Strong reciprocity (SR) has recently been subject to heated debate. In this debate, the "West camp" (West et al. in Evol Hum Behav 32(4):231-262, 2011), which is critical of the case for SR, and the "Laland camp" (Laland et al. in Science, 334(6062):1512-1516, 2011, Biol Philos 28(5):719-745, 2013), which is sympathetic to the case of SR, seem to take diametrically opposed positions. The West camp criticizes advocates of SR for conflating proximate and ultimate causation. SR is said to be a proximate mechanism that is put forward by its advocates as an ultimate explanation of human cooperation. The West camp thus accuses advocates of SR for not heeding Mayr's original distinction between ultimate and proximate causation. The Laland camp praises advocates of SR for revising Mayr's distinction. Advocates of SR are said to replace Mayr's uni-directional view on the relation between ultimate and proximate causes by the bi-directional one of reciprocal causation. The paper argues that both the West camp and the Laland camp misrepresent what advocates of SR are up to. The West camp is right that SR is a proximate cause of human cooperation. But rather than putting forward SR as an ultimate explanation, as the West camp argues, advocates of SR believe that SR itself is in need of ultimate explanation. Advocates of SR tend to take gene-culture co-evolutionary theory as the correct meta-theoretical framework for advancing ultimate explanations of SR. Appearances notwithstanding, gene-culture coevolutionary theory does not imply Laland et al.'s notion of reciprocal causation. "Reciprocal causation" suggests that proximate and ultimate causes interact simultaneously, while advocates of SR assume that they interact sequentially. I end by arguing that the best way to understand the debate is by disambiguating Mayr's ultimate-proximate distinction. I propose to reserve "ultimate" and "proximate" for different sorts of explanations, and to use other terms for distinguishing

  12. Moral Judgment, Sensitivity To Reasons, and the Multi-system View

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Orsi

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I attempt a critical examination of the multi-system or dual-process view of moral judgment. This view aims to provide a psychological explanation of moral sensitivity, and in particular an explanation of conflicting moral sensitivities in dilemma cases such as the crying baby scenario. I argue that proponents of the multi-system view owe us a satisfactory account of the mechanisms underlying “consequentialist” responses to such scenarios. For one thing, the “cognitive” processes involved in consequentialist reasoning only seem to play a subserving role with respect to the final judgment (providing non-moral inputs to judgment, or exerting additional strength to override the immediate “deontological” response. In this sense, Greene and colleagues fail to identify a peculiar system of moral judgment specularly opposed to the affective “deontological” one. For another, Greene and colleagues’ work on the emotion-cognition dichotomy and the distinction between alarm-bell and currency emotions, though promising, still falls short of providing an adequate and consistent picture of the psychological mechanisms underlying “cognitive” evaluations and verdicts in dilemma scenarios. It is suggested that alongside further experimental work, proponents of this view should pay more attention to the conceptual underpinnings of their distinctions.

  13. Biomass stakeholder views and concerns: Environmental groups and some trade association

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peelle, E.

    2000-01-01

    This exploratory study of the views and concerns of 25 environmental organizations found high interest and concern about which biomass feedstocks would be used and how these biomass materials would be converted to energy. While all favored renewable energy over fossil or nuclear energy, opinion diverged over whether energy crops, residues, or both should be the primary source of a biomass/bioenergy fuel cycle. About half of the discussants favored biomass ``in general'' as a renewable energy source, while the others were distributed about equally over five categories, from favor-with-conditions, uncertain, skeptical, opposed, to ``no organizational policy.''

  14. Biomass stakeholder views and concerns: Environmental groups and some trade associations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peelle, E.

    2000-01-01

    This exploratory study of the views and concerns of 25 environmental organizations found high interest and concern about which biomass feedstocks would be used and how these biomass materials would be converted to energy. While all favored renewable energy over fossil or nuclear energy, opinion diverged over whether energy crops, residues, or both should be the primary source of a biomass/bioenergy fuel cycle. About half of the discussants favored biomass ''in general'' as a renewable energy source, while the others were distributed about equally over five categories, from favor-with-conditions, uncertain, skeptical, opposed, to ''no organizational policy.''

  15. Positive and negative affect produce opposing task-irrelevant stimulus preexposure effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazar, Josef; Kaplan, Oren; Sternberg, Terri; Lubow, R E

    2012-06-01

    In three experiments, groups were exposed to either positive or negative affect video clips, after which they were presented with a series of task-irrelevant stimuli. In the subsequent test task, subjects were required to learn an association between the previously irrelevant stimulus and a consequence, and between a new stimulus and a consequence. Induced positive affect produced a latent inhibition effect (poorer evidence of learning with the previously irrelevant stimulus than with the novel stimulus). In opposition to this, induced negative affect resulted in better evidence of learning with a previously irrelevant stimulus than with a novel stimulus. In general, the opposing effects also were present in participants scoring high on self-report questionnaires of depression (Experiments 2 and 3). These unique findings were predicted and accounted for on the basis of two principles: (a) positive affect broadens the attentional field and negative affect contracts it; and (b) task-irrelevant stimuli are processed in two successive stages, the first encodes stimulus properties, and the second encodes stimulus relationships. The opposing influences of negative and positive mood on the processing of irrelevant stimuli have implications for the role of emotion in general theories of cognition, and possibly for resolving some of the inconsistent findings in research with schizophrenia patients.

  16. Nonlinear Dynamics and Strong Cavity Cooling of Levitated Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, P Z G; Aranas, E B; Millen, J; Monteiro, T S; Barker, P F

    2016-10-21

    Optomechanical systems explore and exploit the coupling between light and the mechanical motion of macroscopic matter. A nonlinear coupling offers rich new physics, in both quantum and classical regimes. We investigate a dynamic, as opposed to the usually studied static, nonlinear optomechanical system, comprising a nanosphere levitated in a hybrid electro-optical trap. The cavity offers readout of both linear-in-position and quadratic-in-position (nonlinear) light-matter coupling, while simultaneously cooling the nanosphere, for indefinite periods of time and in high vacuum. We observe the cooling dynamics via both linear and nonlinear coupling. As the background gas pressure was lowered, we observed a greater than 1000-fold reduction in temperature before temperatures fell below readout sensitivity in the present setup. This Letter opens the way to strongly coupled quantum dynamics between a cavity and a nanoparticle largely decoupled from its environment.

  17. Is a strong sense of self-efficacy always beneficial?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas VERHAEREN

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The concept of self-efficacy, introduced by Albert Bandura, has received a lot of attention in psychological research. This comes as no surprise, as it encompasses a person's beliefs about his or her capabilities to successfully do what is necessary for desired goals, which is a central mechanism in human agency. The concept has been linked to many outcomes (e.g. motivation and performance, almost exclusively yielding positive results. Recently, however, arguments have risen that a strong sense of selfefficacy may not always be as beneficial as presumed until now. In this article, I review the core of the positive literature on self-efficacy and highlight studies that question and oppose the dominance of these positive self-efficacy associations. Implications for future research, emphasizing the need of a different research approach, are mentioned.

  18. Nonlinear Dynamics and Strong Cavity Cooling of Levitated Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, P. Z. G.; Aranas, E. B.; Millen, J.; Monteiro, T. S.; Barker, P. F.

    2016-10-01

    Optomechanical systems explore and exploit the coupling between light and the mechanical motion of macroscopic matter. A nonlinear coupling offers rich new physics, in both quantum and classical regimes. We investigate a dynamic, as opposed to the usually studied static, nonlinear optomechanical system, comprising a nanosphere levitated in a hybrid electro-optical trap. The cavity offers readout of both linear-in-position and quadratic-in-position (nonlinear) light-matter coupling, while simultaneously cooling the nanosphere, for indefinite periods of time and in high vacuum. We observe the cooling dynamics via both linear and nonlinear coupling. As the background gas pressure was lowered, we observed a greater than 1000-fold reduction in temperature before temperatures fell below readout sensitivity in the present setup. This Letter opens the way to strongly coupled quantum dynamics between a cavity and a nanoparticle largely decoupled from its environment.

  19. Complications and Clinical Considerations of the Implant-Retained Zirconia Complete-Arch Prosthesis with Various Opposing Dentitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Jorge; Triplett, Robert G

    To evaluate the performance of the implant-retained zirconia complete-arch prosthesis with various opposing dentitions. The 40 patients included in this retrospective case series study were treated with one or two implant-retained zirconia complete-arch prostheses (ZIRCAP) using the Zirkonzahn protocol. Prettau zirconia frames were created with strategic cutbacks in the structure to extend zirconia incisal coverage of the esthetic anterior sextants and complete monolithic zirconia in the molar areas; subsequent layers of porcelain were applied to nonfunctional and esthetic areas. Patients had three possible occlusal scenarios: (1) maxillary ZIRCAP and mandibular ZIRCAP, (2) maxillary ZIRCAP and mandibular natural dentition, and (3) maxillary ZIRCAP and mandibular conventional hybrid prosthesis. Complications were recorded during follow-up appointments 3, 6, and 12 months after definitive prosthesis delivery. The mean treatment observation period was 33 months. Eight prosthetic complications were noted for the 40 implant-retained zirconia complete-arch prostheses (18.18%), including six cases of minor porcelain chipping and two cases of debonding of the metal insert from the zirconia framework. Maxillary ZIRCAP opposing mandibular ZIRCAP and maxillary ZIRCAP opposing mandibular natural dentition occlusal scenarios presented the same complication ratio of 4. No complications were seen in the maxillary ZIRCAP opposing mandibular conventional hybrid prosthesis group, yet 16 complications were found as denture tooth fractures in 12 mandibular conventional hybrid prostheses (ratio of 0.75). The results indicate that the implant-retained zirconia complete-arch prosthesis offers acceptable performance for use as an alternative to the conventional titanium framework acrylic veneer prosthesis for complete edentulism with a lower incidence of prosthetic complications and fewer maintenance appointments. Chipping of veneering porcelain was the most common complication, but a

  20. Remote viewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, C

    1988-04-15

    Remote viewing is the supposed faculty which enables a percipient, sited in a closed room, to describe the perceptions of a remote agent visiting an unknown target site. To provide convincing demonstration of such a faculty poses a range of experimental and practical problems, especially if feedback to the percipient is allowed after each trial. The precautions needed are elaborate and troublesome; many potential loopholes have to be plugged and there will be strong temptations to relax standards, requiring exceptional discipline and dedication by the experimenters. Most reports of remote viewing experiments are rather superficial and do not permit assessment of the experimental procedures with confidence; in many cases there is clear evidence of particular loopholes left unclosed. Any serious appraisal of the evidence would have to go beyond the reports. Meanwhile the published evidence is far from compelling, and certainly insufficient to justify overthrow of well-established scientific principles.

  1. Opposing Forces of A/T-Biased Mutations and G/C-Biased Gene Conversions Shape the Genome of the Nematode Pristionchus pacificus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weller, Andreas M.; Rödelsperger, Christian; Eberhardt, Gabi; Molnar, Ruxandra I.; Sommer, Ralf J.

    2014-01-01

    Base substitution mutations are a major source of genetic novelty and mutation accumulation line (MAL) studies revealed a nearly universal AT bias in de novo mutation spectra. While a comparison of de novo mutation spectra with the actual nucleotide composition in the genome suggests the existence of general counterbalancing mechanisms, little is known about the evolutionary and historical details of these opposing forces. Here, we correlate MAL-derived mutation spectra with patterns observed from population resequencing. Variation observed in natural populations has already been subject to evolutionary forces. Distinction between rare and common alleles, the latter of which are close to fixation and of presumably older age, can provide insight into mutational processes and their influence on genome evolution. We provide a genome-wide analysis of de novo mutations in 22 MALs of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus and compare the spectra with natural variants observed in resequencing of 104 natural isolates. MALs show an AT bias of 5.3, one of the highest values observed to date. In contrast, the AT bias in natural variants is much lower. Specifically, rare derived alleles show an AT bias of 2.4, whereas common derived alleles close to fixation show no AT bias at all. These results indicate the existence of a strong opposing force and they suggest that the GC content of the P. pacificus genome is in equilibrium. We discuss GC-biased gene conversion as a potential mechanism acting against AT-biased mutations. This study provides insight into genome evolution by combining MAL studies with natural variation. PMID:24414549

  2. Opposing nodal and BMP signals regulate left-right asymmetry in the sea urchin larva.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Jyun Luo

    Full Text Available Nodal and BMP signals are important for establishing left-right (LR asymmetry in vertebrates. In sea urchins, Nodal signaling prevents the formation of the rudiment on the right side. However, the opposing pathway to Nodal signaling during LR axis establishment is not clear. Here, we revealed that BMP signaling is activated in the left coelomic pouch, specifically in the veg2 lineage, but not in the small micromeres. By perturbing BMP activities, we demonstrated that BMP signaling is required for activating the expression of the left-sided genes and the formation of the left-sided structures. On the other hand, Nodal signals on the right side inhibit BMP signaling and control LR asymmetric separation and apoptosis of the small micromeres. Our findings show that BMP signaling is the positive signal for left-sided development in sea urchins, suggesting that the opposing roles of Nodal and BMP signals in establishing LR asymmetry are conserved in deuterostomes.

  3. Embryonic stem cells deficient for Brca2 or Blm exhibit divergent genotoxic profiles that support opposing activities during homologous recombination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marple, Teresa [Department of Molecular Medicine and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 15355 Lambda Drive San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States); Kim, Tae Moon [Department of Molecular Medicine and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 15355 Lambda Drive San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States); Hasty, Paul [Department of Molecular Medicine and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 15355 Lambda Drive San Antonio, TX 78245-3207 (United States)]. E-mail: hastye@uthscsa.edu

    2006-12-01

    The breast cancer susceptibility protein, Brca2 and the RecQ helicase, Blm (Bloom syndrome mutated) are tumor suppressors that maintain genome integrity, at least in part, through homologous recombination (HR). Brca2 facilitates HR by interacting with Rad51 in multiple regions, the BRC motifs encoded by exon 11 and a single domain encoded by exon 27; however, the exact importance of these regions is not fully understood. Blm also interacts with Rad51 and appears to suppress HR in most circumstances; however, its yeast homologue Sgs1 facilitates HR in response to some genotoxins. To better understand the biological importance of these two proteins, we performed a genotoxic screen on mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells impaired for either Brca2 or Blm to establish their genotoxic profiles (a cellular dose-response to a wide range of agents). This is the first side-by-side comparison of these two proteins in an identical genetic background. We compared cells deleted for Brca2 exon 27 to cells reduced for Blm expression and find that the Brca2- and Blm-impaired cells exhibit genotoxic profiles that reflect opposing activities during HR. Cells deleted for Brca2 exon 27 are hypersensitive to {gamma}-radiation, streptonigrin, mitomycin C and camptothecin and mildly resistant to ICRF-193 which is similar to HR defective cells null for Rad54. By contrast, Blm-impaired cells are hypersensitive to ICRF-193, mildly resistant to camptothecin and mitomycin C and more strongly resistant to hydroxyurea. These divergent profiles support the notion that Brca2 and Blm perform opposing functions during HR in mouse ES cells.

  4. Divestment prevails over the green paradox when anticipating strong future climate policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Nico; McGlade, Christophe; Hilaire, Jérôme; Ekins, Paul

    2018-01-01

    Fossil fuel market dynamics will have a significant impact on the effectiveness of climate policies1. Both fossil fuel owners and investors in fossil fuel infrastructure are sensitive to climate policies that threaten their natural resource endowments and production capacities2-4, which will consequently affect their near-term behaviour. Although weak in near-term policy commitments5,6, the Paris Agreement on climate7 signalled strong ambitions in climate change stabilization. Many studies emphasize that the 2 °C target can still be achieved even if strong climate policies are delayed until 20308-10. However, sudden implementation will have severe consequences for fossil fuel markets and beyond and these studies ignore the anticipation effects of owners and investors. Here we use two energy-economy models to study the collective influence of the two central but opposing anticipation arguments, the green paradox11 and the divestment effect12, which have, to date, been discussed only separately. For a wide range of future climate policies, we find that anticipation effects, on balance, reduce CO2 emissions during the implementation lag. This is because of strong divestment in coal power plants starting ten years ahead of policy implementation. The green paradox effect is identified, but is small under reasonable assumptions.

  5. Coin Tossing Explains the Activity of Opposing Microtubule Motors on Phagosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanghavi, Paulomi; D'Souza, Ashwin; Rai, Ashim; Rai, Arpan; Padinhatheeri, Ranjith; Mallik, Roop

    2018-05-07

    How the opposing activity of kinesin and dynein motors generates polarized distribution of organelles inside cells is poorly understood and hotly debated [1, 2]. Possible explanations include stochastic mechanical competition [3, 4], coordinated regulation by motor-associated proteins [5-7], mechanical activation of motors [8], and lipid-induced organization [9]. Here, we address this question by using phagocytosed latex beads to generate early phagosomes (EPs) that move bidirectionally along microtubules (MTs) in an in vitro assay [9]. Dynein/kinesin activity on individual EPs is recorded as real-time force generation of the motors against an optical trap. Activity of one class of motors frequently coincides with, or is rapidly followed by opposite motors. This leads to frequent and rapid reversals of EPs in the trap. Remarkably, the choice between dynein and kinesin can be explained by the tossing of a coin. Opposing motors therefore appear to function stochastically and independently of each other, as also confirmed by observing no effect on kinesin function when dynein is inhibited on the EPs. A simple binomial probability calculation based on the geometry of EP-microtubule contact explains the observed activity of dynein and kinesin on phagosomes. This understanding of intracellular transport in terms of a hypothetical coin, if it holds true for other cargoes, provides a conceptual framework to explain the polarized localization of organelles inside cells. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. School Vouchers: Stealing from the Poor to Give to the Rich?

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Jose, Alyssa L.

    2017-01-01

    School vouchers are defined as certificates of government funding that are allocated to students and intended to defer the cost of tuition at a private school of the student or the student's parents' choice. With strong views on opposing sides, the issue of school choice and the corresponding use of vouchers has certainly been catapulted into the…

  7. Simulation Modeling and Optimization of Uniflow Scavenging System Parameters on Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke Engines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fukang Ma

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Based on the introduction of opposed-piston two-stroke (OP2S gasoline direct injection (GDI engines, the OP2S-GDI engine working principle and scavenging process were analyzed. GT-Power software was employed to model the working process based on the structural style and principle of OP2S-GDI engine. The tracer gas method and OP2S-GDI engine experiment were employed for model validation at full load of 6000 rpm. The OP2S-GDI engine scavenging system parameters were optimized, including intake port height stroke ratio, intake port circumference ratio, exhaust port height stroke ratio, exhaust port circumference ratio, and opposed-piston motion phase difference. At the same time, the effect of the port height stroke ratio and opposed-piston motion phase difference on effective compression ratio and expansion ratio were considered, and the indicated work was employed as the optimization objective. A three-level orthogonal experiment was applied in the calculation process to reduce the calculation work. The influence and correlation coefficient on the scavenging efficiency and delivery ratio were investigated by the orthogonal experiment analysis of intake and exhaust port height stroke ratio and circular utilization. The effect of the scavenging system parameters on delivery ratio, scavenging efficiency and indicated work were calculated to obtain the best parameters. The results show that intake port height stroke ratio is the main factor for the delivery ratio, while exhaust port height stroke ratio is the main factor to engine delivery ratio and scavenging efficiency.

  8. Attitudes toward hydraulic fracturing: The opposing forces of political conservatism and basic knowledge about fracking

    OpenAIRE

    Choma, BL; Hanoch, Y; Currie, S

    2016-01-01

    publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Attitudes toward hydraulic fracturing: The opposing forces of political conservatism and basic knowledge about fracking journaltitle: Global Environmental Change articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2016.03.004 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Stigma, discrimination, treatment effectiveness, and policy: public views about drug addiction and mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Colleen L; McGinty, Emma E; Pescosolido, Bernice A; Goldman, Howard H

    2014-10-01

    Public attitudes about drug addiction and mental illness were compared. A Web-based national survey (N=709) was conducted to compare attitudes about stigma, discrimination, treatment effectiveness, and policy support in regard to drug addiction and mental illness. Respondents held significantly more negative views toward persons with drug addiction. More respondents were unwilling to have a person with drug addiction marry into their family or work closely with them. Respondents were more willing to accept discriminatory practices against persons with drug addiction, more skeptical about the effectiveness of treatments, and more likely to oppose policies aimed at helping them. Drug addiction is often treated as a subcategory of mental illness, and insurance plans group them together under the rubric of "behavioral health." Given starkly different public views about drug addiction and mental illness, advocates may need to adopt differing approaches to reducing stigma and advancing public policy.

  10. Strong-Field Modulated Diffraction Effects in the Correlated Electron-Nuclear Motion in Dissociating H2+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Feng; Becker, Andreas; Thumm, Uwe

    2008-01-01

    We show that the electronic dynamics in a molecule driven by a strong field is complex and potentially even counterintuitive. As a prototype example, we simulate the interaction of a dissociating H 2 + molecule with an intense infrared laser pulse. Depending on the laser intensity, the direction of the electron's motion between the two nuclei is found to follow or oppose the classical laser-electric force. We explain the sensitive dependence of the correlated electronic-nuclear motion in terms of the diffracting electronic momentum distribution of the dissociating two-center system. The distribution is dynamically modulated by the nuclear motion and periodically shifted in the oscillating infrared electric field

  11. Nature of Science and Models: Comparing Portuguese Prospective Teachers' Views

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Joana; Vasconcelos, Clara

    2015-01-01

    Despite the relevance of nature of science and scientific models in science education, studies reveal that students do not possess adequate views regarding these topics. Bearing in mind that both teachers' views and knowledge strongly influence students' educational experiences, the main scope of this study was to evaluate Portuguese prospective…

  12. Intervention strength does not differentially affect memory reconsolidation of strong memories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schie, Kevin; van Veen, Suzanne C; Hendriks, Yanniek R; van den Hout, Marcel A; Engelhard, Iris M

    2017-10-01

    Recently, it has become clear that retrieval (i.e., reactivation) of consolidated memories may return these memories into a labile state before they are restored into long-term memory ('reconsolidation'). Using behavioral manipulations, reactivated memories can be disrupted via the mechanism of novel learning. In the present study, we investigated whether changing a strong memory during reconsolidation depends on the strength of novel learning. To test this, participants (N=144) in six groups acquired a relatively strong memory on Day 1 by viewing and recalling a series of pictures three times. On Day 8, these pictures were reactivated in three groups, and they were not reactivated in the other three groups. Then, participants viewed and recalled new pictures once (weak new learning) or three times (strong new learning), or they did not learn any new pictures. On Day 9, participants performed a recognition test in which their memory for Day 1 pictures was assessed. Two main results are noted. First, the groups that reactivated pictures from Day 1 and received weak or strong new learning did not differ in memory performance. Second, these two groups consistently performed similar to groups that controlled for new learning without reactivation. Because these results contradict what was expected based on the reconsolidation hypothesis, we discuss possible explanations and implications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature

    OpenAIRE

    Mitreanu, Cristian

    2007-01-01

    The article, "A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature," provides a new theory of human nature, and aims to bring it to the center of our understanding of business, or commerce, creating a strong foundation for new business and economic principles and practices. The article has three parts. In the first section, the author identifies and discusses the fundamental drives that characterize all forms of life. Building upon these findings, he then develops the unique view of human nature in the s...

  14. Malaysian primary care doctors' views on men's health: an unresolved jigsaw puzzle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Seng Fah; Low, Wah Yun; Ismail, Shaiful Bahari; Trevena, Lyndal; Willcock, Simon

    2011-05-12

    Men have been noted to utilise health care services less readily then women. Primary care settings provide an opportunity to engage men in health care activities because of close proximity to the target group (men in the community). Understanding attitudes towards men's health among Malaysian primary care doctors is important for the effective delivery of health services to men. We aimed to explore the opinions and attitudes of primary care doctors (PCDs) relating to men's health and help-seeking behaviour. A qualitative approach to explore the opinions of 52 PCDs was employed, using fourteen in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions in public and private settings. Purposive sampling of PCDs was done to ensure maximum variation in the PCD sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Open coding with thematic analysis was used to identify key issues raised in the interview. The understanding of the concept of men's health among PCDs was fragmented. Although many PCDs were already managing health conditions relevant and common to men, they were not viewed by PCDs as "men's health". Less attention was paid to men's help-seeking behaviour and their gender roles as a potential determinant of the poor health status of men. There were opposing views about whether men's health should focus on men's overall health or a more focused approach to sexual health. There was also disagreement about whether special attention was warranted for men's health services. Some doctors would prioritise more common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia. The concept of men's health was new to PCDs in Malaysia. There was wide variation in understanding and opposing attitudes towards men's health among primary care doctors. Creating awareness and having a systematic approach would facilitate PCDs in delivering health service to men.

  15. Malaysian primary care doctors' views on men's health: an unresolved jigsaw puzzle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Shaiful

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Men have been noted to utilise health care services less readily then women. Primary care settings provide an opportunity to engage men in health care activities because of close proximity to the target group (men in the community. Understanding attitudes towards men's health among Malaysian primary care doctors is important for the effective delivery of health services to men. We aimed to explore the opinions and attitudes of primary care doctors (PCDs relating to men's health and help-seeking behaviour. Methods A qualitative approach to explore the opinions of 52 PCDs was employed, using fourteen in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions in public and private settings. Purposive sampling of PCDs was done to ensure maximum variation in the PCD sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Open coding with thematic analysis was used to identify key issues raised in the interview. Results The understanding of the concept of men's health among PCDs was fragmented. Although many PCDs were already managing health conditions relevant and common to men, they were not viewed by PCDs as "men's health". Less attention was paid to men's help-seeking behaviour and their gender roles as a potential determinant of the poor health status of men. There were opposing views about whether men's health should focus on men's overall health or a more focused approach to sexual health. There was also disagreement about whether special attention was warranted for men's health services. Some doctors would prioritise more common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia. Conclusions The concept of men's health was new to PCDs in Malaysia. There was wide variation in understanding and opposing attitudes towards men's health among primary care doctors. Creating awareness and having a systematic approach would facilitate PCDs in delivering health service to men.

  16. A state-stewardship view on executive compensation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liang, Hao; Renneboog, Luc; Li Sun, Sunny; Choi, J.; Powers, M.; Zhang, X.

    2016-01-01

    We take a state-stewardship view on the corporate governance model and executive compensation policies in economies with strong political involvement. In such a highly politically-oriented institutional environment, the business elites are not just professional managers but are also de facto

  17. Wear characteristics of polished and glazed lithium disilicate ceramics opposed to three ceramic materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiki, Osamu; Koizumi, Hiroyasu; Akazawa, Nobutaka; Kodaira, Akihisa; Okamura, Kentaro; Matsumura, Hideo

    2016-01-01

    This study compared the wear characteristics of a heat-pressed lithium disilicate ceramic material opposed to feldspathic porcelain, a lithium disilicate glass ceramic, and zirconia materials. Ceramic plate specimens were prepared from feldspathic porcelain (EX-3 nA1B), lithium disilicate glass ceramics (e.max CAD MO1/C14), and zirconia (Katana KT 10) and then ground or polished. Rounded rod specimens were fabricated from heat-pressed lithium disilicate glass ceramic (e.max press LT A3) and then glazed or polished. A sliding wear testing apparatus was used for wear testing. Wear of glazed rods was greater than that of polished rods when they were abraded with ground zirconia, ground porcelain, polished porcelain, or polished lithium disilicate ceramics. For both glazed and polished rods, wear was greater when the rods were abraded with ground plates. The findings indicate that application of a polished surface rather than a glazed surface is recommended for single restorations made of heat-pressed lithium disilicate material. In addition, care must be taken when polishing opposing materials, especially those used in occlusal contact areas. (J Oral Sci 58, 117-123, 2016).

  18. Charging process analysis of an opposed-piston two-stroke aircraft Diesel engine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grabowski Łukasz

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the research results on a 1D model of an opposed-piston two-stroke aircraft Diesel engine. The research aimed at creating a model of the engine in question to investigate how engine performance is affected by the compressor gear ratio. The power was constant at all the operating points. The research results are presented as graphs of power consumed by the compressor, compressor efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption. The optimal range of compressor gear ratio in terms of engine efficiency was defined from the research results.

  19. Jeremiah 23:23–24 as polemic against prophets’ views on Yahweh’s presence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilhelm Wessels

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Jeremiah 23:23–24 is a short passage in the cycle of oracles in which the prophet Jeremiah is supposedly in conflict with other prophets in his society. It is possible that this short passage first had an independent existence before it became part of the collection of oracles in 23:9-40 This article argues that as an independent oracle the passage claims that Yahweh is not just a localised god, but an omnipresent God from whom no person can hide. When read as part of the mentioned cycle, it should be regarded as a polemic against a view held by some prophets that Yahweh’s nearness guarantees peace and security. Their domesticated view leads to complacency and disregard. It is argued that Jeremiah opposes their view by stating that Yahweh is also a distant God who is aware of their false and deceitful attempts to provide revelatory knowledge to the people. In this regard chapter 23:23–24 serves as a polemic against so-called false prophets and implies a threat of judgement. Keywords: False prophets, temple, Yahweh's presence, polemic

  20. An exploratory study of Muslim adolescents' views on sexuality: Implications for sex education and prevention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smerecnik Chris

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper describes the results of an exploratory qualitative study on Muslim adolescents' views on sexuality in the Netherlands. Methods Data were gathered from an Internet forum on which 44 Muslim and 33 non-Muslim adolescents discussed sexuality as it relates to Islam. These discussions were subsequently analyzed for content using Nvivo 2.0. Results Our analysis revealed several issues that are relevant for the design of future sex education programs targeting Muslim youth. Apart from some expected outcomes regarding, for example, taboos on sexuality, sex outside marriage, abortion, homosexuality and conservative gender roles, our analyses showed that in cases of disputes 1 discussions were polarized, 2 opponents used the same Qur'anic passages to support their views, and 3 the authority of an Imam was questioned when his interpretation of Qur'anic passages was not in line with the views of participants. Conclusions Our findings show that current approaches to sex education among Muslim youth are likely to be unsuccessful given the rigidity of sexual norms in Muslim society. In addition, we also identified new barriers to sex education among Muslim youth (e.g. lack of respect for an Imam who opposes a youth's views on sexuality.

  1. Maxillary implant-supported overdentures opposed by (partial) natural dentitions : A 5-year prospective case series study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boven, G. C.; Slot, J. W. A.; Raghoebar, G. M.; Vissink, A.; Meijer, H. J. A.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the 5-year treatment outcome of maxillary implant-retained overdentures opposed by natural antagonistic teeth. Fifty consecutive patients received maxillary overdentures supported by six dental implants. Implants were placed in the anterior region, if enough bone

  2. Development and Experimental Investigation of a Two-Stroke Opposed-Piston Free-Piston Engine

    OpenAIRE

    Schneider, Stephan; Chiodi, Marco; Friedrich, Horst E.; Bargende, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The proposed paper deals with the development process and initial measurement results of an opposed-piston combustion engine for application in a Free-Piston Linear Generator (FPLG). The FPLG, which is being developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), is an innovative internal combustion engine for a fuel based electrical power supply. With its arrangement, the pistons freely oscillate between the compression chamber of the combustion unit and a gas spring with no mechanical coupling like...

  3. Finite element analysis and clinical complications in mandibular implant-overdentures opposing maxillary dentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khuder, Tameem; Yunus, Norsiah; Sulaiman, Eshamsul; Dabbagh, Ali

    2017-11-01

    Denture fracture is a common clinical complication caused by improper material selection, design, or fabrication technique. This study aimed to investigate the effect of two attachment systems on fracture risk of the implant-overdentures (IOD) via finite element analysis (FEA), using the force distributions obtained from patients' occlusal analyses and to compare the obtained results with the clinical complications associated with these attachments. A three-dimensional jaw model comprised of the edentulous bones was constructed. Three types of mandibular prostheses including complete denture (CD) (model LCD), IOD with Locator attachment (model LID-L), and IOD with telescopic attachment (model LID-T), as well as a maxillary CD (model UCD) were assembled. The vertical occlusal forces at anterior and posterior quadrants were obtained from the patients wearing mandibular CDs or IODs. The FEA results were further compared with the mechanical failures of different prostheses observed at patient recalls. In overall, the fracture risk of mandibular prostheses was lower than the maxillary compartments. The UCD opposing LCD underwent higher strains than that opposing LID-L and LID-T, which was mostly concentrated at the anterior mid-palatal polished surface. On the other hand, LID-L showed the lowest strain, followed by LID-T, and LCD. The obtained results were consistent with the clinical complications observed in the patient recalls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Wear resistance of a pressable low-fusing ceramic opposed by dental alloys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faria, Adriana Cláudia Lapria; de Oliveira, André Almeida; Alves Gomes, Érica; Silveira Rodrigues, Renata Cristina; Faria Ribeiro, Ricardo

    2014-04-01

    Dental alloys have increasingly replaced by dental ceramics in dentistry because of aesthetics. As both dental alloys and ceramics can be present in the oral cavity, the evaluation of the wear resistance of ceramics opposed by dental alloys is important. The aim of the present study was to evaluate wear resistance of a pressable low-fusing ceramic opposed by dental alloys as well as the microhardness of the alloys and the possible correlation of wear and antagonist microhardness. Fifteen stylus tips samples of pressable low-fusing ceramic were obtained, polished and glazed. Samples were divided into three groups according to the disk of alloy/metal to be used as antagonist: Nickel-Chromium (Ni-Cr), Cobalt-Chromium (Co-Cr) and commercially pure titanium (cp Ti). Vickers microhardness of antagonist disks was evaluated before wear tests. Then, antagonist disks were sandblasted until surface roughness was adjusted to 0.75μm. Wear tests were performed at a speed of 60 cycles/min and distance of 10mm, in a total of 300,000 cycles. Before and after wear tests, samples were weighted and had their profile designed in an optical comparator to evaluate weight and height loss, respectively. Ni-Cr and cp Ti caused greater wear than Co-Cr, presenting greater weight (p=.009) and height (p=.002) loss. Cp Ti microhardness was lower than Ni-Cr and Co-Cr (pceramic presents different wear according to the dental alloy used as antagonist and the wear is not affected by antagonist microhardness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Employees' views on home-based, after-hours telephone triage by Dutch GP cooperatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backhaus, Ramona; van Exel, Job; de Bont, Antoinette

    2013-11-04

    Dutch out-of-hours (OOH) centers find it difficult to attract sufficient triage staff. They regard home-based triage as an option that might attract employees. Specially trained nurses are supposed to conduct triage by telephone from home for after-hours medical care. The central aim of this research is to investigate the views of employees of OOH centers in The Netherlands on home-based telephone triage in after-hours care. The study is a Q methodology study. Triage nurses, general practitioners (GPs) and managers of OOH centers ranked 36 opinion statements on home-based triage. We interviewed 10 participants to help develop and validate the statements for the Q sort, and 77 participants did the Q sort. We identified four views on home-based telephone triage. Two generally favor home-based triage, one highlights some concerns and conditions, and one opposes it out of concern for quality. The four views perceive different sources of credibility for nurse triagists working from home. Home-based telephone triage is a controversial issue among triage nurses, GPs and managers of OOH centers. By identifying consensus and dissension among GPs, triagists, managers and regulators, this study generates four perspectives on home-based triage. In addition, it reveals the conditions considered important for home-based triage.

  6. Alternative Australian climate change plans: The public's views

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carson, Richard T.; Louviere, Jordan J.; Wei, Edward

    2010-01-01

    Climate change has come to the forefront of Australian politics and there is now an active on-going policy debate about how to best reach a commonly agreed long term goal. This paper looks at five major dimensions of this debate and constructs policy options based on them. A discrete choice experiment approach was used with a representative sample from a major internet panel provider. Survey respondents made choices between pairs of policy options with different characteristics. They favored policies starting in 2010 rather than 2012, and spending 20% of revenue raised on energy-related R and D. They were almost evenly split on whether the plan should initially exempt the transport sector and two competing approaches that redistribute revenue from the plan, and, they opposed plans giving special treatment to energy-intensive sectors of the economy. A number of other policy relevant questions related to understanding Australian views and knowledge related to climate change also were asked.

  7. Estrogens and cognition: Friends or foes?: An evaluation of the opposing effects of estrogens on learning and memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korol, Donna L; Pisani, Samantha L

    2015-08-01

    This article is part of a Special Issue "Estradiol and cognition". Estrogens are becoming well known for their robust enhancement on cognition particularly for learning and memory that relies upon functioning of the hippocampus and related neural systems. What is also emerging is that estrogen modulation of cognition is not uniform, at times enhancing yet at other times impairing learning. This review explores the bidirectional effects of estrogens on learning from a multiple memory systems view, focusing on the hippocampus and striatum, whereby modulation by estrogens sorts according to task attributes and neural systems engaged during cognition. We highlight our findings showing that the ability to solve hippocampus-sensitive tasks typically improves under relatively high estrogen status while the ability to solve striatum-sensitive tasks degrades with estrogen exposures. Though constrained by dose and timing of exposure, these opposing enhancements and impairments of cognition can be observed following treatments with different estrogenic compounds including the hormone estradiol, the isoflavone genistein found in soybeans, and agonists that are selective for specific estrogen receptors, suggesting that activation of a single receptor type is sufficient to produce the observed shifts in learning strategies. Using this multi-dimensional framework will allow us to extend our thinking of the relationship between estrogens and cognition to other brain regions and cognitive functions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Heat transfer and fluid flow in regular rod arrays with opposing flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, J.W.

    1979-01-01

    The heat transfer and fluid flow problem of opposing flow in the fully developed laminar region has been solved analytically for regular rod arrays. The problem is governed by two parameters: the pitch-to-diameter ratio and the Grashof-to-Reynolds number ratio. The critical Gr/Re ratios for flow separation caused by the upward buoyancy force on the downward flow were evaluated for a large range of P/D ratios of the triangular array. Numerical results reveal that both the heat transfer and pressure loss are reduced by the buoyancy force. Applications to nuclear reactors are discussed

  9. A paradoxical signal intensity increase in fatty livers using opposed-phase gradient echo imaging with fat-suppression pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulkern, Robert V.; Voss, Stephan; Loeb Salsberg, Sandra; Krauel, Marta Ramon; Ludwig, David S.

    2008-01-01

    With the increase in obese and overweight children, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become more prevalent in the pediatric population. Appreciating subtleties of magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity behavior from fatty livers under different imaging conditions thus becomes important to pediatric radiologists. We report an initially confusing signal behavior - increased signal from fatty livers when fat-suppression pulses are applied in an opposed-phase gradient echo imaging sequence - and seek to explain the physical mechanisms for this paradoxical signal intensity behavior. Abdominal MR imaging at 3 T with a 3-D volumetric interpolated breath-hold (VIBE) sequence in the opposed-phase condition (TR/TE 3.3/1.3 ms) was performed in five obese boys (14±2 years of age, body mass index >95th percentile for age and sex) with spectroscopically confirmed fatty livers. Two VIBE acquisitions were performed, one with and one without the use of chemical shift selective (CHESS) pulse fat suppression. The ratios of fat-suppressed over non-fat-suppressed signal intensities were assessed in regions-of-interest (ROIs) in five tissues: subcutaneous fat, liver, vertebral marrow, muscle and spleen. The boys had spectroscopically estimated hepatic fat levels between 17% and 48%. CHESS pulse fat suppression decreased subcutaneous fat signals dramatically, by more than 85% within regions of optimal fat suppression. Fatty liver signals, in contrast, were elevated by an average of 87% with CHESS pulse fat suppression. Vertebral marrow signal was also significantly elevated with CHESS pulse fat suppression, while spleen and muscle signals demonstrated only small signal increases on the order of 10%. We demonstrated that CHESS pulse fat suppression actually increases the signal intensity from fatty livers in opposed-phase gradient echo imaging conditions. The increase can be attributed to suppression of one partner of the opposed-phase pair that normally contributes to the

  10. A paradoxical signal intensity increase in fatty livers using opposed-phase gradient echo imaging with fat-suppression pulses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mulkern, Robert V.; Voss, Stephan [Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Children' s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA (United States); Loeb Salsberg, Sandra; Krauel, Marta Ramon; Ludwig, David S. [Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Children' s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA (United States)

    2008-10-15

    With the increase in obese and overweight children, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become more prevalent in the pediatric population. Appreciating subtleties of magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity behavior from fatty livers under different imaging conditions thus becomes important to pediatric radiologists. We report an initially confusing signal behavior - increased signal from fatty livers when fat-suppression pulses are applied in an opposed-phase gradient echo imaging sequence - and seek to explain the physical mechanisms for this paradoxical signal intensity behavior. Abdominal MR imaging at 3 T with a 3-D volumetric interpolated breath-hold (VIBE) sequence in the opposed-phase condition (TR/TE 3.3/1.3 ms) was performed in five obese boys (14{+-}2 years of age, body mass index >95th percentile for age and sex) with spectroscopically confirmed fatty livers. Two VIBE acquisitions were performed, one with and one without the use of chemical shift selective (CHESS) pulse fat suppression. The ratios of fat-suppressed over non-fat-suppressed signal intensities were assessed in regions-of-interest (ROIs) in five tissues: subcutaneous fat, liver, vertebral marrow, muscle and spleen. The boys had spectroscopically estimated hepatic fat levels between 17% and 48%. CHESS pulse fat suppression decreased subcutaneous fat signals dramatically, by more than 85% within regions of optimal fat suppression. Fatty liver signals, in contrast, were elevated by an average of 87% with CHESS pulse fat suppression. Vertebral marrow signal was also significantly elevated with CHESS pulse fat suppression, while spleen and muscle signals demonstrated only small signal increases on the order of 10%. We demonstrated that CHESS pulse fat suppression actually increases the signal intensity from fatty livers in opposed-phase gradient echo imaging conditions. The increase can be attributed to suppression of one partner of the opposed-phase pair that normally contributes to the

  11. Opposed-phase MR imaging of lipid storage myopathy in a case of Chanarin-Dorfman disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaeta, Michele; Celona, Antonio; Racchiusa, Sergio; Mazziotti, Silvio; Minutoli, Fabio; Toscano, Antonio; Musumeci, Olimpia

    2008-01-01

    Chanarin-Dorfman disease (CDD) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by ichthyosis, myopathy, central nervous system disturbances, and intracellular lipid storage in muscle fibers, hepatocytes, and granulocytes. We describe skeletal muscle magnetic resonance imaging findings in a case of CDD, outlining the potential role of GE T1-weighted opposed-phase sequence (chemical shift imaging) in the evaluation of lipid storage myopathies. (orig.)

  12. Opposed-phase MR imaging of lipid storage myopathy in a case of Chanarin-Dorfman disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaeta, Michele; Celona, Antonio; Racchiusa, Sergio; Mazziotti, Silvio [University of Messina, Department of Radiological Sciences, Messina (Italy); Minutoli, Fabio [University of Messina, Department of Radiological Sciences, Messina (Italy); A.O.U. ' ' Policlinico G. Martino' ' , Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Messina (Italy); Toscano, Antonio; Musumeci, Olimpia [University of Messina, Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Anaesthesiology, Messina (Italy)

    2008-11-15

    Chanarin-Dorfman disease (CDD) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by ichthyosis, myopathy, central nervous system disturbances, and intracellular lipid storage in muscle fibers, hepatocytes, and granulocytes. We describe skeletal muscle magnetic resonance imaging findings in a case of CDD, outlining the potential role of GE T1-weighted opposed-phase sequence (chemical shift imaging) in the evaluation of lipid storage myopathies. (orig.)

  13. Mechanisms of molecular electronic rectification through electronic levels with strong vibrational coupling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kuznetsov, A.M.; Ulstrup, Jens

    2002-01-01

    We present a new view and an analytical formalism of electron flow through a donor-acceptor molecule inserted between a pair of metal electrodes. The donor and acceptor levels are strongly coupled to an environmental nuclear continuum. The formalism applies to molecular donor-acceptor systems bot...

  14. Macrophage-derived Wnt opposes notch signaling to specify hepatic progenitor cell fate in chronic liver disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boulter, L.; Govaere, O.; Bird, T.G.; Radulescu, S.; Ramachandran, P.; Pellicoro, A.; Ridgway, R.; Seo, S.S.; Spee, B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304830925; van Rooijen, N.; Sansom, O.J.; Iredale, J.P.; Lowell, S.; Roskams, T.A.; Forbes, S.J.

    2012-01-01

    Nat Med. 2012 Mar 4;18(4):572-9. doi: 10.1038/nm.2667. Macrophage-derived Wnt opposes Notch signaling to specify hepatic progenitor cell fate in chronic liver disease. Boulter L, Govaere O, Bird TG, Radulescu S, Ramachandran P, Pellicoro A, Ridgway RA, Seo SS, Spee B, Van Rooijen N, Sansom OJ,

  15. Nonword repetition in lexical decision: support for two opposing processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan; Zeelenberg, René; Steyvers, Mark; Shiffrin, Richard; Raaijmakers, Jeroen

    2004-10-01

    We tested and confirmed the hypothesis that the prior presentation of nonwords in lexical decision is the net result of two opposing processes: (1) a relatively fast inhibitory process based on global familiarity; and (2) a relatively slow facilitatory process based on the retrieval of specific episodic information. In three studies, we manipulated speed-stress to influence the balance between the two processes. Experiment 1 showed item-specific improvement for repeated nonwords in a standard "respond-when-ready" lexical decision task. Experiment 2 used a 400-ms deadline procedure and showed performance for nonwords to be unaffected by up to four prior presentations. In Experiment 3 we used a signal-to-respond procedure with variable time intervals and found negative repetition priming for repeated nonwords. These results can be accounted for by dual-process models of lexical decision.

  16. Assessment of RANS and LES Turbulence Modeling for Buoyancy-Aided/Opposed Forced and Mixed Convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clifford, Corey; Kimber, Mark

    2017-11-01

    Over the last 30 years, an industry-wide shift within the nuclear community has led to increased utilization of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to supplement nuclear reactor safety analyses. One such area that is of particular interest to the nuclear community, specifically to those performing loss-of-flow accident (LOFA) analyses for next-generation very-high temperature reactors (VHTR), is the capacity of current computational models to predict heat transfer across a wide range of buoyancy conditions. In the present investigation, a critical evaluation of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) turbulence modeling techniques is conducted based on CFD validation data collected from the Rotatable Buoyancy Tunnel (RoBuT) at Utah State University. Four different experimental flow conditions are investigated: (1) buoyancy-aided forced convection; (2) buoyancy-opposed forced convection; (3) buoyancy-aided mixed convection; (4) buoyancy-opposed mixed convection. Overall, good agreement is found for both forced convection-dominated scenarios, but an overly-diffusive prediction of the normal Reynolds stress is observed for the RANS-based turbulence models. Low-Reynolds number RANS models perform adequately for mixed convection, while higher-order RANS approaches underestimate the influence of buoyancy on the production of turbulence.

  17. The new view of hydrophobic free energy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Robert L

    2013-04-17

    In the new view, hydrophobic free energy is measured by the work of solute transfer of hydrocarbon gases from vapor to aqueous solution. Reasons are given for believing that older values, measured by solute transfer from a reference solvent to water, are not quantitatively correct. The hydrophobic free energy from gas-liquid transfer is the sum of two opposing quantities, the cavity work (unfavorable) and the solute-solvent interaction energy (favorable). Values of the interaction energy have been found by simulation for linear alkanes and are used here to find the cavity work, which scales linearly with molar volume, not accessible surface area. The hydrophobic free energy is the dominant factor driving folding as judged by the heat capacity change for transfer, which agrees with values for solvating hydrocarbon gases. There is an apparent conflict with earlier values of hydrophobic free energy from studies of large-to-small mutations and an explanation is given. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Atoms in strong laser fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    L'Huillier, A.

    2002-01-01

    When a high-power laser focuses into a gas of atoms, the electromagnetic field becomes of the same magnitude as the Coulomb field which binds a 1s electron in a hydrogen atom. 3 highly non-linear phenomena can happen: 1) ATI (above threshold ionization): electrons initially in the ground state absorb a large number of photons, many more than the minimum number required for ionization; 2) multiple ionization: many electrons can be emitted one at a time, in a sequential process, or simultaneously in a mechanism called direct or non-sequential; and 3) high order harmonic generation (HHG): efficient photon emission in the extreme ultraviolet range, in the form of high-order harmonics of the fundamental laser field can occur. The theoretical problem consists in solving the time dependent Schroedinger equation (TDSE) that describes the interaction of a many-electron atom with a laser field. A number of methods have been proposed to solve this problem in the case of a hydrogen atom or a single-active electron atom in a strong laser field. A large effort is presently being devoted to go beyond the single-active approximation. The understanding of the physics of the interaction between atoms and strong laser fields has been provided by a very simple model called ''simple man's theory''. A unified view of HHG, ATI, and non-sequential ionization, originating from the simple man's model and the strong field approximation, expressed in terms of electrons trajectories or quantum paths is slowly emerging. (A.C.)

  19. Patient satisfaction with maxillary 3-implant overdentures using different attachment systems opposing mandibular 2-implant overdentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Zubeidi, Mohammed I; Alsabeeha, Nabeel H M; Thomson, W Murray; Payne, Alan G T

    2012-05-01

    Patient-based outcomes with maxillary overdentures on a minimum number of implants, opposing mandibular 2-implant overdentures are not evident in the literature. To evaluate patient's satisfaction with maxillary 3-implant overdentures, opposing mandibular 2-implant overdentures, using two different attachment systems over the first 2 years of service. Forty participants wearing mandibular 2-implant overdentures for 3 years were randomly allocated to one of two similar implant system groups to receive maxillary 3-implant overdentures. Twenty participants were allocated to splinted and unsplinted attachment system treatment groups for each system. Patient satisfaction with pre-treatment complete maxillary dentures, with maxillary 3-implant overdentures at baseline and annually for 2 years, was measured using visual analogue scale questionnaires and the oral health impact profiles. Palatal coverage of the maxillary overdentures was reduced at the first annual recall. Data showed significant improvement in pain reduction, comfort, stability, and function variables of the visual analogue scale after treatment. Analysis by prosthodontic design using visual analogue scale showed no significant difference. The total oral health impact profile-14 scores after treatment for all participants, regardless of prosthodontic design, were significantly lower (more satisfied). The overall oral health impact profile-20E score at baseline was significantly higher (more satisfied) compared with pre-treatment conventional maxillary dentures. No significant changes were observed in the first or second years compared with baseline results. Twenty-two participants (84.6%) preferred reduced palatal coverage, regardless of prosthodontic design, after 1 year. Twenty participants (76.9%) still preferred reduced palatal coverage at the end of the second year. The provision of maxillary 3-implant overdentures to oppose mandibular 2-implant overdentures significantly improve levels of patient

  20. Advancements in all-ceramics for dental restorations and their effect on the wear of opposing dentition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Haroon; Sheikh, Zeeshan; Misbahuddin, Syed; Kazmi, Murtaza Raza; Qureshi, Sameer; Uddin, Muhammad Zuhaib

    2016-01-01

    Tooth wear is a process that is usually a result of tooth to tooth and/or tooth and restoration contact. The process of wear essentially becomes accelerated by the introduction of restorations inside the oral cavity, especially in case of opposing ceramic restorations. The newest materials have vastly contributed toward the interest in esthetic dental restorations and have been extensively studied in laboratories. However, despite the recent technological advancements, there has not been a valid in vivo method of evaluation involving clinical wear caused due to ceramics upon restored teeth and natural dentition. The aim of this paper is to review the latest advancements in all-ceramic materials, and their effect on the wear of opposing dentition. The descriptive review has been written after a thorough MEDLINE/PubMed search by the authors. It is imperative that clinicians are aware of recent advancements and that they should always consider the type of ceramic restorative materials used to maintain a stable occlusal relation. The ceramic restorations should be adequately finished and polished after the chair-side adjustment process of occlusal surfaces. PMID:28042280

  1. Pastoral evaluation on the Basotho’s view of sexuality: Revisiting the views on sexuality of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther and John Calvin

    OpenAIRE

    David K. Semenya

    2015-01-01

    This article examines the Basotho's views on sexuality within a theological context as well as the conflict between Christianity and cultural beliefs. Most Basotho have strong opinions on the subject of sexuality and those views undoubtedly emanate from the Basotho culture, which makes it necessary to evaluate them. The issue of sexuality is always a topic of discussion amongst people and did not go unnoticed by church fathers, like Augustine. Thomas Aquinas also expressed an interest in the ...

  2. Perceiving and Acting on Complex Affordances: How Children and Adults Bicycle across Two Lanes of Opposing Traffic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grechkin, Timofey Y.; Chihak, Benjamin J.; Cremer, James F.; Kearney, Joseph K.; Plumert, Jodie M.

    2013-01-01

    This investigation examined how children and adults negotiate a challenging perceptual-motor problem with significant real-world implications--bicycling across two lanes of opposing traffic. Twelve- and 14-year-olds and adults rode a bicycling simulator through an immersive virtual environment. Participants crossed intersections with continuous…

  3. Stigma, Discrimination, Treatment Effectiveness and Policy Support: Comparing Public Views about Drug Addiction with Mental Illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Colleen L; McGinty, Emma Elizabeth; Pescosolido, Bernice; Goldman, Howard H.

    2014-01-01

    Objective This study compares current public attitudes about drug addiction with attitudes about mental illness. Methods A web-based national public opinion survey (N=709) was conducted to compare attitudes about stigma, discrimination, treatment effectiveness, and policy support. Results Respondents hold significantly more negative views toward persons with drug addiction compared to those with mental illness. More respondents were unwilling to have a person with drug addiction marry into their family or work closely with them on a job. Respondents were more willing to accept discriminatory practices, more skeptical about the effectiveness of available treatments, and more likely to oppose public policies aimed at helping persons with drug addiction. Conclusions Drug addiction is often treated as a sub-category of mental illness, and health insurance benefits group these conditions together under the rubric of behavioral health. Given starkly different public views about drug addiction and mental illness, advocates may need to adopt differing approaches for advancing stigma reduction and public policy. PMID:25270497

  4. Sun-view angle effects on reflectance factors of corn canopies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranson, K. J.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; Biehl, L. L.; Bauer, M. E.

    1985-01-01

    The effects of sun and view angles on reflectance factors of corn (Zea mays L.) canopies ranging from the six leaf stage to harvest maturity were studied on the Purdue University Agronomy Farm by a multiband radiometer. The two methods of acquiring spectral data, the truck system and the tower systrem, are described. The analysis of the spectral data is presented in three parts: solar angle effects on reflectance factors viewed at nadir; solar angle effects on reflectance factors viewed at a fixed sun angle; and both sun and view angles effect on reflectance factors. The analysis revealed that for nadir-viewed reflectance factors there is a strong solar angle dependence in all spectral bands for canopies with low leaf area index. Reflectance factors observed from the sun angle at different view azimuth angles showed that the position of the sensor relative to the sun is important in determining angular reflectance characteristics. For both sun and view angles, reflectance factors are maximized when the sensor view direction is towards the sun.

  5. Oculomotor capture during real-world scene viewing depends on cognitive load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsukura, Michi; Brockmole, James R; Boot, Walter R; Henderson, John M

    2011-03-25

    It has been claimed that gaze control during scene viewing is largely governed by stimulus-driven, bottom-up selection mechanisms. Recent research, however, has strongly suggested that observers' top-down control plays a dominant role in attentional prioritization in scenes. A notable exception to this strong top-down control is oculomotor capture, where visual transients in a scene draw the eyes. One way to test whether oculomotor capture during scene viewing is independent of an observer's top-down goal setting is to reduce observers' cognitive resource availability. In the present study, we examined whether increasing observers' cognitive load influences the frequency and speed of oculomotor capture during scene viewing. In Experiment 1, we tested whether increasing observers' cognitive load modulates the degree of oculomotor capture by a new object suddenly appeared in a scene. Similarly, in Experiment 2, we tested whether increasing observers' cognitive load modulates the degree of oculomotor capture by an object's color change. In both experiments, the degree of oculomotor capture decreased as observers' cognitive resources were reduced. These results suggest that oculomotor capture during scene viewing is dependent on observers' top-down selection mechanisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Hepatic MR imaging for in vivo differentiation of steatosis, iron deposition and combined storage disorder: Single-ratio in/opposed phase analysis vs. dual-ratio Dixon discrimination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bashir, Mustafa R.; Merkle, Elmar M.; Smith, Alastair D.; Boll, Daniel T.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To assess whether in vivo dual-ratio Dixon discrimination can improve detection of diffuse liver disease, specifically steatosis, iron deposition and combined disease over traditional single-ratio in/opposed phase analysis. Methods: Seventy-one patients with biopsy-proven (17.7 ± 17.0 days) hepatic steatosis (n = 16), iron deposition (n = 11), combined deposition (n = 3) and neither disease (n = 41) underwent MR examinations. Dual-echo in/opposed-phase MR with Dixon water/fat reconstructions were acquired. Analysis consisted of: (a) single-ratio hepatic region-of-interest (ROI)-based assessment of in/opposed ratios; (b) dual-ratio hepatic ROI assessment of in/opposed and fat/water ratios; (c) computer-aided dual-ratio assessment evaluating all hepatic voxels. Disease-specific thresholds were determined; statistical analyses assessed disease-dependent voxel ratios, based on single-ratio (a) and dual-ratio (b and c) techniques. Results: Single-ratio discrimination succeeded in identifying iron deposition (I/O Ironthreshold Fatthreshold>1.15 ) from normal parenchyma, sensitivity 70.0%; it failed to detect combined disease. Dual-ratio discrimination succeeded in identifying abnormal hepatic parenchyma (F/W Normalthreshold > 0.05), sensitivity 96.7%; logarithmic functions for iron deposition (I/O Iron d iscriminator (0.01−F/W Iron )/0.48 ) and for steatosis (I/O Fatdiscriminator > e (F/W Fat −0.01)/0.48 ) differentiated combined from isolated diseases, sensitivity 100.0%; computer-aided dual-ratio analysis was comparably sensitive but less specific, 90.2% vs. 97.6%. Conclusion: MR two-point-Dixon imaging using dual-ratio post-processing based on in/opposed and fat/water ratios improved in vivo detection of hepatic steatosis, iron deposition, and combined storage disease beyond traditional in/opposed analysis.

  7. Viewing oxidative stress through the lens of oxidative signalling rather than damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foyer, Christine H; Ruban, Alexander V; Noctor, Graham

    2017-03-07

    Concepts of the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants and animals have shifted in recent years from focusing on oxidative damage effects to the current view of ROS as universal signalling metabolites. Rather than having two opposing activities, i.e. damage and signalling, the emerging concept is that all types of oxidative modification/damage are involved in signalling, not least in the induction of repair processes. Examining the multifaceted roles of ROS as crucial cellular signals, we highlight as an example the loss of photosystem II function called photoinhibition, where photoprotection has classically been conflated with oxidative damage. © 2017 The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence 4.0 (CC BY).

  8. Research on the Common Rail Pressure Overshoot of Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke Diesel Engines

    OpenAIRE

    Yi Lu; Changlu Zhao; Zhe Zuo; Fujun Zhang; Shuanlu Zhang

    2017-01-01

    The common rail pressure has a direct influence on the working stability of Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke (OP2S) diesel engines, especially on performance indexes such as power, economy and emissions. Meanwhile, the rail pressure overshoot phenomenon occurs frequently due to the operating characteristics of OP2S diesel engines, which could lead to serious consequences. In order to solve the rail pressure overshoot problem of OP2S diesel engines, a nonlinear concerted algorithm adding a speed stat...

  9. Discussion of fostering strong nuclear safety culture in nuclear power plants in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Fuming

    2011-01-01

    This paper described the most recent development of nuclear safety culture in the world nuclear industry. Focus areas are recommended to foster a strong nuclear safety culture (SNSC) in Chinese nuclear industry with the view of our current development, aiming to accelerate the formation of SNSC. (author)

  10. Standing in the middle: Insider/outsider positionality while conducting qualitative research with opposing military veteran political groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    David Flores

    2018-01-01

    This case study describes the process and challenges of conducting qualitative research on two opposing military veteran political groups: Iraq Veterans Against the War and Vets for Freedom. The discussion is based on a dissertation project that compelled me to reflect on my simultaneous "insider" status as a military veteran and "outsider" status...

  11. Depth-based Multi-View 3D Video Coding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zamarin, Marco

    techniques are used to extract dense motion information and generate improved candidate side information. Multiple candidates are merged employing multi-hypothesis strategies. Promising rate-distortion performance improvements compared with state-of-the-art Wyner-Ziv decoders are reported, both when texture......-view video. Depth maps are typically used to synthesize the desired output views, and the performance of view synthesis algorithms strongly depends on the accuracy of depth information. In this thesis, novel algorithms for efficient depth map compression in MVD scenarios are proposed, with particular focus...... on edge-preserving solutions. In a proposed scheme, texture-depth correlation is exploited to predict surface shapes in the depth signal. In this way depth coding performance can be improved in terms of both compression gain and edge-preservation. Another solution proposes a new intra coding mode targeted...

  12. Neural Circuit to Integrate Opposing Motions in the Visual Field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauss, Alex S; Pankova, Katarina; Arenz, Alexander; Nern, Aljoscha; Rubin, Gerald M; Borst, Alexander

    2015-07-16

    When navigating in their environment, animals use visual motion cues as feedback signals that are elicited by their own motion. Such signals are provided by wide-field neurons sampling motion directions at multiple image points as the animal maneuvers. Each one of these neurons responds selectively to a specific optic flow-field representing the spatial distribution of motion vectors on the retina. Here, we describe the discovery of a group of local, inhibitory interneurons in the fruit fly Drosophila key for filtering these cues. Using anatomy, molecular characterization, activity manipulation, and physiological recordings, we demonstrate that these interneurons convey direction-selective inhibition to wide-field neurons with opposite preferred direction and provide evidence for how their connectivity enables the computation required for integrating opposing motions. Our results indicate that, rather than sharpening directional selectivity per se, these circuit elements reduce noise by eliminating non-specific responses to complex visual information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Modeling the frequency of opposing left-turn conflicts at signalized intersections using generalized linear regression models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Liu, Pan; Chen, Yuguang; Bai, Lu; Wang, Wei

    2014-01-01

    The primary objective of this study was to identify whether the frequency of traffic conflicts at signalized intersections can be modeled. The opposing left-turn conflicts were selected for the development of conflict predictive models. Using data collected at 30 approaches at 20 signalized intersections, the underlying distributions of the conflicts under different traffic conditions were examined. Different conflict-predictive models were developed to relate the frequency of opposing left-turn conflicts to various explanatory variables. The models considered include a linear regression model, a negative binomial model, and separate models developed for four traffic scenarios. The prediction performance of different models was compared. The frequency of traffic conflicts follows a negative binominal distribution. The linear regression model is not appropriate for the conflict frequency data. In addition, drivers behaved differently under different traffic conditions. Accordingly, the effects of conflicting traffic volumes on conflict frequency vary across different traffic conditions. The occurrences of traffic conflicts at signalized intersections can be modeled using generalized linear regression models. The use of conflict predictive models has potential to expand the uses of surrogate safety measures in safety estimation and evaluation.

  14. Scrutinizing impacts of conspiracy theories on readers' political views: a rational choice perspective on anti-semitic rhetoric in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nefes, Turkay Salim

    2015-09-01

    Although conspiracy theories have been politically significant throughout history, only a few empirical studies have been about their influence on readers' views. Combining a rational choice approach with a content analysis of an anti-Semitic best-selling conspiracy theory book series in Turkey - the Efendi series - and semi-structured interviews with its readers, this paper reveals the effects of the conspiracy theories on readers' political perspectives. The findings suggest that whereas the rightists are reactive to the Jewish origins of the Dönmes, the leftists oppose the Dönmes as dominant bourgeois figures. This paper concludes that left- and right-wing adherents use the conspiratorial accounts in line with their political views and ontological insecurities. It expands the existing academic literature, which conceptualizes conspiracy theories either as paranoid delusions or as neutral, rational narratives, by showing that they can be both. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2015.

  15. Basal View Reference Photographs for Nasolabial Appearance Rating in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, Marcie S; Lowe, Kristen M; Clouston, Sean; Shetye, Pradip R; Warren, Stephen M; Grayson, Barry H

    2015-07-01

    The Asher-McDade system is a 5-point ordinal scale frequently used to rate the components of nasolabial appearance, including nasal form and nasal symmetry, in unilateral cleft lip and palate. Although reference photographs illustrating this scale have been identified for the frontal and right profile view, no reference photographs exist for the basal view. The aim of this study was to identify reference photographs for nasal form and nasal symmetry from the basal view to illustrate this scale and facilitate its use. Four raters assessed nasolabial appearance (form and symmetry) on basal view photographs of 50 children (average age 8 years) with a repaired cleft lip. Intraclass correlation coefficients show fair to moderate inter-rater reliability. Cronbach α indicated strong agreement between raters (0.77 nasal form; 0.78 nasal symmetry; 0.80 overall), along with low duplicate measurement error and strong internal consistency between the measures. The photographs with the highest agreement among raters were selected to illustrate each point on the 5-point scale for nasal form and for nasal symmetry, resulting in the selection of 10 reference photographs. The basal view reference photograph set developed from this study may complement existing reference photograph sets for other views and facilitate rating tasks.

  16. Opposing effects of humidity on rhodochrosite surface oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Chongzheng; Tang, Yuanzhi; Wang, Haitao; Martin, Scot T

    2015-03-03

    Rhodochrosite (MnCO3) is a model mineral representing carbonate aerosol particles containing redox-active elements that can influence particle surface reconstruction in humid air, thereby affecting the heterogeneous transformation of important atmospheric constituents such as nitric oxides, sulfur dioxides, and organic acids. Using in situ atomic force microscopy, we show that the surface reconstruction of rhodochrosite in humid oxygen leads to the formation and growth of oxide nanostructures. The oxidative reconstruction consists of two consecutive processes with distinctive time scales, including a long waiting period corresponding to slow nucleation and a rapid expansion phase corresponding to fast growth. By varying the relative humidity from 55 to 78%, we further show that increasing humidity has opposing effects on the two processes, accelerating nucleation from 2.8(±0.2) × 10(-3) to 3.0(±0.2) × 10(-2) h(-1) but decelerating growth from 7.5(±0.3) × 10(-3) to 3.1(±0.1) × 10(-3) μm(2) h(-1). Through quantitative analysis, we propose that nanostructure nucleation is controlled by rhodochrosite surface dissolution, similar to the dissolution-precipitation mechanism proposed for carbonate mineral surface reconstruction in aqueous solution. To explain nanostructure growth in humid oxygen, a new Cabrera-Mott mechanism involving electron tunneling and solid-state diffusion is proposed.

  17. Threat perception after the Boston Marathon bombings: The effects of personal relevance and conceptual framing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wormwood, Jolie Baumann; Lynn, Spencer K; Feldman Barrett, Lisa; Quigley, Karen S

    2016-01-01

    We examined how the Boston Marathon bombings affected threat perception in the Boston community. In a threat perception task, participants attempted to "shoot" armed targets and avoid shooting unarmed targets. Participants viewing images of the bombings accompanied by affectively negative music and text (e.g., "Terror Strikes Boston") made more false alarms (i.e., more errors "shooting" unarmed targets) compared to participants viewing the same images accompanied by affectively positive music and text (e.g., "Boston Strong") and participants who did not view bombing images. This difference appears to be driven by decreased sensitivity (i.e., decreased ability to distinguish guns from non-guns) as opposed to a more liberal bias (i.e., favouring the "shoot" response). Additionally, the more strongly affected the participant was by the bombings, the more their sensitivity was reduced in the negatively framed condition, suggesting that this framing was particularly detrimental to the most vulnerable individuals in the affected community.

  18. The Impact of Strong Ties on Knowledge Acquisition of Enterprises: A View of Social Capital%强联结对企业知识获取绩效的影响研究——社会资本的视角

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张晓棠; 荆心

    2012-01-01

    Researchers study a lot on the benefits and costs of the strength ties during the procession of knowledge acquisition form the Resource-Based View or Knowledge-based View, but the media role of social capital in the process seems to be ignored. This paper presents a view of social capital and study the impact of social capitals, such as trust, reciprocity, social interaction, network connection on knowledge acquisition under the context of strong ties. The paper proposes enterprises should build strong ties and accumulate social capitals in order to improve knowledge acquisition performance.%现有文献主要从资源基础观及知识基础观视角分析联结的强弱在企业知识获取中的利弊,却忽视了社会资本在此过程中的介质作用.本文从社会资本的新视角,研究强联结情境下,信任、互惠、社会化互动、网络联系等社会资本对企业知识获取绩效的影响路径.文章提出企业应该构建强关联网络,积累良好的社会资本,以提高知识获取绩效.

  19. Physicians’ views of performance reports: grading the graders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Landon Bruce E

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Quality measurement and feedback programs have become widespread and are looked upon as a cornerstone of quality improvement efforts. Often, such programs are used to motivate consumer choice through public report cards or to reward high quality care through pay for performance programs. Physicians’ views on performance measurement and feedback programs, however, are rarely sought, despite the potential usefulness for improving the impact of such programs. The new IJHPR paper by Nissanholtz-Gannot and colleagues provides important data on physicians’ views of the Israeli quality measurement program that demonstrates strong support for the program among Israeli physicians while also identifying potential areas for improvement.

  20. Further Evidence on the Weak and Strong Versions of the Screening Hypothesis in Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambropoulos, Haris S.

    1992-01-01

    Uses Greek data for 1981 and 1985 to test screening hypothesis by replicating method proposed by Psacharopoulos. Credentialism, or sheepskin effect of education, directly challenges human capital theory, which views education as a productivity augmenting process. Results do not support the strong version of the screening hypothesis and suggest…

  1. Contemporary views on selective mutism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimoski Sanja

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to review contemporary literature on selective mutism (SM, available in our language. The paper includes a contemporary definition of the disorder, previous studies of selective mutism, theories about its origin, and treatment. SM is a disorder that occurs in childhood, when a child's speech is selectively lacking in certain social situations. School is the context in which the disorder is typically manifested, which is why SM is often diagnosed only after children start school. The paper gives a historical account of changes in views on this disorder. Modern conceptions emphasize selective inability of children to spontaneously and successfully express themselves verbally. In researching SM, case studies on children who have selective mutism are most commonly published. Etiological factors are not precisely defined, and different conceptions give their interpretations depending on various theoretical frameworks. Some studies consistently indicate a relation between SM and social anxiety, and some with opposing behavior and delays in language development. Based on theoretical explanations of SM, psychological interventions (behavioral and cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic and projective techniques, counseling and family therapy are created. Modern treatment of selective mutism includes an eclectic approach and emphasizes the role of teachers and school in general. Future studies should deepen the knowledge about selective mutism, specify the methodological procedure and stimulate the individualized treatment of children with SM.

  2. Maxillary implant-supported overdentures opposed by (partial) natural dentitions: a 5-year prospective case series study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boven, G C; Slot, J W A; Raghoebar, G M; Vissink, A; Meijer, H J A

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the 5-year treatment outcome of maxillary implant-retained overdentures opposed by natural antagonistic teeth. Fifty consecutive patients received maxillary overdentures supported by six dental implants. Implants were placed in the anterior region, if enough bone was present (n = 25 patients) Implant were placed in the posterior region if implant placement in the anterior region was not possible (n = 25 patients). Variables assessed included survival of implants, condition of hard and soft peri-implant tissues and patients' satisfaction. The five-year implant survival rate was 97·0% and 99·3%, and mean radiographic bone loss was 0·23 and 0·69 mm in the anterior and posterior group, respectively. Median scores for plaque, calculus, gingiva, bleeding and mean scores for pocket probing depth were low and stayed low. Patients' satisfaction after treatment was high in both groups. Within the limits of this 5-year study, it is concluded that six dental implants (placed in the anterior or posterior region) connected with a bar and opposed to natural antagonistic teeth result in acceptable results for clinical parameters and good outcomes for marginal bone level changes and patient satisfaction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. The load and release characteristics on a strong cationic ion-exchange fiber: kinetics, thermodynamics, and influences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Jing; Gao, Yanan; Wang, Xinyu; Liu, Hongzhuo; Che, Xin; Xu, Lu; Yang, Yang; Wang, Qifang; Wang, Yan; Li, Sanming

    2014-01-01

    Ion-exchange fibers were different from conventional ion-exchange resins in their non-cross-linked structure. The exchange was located on the surface of the framework, and the transport resistance reduced significantly, which might mean that the exchange is controlled by an ionic reaction instead of diffusion. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the load and release characteristics of five model drugs with the strong cationic ion-exchange fiber ZB-1. Drugs were loaded using a batch process and released in United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) dissolution apparatus 2. Opposing exchange kinetics, suitable for the special structure of the fiber, were developed for describing the exchange process with the help of thermodynamics, which illustrated that the load was controlled by an ionic reaction. The molecular weight was the most important factor to influence the drug load and release rate. Strong alkalinity and rings in the molecular structures made the affinity between the drug and fiber strong, while logP did not cause any profound differences. The drug-fiber complexes exhibited sustained release. Different kinds and concentrations of counter ions or different amounts of drug-fiber complexes in the release medium affected the release behavior, while the pH value was independent of it. The groundwork for in-depth exploration and further application of ion-exchange fibers has been laid.

  4. Real-Time View Correction for Mobile Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schops, Thomas; Oswald, Martin R; Speciale, Pablo; Yang, Shuoran; Pollefeys, Marc

    2017-11-01

    We present a real-time method for rendering novel virtual camera views from given RGB-D (color and depth) data of a different viewpoint. Missing color and depth information due to incomplete input or disocclusions is efficiently inpainted in a temporally consistent way. The inpainting takes the location of strong image gradients into account as likely depth discontinuities. We present our method in the context of a view correction system for mobile devices, and discuss how to obtain a screen-camera calibration and options for acquiring depth input. Our method has use cases in both augmented and virtual reality applications. We demonstrate the speed of our system and the visual quality of its results in multiple experiments in the paper as well as in the supplementary video.

  5. Natural ventilation of buildings: opposing wind and buoyancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linden, Paul; Hunt, Gary

    1998-11-01

    The use of natural ventilation in buildings is an attractive way to reduce energy usage thereby reducing costs and CO2 emissions. Generally, it is necessary to remove excess heat from a building and the designer can use the buoyancy forces associated with the above ambient temperatures within the building to drive a flow - 'stack' ventilation. The most efficient mode is displacement ventilation where warm air accumulates near the top of the building and flows out through upper level vents and cooler air flows in at lower levels. Ventilation will also be driven between these lower and upper openings by the wind. We report on laboratory modeling and theory which investigates the effects of an opposing wind on stack ventilation driven by a constant source of heat within a space under displacement ventilation. We show that there is a critical wind speed, expressed in dimensionless terms as a critical Froude number, above which displacement ventilation is replaced by (less efficient) mixing ventilation with reversed flow. Below this critical speed, displacement ventilation, in which the interior has a two-layer stratification, is maintained. The criterion for the change in ventilation mode is derived from general considerations of mixing efficiencies in stratified flows. We conclude that even when wind effects might appear to be dominant, the inhibition of mixing by the stable stratification within the space ensures that stack ventilation can operate over a wide range of apparently adverse conditions.

  6. Parent and child screen-viewing time and home media environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jago, Russell; Stamatakis, Emmanuel; Gama, Augusta; Carvalhal, Isabel Mourão; Nogueira, Helena; Rosado, Vítor; Padez, Cristina

    2012-08-01

    Screen-viewing time has been associated with adverse health outcomes. Data on the predictors of youth screen-viewing time is predominately from older children in North America. Parental and home media environment factors that are associated with screen-viewing time could be targeted in interventions. Examine if parental screen-viewing time and electronic media (access to game equipment, TVs, PCs, and laptops) environment factors were associated with Portuguese children's screen-viewing time and if associations differed by child age (families with children aged 3-10 years. Data were collected in 2009-2010 and analyzed in 2011. Outcomes were child spending ≥2 hours watching TV and ≥1 hour per day playing with combined other media. Exposures were mothers and fathers watching ≥2 hours of TV and electronic media variables. Parental TV-viewing time was strongly associated with child weekday and weekend TV-viewing time across all four gender and age subgroups. Maternal TV-viewing time was a stronger predictor of child TV-viewing time than paternal TV-viewing time. There was very limited evidence that parental TV-viewing time was associated with combined other media time among boys or girls. Access to electronic game equipment increased the likelihood that children spent >1 hour using combined other media on weekdays and weekend days. Parental TV-viewing time was associated with Portuguese children's TV-viewing time. The numbers of TVs in the household and electronic games equipment access were also associated with TV- and combined other media-viewing/usage time. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. The Electron-Phonon Interaction in Strongly Correlated Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castellani, C.; Grilli, M.

    1995-01-01

    We analyze the effect of strong electron-electron repulsion on the electron-phonon interaction from a Fermi-liquid point of view and show that the electron-electron interaction is responsible for vertex corrections, which generically lead to a strong suppression of the electron-phonon coupling in the v F q/ω >>1 region, while such effect is not present when v F q/ω F is the Fermi velocity and q and ω are the transferred momentum and frequency respectively. In particular the e-ph scattering is suppressed in transport properties which are dominated by low-energy-high-momentum processes. On the other hand, analyzing the stability criterion for the compressibility, which involves the effective interactions in the dynamical limit, we show that a sizable electron-phonon interaction can push the system towards a phase-separation instability. Finally a detailed analysis of these ideas is carried out using a slave-boson approach for the infinite-U three-band Hubbard model in the presence of a coupling between the local hole density and a dispersionless optical phonon. (author)

  8. Global Patterns in Students' Views of Science and Interest in Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Griethuijsen, Ralf A. L. F.; van Eijck, Michiel W.; Haste, Helen; den Brok, Perry J.; Skinner, Nigel C.; Mansour, Nasser; Savran Gencer, Ayse; BouJaoude, Saouma

    2015-08-01

    International studies have shown that interest in science and technology among primary and secondary school students in Western European countries is low and seems to be decreasing. In many countries outside Europe, and especially in developing countries, interest in science and technology remains strong. As part of the large-scale European Union funded `Science Education for Diversity' project, a questionnaire probing potential reasons for this difference was completed by students in the UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Lebanon, India and Malaysia. This questionnaire sought information about favourite courses, extracurricular activities and views on the nature of science. Over 9,000 students aged mainly between 10 and 14 years completed the questionnaire. Results revealed that students in countries outside Western Europe showed a greater interest in school science, in careers related to science and in extracurricular activities related to science than did Western European students. Non-European students were also more likely to hold an empiricist view of the nature of science and to believe that science can solve many problems faced by the world. Multilevel analysis revealed a strong correlation between interest in science and having such a view of the Nature of Science.

  9. Only minor additional metabolic health benefits of high as opposed to moderate dose physical exercise in young, moderately overweight men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reichkendler, M H; Larsen, Mads Rosenkilde; Auerbach, P L

    2014-01-01

    % in HIGH (P health assessed by questionnaire increased similarly in MOD (P additional health benefits were found when exercising ∼3,800 as opposed to ∼2,000 kcal/week in young moderately overweight men. This finding may have important...... public health implications....

  10. to view fulltext PDF

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    his arguments all the while and preparing to write a massive ... Against initial paternal opposition, Darwin managed to get on .... low by malaria on the island of Ternate. The .... For example, given the assumptions of Euclidean geometry, the theorem of Pythagoras .... He was opposed to vaccination (he thought the claims.

  11. Three points of view in transport theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruben, Panta Pazos; Tilio de Vilhena, M.

    2001-01-01

    A lot of efforts in Transport Theory is used to develop numerical methods or hybrid numerical-analytical techniques. We present in this work three points of view about transport problems. First the C0 semigroup approach, in which the free transport operator ψ → μ ∇ generates an strongly continuous semigroup. The operators operator ψ → σt and operator ψ → ∫ ∇ k(x,μ,μ' ψ(x,μ') dμ' are bounded operators, and by perturbation the transport operator ψ → μ ∇ ψ + σt ψ - K ψ also generates an strongly continuous semigroup. To prove the convergence of the approximations of a numerical methods to the exact solution we use the approximation theorem of C0 semi-groups in canonical form. In other way, the discrete schemes theory is employed in searching the rate of convergence of numerical techniques in transport theory. For 1D dependent of time transport problem and two-dimensional steady state problem we summarize some estimates, incorporating different boundary conditions. Finally we give a survey about the dynamical behavior of the SN approximations. In order to give a unified approach, some results illustrates the equivalence of the three points of views for the case of the steady-state transport problem for slab geometry. (author)

  12. From ‘machine-world’ to ‘God-world’ - world pictures and world views 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. J. Venter

    1992-03-01

    Full Text Available This article mainly consists of an analysis of the successive historical expansions of the mechanistic and the organistic world pictures into world views. In conclusion the presently popular form of the organistic world view, New Age occultism, is compared with the 'traditional' African world view. In this way the author attempts to realise three different aims: firstly to show how world pictures, developed within specific disciplines, are transformed into world views by expansionary application in other disciplines and /or cultural areas; secondly that occultism is regaining intellectual respectability by presenting itself as part of the ‘new’ organistic, scientific view of the world; and thirdly that there are strong similarities between the new Western occultism and the traditional African world view (which opens up possibilities of synthesis between these two.

  13. Unsteady Extinction of Opposed Jet Ethylene/Methane HIFiRE Surrogate Fuel Mixtures vs Air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaden, Sarah N.; Debes, Rachel L.; Lash, E. Lara; Burk, Rachel S.; Boyd, C. Merritt; Wilson, Lloyd G.; Pellett, Gerald L.

    2009-01-01

    A unique idealized study of the subject fuel vs. air systems was conducted using an Oscillatory-input Opposed Jet Burner (OOJB) system and a newly refined analysis. Extensive dynamic-extinction measurements were obtained on unanchored (free-floating) laminar Counter Flow Diffusion Flames (CFDFs) at 1-atm, stabilized by steady input velocities (e.g., U(sub air)) and perturbed by superimposed in-phase sinusoidal velocity inputs at fuel and air nozzle exits. Ethylene (C2H4) and methane (CH4), and intermediate 64/36 and 15/85 molar percent mixtures were studied. The latter gaseous surrogates were chosen earlier to mimic ignition and respective steady Flame Strengths (FS = U(sub air)) of vaporized and cracked, and un-cracked, JP-7 "like" kerosene for a Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) scramjet. For steady idealized flameholding, the 100% C2H4 flame is respectively approx. 1.3 and approx.2.7 times stronger than a 64/36 mix and CH4; but is still 12.0 times weaker than a 100% H2-air flame. Limited Hot-Wire (HW) measurements of velocity oscillations at convergent-nozzle exits, and more extensive Probe Microphone (PM) measurements of acoustic pressures, were used to normalize Dynamic FSs, which decayed linearly with pk/pk U(sub air) (velocity magnitude, HW), and also pk/pk P (pressure magnitude, PM). Thus Dynamic Flame Weakening (DFW) is defined as % decrease in FS per Pascal of pk/pk P oscillation, namely, DFW = -100 d(U(sub air)/U(sub air),0Hz)/d(pkpk P). Key findings are: (1) Ethylene flames are uniquely strong and resilient to extinction by oscillating inflows below 150 Hz; (2) Methane flames are uniquely weak; (3) Ethylene / methane surrogate flames are disproportionately strong with respect to ethylene content; and (4) Flame weakening is consistent with limited published results on forced unsteady CFDFs. Thus from 0 to approx. 10 Hz and slightly higher, lagging diffusive responses of key species led to progressive phase lags (relative

  14. Growth and remodeling play opposing roles during postnatal human heart valve development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oomen, Pim J A; Holland, Maria A; Bouten, Carlijn V C; Kuhl, Ellen; Loerakker, Sandra

    2018-01-19

    Tissue growth and remodeling are known to govern mechanical homeostasis in biological tissue, but their relative contributions to homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we use mechanical models, fueled by experimental findings, to demonstrate that growth and remodeling have different effects on heart valve stretch homeostasis during physiological postnatal development. Two developmental stages were considered: early-stage (from infant to adolescent) and late-stage (from adolescent to adult) development. Our models indicated that growth and remodeling play opposing roles in preserving tissue stretch and with time. During early-stage development, excessive tissue stretch was decreased by tissue growth and increased by remodeling. In contrast, during late-stage development tissue stretch was decreased by remodeling and increased by growth. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of native heart valve adaptation throughout life, and are highly relevant for the development of tissue-engineered heart valves.

  15. to view fulltext PDF

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ferent cell types, tissues and organs that work together ... impact on many aspects of medicine and human health. ... The nematode is about Imm long and takes about three ... ing on the chemical origin of life. His initial ... identical to the parent as opposed to a new cell type. ... brane receptor belonging to the notch family.

  16. Abortion for fetal CNS malformations: religious aspects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinberg, Avraham

    2003-08-01

    Abortion is one of the most widely discussed medical-ethical subjects in medical, legal, philosophical, and religious literature as well as in the lay press. There is hardly a religion or country in the world that is not currently concerned about this issue. The complexity of the topic relates to the fact that it deals with a being that is close to us but not identical to us. On the other hand, the fetus is not like a plant or even like a living being in the animal kingdom. Yet the fetus is not a complete and independent human being either. There are strongly opposing philosophical/religious viewpoints on abortion. On the one hand, pro-life groups and the Roman Catholic Church absolutely oppose abortion. They view the fetus as a full and independent human being, with absolute rights equal to those of the mother. According to this view, the right of the fetus to life can never be disregarded, and abortion is viewed as murder. On the other hand, the permissive, feminist, liberal view, emphasizes the basic right of a woman over her body. This right justifies abortion on demand solely dependent on the woman's wishes at any stage of pregnancy and for any reason whatsoever. This view totally ignores the rights of the fetus and views it as a part of the mother's body. This article deals with some aspects of the approaches of various religions to abortion due to fetal indications, in particular the Jewish viewpoint.

  17. Regional Queensland Parents' Views of Science Education: Some Unexpected Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boon, Helen J.

    2012-01-01

    Low post-compulsory science enrolments for secondary students have been a growing concern across the Western world. Research has examined factors relating to science curricula and students' attitudes about science, but parental views of science education remain largely unexplored in Australia. Because parents have a strong role in shaping their…

  18. STEP activation by Gαq coupled GPCRs opposes Src regulation of NMDA receptors containing the GluN2A subunit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Meng; Xu, Jian; Lei, Gang; Lombroso, Paul J.; Jackson, Michael F.; MacDonald, John F.

    2016-01-01

    N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are necessary for the induction of synaptic plasticity and for the consolidation of learning and memory. NMDAR function is tightly regulated by functionally opposed families of kinases and phosphatases. Herein we show that the striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) is recruited by Gαq-coupled receptors, including the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1R), and opposes the Src tyrosine kinase-mediated increase in the function of NMDARs composed of GluN2A. STEP activation by M1R stimulation requires IP3Rs and can depress NMDA-evoked currents with modest intracellular Ca2+ buffering. Src recruitment by M1R stimulation requires coincident NMDAR activation and can augment NMDA-evoked currents with high intracellular Ca2+ buffering. Our findings suggest that Src and STEP recruitment is contingent on differing intracellular Ca2+ dynamics that dictate whether NMDAR function is augmented or depressed following M1R stimulation. PMID:27857196

  19. Opposing actions of endocannabinoids on cholangiocarcinoma growth is via the differential activation of Notch signaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frampton, Gabriel; Coufal, Monique [Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A and M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX (United States); Li, Huang [Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A and M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX (United States); Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou (China); Ramirez, Jonathan [Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott and White Hospital, Temple, TX (United States); DeMorrow, Sharon, E-mail: demorrow@medicine.tamhsc.edu [Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A and M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX (United States); Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott and White Hospital, Temple, TX (United States)

    2010-05-15

    The endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) have opposing effects on cholangiocarcinoma growth. Implicated in cancer, Notch signaling requires the {gamma}-secretase complex for activation. The aims of this study were to determine if the opposing effects of endocannabinoids depend on the differential activation of the Notch receptors and to demonstrate that the differential activation of these receptors are due to presenilin 1 containing- and presenilin 2 containing-{gamma}-secretase complexes. Mz-ChA-1 cells were treated with AEA or 2-AG. Notch receptor expression, activation, and nuclear translocation were determined. Specific roles for Notch 1 and 2 on cannabinoid-induced effects were determined by transient transfection of Notch 1 or 2 shRNA vectors before stimulation with AEA or 2-AG. Expression of presenilin 1 and 2 was determined after AEA or 2-AG treatment, and the involvement of presenilin 1 and 2 in the cannabinoid-induced effects was demonstrated in cell lines with low presenilin 1 or 2 expression. Antiproliferative effects of AEA required increased Notch 1 mRNA, activation, and nuclear translocation, whereas the growth-promoting effects induced by 2-AG required increased Notch 2 mRNA expression, activation, and nuclear translocation. AEA increased presenilin 1 expression and recruitment into the {gamma}-secretase complex, whereas 2-AG increased expression and recruitment of presenilin 2. The development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating the endocannabinoid system or mimicking the mode of action of AEA on Notch signaling pathways would prove beneficial for cholangiocarcinoma management.

  20. Opposing actions of endocannabinoids on cholangiocarcinoma growth is via the differential activation of Notch signaling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frampton, Gabriel; Coufal, Monique; Li, Huang; Ramirez, Jonathan; DeMorrow, Sharon

    2010-01-01

    The endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) have opposing effects on cholangiocarcinoma growth. Implicated in cancer, Notch signaling requires the γ-secretase complex for activation. The aims of this study were to determine if the opposing effects of endocannabinoids depend on the differential activation of the Notch receptors and to demonstrate that the differential activation of these receptors are due to presenilin 1 containing- and presenilin 2 containing-γ-secretase complexes. Mz-ChA-1 cells were treated with AEA or 2-AG. Notch receptor expression, activation, and nuclear translocation were determined. Specific roles for Notch 1 and 2 on cannabinoid-induced effects were determined by transient transfection of Notch 1 or 2 shRNA vectors before stimulation with AEA or 2-AG. Expression of presenilin 1 and 2 was determined after AEA or 2-AG treatment, and the involvement of presenilin 1 and 2 in the cannabinoid-induced effects was demonstrated in cell lines with low presenilin 1 or 2 expression. Antiproliferative effects of AEA required increased Notch 1 mRNA, activation, and nuclear translocation, whereas the growth-promoting effects induced by 2-AG required increased Notch 2 mRNA expression, activation, and nuclear translocation. AEA increased presenilin 1 expression and recruitment into the γ-secretase complex, whereas 2-AG increased expression and recruitment of presenilin 2. The development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating the endocannabinoid system or mimicking the mode of action of AEA on Notch signaling pathways would prove beneficial for cholangiocarcinoma management.

  1. The simple view of second language reading throughout the primary grades

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhoeven, L.T.W.; Leeuwe, J.F.J. van

    2012-01-01

    In the Simple View of Reading proposed by Hoover and Gough (1990), reading comprehension is conceived as the product of word decoding and listening comprehension. It is claimed that listening comprehension or the linguistic processes involved in the comprehension of oral language strongly constrain

  2. Silver Nanoshell Plasmonically Controlled Emission of Semiconductor Quantum Dots in the Strong Coupling Regime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ning; Yuan, Meng; Gao, Yuhan; Li, Dongsheng; Yang, Deren

    2016-04-26

    Strong coupling between semiconductor excitons and localized surface plasmons (LSPs) giving rise to hybridized plexciton states in which energy is coherently and reversibly exchanged between the components is vital, especially in the area of quantum information processing from fundamental and practical points of view. Here, in photoluminescence spectra, rather than from common extinction or reflection measurements, we report on the direct observation of Rabi splitting of approximately 160 meV as an indication of strong coupling between excited states of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and LSP modes of silver nanoshells under nonresonant nanosecond pulsed laser excitation at room temperature. The strong coupling manifests itself as an anticrossing-like behavior of the two newly formed polaritons when tuning the silver nanoshell plasmon energies across the exciton line of the QDs. Further analysis substantiates the essentiality of high pump energy and collective strong coupling of many QDs with the radiative dipole mode of the metallic nanoparticles for the realization of strong coupling. Our finding opens up interesting directions for the investigation of strong coupling between LSPs and excitons from the perspective of radiative recombination under easily accessible experimental conditions.

  3. Priority to End of Life Treatments? Views of the Public in the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wouters, Sofie; van Exel, Job; Baker, Rachel; B F Brouwer, Werner

    2017-01-01

    Recent debates in the Netherlands on health care priority setting have focused on the relative value of gains generated by life-extending medicines for people with a terminal illness, mostly new cancer drugs. These treatments are generally expensive, provide relatively small health gains, and therefore usually do not meet common cost per QALY thresholds. Nevertheless, these drugs may be provided under the assumption that there is public support for making a special case for treatments for people with a terminal illness. This study investigated the views of the public in the Netherlands on a range of equity and efficiency considerations relevant to priority setting and examines whether there is public support for making such a special case. Using Q methodology, three viewpoints on important principles for priority setting were identified. Data were collected through ranking exercises conducted by 46 members of the general public in the Netherlands, including 11 respondents with personal experience with cancer. Viewpoint 1 emphasized that people have equal rights to healthcare and opposed priority setting on any ground. Viewpoint 2 emphasized that the care for terminal patients should at all times respect the patients' quality of life, which sometimes means refraining from invasive treatments. Viewpoint 3 had a strong focus on effective and efficient care and had no moral objection against priority setting under certain circumstances. Overall, we found little public support for the assumption that health gains in terminally ill patients are more valuable than those in other patients. This implies that the assumption that society is prepared to pay more for health gains in people who have only a short period of lifetime left does not correspond with societal preferences in the Netherlands. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Limiting oxygen concentration for extinction of upward spreading flames over inclined thin polyethylene-insulated NiCr electrical wires with opposed-flow under normal- and micro-gravity

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Longhua

    2016-10-02

    Materials, such as electrical wire, used in spacecraft must pass stringent fire safety standards. Tests for such standards are typically performed under normal gravity conditions and then extended to applications under microgravity conditions. The experiments reported here used polyethylene (PE)-insulated (thickness of 0.15 mm) Nichrome (NiCr)-core (diameter of 0.5 mm) electrical wires. Limiting oxygen concentrations (LOC) at extinction were measured for upward spreading flame at various forced opposed-flow (downward) speeds (0−25 cm/s) at several inclination angles (0−75°) under normal gravity conditions. The differences from those previously obtained under microgravity conditions were quantified and correlated to provide a reference for the development of fire safety test standards for electrical wires to be used in space exploration. It was found that as the opposed-flow speed increased for a specified inclination angle (except the horizontal case), LOC first increased, then decreased and finally increased again. The first local maximum of this LOC variation corresponded to a critical forced flow speed resulted from the change in flame spread pattern from concurrent to counter-current type. This critical forced flow speed correlated well with the buoyancy-induced flow speed component in the wire\\'s direction when the flame base width along the wire was used as a characteristic length scale. LOC was generally higher under the normal gravity than under the microgravity and the difference between the two decreased as the opposed-flow speed increases, following a reasonably linear trend at relatively higher flow speeds (over 10 cm/s). The decrease in the difference in LOC under normal- and microgravity conditions as the opposed-flow speed increases correlated well with the gravity acceleration component in the wire\\'s direction, providing a measure to extend LOC determined by the tests under normal gravity conditions (at various inclination angles and opposed

  5. Teachers' tendencies to promote student-led science projects: Associations with their views about science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bencze, J. Lawrence; Bowen, G. Michael; Alsop, Steve

    2006-05-01

    School science students can benefit greatly from participation in student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects. For various possible reasons, however, students tend not to be engaged in such inquiries. Among factors that may limit their opportunities to engage in open-ended inquiries of their design are teachers' conceptions about science. To explore possible relationships between teachers' conceptions about science and the types of inquiry activities in which they engage students, instrumental case studies of five secondary science teachers were developed, using field notes, repertory grids, samples of lesson plans and student activities, and semistructured interviews. Based on constructivist grounded theory analysis, participating teachers' tendencies to promote student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects seemed to correspond with positions about the nature of science to which they indicated adherence. A tendency to encourage and enable students to carry out student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects appeared to be associated with adherence to social constructivist views about science. Teachers who opposed social constructivist views tended to prefer tight control of student knowledge building procedures and conclusions. We suggest that these results can be explained with reference to human psychological factors, including those associated with teachers' self-esteem and their relationships with knowledge-building processes in the discipline of their teaching.

  6. EDITORIAL: Strongly correlated electron systems Strongly correlated electron systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronning, Filip; Batista, Cristian

    2011-03-01

    during SCES 2010. As we learned, past dogmas about strongly correlated materials and phenomena must be re-examined with an open and inquisitive mind. Invited speakers and respected leaders in the field were invited to contribute to this special issue and we have insisted that they present new data, ideas, or perspectives, as opposed to simply an overview of their past work. As with the conference, this special issue touches upon recent developments of strongly correlated electron systems in d-electron materials, such as Sr3Ru2O7, graphene, and the new Fe-based superconductors, but it is dominated by topics in f-electron compounds. Contributions reflect the growing appreciation for the influence of disorder and frustration, the need for organizing principles, as well as detailed investigations on particular materials of interest and, of course, new materials. As this special issue could not possibly capture the full breadth and depth that the conference had to offer, it is being published simultaneously with an issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series containing 157 manuscripts in which all poster presenters at SCES 2010 were invited to contribute. Since this special issue grew out of the 2010 SCES conference, we take this opportunity to give thanks. This conference would not have been possible without the hard work of the SCES 2010 Program Committee, International and National Advisory Committees, Local Committee, and conference organizers, the New Mexico Consortium. We thank them as well as those organizations that generously provided financial support: ICAM-I2CAM, Quantum Design, Lakeshore, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Department of Energy National Laboratories at Argonne, Berkeley, Brookhaven, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge. Of course, we especially thank the participants for bringing new ideas and new results, without which SCES 2010 would not have been possible. Strongly correlated electron systems contents Spin-orbit coupling and k

  7. Investigating the dominant corrections to the strong-stretching theory for dry polymeric brushes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsen, M W

    2004-07-22

    The accuracy of strong-stretching theory (SST) is examined against a detailed comparison to self-consistent field theory (SCFT) on dry polymeric brushes with thicknesses of up to approximately 17 times the natural chain extension. The comparison provides the strongest evidence to date that SST represents the exact thick-brush limit of SCFT. More importantly, it allows us to assess the effectiveness of proposed finite-stretching corrections to SST. Including the entropy of the free ends is shown to rectify the most severe inaccuracies in SST. The proximal layer proposed by Likhtman and Semenov provides another significant improvement, and we identify one further effect of similar importance for which there is not yet an accurate treatment. Furthermore, our study provides a valuable means of rejecting mistaken refinements to SST, and indeed one such example is revealed. A proper treatment of finite-stretching corrections is vital to a wide range of phenomena that depend on a small excess free energy, such as autophobic dewetting and the interaction between opposing brushes.

  8. Three points of view in transport theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruben, Panta Pazos [Faculdade de Matematica, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Tilio de Vilhena, M. [Instituto de Matematica, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

    2001-07-01

    A lot of efforts in Transport Theory is used to develop numerical methods or hybrid numerical-analytical techniques. We present in this work three points of view about transport problems. First the C0 semigroup approach, in which the free transport operator {psi} {yields} {mu} {nabla} generates an strongly continuous semigroup. The operators operator {psi} {yields} {sigma}t and operator {psi} {yields} {integral} {nabla} k(x,{mu},{mu}') {psi}(x,{mu}') d{mu}' are bounded operators, and by perturbation the transport operator {psi} {yields} {mu} {nabla} {psi} + {sigma}t {psi} - K {psi} also generates an strongly continuous semigroup. To prove the convergence of the approximations of a numerical methods to the exact solution we use the approximation theorem of C0 semi-groups in canonical form. In other way, the discrete schemes theory is employed in searching the rate of convergence of numerical techniques in transport theory. For 1D dependent of time transport problem and two-dimensional steady state problem we summarize some estimates, incorporating different boundary conditions. Finally we give a survey about the dynamical behavior of the SN approximations. In order to give a unified approach, some results illustrates the equivalence of the three points of views for the case of the steady-state transport problem for slab geometry. (author)

  9. <strong>Mini-project>

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Katajainen, Jyrki

    2008-01-01

    In this project the goal is to develop the safe * family of containers for the CPH STL. The containers to be developed should be safer and more reliable than any of the existing implementations. A special focus should be put on strong exception safety since none of the existing prototypes available...

  10. Use of the geometric mean of opposing planar projections in pre-reconstruction restoration of SPECT images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boulfelfel, D.; Rangayyan, R.M.; Hahn, L.J.; Kloiber, R.

    1992-01-01

    This paper presents a restoration scheme for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images that performs restoration before reconstruction (pre-reconstruction restoration) from planar (projection) images. In this scheme, the pixel-by-pixel geometric mean of each pair of opposing (conjugate) planar projections is computed prior to the reconstruction process. The averaging process is shown to help in making the degradation phenomenon less dependent on the distance of each point of the object from the camera. The restoration filters investigated are the Wiener and power spectrum equalization filters. (author)

  11. Describing a Strongly Correlated Model System with Density Functional Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Jing; Proynov, Emil; Yu, Jianguo; Pachter, Ruth

    2017-07-06

    The linear chain of hydrogen atoms, a basic prototype for the transition from a metal to Mott insulator, is studied with a recent density functional theory model functional for nondynamic and strong correlation. The computed cohesive energy curve for the transition agrees well with accurate literature results. The variation of the electronic structure in this transition is characterized with a density functional descriptor that yields the atomic population of effectively localized electrons. These new methods are also applied to the study of the Peierls dimerization of the stretched even-spaced Mott insulator to a chain of H 2 molecules, a different insulator. The transitions among the two insulating states and the metallic state of the hydrogen chain system are depicted in a semiquantitative phase diagram. Overall, we demonstrate the capability of studying strongly correlated materials with a mean-field model at the fundamental level, in contrast to the general pessimistic view on such a feasibility.

  12. Does Cartoon Violence Beget Aggressive Behavior in Real Life? An Opposing View

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumberg, Fran C.; Bierwirth, Kristen P.; Schwartz, Allison J.

    2008-01-01

    A commonly accepted belief is that the violence depicted in television programs, particularly cartoons, has a negative impact on young children's behavior. However, young children may be less inclined to emulate violent actions seen on television than currently thought. Research indicates that young children have limited comprehension of…

  13. GlmS and NagB regulate amino sugar metabolism in opposing directions and affect Streptococcus mutans virulence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miki Kawada-Matsuo

    Full Text Available Streptococcus mutans is a cariogenic pathogen that produces an extracellular polysaccharide (glucan from dietary sugars, which allows it to establish a reproductive niche and secrete acids that degrade tooth enamel. While two enzymes (GlmS and NagB are known to be key factors affecting the entrance of amino sugars into glycolysis and cell wall synthesis in several other bacteria, their roles in S. mutans remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the roles of GlmS and NagB in S. mutans sugar metabolism and determined whether they have an effect on virulence. NagB expression increased in the presence of GlcNAc while GlmS expression decreased, suggesting that the regulation of these enzymes, which functionally oppose one another, is dependent on the concentration of environmental GlcNAc. A glmS-inactivated mutant could not grow in the absence of GlcNAc, while nagB-inactivated mutant growth was decreased in the presence of GlcNAc. Also, nagB inactivation was found to decrease the expression of virulence factors, including cell-surface protein antigen and glucosyltransferase, and to decrease biofilm formation and saliva-induced S. mutans aggregation, while glmS inactivation had the opposite effects on virulence factor expression and bacterial aggregation. Our results suggest that GlmS and NagB function in sugar metabolism in opposing directions, increasing and decreasing S. mutans virulence, respectively.

  14. Precision sensing by two opposing gradient sensors: how does Escherichia coli find its preferred pH level?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Bo; Tu, Yuhai

    2013-07-02

    It is essential for bacteria to find optimal conditions for their growth and survival. The optimal levels of certain environmental factors (such as pH and temperature) often correspond to some intermediate points of the respective gradients. This requires the ability of bacteria to navigate from both directions toward the optimum location and is distinct from the conventional unidirectional chemotactic strategy. Remarkably, Escherichia coli cells can perform such a precision sensing task in pH taxis by using the same chemotaxis machinery, but with opposite pH responses from two different chemoreceptors (Tar and Tsr). To understand bacterial pH sensing, we developed an Ising-type model for a mixed cluster of opposing receptors based on the push-pull mechanism. Our model can quantitatively explain experimental observations in pH taxis for various mutants and wild-type cells. We show how the preferred pH level depends on the relative abundance of the competing sensors and how the sensory activity regulates the behavioral response. Our model allows us to make quantitative predictions on signal integration of pH and chemoattractant stimuli. Our study reveals two general conditions and a robust push-pull scheme for precision sensing, which should be applicable in other adaptive sensory systems with opposing gradient sensors. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Ogólny zarys kierunków polityki reflacyjnej proponowanych przez przedstawicieli współczesnego neokcynesizmu

    OpenAIRE

    Boniecka, Katarzyna

    1996-01-01

    The analysis of the data on the average annual rate of growth of consumer goods prices in OECD countries in the early 1980s and the inflation rate confirms the view held by J. Tobin that the 1980s are the period of disinflation as opposed to the 1970s - a period of inflation. This stimulated the debate over the necessity of application of strong counter-inflation measures. Neo-Keynesian economists call the policy mix employed in the USA in the 1980s a prescription for stimul...

  16. “Nuclear energy sounded wonderful 40 years ago”: UK citizen views on CCS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lock, Simon J.; Smallman, Melanie; Lee, Maria; Rydin, Yvonne

    2014-01-01

    Around the world there is increasing interest from government and industry in the potential for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies to play a part in decarbonisation. This paper examines how people with little previous exposure to CCS technology, frame and discuss it, and how in the absence of information, ideas, notions, values and experiences shape opinion. We present data from a series of focus groups held with environmental activists, planning councillors, and adult and youth community group members in London in 2012. We found that views on CCS are shaped strongly by wider factors, particularly trade offs between different energy futures. Lay-critiques were similar to those put forward by environmental groups and were strongly framed by conceptions of nuclear power. We argue that although there is little public disquiet concerning this technology in private opinions were generally negative. This, and the use of nuclear power as a framing device, may present a challenge to policy-makers and industry committed to implementing CCS while promoting education as the main mechanism for public acceptance. - highlights: • We present data from a series of focus groups held with lay-citizens in London in 2012. • We found that lay-critiques of CCS were similar to those negative views put forward by environmental groups. • Lay views on CCS were strongly framed by conceptions of nuclear power. • This framing may present a challenge to policy-makers and industry committed to implementing CCS

  17. Generalized synchronization in discrete maps. New point of view on weak and strong synchronization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koronovskii, Alexey A.; Moskalenko, Olga I.; Shurygina, Svetlana A.; Hramov, Alexander E.

    2013-01-01

    In the present Letter we show that the concept of the generalized synchronization regime in discrete maps needs refining in the same way as it has been done for the flow systems Koronovskii et al. [Koronovskii AA, Moskalenko OI, Hramov AE. Nearest neighbors, phase tubes, and generalized synchronization. Phys Rev E 2011;84:037201]. We have shown that, in the general case, when the relationship between state vectors of the interacting chaotic maps are considered, the prehistory must be taken into account. We extend the phase tube approach to the systems with a discrete time coupled both unidirectionally and mutually and analyze the essence of the generalized synchronization by means of this technique. Obtained results show that the division of the generalized synchronization into the weak and the strong ones also must be reconsidered. Unidirectionally coupled logistic maps and Hénon maps coupled mutually are used as sample systems.

  18. Testing the Speed of Gravitational Waves over Cosmological Distances with Strong Gravitational Lensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collett, Thomas E; Bacon, David

    2017-03-03

    Probing the relative speeds of gravitational waves and light acts as an important test of general relativity and alternative theories of gravity. Measuring the arrival time of gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) counterparts can be used to measure the relative speeds, but only if the intrinsic time lag between emission of the photons and gravitational waves is well understood. Here we suggest a method that does not make such an assumption, using future strongly lensed GW events and EM counterparts; Biesiada et al. [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.10 (2014) 080JCAPBP1475-751610.1088/1475-7516/2014/10/080] forecast that 50-100 strongly lensed GW events will be observed each year with the Einstein Telescope. A single strongly lensed GW event would produce robust constraints on c_{GW}/c_{γ} at the 10^{-7} level, if a high-energy EM counterpart is observed within the field of view of an observing γ-ray burst monitor.

  19. Views and attitudes towards blood donation: a qualitative investigation of Indian non-donors living in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Dhaara; Meakin, Richard

    2017-10-22

    To explore the views and attitudes of Indians living in England on blood donation. In light of the predicted shortages in blood supply, it is vital to consider ways in which to maximise donation rates. These include addressing the issue of lower donation rates among ethnic minorities, including Indians. However research specifically among minority ethnicities in UK is sparse. General practice in North London. A convenience sample of 12 non-donor Indians living in England. This is a qualitative investigation involving semistructured interviews. Themes derived were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data, and these concerned participants' perspectives regarding attitudes towards blood, blood donation as a 'good thing', donation disincentives, the recipient matters and the donor matters. A variety of attitudes were presented, but were generally positive, and blood was conceptualised in a manner previously found to be consistent with donation. However, lack of awareness and accessibility were prominent barriers, indicating the need for improvement in these capacities. In contrast to this, blood was also greatly associated with family and acted as a symbol of kinship: this 'emotional charge' often acted to dissuade participants from separating with their blood through donation. Possibly due to this, there was also a strong preference for donated blood to be distributed within the family, as opposed to strangers. This presents a potential barrier to blood donation for some Indians within the current system in which donations are given to unknown recipients. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. A systematic review on immediate loading of implants used to support overdentures opposed by conventional prostheses : factors that might influence clinical outcomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zygogiannis, K.; Wismeijer, D.; Aartman, I.H.A.; Osman, R.B.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Different treatment protocols in terms of number, diameter, and suprastructure design have been proposed for immediately loaded implants that are used to support mandibular overdentures opposed by maxillary conventional dentures. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of

  1. Towards a dynamical solution of the strong CP problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schierholz, G.

    1994-01-01

    One may argue that QCD solves the strong CP problem by itself. To test this idea, a lattice simulation suggests itself. In view of the difficulty of such a calculation we have, as a first step, investigated the problem in the CP 3 model. The CP 3 model is in many respects similar to QCD. In this talk I present some first results of our calculation. Among other things it is shown that the model has a first order deconfining phase transition in θ and that the critical value of θ decreases towards zero as β is taken to infinity. This suggests that θ is tuned to zero in the continuum limit. ((orig.))

  2. <strong>Dragoste> and <strong>Iubire>. Love in the layperson model of native speakers of Romanian

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina

    2007-01-01

    – horizontal vs. vertical – are needed for the description of basic-level categories, taking into account the specific properties of these in contrast with those featured by superordinate-level categories. The present research had therefore a double focus, on both the horizontal and the vertical dimension...... of categorization, reflecting two competing views on the prototypical approach to categorization: A. On the vertical dimension, researchers are trying to identify the conceptual organization of a superordinate or basic level category by looking at the subordinate level categories that might be subsumed to it. B...... membership, as in the traditional view on categorization. As a consequence, the design of the tasks included in the present investigation was informed by theories, principles, concepts and methods pertaining to the prototype approach to categorization, as well as to the rich cognitive linguistics framework...

  3. The hazards of correcting myths about health care reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyhan, Brendan; Reifler, Jason; Ubel, Peter A

    2013-02-01

    Misperceptions are a major problem in debates about health care reform and other controversial health issues. We conducted an experiment to determine if more aggressive media fact-checking could correct the false belief that the Affordable Care Act would create "death panels." Participants from an opt-in Internet panel were randomly assigned to either a control group in which they read an article on Sarah Palin's claims about "death panels" or an intervention group in which the article also contained corrective information refuting Palin. The correction reduced belief in death panels and strong opposition to the reform bill among those who view Palin unfavorably and those who view her favorably but have low political knowledge. However, it backfired among politically knowledgeable Palin supporters, who were more likely to believe in death panels and to strongly oppose reform if they received the correction. These results underscore the difficulty of reducing misperceptions about health care reform among individuals with the motivation and sophistication to reject corrective information.

  4. Strong-Field Physics with Mid-IR Fields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Wolter

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Strong-field physics is currently experiencing a shift towards the use of mid-IR driving wavelengths. This is because they permit conducting experiments unambiguously in the quasistatic regime and enable exploiting the effects related to ponderomotive scaling of electron recollisions. Initial measurements taken in the mid-IR immediately led to a deeper understanding of photoionization and allowed a discrimination among different theoretical models. Ponderomotive scaling of rescattering has enabled new avenues towards time-resolved probing of molecular structure. Essential for this paradigm shift was the convergence of two experimental tools: (1 intense mid-IR sources that can create high-energy photons and electrons while operating within the quasistatic regime and (2 detection systems that can detect the generated high-energy particles and image the entire momentum space of the interaction in full coincidence. Here, we present a unique combination of these two essential ingredients, namely, a 160-kHz mid-IR source and a reaction microscope detection system, to present an experimental methodology that provides an unprecedented three-dimensional view of strong-field interactions. The system is capable of generating and detecting electron energies that span a 6 order of magnitude dynamic range. We demonstrate the versatility of the system by investigating electron recollisions, the core process that drives strong-field phenomena, at both low (meV and high (hundreds of eV energies. The low-energy region is used to investigate recently discovered low-energy structures, while the high-energy electrons are used to probe atomic structure via laser-induced electron diffraction. Moreover, we present, for the first time, the correlated momentum distribution of electrons from nonsequential double ionization driven by mid-IR pulses.

  5. Levitation Performance of Two Opposed Permanent Magnet Pole-Pair Separated Conical Bearingless Motors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kascak, Peter; Jansen, Ralph; Dever, Timothy; Nagorny, Aleksandr; Loparo, Kenneth

    2013-01-01

    In standard motor applications, rotor suspension with traditional mechanical bearings represents the most economical solution. However, in certain high performance applications, rotor suspension without contacting bearings is either required or highly beneficial. Examples include applications requiring very high speed or extreme environment operation, or with limited access for maintenance. This paper expands upon a novel bearingless motor concept, in which two motors with opposing conical air-gaps are used to achieve full five-axis levitation and rotation of the rotor. Force in this motor is created by deliberately leaving the motor s pole-pairs unconnected, which allows the creation of different d-axis flux in each pole pair. This flux imbalance is used to create lateral force. This approach is different than previous bearingless motor designs, which require separate windings for levitation and rotation. This paper examines the predicted and achieved suspension performance of a fully levitated prototype bearingless system.

  6. Full spectrum endoscopy (FUSE) versus standard forward-viewing endoscope (SFV) in a high-risk population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roepstorff, Søren; Hadi, Sabah Anwar; Rasmussen, Morten

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the diagnostic performance of Full Spectrum Endoscopy (FUSE) compared to a conventional standard forward-viewing endoscope (SFV). The primary outcome was adenoma detection rate (ADR) and mean adenoma detection. Secondary outcome was feasibility of FUSE opposed to SFV...... intubation time, fentanyl and midazolam sedation, CRC detection, ADR, diverticulosis, bowel preparation, patient discomfort and endoscopist difficulty rating. Participants underwent FUSE colonoscopy on days when the FUSE system was available, while the remaining participants had SFV. All colonoscopies were.......1 ± 6.2 min in the FUSE and SFV groups (p = .040). ADR was 67.0% and 59.6% (p = .097), while the mean adenoma detection was 1.79 and 1.38 (p = .022) in the FUSE and SFV groups. Endoscopists reported increased difficulty rating with FUSE compared to SFV (p > .001). CONCLUSION: FUSE colonoscopy provides...

  7. Viewing Age: Lifespan Identity and Television Viewing Choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harwood, Jake

    1997-01-01

    Introduces a theoretical perspective on media viewing choices, grounded in social identity theory. Content analysis demonstrates that child, younger adult, and older adult television viewers show a preference for viewing characters of their own age. The experiment demonstrates that young adults' preference for viewing young adult characters exists…

  8. Negative mobility of a Brownian particle: Strong damping regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Słapik, A.; Łuczka, J.; Spiechowicz, J.

    2018-02-01

    We study impact of inertia on directed transport of a Brownian particle under non-equilibrium conditions: the particle moves in a one-dimensional periodic and symmetric potential, is driven by both an unbiased time-periodic force and a constant force, and is coupled to a thermostat of temperature T. Within selected parameter regimes this system exhibits negative mobility, which means that the particle moves in the direction opposite to the direction of the constant force. It is known that in such a setup the inertial term is essential for the emergence of negative mobility and it cannot be detected in the limiting case of overdamped dynamics. We analyse inertial effects and show that negative mobility can be observed even in the strong damping regime. We determine the optimal dimensionless mass for the presence of negative mobility and reveal three mechanisms standing behind this anomaly: deterministic chaotic, thermal noise induced and deterministic non-chaotic. The last origin has never been reported. It may provide guidance to the possibility of observation of negative mobility for strongly damped dynamics which is of fundamental importance from the point of view of biological systems, all of which in situ operate in fluctuating environments.

  9. Enhancing multi-view autostereoscopic displays by viewing distance control (VDC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurk, Silvio; Duckstein, Bernd; Renault, Sylvain; Kuhlmey, Mathias; de la Barré, René; Ebner, Thomas

    2014-03-01

    Conventional multi-view displays spatially interlace various views of a 3D scene and form appropriate viewing channels. However, they only support sufficient stereo quality within a limited range around the nominal viewing distance (NVD). If this distance is maintained, two slightly divergent views are projected to the person's eyes, both covering the entire screen. With increasing deviations from the NVD the stereo image quality decreases. As a major drawback in usability, the manufacturer so far assigns this distance. We propose a software-based solution that corrects false view assignments depending on the distance of the viewer. Our novel approach enables continuous view adaptation based on the calculation of intermediate views and a column-bycolumn rendering method. The algorithm controls each individual subpixel and generates a new interleaving pattern from selected views. In addition, we use color-coded test content to verify its efficacy. This novel technology helps shifting the physically determined NVD to a user-defined distance thereby supporting stereopsis. The recent viewing positions can fall in front or behind the NVD of the original setup. Our algorithm can be applied to all multi-view autostereoscopic displays — independent of the ascent or the periodicity of the optical element. In general, the viewing distance can be corrected with a factor of more than 2.5. By creating a continuous viewing area the visualized 3D content is suitable even for persons with largely divergent intraocular distance — adults and children alike — without any deficiency in spatial perception.

  10. Rhetoric and the law, or the law of rhetoric: How countries oppose novel tobacco control measures at the World Trade Organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lencucha, Raphael; Drope, Jeffrey; Labonte, Ronald

    2016-09-01

    The tobacco industry has developed an extensive array of strategies and arguments to prevent or weaken government regulation. These strategies and arguments are well documented at the domestic level. However, there remains a need to examine how these arguments are reflected in the challenges waged by governments within the World Trade Organization (WTO). Decisions made at the WTO have the potential to shape how countries govern. Our analysis was conducted on two novel tobacco control measures: tobacco additives bans (Canada, United States and Brazil) and plain, standardized packaging of tobacco products (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, EU and UK). We analyzed WTO documents (i.e. meeting minutes and submissions) (n = 62) in order to identify patterns of argumentation and compare these patterns with well-documented industry arguments. The pattern of these arguments reveal that despite the unique institutional structure of the WTO, country representatives opposing novel tobacco control measures use the same non-technical arguments as those that the tobacco industry continues to use to oppose these measures at the domestic level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. A Chinese view of the Western nursing metaparadigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Hsueh-Fen Sabrina; Reeder, Francelyn M; Hsu, Min-Tao; Cheng, Su-Fen

    2006-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to reveal Chinese-rooted meanings present within the Western nursing metaparadigm and to illustrate some similarities with Rogers's Science of Unitary Human Beings. Confucian and Taoist beliefs have the potential to illuminate the basic constructs inherent in holistic nursing. The Western nursing metaparadigm of four concepts--person, nursing, health, and environment--was explored through the lens of a Chinese worldview and led to the presentation of a broadened view for an integrated model of nursing. Asian and Western worldviews of human beings and health are not mutually exclusive. The Chinese holistic worldview of Taoism and Confucianism resonates theoretically and cosmically with the dynamic nature of the human-environment mutual relationship basic to Rogers' unitary view. This strong, theoretical link, when elaborated for its similarities and implications, can broaden the knowledge base to guide contemporary nursing practice, education, and research, particularly relevant for holistic nursing.

  12. Opposing Subjective Temporal Experiences in Response to Unpredictable and Predictable Fear-Relevant Stimuli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Cui

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have found that the durations of fear-relevant stimuli were overestimated compared to those of neutral stimuli, even when the fear-relevant stimuli were only anticipated. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the predictability of fear-relevant stimuli on sub-second temporal estimations. In Experiments 1a and 1b, a randomized design was employed to render the emotional valence of each trial unpredictable. In Experiments 2a and 2b, we incorporated a block design and a cueing paradigm, respectively, to render the emotional stimuli predictable. Compared with the neutral condition, the estimated blank interval was judged as being shorter under the unpredictable fear-relevant condition, while it was judged as being longer under the predictable fear-relevant condition. In other words, the unpredictable and predictable fear-relevant stimuli led to opposing temporal distortions. These results demonstrated that emotions modulate interval perception during different time processing stages.

  13. Competing initiatives: a new tobacco industry strategy to oppose statewide clean indoor air ballot measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tung, Gregory J; Hendlin, Yogi H; Glantz, Stanton A

    2009-03-01

    To describe how the tobacco and gaming industries opposed clean indoor air voter initiatives in 2006, we analyzed media records and government and other publicly available documents and conducted interviews with knowledgeable individuals. In an attempt to avoid strict "smoke free" regulations pursued by health groups via voter initiatives in Arizona, Ohio, and Nevada, in 2006, the tobacco and gaming industries sponsored competing voter initiatives for alternative laws. Health groups succeeded in defeating the pro-tobacco competing initiatives because they were able to dispel confusion and create a head-to-head competition by associating each campaign with its respective backer and instructing voters to vote "no" on the pro-tobacco initiative in addition to voting "yes" on the health group initiative.

  14. Reconsidering examining cannabis subtypes together due to opposing effects on brain, cognition and behavior

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Kristine Rømer; Callesen, Mette Buhl; Ewing, Sarah W. Feeldstein

    Cannabis use represents a major public health issue throughout the globe. Yet, we still lack the most fundamental of knowledge on long-term effects of cannabis on neural, cognitive, and behavioral function. Part of this stems from how cannabis has been measured. To this end, most empirical...... examinations of cannabis have historically consolidated all types of cannabis collectively. However, this approach misses a fundamental fact about how different cannabinoids operate. Here we address the contrasting properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and their opposing effects...... on a wide array of health function. In addition, we address the increase in cannabis potency throughout the past two decades and how that impacts generalizability of early data on current public health. We put forth the urgent need for future research to disaggregate examination of THC from CBD, along...

  15. Manufacturing method for parts opposed to plasmas and manufacturing device therefor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuse, Toshiaki; Tachikawa, Nobuo.

    1995-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of and a device for manufacturing heat insulation parts which are opposed to plasmas, such as parts in the inside of a thermonuclear reactor, which less suffer from defects such as crackings and peelings in the vicinity of the joining portion of the parts. Namely, when an armour and a heat sink are cooled to a room temperature after joining them, the upper surface of the armour and the bottom of the heat sink are pressurized. Then after restricting the convex deformation at the upper surface of the armour and the concave deformation at the bottom of the heat sink, the heat sink bottom are extended at from 600degC to a room temperature or at a room temperature. When a heat resistant material with a small heat expansion coefficient is joined with a cooling material with a large heat expansion coefficient and then cooled, deformation and residual stresses are generated by the difference of the shrinking amount. But deformation and the residual stresses can be reduced by gradually cooling them while restricting them by using a joining device compared with a case of not restricting them. As a result, occurrence of crackings and peelings in the vicinity of the joining portion can be prevented. (I.S.)

  16. A strong conditional mutualism limits and enhances seed dispersal and germination of a tropical palm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinger, R.; Rejmanek, M.

    2010-01-01

    Seed predation and seed dispersal can have strong effects on early life history stages of plants. These processes have often been studied as individual effects, but the degree to which their relative importance co-varies with seed predator abundance and how this influences seed germination rates is poorly understood. Therefore, we used a combination of observations and field experiments to determine the degree to which germination rates of the palm Astrocaryum mexicanum varied with abundance of a small mammal seed predator/disperser, Heteromysdesmarestianus, in a lowland tropical forest. Patterns of abundance of the two species were strongly related; density of H. desmarestianus was low in sites with low density of A. mexicanum and vice versa. Rates of predation and dispersal of A. mexicanum seeds depended on abundance of H. desmarestianus; sites with high densities of H. desmarestianus had the highest rates of seed predation and lowest rates of seed germination, but a greater total number of seeds were dispersed and there was greater density of seedlings, saplings, and adults of A. mexicanum in these sites. When abundance of H. desmarestianus was experimentally reduced, rates of seed predation decreased, but so did dispersal of A. mexicanum seeds. Critically, rates of germination of dispersed seeds were 5 times greater than undispersed seeds. The results suggest that the relationship between A. mexicanum and H. desmarestianus is a conditional mutualism that results in a strong local effect on the abundance of each species. However, the magnitude and direction of these effects are determined by the relative strength of opposing, but related, mechanisms. A. mexicanum nuts provide H. desmarestianus with a critical food resource, and while seed predation on A. mexicanum nuts by H. desmarestianus is very intense, A. mexicanum ultimately benefits because of the relatively high germination rates of its seeds that are dispersed by H. desmarestianus. ?? The Author(s) 2010.

  17. Bidirectional transport of organelles: unity and struggle of opposing motors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryantseva, Sofiya A; Zhapparova, Olga N

    2012-01-01

    Bidirectional transport along microtubules is ensured by opposing motor proteins: cytoplasmic dynein that drives cargo to the minus-ends and various kinesins that generally move to the plus-ends of microtubules. Regulation of motor proteins that are simultaneously bound to the same organelle is required to maintain directional transport and prevent pausing of cargo pulled away by motors of opposite polarity. Debates of the recent decade have been focused on two possible mechanisms of such regulation: (i) coordination, which implies that only one type of motors is active at a given time, and (ii) tug-of-war, which assumes that both motors are active at the same time and that direction of transport depends on the outcome of motor's confrontation. The initial idea of coordination has been challenged by observations of simultaneous activity of plus- and minus-end-directed motors applied to the same cargo. Analysis of the available data indicates that coordination and tug-of-war theories rather complement than contradict each other: cargo interacts with two teams of active motors, the resulting direction and the winner team are determined by coordination complexes, but the activity of the loser team is never completely inhibited and remains at some background level. Such persisting activity might enhance the overall efficiency of transport by increasing processivity or helping to overcome the obstacles on microtubule track. © The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2012 Portland Press Limited

  18. Opposed-Flow Flame Spread in a Narrow Channel Apparatus over Thin PMMA Sheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bornand, G. R.; Olson, Sandra L.; Miller, F. J.; Pepper, J. M.; Wichman, I. S.

    2013-01-01

    Flame spread tests have been conducted over polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) samples in San Diego State University's Narrow Channel Apparatus (SDSU NCA). The Narrow Channel Apparatus (NCA) has the ability to suppress buoyant flow in horizontally spreading flames, and is currently being investigated as a possible replacement or complement to NASA's current material flammability test standard for non-metallic solids, NASA-STD-(I)-6001B Test 1. The buoyant suppression achieved with a NCA allows for tests to be conducted in a simulated microgravity atmosphere-a characteristic that Test 1 lacks since flames present in Test 1 are buoyantly driven. The SDSU NCA allows for flame spread tests to be conducted with varying opposed flow oxidizer velocities, oxygen percent by volume, and total pressure. Also, since the test sample is placed symmetrically between two confining plates so that there is a gap above and below the sample, this gap can be adjusted. This gap height adjustment allows for a compromise between heat loss from the flame to the confining boundaries and buoyancy suppression achieved by those boundaries. This article explores the effect gap height has on the flame spread rate for 75 µm thick PMMA at 1 atm pressure and 21% oxygen concentration by volume in the SDSU NCA. Flame spread results from the SDSU NCA for thin cellulose fuels have previously been compared to results from tests in actual microgravity at various test conditions with the same sample materials and were found to be in good agreement. This article also presents results from the SDSU NCA for PMMA at 1 atm pressure, opposed oxidizer velocity ranging from 3 to 35 cm/s, oxygen concentration by volume at 21%, 30 %, and 50% and fuel thicknesses of 50 and 75 µm. These results are compared to results obtained in actual microgravity for PMMA obtained at the 4.5s drop tower of MGLAB in Gifu, Japan, and the 5.2s drop tower at NASA's Zero-Gravity Research Facility in Cleveland, OH. This comparison confirms

  19. Independent Power Producers' view on restructuring in Ontario's electric power sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brooks, J.

    1996-01-01

    The collective views on electricity industry restructuring of the independent power producers in Ontario were summarized by IPPSO's executive director. The Society is fully in agreement with the MacDonald Committee recommendations to privatize power generation in Ontario, and is equally in favor of competitive restructuring that is now underway in Michigan, New York and Quebec, as well as farther afield in the U.S., the U.K., and elsewhere around the world. IPPSO claims that a competitive generation system comprised of current and future IPPSO members could supply the province's power requirements at a cost 20 per cent lower than the present monopolistic system of Ontario Hydro. Add to that no reduction in services to the consumers, increased revenues in the form of taxes to the province, and the prospect of restructuring becomes far less threatening than first perceived. While fully in agreement with the MacDonald Committee's recommendations, IPPSO is opposed to Ontario Hydro's own restructuring plans. Their objection is based on the assessment that the plan would not result in real competition; in reality, it would allow Hydro even greater freedom to continue investing publicly-guaranteed money on a completely dissimilar basis to its competitors

  20. Social relevance drives viewing behavior independent of low-level salience in rhesus macaques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Andrew Solyst

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Quantifying attention to social stimuli during the viewing of complex social scenes with eye tracking has proven to be a sensitive method in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders years before average clinical diagnosis. Rhesus macaques provide an ideal model for understanding the mechanisms underlying social viewing behavior, but to date no comparable behavioral task has been developed for use in monkeys. Using a novel scene-viewing task, we monitored the gaze of three rhesus macaques while they freely viewed well-controlled composed social scenes and analyzed the time spent viewing objects and monkeys. In each of six behavioral sessions, monkeys viewed a set of 90 images (540 unique scenes with each image presented twice. In two-thirds of the repeated scenes, either a monkey or an object was replaced with a novel item (manipulated scenes. When viewing a repeated scene, monkeys made longer fixations and shorter saccades, shifting from a rapid orienting to global scene contents to a more local analysis of fewer items. In addition to this repetition effect, in manipulated scenes, monkeys demonstrated robust memory by spending more time viewing the replaced items. By analyzing attention to specific scene content, we found that monkeys strongly preferred to view conspecifics and that this was not related to their salience in terms of low-level image features. A model-free analysis of viewing statistics found that monkeys that were viewed earlier and longer had direct gaze and redder sex skin around their face and rump, two important visual social cues. These data provide a quantification of viewing strategy, memory and social preferences in rhesus macaques viewing complex social scenes, and they provide an important baseline with which to compare to the effects of therapeutics aimed at enhancing social cognition.

  1. The forgotten view: Chest X-ray - Lateral view

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abraham M. Ittyachen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With CT (computed tomography chest gaining more importance as a diagnostic tool, chest X-ray especially the lateral view is taken less commonly nowadays. Besides CT chest is also proven to be superior to chest X-ray in patients with major blunt trauma. We are presenting a 68-year old male who was partially treated from outside for a left sided pneumonia. He came to our hospital because of persisting chest pain. Chest X-ray, frontal view (postero-anterior was almost normal except for a mild opacity in the left lower zone. CT scan of the chest revealed a fluid collection posteriorly enclosed within enhancing pleura. Chest X-ray, left lateral view showed a corresponding posterior pleural based opacity. We are presenting this case to highlight the importance of the lateral view of the chest X-ray. In selected cases there is still a role for the lateral view. With the three dimensional visualization provided by the CT, the lateral view of the chest may be easier to understand. Consequent to the initial diagnosis by CT further follow up can be done with the chest X-ray. In a limited way this mitigates unnecessary expenditure and more importantly prevents the patient from exposure to harmful radiation in the form of repeated CT.

  2. Maxillary Overdentures Supported by Anteriorly or Posteriorly Placed Implants Opposed by a Natural Dentition in the Mandible : A 1-Year Prospective Case Series Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slot, Jan; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J. A.

    Background: For maxillary overdenture therapy, treatment guidelines are missing. There is a need for longitudinal studies. Purpose: The purpose of this 1-year prospective case series study was to assess the treatment outcome of maxillary overdentures supported by six dental implants opposed by

  3. Perceptions, views and opinions of university students about physics learning during practical work at school

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sneddon, P H; Reid, N; Slaughter, K A

    2009-01-01

    The teaching of physics through practical experiments has long been an established practice. It forms a key component of teaching of that subject at both school and university levels. As such, students have strong views of this method of teaching. This paper reports on the view of undergraduate physics students in relation to their experiences of practical physics at school. 500 students across three Higher Education Institutions in the UK were surveyed to determine their perceptions, views and opinions in this area. This paper initially presents the overall views of the students, and then looks in more detail at the effect the different levels to which students took the subject at school affected those views. Specifically, students who took Advanced Higher versus Higher are compared, as well as those who took Advanced Higher versus A-level. Comparison was also made between the responses of female and male students. The general picture is very encouraging, with students broadly appreciating the practical side of physics.

  4. Perceptions, views and opinions of university students about physics learning during practical work at school

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sneddon, P. H.; Slaughter, K. A.; Reid, N.

    2009-09-01

    The teaching of physics through practical experiments has long been an established practice. It forms a key component of teaching of that subject at both school and university levels. As such, students have strong views of this method of teaching. This paper reports on the view of undergraduate physics students in relation to their experiences of practical physics at school. 500 students across three Higher Education Institutions in the UK were surveyed to determine their perceptions, views and opinions in this area. This paper initially presents the overall views of the students, and then looks in more detail at the effect the different levels to which students took the subject at school affected those views. Specifically, students who took Advanced Higher versus Higher are compared, as well as those who took Advanced Higher versus A-level. Comparison was also made between the responses of female and male students. The general picture is very encouraging, with students broadly appreciating the practical side of physics.

  5. Alternation vs. Allomorphic Variation in Old English Word-Formation: Evidence from the Derivational Paradigm of Strong Verbs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Urraca Carmen Novo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses the question of Old English alternations with a view to identifying instances of allomorphic variation attributable to the loss of motivation and the subsequent morphologization of alternations. The focus is on the strong verb and its derivatives, in such a way that the alternations in which the strong verb partakes can be predicted on the basis of phonological principles, whereas allomorphic variation with respect to the strong verb base is unpredictable. Out of 304 derivational paradigms based on strong verbs and comprising 4,853 derivatives, 478 instances have been found of phonologically motivated vocalic alternations. The conclusion is reached that the most frequent alternations are those that have /a/ as source and those with /y/ as target, because /a/ is the point of departure of i-mutation and /y/ its point of arrival. Sixteen instances of allomorphic variation have also been found, of which /e/ ~ /eo/, /e/ ~ /ea/ and /i/ ~ /e/ are relatively frequent.

  6. On the Frequency Distribution of Neutral Particles from Low-Energy Strong Interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Colecchia

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The rejection of the contamination, or background, from low-energy strong interactions at hadron collider experiments is a topic that has received significant attention in the field of particle physics. This article builds on a particle-level view of collision events, in line with recently proposed subtraction methods. While conventional techniques in the field usually concentrate on probability distributions, our study is, to our knowledge, the first attempt at estimating the frequency distribution of background particles across the kinematic space inside individual collision events. In fact, while the probability distribution can generally be estimated given a model of low-energy strong interactions, the corresponding frequency distribution inside a single event typically deviates from the average and cannot be predicted a priori. We present preliminary results in this direction and establish a connection between our technique and the particle weighting methods that have been the subject of recent investigation at the Large Hadron Collider.

  7. How scientists view the public, the media and the political process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besley, John C; Nisbet, Matthew

    2013-08-01

    We review past studies on how scientists view the public, the goals of communication, the performance and impacts of the media, and the role of the public in policy decision-making. We add to these past findings by analyzing two recent large-scale surveys of scientists in the UK and US. These analyses show that scientists believe the public is uninformed about science and therefore prone to errors in judgment and policy preferences. Scientists are critical of media coverage generally, yet they also tend to rate favorably their own experience dealing with journalists, believing that such interactions are important both for promoting science literacy and for career advancement. Scientists believe strongly that they should have a role in public debates and view policy-makers as the most important group with which to engage. Few scientists view their role as an enabler of direct public participation in decision-making through formats such as deliberative meetings, and do not believe there are personal benefits for investing in these activities. Implications for future research are discussed, in particular the need to examine how ideology and selective information sources shape scientists' views.

  8. Studying the striving and opposing forces in newspaper journalism: the actantial model of health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aarva, Pauliina; Tampere, Marja Pakarinen

    2006-06-01

    The cultural aspects of health promotion are important in policy development as well as in assessing effectiveness of health promotion activities. The discourses on promoting health and well-being in journalism reflect the health promotion culture in society. This article illustrates how health promotion is portrayed by 147 newspaper items from the two Finnish quality dailies during the period 2002-2004 and introduces a semiotic Actantial Model of Health Promotion (AMHP) for studying health promotion cultures. The most popular news themes on health promotion were physical and social environment, welfare services, nutrition and obesity, and mental well-being. The actants (actors, actions and abstract factor) of health promotion were identified and the AMHP with seven key actants (generator, health-object, public, tool, executor, threat and obstacle) was constructed. The model sheds light on two sides of health promotion discourses in journalism. The dominant culture of health promotion was represented by policy actions, information, education and scientific research, which were defined by health experts, decision-makers and researchers. Representations of the opposite culture--'the otherness' of health promotion included external harmful factors and unhealthy behaviours, mentalities opposed to being health-oriented, rationally uncontrolled living, disorder, disharmony and insecurity. The opposing factors were presented by people and institutions lacking the will, ability or motivation for a health-oriented life. To understand better the values of health promotion, it is necessary to assess the characteristics of the opposite side of health promotion culture, because the current dominant values can be described more clearly by the boundaries--by 'otherness'. The study argues that the AMHP can be used as a semiotic method to identify the value dimensions and the boundaries between the dominant and the opposite discourses of health promotion in various communications

  9. Stabilizing strongly correlated photon fluids with non-Markovian reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebreuilly, José; Biella, Alberto; Storme, Florent; Rossini, Davide; Fazio, Rosario; Ciuti, Cristiano; Carusotto, Iacopo

    2017-09-01

    We introduce a frequency-dependent incoherent pump scheme with a square-shaped spectrum as a way to study strongly correlated photons in arrays of coupled nonlinear resonators. This scheme can be implemented via a reservoir of population-inverted two-level emitters with a broad distribution of transition frequencies. Our proposal is predicted to stabilize a nonequilibrium steady state sharing important features with a zero-temperature equilibrium state with a tunable chemical potential. We confirm the efficiency of our proposal for the Bose-Hubbard model by computing numerically the steady state for finite system sizes: first, we predict the occurrence of a sequence of incompressible Mott-insulator-like states with arbitrary integer densities presenting strong robustness against tunneling and losses. Secondly, for stronger tunneling amplitudes or noninteger densities, the system enters a coherent regime analogous to the superfluid state. In addition to an overall agreement with the zero-temperature equilibrium state, exotic nonequilibrium processes leading to a finite entropy generation are pointed out in specific regions of parameter space. The equilibrium ground state is shown to be recovered by adding frequency-dependent losses. The promise of this improved scheme in view of quantum simulation of the zero-temperature many-body physics is highlighted.

  10. Opposing effects of external gibberellin and Daminozide on Stevia growth and metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimi, Mojtaba; Hashemi, Javad; Ahmadi, Ali; Abbasi, Alireza; Pompeiano, Antonio; Tavarini, Silvia; Guglielminetti, Lorenzo; Angelini, Luciana G

    2015-01-01

    Steviol glycosides (SVglys) and gibberellins are originated from the shared biosynthesis pathway in Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). In this research, two experiments were conducted to study the opposing effects of external gibberellin (GA3) and Daminozide (a gibberellin inhibitor) on Stevia growth and metabolites. Results showed that GA3 significantly increased the stem length and stem dry weight in Stevia. Total soluble sugar content increased while the SVglys biosynthesis was decreased by external GA3 applying in Stevia leaves. In another experiment, the stem length was reduced by Daminozide spraying on Stevia shoots. The Daminozide did not affect the total SVglys content, while in 30 ppm concentration, significantly increased the soluble sugar production in Stevia leaves. Although the gibberellins biosynthesis pathway has previously invigorated in Stevia leaf, the Stevia response to external gibberellins implying on high precision regulation of gibberellins biosynthesis in Stevia and announces that Stevia is able to kept endogenous gibberellins in a low quantity away from SVglys production. Moreover, the assumption that the internal gibberellins were destroyed by Daminozide, lack of Daminozide effects on SVglys production suggests that gibberellins biosynthesis could not act as a competitive factor for SVglys production in Stevia leaves.

  11. Many-body-localization: strong disorder perturbative approach for the local integrals of motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monthus, Cécile

    2018-05-01

    For random quantum spin models, the strong disorder perturbative expansion of the local integrals of motion around the real-spin operators is revisited. The emphasis is on the links with other properties of the many-body-localized phase, in particular the memory in the dynamics of the local magnetizations and the statistics of matrix elements of local operators in the eigenstate basis. Finally, this approach is applied to analyze the many-body-localization transition in a toy model studied previously from the point of view of the entanglement entropy.

  12. The Australian Education Union's Response to Kevin Donnelly's "The Australian Education Union: A History of Opposing School Choice and School Autonomy Down-Under"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopgood, Susan

    2015-01-01

    This article is a response to Kevin Donnelly's article, "The Australian Education Union: A History of Opposing School Choice and School Autonomy Down-Under," and aims to correct specific errors and misrepresentations as found by Susan Hopgood, Federal Secretary of the Australian Education Union. She argues that the article is misleading…

  13. The Role of Parents in Public Views of Strategies to Address Childhood Obesity in the United States

    OpenAIRE

    WOLFSON, JULIA A; GOLLUST, SARAH E; NIEDERDEPPE, JEFF; BARRY, COLLEEN L

    2015-01-01

    Policy PointsThe American public—both men and women and those with and without children in the household—holds parents highly responsible and largely to blame for childhood obesity.High attributions of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity did not universally undermine support for broader policy action. School-based obesity prevention policies were strongly supported, even among those viewing parents as mostly to blame for childhood obesity.Americans who viewed sectors outs...

  14. Aromatic ring formation in opposed-flow diffusive 1,3-butadiene flames

    KAUST Repository

    Moshammer, Kai

    2016-10-17

    This paper is concerned with the formation of one- and two-ring aromatic species in near atmospheric-pressure opposed-flow diffusion flames of 1,3-butadiene (1,3-CH). The chemical structures of two different 1,3-CH/Ar-O/Ar flames were explored using flame-sampling molecular-beam mass spectrometry with both electron and single-photon ionization. We provide mole fraction profiles of 47 components as function of distance from the fuel outlet and compare them to chemically detailed modeling results. To this end, the hierarchically developed model described by Seidel et al. [16] has been updated to accurately comprise the chemistry of 1,3-butadiene. Generally a very good agreement is observed between the experimental and modeling data, allowing for a meaningful reaction path analysis. With regard to the formation of aromatic species up to naphthalene, it was essential to improve the fulvene and the C chemistry description in the mechanism. In particular, benzene is found to be formed mainly via fulvene through the reactions of the CH isomers with CH The n-CH radical reacts with CH forming 1,3-pentadiene (CH), which is subsequently oxidized to form the naphthalene precursor cyclopentadienyl (CH). Oxidation of naphthalene is predicted to be a contributor to the formation of phenylacetylene (CH), indicating that consumption reactions can be of similar importance as molecular growth reactions.

  15. Aromatic ring formation in opposed-flow diffusive 1,3-butadiene flames

    KAUST Repository

    Moshammer, Kai; Seidel, Lars; Wang, Yu; Selim, Hatem; Sarathy, Mani; Mauss, Fabian; Hansen, Nils

    2016-01-01

    This paper is concerned with the formation of one- and two-ring aromatic species in near atmospheric-pressure opposed-flow diffusion flames of 1,3-butadiene (1,3-CH). The chemical structures of two different 1,3-CH/Ar-O/Ar flames were explored using flame-sampling molecular-beam mass spectrometry with both electron and single-photon ionization. We provide mole fraction profiles of 47 components as function of distance from the fuel outlet and compare them to chemically detailed modeling results. To this end, the hierarchically developed model described by Seidel et al. [16] has been updated to accurately comprise the chemistry of 1,3-butadiene. Generally a very good agreement is observed between the experimental and modeling data, allowing for a meaningful reaction path analysis. With regard to the formation of aromatic species up to naphthalene, it was essential to improve the fulvene and the C chemistry description in the mechanism. In particular, benzene is found to be formed mainly via fulvene through the reactions of the CH isomers with CH The n-CH radical reacts with CH forming 1,3-pentadiene (CH), which is subsequently oxidized to form the naphthalene precursor cyclopentadienyl (CH). Oxidation of naphthalene is predicted to be a contributor to the formation of phenylacetylene (CH), indicating that consumption reactions can be of similar importance as molecular growth reactions.

  16. Synchronizing XPath Views

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Dennis; Pedersen, Torben Bach

    2004-01-01

    The increasing availability of XML-based data sources, e.g., for publishing data on the WWW, means that more and more applications (data consumers) rely on accessing and using XML data. Typically, the access is achieved by defining views over the XML data, and accessing data through these views....... However, the XML data sources are often independent of the data consumers and may change their schemas without notification, invalidating the XML views defined by the data consumers. This requires the view definitions to be updated to reflect the new structure of the data sources, a process termed view...... synchronization. XPath is the most commonly used language for retrieving parts of XML documents, and is thus an important cornerstone for XML view definitions. This paper presents techniques for discovering schema changes in XML data sources and synchronizing XPath-based views to reflect these schema changes...

  17. Multi-view L2-SVM and its multi-view core vector machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chengquan; Chung, Fu-lai; Wang, Shitong

    2016-03-01

    In this paper, a novel L2-SVM based classifier Multi-view L2-SVM is proposed to address multi-view classification tasks. The proposed Multi-view L2-SVM classifier does not have any bias in its objective function and hence has the flexibility like μ-SVC in the sense that the number of the yielded support vectors can be controlled by a pre-specified parameter. The proposed Multi-view L2-SVM classifier can make full use of the coherence and the difference of different views through imposing the consensus among multiple views to improve the overall classification performance. Besides, based on the generalized core vector machine GCVM, the proposed Multi-view L2-SVM classifier is extended into its GCVM version MvCVM which can realize its fast training on large scale multi-view datasets, with its asymptotic linear time complexity with the sample size and its space complexity independent of the sample size. Our experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed Multi-view L2-SVM classifier for small scale multi-view datasets and the proposed MvCVM classifier for large scale multi-view datasets. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Measurement of lipid content in gallbladder bile using in- and opposed-phase MR images and in vivo proton MR spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hur, Sun Jin; Jee, Geum Nan; Yun, Eun Joo

    2002-01-01

    To evaluate the utility of signal intensity differences between in-an opposed-phase MRI and the lipid peak ratio in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy of the gallbladder as diagnostic tools for measuring the lipid content f gallbladder bile. Twenty-six normal volunteers underwent MR imaging (FMPSPGR) and in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy of the gallbladder. In all cases the results of liver function tests were normal, as were cholesterol levels, and ultrasonography of the gaubladder revealed nothing unusual. For MRI and MRS a 1.5T unit (Signa Horizon; GE Medical System, Milwaukee, U.S. A.) was used. In-phase and opposed-phase coronal-section MR images (FMPSPGR; TR=125 msec, TE=1.8, 4.2 msec) of the gallbladder were obtained, and differences in signal intensity thus determined. For proton MR spectroscopy of the gallbladder, a localized proton STEAM sequence was employed. A single voxel of 1-8 cm 3 was placed at the center of the gallbladder cavity, peak areas at 0.8-1.6 ppm (lipid), 2.0-2.4 ppm, 3.2-3.4 ppm, 3.9-4.1 ppm, and 5.2-5.4 ppm were measured by peak areas at 0.8-1.6 ppm (lipid), 2.0-2.4 ppm, 3.2-3.4 ppm, 3.9-4.1 ppm, and 5.2-5.4 ppm were measured by proton MRS and the relative peak area ratios of peak 0.8-1.6 ppm/other peaks were calculated. The degree of correlation between signal intensity differences at MRI and the relative peak area ratio of lipid in proton MRS was estimated using the p-value and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Signal intensity differences ranged from 11.3 to 43.4 % (mean, 26 ±8.9%), and the range of lipid peak area ratio at MRS was 0.10-0.97 (mean, 0.66 ±0.21). There was significant correlation between the two measured values (p=0.014, Pearson's correlation coefficient =0.478). In normal cystic bile, signal intensity differences at in-and opposed-phase MRI and relative lipid peak area ratios at MRS varied, though both methods could be used diagnostically for measuring the lipid contents of body tissue

  19. Shifting policy responses to domestic violence in the Netherlands and Spain (1980-2009).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roggeband, Conny

    2012-07-01

    This article seeks to understand differences in the evolution of policies to combat domestic violence against women in the Netherlands and Spain. Although policy change is often viewed as incremental change toward more progressive policies, the two countries studied here reflect opposing dynamics. The Netherlands moved from being a pioneering country to one that gradually marginalized the policy issue, whereas Spain, in contrast, recently developed innovative and far-reaching policies after a long period of low to moderate state responses. The case study points to the central role of frame negotiation, left-wing governments, and strong feminist mobilization.

  20. Strong-back safety latch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeSantis, G.N.

    1995-01-01

    The calculation decides the integrity of the safety latch that will hold the strong-back to the pump during lifting. The safety latch will be welded to the strong-back and will latch to a 1.5-in. dia cantilever rod welded to the pump baseplate. The static and dynamic analysis shows that the safety latch will hold the strong-back to the pump if the friction clamps fail and the pump become free from the strong-back. Thus, the safety latch will meet the requirements of the Lifting and Rigging Manual for under the hook lifting for static loading; it can withstand shock loads from the strong-back falling 0.25 inch

  1. Large-volume static compression using nano-polycrystalline diamond for opposed anvils in compact cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okuchi, T; Sasaki, S; Ohno, Y; Osakabe, T; Odake, S; Kagi, H

    2010-01-01

    In order to extend the pressure regime of intrinsically low-sensitivity methods of measurement, such as neutron scattering and NMR, sample volume to be compressed in compact opposed-anvil cells is desired to be significantly increased. We hereby conducted a series of experiments using two types of compact cells equipped with enforced loading mechanisms. Super-hard nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD) anvils were carefully prepared for large-volume compression in these cells. These anvils are harder, larger and stronger than single crystal diamond anvils, so that they could play an ideal role to accept the larger forces. Supported and unsupported anvil geometries were separately tested to evaluate this expectation. In spite of insufficient support to the anvils, pressures to 14 GPa were generated for the sample volume of > 0.1 mm 3 , without damaging the NPD anvils. These results demonstrate a large future potential of compact cells equipped with NPD anvils and enforced loading mechanism.

  2. A study of performance parameters on drag and heat flux reduction efficiency of combinational novel cavity and opposing jet concept in hypersonic flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xi-wan; Guo, Zhen-yun; Huang, Wei; Li, Shi-bin; Yan, Li

    2017-02-01

    The drag reduction and thermal protection system applied to hypersonic re-entry vehicles have attracted an increasing attention, and several novel concepts have been proposed by researchers. In the current study, the influences of performance parameters on drag and heat reduction efficiency of combinational novel cavity and opposing jet concept has been investigated numerically. The Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the SST k-ω turbulence model have been employed to calculate its surrounding flowfields, and the first-order spatially accurate upwind scheme appears to be more suitable for three-dimensional flowfields after grid independent analysis. Different cases of performance parameters, namely jet operating conditions, freestream angle of attack and physical dimensions, are simulated based on the verification of numerical method, and the effects on shock stand-off distance, drag force coefficient, surface pressure and heat flux distributions have been analyzed. This is the basic study for drag reduction and thermal protection by multi-objective optimization of the combinational novel cavity and opposing jet concept in hypersonic flows in the future.

  3. QlikView scripting

    CERN Document Server

    Floyd, Matt

    2013-01-01

    This mini book offers information about QlikView scripting written in an easy-to-understand manner, and covers QlikView scripting from basic to advanced features in a compact format.If you are a basic orintermediate developer with some knowledge of QlikView applications and a basic understanding of QlikView scripting and data extraction and manipulation, this book will be great for you. If you are an advanced user, you can also use this book as a reference guide and teaching aid. If you are a QlikView project team member such as a business user, data/ETL professional, project manager, orsystem

  4. Probing strong-field general relativity near black holes

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Alvarez-Gaumé, Luís

    2005-01-01

    Nature has sprinkled black holes of various sizes throughout the universe, from stellar mass black holes in X-ray sources to supermassive black holes of billions of solar masses in quasars. Astronomers today are probing the spacetime near black holes using X-rays, and gravitational waves will open a different view in the near future. These tools give us an unprecedented opportunity to test ultra-strong-field general relativity, including the fundamental theorem of the uniqueness of the Kerr metric and Roger Penrose's cosmic censorship conjecture. Already, fascinating studies of spectral lines are showing the extreme gravitational lensing effects near black holes and allowing crude measurements of black hole spin. When the ESA-NASA gravitational wave detector LISA begins its observations in about 10 years, it will make measurements of dynamical spacetimes near black holes with an accuracy greater even than that which theoreticians can reach with their computations today. Most importantly, when gravitational wa...

  5. Safeguarding the public interest - an American view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, L.

    1976-01-01

    An account is given of the arguments proceeding in the United States of America in favour of, and opposed to, nuclear power. The need to provide energy supplies is seen in contrast to the hazards. It is suggested that part of the opposition is on sociological, not technological, grounds. (U.K.)

  6. Hierarchical Linked Views

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erbacher, Robert; Frincke, Deb

    2007-07-02

    Coordinated views have proven critical to the development of effective visualization environments. This results from the fact that a single view or representation of the data cannot show all of the intricacies of a given data set. Additionally, users will often need to correlate more data parameters than can effectively be integrated into a single visual display. Typically, development of multiple-linked views results in an adhoc configuration of views and associated interactions. The hierarchical model we are proposing is geared towards more effective organization of such environments and the views they encompass. At the same time, this model can effectively integrate much of the prior work on interactive and visual frameworks. Additionally, we expand the concept of views to incorporate perceptual views. This is related to the fact that visual displays can have information encoded at various levels of focus. Thus, a global view of the display provides overall trends of the data while focusing in on individual elements provides detailed specifics. By integrating interaction and perception into a single model, we show how one impacts the other. Typically, interaction and perception are considered separately, however, when interaction is being considered at a fundamental level and allowed to direct/modify the visualization directly we must consider them simultaneously and how they impact one another.

  7. Sakata Memorial KMI Workshop on Origin of Mass and Strong Coupling Gauge Theories

    CERN Document Server

    ‎Maskawa, Toshihide; Nojiri, Shin'ichi; Tanabashi, Masaharu; Yamawaki, Koichi

    2018-01-01

    This volume contains contributions to the workshop, which was largely focused on the strong coupling gauge theories in search for theories beyond the standard model, particularly, the LHC experiments and lattice studies of conformal fixed point. The main topics include walking technicolor and the role of conformality in view of the 125 GeV Higgs as a light composite Higgs (technidilaton, and other composite Higgs, etc.). Nonperturbative studies like lattice simulations and stringy/holographic approaches are extensively discussed in close relation to the phenomenological studies. After the discovery of 125 GeV Higgs at LHC, the central issue of particle physics is now to reveal the dynamical origin of the Higgs itself. One of the possibilities would be the composite Higgs based on the strong coupling gauge theory in the TeV region, such as the technidilaton predicted in walking technicolor with infrared conformality. The volume contains, among others, many of the latest important reports on walking technicolo...

  8. Semi-Supervised Multi-View Ensemble Learning Based On Extracting Cross-View Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZALL, R.

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Correlated information between different views incorporate useful for learning in multi view data. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA plays important role to extract these information. However, CCA only extracts the correlated information between paired data and cannot preserve correlated information between within-class samples. In this paper, we propose a two-view semi-supervised learning method called semi-supervised random correlation ensemble base on spectral clustering (SS_RCE. SS_RCE uses a multi-view method based on spectral clustering which takes advantage of discriminative information in multiple views to estimate labeling information of unlabeled samples. In order to enhance discriminative power of CCA features, we incorporate the labeling information of both unlabeled and labeled samples into CCA. Then, we use random correlation between within-class samples from cross view to extract diverse correlated features for training component classifiers. Furthermore, we extend a general model namely SSMV_RCE to construct ensemble method to tackle semi-supervised learning in the presence of multiple views. Finally, we compare the proposed methods with existing multi-view feature extraction methods using multi-view semi-supervised ensembles. Experimental results on various multi-view data sets are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

  9. Central nociceptive sensitization vs. spinal cord training: Opposing forms of plasticity that dictate function after complete spinal cord injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam R Ferguson

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The spinal cord demonstrates several forms of plasticity that resemble brain-dependent learning and memory. Among the most studied form of spinal plasticity is spinal memory for noxious (nociceptive stimulation. Numerous papers have described central pain as a spinally-stored memory that enhances future responses to cutaneous stimulation. This phenomenon, known as central sensitization, has broad relevance to a range of pathological conditions. Work from the spinal cord injury (SCI field indicates that the lumbar spinal cord demonstrates several other forms of plasticity, including formal learning and memory. After complete thoracic SCI, the lumbar spinal cord can be trained by delivering stimulation to the hindleg when the leg is extended. In the presence of this response-contingent stimulation the spinal cord rapidly learns to hold the leg in a flexed position, a centrally mediated effect that meets the formal criteria for instrumental (response-outcome learning. Instrumental flexion training produces a central change in spinal plasticity that enables future spinal learning on both the ipsilateral and contralateral leg. However, if stimulation is given in a response-independent manner, the spinal cord develops central maladaptive plasticity that undermines future spinal learning on both legs. The present paper tests for interactions between spinal cord training and central nociceptive sensitization after complete spinal cord transection. We found that spinal training alters future central sensitization by intradermal formalin (24 h post-training. Conversely intradermal formalin impaired future spinal learning (24 h post-injection. Because the NMDA receptor has been implicated in formalin-induced central sensitization, we tested whether pretreatment with NMDA affects spinal learning. We found intrathecal NMDA impaired learning in a dose-dependent fashion, and that this effect endures for at least 24h. These data provide strong evidence for an

  10. Limiting oxygen concentration for extinction of upward spreading flames over inclined thin polyethylene-insulated NiCr electrical wires with opposed-flow under normal- and micro-gravity

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Longhua; Lu, Yong; Yoshioka, Kosuke; Zhang, Yangshu; Fernandez-Pello, Carlos; Chung, Suk-Ho; Fujita, Osamu

    2016-01-01

    . The experiments reported here used polyethylene (PE)-insulated (thickness of 0.15 mm) Nichrome (NiCr)-core (diameter of 0.5 mm) electrical wires. Limiting oxygen concentrations (LOC) at extinction were measured for upward spreading flame at various forced opposed-flow

  11. Meaning and object in Freud's theory of language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simanke, Richard Theisen

    2017-12-01

    This article sets out to challenge the interpretation of Freud's views on the origins of the meaning of language according to which meaning always originates from an act of naming. In Freud's terms, word-presentations would originally denote object- or thing-presentations and gain meaning through this reference. This interpretation claims that this view was already expressed in Freud's On Aphasia (1891) and influenced all his later theory of language. To oppose this claim, three conceptions proposed by Freud are discussed that strongly suggest the participation of language in the construction of the field of objects: a metapsychological hypothesis (the concepts of word-, thing-, and object-presentation), the explanation of a psychopathological phenomenon (the genesis of a fetishistic object-choice), and a concept concerning the foundations of the psychoanalytic method of dream interpretation (secondary elaboration). As a conclusion, it is argued that Freud's early views in On Aphasia (1891) can be alternatively understood such as to allow for a different view of language and its relationship with objects. Copyright © 2017 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

  12. Assessing Species Distribution Using Google Street View: A Pilot Study with the Pine Processionary Moth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekri, Anissa; Garcia, Jacques; Goussard, Francis; Vincent, Bruno; Denux, Olivier; Robinet, Christelle; Dorkeld, Franck; Roques, Alain; Rossi, Jean-Pierre

    2013-01-01

    Mapping species spatial distribution using spatial inference and prediction requires a lot of data. Occurrence data are generally not easily available from the literature and are very time-consuming to collect in the field. For that reason, we designed a survey to explore to which extent large-scale databases such as Google maps and Google street view could be used to derive valid occurrence data. We worked with the Pine Processionary Moth (PPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa because the larvae of that moth build silk nests that are easily visible. The presence of the species at one location can therefore be inferred from visual records derived from the panoramic views available from Google street view. We designed a standardized procedure allowing evaluating the presence of the PPM on a sampling grid covering the landscape under study. The outputs were compared to field data. We investigated two landscapes using grids of different extent and mesh size. Data derived from Google street view were highly similar to field data in the large-scale analysis based on a square grid with a mesh of 16 km (96% of matching records). Using a 2 km mesh size led to a strong divergence between field and Google-derived data (46% of matching records). We conclude that Google database might provide useful occurrence data for mapping the distribution of species which presence can be visually evaluated such as the PPM. However, the accuracy of the output strongly depends on the spatial scales considered and on the sampling grid used. Other factors such as the coverage of Google street view network with regards to sampling grid size and the spatial distribution of host trees with regards to road network may also be determinant. PMID:24130675

  13. Assessing species distribution using Google Street View: a pilot study with the Pine Processionary Moth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rousselet, Jérôme; Imbert, Charles-Edouard; Dekri, Anissa; Garcia, Jacques; Goussard, Francis; Vincent, Bruno; Denux, Olivier; Robinet, Christelle; Dorkeld, Franck; Roques, Alain; Rossi, Jean-Pierre

    2013-01-01

    Mapping species spatial distribution using spatial inference and prediction requires a lot of data. Occurrence data are generally not easily available from the literature and are very time-consuming to collect in the field. For that reason, we designed a survey to explore to which extent large-scale databases such as Google maps and Google Street View could be used to derive valid occurrence data. We worked with the Pine Processionary Moth (PPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa because the larvae of that moth build silk nests that are easily visible. The presence of the species at one location can therefore be inferred from visual records derived from the panoramic views available from Google Street View. We designed a standardized procedure allowing evaluating the presence of the PPM on a sampling grid covering the landscape under study. The outputs were compared to field data. We investigated two landscapes using grids of different extent and mesh size. Data derived from Google Street View were highly similar to field data in the large-scale analysis based on a square grid with a mesh of 16 km (96% of matching records). Using a 2 km mesh size led to a strong divergence between field and Google-derived data (46% of matching records). We conclude that Google database might provide useful occurrence data for mapping the distribution of species which presence can be visually evaluated such as the PPM. However, the accuracy of the output strongly depends on the spatial scales considered and on the sampling grid used. Other factors such as the coverage of Google Street View network with regards to sampling grid size and the spatial distribution of host trees with regards to road network may also be determinant.

  14. Wear of human enamel opposing monolithic zirconia, glass ceramic, and composite resin: an in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sripetchdanond, Jeerapa; Leevailoj, Chalermpol

    2014-11-01

    Demand is increasing for ceramic and composite resin posterior restorations. However, ceramics are recognized for their high abrasiveness to opposing dental structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the wear of enamel as opposed to dental ceramics and composite resin. Twenty-four test specimens (antagonists), 6 each of monolithic zirconia, glass ceramic, composite resin, and enamel, were prepared into cylindrical rods. Enamel specimens were prepared from 24 extracted human permanent molar teeth. Enamel specimens were abraded against each type of antagonist with a pin-on-disk wear tester under a constant load of 25 N at 20 rpm for 4800 cycles. The maximum depth of wear (Dmax), mean depth of wear (Da), and mean surface roughness (Ra) of the enamel specimens were measured with a profilometer. All data were statistically analyzed by 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Tukey test (α=.05). A paired t test was used to compare the Ra of enamel at baseline and after testing. The wear of both the enamel and antagonists was evaluated qualitatively with scanning electron microscopic images. No significant differences were found in enamel wear depth (Dmax, Da) between monolithic zirconia (2.17 ±0.80, 1.83 ±0.75 μm) and composite resin (1.70 ±0.92, 1.37 ±0.81 μm) or between glass ceramic (8.54 ±2.31, 7.32 ±2.06 μm) and enamel (10.72 ±6.31, 8.81 ±5.16 μm). Significant differences were found when the enamel wear depth caused by monolithic zirconia and composite resin was compared with that of glass ceramic and enamel (Pglass ceramic, and enamel (Pglass ceramic and enamel. All test materials except composite resin similarly increased the enamel surface roughness after wear testing. Copyright © 2014 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Strong Langmuir turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldman, M.V.

    1984-01-01

    After a brief discussion of beam-excited Langmuir turbulence in the solar wind, we explain the criteria for wave-particle, three-wave and strong turbulence interactions. We then present the results of a numerical integration of the Zakharov equations, which describe the strong turbulence saturation of a weak (low-density) high energy, bump-on-tail beam instability. (author)

  16. Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms, 1933-1994

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Strong Motion Earthquake Data Values of Digitized Strong-Motion Accelerograms is a database of over 15,000 digitized and processed accelerograph records from...

  17. Maxillary Three-Implant Overdentures Opposing Mandibular Two-Implant Overdentures: 10-Year Surgical Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sunyoung; Tawse-Smith, Andrew; De Silva, Rohana K; Atieh, Momen A; Alsabeeha, Nabeel H M; Payne, Alan G T

    2016-06-01

    The surgical placement of four maxillary implants for overdentures may not be obligatory when opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures. To determine 10-year surgical outcomes and implant success of three narrow diameter implants in edentulous maxillae with conventional loading. Forty participants with mandibular two-implant overdentures were randomly allocated for surgery for maxillary overdentures. Using osteotomes, three implants of similar systems were placed with a one-stage procedure and 12-week loading with splinted and unsplinted prosthodontic designs. Marginal bone and stability measurements were done at surgery, 12 weeks, 1-, 2-, 5-, 7-, 10 years. One hundred seventeen implants were placed in 39 participants, with 35 being seen at 1 year; 29 at 2 years; 28 at 5 years; 26 at 7 years; and 23 (59%) at 10 years. Marginal bone loss was 1.35 mm between surgery and 12 weeks; 0.36 mm between 12 weeks and 1 year; 0.48 mm between 1 and 5 years; and 0.22 mm between 5 and 10 years. Implant stability quotients were 56.05, 57.54, 60.88, 58.80, 61.17 at surgery, 12 weeks, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Four-field tables by implant showed success rates of 82% at 1 year; 69.2% at 2 years; 66.7% at 5 years; 61.5% at 7 years; 51.3% at 10 years. Data showed no differences between surgical technique, systems, or prosthodontic designs. Surgical placement with osteotomes of three narrow diameter implants for maxillary overdentures, opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures, is an acceptable approach, subject to strict patient selection. Implant success is independent of prosthodontic design. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Risk-avoidance or utmost commitment. : Dutch focus group research on views on cohabitation and marriage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renske Keizer

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Dutch adults grew up in a highly individualized country, characterized by high divorce rates, which may have influenced their views on cohabitation and marriage. Objective: We examine Dutch adults' perceptions of how similar or different cohabitation and marriage are, whether they believe that cohabitation would be a strategy to avoid the risk of divorce, as well as their views on why people marry in individualized societies. Methods: We analyze seven focus group interviews with 40 Dutch participants, collected in 2012 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Results: Many participants discussed differences and similarities between cohabitation and marriage in a context of high divorce rates, and frequently viewed cohabitation as a risk-reduction strategy. At the same time, marriage was often seen as ―the real deal‖, in terms of legal arrangements, but also as a symbol of utmost commitment. Less educated participants viewed more financial advantages in cohabitation compared to marriage, and felt more strongly about the symbolic value of marriage than their highly educated counterparts. There was strong consensus that there is not, and should not be, a social norm to marry. Conclusions: In a context of high relationship instability, cohabitation has become a risk-reduction strategy. When norms to marry are weak, people may marry in order to emphasize the uniqueness of their relationship. However, the individualistic nature of Dutch society is mirrored in respondents' reluctance to set standards or proscribe norms on why and when to marry and their emphasis that cohabitation can also imply high levels of commitment.

  19. <strong>Towards Automatic Trunk Classification on Young Conifersstrong>

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petri, Stig; Immerkær, John

    2009-01-01

    In the garden nursery industry providing young Nordmann firs for Christmas tree plantations, there is a rising interest in automatic classification of their products to ensure consistently high quality and reduce the cost of manual labor. This paper describes a fully automatic single-view algorit...... performance of the algorithm by incorporating color information into the data considered by the dynamic programming algorithm....

  20. Clinical Views: Object-Oriented Views for Clinical Databases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portoni, Luisa; Combi, Carlo; Pinciroli, Francesco

    1998-01-01

    We present here a prototype of a clinical information system for the archiving and the management of multimedia and temporally-oriented clinical data related to PTCA patients. The system is based on an object-oriented DBMS and supports multiple views and view schemas on patients' data. Remote data access is supported too.

  1. Chaotic Behaviour Investigation of a Front Opposed-Hemispherical Spiral-Grooved Air Bearing System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Chi Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, spiral-grooved air bearing systems have attracted much attention and are especially useful in precision instruments and machines with spindles that rotate at high speed. Load support can be multidirectional and this type of bearing can also be very rigid. Studies show that some of the design problems encountered are dynamic and include critical speed, nonlinearity, gas film pressure, unbalanced rotors, and even poor design, all of which can result in the generation of chaotic aperiodic motion and instability under certain conditions. Such irregular motion on a large scale can cause severe damage to a machine or instrument. Therefore, understanding the conditions under which aperiodic behaviour and vibration arise is crucial for prevention. In this study, numerical analysis, including the Finite Difference and Differential Transformation Methods, is used to study these effects in detail in a front opposed-hemispherical spiral-grooved air bearing system. It was found that different rotor masses and bearing number could cause undesirable behaviour including periodic, subperiodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic motion. The results obtained in this study can be used as a basis for future bearing system design and the prevention of instability.

  2. Comparing Usage Patterns Recorded between an Electronic Reference and an Electronic Monograph Collection: The Differences in Searches and Full-Text Content Viewings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamothe, Alain R.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the results from a quantitative and systematic analysis comparing the online usage of an e-reference and an e-monograph collection. A very strong relationship exists between size and usage: the larger the collection, the greater the usage. An equally strong relationship exists between searches and viewings, meaning that the…

  3. Iterative solutions of nonlinear equations with strongly accretive or strongly pseudocontractive maps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chidume, C.E.

    1994-03-01

    Let E be a real q-uniformly smooth Banach space. Suppose T is a strongly pseudo-contractive map with open domain D(T) in E. Suppose further that T has a fixed point in D(T). Under various continuity assumptions on T it is proved that each of the Mann iteration process or the Ishikawa iteration method converges strongly to the unique fixed point of T. Related results deal with iterative solutions of nonlinear operator equations involving strongly accretive maps. Explicit error estimates are also provided. (author). 38 refs

  4. A meta-analysis of perceptual and cognitive functions involved in useful-field-of-view test performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Woutersen, K.; Guadron Palma, L.M.; Berg, A.V. van den; Boonstra, F.N.; Theelen, T.; Goossens, J.

    2017-01-01

    The useful-field-of-view (UFOV) test measures the amount of information someone can extract from a visual scene in one glance. Its scores show relatively strong relationships with everyday activities. The UFOV test consists of three computer tests, suggested to measure processing speed and central

  5. [Transition in the midwifery profession. 25. The prewar birth control movement and the concept of eugenics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obayashi, M

    1987-08-01

    The concept of eugenics played a significant role in the pre-war birth control movement. Some favored birth control from the standpoint of an individual's right to happiness, while others were against it from the standpoint of preservation of good stock for the nation. Yamamoto, Nobuharu (1889-1929), who translated Margaret Sanger's speech and her book in 1922, advocated birth control purely from a biologist's point of view. Birth control is necessary for the survival of strong healthy human beings capable of overcoming all the difficulties in their lives. Birth control is a form of natural selection consciously done to avoid overburdening and wasting individual lives. Nagai, Sen (1876-1957) was opposed to birth control from eugenicc' point of view. He became the 1st president of Japan Racial Hygiene Society in 1930 and founded Eugenics/Marriage Counseling Clinic in 1933. In his book on eugenics published in 1936 he stressed the importance of continuation of race by protecting good stock and eliminating poor stock by sterilization. Birth control was opposed because it will shorten the life of an ethnic group or a race. Furuya, Yoshio (1890-1974), also a racial hygiene major, supported population policies based on eugenics. He studied a trend in childbirth among women of different professions and geographical areas. Educated and cultured urban upper-middle class women showed a sudden decline in childbirth in their later years of marriage, suggesting the prevalence of birth control among them, while less educated low-income women continued to reproduce. He opposed to birth control but was in favor of sterilization for eliminating poor stock.

  6. Stakeholder views on the creation and use of genetically-engineered animals in research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ormandy, Elisabeth H

    2016-05-01

    This interview-based study examined the diversity of views relating to the creation and use of genetically-engineered (GE) animals in biomedical science. Twenty Canadian participants (eight researchers, five research technicians and seven members of the public) took part in the interviews, in which four main themes were discussed: a) how participants felt about the genetic engineering of animals as a practice; b) governance of the creation and use of GE animals in research, and whether current guidelines are sufficient; c) the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) and how they are applied during the creation and use of GE animals in research; and d) whether public opinion should play a greater role in the creation and use of GE animals. Most of the participants felt that the creation and use of GE animals for biomedical research purposes (as opposed to food purposes) is acceptable, provided that tangible human health benefits are gained. However, obstacles to Three Rs implementation were identified, and the participants agreed that more effort should be placed on engaging the public on the use of GE animals in research. 2016 FRAME.

  7. Effects of Family Socioeconomic Status on Parents’ Views Concerning the Integration of Computers into Preschool Classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Triantafillia Natsiopoulou

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The rapid growth of ICT has led to an important increase in the use of computers in preschool age. However the benefits of this use are a debatable issue. Some focus on the positive effects of computers on learning and kids’ cognitive development while others believe that computers may negatively affect their social and motivational impact.Aim: The aim of this research was to study Greek parents’ views on preschools’ computer programs and how these views are influenced by the family’s socioeconomic level.Methodology: The survey involved 280 parents of children aged 3-5 years, of whom 140 were in the upper socioeconomic level and the other 140 in a lower one.Results: The upper socioeconomic level parents thought that the use of computers was appropriate for preschool children more than parents of lower socioeconomic status (P=0.01. and that its inclusion in the preschool center’s program would work in favor for children who have no computer at home (P=0.00. Parents with higher socioeconomic status felt more than the others that such a program can support the provision of knowledge (P=0.00, the development of mathematical (P=0.00 and linguistic skills (P=0.00 and entertain children (P=0.04. Furthermore, the upper socioeconomic level parents as opposed to the other group do not consider that the computer will remove preschool educator from their leading and teaching role (P=0.04 or reduce their communication with the preschoolers (P=0.00.Conclusions: The results of this study revealed that Greek parents, especially those of higher socioeconomic level, have a positive view on the integration of a computer program into the preschoolclassroom.

  8. ON A SUPPOSED INCOHERENCE BETWEEN KANT’S VIEW ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND HIS VIEW ON AUTONOMY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinara Nahra

    2015-07-01

    homosexuality is fundamental to the conclusions that he arrives on the immorality of homosexuality, suggesting that both , the teleological principle and the FLUN, have a role that is far from secondary in Kant’s moral system. The next step is to analyze how (and if Kant’s views on homosexuality and Kant’s strong reliance on the teleological principle to ground this condemnation are consistent with his views on freedom and autonomy. The surprising conclusion is that, contrarily to contemporary interpretations of Kant’s moral philosophy, Kant’s views on homosexuality are not inconsistent with his idea of autonomy, but rather, a full comprehension of his concept of autonomy (positive freedom, requires teleological presuppositions, especially those related to the purpose of the sexual instinct in preserving the species and the purpose of the instinct of self-love in the conservation of our lives.

  9. Opposing actions of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and GMP on temperature in conscious guinea-pigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandasamy, S. B.; Williaes, B. A.

    1983-01-01

    It is shown that the intracerebroventricular administration of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Db-cAMP) induced hyperthermia in guinea pigs which was not mediated through prostaglandins or norepinephrine since a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor and an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocking agent did not antagonize the hyperthermia. However, the hyperthermic response to Db-cAMP was attenuated by the central administration of a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, which indicates that cAMP may be involved, through beta-adrenergic receptors, in the central regulation of heat production and conservation. The central administration of Db-cGMP produced hypothermia which was not mediated via histamine H1 or H2 receptors and serotonin. The antagonism of hypothermia induced by Db-cGMP and acetylcholine + physostigmine by central administration of a cholinergic muscarine receptor antagonist and not by a cholinergic nicotinic receptor antagonist suggests that cholinoceptive neurons and endogenous cGMP may regulate heat loss through cholinergic muscarine receptors. It is concluded that these results indicate a regulatory role in thermoregulation provided by a balance between opposing actions of cAMP and cGMP in guinea pigs.

  10. Strong intrinsic motivation

    OpenAIRE

    Dessi, Roberta; Rustichini, Aldo

    2015-01-01

    A large literature in psychology, and more recently in economics, has argued that monetary rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation. We investigate whether the negative impact persists when intrinsic motivation is strong, and test this hypothesis experimentally focusing on the motivation to undertake interesting and challenging tasks, informative about individual ability. We find that this type of task can generate strong intrinsic motivation, that is impervious to the effect of monetary incen...

  11. Is aggression in children with behavioural and emotional difficulties associated with television viewing and video game playing? A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitrofan, O; Paul, M; Spencer, N

    2009-01-01

    Possible associations between television viewing and video game playing and children's aggression have become public health concerns. We did a systematic review of studies that examined such associations, focussing on children and young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties, who are thought to be more susceptible. We did computer-assisted searches of health and social science databases, gateways, publications from relevant organizations and for grey literature; scanned bibliographies; hand-searched key journals; and corresponded with authors. We critically appraised all studies. A total of 12 studies: three experiments with children with behavioural and emotional difficulties found increased aggression after watching aggressive as opposed to low-aggressive content television programmes, one found the opposite and two no clear effect, one found such children no more likely than controls to imitate aggressive television characters. One case-control study and one survey found that children and young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties watched more television than controls; another did not. Two studies found that children and young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties viewed more hours of aggressive television programmes than controls. One study on video game use found that young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties viewed more minutes of violence and played longer than controls. In a qualitative study children with behavioural and emotional difficulties, but not their parents, did not associate watching television with aggression. All studies had significant methodological flaws. None was based on power calculations. This systematic review found insufficient, contradictory and methodologically flawed evidence on the association between television viewing and video game playing and aggression in children and young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties. If public health advice is to be evidence

  12. A review on machine learning principles for multi-view biological data integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yifeng; Wu, Fang-Xiang; Ngom, Alioune

    2018-03-01

    Driven by high-throughput sequencing techniques, modern genomic and clinical studies are in a strong need of integrative machine learning models for better use of vast volumes of heterogeneous information in the deep understanding of biological systems and the development of predictive models. How data from multiple sources (called multi-view data) are incorporated in a learning system is a key step for successful analysis. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review on omics and clinical data integration techniques, from a machine learning perspective, for various analyses such as prediction, clustering, dimension reduction and association. We shall show that Bayesian models are able to use prior information and model measurements with various distributions; tree-based methods can either build a tree with all features or collectively make a final decision based on trees learned from each view; kernel methods fuse the similarity matrices learned from individual views together for a final similarity matrix or learning model; network-based fusion methods are capable of inferring direct and indirect associations in a heterogeneous network; matrix factorization models have potential to learn interactions among features from different views; and a range of deep neural networks can be integrated in multi-modal learning for capturing the complex mechanism of biological systems.

  13. RELICS: Strong Lens Models for Five Galaxy Clusters from the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerny, Catherine; Sharon, Keren; Andrade-Santos, Felipe; Avila, Roberto J.; Bradač, Maruša; Bradley, Larry D.; Carrasco, Daniela; Coe, Dan; Czakon, Nicole G.; Dawson, William A.; Frye, Brenda L.; Hoag, Austin; Huang, Kuang-Han; Johnson, Traci L.; Jones, Christine; Lam, Daniel; Lovisari, Lorenzo; Mainali, Ramesh; Oesch, Pascal A.; Ogaz, Sara; Past, Matthew; Paterno-Mahler, Rachel; Peterson, Avery; Riess, Adam G.; Rodney, Steven A.; Ryan, Russell E.; Salmon, Brett; Sendra-Server, Irene; Stark, Daniel P.; Strolger, Louis-Gregory; Trenti, Michele; Umetsu, Keiichi; Vulcani, Benedetta; Zitrin, Adi

    2018-06-01

    Strong gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters magnifies background galaxies, enhancing our ability to discover statistically significant samples of galaxies at {\\boldsymbol{z}}> 6, in order to constrain the high-redshift galaxy luminosity functions. Here, we present the first five lens models out of the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS) Hubble Treasury Program, based on new HST WFC3/IR and ACS imaging of the clusters RXC J0142.9+4438, Abell 2537, Abell 2163, RXC J2211.7–0349, and ACT-CLJ0102–49151. The derived lensing magnification is essential for estimating the intrinsic properties of high-redshift galaxy candidates, and properly accounting for the survey volume. We report on new spectroscopic redshifts of multiply imaged lensed galaxies behind these clusters, which are used as constraints, and detail our strategy to reduce systematic uncertainties due to lack of spectroscopic information. In addition, we quantify the uncertainty on the lensing magnification due to statistical and systematic errors related to the lens modeling process, and find that in all but one cluster, the magnification is constrained to better than 20% in at least 80% of the field of view, including statistical and systematic uncertainties. The five clusters presented in this paper span the range of masses and redshifts of the clusters in the RELICS program. We find that they exhibit similar strong lensing efficiencies to the clusters targeted by the Hubble Frontier Fields within the WFC3/IR field of view. Outputs of the lens models are made available to the community through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.

  14. Qualitative investigation of the reasons behind opposition to water fluoridation in regional NSW, Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew C Knox

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To investigate reasons behind strong opposition to water fluoridation in regional New South Wales, Australia, and to make recommendations to improve community engagement. Importance: Few studies have used qualitative methodologies to understand the reasons for strong antifluoridation views. An understanding of these reasons could be useful when designing public campaigns to combat the strong antifluoridation message. Methods: The qualitative study used semistructured interviewing and thematic analysis. Ten participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling methods until data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis and graphical representation of themes assisted in analysing the data for logical connections and relationships. Results: Six dominant themes and numerous subthemes were identified. Five of the major themes were reasons for opposition: scepticism, health effects, ethics, environmental impacts and economics. Each of these was inextricably linked to a sixth major theme: alternatives to fluoridation. Conclusions: All participants had strongly held antifluoridation views, and provided a unique insight into their perceptions and reasons for opposing water fluoridation. Concerns about ‘fraudulent research’ and the influence of industry on government bodies were novel themes. The concerns raised could be used to inform future population health campaigns, research, public education and resource-allocation decisions. Open community consultation may be able to address the issues raised in a nonjudgemental and collaborative manner.

  15. Views on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease - an interview study with Swedish GPs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wahlström Rolf

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background General practitioners (GPs have gradually become more involved in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD, both through more frequent prescribing of pharmaceuticals and by giving advice regarding lifestyle factors. Most general practitioners are now faced with decisions about pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical treatment for primary prevention every day. The aim of this study was to explore, structure and describe the views on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice among Swedish GPs. Methods Individual interviews were conducted with 21 GPs in southern Sweden. The interview transcripts were analysed using a qualitative approach, inspired by phenomenography. Results Two main categories of description emerged during the analysis. One was the degree of reliance on research data regarding the predictability of real risk and the opportunities for primary prevention of CVD. The other was the allocation of responsibility between the patient and the doctor. The GPs showed different views, from being convinced of an actual and predictable risk for the individual to strongly doubting it; from relying firmly on protection from disease by pharmaceutical treatment to strongly questioning its effectiveness in individual cases; and from reliance on prevention of disease by non-pharmaceutical interventions to a total lack of reliance on such measures. Conclusions The GPs' different views, regarding the rationale for and practical management of primary prevention of CVD, can be interpreted as a reflection of the complexity of patient counselling in primary prevention in clinical practice. The findings have implications for development and implementation of standard treatment guidelines, regarding long-time primary preventive treatment.

  16. Deep convolutional neural networks as strong gravitational lens detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaefer, C.; Geiger, M.; Kuntzer, T.; Kneib, J.-P.

    2018-03-01

    Context. Future large-scale surveys with high-resolution imaging will provide us with approximately 105 new strong galaxy-scale lenses. These strong-lensing systems will be contained in large data amounts, however, which are beyond the capacity of human experts to visually classify in an unbiased way. Aim. We present a new strong gravitational lens finder based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The method was applied to the strong-lensing challenge organized by the Bologna Lens Factory. It achieved first and third place, respectively, on the space-based data set and the ground-based data set. The goal was to find a fully automated lens finder for ground-based and space-based surveys that minimizes human inspection. Methods: We compared the results of our CNN architecture and three new variations ("invariant" "views" and "residual") on the simulated data of the challenge. Each method was trained separately five times on 17 000 simulated images, cross-validated using 3000 images, and then applied to a test set with 100 000 images. We used two different metrics for evaluation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) score, and the recall with no false positive (Recall0FP). Results: For ground-based data, our best method achieved an AUC score of 0.977 and a Recall0FP of 0.50. For space-based data, our best method achieved an AUC score of 0.940 and a Recall0FP of 0.32. Adding dihedral invariance to the CNN architecture diminished the overall score on space-based data, but achieved a higher no-contamination recall. We found that using committees of five CNNs produced the best recall at zero contamination and consistently scored better AUC than a single CNN. Conclusions: We found that for every variation of our CNN lensfinder, we achieved AUC scores close to 1 within 6%. A deeper network did not outperform simpler CNN models either. This indicates that more complex networks are not needed to model the simulated lenses. To verify this, more

  17. Analysis of impact of “strong DC and weak AC” on receiving-end power system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qiang; Li, Tianran; Yang, Pengcheng

    2018-02-01

    The rapid development of UHVDC transmission project has brought abundant power supply to the receiving-end power system area, but also many security and stability problems. This paper summarizes four elements that affect the strength of AC system, and then simulates the most basic two-terminal single-pole UHV transmission system by MATLAB/Simulink. It analyses the impact of receiving-end AC power system strength on real-time power, frequency and voltage. Finally, in view of operation risk of “strong DC and weak AC”, this paper puts forward three countermeasures.

  18. Testing strong interaction theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1979-01-01

    The author discusses possible tests of the current theories of the strong interaction, in particular, quantum chromodynamics. High energy e + e - interactions should provide an excellent means of studying the strong force. (W.D.L.)

  19. A descriptive study of medical educators' views of problem-based learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennick Reg

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a growing amount of literature on the benefits and drawbacks of Problem-Based Learning (PBL compared to conventional curricula. However, it seems that PBL research studies do not provide information rigorously and formally that can contribute to making evidence-based medical education decisions. The authors performed an investigation aimed at medical education scholars around the question, "What are the views of medical educators concerning the PBL approach?" Methods After framing the question, the method of data collection relied on asking medical educators to report their views on PBL. Two methods were used for collecting data: the questionnaire survey and an online discussion forum. Results The descriptive analysis of the study showed that many participants value the PBL approach in the practice and training of doctors. However, some participants hold contrasting views upon the importance of the PBL approach in basic medical education. For example, more than a third of participants (38.5% had a neutral stance on PBL as a student-oriented educational approach. The same proportion of participants also had a neutral view of the efficiency of traditional learning compared to a PBL tutorial. The open-ended question explored the importance of faculty development in PBL. A few participants had negative perceptions of the epistemological assumptions of PBL. Two themes emerged from the analysis of the forum repliers: the importance of the faculty role and self-managed education. Conclusion Whilst many participants valued the importance of the PBL approach in the practice and training of doctors and agreed with most of the conventional descriptions of PBL, some participants held contrasting views on the importance of the PBL approach in undergraduate medical education. However there was a strong view concerning the importance of facilitator training. More research is needed to understand the process of PBL better.

  20. Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The present qualitative study sought to explore the relationship between English language learning and identity reconstruction from the view - points of Iranian language learners. The data were collected by means of focus-group interviews with forty-five male intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (EFL. To define the concept of identity, the participants were found to draw upon notions as diverse as personal and social characteristics, ethnic origins, geographical locations, religious affiliations, national customs and rituals and values, amongst others. Furthermore, the vast majority of the learners held that learning English had a profound impact on how they perceive their identity. Of these, nearly all the interviewees regarded the above impact as highly positive and beneficial to the course of language learning. The interviewees also expressed strong inclination to integrate and, therefore, to identify with the target linguistic and cultural norms. Notwithstanding, a number of opposing voices were raised by some learners who resisted identity reconstruction through language learning, claiming that they learned English simply for the sake of instrumental, as opposed to integrative, purposes. These participants also levelled criticisms at what they viewed as ‘the imposition of Western values on an Islamic country’. The results highlight the vital role of motivation and the status of English as an international language in viewing, redefining and reconstructing identity. In conclusion, the findings confirm the role of discursive practices, power relations, solidarity and otherising with regard to identity reconstruction in the course of second language (L2 learning.

  1. The public view of Pacific Northwest forests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    West, P.R.

    1991-01-01

    There are diverse communities that make up the public in the Pacific Northwest, all with differing views on the forest. To the media, the public are those indirect stakeholders, or average citizens, who have become keenly aware of the importance of environmental issues, including the implications for global change. Linkages between the forests, deforestation, global climate change, and overall environmental sustainability have been widely publicized, though less frequently analyzed in depth. Consequently, the state of Northwest forests has become a vital public interest. The need for an overall margin of global environmental security, and a concern over unsuspected consequences of all economic activity (including forestry) have created a community of interest among the urban population. In part, this is a spillover effect from promoting individual environmental responsibility and the conserver ethic into issues beyond the city boundary. In the Northwest, this often translates as a deep concern over forest management issues and strong conviction that changes are needed. At the same time, and largely as a direct response, the socioeconomic interests of rural forest communities have become a high-profile issue, raising debate over local empowerment and local forest stewardship models. The consequences of this complex and rapidly evolving public view of the forests are critical to forest managers and policymakers. 12 refs

  2. Scientists' views about attribution of global warming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verheggen, Bart; Strengers, Bart; Cook, John; van Dorland, Rob; Vringer, Kees; Peters, Jeroen; Visser, Hans; Meyer, Leo

    2014-08-19

    Results are presented from a survey held among 1868 scientists studying various aspects of climate change, including physical climate, climate impacts, and mitigation. The survey was unique in its size, broadness and level of detail. Consistent with other research, we found that, as the level of expertise in climate science grew, so too did the level of agreement on anthropogenic causation. 90% of respondents with more than 10 climate-related peer-reviewed publications (about half of all respondents), explicitly agreed with anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) being the dominant driver of recent global warming. The respondents' quantitative estimate of the GHG contribution appeared to strongly depend on their judgment or knowledge of the cooling effect of aerosols. The phrasing of the IPCC attribution statement in its fourth assessment report (AR4)-providing a lower limit for the isolated GHG contribution-may have led to an underestimation of the GHG influence on recent warming. The phrasing was improved in AR5. We also report on the respondents' views on other factors contributing to global warming; of these Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) was considered the most important. Respondents who characterized human influence on climate as insignificant, reported having had the most frequent media coverage regarding their views on climate change.

  3. The STAPL pView

    KAUST Repository

    Buss, Antal

    2011-01-01

    The Standard Template Adaptive Parallel Library (STAPL) is a C++ parallel programming library that provides a collection of distributed data structures (pContainers) and parallel algorithms (pAlgorithms) and a generic methodology for extending them to provide customized functionality. STAPL algorithms are written in terms of pViews, which provide a generic access interface to pContainer data by abstracting common data structure concepts. Briefly, pViews allow the same pContainer to present multiple interfaces, e.g., enabling the same pMatrix to be \\'viewed\\' (or used) as a row-major or column-major matrix, or even as a vector. In this paper, we describe the stapl pView concept and its properties. pViews generalize the iterator concept and enable parallelism by providing random access to, and an ADT for, collections of elements. We illustrate how pViews provide support for managing the tradeoff between expressivity and performance and examine the performance overhead incurred when using pViews. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  4. Combination of one-view digital breast tomosynthesis with one-view digital mammography versus standard two-view digital mammography: per lesion analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gennaro, Gisella; Bezzon, Elisabetta; Pescarini, Luigi; Polico, Ilaria; Proietti, Alessandro; Baldan, Enrica; Pomerri, Fabio; Muzzio, Pier Carlo [Veneto Institute of Oncology (IRCCS), Padua (Italy); Hendrick, R.E. [University of Colorado-Denver, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO (United States); Toledano, Alicia [Biostatistics Consulting, LLC, Kensington, MD (United States); Paquelet, Jean R. [Advanced Medical Imaging Consultants, Fort Collins, CO (United States); Breast Imaging, McKee Medical Center, Loveland, CO (United States); Chersevani, Roberta [Private Medical Practice, Gorizia (Italy); Di Maggio, Cosimo [Private Medical Practice, Padua (Italy); La Grassa, Manuela [Department of Radiology, Oncological Reference Center (IRCCS), Aviano (Italy)

    2013-08-15

    To evaluate the clinical value of combining one-view mammography (cranio-caudal, CC) with the complementary view tomosynthesis (mediolateral-oblique, MLO) in comparison to standard two-view mammography (MX) in terms of both lesion detection and characterization. A free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) experiment was conducted independently by six breast radiologists, obtaining data from 463 breasts of 250 patients. Differences in mean lesion detection fraction (LDF) and mean lesion characterization fraction (LCF) were analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare clinical performance of the combination of techniques to standard two-view digital mammography. The 463 cases (breasts) reviewed included 258 with one to three lesions each, and 205 with no lesions. The 258 cases with lesions included 77 cancers in 68 breasts and 271 benign lesions to give a total of 348 proven lesions. The combination, DBT{sub (MLO)}+MX{sub (CC)}, was superior to MX (CC+MLO) in both lesion detection (LDF) and lesion characterization (LCF) overall and for benign lesions. DBT{sub (MLO)}+MX{sub (CC)} was non-inferior to two-view MX for malignant lesions. This study shows that readers' capabilities in detecting and characterizing breast lesions are improved by combining single-view digital breast tomosynthesis and single-view mammography compared to two-view digital mammography. (orig.)

  5. A chaotic view of behavior change: a quantum leap for health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnicow, Ken; Vaughan, Roger

    2006-09-12

    The study of health behavior change, including nutrition and physical activity behaviors, has been rooted in a cognitive-rational paradigm. Change is conceptualized as a linear, deterministic process where individuals weigh pros and cons, and at the point at which the benefits outweigh the cost change occurs. Consistent with this paradigm, the associated statistical models have almost exclusively assumed a linear relationship between psychosocial predictors and behavior. Such a perspective however, fails to account for non-linear, quantum influences on human thought and action. Consider why after years of false starts and failed attempts, a person succeeds at increasing their physical activity, eating healthier or losing weight. Or, why after years of success a person relapses. This paper discusses a competing view of health behavior change that was presented at the 2006 annual ISBNPA meeting in Boston. Rather than viewing behavior change from a linear perspective it can be viewed as a quantum event that can be understood through the lens of Chaos Theory and Complex Dynamic Systems. Key principles of Chaos Theory and Complex Dynamic Systems relevant to understanding health behavior change include: 1) Chaotic systems can be mathematically modeled but are nearly impossible to predict; 2) Chaotic systems are sensitive to initial conditions; 3) Complex Systems involve multiple component parts that interact in a nonlinear fashion; and 4) The results of Complex Systems are often greater than the sum of their parts. Accordingly, small changes in knowledge, attitude, efficacy, etc may dramatically alter motivation and behavioral outcomes. And the interaction of such variables can yield almost infinite potential patterns of motivation and behavior change. In the linear paradigm unaccounted for variance is generally relegated to the catch all "error" term, when in fact such "error" may represent the chaotic component of the process. The linear and chaotic paradigms are

  6. Rejection of unfair offers in the ultimatum game is no evidence of strong reciprocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamagishi, Toshio; Horita, Yutaka; Mifune, Nobuhiro; Hashimoto, Hirofumi; Li, Yang; Shinada, Mizuho; Miura, Arisa; Inukai, Keigo; Takagishi, Haruto; Simunovic, Dora

    2012-01-01

    The strong reciprocity model of the evolution of human cooperation has gained some acceptance, partly on the basis of support from experimental findings. The observation that unfair offers in the ultimatum game are frequently rejected constitutes an important piece of the experimental evidence for strong reciprocity. In the present study, we have challenged the idea that the rejection response in the ultimatum game provides evidence of the assumption held by strong reciprocity theorists that negative reciprocity observed in the ultimatum game is inseparably related to positive reciprocity as the two sides of a preference for fairness. The prediction of an inseparable relationship between positive and negative reciprocity was rejected on the basis of the results of a series of experiments that we conducted using the ultimatum game, the dictator game, the trust game, and the prisoner’s dilemma game. We did not find any correlation between the participants’ tendencies to reject unfair offers in the ultimatum game and their tendencies to exhibit various prosocial behaviors in the other games, including their inclinations to positively reciprocate in the trust game. The participants’ responses to postexperimental questions add support to the view that the rejection of unfair offers in the ultimatum game is a tacit strategy for avoiding the imposition of an inferior status. PMID:23188801

  7. Rejection of unfair offers in the ultimatum game is no evidence of strong reciprocity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamagishi, Toshio; Horita, Yutaka; Mifune, Nobuhiro; Hashimoto, Hirofumi; Li, Yang; Shinada, Mizuho; Miura, Arisa; Inukai, Keigo; Takagishi, Haruto; Simunovic, Dora

    2012-12-11

    The strong reciprocity model of the evolution of human cooperation has gained some acceptance, partly on the basis of support from experimental findings. The observation that unfair offers in the ultimatum game are frequently rejected constitutes an important piece of the experimental evidence for strong reciprocity. In the present study, we have challenged the idea that the rejection response in the ultimatum game provides evidence of the assumption held by strong reciprocity theorists that negative reciprocity observed in the ultimatum game is inseparably related to positive reciprocity as the two sides of a preference for fairness. The prediction of an inseparable relationship between positive and negative reciprocity was rejected on the basis of the results of a series of experiments that we conducted using the ultimatum game, the dictator game, the trust game, and the prisoner's dilemma game. We did not find any correlation between the participants' tendencies to reject unfair offers in the ultimatum game and their tendencies to exhibit various prosocial behaviors in the other games, including their inclinations to positively reciprocate in the trust game. The participants' responses to postexperimental questions add support to the view that the rejection of unfair offers in the ultimatum game is a tacit strategy for avoiding the imposition of an inferior status.

  8. Multiple Clustering Views via Constrained Projections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dang, Xuan-Hong; Assent, Ira; Bailey, James

    2012-01-01

    Clustering, the grouping of data based on mutual similarity, is often used as one of principal tools to analyze and understand data. Unfortunately, most conventional techniques aim at finding only a single clustering over the data. For many practical applications, especially those being described...... in high dimensional data, it is common to see that the data can be grouped into different yet meaningful ways. This gives rise to the recently emerging research area of discovering alternative clusterings. In this preliminary work, we propose a novel framework to generate multiple clustering views....... The framework relies on a constrained data projection approach by which we ensure that a novel alternative clustering being found is not only qualitatively strong but also distinctively different from a reference clustering solution. We demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework using both synthetic...

  9. The co-viewing 2.0: Detaching from History and Applying in the New Media Age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Pires de Sá

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Since the advent of digital media and the 2.0 environments, the way we watch television and consume audiovisual media has changed. The audience can now be also called users, users who generate content and therefore share experiences online and offline. This has an impact on how the user understands TV content. For instance, the proliferation of user–generated content has made a strong impact on the different spheres of society, as people are able to access online information from anywhere (computers, mobile phones, tablets and also share, create, contribute or view together new and mass media content. In other words, it has generated a new way of co-viewing. This concept of co-viewing comes after an experiment made with Sesame Street in 1970 whereby it was shown that when children watch television together with adults, their capacity of learning increases. Hence why I found it necessary, in this study, to develop a brief history review of co-viewing. After having examined the concept we also try to apply generate a new definition of co-viewing, what we call co-viewing 2.0. It is done to attach the concept in the actual environment. This intent also includes the use of this concept not just in the scope of children but in general as co-viewing and discussing media content with others can be an enhancing experience in terms of acquiring knowledge at any age.

  10. The conspiratorial style in lay economic thinking

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates patterns of lay perception of economics, and in particular the place of conspiratorial thinking regarding the economic domain. We devised four types of accounts in the economic domain, over a range of questions regarding different aspects of the economy: the classical neo-liberal economic view (which we labeled Econ101), and the Conspiracy view (the destructive outcomes of economy are due to small and powerful groups who are manipulating the markets), to which we added the Government malfunction view (failures in the economy are due to the authorities), and the Bad Invisible Hand view (the invisible hand may go wrong, and the equilibrium reached by its doings may be undesirable). The last two views are the ones most strongly endorsed by our respondents, in the US, Israel and Switzerland. The pattern of inter-correlations between the four accounts, and that between each and the psycho-social variables we examined, exhibits two clusters, Econ101 vs. the other three views of economy. This corresponds to a general opposition between people who trust the neoliberal economic system, and those opposed to it. What sets economic conspiratorial thinking apart are its links with other conspirational beliefs and with paranormal beliefs. PMID:28257506

  11. The Communicative Dimension and Security in Asia-Pacific: A communicative-viewing proposal for reform of the Japanese Intelligence Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan L. López-Aranguren

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The postwar development of the Intelligence Services in Japan has been based on two contrasting models: the centralized model of the USA and the collegiality of UK, neither of which has been fully developed. This has led to clashes of institutional competencies and poor anticipation of threats towards national security. This problem of opposing models has been partially overcome through two dimensions: externally through the cooperation with the US Intelligence Service under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security; and internally though the pre-eminence in the national sphere of the Department of Public Safety. However, the emergence of a new global communicative dimension requires that a communicative-viewing remodeling of this dual model is necessary due to the increasing capacity of the individual actors to determine the dynamics of international events. This article examines these challenges for the Intelligence Services of Japan and proposes a reform based on this new global communicative dimension.

  12. Coherent counter-steaming electrostatic wave Raman interaction system utilizing opposing electron beams for the production of coherent microwaves in plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leiby, C.C. Jr.; Prasad, B.

    1977-01-01

    The generation of controlled, electromagnetic, coherent, microwave radiation from a warm, uniform plasma at approximately twice the electron plasma frequency by means of two oppositely directed streams of high energy electrons and the coupling of the resulting coherent, electromagnetic radiation from a cavity resonator into external circuitry, wherein the two opposing streams of high energy electrons directed into the warm, uniform plasma result in a conversion of electron beam and plasma energies into transverse electromagnetic radiation from 10 to 100 times that which is possible with a single electron beam-plasma system. 7 claims, 4 figures

  13. Abortion: Strong's counterexamples fail

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Di Nucci, Ezio

    2009-01-01

    This paper shows that the counterexamples proposed by Strong in 2008 in the Journal of Medical Ethics to Marquis's argument against abortion fail. Strong's basic idea is that there are cases--for example, terminally ill patients--where killing an adult human being is prima facie seriously morally...

  14. A Strong High Altitude Narrow Jet At Saturn'S Equator From Cassini/ISS Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Melendo, Enrique; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Legarreta, J.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Hueso, R.

    2010-10-01

    The intense equatorial eastward jets observed at cloud level in Jupiter and Saturn, represent a major challenge for geophysical fluid dynamics. Saturn's equatorial jet is of particular interest in view of its three dimensional structure, suspected large temporal variability, and related stratospheric semiannual oscillation. Here we report the discovery at the upper cloud level of an extremely narrow and strong jet centered in the middle of the broad equatorial jet. Previously published works on Saturn's equatorial winds at cloud level provided only a partial coverage. Automatic correlation of brightness scans and manually tracked cloud features, retrieved from images obtained by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), show that the jet reaches 430 ms-1 with a peak speed difference of 180 ms-1 relative to nearby latitudes at 60 mbar and 390 ms-1 at depths > 500 mbar. Images were obtained in two filters: MT3, centred at the 889nm strong methane absorption band, and CB3 centred at the near infrared 939nm continuum, which are sensitive to different altitude levels at the upper clouds and hazes. Contrarily to what is observed in other latitudes, its velocity increases with altitude. Our findings helps to extend the view we have of the equatorial stratospheric dynamics of fast rotating planets beyond the best known terrestrial environment, and extract more general consequences of the interaction between waves and mean flow. It remains to be known if this equatorial jet structure, now determined in detail in three dimensions, is permanent or variable with the seasonal solar insolation cycle, including the variable shadow cast by the rings. EGM, ASL, JL, SPH, and RH have been funded by the Spanish MICIIN AYA2009-10701 with FEDER support and ASL, JL, SPH, and RH by Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT-464-07

  15. Maternal Beliefs and Parenting Practices Regarding Their Preschool Child's Television Viewing: An Exploration in a Sample of Low-Income Mexican-Origin Mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Darcy A; Polk, Sarah; Cheah, Charissa S L; Vandewater, Elizabeth A; Johnson, Susan L; Chrismer, Marilyn Camacho; Tschann, Jeanne M

    2015-08-01

    To explore maternal beliefs about television (TV) viewing and related parenting practices in low-income Mexican-origin mothers of preschoolers. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 low-income Mexican-origin mothers of preschoolers. Interviews were audio recorded and analyzed using a theoretically based thematic analytic approach. Mothers described strong beliefs about the positive and negative impact of TV content. Mothers emphasized the educational value of specific programming. Content restrictions were common. Time restrictions were not clearly defined; however, many mothers preferred short versus long episodes of viewing. Mothers spoke positively about family viewing and the role of TV viewing in enabling mothers to accomplish household tasks. These findings have implications for intervening in this population. Interventionists should consider the value mothers place on the educational role of TV viewing, the direct benefit to mothers of viewing time, the lack of clear time limits, and the common practice of family co-viewing. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. Amphetamine Elicits Opposing Actions on Readily Releasable and Reserve Pools for Dopamine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Covey, Dan P.; Juliano, Steven A.; Garris, Paul A.

    2013-01-01

    Amphetamine, a highly addictive drug with therapeutic efficacy, exerts paradoxical effects on the fundamental communication modes employed by dopamine neurons in modulating behavior. While amphetamine elevates tonic dopamine signaling by depleting vesicular stores and driving non-exocytotic release through reverse transport, this psychostimulant also activates phasic dopamine signaling by up-regulating vesicular dopamine release. We hypothesized that these seemingly incongruent effects arise from amphetamine depleting the reserve pool and enhancing the readily releasable pool. This novel hypothesis was tested using in vivo voltammetry and stimulus trains of varying duration to access different vesicular stores. We show that amphetamine actions are stimulus dependent in the dorsal striatum. Specifically, amphetamine up-regulated vesicular dopamine release elicited by a short-duration train, which interrogates the readily releasable pool, but depleted release elicited by a long-duration train, which interrogates the reserve pool. These opposing actions of vesicular dopamine release were associated with concurrent increases in tonic and phasic dopamine responses. A link between vesicular depletion and tonic signaling was supported by results obtained for amphetamine in the ventral striatum and cocaine in both striatal sub-regions, which demonstrated augmented vesicular release and phasic signals only. We submit that amphetamine differentially targeting dopamine stores reconciles the paradoxical activation of tonic and phasic dopamine signaling. Overall, these results further highlight the unique and region-distinct cellular mechanisms of amphetamine and may have important implications for its addictive and therapeutic properties. PMID:23671560

  17. View-invariant object recognition ability develops after discrimination, not mere exposure, at several viewing angles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Wakayo; Wang, Gang; Tanaka, Keiji

    2010-01-01

    One usually fails to recognize an unfamiliar object across changes in viewing angle when it has to be discriminated from similar distractor objects. Previous work has demonstrated that after long-term experience in discriminating among a set of objects seen from the same viewing angle, immediate recognition of the objects across 30-60 degrees changes in viewing angle becomes possible. The capability for view-invariant object recognition should develop during the within-viewing-angle discrimination, which includes two kinds of experience: seeing individual views and discriminating among the objects. The aim of the present study was to determine the relative contribution of each factor to the development of view-invariant object recognition capability. Monkeys were first extensively trained in a task that required view-invariant object recognition (Object task) with several sets of objects. The animals were then exposed to a new set of objects over 26 days in one of two preparatory tasks: one in which each object view was seen individually, and a second that required discrimination among the objects at each of four viewing angles. After the preparatory period, we measured the monkeys' ability to recognize the objects across changes in viewing angle, by introducing the object set to the Object task. Results indicated significant view-invariant recognition after the second but not first preparatory task. These results suggest that discrimination of objects from distractors at each of several viewing angles is required for the development of view-invariant recognition of the objects when the distractors are similar to the objects.

  18. 3D scene reconstruction based on multi-view distributed video coding in the Zernike domain for mobile applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma, V.; Carli, M.; Neri, A.

    2011-02-01

    In this paper a Multi-view Distributed Video Coding scheme for mobile applications is presented. Specifically a new fusion technique between temporal and spatial side information in Zernike Moments domain is proposed. Distributed video coding introduces a flexible architecture that enables the design of very low complex video encoders compared to its traditional counterparts. The main goal of our work is to generate at the decoder the side information that optimally blends temporal and interview data. Multi-view distributed coding performance strongly depends on the side information quality built at the decoder. At this aim for improving its quality a spatial view compensation/prediction in Zernike moments domain is applied. Spatial and temporal motion activity have been fused together to obtain the overall side-information. The proposed method has been evaluated by rate-distortion performances for different inter-view and temporal estimation quality conditions.

  19. Suicide verdicts as opposed to accidental deaths in substance-related fatalities (UK, 2001-2007).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vento, Alessandro E; Schifano, Fabrizio; Corkery, John M; Pompili, Maurizio; Innamorati, Marco; Girardi, Paolo; Ghodse, Hamid

    2011-07-01

    Substance-related deaths account for a great number of suicides. To investigate levels and characteristics of suicide verdicts, as opposed to accidental deaths, in substance misusers. Psychological autopsy study of cases from the UK National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD) during the period 2001-2007. Between January 2001 and December 2007, 2108 suicides were reported to the np-SAD. Typical suicide victims were White and older than 50 (respectively 95% and 41% of cases). Medications, especially antidepressants (44%), were prescribed to 87% of victims. Significantly fewer suicide victims than controls presented positive blood toxicological results for illicit drugs (namely: cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, ecstasy-type drugs, cannabis, and GHB/GBL) and alcohol. Suicide prevention programmes should devote specific attention to deaths among substance misusers who are at high risk of fatal intentional self-harm. Specific characteristics distinguish those at risk; caregivers should be better educated as to what these factors are. Limitations of the current study included lack of provision of comprehensive information relating to the victims' psychosocial variables. Furthermore, no differentiation between different classes of antidepressants in terms of involvement in suicide was here provided. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Numerical analysis of the air chemical non-equilibrium effect in combustion for a semi-sphere with opposing jet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Fa-Ming; Wang, Jiang-Feng; Li, Long-Fei

    2018-05-01

    The air chemical non-equilibrium effect (ACNEE) on hydrogen-air combustion flow fields at Mach number of 10 is numerically analyzed for a semi-sphere with a sonic opposing-hydrogen jet. The 2D axisymmetric multi-components N-S equations are solved by using the central scheme with artificial dissipation and the S-A turbulence model. Numerical results show that as compared to the result without ACNEE, the ACNEE has little influence on the structure of flow field, but has a considerable impact on fluid characteristics which reduces the maximum value of mass fraction of water in the flow field and increases the maximum value of mass fraction of water on solid surface, as well as the maximum surface temperature.

  1. Values in environmental research: Citizens’ views of scientists who acknowledge values

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCright, Aaron M.; Allen, Summer; Dietz, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Scientists who perform environmental research on policy-relevant topics face challenges when communicating about how values may have influenced their research. This study examines how citizens view scientists who publicly acknowledge values. Specifically, we investigate whether it matters: if citizens share or oppose a scientist’s values, if a scientist’s conclusions seem contrary to or consistent with the scientist’s values, and if a scientist is assessing the state of the science or making a policy recommendation. We conducted two 3x2 factorial design online experiments. Experiment 1 featured a hypothetical scientist assessing the state of the science on the public-health effects of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), and Experiment 2 featured a scientist making a policy recommendation on use of BPA. We manipulated whether or not the scientist expressed values and whether the scientist’s conclusion appeared contrary to or consistent with the scientist’s values, and we accounted for whether or not subjects’ values aligned with the scientist’s values. We analyzed our data with ordinary least squares (OLS) regression techniques. Our results provide at least preliminary evidence that acknowledging values may reduce the perceived credibility of scientists within the general public, but this effect differs depending on whether scientists and citizens share values, whether scientists draw conclusions that run contrary to their values, and whether scientists make policy recommendations. PMID:29069087

  2. 77 FR 16131 - Establishing a White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-20

    ... Order 13602 of March 15, 2012 Establishing a White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities By... enable them to develop and implement economic strategies to become more competitive, sustainable, and... resources to develop and implement their economic vision and strategies. Sec. 2. White House Council on...

  3. Instabilities in strongly coupled plasmas

    CERN Document Server

    Kalman, G J

    2003-01-01

    The conventional Vlasov treatment of beam-plasma instabilities is inappropriate when the plasma is strongly coupled. In the strongly coupled liquid state, the strong correlations between the dust grains fundamentally affect the conditions for instability. In the crystalline state, the inherent anisotropy couples the longitudinal and transverse polarizations, and results in unstable excitations in both polarizations. We summarize analyses of resonant and non-resonant, as well as resistive instabilities. We consider both ion-dust streaming and dust beam-plasma instabilities. Strong coupling, in general, leads to an enhancement of the growth rates. In the crystalline phase, a resonant transverse instability can be excited.

  4. 'We have a rich heritage and, we believe, a bright future': how transnational tobacco companies are using Twitter to oppose policy and shape their public identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Christina; Hefler, Marita; Freeman, Becky

    2018-04-17

    The tobacco industry has a long history of opposing tobacco control policy and promoting socially responsible business practices. With the rise of social media platforms, like Twitter, the tobacco industry is enabled to readily and easily communicate these messages. All tweets published by the primary corporate Twitter accounts of British American Tobacco (BAT), Imperial Brands PLC (Imperial), Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) were downloaded in May 2017 and manually coded under 30 topic categories. A total of 3301 tweets across the four accounts were analysed. Overall, the most prominent categories of tweets were topics that opposed or critiqued tobacco control policies (36.3% of BAT's tweets, 35.1% of Imperial's tweets, 34.0% of JTI's tweets and 9.6% of PMI's tweets). All companies consistently tweeted to promote an image of being socially and environmentally responsible. Tweets of this nature comprised 29.1% of PMI's tweets, 20.9% of JTI's tweets, 18.4% of Imperial's tweets and 18.4% of BAT's tweets. BAT, Imperial, JTI and PMI also frequently used Twitter to advertise career opportunities, highlight employee benefits, promote positive working environments and bring attention to awards and certifications that the company had received (11.6%, 11.1%, 19.3% and 45.7% of the total tweets published by each account, respectively). Transnational tobacco companies are using Twitter to oppose tobacco control policy and shape their public identity by promoting corporate social responsibility initiatives in violation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Regulation of the tobacco industry's global online activities is required. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  5. Space Elevators Preliminary Architectural View

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pullum, L.; Swan, P. A.

    Space Systems Architecture has been expanded into a process by the US Department of Defense for their large scale systems of systems development programs. This paper uses the steps in the process to establishes a framework for Space Elevator systems to be developed and provides a methodology to manage complexity. This new approach to developing a family of systems is based upon three architectural views: Operational View OV), Systems View (SV), and Technical Standards View (TV). The top level view of the process establishes the stages for the development of the first Space Elevator and is called Architectural View - 1, Overview and Summary. This paper will show the guidelines and steps of the process while focusing upon components of the Space Elevator Preliminary Architecture View. This Preliminary Architecture View is presented as a draft starting point for the Space Elevator Project.

  6. Advanced LabVIEW Labs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, Eric D.

    1999-01-01

    In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW to create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in ''G'' a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn ''G''. Without going into details here, ''G'' incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the ''perfect environment in which to

  7. Brachytherapy reconstruction using orthogonal scout views from the CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, J.; Lliso, F.; Carmona, V.; Bea, J.; Tormo, A.; Petschen, I.

    1996-01-01

    Introduction: CT assisted brachytherapy planning is demonstrating to have great advantages as external RT planning does. One of the problems we have found in this approach with the conventional gynecological Fletcher applicators is the high amount of artefacts (ovoids with rectal and vessical protections) in the CT slice. We have introduced a reconstruction method based on scout views in order to avoid this problem, allowing us to perform brachytherapy reconstruction completely CT assisted. We use a virtual simulation chain by General Electric Medical Systems. Method and discussion: Two orthogonal scout views (0 and 90 tube positions) are performed. The reconstruction method takes into account the virtual position of the focus and the fact that there is only divergence in the transverse plane. Algorithms developed for sources as well as for reference points localisation (A, B, lymphatic Fletcher trapezoid, pelvic wall, etc.) are presented. This method has the following practical advantages: the porte-cassette is not necessary, the image quality can be improved (it is very helpful in pelvic lateral views that are critical in conventional radiographs), the total time to get the data is smaller than for conventional radiographs (reduction of patient motion effects) and problems that appear in CT-slice based reconstruction in the case of strongly curved intrauterine applicators are avoided. Even though the resolution is smaller than in conventional radiographs it is good enough for brachytherapy. Regarding the CT planning this method presents the interesting feature that the co-ordinate system is the same for the reconstruction process that for the CT-slices set. As the application can be reconstructed from scout views and the doses can be evaluated on CT slices it is easier to correlate the dose values obtained for the traditional points with those provided by the CT information

  8. Side-View Face Recognition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Santemiz, P.; Spreeuwers, Lieuwe Jan; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.

    2010-01-01

    Side-view face recognition is a challenging problem with many applications. Especially in real-life scenarios where the environment is uncontrolled, coping with pose variations up to side-view positions is an important task for face recognition. In this paper we discuss the use of side view face

  9. Steric Pressure among Membrane-Bound Polymers Opposes Lipid Phase Separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imam, Zachary I; Kenyon, Laura E; Carrillo, Adelita; Espinoza, Isai; Nagib, Fatema; Stachowiak, Jeanne C

    2016-04-19

    Lipid rafts are thought to be key organizers of membrane-protein complexes in cells. Many proteins that interact with rafts have bulky polymeric components such as intrinsically disordered protein domains and polysaccharide chains. Therefore, understanding the interaction between membrane domains and membrane-bound polymers provides insights into the roles rafts play in cells. Multiple studies have demonstrated that high concentrations of membrane-bound polymeric domains create significant lateral steric pressure at membrane surfaces. Furthermore, our recent work has shown that lateral steric pressure at membrane surfaces opposes the assembly of membrane domains. Building on these findings, here we report that membrane-bound polymers are potent suppressors of membrane phase separation, which can destabilize lipid domains with substantially greater efficiency than globular domains such as membrane-bound proteins. Specifically, we created giant vesicles with a ternary lipid composition, which separated into coexisting liquid ordered and disordered phases. Lipids with saturated tails and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains conjugated to their head groups were included at increasing molar concentrations. When these lipids were sparse on the membrane surface they partitioned to the liquid ordered phase. However, as they became more concentrated, the fraction of GUVs that were phase-separated decreased dramatically, ultimately yielding a population of homogeneous membrane vesicles. Experiments and physical modeling using compositions of increasing PEG molecular weight and lipid miscibility phase transition temperature demonstrate that longer polymers are the most efficient suppressors of membrane phase separation when the energetic barrier to lipid mixing is low. In contrast, as the miscibility transition temperature increases, longer polymers are more readily driven out of domains by the increased steric pressure. Therefore, the concentration of shorter polymers required

  10. Strongly interacting Fermi gases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bakr W.

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Strongly interacting gases of ultracold fermions have become an amazingly rich test-bed for many-body theories of fermionic matter. Here we present our recent experiments on these systems. Firstly, we discuss high-precision measurements on the thermodynamics of a strongly interacting Fermi gas across the superfluid transition. The onset of superfluidity is directly observed in the compressibility, the chemical potential, the entropy, and the heat capacity. Our measurements provide benchmarks for current many-body theories on strongly interacting fermions. Secondly, we have studied the evolution of fermion pairing from three to two dimensions in these gases, relating to the physics of layered superconductors. In the presence of p-wave interactions, Fermi gases are predicted to display toplogical superfluidity carrying Majorana edge states. Two possible avenues in this direction are discussed, our creation and direct observation of spin-orbit coupling in Fermi gases and the creation of fermionic molecules of 23Na 40K that will feature strong dipolar interactions in their absolute ground state.

  11. Quantum electrodynamics of strong fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greiner, W.

    1983-01-01

    Quantum Electrodynamics of Strong Fields provides a broad survey of the theoretical and experimental work accomplished, presenting papers by a group of international researchers who have made significant contributions to this developing area. Exploring the quantum theory of strong fields, the volume focuses on the phase transition to a charged vacuum in strong electric fields. The contributors also discuss such related topics as QED at short distances, precision tests of QED, nonperturbative QCD and confinement, pion condensation, and strong gravitational fields In addition, the volume features a historical paper on the roots of quantum field theory in the history of quantum physics by noted researcher Friedrich Hund

  12. Mothers’ views of their preschool child’s screen-viewing behaviour:a qualitative study

    OpenAIRE

    Bentley, Georgina F; Turner, Katrina M; Jago, Russ

    2016-01-01

    BackgroundResearch on screen-viewing in preschool children has predominantly focused on television viewing. The rapid development of mobile devices (e.g. tablets, smart phones and e-readers) and the increase in their use by preschool children means there is a need to understand how and why these devices are used by this age group. The aim of this study was to explore mothers’ views of their preschool children’s screen viewing behaviour (including mobile devices) and investigate how preschool ...

  13. Plenty of gloom and doom at the bottom?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toumey, Chris

    2009-07-01

    The relationship between humans and technology is often viewed as a debate between technophobes who oppose technology, irrespective of its benefits, and technophiles who think that all technology is good. Chris Toumey prefers the cyborg point of view.

  14. "Biospheric medicine" as viewed from the two-year first closure of Biosphere 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walford, R L; Bechtel, R; MacCallum, T; Paglia, D E; Weber, L J

    1996-07-01

    Biosphere 2 is a 3.15-acre, 7-million ft. enclosed ecological space near Tucson, AZ. It contains five wilderness and two domestic biomes (rain forest, savanna, desert, ocean, marsh; agricultural station, living quarters), an original introduction of 3,800 species (approximately 20% extinctions have occurred), and a large basement "technosphere." Sealed inside Biosphere 2 in September 1991, four women and four men, including two of the authors, maintained themselves and the various systems for 2 yr, the longest-sustained "isolated confined environment" period on record. MMPI psychological profile scores for Biosphere 2 crewmembers correlated closely with those reported for astronauts and shuttle applicants. Major medical problems encountered during the 2 yr included adaptation to a low-calorie (1800-2200 kcal.d-1 per person) but otherwise nutritionally adequate diet, with substantial weight loss (18% for men, 10% for women), and a declining oxygen atmosphere (down to 14.2%). Life in a miniworld such as Biosphere 2 may differ substantially from life in a space station or temporary planetary base. These differences include multiple, shifting, sometimes opposing post-launch objectives; complete self-sustenance with recycling of virtually all materials within a highly complex biologic system; retooling of some areas of practical medicine; an attention to "culture" as a social dynamic and how that may influence crew and leadership selection in a societal rather than a quasi-military community. Assuming that long-term planetary colonies must be largely self-sustaining (due to costs of supply over great distances), they must of necessity approach the condition of biospheres. Subject to chaos dynamic (nonlinear dynamic) perturbations, the behavior of complex biospheres will be inherently non-predictable--as opposed to the linear dynamic situation of most space missions--and will require of the inhabitants, including the medical team, a wide range of coping abilities. Under

  15. QlikView Server and Publisher

    CERN Document Server

    Redmond, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    This is a comprehensive guide with a step-by-step approach that enables you to host and manage servers using QlikView Server and QlikView Publisher.If you are a server administrator wanting to learn about how to deploy QlikView Server for server management,analysis and testing, and QlikView Publisher for publishing of business content then this is the perfect book for you. No prior experience with QlikView is expected.

  16. Global isolation by distance despite strong regional phylogeography in a small metazoan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mills Scott

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Small vagile eukaryotic organisms, which comprise a large proportion of the Earth's biodiversity, have traditionally been thought to lack the extent of population structuring and geographic speciation observed in larger taxa. Here we investigate the patterns of genetic diversity, amongst populations of the salt lake microscopic metazoan Brachionus plicatilis s. s. (sensu stricto (Rotifera: Monogononta on a global scale. We examine the phylogenetic relationships of geographic isolates from four continents using a 603 bp fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene to investigate patterns of phylogeographic subdivision in this species. In addition we investigate the relationship between genetic and geographic distances on a global scale to try and reconcile the paradox between the high vagility of this species and the previously reported patterns of restricted gene flow, even over local spatial scales. Results Analysis of global sequence diversity of B. plicatilis s. s. reveals the presence of four allopatric genetic lineages: North American-Far East Asian, Western Mediterranean, Australian, and an Eastern Mediterranean lineage represented by a single isolate. Geographically orientated substructure is also apparent within the three best sampled lineages. Surprisingly, given this strong phylogeographic structure, B. plicatilis s. s. shows a significant correlation between geographic and genetic distance on a global scale ('isolation by distance' – IBD. Conclusion Despite its cosmopolitan distribution and potential for high gene flow, B. plicatilis s. s. is strongly structured at a global scale. IBD patterns have traditionally been interpreted to indicate migration-drift equilibrium, although in this system equilibrium conditions are incompatible with the observed genetic structure. Instead, we suggest the pattern may have arisen through persistent founder effects, acting in a similar fashion to geographic barriers for larger

  17. Global isolation by distance despite strong regional phylogeography in a small metazoan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Scott; Lunt, David H; Gómez, Africa

    2007-01-01

    Background Small vagile eukaryotic organisms, which comprise a large proportion of the Earth's biodiversity, have traditionally been thought to lack the extent of population structuring and geographic speciation observed in larger taxa. Here we investigate the patterns of genetic diversity, amongst populations of the salt lake microscopic metazoan Brachionus plicatilis s. s. (sensu stricto) (Rotifera: Monogononta) on a global scale. We examine the phylogenetic relationships of geographic isolates from four continents using a 603 bp fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene to investigate patterns of phylogeographic subdivision in this species. In addition we investigate the relationship between genetic and geographic distances on a global scale to try and reconcile the paradox between the high vagility of this species and the previously reported patterns of restricted gene flow, even over local spatial scales. Results Analysis of global sequence diversity of B. plicatilis s. s. reveals the presence of four allopatric genetic lineages: North American-Far East Asian, Western Mediterranean, Australian, and an Eastern Mediterranean lineage represented by a single isolate. Geographically orientated substructure is also apparent within the three best sampled lineages. Surprisingly, given this strong phylogeographic structure, B. plicatilis s. s. shows a significant correlation between geographic and genetic distance on a global scale ('isolation by distance' – IBD). Conclusion Despite its cosmopolitan distribution and potential for high gene flow, B. plicatilis s. s. is strongly structured at a global scale. IBD patterns have traditionally been interpreted to indicate migration-drift equilibrium, although in this system equilibrium conditions are incompatible with the observed genetic structure. Instead, we suggest the pattern may have arisen through persistent founder effects, acting in a similar fashion to geographic barriers for larger organisms. Our data indicates

  18. Inclusion of the strong interaction in low-energy hydrogen-antihydrogen scattering using a complex potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armour, E A G; Liu, Y; Vigier, A

    2005-01-01

    The aim of experimentalists currently working on the preparation of antihydrogen is to trap it at very low temperatures so that its properties can be studied. Any process that can lead to loss of antihydrogen is thus of great concern to them. In view of this, we have carried out a calculation of the antiproton annihilation cross section in very low-energy hydrogen-antihydrogen scattering using a complex potential to represent the strong interaction that brings about the annihilation. The potential takes into account the isotopic spin state of the proton and the antiproton and the possibility that they may be in either a singlet or a triplet spin state. The results for the annihilation cross section and the percentage change in the elastic cross section due to the inclusion of the strong interaction are similar to those obtained in a recent calculation (Jonsell et al 2004 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 37 1195), using an effective range expansion. They are smaller by a factor of 2 and 3, respectively, than those obtained in an earlier calculation (Voronin and Carbonell 2001 Nucl. Phys. A 689 529c), using a coupled channel method and a complex strong interaction potential. (letter to the editor)

  19. Towards a strong virtue ethics for nursing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Alan E

    2006-07-01

    Illness creates a range of negative emotions in patients including anxiety, fear, powerlessness, and vulnerability. There is much debate on the 'therapeutic' or 'helping' nurse-patient relationship. However, despite the current agenda regarding patient-centred care, the literature concerning the development of good interpersonal responses and the view that a satisfactory nursing ethics should focus on persons and character traits rather than actions, nursing ethics is dominated by the traditional obligation, act-centred theories such as consequentialism and deontology. I critically examine these theories and the role of duty-based notions in both general ethics and nursing practice. Because of well-established flaws, I conclude that obligation-based moral theories are incomplete and inadequate for nursing practice. I examine the work of Hursthouse on virtue ethics' action guidance and the v-rules. I argue that the moral virtues and a strong (action-guiding) version of virtue ethics provide a plausible and viable alternative for nursing practice. I develop an account of a virtue-based helping relationship and a virtue-based approach to nursing. The latter is characterized by three features: (1) exercising the moral virtues such as compassion; (2) using judgement; and (3) using moral wisdom, understood to include at least moral perception, moral sensitivity, and moral imagination. Merits and problems of the virtue-based approach are examined. I relate the work of MacIntyre to nursing and I conceive nursing as a practice: nurses who exercise the virtues and seek the internal goods help to sustain the practice of nursing and thus prevent the marginalization of the virtues. The strong practice-based version of virtue ethics proposed is context-dependent, particularist, and relational. Several areas for future philosophical inquiry and empirical nursing research are suggested to develop this account yet further.

  20. The Distal Humerus Axial View: Assessment of Displacement in Medial Epicondyle Fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souder, Christopher D; Farnsworth, Christine L; McNeil, Natalie P; Bomar, James D; Edmonds, Eric W

    2015-01-01

    The assessment and treatment of childhood medial epicondyle humerus fractures continues to be associated with significant debate. Several studies demonstrate that standard radiographic views are unable to accurately portray the true displacement. Without reliable ways to assess the amount of displacement, how can we debate treatment and outcomes? This study introduces a novel imaging technique for the evaluation of medial epicondyle fractures. An osteotomy of a cadaveric humerus was performed to simulate a medial epicondyle fracture. Plain radiographs were obtained with the fracture fragment displaced anteriorly in 2-mm increments between 0 and 18 mm. Anteroposterior (AP), internal oblique (IR), lateral (LAT), and distal humerus axial (AXIAL) views were performed. Axial images were obtained by positioning the central ray above the shoulder at 15 to 20 degrees from the long axis of the humerus, centered on the distal humerus. Displacement (mm) was measured by 7 orthopaedic surgeons on digital radiographs. At 10 mm displacement, AP views underestimated displacement by 5.5±0.6 mm and IR views underestimated by 3.8±2.1 mm. On LAT views, readers were not able to visualize fragments with displacement. Displacement ≥10 mm from LAT views was overestimated by 1 reader by up to 4.6 mm and underestimated by others by up to 18.0 mm. AXIAL images more closely estimated the true amount of displacement, with a mean 1.5±1.1 mm error in measurement for displacement and a mean 0.8±0.7 mm error for displacements of ≥10 mm. AXIAL measurements correlated strongly with the actual displacement (r=0.998, Pdisplacement of medial epicondyle humerus fractures. The newly described AXIAL projection more accurately and reliably demonstrated the true displacement while reducing the need for advanced imaging such as computed tomography. This simple view can be easily obtained at a clinic visit, enhancing the surgeon's ability to determine the true displacement.

  1. Strong-coupling theory of superconductivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rainer, D.; Sauls, J.A.

    1995-01-01

    The electronic properties of correlated metals with a strong electron-phonon coupling may be understood in terms of a combination of Landau''s Fermi liquid theory and the strong-coupling theory of Migdal and Eliashberg. In these lecture notes we discuss the microscopic foundations of this phenomenological Fermi-liquid model of correlated, strong-coupling metals. We formulate the basic equations of the model, which are quasiclassical transport equations that describe both equilibrium and non-equilibrium phenomena for the normal and superconducting states of a metal. Our emphasis is on superconductors close to equilibrium, for which we derive the general linear response theory. As an application we calculate the dynamical conductivity of strong-coupling superconductors. (author)

  2. Selected Philosophers’ Views of the Family [Rodzina w poglądach wybranych filozofów

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka SZCZAP

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The subject matter of this article is the history of philosophical speculation on the family. Philosophical reflections on the family date back to Antiquity. The main points of reference for the entire socio-philosophical literature are the views of Plato and Aristotle. Plato’s recognition of private property and the family as the main barriers in the way of a perfect state has weighed on all concepts of equality for many centuries. On the other hand, Aristotle, recognizing the family as the basic social group, place of formation of virtues and one of the conditions of a happy life, contributed to consolidate the view of the distribution of social roles based on sex as natural and necessary. Medieval philosophers placed the family in the perspective of creation, this life, and salvation. Modern philosophical concepts of the family were completely different and sometimes contradictory. On the one hand, there were ideas of such thinkers as John J. Rousseau, with emphasis on the polarization of education and social roles by gender, on the other, strongly egalitarian views of Mary Wollstonecraft. Feminist considerations of Simone de Beauvoire conclude the review of philosophical views on the family

  3. Maxillary overdentures supported by anteriorly or posteriorly placed implants opposed by a natural dentition in the mandible: a 1-year prospective case series study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slot, Wim; Raghoebar, Gerry M; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J A

    2014-02-01

    For maxillary overdenture therapy, treatment guidelines are missing. There is a need for longitudinal studies. The purpose of this 1-year prospective case series study was to assess the treatment outcome of maxillary overdentures supported by six dental implants opposed by natural antagonistic teeth in the mandible. Fifty patients were treated with a maxillary overdenture supported by six dental implants, either placed in the anterior region (n = 25 patients) or in the posterior region (n = 25 patients). Items of evaluation were the following: survival of implants, condition of hard and soft peri-implant tissues, and patients' satisfaction. One-year implant survival rate was 98% in the anterior group and 99.3% in the posterior group. Mean radiographic bone loss in the anterior and posterior groups after 1 year of loading was 0.22 and 0.50 mm, respectively. Mean scores for plaque, calculus, gingiva, bleeding, and pocket probing depth were low, and patients' satisfaction was high, with no differences between the groups. Six dental implants placed in either the anterior region or the posterior region of the edentulous maxilla, connected with a bar, and opposed by antagonistic teeth in the mandible supply a proper base for the support of an overdenture. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Strong Bisimilarity of Simple Process Algebras

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Srba, Jirí

    2003-01-01

    We study bisimilarity and regularity problems of simple process algebras. In particular, we show PSPACE-hardness of the following problems: (i) strong bisimilarity of Basic Parallel Processes (BPP), (ii) strong bisimilarity of Basic Process Algebra (BPA), (iii) strong regularity of BPP, and (iv......) strong regularity of BPA. We also demonstrate NL-hardness of strong regularity problems for the normed subclasses of BPP and BPA. Bisimilarity problems of simple process algebras are introduced in a general framework of process rewrite systems, and a uniform description of the new techniques used...

  5. An investigation into why two-view mammography is better than one-view in breast cancer screening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hackshaw, A.K.; Wald, N.J.; Michell, M.J.; Field, S.; Wilson, A.R.M.

    2000-01-01

    AIM: To determine why two-view mammography in screening for breast cancer is more effective than using a single medio-lateral oblique view. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research randomized trial of one- vs two-view mammography in breast cancer screening the oblique view was assessed by one radiologist and two views (oblique and cranio-caudal) assessed by another. For the present study the mammographic films were retrieved from the screening centres and assessed by three consultant radiologists. Mammographic films were available from 110 women; 87 had their breast cancer detected by both one and two views and in 23 it was missed by one view but detected using two views. Outcome measures were breast size, location and size of the cancer, mammographic features, presence of microcalcification and overall radiological assessment. RESULTS: Although 23 cancers were missed in the original trial when one view was used, only two were not visible on the oblique view. Cancers missed using a single oblique view (and only detected if the cranio-caudal view was available with the oblique) tended to be smaller by about 4 mm (P = 0.05), centrally located in the breast (P = 0.16), not spiculated or round, (P ≤ 0.001) and lacked microcalcification (P = 0.15). Breast size and breast radiographic density were not significantly associated with breast cancer detection. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the basis for the observation that two-view mammographic screening is more effective than one-view mammographic screening. Hackshaw, A. (2000). Clinical Radiology 55, 454-458

  6. Consumption of three strong opioids (morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl) in seven European countries during seven years (2003-2009).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudec, R; Tisonova, J; Foltan, V; Kristova, V

    2013-01-01

    The aim was to analyse the consumption of selected strong opioid analgesics during a seven-year period of 2003-2009 in order to compare Slovak consumption with that in six other European countries and to determine our position. Drug consumption data from the State Institute for Drug Control in Slovak Republic were used. As to the data from other countries, annual health statistics published on websites were used in comparison. Obviously the consumption of one of studied opioid drugs with transdermal aplication route, particularly fentanyl, tended to increase in all countries during the observed period. Oxycodone tends to yield a rapid increase in consumption as well. As opposed to the latter drugs, the consumption of morphine was decreasing throughout the observed period. The consumption of these drugs in Slovakia remains low (except for that of fentanyl). Our analysis confirmed a clear shift from oral to transdermal therapy as well as usage of newer drugs. Drug consumption data are a relatively new source of information for health research. Our analysis showed increasing trends in fentanyl (patch opioid) consumption in all compared countries as well as an increasing consumption of oxycodone and decreasing consumption of morphine (Fig. 3, Ref. 17).

  7. Elicitation of State and Local User Needs for Future Moderate Resolution Earth Observations: The AmericaView Contribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, N. H. F.; Lawrence, R. L.

    2017-12-01

    AmericaView is a nationwide partnership of remote sensing scientists who support the use of Landsat and other public domain remotely sensed data through applied remote sensing research, K-12 and higher STEM education, workforce development, and technology transfer. The national AmericaView program currently has active university-lead members in 39 states, each of which has a "stateview" consortium consisting of some combination of university, agency, non-profit, and other members. This "consortium of consortia" has resulted in a strong and unique nationwide network of remote sensing practitioners. AmericaView has used this network to contribute to the USGS Requirements Capabilities & Analysis for Earth Observations. Participating states have conducted interviews of key remote sensing end users across the country to provide key input at the state and local level for the design and implementation of future U.S. moderate resolution Earth observations.

  8. The workplace window view

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lottrup, Lene Birgitte Poulsen; Stigsdotter, Ulrika K.; Meilby, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    Office workers’ job satisfaction and ability to work are two important factors for the viability and competitiveness of most companies, and existing studies in contexts other than workplaces show relationships between a view of natural elements and, for example, student performance...... satisfaction, and that high view satisfaction was related to high work ability and high job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results indicated that job satisfaction mediated the effect of view satisfaction on work ability. These findings show that a view of a green outdoor environment at the workplace can...... be an important asset in workforce work ability and job satisfaction....

  9. Current pathophysiological views on vibration-induced Raynaud's phenomenon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoyneva, Z; Lyapina, M; Tzvetkov, D; Vodenicharov, E

    2003-03-01

    This review attempts to summarize and discuss contemporary pathogenetic views on vibration-induced Raynaud's phenomenon assuming its multifactorial etiology. An increase in central and peripheral sympathetic nervous activity is discussed based on different physiological indicators of autonomic dysfunction and sympathetic hyperactivity. Local acral vasodysregulation is considered. Receptor and nerve endings dysfunction presented with predominance of alpha(2)-receptor function in the digital arteries and neuronal loss in those digital cutaneous perivascular nerves containing calcitonin gene-related peptide result in deficiency of endogenous release of this powerful vasodilator. Endothelial damage and dysregulation induced by vibration and increased shear stresses are demonstrated by the elevated plasma level of thrombomodulin and of von Willebrand factor and reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses. The concentrations of endothelin-1 are high, the highest being in most advanced stages. Decreased plasma thiol level, indicating increased production and activity of free radicals, contribute to vasospastic paroxysms in vibration white finger patients. Dysbalance of local vasoactive factors with opposing effects on vascular smooth muscle like endothelin and nitric oxide, endothelin and calcitonin gene-related peptide, nitric oxide and superoxide anion are discussed. Disturbed smooth muscle response is supposed. Changes in hemostasis, fibrinolysis and hemorrheology, activation of blood cells with erythrocyte hyperaggregation and red cell hypodeformability, platelet aggregation with increased release of vasoconstricting thromboxane A(2) and serotonin as well as leukocyte activation, entrapment within capillaries and post-capillary venules and increased reactive oxygen species and lysosomal lytic enzymes release might also contribute to digital vasospasms and tissue damage. Elevated soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 levels involved in the adherence of

  10. Acoustic tweezing of particles using decaying opposing travelling surface acoustic waves (DOTSAW).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Jia Wei; Devendran, Citsabehsan; Neild, Adrian

    2017-10-11

    Surface acoustic waves offer a versatile and biocompatible method of manipulating the location of suspended particles or cells within microfluidic systems. The most common approach uses the interference of identical frequency, counter propagating travelling waves to generate a standing surface acoustic wave, in which particles migrate a distance less than half the acoustic wavelength to their nearest pressure node. The result is the formation of a periodic pattern of particles. Subsequent displacement of this pattern, the prerequisite for tweezing, can be achieved by translation of the standing wave, and with it the pressure nodes; this requires changing either the frequency of the pair of waves, or their relative phase. Here, in contrast, we examine the use of two counterpropagating traveling waves of different frequency. The non-linearity of the acoustic forces used to manipulate particles, means that a small frequency difference between the two waves creates a substantially different force field, which offers significant advantages. Firstly, this approach creates a much longer range force field, in which migration takes place across multiple wavelengths, and causes particles to be gathered together in a single trapping site. Secondly, the location of this single trapping site can be controlled by the relative amplitude of the two waves, requiring simply an attenuation of one of the electrical drive signals. Using this approach, we show that by controlling the powers of the opposing incoherent waves, 5 μm particles can be migrated laterally across a fluid flow to defined locations with an accuracy of ±10 μm.

  11. Young people’s own museum views

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Drotner, Kirsten; Knudsen, Line Vestergaard; Mortenesen, Christian Hviid

    2017-01-01

    Taking a mixed-methods, visitor-focused approach to views on museums, this article examines what views young Danes aged 13–23 years (n = 2,350) hold on museums and how these views can be categorized and articulated. Arguing that studying views of museums as socially situated meaning-making practi......Taking a mixed-methods, visitor-focused approach to views on museums, this article examines what views young Danes aged 13–23 years (n = 2,350) hold on museums and how these views can be categorized and articulated. Arguing that studying views of museums as socially situated meaning...

  12. Viewing Teaching Techniques in Enhancing Viewing Comprehension Skills of Undergraduate Students in Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Ortega-Dela Cruz

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In today’s generation of digital natives, students find it unexciting to sit down and read literary texts in its entirety. Thus, students nowadays hardly understand and appreciate literature as a subject. This calls for additional challenge to teachers who had been used to deliver their lessons or any subject matter in traditional ways. This study used descriptive-correlational research design to unveil the most effective viewing teaching techniques that will help develop the viewing comprehension skills of literature students in a tertiary level. Findings reveal how literature students perceive the use of movies or videos as a powerful viewing teaching technique. Result of chi-square test of independence indicates the viewing teaching techniques are not significantly related to students’ viewing comprehension. This suggests that no single teaching technique suits the learners’ interest and ability to learn. Therefore, teachers can make use of technology combined with other viewing techniques to ensure that students will find a love for literature that will help establish their academic success in the future.

  13. Strong cosmic censorship and the strong curvature singularities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krolak, A.

    1987-01-01

    Conditions are given under which any asymptotically simple and empty space-time that has a partial Cauchy surface with an asymptotically simple past is globally hyperbolic. It is shown that this result suggests that the Cauchy horizons of the type occurring in Reissner--Nordstroem and Kerr space-times are unstable. This in turn gives support for the validity of the strong cosmic censorship hypothesis

  14. Owning the body in the mirror: The effect of visual perspective and mirror view on the full-body illusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Catherine; Kuper-Smith, Benjamin J; Ehrsson, Henrik H

    2015-12-17

    Mirrors allow us to view our own body from a third-person (observer) perspective. However, how viewing ourselves through a mirror affects central body representations compared with true third-person perspective is not fully understood. Across a series of experiments, multisensory full-body illusions were used to modulate feelings of ownership over a mannequin body that was viewed from a third-person perspective through a mirror, from a third-person perspective without a mirror, and from a first-person perspective. In contrast to non-mirror third-person perspective, synchronously touching the participant's actual body and the mannequin body viewed in the mirror elicited strong feelings of ownership over the mannequin and increased physiological responses to the mannequin being threatened compared to the equivalent asynchronous (non-ownership) control condition. Subjective reports of ownership viewing the mannequin through a mirror were also statistically equivalent to those following the first-person perspective illusion. These findings suggest that mirrors have a special role for viewing the self. The results also support the importance of egocentric reference frames for body ownership and suggest that mirror reflections of one's own body are related to peripersonal space, which enables updating of central body representations.

  15. Ways of Viewing Pictorial Plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maarten W. A. Wijntjes

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The plastic effect is historically used to denote various forms of stereopsis. The vivid impression of depth often associated with binocular stereopsis can also be achieved in other ways, for example, using a synopter. Accounts of this go back over a hundred years. These ways of viewing all aim to diminish sensorial evidence that the picture is physically flat. Although various viewing modes have been proposed in the literature, their effects have never been compared. In the current study, we compared three viewing modes: monocular blur, synoptic viewing, and free viewing (using a placebo synopter. By designing a physical embodiment that was indistinguishable for the three experimental conditions, we kept observers naïve with respect to the differences between them; 197 observers participated in an experiment where the three viewing modes were compared by performing a rating task. Results indicate that synoptic viewing causes the largest plastic effect. Monocular blur scores lower than synoptic viewing but is still rated significantly higher than the baseline conditions. The results strengthen the idea that synoptic viewing is not due to a placebo effect. Furthermore, monocular blur has been verified for the first time as a way of experiencing the plastic effect, although the effect is smaller than synoptic viewing. We discuss the results with respect to the theoretical basis for the plastic effect. We show that current theories are not described with sufficient details to explain the differences we found.

  16. Ways of Viewing Pictorial Plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijntjes, Maarten W A

    2017-01-01

    The plastic effect is historically used to denote various forms of stereopsis. The vivid impression of depth often associated with binocular stereopsis can also be achieved in other ways, for example, using a synopter. Accounts of this go back over a hundred years. These ways of viewing all aim to diminish sensorial evidence that the picture is physically flat. Although various viewing modes have been proposed in the literature, their effects have never been compared. In the current study, we compared three viewing modes: monocular blur, synoptic viewing, and free viewing (using a placebo synopter). By designing a physical embodiment that was indistinguishable for the three experimental conditions, we kept observers naïve with respect to the differences between them; 197 observers participated in an experiment where the three viewing modes were compared by performing a rating task. Results indicate that synoptic viewing causes the largest plastic effect. Monocular blur scores lower than synoptic viewing but is still rated significantly higher than the baseline conditions. The results strengthen the idea that synoptic viewing is not due to a placebo effect. Furthermore, monocular blur has been verified for the first time as a way of experiencing the plastic effect, although the effect is smaller than synoptic viewing. We discuss the results with respect to the theoretical basis for the plastic effect. We show that current theories are not described with sufficient details to explain the differences we found.

  17. Effect of viewing distance on 3D fatigue caused by viewing mobile 3D content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mun, Sungchul; Lee, Dong-Su; Park, Min-Chul; Yano, Sumio

    2013-05-01

    With an advent of autostereoscopic display technique and increased needs for smart phones, there has been a significant growth in mobile TV markets. The rapid growth in technical, economical, and social aspects has encouraged 3D TV manufacturers to apply 3D rendering technology to mobile devices so that people have more opportunities to come into contact with many 3D content anytime and anywhere. Even if the mobile 3D technology leads to the current market growth, there is an important thing to consider for consistent development and growth in the display market. To put it briefly, human factors linked to mobile 3D viewing should be taken into consideration before developing mobile 3D technology. Many studies have investigated whether mobile 3D viewing causes undesirable biomedical effects such as motion sickness and visual fatigue, but few have examined main factors adversely affecting human health. Viewing distance is considered one of the main factors to establish optimized viewing environments from a viewer's point of view. Thus, in an effort to determine human-friendly viewing environments, this study aims to investigate the effect of viewing distance on human visual system when exposing to mobile 3D environments. Recording and analyzing brainwaves before and after watching mobile 3D content, we explore how viewing distance affects viewing experience from physiological and psychological perspectives. Results obtained in this study are expected to provide viewing guidelines for viewers, help ensure viewers against undesirable 3D effects, and lead to make gradual progress towards a human-friendly mobile 3D viewing.

  18. Comptonization in Ultra-Strong Magnetic Fields: Numerical Solution to the Radiative Transfer Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceccobello, C.; Farinelli, R.; Titarchuk, L.

    2014-01-01

    We consider the radiative transfer problem in a plane-parallel slab of thermal electrons in the presence of an ultra-strong magnetic field (B approximately greater than B(sub c) approx. = 4.4 x 10(exp 13) G). Under these conditions, the magnetic field behaves like a birefringent medium for the propagating photons, and the electromagnetic radiation is split into two polarization modes, ordinary and extraordinary, that have different cross-sections. When the optical depth of the slab is large, the ordinary-mode photons are strongly Comptonized and the photon field is dominated by an isotropic component. Aims. The radiative transfer problem in strong magnetic fields presents many mathematical issues and analytical or numerical solutions can be obtained only under some given approximations. We investigate this problem both from the analytical and numerical point of view, provide a test of the previous analytical estimates, and extend these results with numerical techniques. Methods. We consider here the case of low temperature black-body photons propagating in a sub-relativistic temperature plasma, which allows us to deal with a semi-Fokker-Planck approximation of the radiative transfer equation. The problem can then be treated with the variable separation method, and we use a numerical technique to find solutions to the eigenvalue problem in the case of a singular kernel of the space operator. The singularity of the space kernel is the result of the strong angular dependence of the electron cross-section in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Results. We provide the numerical solution obtained for eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the space operator, and the emerging Comptonization spectrum of the ordinary-mode photons for any eigenvalue of the space equation and for energies significantly lesser than the cyclotron energy, which is on the order of MeV for the intensity of the magnetic field here considered. Conclusions. We derived the specific intensity of the

  19. Numerical Calculation of the Phase Space Density for the Strong-Strong Beam-Beam Interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobol, A.; Ellison, J.A.

    2003-01-01

    We developed a parallel code to calculate the evolution of the 4D phase space density of two colliding beams, which are coupled via the collective strong-strong beam-beam interaction, in the absence of diffusion and damping, using the Perron-Frobenius (PF) operator technique

  20. Updating Recursive XML Views of Relations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Choi, Byron; Cong, Gao; Fan, Wenfei

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates the view update problem for XML views published from relational data. We consider XML views defined in terms of mappings directed by possibly recursive DTDs compressed into DAGs and stored in relations. We provide new techniques to efficiently support XML view updates...... specified in terms of XPath expressions with recursion and complex filters. The interaction between XPath recursion and DAG compression of XML views makes the analysis of the XML view update problem rather intriguing. Furthermore, many issues are still open even for relational view updates, and need...... to be explored. In response to these, on the XML side, we revise the notion of side effects and update semantics based on the semantics of XML views, and present effecient algorithms to translate XML updates to relational view updates. On the relational side, we propose a mild condition on SPJ views, and show...

  1. Dominant, Residual, and Emergent: Opposing Forces Hovering over John Dos Passos’ U.S.A

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahmat Ollah Mahtabi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This study is an attempt to investigate John Dos Passos’s U.S.A. Trilogy; The 42nd Parallel (1930; 1919 (1932; and The Big Money (1936 in the light of Raymond Williams. Analyzing the trilogy in terms of Williams’ hegemonic forces between dominant and emergent, it is recognized that the trilogy is full of tragic lives of characters living in the capitalist society of America. According to what Williams says, there are clashes between cultures in a society. He believes that the dominant culture constantly changes and it would not let other cultures to become the controlling power in the society. This tragedy is not an individual experience, but is rather like a collective consciousness. Each and every character is doing their best to change their condition into better but is opposed by the dominant. This is exactly in line with the idea of Williams that the dominant is able to project its own ideology and way of seeing the world so that the subordinated ones accept it as something natural and common. Although there are different types of hegemony including economic and cultural ones, hegemony in this trilogy is mostly the affirmation of the relations between economic and super-structural aspects of it.

  2. Intermediate view synthesis for eye-gazing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Eu-Ttuem; Ho, Yo-Sung

    2015-01-01

    Nonverbal communication, also known as body language, is an important form of communication. Nonverbal behaviors such as posture, eye contact, and gestures send strong messages. In regard to nonverbal communication, eye contact is one of the most important forms that an individual can use. However, lack of eye contact occurs when we use video conferencing system. The disparity between locations of the eyes and a camera gets in the way of eye contact. The lock of eye gazing can give unapproachable and unpleasant feeling. In this paper, we proposed an eye gazing correction for video conferencing. We use two cameras installed at the top and the bottom of the television. The captured two images are rendered with 2D warping at virtual position. We implement view morphing to the detected face, and synthesize the face and the warped image. Experimental results verify that the proposed system is effective in generating natural gaze-corrected images.

  3. Immersive viewing engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schonlau, William J.

    2006-05-01

    An immersive viewing engine providing basic telepresence functionality for a variety of application types is presented. Augmented reality, teleoperation and virtual reality applications all benefit from the use of head mounted display devices that present imagery appropriate to the user's head orientation at full frame rates. Our primary application is the viewing of remote environments, as with a camera equipped teleoperated vehicle. The conventional approach where imagery from a narrow field camera onboard the vehicle is presented to the user on a small rectangular screen is contrasted with an immersive viewing system where a cylindrical or spherical format image is received from a panoramic camera on the vehicle, resampled in response to sensed user head orientation and presented via wide field eyewear display, approaching 180 degrees of horizontal field. Of primary interest is the user's enhanced ability to perceive and understand image content, even when image resolution parameters are poor, due to the innate visual integration and 3-D model generation capabilities of the human visual system. A mathematical model for tracking user head position and resampling the panoramic image to attain distortion free viewing of the region appropriate to the user's current head pose is presented and consideration is given to providing the user with stereo viewing generated from depth map information derived using stereo from motion algorithms.

  4. Student world view as a framework for learning genetics and evolution in high school biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Roger Wesley

    Statement of the problem. Few studies in biology education have examined the underlying presuppositions which guide thinking and concept learning in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the biological world views of a variety of high school students before they take biology courses. Specifically, the study examined student world views in the domains of Classification, Relationship and Causation related to the concepts of heredity, evolution and biotechnology. The following served as guiding questions: (1) What are the personal world views of high school students entering biology classes, related to the domain of Classification, Relationship and Causality? (2) How do these student world views confound or enhance the learning of basic concepts in genetics and evolution? Methods. An interpretive method was chosen for this study. The six student participants were ninth graders and represented a wide range of world view backgrounds. A series of three interviews was conducted with each participant, with a focus group used for triangulation of data. The constant comparative method was used to categorize the data and facilitate the search for meaningful patterns. The analysis included a thick description of each student's personal views of classification, evolution and the appropriate use of biotechnology. Results. The study demonstrates that world view is the basis upon which students build knowledge in biology. The logic of their everyday thinking may not match that of scientists. The words they use are sometimes inconsistent with scientific terminology. This study provides evidence that students voice different opinions depending on the social situation, since they are strongly influenced by peers. Students classify animals based on behaviors. They largely believe that the natural world is unpredictable, and that humans are not really part of that world. Half are unlikely to accept the evolution of humans, but may accept it in other

  5. The perceived meaning of a (wholistic view among general practitioners and district nurses in Swedish primary care: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borgquist Lars

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The definition of primary care varies between countries. Swedish primary care has developed from a philosophic viewpoint based on quality, accessibility, continuity, co-operation and a holistic view. The meaning of holism in international literature differs between medicine and nursing. The question is, if the difference is due to different educational traditions. Due to the uncertainties in defining holism and a holistic view we wished to study, in depth, how holism is perceived by doctors and nurses in their clinical work. Thus, the aim was to explore the perceived meaning of a holistic view among general practitioners (GPs and district nurses (DNs. Methods Seven focus group interviews with a purposive sample of 22 GPs and 20 nurses working in primary care in two Swedish county councils were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis resulted in three categories, attitude, knowledge, and circumstances, with two, two and four subcategories respectively. A professional attitude involves recognising the whole person; not only fragments of a person with a disease. Factual knowledge is acquired through special training and long professional experience. Tacit knowledge is about feelings and social competence. Circumstances can either be barriers or facilitators. A holistic view is a strong motivator and as such it is a facilitator. The way primary care is organised can be either a barrier or a facilitator and could influence the use of a holistic approach. Defined geographical districts and care teams facilitate a holistic view with house calls being essential, particularly for nurses. In preventive work and palliative care, a holistic view was stated to be specifically important. Consultations and communication with the patient were seen as important tools. Conclusion 'Holistic view' is multidimensional, well implemented and very much alive among both

  6. Strong gravity and supersymmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chamseddine, Ali H.; Salam, A.; Strathdee, J.

    1977-11-01

    A supersymmetric theory is constructed for a strong f plus a weak g graviton, together with their accompanying massive gravitinos, by gaugin the gradel 0Sp(2,2,1)x 0Sp(2,2,1) structure. The mixing term between f and g fields, which makes the strong graviton massive, can be introduced through a spontaneous symmetry-breaking mechanism implemented in this note by constructing a non-linear realization of the symmetry group

  7. Integrating multi-view transmission system into MPEG-21 stereoscopic and multi-view DIA (digital item adaptation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seungwon; Park, Ilkwon; Kim, Manbae; Byun, Hyeran

    2006-10-01

    As digital broadcasting technologies have been rapidly progressed, users' expectations for realistic and interactive broadcasting services also have been increased. As one of such services, 3D multi-view broadcasting has received much attention recently. In general, all the view sequences acquired at the server are transmitted to the client. Then, the user can select a part of views or all the views according to display capabilities. However, this kind of system requires high processing power of the server as well as the client, thus posing a difficulty in practical applications. To overcome this problem, a relatively simple method is to transmit only two view-sequences requested by the client in order to deliver a stereoscopic video. In this system, effective communication between the server and the client is one of important aspects. In this paper, we propose an efficient multi-view system that transmits two view-sequences and their depth maps according to user's request. The view selection process is integrated into MPEG-21 DIA (Digital Item Adaptation) so that our system is compatible to MPEG-21 multimedia framework. DIA is generally composed of resource adaptation and descriptor adaptation. It is one of merits that SVA (stereoscopic video adaptation) descriptors defined in DIA standard are used to deliver users' preferences and device capabilities. Furthermore, multi-view descriptions related to multi-view camera and system are newly introduced. The syntax of the descriptions and their elements is represented in XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema. If the client requests an adapted descriptor (e.g., view numbers) to the server, then the server sends its associated view sequences. Finally, we present a method which can reduce user's visual discomfort that might occur while viewing stereoscopic video. This phenomenon happens when view changes as well as when a stereoscopic image produces excessive disparity caused by a large baseline between two cameras. To

  8. NetView technical research

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-01-01

    This is the Final Technical Report for the NetView Technical Research task. This report is prepared in accordance with Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) item A002. NetView assistance was provided and details are presented under the following headings: NetView Management Systems (NMS) project tasks; WBAFB IBM 3090; WPAFB AMDAHL; WPAFB IBM 3084; Hill AFB; McClellan AFB AMDAHL; McClellan AFB IBM 3090; and Warner-Robins AFB.

  9. PREFACE: Strongly correlated electron systems Strongly correlated electron systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Siddharth S.; Littlewood, P. B.

    2012-07-01

    This special section is dedicated to the Strongly Correlated Electron Systems Conference (SCES) 2011, which was held from 29 August-3 September 2011, in Cambridge, UK. SCES'2011 is dedicated to 100 years of superconductivity and covers a range of topics in the area of strongly correlated systems. The correlated electronic and magnetic materials featured include f-electron based heavy fermion intermetallics and d-electron based transition metal compounds. The selected papers derived from invited presentations seek to deepen our understanding of the rich physical phenomena that arise from correlation effects. The focus is on quantum phase transitions, non-Fermi liquid phenomena, quantum magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and metal-insulator transitions. Both experimental and theoretical work is presented. Based on fundamental advances in the understanding of electronic materials, much of 20th century materials physics was driven by miniaturisation and integration in the electronics industry to the current generation of nanometre scale devices. The achievements of this industry have brought unprecedented advances to society and well-being, and no doubt there is much further to go—note that this progress is founded on investments and studies in the fundamentals of condensed matter physics from more than 50 years ago. Nevertheless, the defining challenges for the 21st century will lie in the discovery in science, and deployment through engineering, of technologies that can deliver the scale needed to have an impact on the sustainability agenda. Thus the big developments in nanotechnology may lie not in the pursuit of yet smaller transistors, but in the design of new structures that can revolutionise the performance of solar cells, batteries, fuel cells, light-weight structural materials, refrigeration, water purification, etc. The science presented in the papers of this special section also highlights the underlying interest in energy-dense materials, which

  10. Microfinance and rural development: a long-term perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moll, H.A.J.

    2006-01-01

    The long-term perspective on microfinance starts with a discussion of three central issues: first, views and policies, with two opposing views: "credit for target group" and "pushing the financial frontier"; second, the performance of microfinance institutions measured via two objectives: outreach

  11. Strong Ideal Convergence in Probabilistic Metric Spaces

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In the present paper we introduce the concepts of strongly ideal convergent sequence and strong ideal Cauchy sequence in a probabilistic metric (PM) space endowed with the strong topology, and establish some basic facts. Next, we define the strong ideal limit points and the strong ideal cluster points of a sequence in this ...

  12. Human physiological benefits of viewing nature: EEG responses to exact and statistical fractal patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagerhall, C M; Laike, T; Küller, M; Marcheschi, E; Boydston, C; Taylor, R P

    2015-01-01

    Psychological and physiological benefits of viewing nature have been extensively studied for some time. More recently it has been suggested that some of these positive effects can be explained by nature's fractal properties. Virtually all studies on human responses to fractals have used stimuli that represent the specific form of fractal geometry found in nature, i.e. statistical fractals, as opposed to fractal patterns which repeat exactly at different scales. This raises the question of whether human responses like preference and relaxation are being driven by fractal geometry in general or by the specific form of fractal geometry found in nature. In this study we consider both types of fractals (statistical and exact) and morph one type into the other. Based on the Koch curve, nine visual stimuli were produced in which curves of three different fractal dimensions evolve gradually from an exact to a statistical fractal. The patterns were shown for one minute each to thirty-five subjects while qEEG was continuously recorded. The results showed that the responses to statistical and exact fractals differ, and that the natural form of the fractal is important for inducing alpha responses, an indicator of a wakefully relaxed state and internalized attention.

  13. On the flavor problem in strongly coupled theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bauer, Martin

    2012-11-28

    Randall Sundrum model in the literature, which try to attenuate this bound are reviewed and categorized. Subsequently, a novel solution to this flavor problem, based on an extended color gauge group in the bulk and its thorough implementation in the RS model, will be presented, as well as an analysis of the observables mentioned above in the extended model. This solution is especially motivated from the point of view of the strongly coupled dual theory and the implications for strongly coupled models of new physics, which do not possess a holographic dual, are examined. Finally, the top quark plays a special role in models with a geometric explanation of flavor hierarchies and the predictions in the Randall-Sundrum model with and without the proposed extension for the forward-backward asymmetry A{sup t}{sub FB} in top pair production are computed.

  14. On the flavor problem in strongly coupled theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauer, Martin

    2012-01-01

    . Subsequently, a novel solution to this flavor problem, based on an extended color gauge group in the bulk and its thorough implementation in the RS model, will be presented, as well as an analysis of the observables mentioned above in the extended model. This solution is especially motivated from the point of view of the strongly coupled dual theory and the implications for strongly coupled models of new physics, which do not possess a holographic dual, are examined. Finally, the top quark plays a special role in models with a geometric explanation of flavor hierarchies and the predictions in the Randall-Sundrum model with and without the proposed extension for the forward-backward asymmetry A t FB in top pair production are computed.

  15. Dietitians' views of overweight and obese people and reported management practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, E L; Summerbell, C D; Kirk, S F L; Hill, A J

    2002-10-01

    To examine dietitians' views of overweight and obese people, to explore the role of level of severity on these perceptions (overweight vs. obesity), and to explore the relationship between dietitians' views and their reported weight management practices. An independent measures survey, questioning dietitians about either overweight or obese people. One-hundred and eighty-seven members of the British Dietetic Association. A questionnaire exploring beliefs about the causes, attitudes, perceptions of responsibility and reported weight management practices. Physical inactivity was identified as an important causative factor for both overweight and obesity. Mood, eating too much of the wrong foods, repeated dieting and interpersonal factors were also seen as relatively important for both groups. Attitudes were mixed, but were generally neutral to positive. The most negative attitudes were described in terms of perceived reduced self-esteem, sexual attractiveness and health. Dietitians rated obese people more negatively than overweight people. They viewed both overweight and obese people as being responsible for their excess weight. They also reported very similar management practices for overweight and obese people. Beliefs about the causes of overweight explained more of the variance in practice than dietitians' attitudes towards or perceived responsibility of overweight and obese people. However, these associations were not consistent and strong, and other factors not investigated here are likely to have a greater influence on weight management practices.

  16. Engaging Military Fathers in a Reflective Parenting Program: Lessons from Strong Families Strong Forces

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVoe, Ellen R.; Paris, Ruth

    2015-01-01

    Through Strong Families Strong Forces, a reflective parenting program for military families with young children, we were privileged to work with contemporary military fathers who served in the post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Due to this work, the authors gained valuable insight into the complexity of fathering during wartime, the…

  17. Strong electroweak symmetry breaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panico, G.

    2014-01-01

    In the view of the recent LHC discovery of an Higgs-like scalar particle, I review the phenomenological aspects of the Composite Higgs scenarios which can be used to probe this class of models, namely the distortion of the Higgs couplings and the presence of new resonances. (author)

  18. A chaotic view of behavior change: a quantum leap for health promotion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vaughan Roger

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The study of health behavior change, including nutrition and physical activity behaviors, has been rooted in a cognitive-rational paradigm. Change is conceptualized as a linear, deterministic process where individuals weigh pros and cons, and at the point at which the benefits outweigh the cost change occurs. Consistent with this paradigm, the associated statistical models have almost exclusively assumed a linear relationship between psychosocial predictors and behavior. Such a perspective however, fails to account for non-linear, quantum influences on human thought and action. Consider why after years of false starts and failed attempts, a person succeeds at increasing their physical activity, eating healthier or losing weight. Or, why after years of success a person relapses. This paper discusses a competing view of health behavior change that was presented at the 2006 annual ISBNPA meeting in Boston. Discussion Rather than viewing behavior change from a linear perspective it can be viewed as a quantum event that can be understood through the lens of Chaos Theory and Complex Dynamic Systems. Key principles of Chaos Theory and Complex Dynamic Systems relevant to understanding health behavior change include: 1 Chaotic systems can be mathematically modeled but are nearly impossible to predict; 2 Chaotic systems are sensitive to initial conditions; 3 Complex Systems involve multiple component parts that interact in a nonlinear fashion; and 4 The results of Complex Systems are often greater than the sum of their parts. Accordingly, small changes in knowledge, attitude, efficacy, etc may dramatically alter motivation and behavioral outcomes. And the interaction of such variables can yield almost infinite potential patterns of motivation and behavior change. In the linear paradigm unaccounted for variance is generally relegated to the catch all "error" term, when in fact such "error" may represent the chaotic component of the

  19. Multi-view 3D echocardiography compounding based on feature consistency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Cheng; Simpson, John M.; Schaeffter, Tobias; Penney, Graeme P.

    2011-09-01

    Echocardiography (echo) is a widely available method to obtain images of the heart; however, echo can suffer due to the presence of artefacts, high noise and a restricted field of view. One method to overcome these limitations is to use multiple images, using the 'best' parts from each image to produce a higher quality 'compounded' image. This paper describes our compounding algorithm which specifically aims to reduce the effect of echo artefacts as well as improving the signal-to-noise ratio, contrast and extending the field of view. Our method weights image information based on a local feature coherence/consistency between all the overlapping images. Validation has been carried out using phantom, volunteer and patient datasets consisting of up to ten multi-view 3D images. Multiple sets of phantom images were acquired, some directly from the phantom surface, and others by imaging through hard and soft tissue mimicking material to degrade the image quality. Our compounding method is compared to the original, uncompounded echocardiography images, and to two basic statistical compounding methods (mean and maximum). Results show that our method is able to take a set of ten images, degraded by soft and hard tissue artefacts, and produce a compounded image of equivalent quality to images acquired directly from the phantom. Our method on phantom, volunteer and patient data achieves almost the same signal-to-noise improvement as the mean method, while simultaneously almost achieving the same contrast improvement as the maximum method. We show a statistically significant improvement in image quality by using an increased number of images (ten compared to five), and visual inspection studies by three clinicians showed very strong preference for our compounded volumes in terms of overall high image quality, large field of view, high endocardial border definition and low cavity noise.

  20. Multi-view 3D echocardiography compounding based on feature consistency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Cheng; Schaeffter, Tobias; Penney, Graeme P; Simpson, John M

    2011-01-01

    Echocardiography (echo) is a widely available method to obtain images of the heart; however, echo can suffer due to the presence of artefacts, high noise and a restricted field of view. One method to overcome these limitations is to use multiple images, using the 'best' parts from each image to produce a higher quality 'compounded' image. This paper describes our compounding algorithm which specifically aims to reduce the effect of echo artefacts as well as improving the signal-to-noise ratio, contrast and extending the field of view. Our method weights image information based on a local feature coherence/consistency between all the overlapping images. Validation has been carried out using phantom, volunteer and patient datasets consisting of up to ten multi-view 3D images. Multiple sets of phantom images were acquired, some directly from the phantom surface, and others by imaging through hard and soft tissue mimicking material to degrade the image quality. Our compounding method is compared to the original, uncompounded echocardiography images, and to two basic statistical compounding methods (mean and maximum). Results show that our method is able to take a set of ten images, degraded by soft and hard tissue artefacts, and produce a compounded image of equivalent quality to images acquired directly from the phantom. Our method on phantom, volunteer and patient data achieves almost the same signal-to-noise improvement as the mean method, while simultaneously almost achieving the same contrast improvement as the maximum method. We show a statistically significant improvement in image quality by using an increased number of images (ten compared to five), and visual inspection studies by three clinicians showed very strong preference for our compounded volumes in terms of overall high image quality, large field of view, high endocardial border definition and low cavity noise.

  1. Quantum Thermodynamics at Strong Coupling: Operator Thermodynamic Functions and Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jen-Tsung Hsiang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Identifying or constructing a fine-grained microscopic theory that will emerge under specific conditions to a known macroscopic theory is always a formidable challenge. Thermodynamics is perhaps one of the most powerful theories and best understood examples of emergence in physical sciences, which can be used for understanding the characteristics and mechanisms of emergent processes, both in terms of emergent structures and the emergent laws governing the effective or collective variables. Viewing quantum mechanics as an emergent theory requires a better understanding of all this. In this work we aim at a very modest goal, not quantum mechanics as thermodynamics, not yet, but the thermodynamics of quantum systems, or quantum thermodynamics. We will show why even with this minimal demand, there are many new issues which need be addressed and new rules formulated. The thermodynamics of small quantum many-body systems strongly coupled to a heat bath at low temperatures with non-Markovian behavior contains elements, such as quantum coherence, correlations, entanglement and fluctuations, that are not well recognized in traditional thermodynamics, built on large systems vanishingly weakly coupled to a non-dynamical reservoir. For quantum thermodynamics at strong coupling, one needs to reexamine the meaning of the thermodynamic functions, the viability of the thermodynamic relations and the validity of the thermodynamic laws anew. After a brief motivation, this paper starts with a short overview of the quantum formulation based on Gelin & Thoss and Seifert. We then provide a quantum formulation of Jarzynski’s two representations. We show how to construct the operator thermodynamic potentials, the expectation values of which provide the familiar thermodynamic variables. Constructing the operator thermodynamic functions and verifying or modifying their relations is a necessary first step in the establishment of a viable thermodynamics theory for

  2. Bitcoin Meets Strong Consistency

    OpenAIRE

    Decker, Christian; Seidel, Jochen; Wattenhofer, Roger

    2014-01-01

    The Bitcoin system only provides eventual consistency. For everyday life, the time to confirm a Bitcoin transaction is prohibitively slow. In this paper we propose a new system, built on the Bitcoin blockchain, which enables strong consistency. Our system, PeerCensus, acts as a certification authority, manages peer identities in a peer-to-peer network, and ultimately enhances Bitcoin and similar systems with strong consistency. Our extensive analysis shows that PeerCensus is in a secure state...

  3. Moiré superlattice-level stick-slip instability originated from geometrically corrugated graphene on a strongly interacting substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Ruoyu; Gao, Lei; Lu, Hongliang; Li, Qunyang; Ma, Tian-Bao; Guo, Hui; Du, Shixuan; Feng, Xi-Qiao; Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Yanmin; Cheng, Peng; Hu, Yuan-Zhong; Gao, Hong-Jun; Luo, Jianbin

    2017-06-01

    Two dimensional (2D) materials often exhibit novel properties due to various coupling effects with their supporting substrates. Here, using friction force microscopy (FFM), we report an unusual moiré superlattice-level stick-slip instability on monolayer graphene epitaxially grown on Ru(0 0 0 1) substrate. Instead of smooth friction modulation, a significant long-range stick-slip sawtooth modulation emerges with a period coinciding with the moiré superlattice structure, which is robust against high external loads and leads to an additional channel of energy dissipation. In contrast, the long-range stick-slip instability reduces to smooth friction modulation on graphene/Ir(1 1 1) substrate. The moiré superlattice-level slip instability could be attributed to the large sliding energy barrier, which arises from the morphological corrugation of graphene on Ru(0 0 0 1) surface as indicated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The locally steep humps acting as obstacles opposing the tip sliding, originates from the strong interfacial electronic interaction between graphene and Ru(0 0 0 1). This study opens an avenue for modulating friction by tuning the interfacial atomic interaction between 2D materials and their substrates.

  4. Mastering QlikView

    CERN Document Server

    Redmond, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    If you are a business application developer or a system analyst who has learned QlikView and Qlik Sense and now want to take your learning to a higher level, then this book is for you.It is assumed that you are aware of the fundamentals of QlikView and have working knowledge of development and in-memory analytics.

  5. Strong Statistical Convergence in Probabilistic Metric Spaces

    OpenAIRE

    Şençimen, Celaleddin; Pehlivan, Serpil

    2008-01-01

    In this article, we introduce the concepts of strongly statistically convergent sequence and strong statistically Cauchy sequence in a probabilistic metric (PM) space endowed with the strong topology, and establish some basic facts. Next, we define the strong statistical limit points and the strong statistical cluster points of a sequence in this space and investigate the relations between these concepts.

  6. Corporate Governance Against Recommendations: The Cases of the Strong Executive and the Strong Ownership

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Král Pavel

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available There are several basic configurations of corporate governance according to the separation of ownership and control (Jensen’s theory. Effective governance is described as a situation whenan owner (or group of owners keeps the right to ratify and monitor strategic decisions while management has the right to initiate and implement those decisions. There are two particular situations how this recommendation is partially broken and both situations are linked to CEO duality. The first case happens when an owner loses or does not exercise the right to monitor management of the organization and is termed as the strong executive. The second case is calledthe strong ownership and is distinguished by an owner taking over implementations of the decisions. The focus of the study was to explore particularly configurations of the strong executive and the strong governance. A mixed method research design was chosen to explore the differences between the basic governance configurations. The sample was chosen by purposive sampling and covered a hundred for-profit organizations of all size and from all sectors of economy.The data were collected through interviews with representatives, mainly members of top management. We revealed that both of these configurations can bear good corporate performance but also bigger risks. The strong executive is typical for organizations with dispersed ownership or a publicly owned organization and the performance of the organization is fully dependent on competencies but also personalities of managers. This configuration contains a high risk of misuse of authority. The strong ownership is effective in small organizations while in a larger organization leads to an overexertion of owners and low performance because they usually faceproblems to keep focus on the strategic issues of the organization.

  7. Microsphere-Based Scaffolds Carrying Opposing Gradients of Chondroitin Sulfate and Tricalcium Phosphate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vineet eGupta

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular matrix (ECM components such as chondroitin sulfate (CS and tricalcium phosphate (TCP serve as raw materials and thus spatial patterning of these raw materials may be leveraged to mimic the smooth transition of physical, chemical and mechanical properties at the bone-cartilage interface. We hypothesized that encapsulation of opposing gradients of these raw materials in high molecular weight poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA microsphere-based scaffolds would enhance differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (rBMSCs. The raw material encapsulation altered the microstructure of the microspheres and also influenced the cellular morphology that depended on the type of material encapsulated. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the raw material encapsulating microsphere-based scaffolds initially relied on the composition of the scaffolds and later on were primarily governed by the degradation of the polymer phase and newly synthesized extracellular matrix by the seeded cells. Furthermore, raw materials had a mitogenic effect on the seeded cells and led to increased glycosaminoglycan (GAG, collagen, and calcium content. Interestingly, the initial effects of raw material encapsulation on a per-cell basis might have been overshadowed by medium-regulated environment that appeared to favor osteogenesis. However, it is to be noted that in vivo, differentiation of the cells would be governed by the surrounding native environment. Thus, the results of this study demonstrated the potential of the raw materials in facilitating neo-tissue synthesis in microsphere-based scaffolds and perhaps in combination with bioactive signals, these raw materials may be able to achieve intricate cell differentiation profiles required for regenerating the osteochondral interface.

  8. U.S. Democracy Promotion and Al Jazeera: A View into Arab Reactions and Opposing Movements

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Smith, Marie E

    2005-01-01

    The promotion of democracy in the Arab world, an area to date resistant to effective political liberalization, has become a central pillar in American Middle East foreign policy as well as an integral...

  9. U.S. Democracy Promotion and Al Jazeera: A View into Arab Reactions and Opposing Movements

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Smith, Marie E

    2005-01-01

    .... Will overt American promotion of democracy cause these states to democratize? Using aspects of social movement theory, this thesis examines Arab reactions to public American promotion of democracy...

  10. Television viewing and snacking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gore, Stacy A; Foster, Jill A; DiLillo, Vicki G; Kirk, Kathy; Smith West, Delia

    2003-11-01

    With the rise in obesity in America, the search for potential causes for this epidemic has begun to include a focus on environmental factors. Television (TV) viewing is one such factor, partially due to its potential as a stimulus for eating. The current study investigated the relationship between food intake and self-reported TV viewing in an effort to identify the impact of TV viewing on specific eating behaviors. Seventy-four overweight women seeking obesity treatment completed questionnaires assessing dietary habits and TV viewing behaviors. Results suggest that snacking, but not necessarily eating meals, while watching TV is associated with increased overall caloric intake and calories from fat. Therefore, interventions targeting stimulus control techniques to reduce snacking behavior may have an impact on overall caloric intake.

  11. Jung's evolving views of Nazi Germany: from 1936 to the end of World War II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenl, William

    2014-04-01

    This article first shows Jung's evolving views of Nazi Germany from 1936 to the beginning of World War II. In a lecture at the Tavistock Clinic, London, in October 1936, he made his strongest and most negative statements to that date about Nazi Germany. While in Berlin in September 1937 for lectures to the Jung Gesellschaft, his observations of Hitler at a military parade led him to conclude that should the catastrophe of war come it would be far more and bloodier than he had previously supposed. After the Sudetenland Crisis in Fall 1938, Jung in interviews made stronger comments on Hitler and Nazi Germany. The article shows how strongly anti-Nazi Jung's views were in relation to events during World War II such as Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, the fall of France, the bombings of Britain, the U.S. entry into the War, and Allied troops advancing into Germany. Schoenl and Peck, 'An Answer to the Question: Was Jung, for a Time, a "Nazi Sympathizer" or Not?' (2012) demonstrated how his views of Nazi Germany changed from 1933 to March 1936. The present article shows how his views evolved from 1936 to the War's end in 1945. © 2014, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

  12. A high critical current density MOCVD coated conductor with strong vortex pinning centers suitable for very high field use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Z; Kametani, F; Larbalestier, D C; Chen, Y; Xie, Y; Selvamanickam, V

    2009-01-01

    We have made extensive low temperature and high field evaluations of a recent 2.1 μm thick coated conductor (CC) grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a view to its use for high field magnet applications, for which its very strong Hastelloy substrate makes it very suitable. This conductor contains dense three-dimensional (Y,Sm) 2 O 3 nanoprecipitates, which are self-aligned in planes tilted ∼7 deg. from the tape plane. Very strong vortex pinning is evidenced by high critical current density J c values of ∼3.1 MA cm -2 at 77 K and ∼43 MA cm -2 at 4.2 K, and by a strongly enhanced irreversibility field H irr , which reaches that of Nb 3 Sn (∼28 T at 1.5 K) at 60 K, even in the inferior direction of H parallel c axis. At 4.2 K, J c values are ∼15% of the depairing current density J d , much the highest of any superconductor suitable for magnet construction.

  13. A high critical current density MOCVD coated conductor with strong vortex pinning centers suitable for very high field use

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Z; Kametani, F; Larbalestier, D C [National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310 (United States); Chen, Y; Xie, Y; Selvamanickam, V [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, NY 12304 (United States)], E-mail: zhijun@asc.magnet.fsu.edu

    2009-05-15

    We have made extensive low temperature and high field evaluations of a recent 2.1 {mu}m thick coated conductor (CC) grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with a view to its use for high field magnet applications, for which its very strong Hastelloy substrate makes it very suitable. This conductor contains dense three-dimensional (Y,Sm){sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoprecipitates, which are self-aligned in planes tilted {approx}7 deg. from the tape plane. Very strong vortex pinning is evidenced by high critical current density J{sub c} values of {approx}3.1 MA cm{sup -2} at 77 K and {approx}43 MA cm{sup -2} at 4.2 K, and by a strongly enhanced irreversibility field H{sub irr}, which reaches that of Nb{sub 3}Sn ({approx}28 T at 1.5 K) at 60 K, even in the inferior direction of H parallel c axis. At 4.2 K, J{sub c} values are {approx}15% of the depairing current density J{sub d}, much the highest of any superconductor suitable for magnet construction.

  14. OBSERVATION OF STRONG - STRONG AND OTHER BEAM - BEAM EFFECTS IN RHIC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    FISCHER, W.; BLASKIEWICZ, M.; BRENNAN, J.M.; CAMERON, P.; CONNOLLY, R.; MONTAG, C.; PEGGS, S.; PILAT, F.; PTITSYN, V.; TEPIKIAN, S.; TRBOJEVIC, D.; VAN ZEIJTS, J.

    2003-01-01

    RHIC is currently the only hadron collider in which strong-strong beam-beam effects can be seen. For the first time, coherent beam-beam modes were observed in a bunched beam hadron collider. Other beam-beam effects in RHIC were observed in operation and in dedicated experiments with gold ions, deuterons and protons. Observations include measurements of beam-beam induced tune shifts, lifetime and emittance growth measurements with and without beam-beam interaction, and background rates as a function of tunes. During ramps unequal radio frequencies in the two rings cause the crossing points to move longitudinally. Thus bunches experience beam-beam interactions only in intervals and the tunes are modulated. In this article we summarize the most important beam-beam observations made so far

  15. Seismic switch for strong motion measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harben, P.E.; Rodgers, P.W.; Ewert, D.W.

    1995-05-30

    A seismic switching device is described that has an input signal from an existing microseismic station seismometer and a signal from a strong motion measuring instrument. The seismic switch monitors the signal level of the strong motion instrument and passes the seismometer signal to the station data telemetry and recording systems. When the strong motion instrument signal level exceeds a user set threshold level, the seismometer signal is switched out and the strong motion signal is passed to the telemetry system. The amount of time the strong motion signal is passed before switching back to the seismometer signal is user controlled between 1 and 15 seconds. If the threshold level is exceeded during a switch time period, the length of time is extended from that instant by one user set time period. 11 figs.

  16. Attention Strongly Modulates Reliability of Neural Responses to Naturalistic Narrative Stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ki, Jason J; Kelly, Simon P; Parra, Lucas C

    2016-03-09

    Attentional engagement is a major determinant of how effectively we gather information through our senses. Alongside the sheer growth in the amount and variety of information content that we are presented with through modern media, there is increased variability in the degree to which we "absorb" that information. Traditional research on attention has illuminated the basic principles of sensory selection to isolated features or locations, but it provides little insight into the neural underpinnings of our attentional engagement with modern naturalistic content. Here, we show in human subjects that the reliability of an individual's neural responses with respect to a larger group provides a highly robust index of the level of attentional engagement with a naturalistic narrative stimulus. Specifically, fast electroencephalographic evoked responses were more strongly correlated across subjects when naturally attending to auditory or audiovisual narratives than when attention was directed inward to a mental arithmetic task during stimulus presentation. This effect was strongest for audiovisual stimuli with a cohesive narrative and greatly reduced for speech stimuli lacking meaning. For compelling audiovisual narratives, the effect is remarkably strong, allowing perfect discrimination between attentional state across individuals. Control experiments rule out possible confounds related to altered eye movement trajectories or order of presentation. We conclude that reliability of evoked activity reproduced across subjects viewing the same movie is highly sensitive to the attentional state of the viewer and listener, which is aided by a cohesive narrative. Copyright © 2016 Ki et al.

  17. Individual differences in the spontaneous recruitment of brain regions supporting mental state understanding when viewing natural social scenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Dylan D; Kelley, William M; Heatherton, Todd F

    2011-12-01

    People are able to rapidly infer complex personality traits and mental states even from the most minimal person information. Research has shown that when observers view a natural scene containing people, they spend a disproportionate amount of their time looking at the social features (e.g., faces, bodies). Does this preference for social features merely reflect the biological salience of these features or are observers spontaneously attempting to make sense of complex social dynamics? Using functional neuroimaging, we investigated neural responses to social and nonsocial visual scenes in a large sample of participants (n = 48) who varied on an individual difference measure assessing empathy and mentalizing (i.e., empathizing). Compared with other scene categories, viewing natural social scenes activated regions associated with social cognition (e.g., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporal poles). Moreover, activity in these regions during social scene viewing was strongly correlated with individual differences in empathizing. These findings offer neural evidence that observers spontaneously engage in social cognition when viewing complex social material but that the degree to which people do so is mediated by individual differences in trait empathizing.

  18. The perceived meaning of a (w)holistic view among general practitioners and district nurses in Swedish primary care: a qualitative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strandberg, Eva Lena; Ovhed, Ingvar; Borgquist, Lars; Wilhelmsson, Susan

    2007-01-01

    Background The definition of primary care varies between countries. Swedish primary care has developed from a philosophic viewpoint based on quality, accessibility, continuity, co-operation and a holistic view. The meaning of holism in international literature differs between medicine and nursing. The question is, if the difference is due to different educational traditions. Due to the uncertainties in defining holism and a holistic view we wished to study, in depth, how holism is perceived by doctors and nurses in their clinical work. Thus, the aim was to explore the perceived meaning of a holistic view among general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses (DNs). Methods Seven focus group interviews with a purposive sample of 22 GPs and 20 nurses working in primary care in two Swedish county councils were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis resulted in three categories, attitude, knowledge, and circumstances, with two, two and four subcategories respectively. A professional attitude involves recognising the whole person; not only fragments of a person with a disease. Factual knowledge is acquired through special training and long professional experience. Tacit knowledge is about feelings and social competence. Circumstances can either be barriers or facilitators. A holistic view is a strong motivator and as such it is a facilitator. The way primary care is organised can be either a barrier or a facilitator and could influence the use of a holistic approach. Defined geographical districts and care teams facilitate a holistic view with house calls being essential, particularly for nurses. In preventive work and palliative care, a holistic view was stated to be specifically important. Consultations and communication with the patient were seen as important tools. Conclusion 'Holistic view' is multidimensional, well implemented and very much alive among both GPs and DNs. The word

  19. Audience Perceptions of Family Viewing Time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontes, Brian F.; And Others

    1977-01-01

    Discusses a survey on Family Viewing Time designed to determine audience reactions to program content including violent and sexual content, audience perceptions of the suitability of program offerings for family viewing, and audience viewing habits with respect to Family Viewing Time. (MH)

  20. [Computer mediated discussion and attitude polarization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraishi, Takashi; Endo, Kimihisa; Yoshida, Fujio

    2002-10-01

    This study examined the hypothesis that computer mediated discussions lead to more extreme decisions than face-to-face (FTF) meeting. Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire (1984) claimed that computer mediated communication (CMC) tended to be relatively uninhibited, as seen in 'flaming', and that group decisions under CMC using Choice Dilemma Questionnaire tended to be more extreme and riskier than FTF meetings. However, for the same reason, CMC discussions on controversial social issues for which participants initially hold strongly opposing views, might be less likely to reach a consensus, and no polarization should occur. Fifteen 4-member groups discussed a controversial social issue under one of three conditions: FTF, CMC, and partition. After discussion, participants rated their position as a group on a 9-point bipolar scale ranging from strong disagreement to strong agreement. A stronger polarization effect was observed for FTF groups than those where members were separated with partitions. However, no extreme shift from their original, individual positions was found for CMC participants. There results were discussed in terms of 'expertise and status equalization' and 'absence of social context cues' under CMC.

  1. LabVIEW Support at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2010-01-01

    Since the beginning of 2009, due to the CERN restructuring, LabVIEW support moved from the IT to the EN department, joining the Industrial Controls and Electronics Group (ICE). LabVIEW support has been merged with the Measurement, Test and Analysis (MTA) section which, using LabVIEW, has developed most of the measurement systems to qualify the LHC magnets and components over the past 10 years. The post mortem analysis for the LHC hardware commissioning has also been fully implemented using LabVIEW, customised into a framework, called RADE, for CERN needs. The MTA section has started with a proactive approach sharing its tools and experience with the CERN LabVIEW community. Its framework (RADE) for CERN integrated application development has been made available to the users. Courses on RADE have been integrated into the standard National Instruments training program at CERN. RADE and LabVIEW support were merged together in 2010 on a single email address:labview.support@cern.ch For more information please...

  2. Working memory capacity and fluid intelligence are strongly related constructs: comment on Ackerman, Beier, and Boyle (2005).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, Michael J; Hambrick, David Z; Conway, Andrew R A

    2005-01-01

    The authors agree with P. L. Ackerman, M. E. Beier, and M. O. Boyle (2005; see record 2004-22408-002) that working memory capacity (WMC) is not isomorphic with general fluid intelligence (Gf) or reasoning ability. However, the WMC and Gf/reasoning constructs are more strongly associated than Ackerman et al. (2005) indicate, particularly when considering the outcomes of latent-variable studies. The authors' reanalysis of 14 such data sets from 10 published studies, representing more than 3,100 young-adult subjects, suggests a strong correlation between WMC and Gf/reasoning factors (median r=.72), indicating that the WMC and Gf constructs share approximately 50% of their variance. This comment also clarifies the authors' "executive attention" view of WMC, it demonstrates that WMC has greater discriminant validity than Ackerman et al. (2005) implied, and it suggests some future directions and challenges for the scientific study of the convergence of WMC, attention control, and intelligence. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

  3. Novel functional view of the crocidolite asbestos-treated A549 human lung epithelial transcriptome reveals an intricate network of pathways with opposing functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stevens John R

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although exposure to asbestos is now regulated, patients continue to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, fibrosis and lung carcinoma because of the long latent period between exposure and clinical disease. Asbestosis is observed in approximately 200,000 patients annually and asbestos-related deaths are estimated at 4,000 annually1. Although advances have been made using single gene/gene product or pathway studies, the complexity of the response to asbestos and the many unanswered questions suggested the need for a systems biology approach. The objective of this study was to generate a comprehensive view of the transcriptional changes induced by crocidolite asbestos in A549 human lung epithelial cells. Results A statistically robust, comprehensive data set documenting the crocidolite-induced changes in the A549 transcriptome was collected. A systems biology approach involving global observations from gene ontological analyses coupled with functional network analyses was used to explore the effects of crocidolite in the context of known molecular interactions. The analyses uniquely document a transcriptome with function-based networks in cell death, cancer, cell cycle, cellular growth, proliferation, and gene expression. These functional modules show signs of a complex interplay between signaling pathways consisting of both novel and previously described asbestos-related genes/gene products. These networks allowed for the identification of novel, putative crocidolite-related genes, leading to several new hypotheses regarding genes that are important for the asbestos response. The global analysis revealed a transcriptome that bears signatures of both apoptosis/cell death and cell survival/proliferation. Conclusion Our analyses demonstrate the power of combining a statistically robust, comprehensive dataset and a functional network genomics approach to 1 identify and explore relationships between genes of known importance

  4. Strong ion and weak acid analysis in severe preeclampsia: potential clinical significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortner, C M; Combrinck, B; Allie, S; Story, D; Landau, R; Cain, K; Dyer, R A

    2015-08-01

    The influence of common disturbances seen in preeclampsia, such as changes in strong ions and weak acids (particularly albumin) on acid-base status, has not been fully elucidated. The aims of this study were to provide a comprehensive acid-base analysis in severe preeclampsia and to identify potential new biological predictors of disease severity. Fifty women with severe preeclampsia, 25 healthy non-pregnant- and 46 healthy pregnant controls (26-40 weeks' gestation), were enrolled in this prospective case-control study. Acid-base analysis was performed by applying the physicochemical approach of Stewart and Gilfix. Mean [sd] base excess was similar in preeclamptic- and healthy pregnant women (-3.3 [2.3], and -2.8 [1.5] mEq/L respectively). In preeclampsia, there were greater offsetting contributions to the base excess, in the form of hyperchloraemia (BE(Cl) -2 [2.3] vs -0.4 [2.3] mEq/L, Palkalosis was associated with a non-reassuring/abnormal fetal heart tracing (Prespiratory and hypoalbuminaemic alkalosis that was metabolically offset by acidosis, secondary to unmeasured anions and dilution. While the overall base excess in severe preeclampsia is similar to that in healthy pregnancy, preeclampsia is associated with a greater imbalance offsetting hypoalbuminaemic alkalosis and hyperchloraemic acidosis. Rather than the absolute value of base excess, the magnitude of these opposing contributors may be a better indicator of the severity of this disease. Hypoalbuminaemic alkalosis may also be a predictor of fetal compromise. clinicaltrials.gov: NCT 02164370. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Predicting User Views in Online News

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hardt, Daniel; Rambow, Owen

    2017-01-01

    We analyze user viewing behavior on anonline news site. We collect data from64,000 news articles, and use text featuresto predict frequency of user views.We compare predictiveness of the headlineand “teaser” (viewed before clicking) andthe body (viewed after clicking). Both arepredictive of click...

  6. Type I interferons have opposing effects during the emergence and recovery phases of colitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauch, Isabella; Hainzl, Eva; Rosebrock, Felix; Heider, Susanne; Schwab, Clarissa; Berry, David; Stoiber, Dagmar; Wagner, Michael; Schleper, Christa; Loy, Alexander; Urich, Tim; Müller, Mathias; Strobl, Birgit; Kenner, Lukas; Decker, Thomas

    2014-09-01

    The contribution of the innate immune system to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is under intensive investigation. Research in animal models has demonstrated that type I interferons (IFN-Is) protect from IBD. In contrast, studies of patients with IBD have produced conflicting results concerning the therapeutic potential of IFN-Is. Here, we present data suggesting that IFN-Is play dual roles as regulators of intestinal inflammation in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated C57BL/6 mice. Though IFN-Is reduced acute intestinal damage and the abundance of colitis-associated intestinal bacteria caused by treatment with a high dose of DSS, they also inhibited the resolution of inflammation after DSS treatment. IFN-Is played an anti-inflammatory role by suppressing the release of IL-1β from the colon MHC class II(+) cells. Consistently, IL-1 receptor blockade reduced the severity of inflammation in IFN-I receptor-deficient mice and myeloid cell-restricted ablation of the IFN-I receptor was detrimental. The proinflammatory role of IFN-Is during recovery from DSS treatment was caused by IFN-I-dependent cell apoptosis as well as an increase in chemokine production and infiltrating inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils. Thus, IFN-Is play opposing roles in specific phases of intestinal injury and inflammation, which may be important for guiding treatment strategies in patients. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Short proofs of strong normalization

    OpenAIRE

    Wojdyga, Aleksander

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents simple, syntactic strong normalization proofs for the simply-typed lambda-calculus and the polymorphic lambda-calculus (system F) with the full set of logical connectives, and all the permutative reductions. The normalization proofs use translations of terms and types to systems, for which strong normalization property is known.

  8. Mothers' views of their preschool child's screen-viewing behaviour: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bentley, Georgina F; Turner, Katrina M; Jago, Russell

    2016-08-04

    Research on screen-viewing in preschool children has predominantly focused on television viewing. The rapid development of mobile devices (e.g. tablets, smart phones and e-readers) and the increase in their use by preschool children means there is a need to understand how and why these devices are used by this age group. The aim of this study was to explore mothers' views of their preschool children's screen viewing behaviour (including mobile devices) and investigate how preschool children use different screen-viewing devices. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews with mothers of preschool children (aged between 2 and 4 years old). Mothers were recruited through preschools, nurseries, and mother and toddler groups located within four areas of varying socio-economic status within Bristol, UK. Data were analysed thematically using a framework approach. Twenty-six mothers were interviewed. Mobile devices were regularly used as a form of screen-viewing for most children but were used on an ad hoc basis rather than being a habitual activity. The reasons and influences of mobile device use described by mothers were similar to that of television viewing. However, the portability of mobile devices meant that they were often used outside of the home as a distraction tool. Their multi-functionality meant that they could be used as a portable television, or for purposeful learning through educational games and applications. Some mothers showed concerns over mobile device use by their child, whilst others felt it was an important and useful educational tool. Although the majority of mothers felt they needed to set rules and restrictions for mobile device use, many mothers felt that they are also a necessary and unavoidable part of life. Mothers in this study suggested that mobile device use by preschool children is common. More research is needed to determine the impact of mobile device use in preschool children, how much time preschool children spend using mobile devices

  9. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Ethical Views of Buddhist, Hindu and Catholic Leaders in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivaraman, Mathana Amaris Fiona; Noor, Siti Nurani Mohd

    2016-04-01

    Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR) raises ethical issues. In the process of research, embryos may be destroyed and, to some, such an act entails the 'killing of human life'. Past studies have sought the views of scientists and the general public on the ethics of ESCR. This study, however, explores multi-faith ethical viewpoints, in particular, those of Buddhists, Hindus and Catholics in Malaysia, on ESCR. Responses were gathered via semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Three main ethical quandaries emerged from the data: (1) sanctity of life, (2) do no harm, and (3) 'intention' of the research. Concerns regarding the sanctity of life are directed at particular research protocols which interfere with religious notions of human ensoulment and early consciousness. The principle of 'do no harm' which is closely related to ahimsa prohibits all acts of violence. Responses obtained indicate that respondents either discourage research that inflicts harm on living entities or allow ESCR with reservations. 'Intention' of the research seems to be an interesting and viable rationale that would permit ESCR for the Buddhists and Hindus. Research that is intended for the purpose of alleviating human suffering is seen as being ethical. This study also notes that Catholics oppose ESCR on the basis of the inviolability of human life.

  10. The multiregional and single origin hypotheses of the evolution of modern man: a reconciliation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treisman, M

    1995-03-07

    A current debate opposes two theories of the origin of modern man. One view is that modern Homo sapiens emerged from Africa relatively recently, most probably within the last two or three hundred thousand years (Wilson & Cann, 1992, Sci. Am. 266(4), 22-27). The opposing view is that modern man has resulted from parallel evolution in different regions, producing convergent modernization of local populations over the last million years or so--the multiregional model (Frayer et al., 1993, Am. Anthrop. 95, 14-50). Proponents of both views believe that their interpretations are irreconcilable. The object of the present paper is to describe a genetic mechanism--mitochondrial exclusion--which offers a basis for a model of human evolution that is compatible with the evidence adduced for both contemporary views. The model proposes a mechanism by which complete replacement of archaic mitochondrial DNA may have occurred in a population produced by recent admixture of archaic and modern types of man.

  11. Application of strong phosphoric acid to radiochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terada, Kikuo

    1977-01-01

    Not only inorganic and organic compounds but also natural substrances, such as accumulations in soil, are completely decomposed and distilled by heating with strong phosphoric acid for 30 to 50 minutes. As applications of strong phosphoric acid to radiochemistry, determination of uranium and boron by use of solubilization effect of this substance, titration of uranyl ion by use of sulfuric iron (II) contained in this substance, application to tracer experiment, and determination of radioactive ruthenium in environmental samples are reviewed. Strong phosphoric acid is also applied to activation analysis, for example, determination of N in pyrographite with iodate potassium-strong phosphoric acid method, separation of Os and Ru with sulfuric cerium (IV) - strong phosphoric acid method or potassium dechromate-strong phosphoric acid method, analysis of Se, As and Sb rocks and accumulations with ammonium bromide, sodium chloride and sodium bromide-strong phosphoric acid method. (Kanao, N.)

  12. Strong coupling phase in QED

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, Ken-ichi

    1988-01-01

    Existence of a strong coupling phase in QED has been suggested in solutions of the Schwinger-Dyson equation and in Monte Carlo simulation of lattice QED. In this article we recapitulate the previous arguments, and formulate the problem in the modern framework of the renormalization theory, Wilsonian renormalization. This scheme of renormalization gives the best understanding of the basic structure of a field theory especially when it has a multi-phase structure. We resolve some misleading arguments in the previous literature. Then we set up a strategy to attack the strong phase, if any. We describe a trial; a coupled Schwinger-Dyson equation. Possible picture of the strong coupling phase QED is presented. (author)

  13. Chlorpyrifos exerts opposing effects on axonal and dendritic growth in primary neuronal cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard, Angela S.; Bucelli, Robert; Jett, David A.; Bruun, Donald; Yang, Dongren; Lein, Pamela J.

    2005-01-01

    Evidence that children are widely exposed to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) and that OPs cause developmental neurotoxicity in animal models raises significant concerns about the risks these compounds pose to the developing human nervous system. Critical to assessing this risk is identifying specific neurodevelopmental events targeted by OPs. Observations that OPs alter brain morphometry in developing rodents and inhibit neurite outgrowth in neural cell lines suggest that OPs perturb neuronal morphogenesis. However, an important question yet to be answered is whether the dysmorphogenic effect of OPs reflects perturbation of axonal or dendritic growth. We addressed this question by quantifying axonal and dendritic growth in primary cultures of embryonic rat sympathetic neurons derived from superior cervical ganglia (SCG) following in vitro exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF) or its metabolites CPF-oxon (CPFO) and trichloropyridinol (TCP). Axon outgrowth was significantly inhibited by CPF or CPFO, but not TCP, at concentrations ≥0.001 μM or 0.001 nM, respectively. In contrast, all three compounds enhanced BMP-induced dendritic growth. Acetylcholinesterase was inhibited only by the highest concentrations of CPF (≥1 μM) and CPFO (≥1 nM); TCP had no effect on this parameter. In summary, these compounds perturb neuronal morphogenesis via opposing effects on axonal and dendritic growth, and both effects are independent of acetylcholinesterase inhibition. These findings have important implications for current risk assessment practices of using acetylcholinesterase inhibition as a biomarker of OP neurotoxicity and suggest that OPs may disrupt normal patterns of neuronal connectivity in the developing nervous system

  14. Learning QlikView data visualization

    CERN Document Server

    Pover, Karl

    2013-01-01

    A practical and fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to start developing charts from your data.Learning QlikView Data Visualization is for anybody interested in performing powerful data analysis and crafting insightful data visualization, independent of any previous knowledge of QlikView. Experience with spreadsheet software will help you understand QlikView functions.

  15. Strongly correlating liquids and their isomorphs

    OpenAIRE

    Pedersen, Ulf R.; Gnan, Nicoletta; Bailey, Nicholas P.; Schröder, Thomas B.; Dyre, Jeppe C.

    2010-01-01

    This paper summarizes the properties of strongly correlating liquids, i.e., liquids with strong correlations between virial and potential energy equilibrium fluctuations at constant volume. We proceed to focus on the experimental predictions for strongly correlating glass-forming liquids. These predictions include i) density scaling, ii) isochronal superposition, iii) that there is a single function from which all frequency-dependent viscoelastic response functions may be calculated, iv) that...

  16. Low-ω3 Fatty Acid and Soy Protein Attenuate Alcohol-Induced Fatty Liver and Injury by Regulating the Opposing Lipid Oxidation and Lipogenic Signaling Pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karina Reyes-Gordillo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic ethanol-induced downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α and upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-beta (PGC1β affect hepatic lipid oxidation and lipogenesis, respectively, leading to fatty liver injury. Low-ω3 fatty acid (Low-ω3FA that primarily regulates PGC1α and soy protein (SP that seems to have its major regulatory effect on PGC1β were evaluated for their protective effects against ethanol-induced hepatosteatosis in rats fed with Lieber-deCarli control or ethanol liquid diets with high or low ω3FA fish oil and soy protein. Low-ω3FA and SP opposed the actions of chronic ethanol by reducing serum and liver lipids with concomitant decreased fatty liver. They also prevented the downregulation of hepatic Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1 and PGC1α and their target fatty acid oxidation pathway genes and attenuated the upregulation of hepatic PGC1β and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c and their target lipogenic pathway genes via the phosphorylation of 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK. Thus, these two novel modulators attenuate ethanol-induced hepatosteatosis and consequent liver injury potentially by regulating the two opposing lipid oxidation and lipogenic pathways.

  17. LabVIEW 8 student edition

    CERN Document Server

    Bishop, Robert H

    2007-01-01

    For courses in Measurement and Instrumentation, Electrical Engineering lab, and Physics and Chemistry lab. This revised printing has been updated to include new LabVIEW 8.2 Student Edition. National Instruments' LabVIEW is the defacto industry standard for test, measurement, and automation software solutions. With the Student Edition of LabVIEW, students can design graphical programming solutions to their classroom problems and laboratory experiments with software that delivers the graphical programming capabilites of the LabVIEW professional version. . The Student Edition is also compatible with all National Instruments data acquisition and instrument control hardware. Note: The LabVIEW Student Edition is available to students, faculty, and staff for personal educational use only. It is not intended for research, institutional, or commercial use. For more information about these licensing options, please visit the National Instruments website at (http:www.ni.com/academic/)

  18. Nonlinear wave collapse and strong turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robinson, P.A.

    1997-01-01

    The theory and applications of wave self-focusing, collapse, and strongly nonlinear wave turbulence are reviewed. In the last decade, the theory of these phenomena and experimental realizations have progressed rapidly. Various nonlinear wave systems are discussed, but the simplest case of collapse and strong turbulence of Langmuir waves in an unmagnetized plasma is primarily used in explaining the theory and illustrating the main ideas. First, an overview of the basic physics of linear waves and nonlinear wave-wave interactions is given from an introductory perspective. Wave-wave processes are then considered in more detail. Next, an introductory overview of the physics of wave collapse and strong turbulence is provided, followed by a more detailed theoretical treatment. Later sections cover numerical simulations of Langmuir collapse and strong turbulence and experimental applications to space, ionospheric, and laboratory plasmas, including laser-plasma and beam-plasma interactions. Generalizations to self-focusing, collapse, and strong turbulence of waves in other systems are also discussed, including nonlinear optics, solid-state systems, magnetized auroral and astrophysical plasmas, and deep-water waves. The review ends with a summary of the main ideas of wave collapse and strong-turbulence theory, a collection of open questions in the field, and a brief discussion of possible future research directions. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  19. American views of Sir Victor Horsley in the era of Cushing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehner, Kurt R; Schulder, Michael

    2018-03-09

    Sir Victor Horsley was a pioneering British neurosurgeon known for his numerous neurosurgical, scientific, and sociopolitical contributions. Although word of these surgical and scientific achievements quickly spread throughout Europe and North America in the late 19th century, much of modern neurosurgery's view of Horsley has been colored by a single anecdote from John Fulton's biography of Harvey Cushing. In this account, Cushing observes a frenetic Horsley hastily removing a Gasserian ganglion from a patient in the kitchen of a British mansion. Not long after, Cushing left Britain saying that he had little to learn from British neurosurgery. The authors of this paper examined contemporary views of Horsley to assess what his actual reputation was in the US and Canada. The authors conducted a thorough search of references to Horsley using the following sources: American surgical and neurosurgical textbooks; major biographies; diary entries and letters; PubMed; newspaper articles; and surgical and neurosurgical texts. The positive reception of his work is corroborated by invitations for Horsley to speak in America. Research additionally revealed that Horsley had numerous personal and professional relationships with prominent Americans in medicine, including William Osler, John Wheelock Elliot, Ernest Sachs, and (yes) Harvey Cushing. Horsley's contributions to medicine and science were heavily reported in American newspapers; outside of neurosurgery, his strong opposition to the antivivisectionists and his support for alcohol prohibition were widely reported in popular media. Horsley's contributions to neurosurgery in America are undeniable. Writings from and about prominent Americans reveal that he was viewed favorably by those who had met him. Frequent publication of his views in the American media suggests that medical professionals and the public in the US valued his contributions on scientific as well as social issues. Horsley died too young, but not without the

  20. Young South Africans’ views on, and perceptions of, abstinence and faithfulness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keitshepile G. Setswe

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The goals of the Abstinence and Be Faithful Among Youth (ABY project were to enhance local responses among the youth in South Africa to prevent HIV infection through encouraging abstinence,faithfulness and avoidance of unhealthy sexual behaviour among youths over a five-year period. A quantitative baseline evaluation of the ABY project was conducted in five cities in South Africa. Data were collected from learners and youths just before the ABY intervention started at nine randomly selected sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Mthatha using a three-stage cluster sampling design. In total, nine sites were randomly selected from a possible eighteen. At each of the data-collection points, data were collected from 60 participants. In total there were 27 data-collection points and 1620 respondents. Young people have strong views on abstaining from sexual intercourse, as 83% said that it was possible not to have sex for as long as you can. There was also strong support for abstinence, as 78.5% said that not having sex was the best way of preventing infection with HIV. In total, 68.1% of the youths said that the media had a positive influence on encouraging abstinence and 72.1% said role models could help them not to have sex, while 84.3% said that leadership and life skills workshops were helpful in encouraging them to abstain from sex. In total, 68.7% of young people said that the media encouraged faithfulness in relationships and 84.6% said that life skills workshops were helpful in encouraging them to remain faithful to one partner. Young people have strong views on and support for abstinence. They also have strong views on and perceptions of remaining faithful to one partner. These findings are a valuable guide to the views and perceptions of young people with respect to abstinence and faithfulness before interventions are implemented. Opsomming Die doel van die Abstinence and Be Faithful for Youth (ABY projek was om die

  1. Part-time jobs : What women want?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Booth, A.L.; van Ours, J.C.

    2013-01-01

    Part-time jobs are common among partnered women in many countries. There are two opposing views on the efficiency implications of so many women working part-time. The negative view is that part-time jobs imply wastage of resources and underutilization of investments in human capital since many

  2. Opposing effects of 5,7-DHT infusions into the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala on flexible responding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Man, M S; Dalley, J W; Roberts, A C

    2010-07-01

    Central serotonin is implicated in a variety of emotional and behavioral control processes. Serotonin depletion can lead to exaggerated aversive processing and deficient response inhibition, effects that have been linked to serotonin's actions in the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), respectively. However, a direct comparison of serotonin manipulations within the OFC and amygdala in the same experimental context has not been undertaken. This study compared the effects of infusing the serotonin neurotoxin, 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine into the OFC and amygdala of marmosets performing an appetitive test of response inhibition. Marmosets had to learn to inhibit a prepotent response tendency to choose a box containing high-incentive food and instead choose a box containing low-incentive food, to obtain reward. OFC infusions caused long-lasting reductions in serotonin tissue levels, as revealed at postmortem, and exaggerated prepotent responses. In contrast, the significantly reduced prepotent responses following amygdala infusions occurred at a time when serotonin tissue levels had undergone considerable recovery, but there remained residual reductions in extracellular serotonin, in vivo. These opposing behavioral effects of serotonin manipulations in the same experimental context may be understood in terms of the top-down regulatory control of the amygdala by the OFC.

  3. Numerical investigation of CAI Combustion in the Opposed- Piston Engine with Direct and Indirect Water Injection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyszczek, R.; Mazuro, P.; Teodorczyk, A.

    2016-09-01

    This paper is focused on the CAI combustion control in a turbocharged 2-stroke Opposed-Piston (OP) engine. The barrel type OP engine arrangement is of particular interest for the authors because of its robust design, high mechanical efficiency and relatively easy incorporation of a Variable Compression Ratio (VCR). The other advantage of such design is that combustion chamber is formed between two moving pistons - there is no additional cylinder head to be cooled which directly results in an increased thermal efficiency. Furthermore, engine operation in a Controlled Auto-Ignition (CAI) mode at high compression ratios (CR) raises a possibility of reaching even higher efficiencies and very low emissions. In order to control CAI combustion such measures as VCR and water injection were considered for indirect ignition timing control. Numerical simulations of the scavenging and combustion processes were performed with the 3D CFD multipurpose AVL Fire solver. Numerous cases were calculated with different engine compression ratios and different amounts of directly and indirectly injected water. The influence of the VCR and water injection on the ignition timing and engine performance was determined and their application in the real engine was discussed.

  4. FACET, Radiation View Factor with Shadowing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shapiro, A.B.

    1988-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: FACET calculates the radiation geometric view factor (alternatively called shape factor, angle factor, or configuration factor) between surfaces for axisymmetric, two-dimensional planar and three-dimensional geometries with interposed third surface obstructions. FACET was developed to calculate view factors as input data to finite element heat transfer analysis codes. 2 - Method of solution: Three algorithms are incorporated to integrate the view factor equation for three dimensional geometries. The algorithm used for any two surfaces depends on their geometric relationship and whether third surface obstructions exist. The three algorithms are the area integration (AI) method, the line integration method (LI), and the Mitalas and Stephenson (MS) method. The LI method is used to calculate the view factor between two disjoint surfaces. If the two surfaces have an adjoint edge, the MS method is used. The AI method is used if there is self or third surface shadowing. In two-dimensional planar geometries, the view factor between two surfaces is calculated using Hottel's cross string method. For axisymmetric geometries in the absence of shadowing, the view factor between two surfaces is calculated by view factor algebra using the view factors between parallel coaxial discs. In the presence of self or third surface shadowing, the geometry is represented in three dimensions before calculating the view factors

  5. Television advertising, not viewing, is associated with negative dietary patterns in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, B; Freeman, B; King, L; Chapman, K; Baur, L A; Gill, T

    2016-04-01

    Children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing is a contributor to poor diets and weight gain. Television food advertising, in particular, has been the focus of research and policy discussions. We aimed to quantify the specific impact of television advertising, as distinct from television viewing generally, on children's usual diet. Methods Four hundred seventeen Australian children aged 10-16 participated in an online survey, which assessed television viewing habits and consumption of 12 frequently advertised unhealthy foods/drinks. Consumption of these foods/drinks was dichotomized (less weekly, weekly or more) and summed (1 point for each item consumed weekly or more) to give cumulative consumption scores. After adjusting for age and socioeconomic status, there was strong evidence of an increase in unhealthy food score (P food/drink combined score (P children who watched the most commercial television, and those who were actually exposed to advertisements embedded within programs. This association between advertisement exposure and poor diet emphasizes the need for public policy intervention to reduce children's food advertising exposures. © 2015 World Obesity.

  6. Mining Views : database views for data mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blockeel, H.; Calders, T.; Fromont, É.; Goethals, B.; Prado, A.; Nijssen, S.; De Raedt, L.

    2007-01-01

    We propose a relational database model towards the integration of data mining into relational database systems, based on the so called virtual mining views. We show that several types of patterns and models over the data, such as itemsets, association rules, decision trees and clusterings, can be

  7. Drupal 7 Views Cookbook

    CERN Document Server

    Green, J Ayen

    2012-01-01

    This is a cookbook containing plenty of easy-to-follow practical recipes with screenshots that will help you in mastering the Drupal Views module. Drupal 7 Views Cookbook is for developers or technically proficient users who are fairly comfortable with the concepts behind websites and the Drupal environment.

  8. Strong-field dissociation dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DiMauro, L.F.; Yang, Baorui.

    1993-01-01

    The strong-field dissociation behavior of diatomic molecules is examined under two distinctive physical scenarios. In the first scenario, the dissociation of the isolated hydrogen and deuterium molecular ions is discussed. The dynamics of above-threshold dissociation (ATD) are investigated over a wide range of green and infrared intensities and compared to a dressed-state model. The second situation arises when strong-field neutral dissociation is followed by ionization of the atomic fragments. The study results in a direct measure of the atomic fragment's ac-Stark shift by observing the intensity-dependent shifts in the electron or nuclear fragment kinetic energy. 8 figs., 14 refs

  9. Significant plant growth stimulation by composted as opposed to untreated Biochar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammann, Claudia; Messerschmidt, Nicole; Müller, Christoph; Steffens, Diedrich; Schmidt, Hans-Peter; Koyro, Hans-Werner

    2013-04-01

    The application of production-fresh, untreated biochar does not always result in yield improvements, in particular in temperate or boreal soils. Therefore the use of biochar for soil C sequestration, although desirable from a global change mitigation point of view, may never be implemented without proven and economically feasible pathways for biochar effects in agriculture. To investigate earlier reports of the beneficial effects of composting biochar (e.g. Fischer & Glaser, 2012) we conducted a fully replicated (n=3, +/- biochar) large-scale composting study at the Delinat Institute in Arbaz, Switzerland. The materials were manures (bovine, horse and chicken), straw, stone meal and composting was performed with our without +20 vol.% of a woody biochar (German Charcoal GmbH). Interestingly, the rotting temperature was significantly higher in the biochar-compost while C and N were retained to a certain extent. To investigate the effect of composting ("ageing") on biochar effects, a completely randomized full-factorial pot study was carried out in the greenhouse using the pseudo-cereal Chenopodium quinoa. The three factors used in the study were (I) type of biochar addition ("aged", "fresh", or zero BC), (II) addition of compost and (III) low and high application rates of a full NPK-fertilizer (equivalent to 28 and 140 kg N ha-1, NPK + micronutrients) in several doses. The growth medium was a poor loamy sand. Biochars and compost were all added at a rate of 2% (w/w) to the soil. From the start there was a considerable difference between the growth of Quinoa with the fresh compared to the aged biochar. The fresh biochar produced the well-known reduction in plant growth compared to the unamended control. This reduction was alleviated to a certain extent by the addition of either compost and/or increased fertilization. In contrast the co-composted biochar always resulted in a highly significant stimulation of the Quinoa yield (roots, shoots, inflorescences). This

  10. Noise Spectroscopy in Strongly Correlated Oxides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsaqqa, Ali M.

    Strongly correlated materials are an interesting class of materials, thanks to the novel electronic and magnetic phenomena they exhibit as a result of the interplay of various degrees of freedom. This gives rise to an array of potential applications, from Mott-FET to magnetic storage. Many experimental probes have been used to study phase transitions in strongly correlated oxides. Among these, resistance noise spectroscopy, together with conventional transport measurements, provides a unique viewpoint to understand the microscopic dynamics near the phase transitions in these oxides. In this thesis, utilizing noise spectroscopy and transport measurements, four different strongly correlated materials were studied: (1) neodymium nickel oxide (NdNiO 3) ultrathin films, (2) vanadium dioxide (VO2) microribbons, (3) copper vanadium bronze (CuxV2O 5) microribbons and (4) niobium triselenide (NbSe3) microribbons. Ultra thin films of rare-earth nickelates exhibit several temperature-driven phase transitions. In this thesis, we studied the metal-insulator and Neel transitions in a series of NdNiO3 films with different lattice mismatches. Upon colling down, the metal-insulator phase transition is accompanied by a structural (orthorohombic to monoclinic) and magnetic (paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic) transitions as well, making the problem more interesting and complex at the same time. The noise is of the 1/f type and is Gaussian in the high temperature phase, however deviations are seen in the low temperature phases. Below the metal-insulator transition, noise magnitude increases by orders of magnitude: a sign of inhomogeneous electrical conduction as result of phase separation. This is further assured by the non-Gaussian noise signature. At very low temperatures (T switches between Gaussian and non-Gaussian over several hours, possibly arising from dynamically competing ground states. VO2 is one of the most widely studied strongly correlated oxides and is important from the

  11. Strong Stationary Duality for Diffusion Processes

    OpenAIRE

    Fill, James Allen; Lyzinski, Vince

    2014-01-01

    We develop the theory of strong stationary duality for diffusion processes on compact intervals. We analytically derive the generator and boundary behavior of the dual process and recover a central tenet of the classical Markov chain theory in the diffusion setting by linking the separation distance in the primal diffusion to the absorption time in the dual diffusion. We also exhibit our strong stationary dual as the natural limiting process of the strong stationary dual sequence of a well ch...

  12. Calculating hadronic properties in strong QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pennington, M.R.

    1996-01-01

    This talk gives a brief review of the progress that has been made in calculating the properties of hadrons in strong QCD. In keeping with this meeting I will concentrate on those properties that can be studied with electromagnetic probes. Though perturbative QCD is highly successful, it only applies in a limited kinematic regime, where hard scattering occur, and the quarks move in the interaction region as if they are free, pointlike objects. However, the bulk of strong interactions are governed by the long distance regime, where the strong interaction is strong. It is this regime of length scales of the order of a Fermi, that determines the spectrum of light hadrons and their properties. The calculation of these properties requires an understanding of non-perturbative QCD, of confinement and chiral symmetry breaking. (author)

  13. Opposing roles of STAT4 and Dnmt3a in Th1 gene regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Duy; Yu, Qing; Walline, Crystal C.; Muthukrishnan, Rajarajeswari; Blum, Janice S.; Kaplan, Mark H.

    2013-01-01

    The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription factor STAT4 is a critical regulator of Th1 differentiation and inflammatory disease. Yet, how STAT4 regulates gene expression is still unclear. In this report, we define a STAT4-dependent sequence of events including H3K4 methylation, Jmjd3 association with STAT4 target loci, and a Jmjd3-dependent decrease in H3K27 trimethylation and DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 3a association with STAT4 target loci. Dnmt3a has an obligate role in repressing Th1 gene expression, and in Th1 cultures deficient in both STAT4 and Dnmt3a, there is recovery in the expression of a subset of Th1 genes that is sufficient to increase IFNγ production. Moreover, although STAT4-deficient mice are protected from the development of EAE, mice deficient in STAT4 and conditionally-deficient in Dnmt3a in T cells develop paralysis. Th1 genes that are de-repressed in the absence of Dnmt3a have greater induction following the ectopic expression of the Th1-associated transcription factors T-bet and Hlx1. Together, these data demonstrate that STAT4 and Dnmt3a play opposing roles in regulating Th1 gene expression, and that one mechanism for STAT4-dependent gene programming is in establishing a de-repressed genetic state susceptible to transactivation by additional fate-determining transcription factors. PMID:23772023

  14. Research on the Common Rail Pressure Overshoot of Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke Diesel Engines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Lu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The common rail pressure has a direct influence on the working stability of Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke (OP2S diesel engines, especially on performance indexes such as power, economy and emissions. Meanwhile, the rail pressure overshoot phenomenon occurs frequently due to the operating characteristics of OP2S diesel engines, which could lead to serious consequences. In order to solve the rail pressure overshoot problem of OP2S diesel engines, a nonlinear concerted algorithm adding a speed state feedback was investigated. First, the nonlinear Linear Parameter Varying (LPV model was utilized to describe the coupling relationship between the engine speed and the rail pressure. The Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR optimal control algorithm was applied to design the controller by the feedback of speed and rail pressure. Second, cooperating with the switching characteristics of injectors, the co-simulation of MATLAB/Simulink and GT-Power was utilized to verify the validity of the control algorithm and analyze workspaces for both normal and special sections. Finally, bench test results showed that the accuracy of the rail pressure control was in the range of ±1 MPa, in the condition of sudden 600 r/min speed increases. In addition, the fuel mass was reduced 76.3% compared with the maximum fuel supply quantity and the rail pressure fluctuation was less than 20 MPa. The algorithm could also be appropriate for other types of common rail system thanks to its universality.

  15. View synthesis using parallax invariance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dornaika, Fadi

    2001-06-01

    View synthesis becomes a focus of attention of both the computer vision and computer graphics communities. It consists of creating novel images of a scene as it would appear from novel viewpoints. View synthesis can be used in a wide variety of applications such as video compression, graphics generation, virtual reality and entertainment. This paper addresses the following problem. Given a dense disparity map between two reference images, we would like to synthesize a novel view of the same scene associated with a novel viewpoint. Most of the existing work is relying on building a set of 3D meshes which are then projected onto the new image (the rendering process is performed using texture mapping). The advantages of our view synthesis approach are as follows. First, the novel view is specified by a rotation and a translation which are the most natural way to express the virtual location of the camera. Second, the approach is able to synthesize highly realistic images whose viewing position is significantly far away from the reference viewpoints. Third, the approach is able to handle the visibility problem during the synthesis process. Our developed framework has two main steps. The first step (analysis step) consists of computing the homography at infinity, the epipoles, and thus the parallax field associated with the reference images. The second step (synthesis step) consists of warping the reference image into a new one, which is based on the invariance of the computed parallax field. The analysis step is working directly on the reference views, and only need to be performed once. Examples of synthesizing novel views using either feature correspondences or dense disparity map have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed approach.

  16. Mining Views : database views for data mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blockeel, H.; Calders, T.; Fromont, É.; Goethals, B.; Prado, A.

    2008-01-01

    We present a system towards the integration of data mining into relational databases. To this end, a relational database model is proposed, based on the so called virtual mining views. We show that several types of patterns and models over the data, such as itemsets, association rules and decision

  17. Mothers’ views of their preschool child’s screen-viewing behaviour: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgina F. Bentley

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Research on screen-viewing in preschool children has predominantly focused on television viewing. The rapid development of mobile devices (e.g. tablets, smart phones and e-readers and the increase in their use by preschool children means there is a need to understand how and why these devices are used by this age group. The aim of this study was to explore mothers’ views of their preschool children’s screen viewing behaviour (including mobile devices and investigate how preschool children use different screen-viewing devices. Methods One-to-one, semi-structured interviews with mothers of preschool children (aged between 2 and 4 years old. Mothers were recruited through preschools, nurseries, and mother and toddler groups located within four areas of varying socio-economic status within Bristol, UK. Data were analysed thematically using a framework approach. Results Twenty-six mothers were interviewed. Mobile devices were regularly used as a form of screen-viewing for most children but were used on an ad hoc basis rather than being a habitual activity. The reasons and influences of mobile device use described by mothers were similar to that of television viewing. However, the portability of mobile devices meant that they were often used outside of the home as a distraction tool. Their multi-functionality meant that they could be used as a portable television, or for purposeful learning through educational games and applications. Some mothers showed concerns over mobile device use by their child, whilst others felt it was an important and useful educational tool. Although the majority of mothers felt they needed to set rules and restrictions for mobile device use, many mothers felt that they are also a necessary and unavoidable part of life. Conclusions Mothers in this study suggested that mobile device use by preschool children is common. More research is needed to determine the impact of mobile device use in preschool

  18. What the Common Economic Arguments against Comparable Worth Are Worth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergmann, Barbara R.

    1989-01-01

    Reviews economists' views about how the economy works, from which conclusions opposing comparable worth are drawn. Discusses factors that have been omitted from economists' views--social and psychological factors that affect behavior in the workplace, permit and encourage discrimination, and have an effect on the distribution of jobs and wages.…

  19. Non-Intentional Invention: The Promethean, Trickster, and Improvisational Invention Heuristics of Academic Writers and Poets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirtz, Jason

    2013-01-01

    This essay introduces a novel way to conceptualize writerly invention -- invention as adopting a non-intentional intellectual stance wherein heuristics are experienced as acting upon the writer as opposed to being enacted by the writer. This view of invention complicates and extends the traditional, Aristotelian view of invention as discreet…

  20. MAPCERN links to Google Street View

    CERN Multimedia

    Matilda Heron

    2015-01-01

    CERN’s online maps, MAPCERN, now have the added bonus of Google Street View, thanks to the new release of images of many CERN sites captured by Google.   New Street View images of CERN sites have been added to MAPCERN, see bottom-right-hand image in the screenshot above.   Google Street View, an integrated service of Google Maps introduced in 2007, links 360-degree panoramic photos into a virtual tour. CERN and Google began collaborating on this Street View project in 2010 and now these Street View images have been embedded into MAPCERN, accessible by clicking the “Street View” tab in MAPCERN’s bottom-right-hand window. If you need to locate a building at CERN, or plan an operation on some equipment, you can save time by using the Street View images to check out the area in advance. The CERN Meyrin site has been fully mapped, as well as the surfaces of the eight LHC points, BA2 and BA3. New Street View images of CERN, including the Pr...

  1. The Lions Quest Program in Turkey: Teachers’ Views and Classroom Practices.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mine Gol-Guven

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This is a pilot study to explore the classroom implementation of the Lions Quest Program in Turkey. Teachers of first through eighth grades at two elementary schools who applied the program were interviewed about the program and their classroom practices while they were also observed and their classrooms were also observed. Considerable program implementation differences were found within and between the schools. Three main issues were raised in the interviews, namely that the teachers were not clear about whether social emotional learning (SEL skills should be taught to students as a separate lesson or not; they seemed to doubt whether school personnel should be responsible for SEL implementation; and although they had positive views of the implementation, they underlined that students’ social and emotional wellbeing is dependent on family background and the developing maturity of the child. In conclusion, the teachers expressed positive views about the Lions Quest Program, yet lacked strong opinions about when, where, and by whom the program needed to be included in the curriculum. Limitations, implementation challenges, and implications for SEL in the Turkish context were also identified.

  2. Dual field theory of strong interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akers, D.

    1987-01-01

    A dual field theory of strong interactions is derived from a Lagrangian of the Yang-Mills and Higgs fields. The existence of a magnetic monopole of mass 2397 MeV and Dirac charge g = (137/2)e is incorporated into the theory. Unification of the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces is shown to converge at the mass of the intermediate vector boson W/sup +/-/. The coupling constants of the strong and weak interactions are derived in terms of the fine-structure constant α = 1/137

  3. Semi-strong split domination in graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anwar Alwardi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Given a graph $G = (V,E$, a dominating set $D subseteq V$ is called a semi-strong split dominating set of $G$ if $|V setminus D| geq 1$ and the maximum degree of the subgraph induced by $V setminus D$ is 1. The minimum cardinality of a semi-strong split dominating set (SSSDS of G is the semi-strong split domination number of G, denoted $gamma_{sss}(G$. In this work, we introduce the concept and prove several results regarding it.

  4. Evidence for strong intralocus sexual conflict in the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Zenobia; Wedell, Nina; Hunt, John

    2011-07-01

    Males and females share a genome and express many shared phenotypic traits, which are often selected in opposite directions. This generates intralocus sexual conflict that may constrain trait evolution by preventing the sexes from reaching their optimal phenotype. Furthermore, if present across multiple loci, intralocus sexual conflict can result in a gender load that may diminish the benefits of sexual selection and help maintain genetic variation for fitness. Despite the importance of intralocus sexual conflict, surprisingly few empirical studies conclusively demonstrate its operation. We show that the pattern of multivariate selection acting on three sexually dimorphic life-history traits (development time, body size, and longevity) in the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, is opposing for the sexes. Moreover, we combined our estimates of selection with the additive genetic variance-covariance matrix (G) to predict the evolutionary response of the life-history traits in the sexes and showed that the angle between the vector of responses and the vector of sexually antagonistic selection was almost orthogonal at 84.70°. Thus, G biases the predicted response of life-history traits in the sexes away from the direction of sexually antagonistic selection, confirming the presence of strong intralocus sexual conflict in this species. Despite this, sexual dimorphism has evolved in all of the life-history traits examined suggesting that mechanism(s) have evolved to resolve this conflict and allow the sexes to reach their life-history optima. We argue that intralocus sexual conflict is likely to play an important role in the evolution of divergent life-history strategies between the sexes in this species. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  5. Automatic Sky View Factor Estimation from Street View Photographs—A Big Data Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianming Liang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Hemispherical (fisheye photography is a well-established approach for estimating the sky view factor (SVF. High-resolution urban models from LiDAR and oblique airborne photogrammetry can provide continuous SVF estimates over a large urban area, but such data are not always available and are difficult to acquire. Street view panoramas have become widely available in urban areas worldwide: Google Street View (GSV maintains a global network of panoramas excluding China and several other countries; Baidu Street View (BSV and Tencent Street View (TSV focus their panorama acquisition efforts within China, and have covered hundreds of cities therein. In this paper, we approach this issue from a big data perspective by presenting and validating a method for automatic estimation of SVF from massive amounts of street view photographs. Comparisons were made with SVF estimates derived from two independent sources: a LiDAR-based Digital Surface Model (DSM and an oblique airborne photogrammetry-based 3D city model (OAP3D, resulting in a correlation coefficient of 0.863 and 0.987, respectively. The comparisons demonstrated the capacity of the proposed method to provide reliable SVF estimates. Additionally, we present an application of the proposed method with about 12,000 GSV panoramas to characterize the spatial distribution of SVF over Manhattan Island in New York City. Although this is a proof-of-concept study, it has shown the potential of the proposed approach to assist urban climate and urban planning research. However, further development is needed before this approach can be finally delivered to the urban climate and urban planning communities for practical applications.

  6. Exploring experts' views and perspectives on the enhancement of Strategic Environmental Assessment in European small islands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polido, Alexandra; João, Elsa; Ramos, Tomás B.

    2016-01-01

    stakeholders, such as territorial experts, to learn and promote the use and improvement of environmental and sustainability tools such as SEA. - Highlights: • Explored the views and perspectives of European small island experts • Showed the need for cooperation networks while developing SEA in these territories • Encouraged the development of specific guidelines as opposed to more legal frameworks • Highlighted SEA capability for the enhancement of small island sustainability

  7. Multi-View Multi-Instance Learning Based on Joint Sparse Representation and Multi-View Dictionary Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bing; Yuan, Chunfeng; Xiong, Weihua; Hu, Weiming; Peng, Houwen; Ding, Xinmiao; Maybank, Steve

    2017-12-01

    In multi-instance learning (MIL), the relations among instances in a bag convey important contextual information in many applications. Previous studies on MIL either ignore such relations or simply model them with a fixed graph structure so that the overall performance inevitably degrades in complex environments. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel multi-view multi-instance learning algorithm (MIL) that combines multiple context structures in a bag into a unified framework. The novel aspects are: (i) we propose a sparse -graph model that can generate different graphs with different parameters to represent various context relations in a bag, (ii) we propose a multi-view joint sparse representation that integrates these graphs into a unified framework for bag classification, and (iii) we propose a multi-view dictionary learning algorithm to obtain a multi-view graph dictionary that considers cues from all views simultaneously to improve the discrimination of the MIL. Experiments and analyses in many practical applications prove the effectiveness of the M IL.

  8. Strong Coupling Corrections in Quantum Thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perarnau-Llobet, M.; Wilming, H.; Riera, A.; Gallego, R.; Eisert, J.

    2018-03-01

    Quantum systems strongly coupled to many-body systems equilibrate to the reduced state of a global thermal state, deviating from the local thermal state of the system as it occurs in the weak-coupling limit. Taking this insight as a starting point, we study the thermodynamics of systems strongly coupled to thermal baths. First, we provide strong-coupling corrections to the second law applicable to general systems in three of its different readings: As a statement of maximal extractable work, on heat dissipation, and bound to the Carnot efficiency. These corrections become relevant for small quantum systems and vanish in first order in the interaction strength. We then move to the question of power of heat engines, obtaining a bound on the power enhancement due to strong coupling. Our results are exemplified on the paradigmatic non-Markovian quantum Brownian motion.

  9. Television Viewing, Walking Speed, and Grip Strength in a Prospective Cohort Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    KEEVIL, VICTORIA L.; WIJNDAELE, KATRIEN; LUBEN, ROBERT; SAYER, AVAN A.; WAREHAM, NICHOLAS J.; KHAW, KAY-TEE

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Purpose Television (TV) watching is the most prevalent sedentary leisure time activity in the United Kingdom. We examined associations between TV viewing time, measured over 10 yr, and two objective measures of physical capability, usual walking speed (UWS) and grip strength. Methods Community-based participants (n = 8623; 48–92 yr old) enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer—Norfolk study attended a third health examination (3HC, 2006–2011) for measurement of maximum grip strength (Smedley dynamometer) and UWS. TV viewing time was estimated using a validated questionnaire (n = 6086) administered during two periods (3HC, 2006–2007; 2HC, 1998–2000). Associations between physical capability and TV viewing time category (<2, 2 < 3, 3 < 4, and ≥4 h·d−1) at the 3HC, 2HC, and using an average of the two measures were explored. Sex-stratified analyses were adjusted for age, physical activity, anthropometry, wealth, comorbidity, smoking, and alcohol intake and combined if no sex–TV viewing time interactions were identified. Results Men and women who watched the least TV at the 2HC or 3HC walked at a faster usual pace than those who watched the most TV. There was no evidence of effect modification by sex (Pinteraction = 0.09), and in combined analyses, participants who watched for <2 h·d−1 on average walked 4.29 cm·s−1 (95% confidence interval, 2.56–6.03) faster than those who watched for ≥4 h·d−1, with evidence of a dose–response association (Ptrend < 0.001). However, no strong associations with grip strength were found. Conclusions TV viewing time predicted UWS in older adults. More research is needed to inform public health policy and prospective associations between other measures of sedentariness, such as total sitting time or objectively measured sedentary time, and physical capability should be explored. PMID:25785826

  10. VMware horizon view essentials

    CERN Document Server

    von Oven, Peter

    2014-01-01

    If you are a desktop administrator or an end user of a computing project team looking to speed up to the latest VMware Horizon View solution, then this book is perfect for you. It is your ideal companion to deploy a solution to centrally manage and virtualize your desktop estate using Horizon View 6.0.

  11. The issue concerning the use of an annual as opposed to a committed dose limit for internal radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skrable, K.W.; Chabot, G.E.; Alexander, E.L.; French, C.S.

    1985-01-01

    The scientific, technical, practical, and ethical considerations that relate to the use of an annual as opposed to a committed dose limitation system for internal radiation protection are evaluated and presented. The concerns about problems associated with the more recent ICRP committed dose recommendations that have been expressed by persons who are currently operating under an annual dose limitation system are reviewed and discussed in terms of the radiation protection programme elements that are required for an effective ALARA programme. We include in this and a follow-up article a comparison of how these alternative dose limitation systems affect the economic and professional livelihood of radiation workers and the requirements that they impose upon employers. Finally, we recommend the use of an ICRP based committed dose limitation system that provides protection of workers over an entire occupational lifetime without undue impact on their livelihood and without undue requirements for employers. (author)

  12. Surgeons’ views on preoperative medical evaluation: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin R. Riggs

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is substantial variation in the practice of preoperative medical evaluation (PME and limited evidence for its benefit, which raises concerns about overuse. Surgeons have a unique role in this multidisciplinary practice. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore surgeons’ practices and their beliefs about PME. Methods We conducted of semi-structured interviews with 18 surgeons in Baltimore, Maryland. Surgeons were purposively sampled to maximize diversity in terms of practice type (academic vs. private practice, surgical specialty, gender, and experience level. General topics included surgeons’ current PME practices, perceived benefits and harms of PME, the surgical risk assessment, and potential improvements and barriers to change. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis to identify themes, which are presented as assertions. Transcripts were re-analyzed to identify supporting and opposing instances of each assertion. Results A total of 15 themes emerged. There was wide variation in surgeons’ described PME practices. Surgeons believed that PME improves surgical outcomes, but not all patients benefit. Surgeons were cognizant of the financial cost of the current system and the potential inconvenience that additional tests and office visits pose to patients. Surgeons believed that PME has minimal to no risk and that a normal PME is reassuring to them and patients. Surgeons were confident in their ability to assess surgical risk, and risk assessment by non-surgeons rarely affected their surgical decision-making. Hospital and anesthesiology requirements were a major driver of surgeons’ PME practices. Surgeons did not receive much training on PME but perceived their practices to be similar to their colleagues. Surgeons believed that PME provides malpractice protection, welcomed standardization, and perceived there to be inadequate evidence to

  13. First-year engineering students' views of the nature of engineering: implications for engineering programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karataş, F. Ö.; Bodner, G. M.; Unal, Suat

    2016-01-01

    A study was conducted on the views of the nature of engineering held by 114 first-year engineering majors; the study built on prior work on views of the nature of science held by students, their instructors, and the general public. Open-coding analysis of responses to a 12-item questionnaire suggested that the participants held tacit beliefs that engineering (1) involves problem solving; (2) is a form of applied science; (3) involves the design of artefacts or systems; (4) is subject to various constraints; and (5) requires teamwork. These beliefs, however, were often unsophisticated, and significant aspects of the field of engineering as described in the literature on engineering practices were missing from the student responses. The results of this study are important because students' beliefs have a strong influence on what they value in a classroom situation, what they attend to in class, and how they choose to study for a course.

  14. Strong interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Froissart, Marcel

    1976-01-01

    Strong interactions are introduced by their more obvious aspect: nuclear forces. In hadron family, the nucleon octet, OMEGA - decuplet, and quark triply are successively considered. Pion wave having been put at the origin of nuclear forces, low energy phenomena are described, the force being explained as an exchange of structure corresponding to a Regge trajectory in a variable rotating state instead of the exchange of a well defined particle. At high energies the concepts of pomeron, parton and stratons are introduced, pionization and fragmentation are briefly differentiated [fr

  15. A strong comeback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marier, D.

    1992-01-01

    This article presents the results of a financial rankings survey which show a strong economic activity in the independent energy industry. The topics of the article include advisor turnover, overseas banks, and the increase in public offerings. The article identifies the top project finance investors for new projects and restructurings and rankings for lenders

  16. Strongly disordered superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muttalib, K.A.

    1982-01-01

    We examine some universal effects of strong non-magnetic disorder on the electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions in a superconductor. In particular we explicitly take into account the effect of slow diffusion of electrons in a disordered medium by working in an exact impurity eigenstate representation. We find that the normal diffusion of electrons characterized by a constant diffusion coefficient does not lead to any significant correction to the electron-phonon or the effective electron-electron interactions in a superconductor. We then consider sufficiently strong disorder where Anderson localization of electrons becomes important and determine the effect of localization on the electron-electron interactions. We find that due to localization, the diffusion of electrons becomes anomalous in the sense that the diffusion coefficient becomes scale dependent. This results in an increase in the effective electron-electron interaction with increasing disorder. We propose that this provides a natural explanation for the unusual sensitivity of the transition temperature T/sub c/ of the high T/sub c/ superconductors (T/sub c/ > 10 0 K) to damage effects

  17. Strong Coupling Holography

    CERN Document Server

    Dvali, Gia

    2009-01-01

    We show that whenever a 4-dimensional theory with N particle species emerges as a consistent low energy description of a 3-brane embedded in an asymptotically-flat (4+d)-dimensional space, the holographic scale of high-dimensional gravity sets the strong coupling scale of the 4D theory. This connection persists in the limit in which gravity can be consistently decoupled. We demonstrate this effect for orbifold planes, as well as for the solitonic branes and string theoretic D-branes. In all cases the emergence of a 4D strong coupling scale from bulk holography is a persistent phenomenon. The effect turns out to be insensitive even to such extreme deformations of the brane action that seemingly shield 4D theory from the bulk gravity effects. A well understood example of such deformation is given by large 4D Einstein term in the 3-brane action, which is known to suppress the strength of 5D gravity at short distances and change the 5D Newton's law into the four-dimensional one. Nevertheless, we observe that the ...

  18. <strong>Entrepreneurial Action in Shaping Education for Entrepreneurshipstrong>

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Poul Rind; Kirketerp Linstad, Anne

    entrepreneurship training and education. Neutral assessments of the school have indicated that more than 50 percent of the students graduated from the school has started their own business and furthermore that the students exercise a strong entrepreneurial behaviour (Deichman-Sørensen 1997). Seemingly the school...... also started to pay attention to the apparent success of the KaosPilots. What is the secret of their recipe? In this contribution we want to explore how the KaosPilots form their pedagogical concepts of teaching entrepreneurship and enterprise behaviour....

  19. The evaluation of single-view and multi-view fusion 3D echocardiography using image-driven segmentation and tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajpoot, Kashif; Grau, Vicente; Noble, J Alison; Becher, Harald; Szmigielski, Cezary

    2011-08-01

    Real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE) promises a more objective and complete cardiac functional analysis by dynamic 3D image acquisition. Despite several efforts towards automation of left ventricle (LV) segmentation and tracking, these remain challenging research problems due to the poor-quality nature of acquired images usually containing missing anatomical information, speckle noise, and limited field-of-view (FOV). Recently, multi-view fusion 3D echocardiography has been introduced as acquiring multiple conventional single-view RT3DE images with small probe movements and fusing them together after alignment. This concept of multi-view fusion helps to improve image quality and anatomical information and extends the FOV. We now take this work further by comparing single-view and multi-view fused images in a systematic study. In order to better illustrate the differences, this work evaluates image quality and information content of single-view and multi-view fused images using image-driven LV endocardial segmentation and tracking. The image-driven methods were utilized to fully exploit image quality and anatomical information present in the image, thus purposely not including any high-level constraints like prior shape or motion knowledge in the analysis approaches. Experiments show that multi-view fused images are better suited for LV segmentation and tracking, while relatively more failures and errors were observed on single-view images. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Evaluation of bone marrow by opposed phase T1-weighted images and enhanced MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amano, Yasuo; Tanabe, Yoshihiro; Miyashita, Tsuguhiro; Hayashi, Hiromitsu; Horiuchi, Junichi; Nomura, Takeo; Kumazaki, Tatsuo

    1994-01-01

    We investigated bone marrow in a control group, cases of aplastic anemia and post-irradiation patients by examining T1-weighted (T1W1), short T1 inversion recovery (STIR), opposed phase T1W1 (op-T1W1) and Gd-DTPA enhanced op-T1W1 images obtained by 0.5 T MRI. Bone marrow was classified into four types based on MR findings. Normal marrow showed low intensity on op-T1W1 and STIR images without enhancement (I). Fatty marrow, which showed high intensity on T1W1 and op-T1W1 images was observed in aplastic anemia and post-irradiation patients (II). Hematopoietic marrow (III) showed low intensity on op-T1W1 and enhanced, while active hematopoietic marrow (IV) revealed high intensity on both STIR and op-T1W1 images and was enhanced following Gd-DTPA infusion. Aplastic anemia of moderate grade included types II, III and IV. Enhanced MR was needed to differentiate between types I and III since both types showed low intensity on op-T1W1 images. Furthermore, type IV was considered as hyperplastic compared with type III. Enhanced MR and op-T1W1 images were useful in evaluating hematopoiesis of bone marrow. (author)

  1. Evaluation of bone marrow by opposed phase T1-weighted images and enhanced MR imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amano, Yasuo; Tanabe, Yoshihiro; Miyashita, Tsuguhiro; Hayashi, Hiromitsu; Horiuchi, Junichi; Nomura, Takeo; Kumazaki, Tatsuo (Nippon Medical School, Tokyo (Japan))

    1994-09-01

    We investigated bone marrow in a control group, cases of aplastic anemia and post-irradiation patients by examining T1-weighted (T1W1), short T1 inversion recovery (STIR), opposed phase T1W1 (op-T1W1) and Gd-DTPA enhanced op-T1W1 images obtained by 0.5 T MRI. Bone marrow was classified into four types based on MR findings. Normal marrow showed low intensity on op-T1W1 and STIR images without enhancement (I). Fatty marrow, which showed high intensity on T1W1 and op-T1W1 images was observed in aplastic anemia and post-irradiation patients (II). Hematopoietic marrow (III) showed low intensity on op-T1W1 and enhanced, while active hematopoietic marrow (IV) revealed high intensity on both STIR and op-T1W1 images and was enhanced following Gd-DTPA infusion. Aplastic anemia of moderate grade included types II, III and IV. Enhanced MR was needed to differentiate between types I and III since both types showed low intensity on op-T1W1 images. Furthermore, type IV was considered as hyperplastic compared with type III. Enhanced MR and op-T1W1 images were useful in evaluating hematopoiesis of bone marrow. (author).

  2. The Interaction of Emotional Valence and Arousal on Attentional Breadth and Creative Task Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tidikis, Viktoria; Ash, Ivan K.; Collier, Ann Futterman

    2017-01-01

    Within the literature, there are two opposing views regarding the influencing role of emotions on the creative process. The most commonly held view contends that positive emotions enhance creativity and negative emotions stifle it; yet, some studies show an opposite trend. These contradictory findings can be explained by examining two aspects of…

  3. Challenges in 3D scanning: Focusing on Ears and Multiple View Stereopsis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Rasmus Ramsbøl

    It is the goal of this thesis to address some of the challenges in 3D scanning. This has been done with focus on direct in-ear scanning and on Multiple View Stereopsis. Seven papers have been produced over the course of the Ph.D., out of which, six have been included. Two papers concern volumetric...... segmentation based on Markov Random Fields. These have been formulated to address problems relating to noise ltering in direct in-ear scanning and Intracranial Volume estimation. Another two papers have been produced on the topic of recovering surface data based on a strong statistical prior. This was done...

  4. Adolescents' Motivations for Viewing Graphic Horror.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Deirdre D.

    1995-01-01

    Identifies four motivations adolescents report for viewing graphic horror films: gore watching, thrill watching, independent watching, and problem watching. Argues that viewing motivations are predictors of responses to graphic horror. Finds that viewing motivations were related to viewers' cognitive and affective responses and a tendency to…

  5. Occlusion-Aware View Interpolation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ince Serdar

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract View interpolation is an essential step in content preparation for multiview 3D displays, free-viewpoint video, and multiview image/video compression. It is performed by establishing a correspondence among views, followed by interpolation using the corresponding intensities. However, occlusions pose a significant challenge, especially if few input images are available. In this paper, we identify challenges related to disparity estimation and view interpolation in presence of occlusions. We then propose an occlusion-aware intermediate view interpolation algorithm that uses four input images to handle the disappearing areas. The algorithm consists of three steps. First, all pixels in view to be computed are classified in terms of their visibility in the input images. Then, disparity for each pixel is estimated from different image pairs depending on the computed visibility map. Finally, luminance/color of each pixel is adaptively interpolated from an image pair selected by its visibility label. Extensive experimental results show striking improvements in interpolated image quality over occlusion-unaware interpolation from two images and very significant gains over occlusion-aware spline-based reconstruction from four images, both on synthetic and real images. Although improvements are obvious only in the vicinity of object boundaries, this should be useful in high-quality 3D applications, such as digital 3D cinema and ultra-high resolution multiview autostereoscopic displays, where distortions at depth discontinuities are highly objectionable, especially if they vary with viewpoint change.

  6. Occlusion-Aware View Interpolation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janusz Konrad

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available View interpolation is an essential step in content preparation for multiview 3D displays, free-viewpoint video, and multiview image/video compression. It is performed by establishing a correspondence among views, followed by interpolation using the corresponding intensities. However, occlusions pose a significant challenge, especially if few input images are available. In this paper, we identify challenges related to disparity estimation and view interpolation in presence of occlusions. We then propose an occlusion-aware intermediate view interpolation algorithm that uses four input images to handle the disappearing areas. The algorithm consists of three steps. First, all pixels in view to be computed are classified in terms of their visibility in the input images. Then, disparity for each pixel is estimated from different image pairs depending on the computed visibility map. Finally, luminance/color of each pixel is adaptively interpolated from an image pair selected by its visibility label. Extensive experimental results show striking improvements in interpolated image quality over occlusion-unaware interpolation from two images and very significant gains over occlusion-aware spline-based reconstruction from four images, both on synthetic and real images. Although improvements are obvious only in the vicinity of object boundaries, this should be useful in high-quality 3D applications, such as digital 3D cinema and ultra-high resolution multiview autostereoscopic displays, where distortions at depth discontinuities are highly objectionable, especially if they vary with viewpoint change.

  7. Self-verification and contextualized self-views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Serena; English, Tammy; Peng, Kaiping

    2006-07-01

    Whereas most self-verification research has focused on people's desire to verify their global self-conceptions, the present studies examined self-verification with regard to contextualized selfviews-views of the self in particular situations and relationships. It was hypothesized that individuals whose core self-conceptions include contextualized self-views should seek to verify these self-views. In Study 1, the more individuals defined the self in dialectical terms, the more their judgments were biased in favor of verifying over nonverifying feedback about a negative, situation-specific self-view. In Study 2, consistent with research on gender differences in the importance of relationships to the self-concept, women but not men showed a similar bias toward feedback about a negative, relationship-specific self-view, a pattern not seen for global self-views. Together, the results support the notion that self-verification occurs for core self-conceptions, whatever form(s) they may take. Individual differences in self-verification and the nature of selfhood and authenticity are discussed.

  8. Cross-View Action Recognition via Transferable Dictionary Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Jingjing; Jiang, Zhuolin; Chellappa, Rama

    2016-05-01

    Discriminative appearance features are effective for recognizing actions in a fixed view, but may not generalize well to a new view. In this paper, we present two effective approaches to learn dictionaries for robust action recognition across views. In the first approach, we learn a set of view-specific dictionaries where each dictionary corresponds to one camera view. These dictionaries are learned simultaneously from the sets of correspondence videos taken at different views with the aim of encouraging each video in the set to have the same sparse representation. In the second approach, we additionally learn a common dictionary shared by different views to model view-shared features. This approach represents the videos in each view using a view-specific dictionary and the common dictionary. More importantly, it encourages the set of videos taken from the different views of the same action to have the similar sparse representations. The learned common dictionary not only has the capability to represent actions from unseen views, but also makes our approach effective in a semi-supervised setting where no correspondence videos exist and only a few labeled videos exist in the target view. The extensive experiments using three public datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms recently developed approaches for cross-view action recognition.

  9. An exploration of motivations for two screen viewing, social interaction behaviors, and factors that influence viewing intentions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Hongjin; Oh, Poong; Song, Hyunjin; Lee, Yeonkyung

    2015-03-01

    This study explores whether, and how, motivations for two screen viewing predicted social interaction behaviors and subsequent viewing intention of TV programs. A total of 453 respondents who responded that they use social networking sites (SNSs) via smartphones and actively watch entertainment programs completed an online survey questionnaire. In agreement with uses and gratifications assumptions, motivations for TSV predicted distinctive sets of social interaction behaviors, which mediated the influence of motivations on viewing intentions. Respondents' two screen viewing was meaningfully related with social interaction, engagement with programs, information seeking, and passing time. Results suggest that two screen viewing could provide shared experiences nourishing social capital and reintegrate TV audiences by social adhesive resulting from TV with SNSs.

  10. Here's an idea: ask the users! Young people's views on navigation, design and content of a health information website.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franck, Linda S; Noble, Genevieve

    2007-12-01

    Use of the internet to provide health information to young people is a relatively recent development. Few studies have explored young people's views on how they use internet health websites. This study investigated the navigation, design and content preferences of young people using the Children First for Health (CFfH) website. Young people from five secondary schools completed an internet site navigation exercise, website evaluation questionnaire and participated in informal discussions. Of the participants, 45 percent visited the website section aimed at older adolescents within their first two clicks, regardless of their age. There were conflicting preferences for design and strong preference for gender-specific information on topics such as appearance, relationships, fitness and sexual health. The findings indicate the importance of gaining young people's views to ensure that health information websites meet the needs of their intended audience. Cooperation from schools can facilitate the process of gaining young people's views on internet website navigation, design and content.

  11. Optimization of strong and weak coordinates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swart, M.; Bickelhaupt, F.M.

    2006-01-01

    We present a new scheme for the geometry optimization of equilibrium and transition state structures that can be used for both strong and weak coordinates. We use a screening function that depends on atom-pair distances to differentiate strong coordinates from weak coordinates. This differentiation

  12. Interest, views and perceived barriers to bariatric surgery in patients with morbid obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wharton, S; Serodio, K J; Kuk, J L; Sivapalan, N; Craik, A; Aarts, M-A

    2016-04-01

    The objective of the study was to assess the interest, views and patient-perceived barriers to bariatric surgery among surgery-eligible patients. Surveys were completed at a weight management clinic and local hospital in Ontario, Canada. Patients were ≥18 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) >40 kg m(-2) or BMI > 35 kg m(-2) with ≥1 comorbidity. The sample included 105 participants, 73.3% female, with a mean BMI of 46.6 ± 7.1 kg m(-2) . Only 33.3% of participants were interested in surgery; 50.5% of participants were not interested and 16.2% had mixed feelings. Participants identified risks (69.5%) and side effects (57.1%) as significant surgical barriers. Interested participants were more likely to perceive themselves as obese, were unhappy with their current weight loss method and were less likely to fear surgery (P bariatric surgery, the majority of qualified patients are not interested in surgery mainly due to the perceived risk of surgery in general and satisfaction with current non-surgical weight loss efforts. The self-perception of obesity, as opposed to medical comorbidities, may be a stronger driver of the decision to have bariatric surgery. It is unclear if patients are aware of the effectiveness of bariatric surgery to help improve comorbidities or if bariatric surgery is perceived as being more cosmetic in nature. © 2016 World Obesity.

  13. Parental TV viewing, parental self-efficacy, media equipment and TV viewing among preschool children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jago, Russell; Sebire, Simon J; Edwards, Mark J; Thompson, Janice L

    2013-11-01

    This study examined if parental TV viewing, parental self-efficacy or access to media equipment were associated with TV viewing among UK preschool-aged children. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 252 parents of 3-5-year-old children. Parents reported child and parent TV viewing and the number of TVs, DVDs, computers, games consoles, hand-held games consoles, music players and laptop computers in the home. Parents also completed scales which assessed their self-efficacy to limit the screen viewing (SV) and promote the physical activity (PA) and their own PA self-efficacy. Analysis indicated that around two thirds of the children spent two or more hours per day watching TV while 75 % of parents watched ≥ 2 h of TV per day. Logistic regression models showed that children who had a parent who watched ≥ 2 h of TV per day were over five times more likely to also watch ≥ 2 h of TV per day. Each unit increase in parental self-efficacy to limit SV was associated with a 77 % reduction in the likelihood that the child watched ≥ 2 h of TV per day. Each additional piece of media equipment in the home was associated with a 28 % increase in the likelihood that parents watched ≥ 2 h of TV per day. Family-based interventions focusing on changing access to home media equipment and building parental self-efficacy to reduce child TV viewing could form part of efforts to reduce TV viewing among preschool children.

  14. MR imaging of hematopoietic regions in bone marrow of aplastic anemia. Diagnostic usefulness of opposed phase T1-weighted images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amano, Yasuo; Tanabe, Yoshihiro; Amano, Maki; Kumazaki, Tatsuo [Nippon Medical School, Tokyo (Japan)

    1996-01-01

    The signal intensity of hematopoietic regions in the marrow of aplastic anemia were investigated on opposed phase T1-weighted images (op-T1WI) with a 0.5-Tesla MR unit. Hematopoietic regions were classified into two groups: low intensity hematopoietic areas (LH) isointense to normal marrow and high intensity hematopoietic regions (HH) with higher intensity than normal marrow on op-T1WI. The signal intensity of LH was significantly lower than that of HH on STIR. LH converted into HH with improvement of laboratory data after therapy, whereas HH decreased with impairment of data. HH were hyperintense to cerebrospinal fluid on op-T1WI. These results indicated that the signal intensity of hematopoietic regions on op-T1WI reflected the cellularity in these regions and that aplastic anemia included hypercellular regions relative to normal marrow. (author).

  15. Theoretical studies of strongly correlated fermions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Logan, D [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin (ILL), 38 - Grenoble (France)

    1997-04-01

    Strongly correlated fermions are investigated. An understanding of strongly correlated fermions underpins a diverse range of phenomena such as metal-insulator transitions, high-temperature superconductivity, magnetic impurity problems and the properties of heavy-fermion systems, in all of which local moments play an important role. (author).

  16. 78 FR 15710 - Strong Sensitizer Guidance

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-12

    ... the supplemental definition of ``strong sensitizer'' found at 16 CFR 1500.3(c)(5). The Commission is proposing to revise the supplemental definition of ``strong sensitizer'' due to advancements in the science...'' definition, assist manufacturers in understanding how CPSC staff would assess whether a substance and/or...

  17. Nuclear physics from strong coupling QCD

    CERN Document Server

    Fromm, Michael

    2009-01-01

    The strong coupling limit (beta_gauge = 0) of QCD offers a number of remarkable research possibilities, of course at the price of large lattice artifacts. Here, we determine the complete phase diagram as a function of temperature T and baryon chemical potential mu_B, for one flavor of staggered fermions in the chiral limit, with emphasis on the determination of a tricritical point and on the T ~ 0 transition to nuclear matter. The latter is known to happen for mu_B substantially below the baryon mass, indicating strong nuclear interactions in QCD at infinite gauge coupling. This leads us to studying the properties of nuclear matter from first principles. We determine the nucleon-nucleon potential in the strong coupling limit, as well as masses m_A of nuclei as a function of their atomic number A. Finally, we clarify the origin of nuclear interactions at strong coupling, which turns out to be a steric effect.

  18. [Television viewing and cardiovascular risk behaviors in the adult population of the French West Indies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrère, P; Atallah, A; Kelly-Irving, M; Lang, T; Inamo, J

    2013-06-01

    Recent studies have shown a link between prolonged television viewing and cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. We aimed to estimate the relationship between television viewing and CV risk behaviors and in the adult population of the French West Indies. We used data from Consant, a cross-sectional study carried out in 2007 on a representative sample of the adult Guadeloupean population (1005 subjects aged 25-74 years selected by stratified random sampling and interviewed at home by trained investigators working in pairs). Among respondents who reported watching television for 2 hours or more per day, 46.5% stated practicing no leisure time physical activity, compared with 35.6% among those who reported watching television for less than 2 hours per day. Adjusting for age, sex, education, income, family status, and perceived CV benefits of physical activity, the odds ratio of physical inactivity was estimated at 1.75 (Ptelevision for 2 hours or more per day, compared with other subjects. A similar relationship was observed when considering dieting to prevent weight gain. In this representative sample of a French Caribbean population, a strong and very significant relationship was observed between prolonged television viewing and CV risk behaviors. Prolonged television viewing seems common to a lifestyle that is characterized by little physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. This may play a role in social inequalities observed in CV diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of finger counting on numerical development – the opposing views of neurocognition and mathematics education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Korbinian eMoeller

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Usually children learn the basic principles of number and arithmetic by the help of finger-based representations. However, whether the reliance on finger-based representations is only beneficial or whether it may even become detrimental is the subject of an ongoing debate between neuro-cognitive and mathematics education researchers. From the neuro-cognitive perspective finger counting provides multi-sensory input conveying both cardinal and ordinal aspects of numbers. Recent data indicate that children with good finger-based numerical representations show better arithmetic skills and that training finger gnosis enhances mathematical skills. From this neuro-cognitive researchers conclude that elaborate finger-based numerical representations are beneficial for later numerical development.However, mathematics education research recommends fostering mental numerical representations so as to induce children to abandon finger-counting. More precisely mathematics education recommends moving from finger counting to concrete structured representations and then, finally, to mental representations of numbers.Taken together, there is obviously an important debate between the neuro-cognitve and mathematics education research concerning the benefits or detriments of finger-based strategies for numerical development. In the present review, the rationale of both lines of evidence will be presented and discussed.

  20. Historical perspective of the relation between IBA and VMI at the magic limit: two opposing views

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scharff-Goldhaber, G.

    1984-01-01

    The two-parameter rotational VMI equations ascribe the observed abrupt change in yrast bands at the magic limit to a first order phase transition. In contrast, two three-parameter anharmonic vibrator models recently suggested yield two limits of validity, neither of which is supported by data. 15 references

  1. Historical perspective of the relation between IBA and VMI at the magic limit: two opposing views

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scharff-Goldhaber, G.

    1984-01-01

    The two-parameter rotational VMI equations ascribe the observed abrupt change in yrast bands at the magic limit to a first order phase transition. In contrast, two three-parameter anharmonic vibrator models recently suggested yield two limits of validity, neither of which is supported by data. 15 references.

  2. String dynamics at strong coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hull, C.M.

    1996-01-01

    The dynamics of superstring, supergravity and M-theories and their compactifications are probed by studying the various perturbation theories that emerge in the strong and weak-coupling limits for various directions in coupling constant space. The results support the picture of an underlying non-perturbative theory that, when expanded perturbatively in different coupling constants, gives different perturbation theories, which can be perturbative superstring theories or superparticle theories. The p-brane spectrum is considered in detail and a criterion found to establish which p-branes govern the strong-coupling dynamics. In many cases there are competing conjectures in the literature, and this analysis decides between them. In other cases, new results are found. The chiral 6-dimensional theory resulting from compactifying the type IIB string on K 3 is studied in detail and it is found that certain strong-coupling limits appear to give new theories, some of which hint at the possibility of a 12-dimensional origin. (orig.)

  3. Strong-field QED processes in short laser pulses. One- and two-photon Compton scattering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seipt, Daniel

    2012-12-20

    The purpose of this thesis is to advance the understanding of strong-field QED processes in short laser pulses. The processes of non-linear one-photon and two-photon Compton scattering are studied, that is the scattering of photons in the interaction of relativistic electrons with ultra-short high-intensity laser pulses. These investigations are done in view of the present and next generation of ultra-high intensity optical lasers which are supposed to achieve unprecedented intensities of the order of 10{sup 24} W/cm{sup 2} and beyond, with pulse lengths in the order of some femtoseconds. The ultra-high laser intensity requires a non-perturbative description of the interaction of charged particles with the laser field to allow for multi-photon interactions, which is beyond the usual perturbative expansion of QED organized in powers of the fine structure constant. This is achieved in strong-field QED by employing the Furry picture and non-perturbative solutions of the Dirac equation in the presence of a background laser field as initial and final state wave functions, as well as the laser dressed Dirac-Volkov propagator. The primary objective is a realistic description of scattering processes with regard to the finite laser pulse duration beyond the common approximation of infinite plane waves, which is made necessary by the ultra-short pulse length of modern high-intensity lasers. Non-linear finite size effects are identified, which are a result of the interplay between the ultra-high intensity and the ultra-short pulse length. In particular, the frequency spectra and azimuthal photon emission spectra are studied emphasizing the differences between pulsed and infinite laser fields. The proper description of the finite temporal duration of the laser pulse leads to a regularization of unphysical infinities (due to the infinite plane-wave description) of the laser-dressed Dirac-Volkov propagator and in the second-order strong-field process of two-photon Compton

  4. Plasmons in strong superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldo, M.; Ducoin, C.

    2011-01-01

    We present a study of the possible plasmon excitations that can occur in systems where strong superconductivity is present. In these systems the plasmon energy is comparable to or smaller than the pairing gap. As a prototype of these systems we consider the proton component of Neutron Star matter just below the crust when electron screening is not taken into account. For the realistic case we consider in detail the different aspects of the elementary excitations when the proton, electron components are considered within the Random-Phase Approximation generalized to the superfluid case, while the influence of the neutron component is considered only at qualitative level. Electron screening plays a major role in modifying the proton spectrum and spectral function. At the same time the electron plasmon is strongly modified and damped by the indirect coupling with the superfluid proton component, even at moderately low values of the gap. The excitation spectrum shows the interplay of the different components and their relevance for each excitation modes. The results are relevant for neutrino physics and thermodynamical processes in neutron stars. If electron screening is neglected, the spectral properties of the proton component show some resemblance with the physical situation in high-T c superconductors, and we briefly discuss similarities and differences in this connection. In a general prospect, the results of the study emphasize the role of Coulomb interaction in strong superconductors.

  5. Opposed Effects of Dityrosine Formation in Soluble and Aggregated α-Synuclein on Fibril Growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wördehoff, Michael M; Shaykhalishahi, Hamed; Groß, Luca; Gremer, Lothar; Stoldt, Matthias; Buell, Alexander K; Willbold, Dieter; Hoyer, Wolfgang

    2017-10-13

    Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized by aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) in Lewy bodies, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased oxidative stress in the substantia nigra. Oxidative stress leads to several modifications of biomolecules including dityrosine (DiY) crosslinking in proteins, which has recently been detected in α-syn in Lewy bodies from Parkinson's disease patients. Here we report that α-syn is highly susceptible to ultraviolet-induced DiY formation. We investigated DiY formation of α-syn and nine tyrosine-to-alanine mutants and monitored its effect on α-syn fibril formation in vitro. Ultraviolet irradiation of intrinsically disordered α-syn generates DiY-modified monomers and dimers, which inhibit fibril formation of unmodified α-syn by interfering with fibril elongation. The inhibition depends on both the DiY group and its integration into α-syn. When preformed α-syn fibrils are crosslinked by DiY formation, they gain increased resistance to denaturation. DiY-stabilized α-syn fibrils retain their high seeding efficiency even after being exposed to denaturant concentrations that completely depolymerize non-crosslinked seeds. Oxidative stress-associated DiY crosslinking of α-syn therefore entails two opposing effects: (i) inhibition of aggregation by DiY-modified monomers and dimers, and (ii) stabilization of fibrillar aggregates against potential degradation mechanisms, which can lead to promotion of aggregation, especially in the presence of secondary nucleation. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. A new LabVIEW interface for MDSplus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manduchi, G.; De Marchi, E.; Mandelli, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Integration object oriented data access layer in LabVIEW. ► A new component of the MDSplus data acquisition package. ► A new approach in the graphical presentation of data acquisition systems. -- Abstract: The paper presents a new interface providing full integration of MDSplus in LabVIEW, based on the recent features of MDSplus, in particular, data streaming, multithreading and Object Oriented interface. Data streaming support fits into the data driven concept of LabVIEW and multithreading is a native concept in LabVIEW. The object oriented interface of MDSplus defines a set of classes which map specific functionality, such as Tree and TreeNode to represent pulse files and data items, respectively, and fits naturally into the LabVIEW Object Oriented programming interface (LVOOP) introduced in version 8.2. MDSplus objects have been mapped onto LabVIEW objects, which act as wrappers to the underlying MDSplus object instance. This approach allows exporting the full MDSplus functionality into LabVIEW retaining the language-independent system view provided by the MDSplus object oriented interface

  7. A new LabVIEW interface for MDSplus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manduchi, G., E-mail: gabriele.manduchi@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Padova (Italy); De Marchi, E. [Department of Information Engineering, Padova University (Italy); Mandelli, A. [National Instruments (Italy)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: ► Integration object oriented data access layer in LabVIEW. ► A new component of the MDSplus data acquisition package. ► A new approach in the graphical presentation of data acquisition systems. -- Abstract: The paper presents a new interface providing full integration of MDSplus in LabVIEW, based on the recent features of MDSplus, in particular, data streaming, multithreading and Object Oriented interface. Data streaming support fits into the data driven concept of LabVIEW and multithreading is a native concept in LabVIEW. The object oriented interface of MDSplus defines a set of classes which map specific functionality, such as Tree and TreeNode to represent pulse files and data items, respectively, and fits naturally into the LabVIEW Object Oriented programming interface (LVOOP) introduced in version 8.2. MDSplus objects have been mapped onto LabVIEW objects, which act as wrappers to the underlying MDSplus object instance. This approach allows exporting the full MDSplus functionality into LabVIEW retaining the language-independent system view provided by the MDSplus object oriented interface.

  8. Whiteliness and Institutional Racism: Hiding behind (Un)Conscious Bias

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tate, Shirley Anne; Page, Damien

    2018-01-01

    'Unconscious bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgements and assessments without us realising. Biases are influenced by background, cultural environment and experiences and we may not be aware of these views and opinions, or of their full impact and implications. This article opposes this point of view by arguing that bias is not…

  9. Modified ITER In-Vessel Viewing System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahola, H.; Heikkinen, V.; Keraenen, K.; Suomela, J.

    2001-01-01

    The original ITER In-Vessel Viewing System (IVVS) prototype (Proc. of the 20th SOFT, vol. 2 (1998) 1051), which demonstrates the feasibility of linear fibre arrays for ITER in-vessel viewing, has been modified. In order to reduce the viewing time and to improve the image quality the beam dispersing mirrors was replaced by a diffractive optics element (DOE), which enhanced the laser illumination considerably. The performance of the system was tested using various target surfaces: the results obtained clearly indicate its adequacy for in-vessel viewing. Mechanical damage on smooth metal surfaces (scratches etc.) can be easily distinguished and the viewing resolution at a distance of 2 m is better than 1 mm. The IVVS has been re-designed to be compatible with the new ITER-FEAT. A conceptual study which covers all the functions and subsystems required for viewing has been completed. These results will be used to further modify the prototype: items to be tested include horizontal probe operation and laser illumination with an optical fibre

  10. Exploring experts' views and perspectives on the enhancement of Strategic Environmental Assessment in European small islands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polido, Alexandra, E-mail: a.polido@campus.fct.unl.pt [CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); João, Elsa, E-mail: elsa.joao@strath.ac.uk [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Level 5, James Weir Building, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow G1 1XJ, Scotland (United Kingdom); Ramos, Tomás B., E-mail: tabr@fct.unl.pt [CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

    2016-04-15

    stakeholders, such as territorial experts, to learn and promote the use and improvement of environmental and sustainability tools such as SEA. - Highlights: • Explored the views and perspectives of European small island experts • Showed the need for cooperation networks while developing SEA in these territories • Encouraged the development of specific guidelines as opposed to more legal frameworks • Highlighted SEA capability for the enhancement of small island sustainability.

  11. Trust-based collective view prediction

    CERN Document Server

    Luo, Tiejian; Xu, Guandong; Zhou, Jia

    2013-01-01

    Collective view prediction is to judge the opinions of an active web user based on unknown elements by referring to the collective mind of the whole community. Content-based recommendation and collaborative filtering are two mainstream collective view prediction techniques. They generate predictions by analyzing the text features of the target object or the similarity of users' past behaviors. Still, these techniques are vulnerable to the artificially-injected noise data, because they are not able to judge the reliability and credibility of the information sources. Trust-based Collective View

  12. Impact of Viewing vs. Not Viewing a Real Forest on Physiological and Psychological Responses in the Same Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masahiro Horiuchi

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the impact of viewing versus not viewing a real forest on human subjects’ physiological and psychological responses in the same setting. Fifteen healthy volunteers (11 males, four females, mean age 36 years participated. Each participant was asked to view a forest while seated in a comfortable chair for 15 min (Forest condition vs. sitting the same length of time with a curtain obscuring the forest view (Enclosed condition. Both conditions significantly decreased blood pressure (BP variables, i.e., systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure between pre and post experimental stimuli, but these reductions showed no difference between conditions. Interestingly, the Forest viewing reduced cerebral oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2 assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS and improved the subjects’ Profile of Mood States (POMS scores, whereas the Enclosed condition increased the HbO2 and did not affect the POMS scores. There were no significant differences in saliva amylase or heart rate variability (HRV between the two conditions. Collectively, these results suggest that viewing a real forest may have a positive effect on cerebral activity and psychological responses. However, both viewing and not viewing the forest had similar effects on cardiovascular responses such as BP variables and HRV.

  13. Gamma-ray pulsars: Emission zones and viewing geometries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romani, Roger W.; Yadigaroglu, I.-A.

    1995-01-01

    There are now a half-dozen young pulsars detected in high-energy photons by the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), showing a variety of emission efficiencies and pulse profiles. We present here a calculation of the pattern of high-energy emission on the sky in a model which posits gamma-ray production by charge-depleted gaps in the outer magnetosphere. This model accounts for the radio to gamma-ray pulse offsets of the known pulsars, as well as the shape of the high-energy pulse profiles. We also show that about one-third of emitting young radio pulsars will not be detected due to beaming effects, while approximately 2.5 times the number of radio-selected gamma-ray pulsars will be viewed only high energies. Finally we compute the polarization angle variation and find that the previously misunderstood optical polarization sweep of the Crab pulsar arises naturally in this picture. These results strongly support an outer magnetosphere location for the gamma-ray emission.

  14. "If I know I am on the pill and I get pregnant, it's an act of God": women's views on fatalism, agency and pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Rachel K; Frohwirth, Lori F; Blades, Nakeisha M

    2016-06-01

    Fatalism is the idea that outside forces have control over events. Pregnancy and pregnancy prevention play a prominent role in many women's lives, and we sought to understand if and how fatalism informed their thinking about these issues. We conducted in-depth interviews with 52 unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 30. We used NVivo to analyze the transcripts. The current analysis focuses on the ways that women discussed fatalism and pregnancy both in response to a direct question and as it came up spontaneously. The majority of respondents expressed a mix of fatalistic and non-fatalistic views about pregnancy. Many related that "fate," "destiny" and/or God play a role in pregnancy, but most also asserted that pregnancy risk could be substantially reduced, most commonly by using contraception. Fatalism sometimes served a positive function, for example as a mechanism to deal with an unintended pregnancy. Having a fatalistic outlook did not preclude contraceptive use. Rather, some women using highly effective methods related that if they were to become pregnant, they would interpret it as a sign that the pregnancy was "meant to happen." Finally some women related that there was no guarantee a woman could get pregnant when she wanted to, suggesting that some degree of fatalism may be inevitable when it comes to pregnancy. Fatalism and agency should not be viewed as opposing outlooks when it comes to pregnancy and pregnancy prevention; having fatalistic views about pregnancy does not preclude contraceptive use. Given that women do not have total control over attainment of a wanted pregnancy or even prevention of pregnancy, some amount of fatalism about fertility is a logical and pragmatic response. Both research and clinical practice need to recognize that fatalism and contraceptive use are often not in conflict. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. LabVIEW Real-Time

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Flockhart, Ronald Bruce; Seppey, P

    2003-01-01

    With LabVIEW Real-Time, you can choose from a variety of RT Series hardware. Add a real-time data acquisition component into a larger measurement and automation system or create a single stand-alone real-time solution with data acquisition, signal conditioning, motion control, RS-232, GPIB instrumentation, and Ethernet connectivity. With the various hardware options, you can create a system to meet your precise needs today, while the modularity of the system means you can add to the solution as your system requirements grow. If you are interested in Reliable and Deterministic systems for Measurement and Automation, you will profit from this seminar. Agenda: Real-Time Overview LabVIEW RT Hardware Platforms - Linux on PXI Programming with LabVIEW RT Real-Time Operating Systems concepts Timing Applications Data Transfer

  16. Atom collisions in a strong electromagnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smirnov, V.S.; Chaplik, A.V.

    1976-01-01

    It is shown that the long-range part of interatomic interaction is considerably altered in a strong electromagnetic field. Instead of the van der Waals law the potential asymptote can best be described by a dipole-dipole R -3 law. Impact broadening and the line shift in a strong nonresonant field are calculated. The possibility of bound states of two atoms being formed in a strong light field is discussed

  17. Influences of Antagonistic Views of Nature on Understanding of Humanity : In the Case of Rousseau and Nietzsche

    OpenAIRE

    宮島, 光志

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study lies in considering, in the case of Rousseau and Nietzsche, how strongly the antagonistic views of nature influenced the understanding of humanity (human nature). Both Rousseau and Nietzsche criticized the modern European civilization and sought to recover the "nature" in human beings. However, at least, Nietzsche didn't assume that Rousseau was his forerunner. On the contrary, he criticized Rousseau as the greatest enemy. The reason for it can be explained from the diff...

  18. Electronic Structure of Strongly Correlated Materials

    CERN Document Server

    Anisimov, Vladimir

    2010-01-01

    Electronic structure and physical properties of strongly correlated materials containing elements with partially filled 3d, 4d, 4f and 5f electronic shells is analyzed by Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT). DMFT is the most universal and effective tool used for the theoretical investigation of electronic states with strong correlation effects. In the present book the basics of the method are given and its application to various material classes is shown. The book is aimed at a broad readership: theoretical physicists and experimentalists studying strongly correlated systems. It also serves as a handbook for students and all those who want to be acquainted with fast developing filed of condensed matter physics.

  19. Hyper-stasis as opposed to hyper-activism: the politics of health policy in the USA set against England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paton, Calum

    2013-01-01

    This paper considers health policy-making in the USA with England as comparator. It contrasts policy inertia in US healthcare despite crisis with hyper-activity in perpetual 'reform' in England despite absence of crisis in the NHS. It does so from the standpoint of political science and political economy. I suggest that 'path-dependency', the view that past policy constrains future policy, lacks explanatory power and that wider and deeper explanations must be sought. The USA's apparent path dependency is in fact a story of political economy and power, buttressed by institutions. England's apparent lack of path-dependency in promulgating NHS reform is in fact a story of executive hyper-activism which is oblivious to how implementation will obviate its prescriptions. This failure of 'reform' in the NHS is not a symptom of concealed path-dependency but a sign of pragmatism by those charged with implementation. In the USA, the durability of its various systems of healthcare is by contrast a sign of pragmatism not being adequate to achieve health sector reform. In the USA, a weak state is unable to manage healthcare reform which would actually benefit US capitalism as a whole. In the UK, a strong state has created and developed the NHS to the benefit of capital through the economical provision of healthcare to the workforce. Such an 'investment state' is a testimony to the continuing validity of the neo-Marxist argument that social investment and social expenses are an important and functional component of the capitalist state. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Students′ views on student-teacher relationship: A questionnaire-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid A Bin Abdulrahman

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study is to assess students′ views on student-teacher relationship and its effect on academic grades. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, in 2005. The questionnaires were distributed to 420 students during the examination period in order to obtain a full response. It consisted of items on different aspects of student-teacher relationship for which the responses were measured on a 4-point scale. The response rate was about 83%. Results: The current relationship between the student and the teacher was evaluated as very good and good by 61% of the study sample. The responses were associated with their grades as (X [2] =6.25, p=0.012. Eighty-four point one percent of students with higher and above average grades felt that expulsion from class was an appropriate means of controlling the class. Also (78.2% students felt that the teachers treated them with respect, and their responses were significantly associated with their grades (X [2] =11.8, p=0.003. Eight-four percent of the students with higher and above average grades strongly agreed that teacher′s performance was affected by students′ attendance or absence and the responses were significantly associated with their grades (X [2] =4.35, p=0.037. The responses to most of the items by the students were independent of their grades. Conclusion: This study concludes that student-teacher relationship was good in a medical school and the views of students on this relationship were independent with their academic grades. Further study which includes from 1 st year to 5th year undergraduate students is required to give a broader view of student-teacher relationship in a medical school.

  1. Pragmatism and Political Pluralism - Consensus and Pluralism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Marsonet

    2015-07-01

    In our day the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas has in a way revived these Peircean insights, putting forward an influential theory to the effect that consensus indeed plays a key role in human praxis, so that the primary task of philosophy is to foster it by eliminating the disagreement which we constantly have to face in the course of our daily life. In his “communicative theory of consensus,” furthermore, he claims that human communication rests on an implicit commitment to a sort of “ideal speech situation” which is the normative foundation of agreement in linguistic matters. Consequently, the quest for consensus is a constitutive feature of our nature of (rational human beings: rationality and consensus are tied together. A very strong consequence derives from Habermas’ premises: were we to abandon the search for consensus we would lose rationality, too, and this makes us understand that he views the pursuit of consensus as a regulative principle (rather than as a merely practical objective. Rescher opposes both Peirce’s eschatological view and Habermas’ regulative and idealized one.

  2. On the Strong Direct Summand Conjecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, Jason

    2009-01-01

    In this thesis, our aim is the study the Vanishing of Maps of Tor Conjecture of Hochster and Huneke. We mainly focus on an equivalent characterization called the Strong Direct Summand Conjecture, due to N. Ranganathan. Our results are separated into three chapters. In Chapter 3, we prove special cases of the Strong Direct Summand Conjecture in…

  3. Does my brain want what my eyes like? - How food liking and choice influence spatio-temporal brain dynamics of food viewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bielser, Marie-Laure; Crézé, Camille; Murray, Micah M; Toepel, Ulrike

    2016-12-01

    How food valuation and decision-making influence the perception of food is of major interest to better understand food intake behavior and, by extension, body weight management. Our study investigated behavioral responses and spatio-temporal brain dynamics by means of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in twenty-two normal-weight participants when viewing pairs of food photographs. Participants rated how much they liked each food item (valuation) and subsequently chose between the two alternative food images. Unsurprisingly, strongly liked foods were also chosen most often. Foods were rated faster as strongly liked than as mildly liked or disliked irrespective of whether they were subsequently chosen over an alternative. Moreover, strongly liked foods were subsequently also chosen faster than the less liked alternatives. Response times during valuation and choice were positively correlated, but only when foods were liked; the faster participants rated foods as strongly liked, the faster they were in choosing the food item over an alternative. VEP modulations by the level of liking attributed as well as the subsequent choice were found as early as 135-180ms after food image onset. Analyses of neural source activity patterns over this time interval revealed an interaction between liking and the subsequent choice within the insula, dorsal frontal and superior parietal regions. The neural responses to food viewing were found to be modulated by the attributed level of liking only when foods were chosen, not when they were dismissed for an alternative. Therein, the responses to disliked foods were generally greater than those to foods that were liked more. Moreover, the responses to disliked but chosen foods were greater than responses to disliked foods which were subsequently dismissed for an alternative offer. Our findings show that the spatio-temporal brain dynamics to food viewing are immediately influenced both by how much foods are liked and by choices taken on them

  4. Determination of some radiative view factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, B.; Mukhopadhyay, D.; Lele, H.G.; Fichot, F.; Guillard, G.

    2011-01-01

    View factors are essential components for analysis for of radiative heat transfer through enclosure methods like radiosity approach, direct/total exchange area approach etc. View factor is defined as the integral over the interacting surface. View factor integral can be calculated by following various approaches, such as: view factor algebra, direction analytical approach, contour integration method, Monte Carlo method, numerical methods based of FDM or FEM, Hottle's string method etc. The present module of work on determination of view factor is aimed for use in ASTEC code system for severe accident analysis. There exist many routines (RADB, RADC, GRADEB, RADR, RADL) in the ICARE module of ASTEC code system to model radiative heat transfer from different types of assemblies of interacting surfaces of different nature. The present work is specially targeted for radiative heat transfer model for lower plenum (RADILOWE) and for extension of ICARE module for IPHWR. In interacting surfaces within the lower plenum comprises of different types of circular, cylindrical and conical surface. In the work completed so far, view factor relations have been derived/compiled based on exact/approximate analytical and numerical approaches. (author)

  5. Drugs in Afghanistan: The Challenges With Implementing U.S. Strategy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Liddell, David J

    2008-01-01

    ... the Islamic faith hostage to advance its cause These diametrically opposing views are certain to challenge this country for years to come, requiring our nation to carefully assess threats and judiciously...

  6. Effects of Different Viewing Conditions on Radiographic Interpretation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahkameh Moshfeghi

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Optimum viewing conditions facilitate identification of radiographic details and decrease the need for retakes, patients’ costs and radiation dose. This study sought to evaluate the effects of different viewing conditions on radiographic interpretation.Materials and Methods: This diagnostic study was performed by evaluating radiograph of a 7mm-thick aluminum block, in which 10 holes with 2mm diameters were randomly drilled with depths ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.50mm. The radiograph was viewed by four oral radiologists independently under four viewing conditions, including a white light viewing light box in a lit room, yellow light viewing light box in a lit room, white light viewing light box in a dark room and yellow light viewing light box in a dark room. Number of circular shadows observed on the film was recorded. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA.Results: The mean number of detected circular shadows was 6.75, 7.5, 7.25 and 7.75 in white light viewing light box in a lit room, white light viewing light box in a dark room, yellow light viewing light box in a lit room and yellow light viewing light box in a dark room, respectively. Although the surrounding illumination had statistically significant effect on the radiographic details (P≤0.03, the light color of the viewing light box had no significant effect on visibility of the radiographic details.Conclusion: White and yellow light of the viewing light box had no significant effect on visibility of the radiographic details but more information was obtained in a dark room.

  7. Editorial: The effects of early trauma and deprivation on human development - from measuring cumulative risk to characterizing specific mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeanah, Charles H; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J S

    2016-10-01

    Science is not a linear process of accumulating knowledge. To the contrary, progress in understanding is most likely to occur, especially in less 'mature' disciplines, when healthy debate between opposing points of view create a dialectic in which thesis and antithesis force a new synthesis. In developmental psychopathology, such tension between opposing schools of thought continue to play a vital role in driving discovery across a wide range of topics. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  8. Mechanically Strong Lightweight Materials for Aerospace Applications (x-aerogels)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leventis, Nicholas

    2005-01-01

    The X-Aerogel is a new NASA-developed strong lightweight material made by reacting the mesoporous surfaces of 3-D networks of inorganic nanoparticles with polymeric crosslinkers. Since the relative amount of the crosslinker and the backbone are comparable, X-Aerogels can be viewed either as aerogels modified by templated accumulation of polymer on the skeletal nanoparticles, or as nanoporous polymers made by templated casting of polymeric precursors on a nanostructured framework. The most striking feature of X-Aerogels is that for a nominal 3-fold increase in density (still a ultralightweight material), the mechanical strength can be up to 300 times higher than the strength of the underlying native aerogel. Thus, X-Aerogels combine a multiple of the specific compressive strength of steel, with the thermal conductivity of styrofoam. XAerogels have been demonstrated with several polymers such as polyurethanes/polyureas, epoxies and polyolefins, while crosslinking of approximately 35 different oxide aerogels yields a wide variety of dimensionally stable, porous lightweight materials with interesting structural, magnetic and optical properties. X-Aerogels are evaluated for cryogenic rocket fuel storage tanks and for Advanced EVA suits, where they will play the dual role of the thermal insulator/structural material. Along the same lines, major impact is also expected by the use of X-Aerogels in structural components/thermal protection for small satellites, spacecrafts, planetary vehicles and habitats.

  9. Engineering defined membrane-embedded elements of AMPA receptor induces opposing gating modulation by cornichon 3 and stargazin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawken, Natalie M; Zaika, Elena I; Nakagawa, Terunaga

    2017-10-15

    The AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs) mediate the majority of excitatory synaptic transmission and their function impacts learning, cognition and behaviour. The gating of AMPARs occurs in milliseconds, precisely controlled by a variety of auxiliary subunits that are expressed differentially in the brain, but the difference in mechanisms underlying AMPAR gating modulation by auxiliary subunits remains elusive and is investigated. The elements of the AMPAR that are functionally recruited by auxiliary subunits, stargazin and cornichon 3, are located not only in the extracellular domains but also in the lipid-accessible surface of the AMPAR. We reveal that the two auxiliary subunits require a shared surface on the transmembrane domain of the AMPAR for their function, but the gating is influenced by this surface in opposing directions for each auxiliary subunit. Our results provide new insights into the mechanistic difference of AMPAR modulation by auxiliary subunits and a conceptual framework for functional engineering of the complex. During excitatory synaptic transmission, various structurally unrelated transmembrane auxiliary subunits control the function of AMPA receptors (AMPARs), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We identified lipid-exposed residues in the transmembrane domain (TMD) of the GluA2 subunit of AMPARs that are critical for the function of AMPAR auxiliary subunits, stargazin (Stg) and cornichon 3 (CNIH3). These residues are essential for stabilizing the AMPAR-CNIH3 complex in detergents and overlap with the contacts made between GluA2 TMD and Stg in the cryoEM structures. Mutating these residues had opposite effects on gating modulation and complex stability when Stg- and CNIH3-bound AMPARs were compared. Specifically, in detergent the GluA2-A793F formed an unstable complex with CNIIH3 but in the membrane the GluA2-A793F-CNIH3 complex expressed a gain of function. In contrast, the GluA2-A793F-Stg complex was stable, but had

  10. The making of a moral economy: women's views of monetary transactions in an 'egg sharing for research' scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haimes, Erica; Williams, Robin

    2017-09-07

    There are growing debates about the appropriateness of offering money in exchange for the provision of bodily materials for clinical treatment and research. The bioethics literature and many practice guidelines have generally been opposed to such entanglement, depicting the use of money as contaminating, creating undue inducement, exploitation and commodification of the human body. However, two elements have been missing from these debates: (i) the perspectives of those people providing bodily materials when money is offered; and (ii) systematic empirical engagement with the notion of 'money' itself. This article seeks to fill those gaps in knowledge by providing detailed insights from a project investigating the views and experiences of women who volunteered to provide eggs for research in exchange for reduced fees for fertility treatment. Analysis of 29 semi-structured interviews reveals multiple ways in which volunteers reason through the involvement of 'money' in this domain and shows how their accounts diverge from pessimistic understandings of the role of monies in everyday life. When volunteers speak in detail about the monetary aspects of their participation they draw major, recurring, distinctions in five overlapping areas: their depiction of the monetized world of fertility treatment; their views of the different forms that money can take; a distancing of their actions from their understandings of how markets and commodities work; their location of the transactions within a particular clinic, and the ongoing importance of their eggs, post-transaction. This article: (i) responds to calls for concrete case studies to assist understandings of the inter-relationships of money and specific aspects of social life; (ii) adds to the sociology of money literature by providing empirical insights into how notions of money are deployed; (iii) presents much-needed perspectives from providers of bodily materials; and (iv) contributes to ongoing conversations between

  11. The activity view of inner speech

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando eMartínez-Manrique

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available We distinguish two general approaches to inner speech (IS –the ‘format’ and the ‘activity’ views–, and defend the activity view. The format view grounds the utility of IS on features of the representational format of language, and is related to the thesis that the proper function of IS is to make conscious thinking possible. IS appears typically as a product constituted by representations of phonological features. The view also has implications for the idea that passivity phenomena in cognition may be misattributed IS. The activity view sees IS as a speaking activity that does not have a proper function in cognition. It simply inherits the array of functions of outer speech. We argue that it is methodologically advisable to start from this variety of uses, which suggests commonalities between internal and external activities. The format view has several problems; it has to deny unsymbolized thinking; it cannot easily explain how IS makes thoughts available to consciousness, and it cannot explain those uses of IS where its format features apparently play no role. The activity view not only lacks these problems but also has explanatory advantages: construing IS as an activity allows it to be integrally constituted by its content; the view is able to construe unsymbolized thinking as part of a continuum of phenomena that exploit the same mechanisms, and it offers a simple explanation for the variety of uses of IS.

  12. A broader view of justice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jecker, Nancy S

    2008-10-01

    In this paper I argue that a narrow view of justice dominates the bioethics literature. I urge a broader view. As bioethicists, we often conceive of justice using a medical model. This model focuses attention at a particular point in time, namely, when someone who is already sick seeks access to scarce or expensive services. A medical model asks how we can fairly distribute those services. The broader view I endorse requires looking upstream, and asking how disease and suffering came about. In contrast to a medical model, a social model of justice considers how social determinants affect the health of a population. For example, social factors such as access to clean drinking water, education, safe workplaces, and police protection, profoundly affect risk for disease and early death. I examine one important social determinant of health, health care coverage, to show the limits of a medical model and the merits of a broader view.

  13. Physics challenges in the strong interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, S.D.

    1992-01-01

    The study of strong interactions is now a mature field for which scientist now know that the correct underlying theory is QCD. Here, an overview of the challenges to be faced in the area of the strong interactions during the 1990's is presented. As an illustrative example special attention is given to the analysis of jets as studied at hadron colliders

  14. Physics challenges in the strong interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, S.D. [Univ. of Washington, Seattle (United States)

    1992-12-31

    The study of strong interactions is now a mature field for which scientist now know that the correct underlying theory is QCD. Here, an overview of the challenges to be faced in the area of the strong interactions during the 1990`s is presented. As an illustrative example special attention is given to the analysis of jets as studied at hadron colliders.

  15. Electromagnetic processes in strong crystalline fields

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    We propose a number of new investigations on aspects of radiation from high energy electron and positron beams (10-300 GeV) in single crystals and amorphous targets. The common heading is radiation emission by electrons and positrons in strong electromagnetic fields, but as the setup is quite versatile, other related phenomena in radiation emission can be studied as well. The intent is to clarify the role of a number of important aspects of radiation in strong fields as e.g. observed in crystals. We propose to measure trident 'Klein-like' production in strong crystalline fields, 'crystalline undulator' radiation, 'sandwich' target phenomena, LPM suppression of pair production as well as axial and planar effects in contributions of spin to the radiation.

  16. Merging Top-View Lidar Data With Street-View SFM Data To Enhance Urban Flood Simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meesuk, V.; Vojinovic, Zoran; Mynett, A.E.; Piasecki, M

    2014-01-01

    Top-view data obtainedfrom LiDAR systemshas long been used as topographic-input data for urban flood modelling applications. This high-resolution input data has considerable potential to improve urban flood modelling predictions with more detail. However, the difficulty of employing top-view data is

  17. Language, Thought, and Culture: Views and Arguments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keyvan Zahedi

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available This study follows two aims: one to review some late views on the relations among language, thought, and culture; and the other, to offer a new strategy, in a novel model, based on last achievements in the minimalist approach. Studying views and arguments, three dichotomies are discussed: 1 the views which confirm the relation between culture and language in opposition to the views that deny this; 2 distinguishing the symmetry-procedural view and the transforming views of language; and 3 distinction among the social-communicational, and the biological-genetic motivations of language. The hypothesis for the novel strategy is that considering what the minimalist program has offered, especially from 2000 onwards, it is possible that language affects thought, while coding the and that culture affects language (which is called ethno-grammar . This is in addition to the biological-genetic base. From this point of view, language’s main function is neither to provide communication, nor to express thought, but to connect cognitive and socio-cultural terminals together.

  18. Strong cosmic censorship in the case of T3-Gowdy vacuum spacetimes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ringstroem, Hans

    2008-01-01

    In 1952, Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat demonstrated that it makes sense to consider Einstein's vacuum equations from an initial value point of view; given initial data, there is a globally hyperbolic development. Since there are many developments, one does, however, not obtain uniqueness. This was remedied in 1969 when Choquet-Bruhat and Robert Geroch demonstrated that there is a unique maximal globally hyperbolic development (MGHD). Unfortunately, there are examples of initial data for which the MGHD is extendible, and, what is worse, extendible in inequivalent ways. Thus it is not possible to predict what spacetime one is in simply by looking at initial data and, in this sense, Einstein's equations are not deterministic. Since the examples exhibiting this behaviour are rather special, it is natural to conjecture that for generic initial data, the MGHD is inextendible. This conjecture is referred to as the strong cosmic censorship conjecture and is of central importance in mathematical relativity. In this paper, we shall describe this conjecture in detail, as well as its resolution in the special case of T 3 -Gowdy spacetimes

  19. Manipulating light with strongly modulated photonic crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Notomi, Masaya

    2010-01-01

    Recently, strongly modulated photonic crystals, fabricated by the state-of-the-art semiconductor nanofabrication process, have realized various novel optical properties. This paper describes the way in which they differ from other optical media, and clarifies what they can do. In particular, three important issues are considered: light confinement, frequency dispersion and spatial dispersion. First, I describe the latest status and impact of ultra-strong light confinement in a wavelength-cubic volume achieved in photonic crystals. Second, the extreme reduction in the speed of light is reported, which was achieved as a result of frequency dispersion management. Third, strange negative refraction in photonic crystals is introduced, which results from their unique spatial dispersion, and it is clarified how this leads to perfect imaging. The last two sections are devoted to applications of these novel properties. First, I report the fact that strong light confinement and huge light-matter interaction enhancement make strongly modulated photonic crystals promising for on-chip all-optical processing, and present several examples including all-optical switches/memories and optical logics. As a second application, it is shown that the strong light confinement and slow light in strongly modulated photonic crystals enable the adiabatic tuning of light, which leads to various novel ways of controlling light, such as adiabatic frequency conversion, efficient optomechanics systems, photon memories and photons pinning.

  20. Critical Viewing and Participatory Democracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Jodi R.

    1994-01-01

    Illustrates ways that the work of some communication scholars with resistant, oppositional, and critical audiences does not, however, endorse active public life. Attempts to realign the language of critical viewing with the goals of participatory democracy by suggesting qualities of critical viewing that are conducive to achieving and maintaining…

  1. Programming Arduino with LabVIEW

    CERN Document Server

    Schwartz, Marco

    2015-01-01

    If you already have some experience with LabVIEW and want to apply your skills to control physical objects and make measurements using the Arduino sensor, this book is for you. Prior knowledge of Arduino and LabVIEW is essential to fully understand the projects detailed in this book.

  2. Service outsourcing with process views

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eshuis, H.; Norta, A.H.; Kopp, O.; Pitkänen, E.

    2015-01-01

    Service outsourcing is a business paradigm in which an organization has a part of its business process performed by a service provider. Process views are pivotal to support this way of working. A process view shields secret or irrelevant details from a private business process, thus allowing an

  3. Views of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Alan H.

    1990-01-01

    Discusses views of Martin Luther King, Jr., including concepts of human rights, related counseling approaches, and ethics. Claims King's views provide helpful insights for counselors and clients. Concludes King invited individuals to view challenging life situations as moral opportunities. (Author/ABL)

  4. VIGAN: Missing View Imputation with Generative Adversarial Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Chao; Palmer, Aaron; Sun, Jiangwen; Chen, Ko-Shin; Lu, Jin; Bi, Jinbo

    2017-01-01

    In an era when big data are becoming the norm, there is less concern with the quantity but more with the quality and completeness of the data. In many disciplines, data are collected from heterogeneous sources, resulting in multi-view or multi-modal datasets. The missing data problem has been challenging to address in multi-view data analysis. Especially, when certain samples miss an entire view of data, it creates the missing view problem. Classic multiple imputations or matrix completion methods are hardly effective here when no information can be based on in the specific view to impute data for such samples. The commonly-used simple method of removing samples with a missing view can dramatically reduce sample size, thus diminishing the statistical power of a subsequent analysis. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for view imputation via generative adversarial networks (GANs), which we name by VIGAN. This approach first treats each view as a separate domain and identifies domain-to-domain mappings via a GAN using randomly-sampled data from each view, and then employs a multi-modal denoising autoencoder (DAE) to reconstruct the missing view from the GAN outputs based on paired data across the views. Then, by optimizing the GAN and DAE jointly, our model enables the knowledge integration for domain mappings and view correspondences to effectively recover the missing view. Empirical results on benchmark datasets validate the VIGAN approach by comparing against the state of the art. The evaluation of VIGAN in a genetic study of substance use disorders further proves the effectiveness and usability of this approach in life science.

  5. Strong monotonicity in mixed-state entanglement manipulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishizaka, Satoshi

    2006-01-01

    A strong entanglement monotone, which never increases under local operations and classical communications (LOCC), restricts quantum entanglement manipulation more strongly than the usual monotone since the usual one does not increase on average under LOCC. We propose strong monotones in mixed-state entanglement manipulation under LOCC. These are related to the decomposability and one-positivity of an operator constructed from a quantum state, and reveal geometrical characteristics of entangled states. These are lower bounded by the negativity or generalized robustness of entanglement

  6. Television viewing and obesity in 300 women: evaluation of the pathways of energy intake and physical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Larry A; Tucker, Jared M

    2011-10-01

    We assessed the roles of energy intake and physical activity in the relationships among television (TV) viewing, body composition, and obesity using high-quality measurement methods. Adult women (n = 300) reported TV viewing behavior, which was categorized into infrequent (≤ 1 h/day), moderate (2 h/day), and frequent (≥ 3 h/day) viewing. Body fat percentage (BF%) was assessed using plethysmography (Bod Pod) and BMI was calculated from height and body weight. Energy intake and physical activity, including time spent in sedentary, moderate, and vigorous physical activity (PA), were objectively measured using 7-day weighed food records and 7-day accelerometry, respectively. The mean BF% of frequent TV viewers (34.6 ± 6.9%) was significantly greater (F = 3.9, P = 0.0218) than those of moderate (31.5 ± 6.7%) and infrequent viewers (30.8 ± 7.0%); however, BMI did not differ across the TV viewing groups (F = 0.8, P = 0.4172). Controlling statistically for differences in age, education, time in sedentary activity, time in moderate activity, and energy intake, considered individually, had no influence on the relationships between TV viewing and BF%, nor TV and BMI. Moreover, the relationship between TV and BF% remained significant after adjusting for differences in BMI (F = 3.6, P = 0.0276). However, adjusting for total PA reduced the relationship between TV and BF% to nonsignificance (F = 2.5, P = 0.0810), as did time spent in vigorous PA (F = 2.2, P = 0.1307). These data suggest a strong relationship between TV viewing and BF%. This association appears to be due, in part, to differences in total PA, particularly vigorous PA, but not time spent in sedentary activity, moderate activity, or energy intake.

  7. Owners' view of their pets' emotions, intellect, and mutual relationship: Cats and dogs compared.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arahori, Minori; Kuroshima, Hika; Hori, Yusuke; Takagi, Saho; Chijiiwa, Hitomi; Fujita, Kazuo

    2017-08-01

    Companion animals have established special relationships with humans, as demonstrated by many studies describing their abilities and bonds to communicate with humans. In this questionnaire-based study, we explored owners' views of pets in terms of their emotional and intellectual functions and their relationship with owners, and compared the results between cat owners and dog owners. We found that although both types of owners most often regarded their pets as "family members," this tendency was weaker in cat owners. Cat owners also scored significantly lower than dog owners for some emotions and intellect they thought their pets might have. Additionally, cat owners who regard their cats as family members tend to attribute "compassion" to their cats more strongly than cat owners who regard their pets as non-family. This study revealed that some aspects of cat owners' views of their pets differ from those of dog owners. These finding may help us to better understand our heterospecific companions and establish good relationships with them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Are parental concerns for child TV viewing associated with child TV viewing and the home sedentary environment?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crawford David

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Time spent watching television affects multiple aspects of child and adolescent health. Although a diverse range of factors have been found to be associated with young people's television viewing, parents and the home environment are particularly influential. However, little is known about whether parents, particularly those who are concerned about their child's television viewing habits, translate their concern into action by providing supportive home environments (e.g. rules restricting screen-time behaviours, limited access to screen-based media. The aim of this study was to examine associations between parental concerns for child television viewing and child television viewing and the home sedentary environment. Methods Parents of children aged 5-6 years ('younger' children, n = 430 and 10-12 years ('older children', n = 640 reported usual duration of their child's television (TV viewing, their concerns regarding the amount of time their child spends watching TV, and on aspects of the home environment. Regression analyses examined associations between parental concern and child TV viewing, and between parental concern and aspects of the home environment. Analyses were stratified by age group. Results Children of concerned parents watched more TV than those whose parents were not concerned (B = 9.63, 95% CI = 1.58-17.68, p = 0.02 and B = 15.82, 95% CI = 8.85-22.80, p Conclusions Children of concerned parents watched more TV than those whose parents who were not concerned. Parents appear to recognise excessive television viewing in their children and these parents appear to engage in conflicting parental approaches despite these concerns. Interventions targeting concerned parents may be an innovative way of reaching children most in need of strategies to reduce their television viewing and harnessing this parental concern may offer considerable opportunity to change the family and home environment.

  9. Coherent Vortices in Strongly Coupled Liquids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashwin, J.; Ganesh, R.

    2011-01-01

    Strongly coupled liquids are ubiquitous in both nature and laboratory plasma experiments. They are unique in the sense that their average potential energy per particle dominates over the average kinetic energy. Using ''first principles'' molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we report for the first time the emergence of isolated coherent tripolar vortices from the evolution of axisymmetric flows in a prototype two-dimensional (2D) strongly coupled liquid, namely, the Yukawa liquid. Linear growth rates directly obtained from MD simulations are compared with a generalized hydrodynamic model. Our MD simulations reveal that the tripolar vortices persist over several turn over times and hence may be observed in strongly coupled liquids such as complex plasma, liquid metals and astrophysical systems such as white dwarfs and giant planetary interiors, thereby making the phenomenon universal.

  10. Coherent Vortices in Strongly Coupled Liquids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashwin, J.; Ganesh, R.

    2011-04-01

    Strongly coupled liquids are ubiquitous in both nature and laboratory plasma experiments. They are unique in the sense that their average potential energy per particle dominates over the average kinetic energy. Using “first principles” molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we report for the first time the emergence of isolated coherent tripolar vortices from the evolution of axisymmetric flows in a prototype two-dimensional (2D) strongly coupled liquid, namely, the Yukawa liquid. Linear growth rates directly obtained from MD simulations are compared with a generalized hydrodynamic model. Our MD simulations reveal that the tripolar vortices persist over several turn over times and hence may be observed in strongly coupled liquids such as complex plasma, liquid metals and astrophysical systems such as white dwarfs and giant planetary interiors, thereby making the phenomenon universal.

  11. Opposing Roles of Leptin and Ghrelin in the Equine Corpus Luteum Regulation: An In Vitro Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    António Galvão

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Metabolic hormones have been associated with reproductive function modulation. Thus, the aim of this study was: (i to characterize the immunolocalization, mRNA and protein levels of leptin (LEP, Ghrelin (GHR and respective receptors LEPR and Ghr-R1A, throughout luteal phase; and (ii to evaluate the role of LEP and GHR on progesterone (P4, prostaglandin (PG E2 and PGF2α, nitric oxide (nitrite, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF; macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF secretion, and on angiogenic activity (BAEC proliferation, in equine corpus luteum (CL from early and mid-luteal stages. LEPR expression was decreased in late CL, while GHR/Ghr-R1A system was increased in the same stage. Regarding secretory activity, GHR decreased P4 in early CL, but increased PGF2α, nitrite and TNF in mid CL. Conversely, LEP increased P4, PGE2, angiogenic activity, MIF, TNF and nitrite during early CL, in a dose-dependent manner. The in vitro effect of LEP on secretory activity was reverted by GHR, when both factors acted together. The present results evidence the presence of LEP and GHR systems in the equine CL. Moreover, we suggest that LEP and GHR play opposing roles in equine CL regulation, with LEP supporting luteal establishment and GHR promoting luteal regression. Finally, a dose-dependent luteotrophic effect of LEP was demonstrated.

  12. Zograscopic viewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenderink, Jan; Wijntjes, Maarten; van Doorn, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    The "zograscope" is a "visual aid" (commonly known as "optical machine" in the 18th century) invented in the mid-18th century, and in general use until the early 20th century. It was intended to view single pictures (thus not stereographic pairs) with both eyes. The optics approximately eliminates the physiological cues (binocular disparity, vergence, accommodation, movement parallax, and image blur) that might indicate the flatness of the picture surface. The spatial structure of pictorial space is due to the remaining pictorial cues. As a consequence, many (or perhaps most) observers are aware of a heightened "plasticity" of the pictorial content for zograscopic as compared with natural viewing. We discuss the optics of the zograscope in some detail. Such an analysis is not available in the literature, whereas common "explanations" of the apparatus are evidently nonsensical. We constructed a zograscope, using modern parts, and present psychophysical data on its performance.

  13. Optimizing Aggregate SPARQL Queries Using Materialized RDF Views

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ibragimov, Dilshod; Hose, Katja; Pedersen, Torben Bach

    2016-01-01

    , this paper proposes MARVEL (MAterialized Rdf Views with Entailment and incompLetness). The approach consists of a view selection algorithm based on an associated RDF-specific cost model, a view definition syntax, and an algorithm for rewriting SPARQL queries using materialized RDF views. The experimental...

  14. Strong and superstrong pulsed magnetic fields generation

    CERN Document Server

    Shneerson, German A; Krivosheev, Sergey I

    2014-01-01

    Strong pulsed magnetic fields are important for several fields in physics and engineering, such as power generation and accelerator facilities. Basic aspects of the generation of strong and superstrong pulsed magnetic fields technique are given, including the physics and hydrodynamics of the conductors interacting with the field as well as an account of the significant progress in generation of strong magnetic fields using the magnetic accumulation technique. Results of computer simulations as well as a survey of available field technology are completing the volume.

  15. Skinner Boxing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bower, Bruce

    1986-01-01

    Presents summaries and opposing views of six of B. F. Skinner's major tenets of behavioristic psychology. Relates conflicting positions on issues as environmental determination, problem solving techniques, cultural reinforcement, and mental processing. (ML)

  16. Communications and Development: Two Views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Development Communication Report, 1977

    1977-01-01

    Two views on current international communication are presented--that of an American academician, and that of an Indian journalist. John Lent traces the rise of development journalism and development communication from the point of view of those who believe that individual freedom of expression should be treated as an inviolable right. Narinder…

  17. The diagnostic accuracy of dual-view digital mammography, single-view breast tomo-synthesis and a dual-view combination of breast tomo-synthesis and digital mammography in a free-response observer performance study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svahn, T.; Andersson, I.; Chakraborty, D.; Svensson, S.; Ikeda, D.; Foernvik, D.; Mattsson, S.; Tingberg, A.; Zackrisson, S.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of dual-view digital mammography (DM), single view breast tomo-synthesis (BT) and BT combined with the opposite DM view. Patients with subtle lesions were selected to undergo BT examinations. Two radiologists who are non-participants in the study and have experience in using DM and BT determined the locations and extents of lesions in the images. Five expert mammographers interpreted the cases using the free-response paradigm. The task was to mark and rate clinically reportable findings suspicious for malignancy and clinically relevant benign findings. The marks were scored with reference to the outlined regions into lesion localization or non-lesion localization, and analysed by the jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic method. The analysis yielded statistically significant differences between the combined modality and dual-view DM (p < 0.05). No differences were found between single-view BT and dual-view DM or between single-view BT and the combined modality. (authors)

  18. Strong interactions at high energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anselmino, M.

    1995-01-01

    Spin effects in strong interaction high energy processes are subtle phenomena which involve both short and long distance physics and test perturbative and non perturbative aspects of QCD. Moreover, depending on quantities like interferences between different amplitudes and relative phases, spin observables always test a theory at a fundamental quantum mechanical level; it is then no surprise that spin data are often difficult to accommodate within the existing models. A report is made on the main issues and contributions discussed in the parallel Session on the open-quote open-quote Strong interactions at high energy close-quote close-quote in this Conference. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  19. The extended reciprocity: Strong belief outperforms persistence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurokawa, Shun

    2017-05-21

    The existence of cooperation is a mysterious phenomenon and demands explanation, and direct reciprocity is one key potential explanation for the evolution of cooperation. Direct reciprocity allows cooperation to evolve for cooperators who switch their behavior on the basis of information about the opponent's behavior. Here, relevant to direct reciprocity is information deficiency. When the opponent's last move is unknown, how should players behave? One possibility is to choose cooperation with some default probability without using any further information. In fact, our previous paper (Kurokawa, 2016a) examined this strategy. However, there might be beneficial information other than the opponent's last move. A subsequent study of ours (Kurokawa, 2017) examined the strategy which uses the own last move when the opponent's last move is unknown, and revealed that referring to the own move and trying to imitate it when information is absent is beneficial. Is there any other beneficial information else? How about strong belief (i.e., have infinite memory and believe that the opponent's behavior is unchanged)? Here, we examine the evolution of strategies with strong belief. Analyzing the repeated prisoner's dilemma game and using evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) analysis against an invasion by unconditional defectors, we find the strategy with strong belief is more likely to evolve than the strategy which does not use information other than the opponent player's last move and more likely to evolve than the strategy which uses not only the opponent player's last move but also the own last move. Strong belief produces the extended reciprocity and facilitates the evolution of cooperation. Additionally, we consider the two strategies game between strategies with strong belief and any strategy, and we consider the four strategies game in which unconditional cooperators, unconditional defectors, pessimistic reciprocators with strong belief, and optimistic reciprocators with

  20. Strong converse theorems using Rényi entropies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leditzky, Felix; Datta, Nilanjana [Statistical Laboratory, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WB (United Kingdom); Wilde, Mark M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for Computation and Technology, Hearne Institute for Theoretical Physics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 (United States)

    2016-08-15

    We use a Rényi entropy method to prove strong converse theorems for certain information-theoretic tasks which involve local operations and quantum (or classical) communication between two parties. These include state redistribution, coherent state merging, quantum state splitting, measurement compression with quantum side information, randomness extraction against quantum side information, and data compression with quantum side information. The method we employ in proving these results extends ideas developed by Sharma [preprint http://arxiv.org/abs/1404.5940 [quant-ph] (2014)], which he used to give a new proof of the strong converse theorem for state merging. For state redistribution, we prove the strong converse property for the boundary of the entire achievable rate region in the (e, q)-plane, where e and q denote the entanglement cost and quantum communication cost, respectively. In the case of measurement compression with quantum side information, we prove a strong converse theorem for the classical communication cost, which is a new result extending the previously known weak converse. For the remaining tasks, we provide new proofs for strong converse theorems previously established using smooth entropies. For each task, we obtain the strong converse theorem from explicit bounds on the figure of merit of the task in terms of a Rényi generalization of the optimal rate. Hence, we identify candidates for the strong converse exponents for each task discussed in this paper. To prove our results, we establish various new entropic inequalities, which might be of independent interest. These involve conditional entropies and mutual information derived from the sandwiched Rényi divergence. In particular, we obtain novel bounds relating these quantities, as well as the Rényi conditional mutual information, to the fidelity of two quantum states.