Migraine patients consistently show abnormal vestibular bedside tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Maranhão, Eliana Teixeira; Maranhão-Filho, Péricles; Luiz, Ronir Raggio; Vincent, Maurice Borges

2016-01-01

Migraine and vertigo are common disorders, with lifetime prevalences of 16% and 7% respectively, and co-morbidity around 3.2%. Vestibular syndromes and dizziness occur more frequently in migraine patients. We investigated bedside clinical signs indicative of vestibular dysfunction in migraineurs. To test the hypothesis that vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulo-spinal reflex and fall risk (FR) responses as measured by 14 bedside tests are abnormal in migraineurs without vertigo, as compared with controls. Cross-sectional study including sixty individuals - thirty migraineurs, 25 women, 19-60 y-o; and 30 gender/age healthy paired controls. Migraineurs showed a tendency to perform worse in almost all tests, albeit only the Romberg tandem test was statistically different from controls. A combination of four abnormal tests better discriminated the two groups (93.3% specificity). Migraine patients consistently showed abnormal vestibular bedside tests when compared with controls.

Migraine patients consistently show abnormal vestibular bedside tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliana Teixeira Maranhão

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Migraine and vertigo are common disorders, with lifetime prevalences of 16% and 7% respectively, and co-morbidity around 3.2%. Vestibular syndromes and dizziness occur more frequently in migraine patients. We investigated bedside clinical signs indicative of vestibular dysfunction in migraineurs.Objective To test the hypothesis that vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulo-spinal reflex and fall risk (FR responses as measured by 14 bedside tests are abnormal in migraineurs without vertigo, as compared with controls.Method Cross-sectional study including sixty individuals – thirty migraineurs, 25 women, 19-60 y-o; and 30 gender/age healthy paired controls.Results Migraineurs showed a tendency to perform worse in almost all tests, albeit only the Romberg tandem test was statistically different from controls. A combination of four abnormal tests better discriminated the two groups (93.3% specificity.Conclusion Migraine patients consistently showed abnormal vestibular bedside tests when compared with controls.

Short-Cut Estimators of Criterion-Referenced Test Consistency.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James Dean

1990-01-01

Presents simplified methods for deriving estimates of the consistency of criterion-referenced, English-as-a-Second-Language tests, including (1) the threshold loss agreement approach using agreement or kappa coefficients, (2) the squared-error loss agreement approach using the phi(lambda) dependability approach, and (3) the domain score…

Attractive target wave patterns in complex networks consisting of excitable nodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Li-Sheng; Mi Yuan-Yuan; Liao Xu-Hong; Qian Yu; Hu Gang

2014-01-01

This review describes the investigations of oscillatory complex networks consisting of excitable nodes, focusing on the target wave patterns or say the target wave attractors. A method of dominant phase advanced driving (DPAD) is introduced to reveal the dynamic structures in the networks supporting oscillations, such as the oscillation sources and the main excitation propagation paths from the sources to the whole networks. The target center nodes and their drivers are regarded as the key nodes which can completely determine the corresponding target wave patterns. Therefore, the center (say node A) and its driver (say node B) of a target wave can be used as a label, (A,B), of the given target pattern. The label can give a clue to conveniently retrieve, suppress, and control the target waves. Statistical investigations, both theoretically from the label analysis and numerically from direct simulations of network dynamics, show that there exist huge numbers of target wave attractors in excitable complex networks if the system size is large, and all these attractors can be labeled and easily controlled based on the information given by the labels. The possible applications of the physical ideas and the mathematical methods about multiplicity and labelability of attractors to memory problems of neural networks are briefly discussed. (topical review - statistical physics and complex systems)

Patterns and predictors of repeat fecal immunochemical and occult blood test screening in four large health care systems in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Singal, Amit G; Corley, Douglas A; Kamineni, Aruna; Garcia, Michael; Zheng, Yingye; Doria-Rose, Paul V; Quinn, Virginia P; Jensen, Christopher D; Chubak, Jessica; Tiro, Jasmin; Doubeni, Chyke A; Ghai, Nirupa R; Skinner, Celette Sugg; Wernli, Karen; Halm, Ethan A

2018-02-27

Effectiveness of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening depends on annual testing, but little is known about patterns of repeat stool-based screening within different settings. Our study's objective was to characterize screening patterns and identify factors associated with repeat screening among patients who completed an index guaiac FOBT (gFOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT). We performed a multi-center retrospective cohort study among people who completed a FOBT between January 2010 and December 2011 to characterize repeat screening patterns over the subsequent 3 years. We studied at 4 large health care delivery systems in the United States. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with repeat screening patterns. We included individuals aged 50-71 years who completed an index FOBT and had at least 3 years of follow-up. We excluded people with a history of CRC, colonoscopy within 10 years or flexible sigmoidoscopy within 5 years before the index test, or positive index stool test. Consistent screening was defined as repeat FOBT within every 15 months and inconsistent screening as repeat testing at least once during follow-up but less than consistent screening. Among 959,857 eligible patients who completed an index FIT or gFOBT, 344,103 had three years of follow-up and met inclusion criteria. Of these, 46.6% had consistent screening, 43.4% inconsistent screening, and 10% had no repeat screening during follow-up. Screening patterns varied substantially across healthcare systems, with consistent screening proportions ranging from 1 to 54.3% and no repeat screening proportions ranging from 6.9 to 42.8%. Higher consistent screening proportions were observed in health systems with screening outreach and in-reach programs, whereas the safety-net health system, which uses opportunistic clinic-based screening, had the lowest consistent screening. Consistent screening increased with older age but was less

Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Wisconsin Gait Scale in hemiparetic post-stroke patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guzik Agnieszka

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A proper assessment of gait pattern is a significant aspect in planning the process of teaching gait in hemiparetic post-stroke patients. The Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS is an observational tool for assessing post-stroke patients’ gait. The aim of the study was to assess test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the WGS and examine correlations between gait assessment made with the WGS and gait speed, Brunnström scale, Ashworth’s scale and the Barthel Index.

Short-term consistency testing vs. long-term behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebert, W.L.; Bakel, A.J.; Wolf, S.F.; Strachan, D.M.

1997-01-01

The authors conducted Product Consistency Tests (PCTs) with a surrogate low-activity waste (LAW) glass to (1) evaluate the possible use of various test conditions in a specification test for LAW waste forms, (2) measure the reproducibility of the test at low temperatures, and (3) determine if the rates calculated from 7-day PCTs bound the rates measured in PCT conducted for longer durations, which represent more advanced corrosion. The effects of temperature and pH on the dissolution rate in PCTs are much less than the effects observed in dilute solutions due to the buildup of dissolved glass components in the PCTs. The precision of replicate 7-day tests at 20 and 40 degrees C was limited by the analytical uncertainty. The dissolution rates at all temperatures decreased with the test duration initially. However, the dissolution rates in tests at 70 and 90 degrees C increased when certain alteration phases formed after about 100 and 500 days, respectively; the rates in some tests exceeded that measured in a 7-day PCT. While the 7-day PCT does not provide a bounding rate for this glass at 70 or 90 degrees C, tests for longer durations are needed to determine if a 7-day test provides a bounding rate at lower temperatures

Consistent Differential Expression Pattern (CDEP) on microarray to identify genes related to metastatic behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsoi, Lam C; Qin, Tingting; Slate, Elizabeth H; Zheng, W Jim

2011-11-11

To utilize the large volume of gene expression information generated from different microarray experiments, several meta-analysis techniques have been developed. Despite these efforts, there remain significant challenges to effectively increasing the statistical power and decreasing the Type I error rate while pooling the heterogeneous datasets from public resources. The objective of this study is to develop a novel meta-analysis approach, Consistent Differential Expression Pattern (CDEP), to identify genes with common differential expression patterns across different datasets. We combined False Discovery Rate (FDR) estimation and the non-parametric RankProd approach to estimate the Type I error rate in each microarray dataset of the meta-analysis. These Type I error rates from all datasets were then used to identify genes with common differential expression patterns. Our simulation study showed that CDEP achieved higher statistical power and maintained low Type I error rate when compared with two recently proposed meta-analysis approaches. We applied CDEP to analyze microarray data from different laboratories that compared transcription profiles between metastatic and primary cancer of different types. Many genes identified as differentially expressed consistently across different cancer types are in pathways related to metastatic behavior, such as ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and blood vessel development. We also identified novel genes such as AMIGO2, Gem, and CXCL11 that have not been shown to associate with, but may play roles in, metastasis. CDEP is a flexible approach that borrows information from each dataset in a meta-analysis in order to identify genes being differentially expressed consistently. We have shown that CDEP can gain higher statistical power than other existing approaches under a variety of settings considered in the simulation study, suggesting its robustness and insensitivity to data variation commonly associated with microarray

Avian fruit preferences across a Puerto Rican forested landscape: Pattern consistency and implications for seed removal

Science.gov (United States)

Carlo, T.A.; Collazo, J.A.; Groom, Martha J.

2003-01-01

Avian fruit consumption may ensure plant reproductive success when frugivores show consistent preference patterns and effectively remove and disperse seeds. In this study we examined avian fruit preferences and their seed-removal services at five study sites in north-central Puerto Rico. At each site, we documented the diet of seven common fruit-eating avian species from February to September 1998. Using foraging observations and area-based estimates of fruit abundance, we examined preference patterns of birds. We found that 7 out of 68 fleshy-fruited plant species were responsible for most of the fruit diet of birds. Seventeen plant species were preferred and four of them were repeatedly preferred across several study sites and times by at least one avian species. Preferred plant species comprised a small percentage of fleshy fruits at each site (plants at some locations than species exhibiting constancy in their patterns of preference. Only two frugivores, Euphonia musica and Vireo altiloquous, removed most of the seeds of plants for which they exhibited repeated preference across the landscape. Preference patterns, particularly those exhibiting consistency in space and time for plant species having prolonged fruiting periods, may have important mechanistic consequences for the persistence, succession, and regeneration of tropical plant communities.

Avian fruit preferences across a Puerto Rican forested landscape: pattern consistency and implications for seed removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlo, Tomás A; Collazo, Jaime A; Groom, Martha J

2003-01-01

Avian fruit consumption may ensure plant reproductive success when frugivores show consistent preference patterns and effectively remove and disperse seeds. In this study we examined avian fruit preferences and their seed-removal services at five study sites in north-central Puerto Rico. At each site, we documented the diet of seven common fruit-eating avian species from February to September 1998. Using foraging observations and area-based estimates of fruit abundance, we examined preference patterns of birds. We found that 7 out of 68 fleshy-fruited plant species were responsible for most of the fruit diet of birds. Seventeen plant species were preferred and four of them were repeatedly preferred across several study sites and times by at least one avian species. Preferred plant species comprised a small percentage of fleshy fruits at each site (musica and Vireo altiloquous, removed most of the seeds of plants for which they exhibited repeated preference across the landscape. Preference patterns, particularly those exhibiting consistency in space and time for plant species having prolonged fruiting periods, may have important mechanistic consequences for the persistence, succession, and regeneration of tropical plant communities.

Analog automatic test pattern generation for quasi-static structural test.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zjajo, A.; Pineda de Gyvez, J.

2009-01-01

A new approach for structural, fault-oriented analog test generation methodology to test for the presence of manufacturing-related defects is proposed. The output of the test generator consists of optimized test stimuli, fault coverage and sampling instants that are sufficient to detect the failure

CONSISTENCY IN ACCELERATION PATTERNS OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS WITH DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinar Arpinar-Avsar

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The aims of the present study were to compare the consistency in the lower limb acceleration patterns during inside and instep kicks performed by players with different skill levels, and to investigate the correlation between subjective rating scores for skill level relative to their kicking performance and knee acceleration repeatability. Thirteen club-level male soccer players of ages between 15-16 years participated in this study. Skill levels of individual players were quantified previously by evaluating shooting performance as a numerical value ranging from 1 to 10. Further evaluations were held through tri-axial acceleration data recorded at proximal tibial tuberosity beneath each patella on the players' knees, in a procedure in which players were asked to complete four randomly ordered shooting trials of inside and instep kicks with 2-minute resting intervals. Hence, the mainstream data used in consistency calculations are in the form 4 by 1200 matrices (acceleration vs. time per subject. In order to evaluate the consistency of acceleration data, the mean of the standard deviations (mSD were calculated, and the associated Pearson-r correlation coefficients were incorporated to obtain mSD vs. skill correlations. As a result, repeatability was found to increase with skill level at z-axis acceleration for instep kicks only. However, it is possible to find the most appropriate orientation (for the two kicks for meaningful correlations using vector rotations on the 3 orthogonal acceleration data, and this study shows that, after such suitable vector rotations, positive repeatability results could also be acquired for the inside kicks.

A diagnostic test for apraxia in stroke patients: internal consistency and diagnostic value.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heugten, C.M. van; Dekker, J.; Deelman, B.G.; Stehmann-Saris, F.C.; Kinebanian, A.

1999-01-01

The internal consistency and the diagnostic value of a test for apraxia in patients having had a stroke are presented. Results indicate that the items of the test form a strong and consistent scale: Cronbach's alpha as well as the results of a Mokken scale analysis present good reliability and good

Vibrational multiconfiguration self-consistent field theory: implementation and test calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Heislbetz, Sandra; Rauhut, Guntram

2010-03-28

A state-specific vibrational multiconfiguration self-consistent field (VMCSCF) approach based on a multimode expansion of the potential energy surface is presented for the accurate calculation of anharmonic vibrational spectra. As a special case of this general approach vibrational complete active space self-consistent field calculations will be discussed. The latter method shows better convergence than the general VMCSCF approach and must be considered the preferred choice within the multiconfigurational framework. Benchmark calculations are provided for a small set of test molecules.

Consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. This phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. Little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. We investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (Microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. Animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: 1. before and after maturation over three months, 2. twice as adults during one week, and 3. twice as adult animals over three months, which resembles a substantial part of their entire adult life span of several months. Results Different behaviours were correlated within and between tests and a cluster analysis showed three possible behavioural syndrome-axes, which we name boldness, exploration and activity. Activity and exploration behaviour in all tests was highly repeatable in adult animals tested over one week. In animals tested over maturation, exploration behaviour was consistent whereas activity was not. Voles that were tested as adults with a three-month interval showed the opposite pattern with stable activity but unstable exploration behaviour. Conclusions The consistency in behaviour over time suggests that common voles do express stable personality over short time. Over longer periods however, behaviour is more flexible and depending on life stage (i.e. tested before/after maturation or as adults) of the tested individual. Level of boldness or activity does not differ between tested groups and maintenance of variation in behavioural traits can therefore not be explained by expected future assets as reported in other studies. PMID:24314274

A Studentized Permutation Test for the Comparison of Spatial Point Patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hahn, Ute

of empirical K-functions are compared by a permutation test using a studentized test statistic. The proposed test performs convincingly in terms of empirical level and power in a simulation study, even for point patterns where the K-function estimates on neighboring subsamples are not strictly exchangeable....... It also shows improved behavior compared to a test suggested by Diggle et al. (1991, 2000) for the comparison of groups of independently replicated point patterns. In an application to two point patterns from pathology that represent capillary positions in sections of healthy and tumorous tissue, our...

On tests of randomness for spatial point patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doguwa, S.I.

1990-11-01

New tests of randomness for spatial point patterns are introduced. These test statistics are then compared in a power study with the existing alternatives. These results of the power study suggest that one of the tests proposed is extremely powerful against both aggregated and regular alternatives. (author). 9 refs, 7 figs, 3 tabs

Japanese dietary pattern consistently relates to low depressive symptoms and it is modified by job strain and worksite supports.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Tomoko; Miyaki, Koichi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Shimazu, Akihito; Inoue, Akiomi; Kurioka, Sumiko; Kakehashi, Masayuki; Sasaki, Yasuharu; Shimbo, Takuro

2013-09-05

This study examined the association between traditional Japanese dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers, employing large-scale samples, considering socioeconomic status (SES) and job stress factors. A cross-sectional study of 2266 Japanese employees aged 21-65 years from all areas of Japan was conducted as part of the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation and Psychosocial factors related Equity (J-HOPE). Habitual diet was assessed by FFQ (BDHQ). The depression degree and job stress factors (job demand, job control, and worksite support) were measured by K6 and Job Content Questionnaire. Participants with high scores for the balanced Japanese dietary pattern were significantly less likely to show probable mood/anxiety disorders (K6≥9) with multivariate adjustment including SES and job stress factors (odds ratio=0.66 [0.51-0.86], trend P=0.002). Other dietary patterns were not associated with depressive symptoms. Even after stratification by job stress factors, the Japanese dietary pattern was consistently protective against depressive symptoms. Furthermore, a highly significant difference between the first and third tertiles of the dietary pattern was observed in participants with active strain (high demand and high control) with low worksite supports (8.5 vs. 5.2, P=0.011). Female participant sample was relatively small. Japanese dietary pattern consistently related to low depressive symptoms in this large-scale cohort of Japanese workers, even after adjusting for SES and job stress factors. The protective impact is especially strong for workers with active strain and low support. Making better use of traditional dietary patterns may facilitate reducing social disparities in mental health. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

More consistently altered connectivity patterns for cerebellum and medial temporal lobes than for amygdala and striatum in schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henning ePeters

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Brain architecture can be divided into a cortico-thalamic system and modulatory ‘subcortical-cerebellar’ systems containing key structures such as striatum, medial temporal lobes (MTLs, amygdala, and cerebellum. Subcortical-cerebellar systems are known to be altered in schizophrenia. In particular, intrinsic functional brain connectivity (iFC between these systems has been consistently demonstrated in patients. While altered connectivity is known for each subcortical-cerebellar system separately, it is unknown whether subcortical-cerebellar systems’ connectivity patterns with the cortico-thalamic system are comparably altered across systems, i.e., if separate subcortical-cerebellar systems’ connectivity patterns are consistent across patients. Methods: To investigate this question, 18 patients with schizophrenia (3 unmedicated, 15 medicated with atypical antipsychotics and 18 healthy controls were assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Independent component analysis of fMRI data revealed cortical intrinsic brain networks (NWs with time courses representing proxies for cortico-thalamic system activity. Subcortical-cerebellar systems’ activity was represented by fMRI-based time courses of selected regions-of-interest (ROIs (i.e., striatum, MTL, amygdala, cerebellum. Correlation analysis among ROI- and NWs-time courses yielded individual connectivity matrices (i.e. connectivity between NW and ROIs (allROIs-NW, separateROI-NW, only NWs (NWs-NWs, and only ROIs (allROIs-allROIs as main outcome measures, which were classified by support-vector-machine-based leave-one-out cross-validation. Differences in classification accuracy were statistically evaluated for consistency across subjects and systems. Results: Correlation matrices based on allROIs-NWs yielded 91% classification accuracy, which was significantly superior to allROIs-allROIs and NWs-NWs (56% and 74%, respectively. Considering separate

Test of Gross Motor Development : Expert Validity, confirmatory validity and internal consistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Cristina Valentini

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2 is an instrument used to evaluate children’s level of motordevelopment. The objective of this study was to translate and verify the clarity and pertinence of the TGMD-2 items by expertsand the confirmatory factorial validity and the internal consistence by means of test-retest of the Portuguese TGMD-2. Across-cultural translation was used to construct the Portuguese version. The participants of this study were 7 professionalsand 587 children, from 27 schools (kindergarten and elementary from 3 to 10 years old (51.1% boys and 48.9% girls.Each child was videotaped performing the test twice. The videotaped tests were then scored. The results indicated thatthe Portuguese version of the TGMD-2 contains clear and pertinent motor items; demonstrated satisfactory indices ofconfirmatory factorial validity (χ2/gl = 3.38; Goodness-of-fit Index = 0.95; Adjusted Goodness-of-fit index = 0.92 and Tuckerand Lewis’s Index of Fit = 0.83 and test-retest internal consistency (locomotion r = 0.82; control of object: r = 0.88. ThePortuguese TGMD-2 demonstrated validity and reliability for the sample investigated.

Test of Gross Motor Development: expert validity, confirmatory validity and internal consistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Cristina Valentini

2008-01-01

The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2 is an instrument used to evaluate children’s level of motor development. The objective of this study was to translate and verify the clarity and pertinence of the TGMD-2 items by experts and the confirmatory factorial validity and the internal consistence by means of test-retest of the Portuguese TGMD-2. A cross-cultural translation was used to construct the Portuguese version. The participants of this study were 7 professionals and 587 children, from 27 schools (kindergarten and elementary from 3 to 10 years old (51.1% boys and 48.9% girls. Each child was videotaped performing the test twice. The videotaped tests were then scored. The results indicated that the Portuguese version of the TGMD-2 contains clear and pertinent motor items; demonstrated satisfactory indices of confirmatory factorial validity (÷2/gl = 3.38; Goodness-of-fit Index = 0.95; Adjusted Goodness-of-fit index = 0.92 and Tucker and Lewis’s Index of Fit = 0.83 and test-retest internal consistency (locomotion r = 0.82; control of object: r = 0.88. The Portuguese TGMD-2 demonstrated validity and reliability for the sample investigated.

Detecting consistent patterns of directional adaptation using differential selection codon models.

Science.gov (United States)

Parto, Sahar; Lartillot, Nicolas

2017-06-23

Phylogenetic codon models are often used to characterize the selective regimes acting on protein-coding sequences. Recent methodological developments have led to models explicitly accounting for the interplay between mutation and selection, by modeling the amino acid fitness landscape along the sequence. However, thus far, most of these models have assumed that the fitness landscape is constant over time. Fluctuations of the fitness landscape may often be random or depend on complex and unknown factors. However, some organisms may be subject to systematic changes in selective pressure, resulting in reproducible molecular adaptations across independent lineages subject to similar conditions. Here, we introduce a codon-based differential selection model, which aims to detect and quantify the fine-grained consistent patterns of adaptation at the protein-coding level, as a function of external conditions experienced by the organism under investigation. The model parameterizes the global mutational pressure, as well as the site- and condition-specific amino acid selective preferences. This phylogenetic model is implemented in a Bayesian MCMC framework. After validation with simulations, we applied our method to a dataset of HIV sequences from patients with known HLA genetic background. Our differential selection model detects and characterizes differentially selected coding positions specifically associated with two different HLA alleles. Our differential selection model is able to identify consistent molecular adaptations as a function of repeated changes in the environment of the organism. These models can be applied to many other problems, ranging from viral adaptation to evolution of life-history strategies in plants or animals.

Product consistency leach tests of Savannah River Site radioactive waste glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibler, N.E.; Bates, J.K.

1990-01-01

The product consistency test (PCT) is a glass leach test developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to confirm the durability of radioactive nuclear waste glasses that will be produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility. The PCT is a seven day, crushed glass leach test in deionized water at 90C. Final leachates are filtered and acidified prior to analysis. To demonstrate the reproducibility of the PCT when performed remotely, SRS and Argonne National Laboratory have performed the PCT on samples of two radioactive glasses. The tests were also performed to compare the releases of the radionuclides with the major nonradioactive glass components and to determine if radiation from the glass was affecting the results of the PCT. The test was performed in triplicate at each laboratory. For the major soluble elements, B, Li, Na, and Si, in the glass, each investigator obtained relative precisions in the range 2-5% in the triplicate tests. This range indicates good precision for the PCT when performed remotely with master slave manipulators in a shielded cell environment. When the results of the two laboratories were compared to each other, the agreement was within 20%. Normalized concentrations for the nonradioactive and radioactive elements in the PCT leachates measured at both facilities indicated that the radionuclides were released from the glass slower than the major soluble elements in the glass. For both laboratories, the normalized releases for both glasses were in the general order Li ∼ B ∼ Na > Si > Cs - 137 > Sb - 125 < Sr - 90. The normalized releases for the major soluble elements and the final pH values in the tests with radioactive glass are consistent with those for nonradioactive glasses with similar compositions. This indicates that there was no significant effect of radiation on the results of the PCT

Method used to test the imaging consistency of binocular camera's left-right optical system

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meiying; Wang, Hu; Liu, Jie; Xue, Yaoke; Yang, Shaodong; Zhao, Hui

2016-09-01

To binocular camera, the consistency of optical parameters of the left and the right optical system is an important factor that will influence the overall imaging consistency. In conventional testing procedure of optical system, there lacks specifications suitable for evaluating imaging consistency. In this paper, considering the special requirements of binocular optical imaging system, a method used to measure the imaging consistency of binocular camera is presented. Based on this method, a measurement system which is composed of an integrating sphere, a rotary table and a CMOS camera has been established. First, let the left and the right optical system capture images in normal exposure time under the same condition. Second, a contour image is obtained based on the multiple threshold segmentation result and the boundary is determined using the slope of contour lines near the pseudo-contour line. Third, the constraint of gray level based on the corresponding coordinates of left-right images is established and the imaging consistency could be evaluated through standard deviation σ of the imaging grayscale difference D (x, y) between the left and right optical system. The experiments demonstrate that the method is suitable for carrying out the imaging consistency testing for binocular camera. When the standard deviation 3σ distribution of imaging gray difference D (x, y) between the left and right optical system of the binocular camera does not exceed 5%, it is believed that the design requirements have been achieved. This method could be used effectively and paves the way for the imaging consistency testing of the binocular camera.

Modified alignment CGHs for aspheric surface test

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jae-Bong; Yang, Ho-Soon; Rhee, Hyug-Gyo; Lee, Yun-Woo

2009-08-01

Computer Generated Holograms (CGH) for optical test are commonly consisted of one main pattern for testing aspheric surface and some alignment patterns for aligning the interferometer, CGH, and the test optics. To align the CGH plate and the test optics, we designed the alignment CGHs modified from the cat's eye alignment method, which are consisted of a couple of CGH patterns. The incident beam passed through the one part of the alignment CGH pattern is focused onto the one radius position of the test aspheric surface, and is reflected to the other part, and vice versa. This method has several merits compared to the conventional cat's eye alignment method. First, this method can be used in testing optics with a center hole, and the center part of CGH plate can be assigned to the alignment pattern. Second, the alignment pattern becomes a concentric circular arc pattern. The whole CGH patterns including the main pattern and alignment patterns are consisted of only concentric circular fringes. This concentric circular pattern can be easily made by the polar coordinated writer with circular scanning. The required diffraction angle becomes relatively small, so the 1st order diffraction beams instead of the 3rd order diffraction beam can be used as alignment beams, and the visibility can be improved. This alignment method also is more sensitive to the tilt and the lateral shift of the test aspheric surface. Using this alignment pattern, a 200 mm diameter F/0.5 aspheric mirror and a 600 mm diameter F/0.9 mirror were tested.

Nuclear waste glass product consistency test (PCT), Version 5.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantzen, C.M.; Bibler, N.E.; Beam, D.C.; Ramsey, W.G.; Waters, B.J.

1992-06-01

Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass. The glass will be produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), poured into stainless steel canisters, and eventually disposed of in a geologic repository. In order to comply with the Waste Acceptance Preliminary Specifications (WAPS), the durability of the glass needs to be measured during production to assure its long term stability and radionuclide release properties. A durability test, designated the Produce Consistency Test (PCT), was developed for DWPF glass in order to meet the WAPS requirements. The response of the PCT procedure was based on extensive testing with glasses of widely different compositions. The PCT was determined to be very reproducible, to yield reliable results rapidly, and to be easily performed in shielded cell facilities with radioactive samples. Version 5.0 of the PCT procedure is attached

Standard Practice for Ensuring Test Consistency in Neutron-Induced Displacement Damage of Electronic Parts

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This practice sets forth requirements to ensure consistency in neutron-induced displacement damage testing of silicon and gallium arsenide electronic piece parts. This requires controls on facility, dosimetry, tester, and communications processes that affect the accuracy and reproducibility of these tests. It provides background information on the technical basis for the requirements and additional recommendations on neutron testing. In addition to neutrons, reactors are used to provide gamma-ray pulses of intensities and durations that are not achievable elsewhere. This practice also provides background information and recommendations on gamma-ray testing of electronics using nuclear reactors. 1.2 Methods are presented for ensuring and validating consistency in neutron displacement damage testing of electronic parts such as integrated circuits, transistors, and diodes. The issues identified and the controls set forth in this practice address the characterization and suitability of the radiation environm...

Generalization of the photo process window and its application to OPC test pattern design

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, Hans; Peter, Kai; Strojwas, Andrzej J.

2003-07-01

From the early development phase up to the production phase, test pattern play a key role for microlithography. The requirement for test pattern is to represent the design well and to cover the space of all process conditions, e.g. to investigate the full process window and all other process parameters. This paper shows that the current state-of-the-art test pattern do not address these requirements sufficiently and makes suggestions for a better selection of test pattern. We present a new methodology to analyze an existing layout (e.g. logic library, test pattern or full chip) for critical layout situations which does not need precise process data. We call this method "process space decomposition", because it is aimed at decomposing the process impact to a layout feature into a sum of single independent contributions, the dimensions of the process space. This is a generalization of the classical process window, which examines defocus and exposure dependency of given test pattern, e.g. CD value of dense and isolated lines. In our process space we additionally define the dimensions resist effects, etch effects, mask error and misalignment, which describe the deviation of the printed silicon pattern from its target. We further extend it by the pattern space using a product based layout (library, full chip or synthetic test pattern). The criticality of pattern is defined by their deviation due to aerial image, their sensitivity to the respective dimension or several combinations of these. By exploring the process space for a given design, the method allows to find the most critical patterns independent of specific process parameters. The paper provides examples for different applications of the method: (1) selection of design oriented test pattern for lithography development (2) test pattern reduction in process characterization (3) verification/optimization of printability and performance of post processing procedures (like OPC) (4) creation of a sensitive process

HIV Testing Patterns among Urban YMSM of Color

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Noelle R.; Rajan, Sonali; Gwadz, Marya V.; Aregbesola, Temi

2014-01-01

The heightened level of risk for HIV infection among Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM) is driven by multilevel influences. Using cross-sectional data, we examined HIV testing patterns among urban YMSM of color in a high-HIV seroprevalence area (ages 16 to 21 years). Self-reported frequency of testing was high, with 42% of…

Testing for coevolutionary diversification: linking pattern with process.

Science.gov (United States)

Althoff, David M; Segraves, Kari A; Johnson, Marc T J

2014-02-01

Coevolutionary diversification is cited as a major mechanism driving the evolution of diversity, particularly in plants and insects. However, tests of coevolutionary diversification have focused on elucidating macroevolutionary patterns rather than the processes giving rise to such patterns. Hence, there is weak evidence that coevolution promotes diversification. This is in part due to a lack of understanding about the mechanisms by which coevolution can cause speciation and the difficulty of integrating results across micro- and macroevolutionary scales. In this review, we highlight potential mechanisms of coevolutionary diversification, outline approaches to examine this process across temporal scales, and propose a set of minimal requirements for demonstrating coevolutionary diversification. Our aim is to stimulate research that tests more rigorously for coevolutionary diversification. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preferences for HIV test characteristics among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and transgender women: Implications for consistent HIV testing

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, Victoria; Hirshfield, Sabina; Chiasson, Mary Ann; Lucy, Debbie; Usher, DaShawn; McCrossin, Jermaine; Greene, Emily; Koblin, Beryl

2018-01-01

Background Promoting consistent HIV testing is critical among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and transgender women who are overrepresented among new HIV cases in the United States. New HIV test options are available, including mobile unit testing, one-minute testing, at home or self-testing and couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC). In the context of these newer options, the objective of this study was to explore whether and how preferences for specific characteristics of the tests acted as barriers to and/or facilitators of testing in general and consistent testing specifically among young Black MSM and transgender women aged 16 to 29. Methods We conducted 30 qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with young, Black, gay, bisexual or MSM and transgender women in the New York City metropolitan area to identify preferences for specific HIV tests and aspects of HIV testing options. Participants were primarily recruited from online and mobile sites, followed by community-based, face-to-face recruitment strategies to specifically reach younger participants. Thematic coding was utilized to analyze the qualitative data based on a grounded theoretical approach. Results We identified how past experiences, perceived test characteristics (e.g., accuracy, cost, etc.) and beliefs about the “fit” between the individual, and the test relate to preferred testing methods and consistent testing. Three major themes emerged as important to preferences for HIV testing methods: the perceived accuracy of the test method, venue characteristics, and lack of knowledge or experience with the newer testing options, including self-testing and CHTC. Conclusions These findings suggest that increasing awareness of and access to newer HIV testing options (e.g., free or reduced price on home or self-tests or CHTC available at all testing venues) is critical if these new options are to facilitate increased levels of consistent testing among young, Black MSM and

Preferences for HIV test characteristics among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and transgender women: Implications for consistent HIV testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, Victoria; Wilton, Leo; Hirshfield, Sabina; Chiasson, Mary Ann; Lucy, Debbie; Usher, DaShawn; McCrossin, Jermaine; Greene, Emily; Koblin, Beryl

2018-01-01

Promoting consistent HIV testing is critical among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and transgender women who are overrepresented among new HIV cases in the United States. New HIV test options are available, including mobile unit testing, one-minute testing, at home or self-testing and couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC). In the context of these newer options, the objective of this study was to explore whether and how preferences for specific characteristics of the tests acted as barriers to and/or facilitators of testing in general and consistent testing specifically among young Black MSM and transgender women aged 16 to 29. We conducted 30 qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with young, Black, gay, bisexual or MSM and transgender women in the New York City metropolitan area to identify preferences for specific HIV tests and aspects of HIV testing options. Participants were primarily recruited from online and mobile sites, followed by community-based, face-to-face recruitment strategies to specifically reach younger participants. Thematic coding was utilized to analyze the qualitative data based on a grounded theoretical approach. We identified how past experiences, perceived test characteristics (e.g., accuracy, cost, etc.) and beliefs about the "fit" between the individual, and the test relate to preferred testing methods and consistent testing. Three major themes emerged as important to preferences for HIV testing methods: the perceived accuracy of the test method, venue characteristics, and lack of knowledge or experience with the newer testing options, including self-testing and CHTC. These findings suggest that increasing awareness of and access to newer HIV testing options (e.g., free or reduced price on home or self-tests or CHTC available at all testing venues) is critical if these new options are to facilitate increased levels of consistent testing among young, Black MSM and transgender women. Addressing perceptions of

Preferences for HIV test characteristics among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM and transgender women: Implications for consistent HIV testing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Frye

Full Text Available Promoting consistent HIV testing is critical among young, Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM and transgender women who are overrepresented among new HIV cases in the United States. New HIV test options are available, including mobile unit testing, one-minute testing, at home or self-testing and couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC. In the context of these newer options, the objective of this study was to explore whether and how preferences for specific characteristics of the tests acted as barriers to and/or facilitators of testing in general and consistent testing specifically among young Black MSM and transgender women aged 16 to 29.We conducted 30 qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with young, Black, gay, bisexual or MSM and transgender women in the New York City metropolitan area to identify preferences for specific HIV tests and aspects of HIV testing options. Participants were primarily recruited from online and mobile sites, followed by community-based, face-to-face recruitment strategies to specifically reach younger participants. Thematic coding was utilized to analyze the qualitative data based on a grounded theoretical approach.We identified how past experiences, perceived test characteristics (e.g., accuracy, cost, etc. and beliefs about the "fit" between the individual, and the test relate to preferred testing methods and consistent testing. Three major themes emerged as important to preferences for HIV testing methods: the perceived accuracy of the test method, venue characteristics, and lack of knowledge or experience with the newer testing options, including self-testing and CHTC.These findings suggest that increasing awareness of and access to newer HIV testing options (e.g., free or reduced price on home or self-tests or CHTC available at all testing venues is critical if these new options are to facilitate increased levels of consistent testing among young, Black MSM and transgender women. Addressing

Product consistency leach tests of Savannah River Site radioactive waste glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibler, N.E.; Bates, J.K.

1989-01-01

The Product Consistency Test (PCT) is a glass leach test that was developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to routinely confirm the durability of nuclear waste glasses that will be produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility. The PCT is a 7 day, crushed glass leach test in deionized water at 90 degree C. Final leachates are filtered and acidified prior to analysis. To demonstrate the reproducibility of the PCT when performed remotely, SRS and Argonne National Laboratory have performed the PCT on samples of two radioactive glasses. The tests were also performed to compare the releases of the radionuclides with the major nonradioactive glass components and to determine if radiation from the glass was affecting the results of the PCT. The test was performed in triplicate at each laboratory. For the major soluble elements, B, Li, Na, and Si, in the glass, each investigator obtained relative precisions in the range 2--5% in the triplicate tests. This range indicates good precision for the PCT when performed remotely with master slave manipulators in a shielded cell environment

Doubling immunochemistry laboratory testing efficiency with the cobas e 801 module while maintaining consistency in analytical performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Findeisen, P; Zahn, I; Fiedler, G M; Leichtle, A B; Wang, S; Soria, G; Johnson, P; Henzell, J; Hegel, J K; Bendavid, C; Collet, N; McGovern, M; Klopprogge, K

2018-06-04

The new immunochemistry cobas e 801 module (Roche Diagnostics) was developed to meet increasing demands on routine laboratories to further improve testing efficiency, while maintaining high quality and reliable data. During a non-interventional multicenter evaluation study, the overall performance, functionality and reliability of the new module was investigated under routine-like conditions. It was tested as a dedicated immunochemistry system at four sites and as a consolidator combined with clinical chemistry at three sites. We report on testing efficiency and analytical performance of the new module. Evaluation of sample workloads with site-specific routine request patterns demonstrated increased speed and almost doubled throughput (maximal 300 tests per h), thus revealing that one cobas e 801 module can replace two cobas e 602 modules while saving up to 44% floor space. Result stability was demonstrated by QC analysis per assay throughout the study. Precision testing over 21 days yielded excellent results within and between labs, and, method comparison performed versus the cobas e 602 module routine results showed high consistency of results for all assays under study. In a practicability assessment related to performance and handling, 99% of graded features met (44%) or even exceeded (55%) laboratory expectations, with enhanced reagent management and loading during operation being highlighted. By nearly doubling immunochemistry testing efficiency on the same footprint as a cobas e 602 module, the new module has a great potential to further consolidate and enhance laboratory testing while maintaining high quality analytical performance with Roche platforms. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bilateral neurotoxic amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): Consistent pattern of behavior across different social contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Christopher J.; Emery, Nathan J.; Capitanio, John P.; Mason, William A.; Mendoza, Sally P.; Amaral, David G.

2010-01-01

Although the amygdala has been repeatedly implicated in normal primate social behavior, great variability exists in the specific social and nonsocial behavioral changes observed after bilateral amygdala lesions in nonhuman primates. One plausible explanation pertains to differences in social context. To investigate this idea, we measured the social behavior of amygdala-lesioned and unoperated rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in two contexts. Animals interacted in four-member social groups over 32 test days. These animals were previously assessed in pairs (Emery et al., 2001), and were, therefore, familiar with each other at the beginning of this study. Across the two contexts, amygdala lesions produced a highly consistent pattern of social behavior. Operated animals engaged in more affiliative social interactions with control group partners than did control animals. In the course of their interactions, amygdala-lesioned animals also displayed an earlier decrease in nervous and fearful personality qualities than controls. The increased exploration and sexual behavior recorded for amygdala-lesioned animals in pairs was not found in the four-member groups. We conclude that the amygdala contributes to social inhibition and this function transcends various social contexts. PMID:18410164

Enhancing SAT-Based Test Pattern Generation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Xin; XIONG You-lun

2005-01-01

This paper presents modeling tools based on Boolean satisfiability (SAT) to solve problems of test generation for combinational circuits. It exploits an added layer to maintain circuit-related information and value justification relations to a generic SAT algorithm. It dovetails binary decision graphs (BDD) and SAT techniques to improve the efficiency of automatic test pattern generation (ATPG). More specifically, it first exploits inexpensive reconvergent fanout analysis of circuit to gather information on the local signal correlation by using BDD learning, then uses the above learned information to restrict and focus the overall search space of SAT-based ATPG. Its learning technique is effective and lightweight. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

Testing the visual consistency of web sites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Geest, Thea; Loorbach, N.R.

2005-01-01

Consistency in the visual appearance of Web pages is often checked by experts, such as designers or reviewers. This article reports a card sort study conducted to determine whether users rather than experts could distinguish visual (in-)consistency in Web elements and pages. The users proved to

Putting humans in ecology: consistency in science and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, Larry; Fowler, Charles W

2008-03-01

Normal and abnormal levels of human participation in ecosystems can be revealed through the use of macro-ecological patterns. Such patterns also provide consistent and objective guidance that will lead to achieving and maintaining ecosystem health and sustainability. This paper focuses on the consistency of this type of guidance and management. Such management, in sharp contrast to current management practices, ensures that our actions as individuals, institutions, political groups, societies, and as a species are applied consistently across all temporal, spatial, and organizational scales. This approach supplants management of today, where inconsistency results from debate, politics, and legal and religious polarity. Consistency is achieved when human endeavors are guided by natural patterns. Pattern-based management meets long-standing demands for enlightened management that requires humans to participate in complex systems in consistent and sustainable ways.

Requirements for UML and OWL Integration Tool for User Data Consistency Modeling and Testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nytun, J. P.; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Oleshchuk, V. A.

2003-01-01

The amount of data available on the Internet is continuously increasing, consequentially there is a growing need for tools that help to analyse the data. Testing of consistency among data received from different sources is made difficult by the number of different languages and schemas being used....... In this paper we analyze requirements for a tool that support integration of UML models and ontologies written in languages like the W3C Web Ontology Language (OWL). The tool can be used in the following way: after loading two legacy models into the tool, the tool user connects them by inserting modeling......, an important part of this technique is attaching of OCL expressions to special boolean class attributes that we call consistency attributes. The resulting integration model can be used for automatic consistency testing of two instances of the legacy models by automatically instantiate the whole integration...

Automatic Test Pattern Generator for Fuzzing Based on Finite State Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Hung Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of the Internet, several emerging technologies are adopted to construct fancy, interactive, and user-friendly websites. Among these technologies, HTML5 is a popular one and is widely used in establishing modern sites. However, the security issues in the new web technologies are also raised and are worthy of investigation. For vulnerability investigation, many previous studies used fuzzing and focused on generation-based approaches to produce test cases for fuzzing; however, these methods require a significant amount of knowledge and mental efforts to develop test patterns for generating test cases. To decrease the entry barrier of conducting fuzzing, in this study, we propose a test pattern generation algorithm based on the concept of finite state machines. We apply graph analysis techniques to extract paths from finite state machines and use these paths to construct test patterns automatically. According to the proposal, fuzzing can be completed through inputting a regular expression corresponding to the test target. To evaluate the performance of our proposal, we conduct an experiment in identifying vulnerabilities of the input attributes in HTML5. According to the results, our approach is not only efficient but also effective for identifying weak validators in HTML5.

"Eyeball test" of thermographic patterns for predicting a successful lateral infraclavicular block.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreasen, Asger M; Linnet, Karen E; Asghar, Semera; Rothe, Christian; Rosenstock, Charlotte V; Lange, Kai H W; Lundstrøm, Lars H

2017-11-01

Increased distal skin temperature can be used to predict the success of lateral infraclavicular (LIC) block. We hypothesized that an "eyeball test" of specific infrared thermographic patterns after LIC block could be used to determine block success. In this observational study, five observers trained in four distinct thermographic patterns independently evaluated thermographic images of the hands of 40 patients at baseline and at one-minute intervals for 30 min after a LIC block. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of a positive and a negative test were estimated to evaluate the validity of specific thermographic patterns for predicting a successful block. Sensory and motor block of the musculocutaneous, radial, ulnar, and median nerves defined block success. Fleiss' kappa statistics of multiple interobserver agreements were used to evaluate reliability. As a diagnostic test, the defined specific thermographic patterns of the hand predicted a successful block with increasing accuracy over the 30-min observation period. Block success was predicted with a sensitivity of 92.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 86.8 to 96.2) and with a specificity of 84.0% (95% CI, 70.3 to 92.4) at min 30. The Fleiss' kappa for the five observers was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.96). We conclude that visual evaluation by an eyeball test of specific thermographic patterns of the blocked hands may be useful as a valid and reliable diagnostic test for predicting a successful LIC block.

Force Concept Inventory-based multiple-choice test for investigating students’ representational consistency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pasi Nieminen

2010-08-01

Full Text Available This study investigates students’ ability to interpret multiple representations consistently (i.e., representational consistency in the context of the force concept. For this purpose we developed the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI, which makes use of nine items from the 1995 version of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI. These original FCI items were redesigned using various representations (such as motion map, vectorial and graphical, yielding 27 multiple-choice items concerning four central concepts underpinning the force concept: Newton’s first, second, and third laws, and gravitation. We provide some evidence for the validity and reliability of the R-FCI; this analysis is limited to the student population of one Finnish high school. The students took the R-FCI at the beginning and at the end of their first high school physics course. We found that students’ (n=168 representational consistency (whether scientifically correct or not varied considerably depending on the concept. On average, representational consistency and scientifically correct understanding increased during the instruction, although in the post-test only a few students performed consistently both in terms of representations and scientifically correct understanding. We also compared students’ (n=87 results of the R-FCI and the FCI, and found that they correlated quite well.

A non-parametric consistency test of the ΛCDM model with Planck CMB data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghamousa, Amir; Shafieloo, Arman [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Hamann, Jan, E-mail: amir@aghamousa.com, E-mail: jan.hamann@unsw.edu.au, E-mail: shafieloo@kasi.re.kr [School of Physics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052 (Australia)

2017-09-01

Non-parametric reconstruction methods, such as Gaussian process (GP) regression, provide a model-independent way of estimating an underlying function and its uncertainty from noisy data. We demonstrate how GP-reconstruction can be used as a consistency test between a given data set and a specific model by looking for structures in the residuals of the data with respect to the model's best-fit. Applying this formalism to the Planck temperature and polarisation power spectrum measurements, we test their global consistency with the predictions of the base ΛCDM model. Our results do not show any serious inconsistencies, lending further support to the interpretation of the base ΛCDM model as cosmology's gold standard.

Outcomes Definitions and Statistical Tests in Oncology Studies: A Systematic Review of the Reporting Consistency.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivoirard, Romain; Duplay, Vianney; Oriol, Mathieu; Tinquaut, Fabien; Chauvin, Franck; Magne, Nicolas; Bourmaud, Aurelie

2016-01-01

Quality of reporting for Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) in oncology was analyzed in several systematic reviews, but, in this setting, there is paucity of data for the outcomes definitions and consistency of reporting for statistical tests in RCTs and Observational Studies (OBS). The objective of this review was to describe those two reporting aspects, for OBS and RCTs in oncology. From a list of 19 medical journals, three were retained for analysis, after a random selection: British Medical Journal (BMJ), Annals of Oncology (AoO) and British Journal of Cancer (BJC). All original articles published between March 2009 and March 2014 were screened. Only studies whose main outcome was accompanied by a corresponding statistical test were included in the analysis. Studies based on censored data were excluded. Primary outcome was to assess quality of reporting for description of primary outcome measure in RCTs and of variables of interest in OBS. A logistic regression was performed to identify covariates of studies potentially associated with concordance of tests between Methods and Results parts. 826 studies were included in the review, and 698 were OBS. Variables were described in Methods section for all OBS studies and primary endpoint was clearly detailed in Methods section for 109 RCTs (85.2%). 295 OBS (42.2%) and 43 RCTs (33.6%) had perfect agreement for reported statistical test between Methods and Results parts. In multivariable analysis, variable "number of included patients in study" was associated with test consistency: aOR (adjusted Odds Ratio) for third group compared to first group was equal to: aOR Grp3 = 0.52 [0.31-0.89] (P value = 0.009). Variables in OBS and primary endpoint in RCTs are reported and described with a high frequency. However, statistical tests consistency between methods and Results sections of OBS is not always noted. Therefore, we encourage authors and peer reviewers to verify consistency of statistical tests in oncology studies.

Standard test methods for determining chemical durability of nuclear, hazardous, and mixed waste glasses and multiphase glass ceramics: The product consistency test (PCT)

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2002-01-01

1.1 These product consistency test methods A and B evaluate the chemical durability of homogeneous glasses, phase separated glasses, devitrified glasses, glass ceramics, and/or multiphase glass ceramic waste forms hereafter collectively referred to as “glass waste forms” by measuring the concentrations of the chemical species released to a test solution. 1.1.1 Test Method A is a seven-day chemical durability test performed at 90 ± 2°C in a leachant of ASTM-Type I water. The test method is static and conducted in stainless steel vessels. Test Method A can specifically be used to evaluate whether the chemical durability and elemental release characteristics of nuclear, hazardous, and mixed glass waste forms have been consistently controlled during production. This test method is applicable to radioactive and simulated glass waste forms as defined above. 1.1.2 Test Method B is a durability test that allows testing at various test durations, test temperatures, mesh size, mass of sample, leachant volume, a...

Factors associated with not testing for HIV and consistent condom use among men in Soweto, South Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakhile Mhlongo

Full Text Available Besides access to medical male circumcision, HIV testing, access to condoms and consistent condom use are additional strategies men can use to prevent HIV acquisition. We examine male behavior toward testing and condom use.To determine factors associated with never testing for HIV and consistent condom use among men who never test in Soweto.A cross-sectional survey in Soweto was conducted in 1539 men aged 18-32 years in 2007. Data were collected on socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics to determine factors associated with not testing and consistent condom use.Over two thirds (71% of men had not had an HIV test and the majority (55%, n = 602 were young (18-23. Of those not testing, condom use was poor (44%, n = 304. Men who were 18-23 years (aOR: 2.261, CI: 1.534-3.331, with primary (aOR: 2.096, CI: 1.058-4.153 or high school (aOR: 1.622, CI: 1.078-2.439 education, had sex in the last 6 months (aOR: 1.703, CI: 1.055-2.751, and had ≥1 sexual partner (aOR: 1.749, CI: 1.196-2.557 were more likely not to test. Of those reporting condom use (n = 1036, 67%, consistent condom use was 43% (n = 451. HIV testing did not correlate with condom use.Low rates of both condom use and HIV testing among men in a high HIV prevalence setting are worrisome and indicate an urgent need to develop innovative behavioral strategies to address this shortfall. Condom use is poor in this population whether tested or not tested for HIV, indicating no association between condom use and HIV testing.

Frequency and determinants of consistent STI/HIV testing among men who have sex with men testing at STI outpatient clinics in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Maartje; Heijne, Janneke C M; Hogewoning, Arjan A; van Aar, Fleur

2017-09-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at highest risk for STIs and HIV infections in the Netherlands. However, official guidelines on STI testing among MSM are lacking. They are advised to test for STIs at least every six months, but their testing behaviour is not well known. This study aimed to get insight into the proportion and determinants of consistent 6-monthly STI testing among MSM testing at STI outpatient clinics in the Netherlands. This study included longitudinal surveillance data of STI consultations among MSM from all 26 STI outpatient clinics in the Netherlands between 1 June 2014 and 31 December 2015. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of consistent 6-monthly testing compared with single testing and inconsistent testing. Determinants of time between consultations among men with multiple consultations were analysed using a Cox Prentice-Williams-Peterson gap-time model. A total of 34 605 STI consultations of 18 634 MSM were included. 8966 (48.1%) men had more than one consultation, and 3516 (18.9%) men tested consistently 6-monthly. Indicators of high sexual risk behaviour, including having a history of STI, being HIV positive and having more than 10 sex partners, were positively associated with both being a consistent tester and returning to the STI clinic sooner. Men who were notified by a partner or who reported STI symptoms were also more likely to return to the STI clinic sooner, but were less likely to be consistent testers, identifying a group of event-driven testers. The proportion of consistent 6-monthly testers among MSM visiting Dutch STI outpatient clinics was low. Testing behaviour was associated with sexual risk behaviour, but exact motives to test consistently remain unclear. Evidence-based testing guidelines are needed to achieve optimal reductions in STI transmission in the future. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence

Quantitative verification of ab initio self-consistent laser theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Li; Tandy, Robert J; Stone, A D; Türeci, Hakan E

2008-10-13

We generalize and test the recent "ab initio" self-consistent (AISC) time-independent semiclassical laser theory. This self-consistent formalism generates all the stationary lasing properties in the multimode regime (frequencies, thresholds, internal and external fields, output power and emission pattern) from simple inputs: the dielectric function of the passive cavity, the atomic transition frequency, and the transverse relaxation time of the lasing transition.We find that the theory gives excellent quantitative agreement with full time-dependent simulations of the Maxwell-Bloch equations after it has been generalized to drop the slowly-varying envelope approximation. The theory is infinite order in the non-linear hole-burning interaction; the widely used third order approximation is shown to fail badly.

[Practice patterns in Mexican allergologists about skin tests with allergens during 2005-2006].

Science.gov (United States)

Larenas Linnemann, Désirée; Fogelbach, Guillermo Arturo Guidos; Cruz, Alfredo Arias

2008-01-01

Immunotherapy has been practiced since over a hundred years. The exact composition of the immunotherapy concentrate, with which the patient is treated, depends partly on the results of the skin prick tests applied to the allergic patient. As such, the effectiveness of the immunotherapy depends heavily on the quality of the skin prick test. The detailed recommendations for the realization of the skin prick tests have evolved and changed over the years, leading to multiple variations in its application in Mexico. We tried to get a picture of the daily practice patterns of the members of CMICA and CoMPedIA concerning the application of skin prick tests. Aquestionnaire was sent in various occasions to all members of the Colegio Mexicano de Inmunologia Clinica y Alergia (CMICA) and of the Colegio Mexicano de Pediatras, Especialistas en Inmunologia y Alergia (CoMPedIA). The results are presented descriptively and by calculation of the frequency/percentages of intervals of replies, in the case of numerical responses. A response rate of 61 (17%) was obtained of the College members, showing consistency in some replies but a wide variation in others, for example in the time certain medication has to be suspended before the execution of the skin prick test. Comparing the replies obtained with recent recommendations in international publications, some discrepancy can be detected. In some aspects of the survey there is coincidence of the skin test practices among the participants; however, in other items there is an important variation.

A Van Atta reflector consisting of half-wave dipoles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Appel-Hansen, Jørgen

1966-01-01

The reradiation pattern of a passive Van Atta reflector consisting of half-wave dipoles is investigated. The character of the reradiation pattern first is deduced by qualitative and physical considerations. Various types of array elements are considered and several geometrical configurations...... of these elements are outlined. Following this, an analysis is made of the reradiation pattern of a linear Van Atta array consisting of four equispaced half-wave dipoles. The general form of the reradiation pattern is studied analytically. The influence of scattering and coupling is determined and the dependence...

Nuclear waste glass product consistency test (PCT): Version 7.0. Revision 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantzen, C.M.; Bibler, N.E.; Beam, D.C.; Ramsey, W.G.

1994-06-01

Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass. The glass will be produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), poured into stainless steel canisters, and eventually disposed of in a geologic repository. In order to comply with the Waste Acceptance Product Specifications (WAPS), the durability of the glass needs to be measured during production to assure its long term stability and radionuclide release properties. A durability test, designated the Product Consistency Test (PCT), was developed for DWPF glass in order to meet the WAPS requirements. The response of the PCT procedure was based on extensive testing with glasses of widely different compositions. The PCT was determined to be very reproducible, to yield reliable results rapidly, and to be easily performed in shielded cell facilities with radioactive samples. Version 7.0 of the PCT procedure is attached. This draft version has been submitted to ASTM for full committee (C26, Nuclear Fuel Cycle) ballot after being balloted successfully through subcommittee C26.13 on Repository Waste Package Materials Testing

Computer-Aided Test Flow in Core-Based Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zivkovic, V.; Tangelder, R.J.W.T.; Kerkhoff, Hans G.

2000-01-01

This paper copes with the efficient test-pattern generation in a core-based design. A consistent Computer-Aided Test (CAT) flow is proposed based on the required core-test strategy. It generates a test-pattern set for the embedded cores with high fault coverage and low DfT area overhead. The CAT

The internal consistency of the standard gamble: tests after adjusting for prospect theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Adam

2003-07-01

This article reports a study that tests whether the internal consistency of the standard gamble can be improved upon by incorporating loss weighting and probability transformation parameters in the standard gamble valuation procedure. Five alternatives to the standard EU formulation are considered: (1) probability transformation within an EU framework; and, within a prospect theory framework, (2) loss weighting and full probability transformation, (3) no loss weighting and full probability transformation, (4) loss weighting and no probability transformation, and (5) loss weighting and partial probability transformation. Of the five alternatives, only the prospect theory formulation with loss weighting and no probability transformation offers an improvement in internal consistency over the standard EU valuation procedure.

Pike (Esox lucius L.) on the edge: consistent individual movement patterns in transitional waters of the western Baltic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Lene; Bekkevold, Dorte; Berg, Søren

2017-01-01

salinity) would perform spawning- and feeding-related movements between areas with different salinity regimes. Twenty-two pike were caught prior to spawning, tagged with acoustic transmitters, and their movements were tracked for 18 months. Pike showed two main patterns of movements that were consistent......-varied with either length or condition factor. Despite the fact that the lagoon’s salinity is close to the reported upper limit for pike egg development, results indicated that all pike spawned in the lagoon. Correspondingly, genetic data showed that all fish belonged to the same reproductive population unit...

Airflow Patterns In Nuclear Workplace - Computer Simulation And Qualitative Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haim, M.; Szanto, M.; Weiss, Y.; Kravchick, T.; Levinson, S.; German, U.

1999-01-01

Concentration of airborne radioactive materials inside a room can vary widely from one location to another, sometimes by orders of magnitude even for locations that are relatively close. Inappropriately placed samplers can give misleading results and. therefore, the location of air samplers is important. Proper placement of samplers cannot be determined simply by observing the position of room air supply and exhaust vents. Airflow studies, such as the release of smoke aerosols, should be used. The significance of airflow pattern studies depends on the purpose of sampling - for estimating worker intakes, warning of high concentrations. defacing airborne radioactive areas, testing for confinement of sealed radioactive materials. etc. When sampling air in rooms with complex airflow patterns, it may be useful to use qualitative airflow studies with smoke tubes, smoke candles or isostatic bubbles. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Regulatory Guide 8.25 [1]. suggests that an airflow study should be conducted after any changes at work area including changes in the setup of work areas, ventilation system changes, etc. The present work presents an airflow patterns study conducted in a typical room using two methods: a computer simulation and a qualitative test using a smoke tube

How Well Does the Sum Score Summarize the Test? Summability as a Measure of Internal Consistency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goeman, J.J.; De, Jong N.H.

2018-01-01

Many researchers use Cronbach's alpha to demonstrate internal consistency, even though it has been shown numerous times that Cronbach's alpha is not suitable for this. Because the intention of questionnaire and test constructers is to summarize the test by its overall sum score, we advocate

Brief report: eye-movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD.

Science.gov (United States)

Keehn, Brandon; Brenner, Laurie A; Ramos, Aurora I; Lincoln, Alan J; Marshall, Sandra P; Müller, Ralph-Axel

2009-02-01

The present study examined fixation frequency and duration during an Embedded Figures Test (EFT) in an effort to better understand the attentional and perceptual processes by which individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) achieve accelerated EFT performance. In particular, we aimed to elucidate differences in the patterns of eye-movement in ASD and typically developing (TD) children, thus providing evidence relevant to the competing theories of weak central coherence (WCC) and enhanced perceptual functioning. Consistent with prior EFT studies, we found accelerated response time (RT) in children with ASD. No group differences were seen for fixation frequency, but the ASD group made significantly shorter fixations compared to the TD group. Eye-movement results indicate that RT advantage in ASD is related to both WCC and enhanced perceptual functioning.

Consistent patterns of high alpha and low beta diversity in tropical parasitic and free-living protists.

Science.gov (United States)

Lentendu, Guillaume; Mahé, Frédéric; Bass, David; Rueckert, Sonja; Stoeck, Thorsten; Dunthorn, Micah

2018-05-30

Tropical animals and plants are known to have high alpha diversity within forests, but low beta diversity between forests. By contrast, it is unknown whether microbes inhabiting the same ecosystems exhibit similar biogeographic patterns. To evaluate the biogeographies of tropical protists, we used metabarcoding data of species sampled in the soils of three lowland Neotropical rainforests. Taxa-area and distance-decay relationships for three of the dominant protist taxa and their subtaxa were estimated at both the OTU and phylogenetic levels, with presence-absence and abundance-based measures. These estimates were compared to null models. High local alpha and low regional beta diversity patterns were consistently found for both the parasitic Apicomplexa and the largely free-living Cercozoa and Ciliophora. Similar to animals and plants, the protists showed spatial structures between forests at the OTU and phylogenetic levels, and only at the phylogenetic level within forests. These results suggest that the biogeographies of macro- and micro-organismal eukaryotes in lowland Neotropical rainforests are partially structured by the same general processes. However, and unlike the animals and plants, the protist OTUs did not exhibit spatial structures within forests, which hinders our ability to estimate the local and regional diversity of protists in tropical forests. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On the Consistency of Bootstrap Testing for a Parameter on the Boundary of the Parameter Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavaliere, Giuseppe; Nielsen, Heino Bohn; Rahbek, Anders

2017-01-01

It is well known that with a parameter on the boundary of the parameter space, such as in the classic cases of testing for a zero location parameter or no autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) effects, the classic nonparametric bootstrap – based on unrestricted parameter estimates...... – leads to inconsistent testing. In contrast, we show here that for the two aforementioned cases, a nonparametric bootstrap test based on parameter estimates obtained under the null – referred to as ‘restricted bootstrap’ – is indeed consistent. While the restricted bootstrap is simple to implement...... in practice, novel theoretical arguments are required in order to establish consistency. In particular, since the bootstrap is analysed both under the null hypothesis and under the alternative, non-standard asymptotic expansions are required to deal with parameters on the boundary. Detailed proofs...

Full-scale locomotive dynamic crash testing and correlations : locomotive consist colliding with steel coil truck at grade crossing (test 3).

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-01

This report presents the test results and finite element correlations of a full-scale dynamic collision between a locomotive and a highway truck loaded with two heavy steel coils. The locomotive consist was moving at 58 miles per hour before it struc...

Evaluation of the entropy consistent euler flux on 1D and 2D test problems

Science.gov (United States)

Roslan, Nur Khairunnisa Hanisah; Ismail, Farzad

2012-06-01

Perhaps most CFD simulations may yield good predictions of pressure and velocity when compared to experimental data. Unfortunately, these results will most likely not adhere to the second law of thermodynamics hence comprising the authenticity of predicted data. Currently, the test of a good CFD code is to check how much entropy is generated in a smooth flow and hope that the numerical entropy produced is of the correct sign when a shock is encountered. Herein, a shock capturing code written in C++ based on a recent entropy consistent Euler flux is developed to simulate 1D and 2D flows. Unlike other finite volume schemes in commercial CFD code, this entropy consistent flux (EC) function precisely satisfies the discrete second law of thermodynamics. This EC flux has an entropy-conserved part, preserving entropy for smooth flows and a numerical diffusion part that will accurately produce the proper amount of entropy, consistent with the second law. Several numerical simulations of the entropy consistent flux have been tested on two dimensional test cases. The first case is a Mach 3 flow over a forward facing step. The second case is a flow over a NACA 0012 airfoil while the third case is a hypersonic flow passing over a 2D cylinder. Local flow quantities such as velocity and pressure are analyzed and then compared with mainly the Roe flux. The results herein show that the EC flux does not capture the unphysical rarefaction shock unlike the Roe-flux and does not easily succumb to the carbuncle phenomenon. In addition, the EC flux maintains good performance in cases where the Roe flux is known to be superior.

Development of an ASTM standard glass durability test, the Product Consistency Test (PCT), for high level radioactive waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantzen, C.M.; Bibler, N.E.; Beam, D.C.; Ramsey, W.G.

1994-01-01

The nation's first, and the world's largest, facility to immobilize high-level nuclear waste in durable borosilicate glass has started operation at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina. The product specifications on the glass wasteform produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) required extensive characterization of the glass product before actual production began and for continued characterization during production. To aid in this characterization, a glass durability (leach) test was needed that was easily reproducible, could be performed remotely on highly radioactive samples, and could yield results rapidly. Several standard leach tests were examined with a variety of test configurations. Using existing tests as a starting point, the DWPF Product Consistency Test (PCT was developed in which crushed glass samples are exposed to 90 ± 2 degree C deionized water for seven days. Based on extensive testing, including a seven-laboratory round robin and confirmatory testing with radioactive samples, the PCT is very reproducible, yields reliable results rapidly, and can be performed in shielded cell facilities with radioactive samples

Neural Network Based Recognition of Signal Patterns in Application to Automatic Testing of Rails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Ciszewski

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the application of neural network for recognition of signal patterns in measuring data gathered by the railroad ultrasound testing car. Digital conversion of the measuring signal allows to store and process large quantities of data. The elaboration of smart, effective and automatic procedures recognizing the obtained patterns on the basisof measured signal amplitude has been presented. The test shows only two classes of pattern recognition. In authors’ opinion if we deliver big enough quantity of training data, presented method is applicable to a system that recognizes many classes.

Identification of a consistent pattern of mutations in neurovirulent variants derived from the sabin vaccine strain of poliovirus type 2.

OpenAIRE

Equestre, M; Genovese, D; Cavalieri, F; Fiore, L; Santoro, R; Perez Bercoff, R

1991-01-01

Complete nucleotide sequencing of the RNAs of two unrelated neurovirulent isolates of Sabin-related poliovirus type 2 revealed that two nucleotides and one amino acid (amino acid 143 in the major capsid protein VP1) consistently departed from the sequences of the nonneurovirulent poliovirus type 2 712 and Sabin vaccine strains. This pattern of mutation appeared to be a feature common to all neurovirulent variants of poliovirus type 2.

Nonparametric test of consistency between cosmological models and multiband CMB measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghamousa, Amir [Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Shafieloo, Arman, E-mail: amir@apctp.org, E-mail: shafieloo@kasi.re.kr [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-01

We present a novel approach to test the consistency of the cosmological models with multiband CMB data using a nonparametric approach. In our analysis we calibrate the REACT (Risk Estimation and Adaptation after Coordinate Transformation) confidence levels associated with distances in function space (confidence distances) based on the Monte Carlo simulations in order to test the consistency of an assumed cosmological model with observation. To show the applicability of our algorithm, we confront Planck 2013 temperature data with concordance model of cosmology considering two different Planck spectra combination. In order to have an accurate quantitative statistical measure to compare between the data and the theoretical expectations, we calibrate REACT confidence distances and perform a bias control using many realizations of the data. Our results in this work using Planck 2013 temperature data put the best fit ΛCDM model at 95% (∼ 2σ) confidence distance from the center of the nonparametric confidence set while repeating the analysis excluding the Planck 217 × 217 GHz spectrum data, the best fit ΛCDM model shifts to 70% (∼ 1σ) confidence distance. The most prominent features in the data deviating from the best fit ΛCDM model seems to be at low multipoles  18 < ℓ < 26 at greater than 2σ, ℓ ∼ 750 at ∼1 to 2σ and ℓ ∼ 1800 at greater than 2σ level. Excluding the 217×217 GHz spectrum the feature at ℓ ∼ 1800 becomes substantially less significance at ∼1 to 2σ confidence level. Results of our analysis based on the new approach we propose in this work are in agreement with other analysis done using alternative methods.

Chronic malaria revealed by a new fluorescence pattern on the antinuclear autoantibodies test.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Hommel

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several clinical forms of malaria such as chronic carriage, gestational malaria or hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly may follow a cryptic evolution with afebrile chronic fatigue sometimes accompanied by anemia and/or splenomegaly. Conventional parasitological tests are often negative or not performed, and severe complications may occur. Extensive explorations of these conditions often include the search for antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA. METHODS: We analysed fluorescence patterns in the ANA test in patients with either chronic cryptic or acute symptomatic malaria, then conducted a one-year prospective study at a single hospital on all available sera drawn for ANA detections. We then identified autoantibodies differentially expressed in malaria patients and in controls using human protein microarray. RESULTS: We uncovered and defined a new, malaria-related, nucleo-cytoplasmic ANA pattern displaying the specific association of a nuclear speckled pattern with diffuse cytoplasmic perinuclearly-enhanced fluorescence. In the one-year prospective analysis, 79% of sera displaying this new nucleo-cytoplasmic fluorescence were from patients with malaria. This specific pattern, not seen in other parasitic diseases, allowed a timely reorientation of the diagnosis toward malaria. To assess if the autoantibody immune response was due to autoreactivity or molecular mimicry we isolated 42 autoantigens, targets of malarial autoantibodies. BLAST analysis indicated that 23 of recognized autoantigens were homologous to plasmodial proteins suggesting autoimmune responses directly driven by the plasmodial infection. CONCLUSION: In patients with malaria in whom parasitological tests have not been performed recognition of this new, malaria-related fluorescence pattern on the ANA test is highly suggestive of the diagnosis and triggers immediate, easy confirmation and adapted therapy.

Design, application and testing of the Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) to measure clinicians' patterns of work and communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Westbrook, Johanna I; Ampt, Amanda

2009-04-01

Evidence regarding how health information technologies influence clinicians' patterns of work and support efficient practices is limited. Traditional paper-based data collection methods are unable to capture clinical work complexity and communication patterns. The use of electronic data collection tools for such studies is emerging yet is rarely assessed for reliability or validity. Our aim was to design, apply and test an observational method which incorporated the use of an electronic data collection tool for work measurement studies which would allow efficient, accurate and reliable data collection, and capture greater degrees of work complexity than current approaches. We developed an observational method and software for personal digital assistants (PDAs) which captures multiple dimensions of clinicians' work tasks, namely what task, with whom, and with what; tasks conducted in parallel (multi-tasking); interruptions and task duration. During field-testing over 7 months across four hospital wards, fifty-two nurses were observed for 250 h. Inter-rater reliability was tested and validity was measured by (i) assessing whether observational data reflected known differences in clinical role work tasks and (ii) by comparing observational data with participants' estimates of their task time distribution. Observers took 15-20 h of training to master the method and data collection process. Only 1% of tasks observed did not match the classification developed and were classified as 'other'. Inter-rater reliability scores of observers were maintained at over 85%. The results discriminated between the work patterns of enrolled and registered nurses consistent with differences in their roles. Survey data (n=27) revealed consistent ratings of tasks by nurses, and their rankings of most to least time-consuming tasks were significantly correlated with those derived from the observational data. Over 40% of nurses' time was spent in direct care or professional communication

Pattern Of Skin Prick Allergy Test Results In Enugu | Mgbor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study we report on pattern of allergy prick skin test results found among atopic patients attending the department of otorhinolargngology of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu and Hansa Clinics, Enugu and propose ways of minimizing the exposure of the population to allergens. Material and method

Pattern Generator for Bench Test of Digital Boards

Science.gov (United States)

Berkun, Andrew C.; Chu, Anhua J.

2012-01-01

All efforts to develop electronic equipment reach a stage where they need a board test station for each board. The SMAP digital system consists of three board types that interact with each other using interfaces with critical timing. Each board needs to be tested individually before combining into the integrated digital electronics system. Each board needs critical timing signals from the others to be able to operate. A bench test system was developed to support test of each board. The test system produces all the outputs of the control and timing unit, and is delivered much earlier than the timing unit. Timing signals are treated as data. A large file is generated containing the state of every timing signal at any instant. This file is streamed out to an IO card, which is wired directly to the device-under-test (DUT) input pins. This provides a flexible test environment that can be adapted to any of the boards required to test in a standalone configuration. The problem of generating the critical timing signals is then transferred from a hardware problem to a software problem where it is more easily dealt with.

Consistency test of the standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawlowski, M.; Raczka, R.

1997-01-01

If the 'Higgs mass' is not the physical mass of a real particle but rather an effective ultraviolet cutoff then a process energy dependence of this cutoff must be admitted. Precision data from at least two energy scale experimental points are necessary to test this hypothesis. The first set of precision data is provided by the Z-boson peak experiments. We argue that the second set can be given by 10-20 GeV e + e - colliders. We pay attention to the special role of tau polarization experiments that can be sensitive to the 'Higgs mass' for a sample of ∼ 10 8 produced tau pairs. We argue that such a study may be regarded as a negative selfconsistency test of the Standard Model and of most of its extensions

Leaching characteristics of the metal waste form from the electrometallurgical treatment process: Product consistency testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S. G.; Keiser, D. D.; Frank, S. M.; DiSanto, T.; Noy, M.

1999-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory is developing an electrometallurgical treatment for spent fuel from the experimental breeder reactor II. A product of this treatment process is a metal waste form that incorporates the stainless steel cladding hulls, zirconium from the fuel and the fission products that are noble to the process, i.e., Tc, Ru, Nb, Pd, Rh, Ag. The nominal composition of this waste form is stainless steel/15 wt% zirconium/1--4 wt% noble metal fission products/1--2 wt % U. Leaching results are presented from several tests and sample types: (1) 2 week monolithic immersion tests on actual metal waste forms produced from irradiated cladding hulls, (2) long term (>2 years) pulsed flow tests on samples containing technetium and uranium and (3) crushed sample immersion tests on cold simulated metal waste form samples. The test results will be compared and their relevance for waste form product consistency testing discussed

VLE measurements using a static cell vapor phase manual sampling method accompanied with an empirical data consistency test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitag, Joerg; Kosuge, Hitoshi; Schmelzer, Juergen P.; Kato, Satoru

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We use a new, simple static cell vapor phase manual sampling method (SCVMS) for VLE (x, y, T) measurement. • The method is applied to non-azeotropic, asymmetric and two-liquid phase forming azeotropic binaries. • The method is approved by a data consistency test, i.e., a plot of the polarity exclusion factor vs. pressure. • The consistency test reveals that with the new SCVMS method accurate VLE near ambient temperature can be measured. • Moreover, the consistency test approves that the effect of air in the SCVMS system is negligible. - Abstract: A new static cell vapor phase manual sampling (SCVMS) method is used for the simple measurement of constant temperature x, y (vapor + liquid) equilibria (VLE). The method was applied to the VLE measurements of the (methanol + water) binary at T/K = (283.2, 298.2, 308.2 and 322.9), asymmetric (acetone + 1-butanol) binary at T/K = (283.2, 295.2, 308.2 and 324.2) and two-liquid phase forming azeotropic (water + 1-butanol) binary at T/K = (283.2 and 298.2). The accuracy of the experimental data was approved by a data consistency test, that is, an empirical plot of the polarity exclusion factor, β, vs. the system pressure, P. The SCVMS data are accurate, because the VLE data converge to the same lnβ vs. lnP straight line determined from conventional distillation-still method and a headspace gas chromatography method

SSME Seal Test Program: Test results for sawtooth pattern damper seal

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, D. W.

1986-01-01

Direct and transverse force coefficients for 11, sawtooth-pattern, and damper-seal configurations were examined. The designation damper seal uses a deliberately roughened stator and smooth rotor to increase the net damping force developed by a seal. The designation sawtooth-pattern refers to a stator roughness pattern. The sawtooth pattern yields axial grooves in the stator which are interrupted by spacer elements which act as flow constrictions or dams. All seals use the same smooth rotor and have the same, constant, minimum clearance. The stators examined the consequences of changes in the following design parameters: (1) axial-groove depth; (2) number of teeth: (3) number of sawtooth sections; (4) number of spacer elements; (5) dam width; (6) axially aligned sawtooth sections versus axially-staggered sawtooth sections; and (7) groove geometry. It is found that none of the sawtooth-pattern seal performs as well as the best round-hole-pattern seal. Maximum damping configurations for the sawtooth and round-hole-pattern stators have comparable stiffness performance. Several of the sawtooth pattern stators outperformed the best round-hole pattern seal.

Robust real-time pattern matching using bayesian sequential hypothesis testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pele, Ofir; Werman, Michael

2008-08-01

This paper describes a method for robust real time pattern matching. We first introduce a family of image distance measures, the "Image Hamming Distance Family". Members of this family are robust to occlusion, small geometrical transforms, light changes and non-rigid deformations. We then present a novel Bayesian framework for sequential hypothesis testing on finite populations. Based on this framework, we design an optimal rejection/acceptance sampling algorithm. This algorithm quickly determines whether two images are similar with respect to a member of the Image Hamming Distance Family. We also present a fast framework that designs a near-optimal sampling algorithm. Extensive experimental results show that the sequential sampling algorithm performance is excellent. Implemented on a Pentium 4 3 GHz processor, detection of a pattern with 2197 pixels, in 640 x 480 pixel frames, where in each frame the pattern rotated and was highly occluded, proceeds at only 0.022 seconds per frame.

Pattern database applications from design to manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Linda; Zhu, Annie; Zhang, Yifan; Sweis, Jason; Lai, Ya-Chieh

2017-03-01

Pattern-based approaches are becoming more common and popular as the industry moves to advanced technology nodes. At the beginning of a new technology node, a library of process weak point patterns for physical and electrical verification are starting to build up and used to prevent known hotspots from re-occurring on new designs. Then the pattern set is expanded to create test keys for process development in order to verify the manufacturing capability and precheck new tape-out designs for any potential yield detractors. With the database growing, the adoption of pattern-based approaches has expanded from design flows to technology development and then needed for mass-production purposes. This paper will present the complete downstream working flows of a design pattern database(PDB). This pattern-based data analysis flow covers different applications across different functional teams from generating enhancement kits to improving design manufacturability, populating new testing design data based on previous-learning, generating analysis data to improve mass-production efficiency and manufacturing equipment in-line control to check machine status consistency across different fab sites.

Spatial patterns of the frog Oophaga pumilio in a plantation system are consistent with conspecific attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Folt, Brian; Donnelly, Maureen A; Guyer, Craig

2018-03-01

The conspecific attraction hypothesis predicts that individuals are attracted to conspecifics because conspecifics may be cues to quality habitat and/or colonists may benefit from living in aggregations. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are aposematic, territorial, and visually oriented-three characteristics which make dendrobatids an appropriate model to test for conspecific attraction. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using an extensive mark-recapture dataset of the strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio ) from La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Data were collected from replicate populations in a relatively homogenous Theobroma cacao plantation, which provided a unique opportunity to test how conspecifics influence the spatial ecology of migrants in a controlled habitat with homogenous structure. We predicted that (1) individuals entering a population would aggregate with resident adults, (2) migrants would share sites with residents at a greater frequency than expected by chance, and (3) migrant home ranges would have shorter nearest-neighbor distances (NND) to residents than expected by chance. The results were consistent with these three predictions: Relative to random simulations, we observed significant aggregation, home-range overlap, and NND distribution functions in four, five, and six, respectively, of the six migrant-resident groups analyzed. Conspecific attraction may benefit migrant O. pumilio by providing cues to suitable home sites and/or increasing the potential for social interactions with conspecifics; if true, these benefits should outweigh the negative effects of other factors associated with aggregation. The observed aggregation between migrant and resident O. pumilio is consistent with conspecific attraction in dendrobatid frogs, and our study provides rare support from a field setting that conspecific attraction may be a relevant mechanism for models of anuran spatial ecology.

Multiple Sources of Test Bias on the WISC-R and Bender-Gestalt Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Oakland, Thomas; Feigenbaum, David

1979-01-01

Assessed test bias on the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Bender-Gestalt. On the Bender, evidence of bias was infrequent and irregular. On the WISC-R, group differences were most discernible for age, sex, family structure, and race. Consistent patterns of bias were not apparent among comparison groups. (Author)

The unity of laws, principles and consistent patterns of social education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr Kostiv

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the essence of social, educational and synergetic laws of basiccultural identity development, laws and principles of social education of young generation.Key words: law, pattern, principle, public law of basic cultural identity development,pedagogical law of integrative qualities formation in children and youth, synergetic law ofself-improvement, integrative personal traits self-improvement.

A Psychometric Review of Norm-Referenced Tests Used to Assess Phonological Error Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, Celia; Vigeland, Laura

2014-01-01

Purpose: The authors provide a review of the psychometric properties of 6 norm-referenced tests designed to measure children's phonological error patterns. Three aspects of the tests' psychometric adequacy were evaluated: the normative sample, reliability, and validity. Method: The specific criteria used for determining the psychometric…

Day-to-day consistency of lower extremity kinematics during stair ambulation in 24-45 years old athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Husa-Russell, Johanna; Ukelo, Thomas; List, Renate; Lorenzetti, Silvio; Wolf, Peter

2011-04-01

Before making interpretations on the effects of interventions or on the features of pathological gait patterns during stair ambulation, the day-to-day consistency of the investigated variables must be established. In this article, the day-to-day consistency was determined for kinematic variables during barefoot stair ambulation. Ten healthy athletes performed two gait analysis sessions, at least one week apart, utilizing a marker set of 47 skin markers, and a functional joint center/axes determination. Being found on limits of agreement and mean differences between the repeated stair ambulation sessions, totally 43 ranges of motions were examined at the hip, knee, ankle, and midfoot joints. The day-to-day consistency was generally in the magnitude of three degrees, irrespective of test condition, investigated joint, or regarded cardinal body plane. The reported values of the day-to-day consistency provide guidelines to distinguish between pathological and healthy gait patterns, and thresholds to determine minimal effects of interventions during stair ambulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of uniformity and noise consistency test in computerized tomography; Avaliacao do teste de constancia de uniformidade e ruido em tomografia computadorizada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrafiel, Fabricio N.; Lykawka, Rochelle; Bacelar, Alexandre; Anes, Mauricio [Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Alva-Sanchez, Mirko S.; Pianoschi, Thatiane [Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2016-07-01

The quality control in computed tomography (CT) includes constancy tests concerning CT number measured in a water tank and its response as uniformity, noise and accuracy. Differences to It's performance limits and frequency established by the national legislation and the manufacturers are well known. The objective of this study was to evaluate these tests proceeding the periodicity of national legislation. The tests were conducted over a three equipment of different manufacturers. Each equipment has acquisition parameters and specific phantoms. The equipment presented adequate performance and consistency when compared their results to the limits determined by manufacturers and national legislation. Thus, it is important to evaluate these differences and tailor the testing protocols to meet the established quality requirements. (author)

Consistent seasonal snow cover depth and duration variability over ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Decline in consistent seasonal snow cover depth, duration and changing snow cover build- up pattern over the WH in recent decades indicate that WH has undergone considerable climate change and winter weather patterns are changing in the WH. 1. Introduction. Mountainous regions around the globe are storehouses.

Prediction and Cross-Situational Consistency of Daily Behavior across Cultures: Testing Trait and Cultural Psychology Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Church, A. Timothy; Katigbak, Marcia S.; Reyes, Jose Alberto S.; Salanga, Maria Guadalupe C.; Miramontes, Lilia A.; Adams, Nerissa B.

2008-01-01

Trait and cultural psychology perspectives on the cross-situational consistency of behavior, and the predictive validity of traits, were tested in a daily process study in the United States (N = 68), an individualistic culture, and the Philippines (N = 80), a collectivistic culture. Participants completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and a measure of self-monitoring, then reported their daily behaviors and associated situational contexts for approximately 30 days. Consistent with trait perspectives, the Big Five traits predicted daily behaviors in both cultures, and relative (interindividual) consistency was observed across many, although not all, situational contexts. The frequency of various Big Five behaviors varied across relevant situational contexts in both cultures and, consistent with cultural psychology perspectives, there was a tendency for Filipinos to exhibit greater situational variability than Americans. Self-monitoring showed some ability to account for individual differences in situational variability in the American sample, but not the Filipino sample. PMID:22146866

Consistent dietary patterns identified from childhood to adulthood: the cardiovascular risk in Young Finns Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikkilä, V; Räsänen, L; Raitakari, O T; Pietinen, P; Viikari, J

2005-06-01

Dietary patterns are useful in nutritional epidemiology, providing a comprehensive alternative to the traditional approach based on single nutrients. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study is a prospective cohort study with a 21-year follow-up. At baseline, detailed quantitative information on subjects' food consumption was obtained using a 48 h dietary recall method (n 1768, aged 3-18 years). The interviews were repeated after 6 and 21 years (n 1200 and n 1037, respectively). We conducted a principal component analysis to identify major dietary patterns at each study point. A set of two similar patterns was recognised throughout the study. Pattern 1 was positively correlated with consumption of traditional Finnish foods, such as rye, potatoes, milk, butter, sausages and coffee, and negatively correlated with fruit, berries and dairy products other than milk. Pattern 1 type of diet was more common among male subjects, smokers and those living in rural areas. Pattern 2, predominant among female subjects, non-smokers and in urban areas, was characterised by more health-conscious food choices such as vegetables, legumes and nuts, tea, rye, cheese and other dairy products, and also by consumption of alcoholic beverages. Tracking of the pattern scores was observed, particularly among subjects who were adolescents at baseline. Of those originally belonging to the uppermost quintile of pattern 1 and 2 scores, 41 and 38 % respectively, persisted in the same quintile 21 years later. Our results suggest that food behaviour and concrete food choices are established already in childhood or adolescence and may significantly track into adulthood.

Human vigilance investigation analysis of the pattern array test (further data analysis). Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Have, A.C.

1979-04-01

This report analyzes a test which was designed to help solve problems of human vigilance encountered in a material safeguard system. The test was designed to determine the efficiency of an operator when processing large amounts of information from a video screen over extended periods of time. In the test eight objects, either circles, squares, or triangles, were set in a 5 x 5 matrix which appeared on a video screen. The eight objects were shown for a specified length of time, the screen blanked out for another specified period, then eight objects in the same 5 x 5 matrix were again shown. The observer was tested on his ability to discern changes in patterns and/or symbols from frame to frame. The testees were able to identify changes in pattern easier than changes in symbols

Evaluating the Consistency of the FNA Test in Pathologically Proven Nodules of Thyroidectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Khazaei

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA is a selective diagnostic technique for the evaluation of non-toxic thyroid nodules. Thyroid FNA results are either undiagnosed or suspicious and indeterminate in 20-30% of cases. Therefore, this study seeks to determine the consistency of the FNA test in pathologically proven nodules of thyroidectomy. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on a total of 73 candidates for thyroidectomy who had been admitted to Imam Ali Hospital. A census sampling method has been used in this study. The FNA samples and pathology samples were evaluated and the consistency of the FNA test in pathologically proven nodules were compared. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. The mean age of the patients was 40.1 ± 12.9 years. 23.3% of the participants were male and 76.7% of them were female. The malignancy rate in the pathology was 65.8% (48 cases and 53.4% (39 cases in the FNA. Of the 48 positive cases, the FNA pathology diagnosed 35 cases (72.9% as positive and 13 cases (27.1% as negative. Of the 25 negative cases, the FNA pathology diagnosed 21 cases (84% as negative and 4 cases (16% as positive. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of FNA in malignancy diagnosis were 72.92, 84, 89.74, and 61.76%, respectively. The results show that FNA does not have a high sensitivity in the diagnosis of malignancy, but has good specificity and the use of other diagnostic methods before the operation of thyroid nodules seems necessary.

Effects of Analytical and Holistic Scoring Patterns on Scorer Reliability in Biology Essay Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Ebuoh, Casmir N.

2018-01-01

Literature revealed that the patterns/methods of scoring essay tests had been criticized for not being reliable and this unreliability is more likely to be more in internal examinations than in the external examinations. The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of analytical and holistic scoring patterns on scorer reliability in…

Reporting consistently on CSR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Christa; Nielsen, Anne Ellerup

2006-01-01

This chapter first outlines theory and literature on CSR and Stakeholder Relations focusing on the different perspectives and the contextual and dynamic character of the CSR concept. CSR reporting challenges are discussed and a model of analysis is proposed. Next, our paper presents the results...... of a case study showing that companies use different and not necessarily consistent strategies for reporting on CSR. Finally, the implications for managerial practice are discussed. The chapter concludes by highlighting the value and awareness of the discourse and the discourse types adopted...... in the reporting material. By implementing consistent discourse strategies that interact according to a well-defined pattern or order, it is possible to communicate a strong social commitment on the one hand, and to take into consideration the expectations of the shareholders and the other stakeholders...

Thermodynamic consistency test procedure using orthogonal collocation and the Peng-Robinson equation of state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamm, L.L.; Van Brunt, V.

1982-08-01

The Christiansen and Fredenslund programs for calculating vapor-liquid equilibria have been modified by replacing the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state with the newly developed Peng-Robinson equation of state. This modification was shown to be a decided improvement for high pressure systems, especially in the critical and upper retrograde regions. Thermodynamic consistency tests were developed and used to evaluate and compare calculated values from both the modified and unmodified programs with reported experimental data for several vapor-liquid systems

Product consistency testing of three reference glasses in stainless steel and perfluoroalkoxy resin vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, K.M.; Smith, G.L.; Marschman, S.C.

1995-03-01

Because of their chemical durability, silicate glasses have been proposed and researched since the mid-1950s as a medium for incorporating high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated from processing of nuclear materials. A number of different waste forms were evaluated and ranked in the early 1980s; durability (leach resistance) was the highest weighted factor. Borosilicate glass was rated the best waste form available for incorporation of HLW. Four different types of vessels and three different glasses were used to study the possible effect of vessel composition on durability test results from the Production Consistency Test (PCT). The vessels were 45-m 304 stainless steel vessels, 150-m 304 L stainless steel vessels, and 60-m perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) fluoropolymer resin vessels. The three glasses were the Environmental Assessment glass manufactured by Corning Incorporated and supplied by Westinghouse Savannah River company, and West Valley Nuclear Services reference glasses 5 and 6, manufactured and supplied by Catholic University of America. Within experimental error, no differences were found in durability test results using the 3 different glasses in the 304L stainless steel or PFA fluoropolymer resin vessels over the seven-day test period

On Consistency Test Method of Expert Opinion in Ecological Security Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Zaiwu; Wang, Lihong

2017-09-04

To reflect the initiative design and initiative of human security management and safety warning, ecological safety assessment is of great value. In the comprehensive evaluation of regional ecological security with the participation of experts, the expert's individual judgment level, ability and the consistency of the expert's overall opinion will have a very important influence on the evaluation result. This paper studies the consistency measure and consensus measure based on the multiplicative and additive consistency property of fuzzy preference relation (FPR). We firstly propose the optimization methods to obtain the optimal multiplicative consistent and additively consistent FPRs of individual and group judgments, respectively. Then, we put forward a consistency measure by computing the distance between the original individual judgment and the optimal individual estimation, along with a consensus measure by computing the distance between the original collective judgment and the optimal collective estimation. In the end, we make a case study on ecological security for five cities. Result shows that the optimal FPRs are helpful in measuring the consistency degree of individual judgment and the consensus degree of collective judgment.

Lesser Neural Pattern Similarity across Repeated Tests Is Associated with Better Long-Term Memory Retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson Wirebring, Linnea; Wiklund-Hörnqvist, Carola; Eriksson, Johan; Andersson, Micael; Jonsson, Bert; Nyberg, Lars

2015-07-01

Encoding and retrieval processes enhance long-term memory performance. The efficiency of encoding processes has recently been linked to representational consistency: the reactivation of a representation that gets more specific each time an item is further studied. Here we examined the complementary hypothesis of whether the efficiency of retrieval processes also is linked to representational consistency. Alternatively, recurrent retrieval might foster representational variability--the altering or adding of underlying memory representations. Human participants studied 60 Swahili-Swedish word pairs before being scanned with fMRI the same day and 1 week later. On Day 1, participants were tested three times on each word pair, and on Day 7 each pair was tested once. A BOLD signal change in right superior parietal cortex was associated with subsequent memory on Day 1 and with successful long-term retention on Day 7. A representational similarity analysis in this parietal region revealed that beneficial recurrent retrieval was associated with representational variability, such that the pattern similarity on Day 1 was lower for retrieved words subsequently remembered compared with those subsequently forgotten. This was mirrored by a monotonically decreased BOLD signal change in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on Day 1 as a function of repeated successful retrieval for words subsequently remembered, but not for words subsequently forgotten. This reduction in prefrontal response could reflect reduced demands on cognitive control. Collectively, the results offer novel insights into why memory retention benefits from repeated retrieval, and they suggest fundamental differences between repeated study and repeated testing. Repeated testing is known to produce superior long-term retention of the to-be-learned material compared with repeated encoding and other learning techniques, much because it fosters repeated memory retrieval. This study demonstrates that repeated memory

Chemical Composition Analysis and Product Consistency Tests of the ORP Phase 5 Nepheline Study Glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Caldwell, M. E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Riley, W. T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2018-02-01

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for a series of simulated high-level waste glass compositions fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These data will be used in the development of improved models for the prediction of nepheline crystallization in support of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP).

Expanding the Reach of Participatory Risk Management: Testing an Online Decision-Aiding Framework for Informing Internally Consistent Choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bessette, Douglas L; Campbell-Arvai, Victoria; Arvai, Joseph

2016-05-01

This article presents research aimed at developing and testing an online, multistakeholder decision-aiding framework for informing multiattribute risk management choices associated with energy development and climate change. The framework was designed to provide necessary background information and facilitate internally consistent choices, or choices that are in line with users' prioritized objectives. In order to test different components of the decision-aiding framework, a six-part, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted, yielding eight treatment scenarios. The three factors included: (1) whether or not users could construct their own alternatives; (2) the level of detail regarding the composition of alternatives users would evaluate; and (3) the way in which a final choice between users' own constructed (or highest-ranked) portfolio and an internally consistent portfolio was presented. Participants' self-reports revealed the framework was easy to use and providing an opportunity to develop one's own risk-management alternatives (Factor 1) led to the highest knowledge gains. Empirical measures showed the internal consistency of users' decisions across all treatments to be lower than expected and confirmed that providing information about alternatives' composition (Factor 2) resulted in the least internally consistent choices. At the same time, those users who did not develop their own alternatives and were not shown detailed information about the composition of alternatives believed their choices to be the most internally consistent. These results raise concerns about how the amount of information provided and the ability to construct alternatives may inversely affect users' real and perceived internal consistency. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Head and Shoulders: Testing the Profitability of this Chart Pattern of Technical Analysis in the Brazilian Stock Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Gabriel Boainain

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Starting from an adapted version of Osler and Chang (1995 methodology, this article empirically evaluates the profitability of investment strategies based on identification of the Head and Shoulders chart pattern in the Brazilian stock market. For that purpose, several investment strategies conditioned by the identification of the Head and Shoulders pattern (in its basic and inverted forms by a computer algorithm in daily price series of 30 stocks from January 1994 to January 2009 were defined. Confidence intervals consistent with the null hypothesis that no strategies with positive returns can be based only on historical data were constructed using the Bootstrap sample inference technique in order to test the predictive power of each strategy. More specifically, the mean returns obtained by each strategy when applied to the stock's price series were compared to those obtained by the same strategies when applied to 1.000 artificial price series -- for each stock -- generated in a parametric manner, by an E-GARCH, and in a nonparametric one. Overall, our results show that it is possible to create strategies conditioned by the occurrence of Head and Shoulders, with positive returns, which indicates that these patterns can capture from stock historical prices some signals about their future price trend that makes possible to create profitable strategies. Nevertheless, the same conclusions are not valid for the pattern in its inverted form and when the effects of taxes and transaction costs are considered, depending on their magnitude, neither in its basic form.

Personality consistency in dogs: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fratkin, Jamie L; Sinn, David L; Patall, Erika A; Gosling, Samuel D

2013-01-01

Personality, or consistent individual differences in behavior, is well established in studies of dogs. Such consistency implies predictability of behavior, but some recent research suggests that predictability cannot be assumed. In addition, anecdotally, many dog experts believe that 'puppy tests' measuring behavior during the first year of a dog's life are not accurate indicators of subsequent adult behavior. Personality consistency in dogs is an important aspect of human-dog relationships (e.g., when selecting dogs suitable for substance-detection work or placement in a family). Here we perform the first comprehensive meta-analysis of studies reporting estimates of temporal consistency of dog personality. A thorough literature search identified 31 studies suitable for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Overall, we found evidence to suggest substantial consistency (r = 0.43). Furthermore, personality consistency was higher in older dogs, when behavioral assessment intervals were shorter, and when the measurement tool was exactly the same in both assessments. In puppies, aggression and submissiveness were the most consistent dimensions, while responsiveness to training, fearfulness, and sociability were the least consistent dimensions. In adult dogs, there were no dimension-based differences in consistency. There was no difference in personality consistency in dogs tested first as puppies and later as adults (e.g., 'puppy tests') versus dogs tested first as puppies and later again as puppies. Finally, there were no differences in consistency between working versus non-working dogs, between behavioral codings versus behavioral ratings, and between aggregate versus single measures. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

Personality consistency in dogs: a meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie L Fratkin

Full Text Available Personality, or consistent individual differences in behavior, is well established in studies of dogs. Such consistency implies predictability of behavior, but some recent research suggests that predictability cannot be assumed. In addition, anecdotally, many dog experts believe that 'puppy tests' measuring behavior during the first year of a dog's life are not accurate indicators of subsequent adult behavior. Personality consistency in dogs is an important aspect of human-dog relationships (e.g., when selecting dogs suitable for substance-detection work or placement in a family. Here we perform the first comprehensive meta-analysis of studies reporting estimates of temporal consistency of dog personality. A thorough literature search identified 31 studies suitable for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Overall, we found evidence to suggest substantial consistency (r = 0.43. Furthermore, personality consistency was higher in older dogs, when behavioral assessment intervals were shorter, and when the measurement tool was exactly the same in both assessments. In puppies, aggression and submissiveness were the most consistent dimensions, while responsiveness to training, fearfulness, and sociability were the least consistent dimensions. In adult dogs, there were no dimension-based differences in consistency. There was no difference in personality consistency in dogs tested first as puppies and later as adults (e.g., 'puppy tests' versus dogs tested first as puppies and later again as puppies. Finally, there were no differences in consistency between working versus non-working dogs, between behavioral codings versus behavioral ratings, and between aggregate versus single measures. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

Correlation of pulmonary function and usual interstitial pneumonia computed tomography patterns in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Arcadu, Antonella; Byrne, Suzanne C; Pirina, Pietro; Hartman, Thomas E; Bartholmai, Brian J; Moua, Teng

2017-08-01

Little is known about presenting 'inconsistent' or 'possible' usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) computed tomography (CT) patterns advancing to 'consistent' UIP as disease progresses in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We hypothesized that if 'consistent' UIP represented more advanced disease, such a pattern on presentation should also correlate with more severe pulmonary function test (PFT) abnormalities. Consecutive IPF patients (2005-2013) diagnosed by international criteria with baseline PFT and CT were included. Presenting CTs were assessed by three expert radiologists for consensus UIP pattern ('consistent', 'possible', and 'inconsistent'). Approximation of individual and combined interstitial abnormalities was also performed with correlation of interstitial abnormalities and UIP CT pattern made with PFT findings and survival. Three-hundred and fifty patients (70% male) were included with a mean age of 68.3 years. Mean percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) and diffusion capacity (DLCO%) was 64% and 45.5% respectively. Older age and male gender correlated more with 'consistent' UIP CT pattern. FVC% was not associated with any UIP pattern but did correlate with total volume of radiologist assessed interstitial abnormalities. DLCO% was lower in those with 'consistent' UIP pattern. A 'consistent' UIP CT pattern was also not independently predictive of survival after correction for age, gender, FVC%, and DLCO%. PFT findings appear to correlate with extent of radiologic disease but not specific morphologic patterns. Whether such UIP patterns represent different stages of disease severity or radiologic progression is not supported by coinciding pulmonary function decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Audit of Repeat Testing at an Academic Medical Center: Consistency of Order Patterns With Recommendations and Potential Cost Savings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hueth, Kyle D; Jackson, Brian R; Schmidt, Robert L

2018-05-31

To evaluate the prevalence of potentially unnecessary repeat testing (PURT) and the associated economic burden for an inpatient population at a large academic medical facility. We evaluated all inpatient test orders during 2016 for PURT by comparing the intertest times to published recommendations. Potential cost savings were estimated using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maximum allowable reimbursement rate. We evaluated result positivity as a determinant of PURT through logistic regression. Of the evaluated 4,242 repeated target tests, 1,849 (44%) were identified as PURT, representing an estimated cost-savings opportunity of $37,376. Collectively, the association of result positivity and PURT was statistically significant (relative risk, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.3; P < .001). PURT contributes to unnecessary health care costs. We found that a small percentage of providers account for the majority of PURT, and PURT is positively associated with result positivity.

Use of the SSF equations in the Kojima-Moon-Ochi thermodynamic consistency test of isothermal vapour-liquid equilibrium data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SLOBODAN P. SERBANOVIC

2000-12-01

Full Text Available The Kojima-Moon-Ochi (KMO thermodynamic consistency test of vapour–liquid equilibrium (VLE measurements for 32 isothermal data sets of binary systems of various complexity was applied using two fitting equations: the Redlich-Kister equation and the Sum of Symmetrical Functions. It was shown that the enhanced reliability of the fitting of the experimental data can change the conclusions drawn on their thermodynamic consistency in those cases of VLE data sets that are estimated to be near the border of consistency.

Post-hoc pattern-oriented testing and tuning of an existing large model: lessons from the field vole.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J Topping

Full Text Available Pattern-oriented modeling (POM is a general strategy for modeling complex systems. In POM, multiple patterns observed at different scales and hierarchical levels are used to optimize model structure, to test and select sub-models of key processes, and for calibration. So far, POM has been used for developing new models and for models of low to moderate complexity. It remains unclear, though, whether the basic idea of POM to utilize multiple patterns, could also be used to test and possibly develop existing and established models of high complexity. Here, we use POM to test, calibrate, and further develop an existing agent-based model of the field vole (Microtus agrestis, which was developed and tested within the ALMaSS framework. This framework is complex because it includes a high-resolution representation of the landscape and its dynamics, of the individual's behavior, and of the interaction between landscape and individual behavior. Results of fitting to the range of patterns chosen were generally very good, but the procedure required to achieve this was long and complicated. To obtain good correspondence between model and the real world it was often necessary to model the real world environment closely. We therefore conclude that post-hoc POM is a useful and viable way to test a highly complex simulation model, but also warn against the dangers of over-fitting to real world patterns that lack details in their explanatory driving factors. To overcome some of these obstacles we suggest the adoption of open-science and open-source approaches to ecological simulation modeling.

Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World.

Science.gov (United States)

Duell, Natasha; Steinberg, Laurence; Icenogle, Grace; Chein, Jason; Chaudhary, Nandita; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A; Fanti, Kostas A; Lansford, Jennifer E; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Alampay, Liane Peña; Al-Hassan, Suha M; Takash, Hanan M S; Bacchini, Dario; Chang, Lei

2018-05-01

Epidemiological data indicate that risk behaviors are among the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consistent with this, laboratory-based studies of age differences in risk behavior allude to a peak in adolescence, suggesting that adolescents demonstrate a heightened propensity, or inherent inclination, to take risks. Unlike epidemiological reports, studies of risk taking propensity have been limited to Western samples, leaving questions about the extent to which heightened risk taking propensity is an inherent or culturally constructed aspect of adolescence. In the present study, age patterns in risk-taking propensity (using two laboratory tasks: the Stoplight and the BART) and real-world risk taking (using self-reports of health and antisocial risk taking) were examined in a sample of 5227 individuals (50.7% female) ages 10-30 (M = 17.05 years, SD = 5.91) from 11 Western and non-Western countries (China, Colombia, Cyprus, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the US). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) risk taking follows an inverted-U pattern across age groups, peaking earlier on measures of risk taking propensity than on measures of real-world risk taking, and (2) age patterns in risk taking propensity are more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Overall, risk taking followed the hypothesized inverted-U pattern across age groups, with health risk taking evincing the latest peak. Age patterns in risk taking propensity were more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Results suggest that although the association between age and risk taking is sensitive to measurement and culture, around the world, risk taking is generally highest among late adolescents.

An improved genetic algorithm for designing optimal temporal patterns of neural stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Cassar, Isaac R.; Titus, Nathan D.; Grill, Warren M.

2017-12-01

Objective. Electrical neuromodulation therapies typically apply constant frequency stimulation, but non-regular temporal patterns of stimulation may be more effective and more efficient. However, the design space for temporal patterns is exceedingly large, and model-based optimization is required for pattern design. We designed and implemented a modified genetic algorithm (GA) intended for design optimal temporal patterns of electrical neuromodulation. Approach. We tested and modified standard GA methods for application to designing temporal patterns of neural stimulation. We evaluated each modification individually and all modifications collectively by comparing performance to the standard GA across three test functions and two biophysically-based models of neural stimulation. Main results. The proposed modifications of the GA significantly improved performance across the test functions and performed best when all were used collectively. The standard GA found patterns that outperformed fixed-frequency, clinically-standard patterns in biophysically-based models of neural stimulation, but the modified GA, in many fewer iterations, consistently converged to higher-scoring, non-regular patterns of stimulation. Significance. The proposed improvements to standard GA methodology reduced the number of iterations required for convergence and identified superior solutions.

The eye-complaint questionnaire in a visual display unit work environment: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenstra, Ivan A.; Sluiter, Judith K.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

2009-01-01

The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of a 10-item eye-complaint questionnaire (ECQ) were examined within a sample of office workers. Repeated within-subjects measures were performed within a single day and over intervals of 1 and 7 d. Questionnaires were completed by 96 workers (70%

Determination of specificity and pattern of antinuclear antibodies (ana) in systemic rheumatic disease patients positive for ana testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nawaz, H.; Bashir, M.M.; Iqbal, W.

2018-01-01

To determine probability of finding antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) positive samples and associating ANA patterns with anti-ENA reactivities among a consecutive cohort of samples of systemic rheumatic disease patients referred for ANA testing. Study Design:Prospective cohort study. Place and Duration of Study:Immunology Department, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to June 2016. Methodology:All the samples referred for ANA testing with clinical suspicion of systemic rheumatic disease were included. After screening, ANA positive samples were subjected to anti-ENA antibodies testing (including anti-SSA, anti-SSB, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-SCL-70 and anti-Jo-1 antibodies) and ANA pattern and titer determination. Results:Of 4,347 samples received, 397 were positive for ANA (9%). Of 397, 96 (24%) samples positive on ENA screen were tested for anti-ENA reactivity. Anti-SSA antibodies were found in 59 samples. Commonest ANA patterns were coarse and fine speckled (43 and 22 samples of 81 tested), while majority of samples carried ANA in titers of 1:40 and 1:80 (22 and 18 samples of 81 tested). No specific ANA pattern was associated with any particular anti-ENA reactivity. Conclusion:Among samples/patients referred for investigations of autoimmune disorders, probability of finding positive ANA is approximately 9%. Of these 9%, about 24% also show reactivity against ENA. Commonest ANA pattern is coarse speckled and majority of such patients carry ANA in titers ranging from 1:40 to 1:80. Commonest ENA reactivity was against SSA. (author)

Pattern of alveolar bone loss and reliability of measurements with the radiographic technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rise, J.; Albandar, J.M.

1988-01-01

The purposes of this paper were to study the pattern of bone loss among different teeth at the individual level and to study the effect of using different aggregated units of analysis on measurement error. Bone loss was assessed in standardized periapical radiographs from 293 subjects (18-68 years), and the mean bone loss score for each tooth type was calculated. These were then correlated by means of factor analysis to study the bone loss pattern. Reliability (measurement error) was studied by the internal consistency and the test-retest methods. The pattern of bone loss showed a unidimensional pattern, indicating that any tooth will work equally well as a dependent variable for epidemiologic descriptive purposes. However, a more thorough analysis also showed a multidimensional pattern in terms of four dimensions, which correspond to four tooth groups: incisors, upper premolars, lower premolars and molars. The four dimensions accounted for 80% of the toal variance. The multidimensional pattern may be important for the modeling of bone loss; thus different models may explain the four dimension (indices) used as dependent variables. The reliability (internal consistency) of the four indices was satisfactory. By the test-retest method, reliability was higher when the more aggregated unit (the individual) was used

Decay patterns of multi-quasiparticle bands—a model independent test of chiral symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrie, E A

2017-01-01

Nuclear chiral systems exhibit chiral symmetry bands, built on left-handed and right-handed angular momentum nucleon configurations. The experimental search for such chiral systems revealed a number of suitable candidates, however an unambiguous identification of nuclear chiral symmetry is still outstanding. In this work it is shown that the decay patterns of chiral bands built on multi-quasiparticle configurations are different from those involving different single-particle configurations. It is suggested to use the observed decay patterns of chiral candidates as a new model-independent test of chiral symmetry. (paper)

Sport fans: evaluating the consistency between implicit and explicit attitudes toward favorite and rival teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Wenger, Jay L; Brown, Roderick O

2014-04-01

Sport fans often foster very positive attitudes for their favorite teams and less favorable attitudes for opponents. The current research was designed to evaluate the consistency that might exist between implicit and explicit measures of those attitudes. College students (24 women, 16 men) performed a version of the Implicit Association Test related to their favorite and rival teams. Participants also reported their attitudes for these teams explicitly, via self-report instruments. When responding to the IAT, participants' responses were faster when they paired positive words with concepts related to favorite teams and negative words with rival teams, indicating implicit favorability for favorite teams and implicit negativity for rival teams. This pattern of implicit favorability and negativity was consistent with what participants reported explicitly via self-report. The importance of evaluating implicit attitudes and the corresponding consistency with explicit attitudes are discussed.

A self-consistency check for unitary propagation of Hawking quanta

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Daniel; Kodwani, Darsh; Pen, Ue-Li; Yang, I.-Sheng

2017-11-01

The black hole information paradox presumes that quantum field theory in curved space-time can provide unitary propagation from a near-horizon mode to an asymptotic Hawking quantum. Instead of invoking conjectural quantum-gravity effects to modify such an assumption, we propose a self-consistency check. We establish an analogy to Feynman’s analysis of a double-slit experiment. Feynman showed that unitary propagation of the interfering particles, namely ignoring the entanglement with the double-slit, becomes an arbitrarily reliable assumption when the screen upon which the interference pattern is projected is infinitely far away. We argue for an analogous self-consistency check for quantum field theory in curved space-time. We apply it to the propagation of Hawking quanta and test whether ignoring the entanglement with the geometry also becomes arbitrarily reliable in the limit of a large black hole. We present curious results to suggest a negative answer, and we discuss how this loss of naive unitarity in QFT might be related to a solution of the paradox based on the soft-hair-memory effect.

Student Consistency and Implications for Feedback in Online Assessment Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Madhyastha, Tara M.; Tanimoto, Steven

2009-01-01

Most of the emphasis on mining online assessment logs has been to identify content-specific errors. However, the pattern of general "consistency" is domain independent, strongly related to performance, and can itself be a target of educational data mining. We demonstrate that simple consistency indicators are related to student outcomes,…

Mining Experiential Patterns from Game-Logs of Board Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In board games, game-logs record past game processes, which can be regarded as an accumulation of experience. Similar to a real person, a computer player can gradually increase its skill by learning from game-logs. Therefore, the game becomes more interesting. This paper proposes an extensible approach to mine experiential patterns from increasing game-logs. The computer player improves its strategies by utilizing these growing patterns, just as it acquires experience. To evaluate the effect and performance of the approach, we designed a sample board game as a test platform and elaborated an experiment consisting of a series of tests. Experimental results show that our approach is effective and efficient.

Understanding Referral Patterns for Bone Mineral Density Testing among Family Physicians: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah E. P. Munce

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Evidence of inappropriate bone mineral density (BMD testing has been identified in terms of overtesting in low risk women and undertesting among patients at high risk. In light of these phenomena, the objective of this study was to understand the referral patterns for BMD testing among Ontario’s family physicians (FPs. Methods. A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted. Twenty-two FPs took part in a semi-structured interview lasting approximately 30 minutes. An inductive thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed data in order to understand the referral patterns for BMD testing. Results. We identified a lack of clarity about screening for osteoporosis with a tendency for baseline BMD testing in healthy, postmenopausal women and a lack of clarity on the appropriate age for screening for men in particular. A lack of clarity on appropriate intervals for follow-up testing was also described. Conclusions. These findings lend support to what has been documented at the population level suggesting a tendency among FPs to refer menopausal women (at low risk. Emphasis on referral of high-risk groups as well as men and further clarification and education on the appropriate intervals for follow-up testing is warranted.

Internal consistency, reliability, and temporal stability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form: Test-retest data over two weeks

OpenAIRE

MCGUCKIN, CONOR

2006-01-01

PUBLISHED The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form is a recently developed eight-item measure of happiness. This study evaluated the internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form among 55 Northern Irish undergraduate university students who completed the measure on two occasions separated by two weeks. Internal consistency of the measure on both occasions was satisfactory at both Time 1 (alpha = .62) and Time 2 (alpha = ....

Eastern Caribbean Circulation and Island Mass Effect on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: A Mechanism for Relatively Consistent Recruitment Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Chérubin, Laurent Marcel; Garavelli, Lysel

2016-01-01

The northeastern Caribbean Sea is under the seasonal influence of the Trade Winds but also of the Orinoco/Amazon freshwater plume. The latter is responsible for intensification of the Caribbean Current in general and of its eddy activity in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea. More importantly, we show in this study that the front of the freshwater plume drives a northward flow that impinges directly on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The angle of incidence of the incoming flow controls the nature of the wake on both sides and ends of the island, which changes from cyclonic to anticylonic wake flow, with either attached or shed eddies. Using an off-line bio-physical model, we simulated the dispersal and recruitment of an abundant Caribbean coral reef fish, the bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) in the context of the wake flow variability around St. Croix. Our results revealed the role played by the consistent seasonal forcing of the wake flow on the recruitment patterns around the island at the interannual scale. The interannual variability of the timing of arrival and northward penetration of the plume instead controls the nature of the wake, hence the regional spatial recruitment patterns. PMID:26942575

Eastern Caribbean Circulation and Island Mass Effect on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: A Mechanism for Relatively Consistent Recruitment Patterns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurent Marcel Chérubin

Full Text Available The northeastern Caribbean Sea is under the seasonal influence of the Trade Winds but also of the Orinoco/Amazon freshwater plume. The latter is responsible for intensification of the Caribbean Current in general and of its eddy activity in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea. More importantly, we show in this study that the front of the freshwater plume drives a northward flow that impinges directly on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The angle of incidence of the incoming flow controls the nature of the wake on both sides and ends of the island, which changes from cyclonic to anticylonic wake flow, with either attached or shed eddies. Using an off-line bio-physical model, we simulated the dispersal and recruitment of an abundant Caribbean coral reef fish, the bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum in the context of the wake flow variability around St. Croix. Our results revealed the role played by the consistent seasonal forcing of the wake flow on the recruitment patterns around the island at the interannual scale. The interannual variability of the timing of arrival and northward penetration of the plume instead controls the nature of the wake, hence the regional spatial recruitment patterns.

REFINEMENT OF THE REVERSE EXTRUSION TEST TO DETERMINE THE TWO CONSISTENCY LIMITS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamil KAYABALI

2015-11-01

coefficients (i.e., a and b were subjected to a multiple regression analysis along with the results of the conventional testing methods of fall-cone and rolling-device to determine the LL and PL as functions of the reverse extrusion parameters. It was shown that LL and PL can be predicted with a great degree of success using the reverse extrusion coefficients. While a great majority of the liquid limits found by using the fall-cone method were predicted with a ±10% error, almost all of the plastic limits found by the rolling device were predicted with a ±10% error. This refined investigation on the reverse extrusion test confirmed and proved that the reverse extrusion test is a simple, robust and inexpensive method capable of predicting both of two fundamental consistency limits using a single device.

Student Effort, Consistency and Online Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilde Patron

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines how student effort, consistency, motivation, and marginal learning, influence student grades in an online course. We use data from eleven Microeconomics courses taught online for a total of 212 students. Our findings show that consistency, or less time variation, is a statistically significant explanatory variable, whereas effort, or total minutes spent online, is not. Other independent variables include GPA and the difference between a pre-test and a post-test. The GPA is used as a measure of motivation, and the difference between a post-test and pre-test as marginal learning. As expected, the level of motivation is found statistically significant at a 99% confidence level, and marginal learning is also significant at a 95% level.

Comparison of the commercial color LCD and the medical monochrome LCD using randomized object test patterns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jay Wu

Full Text Available Workstations and electronic display devices in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS provide a convenient and efficient platform for medical diagnosis. The performance of display devices has to be verified to ensure that image quality is not degraded. In this study, we designed a set of randomized object test patterns (ROTPs consisting of randomly located spheres with various image characteristics to evaluate the performance of a 2.5 mega-pixel (MP commercial color LCD and a 3 MP diagnostic monochrome LCD in several aspects, including the contrast, resolution, point spread effect, and noise. The ROTPs were then merged into 120 abdominal CT images. Five radiologists were invited to review the CT images, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC analysis was carried out using a five-point rating scale. In the high background patterns of ROTPs, the sensitivity performance was comparable between both monitors in terms of contrast and resolution, whereas, in the low background patterns, the performance of the commercial color LCD was significantly poorer than that of the diagnostic monochrome LCD in all aspects. The average area under the ROC curve (AUC for reviewing abdominal CT images was 0.717±0.0200 and 0.740±0.0195 for the color monitor and the diagnostic monitor, respectively. The observation time (OT was 145±27.6 min and 127±19.3 min, respectively. No significant differences appeared in AUC (p = 0.265 and OT (p = 0.07. The overall results indicate that ROTPs can be implemented as a quality control tool to evaluate the intrinsic characteristics of display devices. Although there is still a gap in technology between different types of LCDs, commercial color LCDs could replace diagnostic monochrome LCDs as a platform for reviewing abdominal CT images after monitor calibration.

Brief Report: Eye-Movement Patterns during an Embedded Figures Test in Children with ASD

OpenAIRE

Keehn, Brandon; Brenner, Laurie A.; Ramos, Aurora I.; Lincoln, Alan J.; Marshall, Sandra P.; Müller, Ralph-Axel

2008-01-01

The present study examined fixation frequency and duration during an EFT in an effort to better understand the attentional and perceptual processes by which individuals with ASD achieve accelerated EFT performance. In particular, we aimed to elucidate differences in the patterns of eye-movement in ASD and TD children, thus providing evidence relevant to the competing weak central coherence and enhanced perceptual functioning theories. Consistent with prior EFT studies, we found accelerated RT...

[Blood Test Patterns for Blood Donors after Nucleic Acid Detection in the Blood Center].

Science.gov (United States)

Men, Shou-Shan; Lv, Lian-Zhi; Chen, Yuan-Feng; Han, Chun-Hua; Liu, Hong-Yu; Yan, Yan

2017-12-01

To investigate the blood test patterns for blood donors after nucleic acid detection in blood center. The collected blood samples after voluntary blood donors first were detected by conventional ELISA, then 31981 negative samples were detected via HBV/HCV/HIV combined nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples(22716 cases) or single samples(9265 cases) by means of Roche cobas s201 instrument. The combined detection method as follows: the blood samples were assayed by conventional nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples, at same time, 6 mixed samples were treated with polyethylene glycol precipitation method to concentrate the virus, then the nucleic acid test of blood samples was performed; the single detection method as follows: firstly the conventional nucleic acid test of single sample was performed, then the positive reactive samples after re-examination were 6-fold diluted to simulate the nucleic acid test of 6-mixed samples. The positive rate of positive samples detected by combined nucleic acid test, positive samples detected by nucleic acid test of mixed virus concentration and positive samples detected by single nucleic acid test was statistically analyzed. In addition, for HBV + persons the serological test yet should be performed. In 22 716 samples detected by nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples (MP-6-NAT) , 9 cases were HBV + (0.40‰, 9/22716); at same time, the detection of same samples by nucleic acid test of mixed sample virus concentration showed 29 cases of HBV + (1.28‰, 29/22716). In 9265 samples detected by single nucleic acid test(ID-NAT) 12 cases showed HBV + (1.30‰, 12/9265), meanwhile the detection of these 12 samples with HBV + by 6-fold dilution for virus concentration found only 4 samples with HBV + . In serological qualified samples, ID-NAT unqualified rate was 1.28‰, which was higher than that of MP-6-NAT(0.4‰) (χ 2 =8.11, P0.05). In 41 samples with HBsAg - HBV DNA + detected by ELISA, 36 samples were confirmed to be occult HBV

Suboptimal Muscle Synergy Activation Patterns Generalize their Motor Function across Postures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, M Hongchul; Ting, Lena H

2016-01-01

We used a musculoskeletal model to investigate the possible biomechanical and neural bases of using consistent muscle synergy patterns to produce functional motor outputs across different biomechanical conditions, which we define as generalizability. Experimental studies in cats demonstrate that the same muscle synergies are used during reactive postural responses at widely varying configurations, producing similarly-oriented endpoint force vectors with respect to the limb axis. However, whether generalizability across postures arises due to similar biomechanical properties or to neural selection of a particular muscle activation pattern has not been explicitly tested. Here, we used a detailed cat hindlimb model to explore the set of feasible muscle activation patterns that produce experimental synergy force vectors at a target posture, and tested their generalizability by applying them to different test postures. We used three methods to select candidate muscle activation patterns: (1) randomly-selected feasible muscle activation patterns, (2) optimal muscle activation patterns minimizing muscle effort at a given posture, and (3) generalizable muscle activation patterns that explicitly minimized deviations from experimentally-identified synergy force vectors across all postures. Generalizability was measured by the deviation between the simulated force direction of the candidate muscle activation pattern and the experimental synergy force vectors at the test postures. Force angle deviations were the greatest for the randomly selected feasible muscle activation patterns (e.g., >100°), intermediate for effort-wise optimal muscle activation patterns (e.g., ~20°), and smallest for generalizable muscle activation patterns (e.g., synergy force vector was reduced by ~45% when generalizability requirements were imposed. Muscles recruited in the generalizable muscle activation patterns had less sensitive torque-producing characteristics to changes in postures. We

Consistent thermodynamic properties of lipids systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cunico, Larissa; Ceriani, Roberta; Sarup, Bent

different pressures, with azeotrope behavior observed. Available thermodynamic consistency tests for TPx data were applied before performing parameter regressions for Wilson, NRTL, UNIQUAC and original UNIFAC models. The relevance of enlarging experimental databank of lipids systems data in order to improve......Physical and thermodynamic properties of pure components and their mixtures are the basic requirement for process design, simulation, and optimization. In the case of lipids, our previous works[1-3] have indicated a lack of experimental data for pure components and also for their mixtures...... the performance of predictive thermodynamic models was confirmed in this work by analyzing the calculated values of original UNIFAC model. For solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) data, new consistency tests have been developed [2]. Some of the developed tests were based in the quality tests proposed for VLE data...

The influence of conductivities consistent with field-aligned currents on high-latitude convection patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomberg, L.G.; Marklund, G.T.

1988-02-01

The influence on the high-latitude ionospheric convection of conductivities associated with upward field-aligned currents is investigated. Potential patterns are calculated from a given distribution of field-aligned currents and a conductivity model. The resulting patterns are shown to be modified considerably by including a coupling term between the conductivity and the field-aligned current in the conductivity model. The clockwise rotation of the entire potential pattern is reduced when the conductivity enhancement coincides with the regions of upward field-aligned current. Also, the electric field within these regions turns out to be rather insensitive to change in the magnitude of the current. In regions of downward current or when the current-dependent conductivity is excluded there is on the other hand an almost linear relationship between current and electric field. Although the particles producing the conductivity enhancement may not be the same as those carrying the major part of the field-aligned current it is clear from observations that there is a positive correlation between upward current conductivity. Therefore, the simple relationship used in this study is believed to reflect rather well the principal features of the current-conductivity coupling, which is of im- portance to the modelling of ionospheric electrodynamics. (With 26 refs.) (authors)

Post-Hoc Pattern-Oriented Testing and Tuning of an Existing Large Model: Lessons from the Field Vole

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topping, Christopher John; Dalkvist, Trine; Grimm, Volker

2012-01-01

Pattern-oriented modeling (POM) is a general strategy for modeling complex systems. In POM, multiple patterns observed at different scales and hierarchical levels are used to optimize model structure, to test and select sub-models of key processes, and for calibration. So far, POM has been used f...

Defect Localization Capabilities of a Global Detection Scheme: Spatial Pattern Recognition Using Full-field Vibration Test Data in Plates

Science.gov (United States)

Saleeb, A. F.; Prabhu, M.; Arnold, S. M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Recently, a conceptually simple approach, based on the notion of defect energy in material space has been developed and extensively studied (from the theoretical and computational standpoints). The present study focuses on its evaluation from the viewpoint of damage localization capabilities in case of two-dimensional plates; i.e., spatial pattern recognition on surfaces. To this end, two different experimental modal test results are utilized; i.e., (1) conventional modal testing using (white noise) excitation and accelerometer-type sensors and (2) pattern recognition using Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI), a full field method capable of analyzing the mechanical vibration of complex structures. Unlike the conventional modal testing technique (using contacting accelerometers), these emerging ESPI technologies operate in a non-contacting mode, can be used even under hazardous conditions with minimal or no presence of noise and can simultaneously provide measurements for both translations and rotations. Results obtained have clearly demonstrated the robustness and versatility of the global NDE scheme developed. The vectorial character of the indices used, which enabled the extraction of distinct patterns for localizing damages proved very useful. In the context of the targeted pattern recognition paradigm, two algorithms were developed for the interrogation of test measurements; i.e., intensity contour maps for the damaged index, and the associated defect energy vector field plots.

General approach to the testing of binary solubility systems for thermodynamic consistency. Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamm, L.L.; Van Brunt, V.

1982-08-01

A comparison of implicit Runge-Kutta and orthogonal collocation methods is made for the numerical solution to the ordinary differential equation which describes the high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibria of a binary system. The systems of interest are limited to binary solubility systems where one of the components is supercritical and exists as a noncondensable gas in the pure state. Of the two methods - implicit Runge-Kuta and orthogonal collocation - this paper attempts to present some preliminary but not necessarily conclusive results that the implicit Runge-Kutta method is superior for the solution to the ordinary differential equation utilized in the thermodynamic consistency testing of binary solubility systems. Due to the extreme nonlinearity of thermodynamic properties in the region near the critical locus, an extended cubic spline fitting technique is devised for correlating the P-x data. The least-squares criterion is employed in smoothing the experimental data. Even though the derivation is presented specifically for the correlation of P-x data, the technique could easily be applied to any thermodynamic data by changing the endpoint requirements. The volumetric behavior of the systems must be given or predicted in order to perform thermodynamic consistency tests. A general procedure is developed for predicting the volumetric behavior required and some indication as to the expected limit of accuracy is given

Culture, cross-role consistency, and adjustment: testing trait and cultural psychology perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Church, A Timothy; Anderson-Harumi, Cheryl A; del Prado, Alicia M; Curtis, Guy J; Tanaka-Matsumi, Junko; Valdez Medina, José L; Mastor, Khairul A; White, Fiona A; Miramontes, Lilia A; Katigbak, Marcia S

2008-09-01

Trait and cultural psychology perspectives on cross-role consistency and its relation to adjustment were examined in 2 individualistic cultures, the United States (N=231) and Australia (N=195), and 4 collectivistic cultures, Mexico (N=199), the Philippines (N=195), Malaysia (N=217), and Japan (N=180). Cross-role consistency in trait ratings was evident in all cultures, supporting trait perspectives. Cultural comparisons of mean consistency provided support for cultural psychology perspectives as applied to East Asian cultures (i.e., Japan) but not collectivistic cultures more generally. Some but not all of the hypothesized predictors of consistency were supported across cultures. Cross-role consistency predicted aspects of adjustment in all cultures, but prediction was most reliable in the U.S. sample and weakest in the Japanese sample. Alternative constructs proposed by cultural psychologists--personality coherence, social appraisal, and relationship harmony--predicted adjustment in all cultures but were not, as hypothesized, better predictors of adjustment in collectivistic cultures than in individualistic cultures.

Culture, Cross-Role Consistency, and Adjustment: Testing Trait and Cultural Psychology Perspectives

OpenAIRE

Church, A. Timothy; Anderson-Harumi, Cheryl A.; del Prado, Alicia M.; Curtis, Guy J.; Tanaka-Matsumi, Junko; Valdez Medina, José L.; Mastor, Khairul A.; White, Fiona A.; Miramontes, Lilia A.; Katigbak, Marcia S.

2008-01-01

Trait and cultural psychology perspectives on cross-role consistency and its relation to adjustment were examined in two individualistic cultures, the United States (N = 231) and Australia (N = 195), and four collectivistic cultures, Mexico (N = 199), Philippines (N = 195), Malaysia (N = 217), and Japan (N = 180). Cross-role consistency in trait ratings was evident in all cultures, supporting trait perspectives. Cultural comparisons of mean consistency provided support for cultural psychology...

Lexical patterns in the reading comprehension section of the toefl test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabiana Macmillan

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language is currently one of the most widely accepted English language proficiency tests. Designed by the ETS (Educational Testing Service, the main purpose of the TOEFL is to determine whether the English language skills of a student applying to a North American college or university are adequate for enrollment into the selected program of study. This study will focus upon the third section of the TOEFL, Reading Comprehension, which consists of several passages followed by questions with different testing purposes. An adaptation of Hoey's (1991 analytical system for the analysis of lexical cohesion in authentic texts will be used to identify bonds connecting reading comprehension questions on the test to key excerpts in the passages they are related to. A number of sample reading comprehension questions taken from practice tests produced by the ETS will be analyzed. The analysis will focus on the relationship between the testing purpose of each question and the type(s of lexical link involved in the identification of the correct answer.

Study of Experiment on Rock-like Material Consist of fly-ash, Cement and Mortar

Science.gov (United States)

Nan, Qin; Hongwei, Wang; Yongyan, Wang

2018-03-01

Study the uniaxial compression test of rock-like material consist of coal ash, cement and mortar by changing the sand cement ratio, replace of fine coal, grain diameter, water-binder ratio and height-diameter ratio. We get the law of four factors above to rock-like material’s uniaxial compression characteristics and the quantitative relation. The effect law can be sum up as below: sample’s uniaxial compressive strength and elasticity modulus tend to decrease with the increase of sand cement ratio, replace of fine coal and water-binder ratio, and it satisfies with power function relation. With high ratio increases gradually, the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus is lower, and presents the inverse function curve; Specimen tensile strength decreases gradually with the increase of fly ash. By contrast, uniaxial compression failure phenomenon is consistent with the real rock common failure pattern.

Fringe patterns generated by micro-optical sensors for pattern recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamee, Kreangsak; Chaiwong, Khomyuth; Yothapakdee, Kriengsak; Yupapin, Preecha P

2015-01-01

We present a new result of pattern recognition generation scheme using a small-scale optical muscle sensing system, which consisted of an optical add-drop filter incorporating two nonlinear optical side ring resonators. When light from laser source enters into the system, the device is stimulated by an external physical parameter that introduces a change in the phase of light propagation within the sensing device, which can be formed by the interference fringe patterns. Results obtained have shown that the fringe patterns can be used to form the relationship between signal patterns and fringe pattern recognitions.

Consistency argued students of fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Viyanti; Cari; Suparmi; Winarti; Slamet Budiarti, Indah; Handika, Jeffry; Widyastuti, Fatma

2017-01-01

Problem solving for physics concepts through consistency arguments can improve thinking skills of students and it is an important thing in science. The study aims to assess the consistency of the material Fluid student argmentation. The population of this study are College students PGRI Madiun, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and Lampung University. Samples using cluster random sampling, 145 samples obtained by the number of students. The study used a descriptive survey method. Data obtained through multiple-choice test and interview reasoned. Problem fluid modified from [9] and [1]. The results of the study gained an average consistency argmentation for the right consistency, consistency is wrong, and inconsistent respectively 4.85%; 29.93%; and 65.23%. Data from the study have an impact on the lack of understanding of the fluid material which is ideally in full consistency argued affect the expansion of understanding of the concept. The results of the study as a reference in making improvements in future studies is to obtain a positive change in the consistency of argumentations.

Demonstration of electronic pattern switching and 10x pattern demagnification in a maskless micro-ion beam reduction lithography system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo, V.V.; Akker, B.; Leung, K.N.; Noh, I.; Scott, K.L.; Wilde, S.

2002-01-01

A proof-of-principle ion projection lithography (IPL) system called Maskless Micro-ion beam Reduction Lithography (MMRL) has been developed and tested at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for future integrated circuits (ICs) manufacturing and thin film media patterning [1]. This MMRL system is aimed at completely eliminating the first stage of the conventional IPL system [2] that contains the complicated beam optics design in front of the stencil mask and the mask itself. It consists of a multicusp RF plasma generator, a multi-beamlet pattern generator, and an all-electrostatic ion optical column. Results from ion beam exposures on PMMA and Shipley UVII-HS resists using 75 keV H+ are presented in this paper. Proof-of-principle electronic pattern switching together with 10x reduction ion optics (using a pattern generator made of nine 50-(micro)m switchable apertures) has been performed and is reported in this paper. In addition, the fabrication of a micro-fabricated pattern generator [3] on an SOI membrane is also presented

Automatic test pattern generation for stuck-at and delay faults in combinational circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae Sik

1998-02-01

The present studies are developed to propose the automatic test pattern generation (ATG) algorithms for combinational circuits. These ATG algorithms are realized in two ATG programs: One is the ATG program for stuck-at fault and the other one for delay faults. In order to accelerate the ATG process, these two ATG programs have a common feature (the search method based on the concept of the degree of freedom), whereas only ATG program for the delay fault utilizes the 19-valued logic, a type of composite valued logic. This difference between two ATG programs results from the difference of the target fault. Accelerating the ATG process is indispensable for improving the ATG algorithms. This acceleration is mainly achieved by reducing the number of the unnecessary backtrackings, making the earlier detection of the conflicts, and shortening the computation time between the implication. Because of this purpose, the developed ATG programs include the new search method based on the concept of the degree of freedom (DF). The DF concept, computed directly and easily from the system descriptions such as types of gates and their interconnections, is the criterion to decide which, among several alternate lines' logic values required along each path, promises to be the most effective in order to accelerate and improve the ATG process. This DF concept is utilized to develop and improve both of ATG programs for stuck-at and delay faults in combinational circuits. In addition to improving the ATG process, reducing number of test pattern is indispensable for testing the delay faults because the size of the delay faults grows rapidly as increasing the size of the circuit. In order to improve the compactness of the test set, 19-valued logic are derived. Unlike other TG logic systems, 19-valued logic is utilized to generate the robustly hazard-free test pattern. This is achieved by using the basic 5-valued logic, proposed in this work, where the transition with no hazard is

Structural Consistency, Consistency, and Sequential Rationality.

OpenAIRE

Kreps, David M; Ramey, Garey

1987-01-01

Sequential equilibria comprise consistent beliefs and a sequentially ra tional strategy profile. Consistent beliefs are limits of Bayes ratio nal beliefs for sequences of strategies that approach the equilibrium strategy. Beliefs are structurally consistent if they are rationaliz ed by some single conjecture concerning opponents' strategies. Consis tent beliefs are not necessarily structurally consistent, notwithstan ding a claim by Kreps and Robert Wilson (1982). Moreover, the spirit of stru...

Correlation of pattern reversal visual evoked potential parameters with the pattern standard deviation in primary open angle glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kothari, Ruchi; Bokariya, Pradeep; Singh, Ramji; Singh, Smita; Narang, Purvasha

2014-01-01

To evaluate whether glaucomatous visual field defect particularly the pattern standard deviation (PSD) of Humphrey visual field could be associated with visual evoked potential (VEP) parameters of patients having primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Visual field by Humphrey perimetry and simultaneous recordings of pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PRVEP) were assessed in 100 patients with POAG. The stimulus configuration for VEP recordings consisted of the transient pattern reversal method in which a black and white checker board pattern was generated (full field) and displayed on VEP monitor (colour 14″) by an electronic pattern regenerator inbuilt in an evoked potential recorder (RMS EMG EP MARK II). The results of our study indicate that there is a highly significant (P<0.001) negative correlation of P100 amplitude and a statistically significant (P<0.05) positive correlation of N70 latency, P100 latency and N155 latency with the PSD of Humphrey visual field in the subjects of POAG in various age groups as evaluated by Student's t-test. Prolongation of VEP latencies were mirrored by a corresponding increase of PSD values. Conversely, as PSD increases the magnitude of VEP excursions were found to be diminished.

Personality Consistency in Dogs: A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fratkin, Jamie L.; Sinn, David L.; Patall, Erika A.; Gosling, Samuel D.

2013-01-01

Personality, or consistent individual differences in behavior, is well established in studies of dogs. Such consistency implies predictability of behavior, but some recent research suggests that predictability cannot be assumed. In addition, anecdotally, many dog experts believe that ‘puppy tests’ measuring behavior during the first year of a dog's life are not accurate indicators of subsequent adult behavior. Personality consistency in dogs is an important aspect of human-dog relationships (e.g., when selecting dogs suitable for substance-detection work or placement in a family). Here we perform the first comprehensive meta-analysis of studies reporting estimates of temporal consistency of dog personality. A thorough literature search identified 31 studies suitable for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Overall, we found evidence to suggest substantial consistency (r = 0.43). Furthermore, personality consistency was higher in older dogs, when behavioral assessment intervals were shorter, and when the measurement tool was exactly the same in both assessments. In puppies, aggression and submissiveness were the most consistent dimensions, while responsiveness to training, fearfulness, and sociability were the least consistent dimensions. In adult dogs, there were no dimension-based differences in consistency. There was no difference in personality consistency in dogs tested first as puppies and later as adults (e.g., ‘puppy tests’) versus dogs tested first as puppies and later again as puppies. Finally, there were no differences in consistency between working versus non-working dogs, between behavioral codings versus behavioral ratings, and between aggregate versus single measures. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed. PMID:23372787

Force Concept Inventory-Based Multiple-Choice Test for Investigating Students' Representational Consistency

Science.gov (United States)

Nieminen, Pasi; Savinainen, Antti; Viiri, Jouni

2010-01-01

This study investigates students' ability to interpret multiple representations consistently (i.e., representational consistency) in the context of the force concept. For this purpose we developed the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI), which makes use of nine items from the 1995 version of the Force Concept Inventory…

SU-E-J-29: Audiovisual Biofeedback Improves Tumor Motion Consistency for Lung Cancer Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D; Pollock, S; Makhija, K; Keall, P; Greer, P; Arm, J; Hunter, P; Kim, T

2014-01-01

Purpose: To investigate whether the breathing-guidance system: audiovisual (AV) biofeedback improves tumor motion consistency for lung cancer patients. This will minimize respiratory-induced tumor motion variations across cancer imaging and radiotherapy procedues. This is the first study to investigate the impact of respiratory guidance on tumor motion. Methods: Tumor motion consistency was investigated with five lung cancer patients (age: 55 to 64), who underwent a training session to get familiarized with AV biofeedback, followed by two MRI sessions across different dates (pre and mid treatment). During the training session in a CT room, two patient specific breathing patterns were obtained before (Breathing-Pattern-1) and after (Breathing-Pattern-2) training with AV biofeedback. In each MRI session, four MRI scans were performed to obtain 2D coronal and sagittal image datasets in free breathing (FB), and with AV biofeedback utilizing Breathing-Pattern-2. Image pixel values of 2D images after the normalization of 2D images per dataset and Gaussian filter per image were used to extract tumor motion using image pixel values. The tumor motion consistency of the superior-inferior (SI) direction was evaluated in terms of an average tumor motion range and period. Results: Audiovisual biofeedback improved tumor motion consistency by 60% (p value = 0.019) from 1.0±0.6 mm (FB) to 0.4±0.4 mm (AV) in SI motion range, and by 86% (p value < 0.001) from 0.7±0.6 s (FB) to 0.1±0.2 s (AV) in period. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that audiovisual biofeedback improves both breathing pattern and tumor motion consistency for lung cancer patients. These results suggest that AV biofeedback has the potential for facilitating reproducible tumor motion towards achieving more accurate medical imaging and radiation therapy procedures

SU-E-J-29: Audiovisual Biofeedback Improves Tumor Motion Consistency for Lung Cancer Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, D; Pollock, S; Makhija, K; Keall, P [The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW (Australia); Greer, P [The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); Arm, J; Hunter, P [Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, NSW (Australia); Kim, T [The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW (Australia); University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate whether the breathing-guidance system: audiovisual (AV) biofeedback improves tumor motion consistency for lung cancer patients. This will minimize respiratory-induced tumor motion variations across cancer imaging and radiotherapy procedues. This is the first study to investigate the impact of respiratory guidance on tumor motion. Methods: Tumor motion consistency was investigated with five lung cancer patients (age: 55 to 64), who underwent a training session to get familiarized with AV biofeedback, followed by two MRI sessions across different dates (pre and mid treatment). During the training session in a CT room, two patient specific breathing patterns were obtained before (Breathing-Pattern-1) and after (Breathing-Pattern-2) training with AV biofeedback. In each MRI session, four MRI scans were performed to obtain 2D coronal and sagittal image datasets in free breathing (FB), and with AV biofeedback utilizing Breathing-Pattern-2. Image pixel values of 2D images after the normalization of 2D images per dataset and Gaussian filter per image were used to extract tumor motion using image pixel values. The tumor motion consistency of the superior-inferior (SI) direction was evaluated in terms of an average tumor motion range and period. Results: Audiovisual biofeedback improved tumor motion consistency by 60% (p value = 0.019) from 1.0±0.6 mm (FB) to 0.4±0.4 mm (AV) in SI motion range, and by 86% (p value < 0.001) from 0.7±0.6 s (FB) to 0.1±0.2 s (AV) in period. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that audiovisual biofeedback improves both breathing pattern and tumor motion consistency for lung cancer patients. These results suggest that AV biofeedback has the potential for facilitating reproducible tumor motion towards achieving more accurate medical imaging and radiation therapy procedures.

Cross-cultural consistency and diversity in intrinsic functional organization of Broca's Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Fan, Lingzhong; Caspers, Svenja; Heim, Stefan; Song, Ming; Liu, Cirong; Mo, Yin; Eickhoff, Simon B; Amunts, Katrin; Jiang, Tianzi

2017-04-15

As a core language area, Broca's region was consistently activated in a variety of language studies even across different language systems. Moreover, a high degree of structural and functional heterogeneity in Broca's region has been reported in many studies. This raised the issue of how the intrinsic organization of Broca's region effects by different language experiences in light of its subdivisions. To address this question, we used multi-center resting-state fMRI data to explore the cross-cultural consistency and diversity of Broca's region in terms of its subdivisions, connectivity patterns and modularity organization in Chinese and German speakers. A consistent topological organization of the 13 subdivisions within the extended Broca's region was revealed on the basis of a new in-vivo parcellation map, which corresponded well to the previously reported receptorarchitectonic map. Based on this parcellation map, consistent functional connectivity patterns and modularity organization of these subdivisions were found. Some cultural difference in the functional connectivity patterns was also found, for instance stronger connectivity in Chinese subjects between area 6v2 and the motor hand area, as well as higher correlations between area 45p and middle frontal gyrus. Our study suggests that a generally invariant organization of Broca's region, together with certain regulations of different language experiences on functional connectivity, might exists to support language processing in human brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transient pattern analysis for fault detection and diagnosis of HVAC systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Sung-Hwan; Yang, Hoon-Cheol; Zaheer-uddin, M.; Ahn, Byung-Cheon

2005-01-01

Modern building HVAC systems are complex and consist of a large number of interconnected sub-systems and components. In the event of a fault, it becomes very difficult for the operator to locate and isolate the faulty component in such large systems using conventional fault detection methods. In this study, transient pattern analysis is explored as a tool for fault detection and diagnosis of an HVAC system. Several tests involving different fault replications were conducted in an environmental chamber test facility. The results show that the evolution of fault residuals forms clear and distinct patterns that can be used to isolate faults. It was found that the time needed to reach steady state for a typical building HVAC system is at least 50-60 min. This means incorrect diagnosis of faults can happen during online monitoring if the transient pattern responses are not considered in the fault detection and diagnosis analysis

Estimating ages of white-tailed deer: Age and sex patterns of error using tooth wear-and-replacement and consistency of cementum annuli

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel, Michael D.; Storm, Daniel J.; Rolley, Robert E.; Beissel, Thomas; Richards, Bryan J.; Van Deelen, Timothy R.

2014-01-01

The age structure of harvested animals provides the basis for many demographic analyses. Ages of harvested white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other ungulates often are estimated by evaluating replacement and wear patterns of teeth, which is subjective and error-prone. Few previous studies however, examined age- and sex-specific error rates. Counting cementum annuli of incisors is an alternative, more accurate method of estimating age, but factors that influence consistency of cementum annuli counts are poorly known. We estimated age of 1,261 adult (≥1.5 yr old) white-tailed deer harvested in Wisconsin and Illinois (USA; 2005–2008) using both wear-and-replacement and cementum annuli. We compared cementum annuli with wear-and-replacement estimates to assess misclassification rates by sex and age. Wear-and-replacement for estimating ages of white-tailed deer resulted in substantial misclassification compared with cementum annuli. Age classes of females were consistently underestimated, while those of males were underestimated for younger age classes but overestimated for older age classes. Misclassification resulted in an impression of a younger age-structure than actually was the case. Additionally, we obtained paired age-estimates from cementum annuli for 295 deer. Consistency of paired cementum annuli age-estimates decreased with age, was lower in females than males, and decreased as age estimates became less certain. Our results indicated that errors in the wear-and-replacement techniques are substantial and could impact demographic analyses that use age-structure information. 

Personality consistency analysis in cloned quarantine dog candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Choi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent research, personality consistency has become an important characteristic. Diverse traits and human-animal interactions, in particular, are studied in the field of personality consistency in dogs. Here, we investigated the consistency of dominant behaviours in cloned and control groups followed by the modified Puppy Aptitude Test, which consists of ten subtests to ascertain the influence of genetic identity. In this test, puppies are exposed to stranger, restraint, prey-like object, noise, startling object, etc. Six cloned and four control puppies participated and the consistency of responses at ages 7–10 and 16 weeks in the two groups was compared. The two groups showed different consistencies in the subtests. While the average scores of the cloned group were consistent (P = 0.7991, those of the control group were not (P = 0.0089. Scores of Pack Drive and Fight or Flight Drive were consistent in the cloned group, however, those of the control group were not. Scores of Prey Drive were not consistent in either the cloned or the control group. Therefore, it is suggested that consistency of dominant behaviour is affected by genetic identity and some behaviours can be influenced more than others. Our results suggest that cloned dogs could show more consistent traits than non-cloned. This study implies that personality consistency could be one of the ways to analyse traits of puppies.

Comparison of tests for spatial heterogeneity on data with global clustering patterns and outliers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hachey Mark

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability to evaluate geographic heterogeneity of cancer incidence and mortality is important in cancer surveillance. Many statistical methods for evaluating global clustering and local cluster patterns are developed and have been examined by many simulation studies. However, the performance of these methods on two extreme cases (global clustering evaluation and local anomaly (outlier detection has not been thoroughly investigated. Methods We compare methods for global clustering evaluation including Tango's Index, Moran's I, and Oden's I*pop; and cluster detection methods such as local Moran's I and SaTScan elliptic version on simulated count data that mimic global clustering patterns and outliers for cancer cases in the continental United States. We examine the power and precision of the selected methods in the purely spatial analysis. We illustrate Tango's MEET and SaTScan elliptic version on a 1987-2004 HIV and a 1950-1969 lung cancer mortality data in the United States. Results For simulated data with outlier patterns, Tango's MEET, Moran's I and I*pop had powers less than 0.2, and SaTScan had powers around 0.97. For simulated data with global clustering patterns, Tango's MEET and I*pop (with 50% of total population as the maximum search window had powers close to 1. SaTScan had powers around 0.7-0.8 and Moran's I has powers around 0.2-0.3. In the real data example, Tango's MEET indicated the existence of global clustering patterns in both the HIV and lung cancer mortality data. SaTScan found a large cluster for HIV mortality rates, which is consistent with the finding from Tango's MEET. SaTScan also found clusters and outliers in the lung cancer mortality data. Conclusion SaTScan elliptic version is more efficient for outlier detection compared with the other methods evaluated in this article. Tango's MEET and Oden's I*pop perform best in global clustering scenarios among the selected methods. The use of SaTScan for

Consistency in performance evaluation reports and medical records.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Mingshan; Ma, Ching-to Albert

2002-12-01

In the health care market managed care has become the latest innovation for the delivery of services. For efficient implementation, the managed care organization relies on accurate information. So clinicians are often asked to report on patients before referrals are approved, treatments authorized, or insurance claims processed. What are clinicians responses to solicitation for information by managed care organizations? The existing health literature has already pointed out the importance of provider gaming, sincere reporting, nudging, and dodging the rules. We assess the consistency of clinicians reports on clients across administrative data and clinical records. For about 1,000 alcohol abuse treatment episodes, we compare clinicians reports across two data sets. The first one, the Maine Addiction Treatment System (MATS), was an administrative data set; the state government used it for program performance monitoring and evaluation. The second was a set of medical record abstracts, taken directly from the clinical records of treatment episodes. A clinician s reporting practice exhibits an inconsistency if the information reported in MATS differs from the information reported in the medical record in a statistically significant way. We look for evidence of inconsistencies in five categories: admission alcohol use frequency, discharge alcohol use frequency, termination status, admission employment status, and discharge employment status. Chi-square tests, Kappa statistics, and sensitivity and specificity tests are used for hypothesis testing. Multiple imputation methods are employed to address the problem of missing values in the record abstract data set. For admission and discharge alcohol use frequency measures, we find, respectively, strong and supporting evidence for inconsistencies. We find equally strong evidence for consistency in reports of admission and discharge employment status, and mixed evidence on report consistency on termination status. Patterns of

Consistent force fields for saccharides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Kjeld

1999-01-01

Consistent force fields for carbohydrates were hitherto developed by extensive optimization ofpotential energy function parameters on experimental data and on ab initio results. A wide range of experimental data is used: internal structures obtained from gas phase electron diffraction and from x......-anomeric effects are accounted for without addition of specific terms. The work is done in the framework of the Consistent Force Field which originatedin Israel and was further developed in Denmark. The actual methods and strategies employed havebeen described previously. Extensive testing of the force field...

Association between the gait pattern characteristics of older people and their two-step test scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki; Ogata, Toru

2018-04-27

The Two-Step test is one of three official tests authorized by the Japanese Orthopedic Association to evaluate the risk of locomotive syndrome (a condition of reduced mobility caused by an impairment of the locomotive organs). It has been reported that the Two-Step test score has a good correlation with one's walking ability; however, its association with the gait pattern of older people during normal walking is still unknown. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the associations between the gait patterns of older people observed during normal walking and their Two-Step test scores. We analyzed the whole waveforms obtained from the lower-extremity joint angles and joint moments of 26 older people in various stages of locomotive syndrome using principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA was conducted using a 260 × 2424 input matrix constructed from the participants' time-normalized pelvic and right-lower-limb-joint angles along three axes (ten trials of 26 participants, 101 time points, 4 angles, 3 axes, and 2 variable types per trial). The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the scores of the principal component vectors (PCVs) and the scores of the Two-Step test revealed that only one PCV (PCV 2) among the 61 obtained relevant PCVs is significantly related to the score of the Two-Step test. We therefore concluded that the joint angles and joint moments related to PCV 2-ankle plantar-flexion, ankle plantar-flexor moments during the late stance phase, ranges of motion and moments on the hip, knee, and ankle joints in the sagittal plane during the entire stance phase-are the motions associated with the Two-Step test.

Evaluating Temporal Consistency in Marine Biodiversity Hotspots.

Science.gov (United States)

Piacenza, Susan E; Thurman, Lindsey L; Barner, Allison K; Benkwitt, Cassandra E; Boersma, Kate S; Cerny-Chipman, Elizabeth B; Ingeman, Kurt E; Kindinger, Tye L; Lindsley, Amy J; Nelson, Jake; Reimer, Jessica N; Rowe, Jennifer C; Shen, Chenchen; Thompson, Kevin A; Heppell, Selina S

2015-01-01

With the ongoing crisis of biodiversity loss and limited resources for conservation, the concept of biodiversity hotspots has been useful in determining conservation priority areas. However, there has been limited research into how temporal variability in biodiversity may influence conservation area prioritization. To address this information gap, we present an approach to evaluate the temporal consistency of biodiversity hotspots in large marine ecosystems. Using a large scale, public monitoring dataset collected over an eight year period off the US Pacific Coast, we developed a methodological approach for avoiding biases associated with hotspot delineation. We aggregated benthic fish species data from research trawls and calculated mean hotspot thresholds for fish species richness and Shannon's diversity indices over the eight year dataset. We used a spatial frequency distribution method to assign hotspot designations to the grid cells annually. We found no areas containing consistently high biodiversity through the entire study period based on the mean thresholds, and no grid cell was designated as a hotspot for greater than 50% of the time-series. To test if our approach was sensitive to sampling effort and the geographic extent of the survey, we followed a similar routine for the northern region of the survey area. Our finding of low consistency in benthic fish biodiversity hotspots over time was upheld, regardless of biodiversity metric used, whether thresholds were calculated per year or across all years, or the spatial extent for which we calculated thresholds and identified hotspots. Our results suggest that static measures of benthic fish biodiversity off the US West Coast are insufficient for identification of hotspots and that long-term data are required to appropriately identify patterns of high temporal variability in biodiversity for these highly mobile taxa. Given that ecological communities are responding to a changing climate and other

Aplicação dos testes de padrão temporal em crianças com gagueira desenvolvimental persistente Application of temporal pattern tests in children with persistent developmental stuttering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosimeire da Silva

2011-10-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: caracterizar e comparar o desempenho das crianças com diagnóstico de gagueira nos testes de padrão temporal, com crianças sem queixas e/ou sinais de transtornos psiquiátricos ou neurológicos, dificuldades de fala, audição, linguagem e/ou aprendizagem. MÉTODO: participaram 30 crianças entre 9 e 12 anos de idade, de ambos os gêneros, divididas em dois grupos: GI - 15 crianças com gagueira desenvolvimental persistente; GII - 15 crianças sem queixas e/ou sinais de transtornos psiquiátricos ou neurológicos, dificuldades de fala, audição, linguagem e/ou aprendizagem. Para avaliação do processamento auditivo temporal, foi aplicado os Testes Tonais de Padrão de Frequência (PPS-Pitch Pattern Sequence Test e Testes Tonais de Padrão de Duração (DPS - Duration Pattern Sequence Test. RESULTADOS: o grupo II apresentou desempenho superior no teste de padrão de frequência e de padrão de duração quando comparado ao grupo I. Os resultados indicaram que houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos estudados. CONCLUSÃO: os participantes do grupo I apresentaram desempenho alterado nos testes de padrão temporal, o que indica que existe relação entre a gagueira e o transtorno do processamento auditivo.PURPOSE: to characterize and compare the performance of children with diagnosis of stuttering under temporal pattern tests with the performance of children without complaints. METHOD: we evaluated 30 children between 9 and 12-year old, both genders, divided in two groups: GI - 15 children with persistent development stuttering; GII - 15 children without complaints and/or signals of psychiatric or neurological upheavals, speech, hearing, language and/or learning difficulties. To evaluate the auditory processing we applied Pitch Pattern Sequence Test (PPS and Duration Pattern Sequence Test (DPS. RESULTS: group II showed a better performance on PPS and DPS tests when compared with group I. The results indicated

GLASS FABRICATION AND PRODUCT CONSISTENCY TESTING OF LANTHANIDE BOROSILICATE FRIT X COMPOSITION FOR PLUTONIUM DISPOSITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marra, J

2006-11-15

The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE/EM) plans to conduct the Plutonium Disposition Project at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to disposition excess weapons-usable plutonium. A plutonium glass waste form is the preferred option for immobilization of the plutonium for subsequent disposition in a geologic repository. A reference glass composition (Lanthanide Borosilicate (LaBS) Frit B) was developed during the Plutonium Immobilization Program (PIP) to immobilize plutonium in the late 1990's. A limited amount of performance testing was performed on this baseline composition before efforts to further pursue Pu disposition via a glass waste form ceased. Recent FY05 studies have further investigated the LaBS Frit B formulation as well as development of a newer LaBS formulation denoted as LaBS Frit X. The objectives of this present task were to fabricate plutonium loaded LaBS Frit X glass and perform corrosion testing to provide near-term data that will increase confidence that LaBS glass product is suitable for disposal in the Yucca Mountain Repository. Specifically, testing was conducted in an effort to provide data to Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) personnel for use in performance assessment calculations. Plutonium containing LaBS glass with the Frit X composition with a 9.5 wt% PuO{sub 2} loading was prepared for testing. Glass was prepared to support Product Consistency Testing (PCT) at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). The glass was thoroughly characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) prior to performance testing. A series of PCTs were conducted at SRNL using quenched Pu Frit X glass with varying exposed surface areas. Effects of isothermal and can-in-canister heat treatments on the Pu Frit X glass were also investigated. Another series of PCTs were performed on these different heat-treated Pu Frit X glasses. Leachates from all these PCTs

Patterned Fibers Embedded Microfluidic Chips Based on PLA and PDMS for Ag Nanoparticle Safety Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaowen Liu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available A new method to integrate poly-dl-lactide (PLA patterned electrospun fibers with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS microfluidic chip was successfully developed via lithography. Hepatocyte behavior under static and dynamic conditions was investigated. Immunohistochemical analyses indicated good hepatocyte survival under the dynamic culture system with effective hepatocyte spheroid formation in the patterned microfluidic chip vs. static culture conditions and tissue culture plate (TCP. In particular, hepatocytes seeded in this microfluidic chip under a flow rate of 10 μL/min could re-establish hepatocyte polarity to support biliary excretion and were able to maintain high levels of albumin and urea secretion over 15 days. Furthermore, the optimized system could produce sensitive and consistent responses to nano-Ag-induced hepatotoxicity during culture. Thus, this microfluidic chip device provides a new means of fabricating complex liver tissue-engineered scaffolds, and may be of considerable utility in the toxicity screening of nanoparticles.

Consumption, Saving, Investment, and Unemployment. SVAR Tests of the Effects of Changes in the Consumption-Saving Pattern

OpenAIRE

Roberto Bande Ramudo; Manuel Fernández Grela; Mª Dolores Riveiro García

2011-01-01

In this paper we aim to provide information about the transmission mechanism at work between investment and unemployment by looking at the consumption-saving pattern as a determinant of investment behaviour. Our starting hypothesis is that permanent shifts in the consumption-saving pattern will have permanent effects on investment, with subsequent consequences for the unemployment rate. To test this hypothesis we build an SVAR model for the Spanish economy seeking information about the respon...

Atypical performance patterns on Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System Color-Word Interference Test: Cognitive switching and learning ability in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Jody-Lynn; Swan, Natasha M; Banks, Sarah J; Miller, Justin B

2016-09-01

Cognitive set shifting requires flexible application of lower level processes. The Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System (DKEFS) Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT) is commonly used to clinically assess cognitive set shifting. An atypical pattern of performance has been observed on the CWIT; a subset of individuals perform faster, with equal or fewer errors, on the more difficult inhibition/switching than the inhibition trial. This study seeks to explore the cognitive underpinnings of this atypical pattern. It is hypothesized that atypical patterns on CWIT will be associated with better performance on underlying cognitive measures of attention, working memory, and learning when compared to typical CWIT patterns. Records from 239 clinical referrals (age: M = 68.09 years, SD = 10.62; education: M = 14.87 years, SD = 2.73) seen for a neuropsychological evaluation as part of diagnostic work up in an outpatient dementia and movement disorders clinic were sampled. The standard battery of tests included measures of attention, learning, fluency, executive functioning, and working memory. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to compare the cognitive performance of those with typical versus atypical CWIT patterns. An atypical pattern of performance was confirmed in 23% of our sample. Analyses revealed a significant group difference in acquisition of information on both nonverbal (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, BVMT-R total recall), F(1, 213) = 16.61, p < .001, and verbal (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, HVLT-R total recall) learning tasks, F(1, 181) = 6.43, p < .01, and semantic fluency (Animal Naming), F(1, 232) = 7.57, p = .006, with the atypical group performing better on each task. Effect sizes were larger for nonverbal (Cohen's d = 0.66) than verbal learning (Cohen's d = 0.47) and semantic fluency (Cohen's d = 0.43). Individuals demonstrating an atypical pattern of performance on the CWIT inhibition/switching trial also demonstrated relative

Low Bone Mineral Density Risk Factors and Testing Patterns in Institutionalized Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Mailee; Campagna, Elizabeth J.; Jensen, Kristin M.

2018-01-01

Background: Adults with intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD) have multiple risks for low bone mineral density (BMD) without formal guidelines to guide testing. We sought to identify risk factors and patterns of BMD testing among institutionalized adults with ID/DD. Methods: We evaluated risk factors for low BMD (Z-/T-score < -1) and…

Spatial variability in intertidal macroalgal assemblages on the North Portuguese coast: consistence between species and functional group approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Veiga, P.; Rubal, M.; Vieira, R.; Arenas, F.; Sousa-Pinto, I.

2013-03-01

Natural assemblages are variable in space and time; therefore, quantification of their variability is imperative to identify relevant scales for investigating natural or anthropogenic processes shaping these assemblages. We studied the variability of intertidal macroalgal assemblages on the North Portuguese coast, considering three spatial scales (from metres to 10 s of kilometres) following a hierarchical design. We tested the hypotheses that (1) spatial pattern will be invariant at all the studied scales and (2) spatial variability of macroalgal assemblages obtained by using species will be consistent with that obtained using functional groups. This was done considering as univariate variables: total biomass and number of taxa as well as biomass of the most important species and functional groups and as multivariate variables the structure of macroalgal assemblages, both considering species and functional groups. Most of the univariate results confirmed the first hypothesis except for the total number of taxa and foliose macroalgae that showed significant variability at the scale of site and area, respectively. In contrast, when multivariate patterns were examined, the first hypothesis was rejected except at the scale of 10 s of kilometres. Both uni- and multivariate results indicated that variation was larger at the smallest scale, and thus, small-scale processes seem to have more effect on spatial variability patterns. Macroalgal assemblages, both considering species and functional groups as surrogate, showed consistent spatial patterns, and therefore, the second hypothesis was confirmed. Consequently, functional groups may be considered a reliable biological surrogate to study changes on macroalgal assemblages at least along the investigated Portuguese coastline.

Correlation of pattern reversal visual evoked potential parameters with the pattern standard deviation in primary open angle glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruchi Kothari

2014-04-01

Full Text Available AIM:To evaluate whether glaucomatous visual field defect particularly the pattern standard deviation (PSD of Humphrey visual field could be associated with visual evoked potential (VEP parameters of patients having primary open angle glaucoma (POAG.METHODS:Visual field by Humphrey perimetry and simultaneous recordings of pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PRVEP were assessed in 100 patients with POAG. The stimulus configuration for VEP recordings consisted of the transient pattern reversal method in which a black and white checker board pattern was generated (full field and displayed on VEP monitor (colour 14” by an electronic pattern regenerator inbuilt in an evoked potential recorder (RMS EMG EP MARK II.RESULTS:The results of our study indicate that there is a highly significant (P<0.001 negative correlation of P100 amplitude and a statistically significant (P<0.05 positive correlation of N70 latency, P100 latency and N155 latency with the PSD of Humphrey visual field in the subjects of POAG in various age groups as evaluated by Student’s t-test.CONCLUSION:Prolongation of VEP latencies were mirrored by a corresponding increase of PSD values. Conversely, as PSD increases the magnitude of VEP excursions were found to be diminished.

Product consistency test and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure results of the ceramic waste form from the electrometallurgical treatment process for spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S. G.; Adamic, M. L.: DiSanto, T.; Warren, A. R.; Cummings, D. G.; Foulkrod, L.; Goff, K. M.

1999-01-01

The ceramic waste form produced from the electrometallurgical treatment of sodium bonded spent fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II was tested using two immersion tests with separate and distinct purposes. The product consistency test is used to assess the consistency of the waste forms produced and thus is an indicator of a well-controlled process. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure is used to determine whether a substance is to be considered hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed high level waste repository will not be licensed to receive hazardous waste, thus any waste forms destined to be placed there cannot be of a hazardous nature as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Results are presented from the first four fully radioactive ceramic waste forms produced and from seven ceramic waste forms produced from cold surrogate materials. The fully radioactive waste forms are approximately 2 kg in weight and were produced with salt used to treat 100 driver subassemblies of spent fuel

Consistency of kinematic and kinetic patterns during a prolonged spell of cricket fast bowling: an exploratory laboratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Andrew; O'dwyer, Nicholas; Ferdinands, René E D; Edwards, Suzi

2018-03-01

Due to the high incidence of lumbar spine injury in fast bowlers, international cricket organisations advocate limits on workload for bowlers under 19 years of age in training/matches. The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant changes in either fast bowling technique or movement variability could be detected throughout a 10-over bowling spell that exceeded the recommended limit. Twenty-five junior male fast bowlers bowled at competition pace while three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected for the leading leg, trunk and bowling arm. Separate analyses for the mean and within-participant standard deviation of each variable were performed using repeated measures factorial analyses of variance and computation of effect sizes. No substantial changes were observed in mean values or variability of any kinematic, kinetic or performance variables, which instead revealed a high degree of consistency in kinematic and kinetic patterns. Therefore, the suggestion that exceeding the workload limit per spell causes technique- and loading-related changes associated with lumbar injury risk is not valid and cannot be used to justify the restriction of bowling workload. For injury prevention, the focus instead should be on the long-term effect of repeated spells and on the fast bowling technique itself.

Consistent Estimation of Partition Markov Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús E. García

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Partition Markov Model characterizes the process by a partition L of the state space, where the elements in each part of L share the same transition probability to an arbitrary element in the alphabet. This model aims to answer the following questions: what is the minimal number of parameters needed to specify a Markov chain and how to estimate these parameters. In order to answer these questions, we build a consistent strategy for model selection which consist of: giving a size n realization of the process, finding a model within the Partition Markov class, with a minimal number of parts to represent the process law. From the strategy, we derive a measure that establishes a metric in the state space. In addition, we show that if the law of the process is Markovian, then, eventually, when n goes to infinity, L will be retrieved. We show an application to model internet navigation patterns.

Study on the deposition patterns of aerosol inhalation scintigraphy, 1; Comparison of the deposition patterns of aerosol inhalation scintigraphy with lung function tests in pulmonary diseases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Hiroyuki [Nara Medical Univ., Kashihara (Japan)

1989-06-01

The deposition patterns of aerosol inhalation scintigraphies and lung function tests were studied in 102 cases; 64 cases of obstructive pulmonary diseases (19 pulmonary emphysema, 27 diffuse panbronchiolitis, 18 chronic bronchitis) and 38 restrictive pulmonary disease (15 idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, 16 pulmonary asbestosis, 7 interstitial pneumonia due to collagen vascular disease). The deposition patterns were classified into 5 patterns (Type A:normal homogenous distribution; Type B: mildly unhomogenous distribution; Type C: severely unhomogenous distribution mingled with hot spots; Type D: non-hilar hot spots; and Type E: hilar hot spots). The deposition patterns of restrictive pulmonary diseases were markedly abnormal as well as obstructive pulmonary diseases. The deposition patterns showed mainly Types C, D and E in obstructive pulmonary diseases, Type B in restrictive pulmonary diseases. The deposition patterns showed mainly Type E in pulmonary emphysema, Types C and D in diffuse panbronchiolitis, Types A, B and C in chronic bronchitis, Type B in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia interstitial pneumonia due to collagen vascular disease, Types B and C in pulmonary asbestosis. The deposition patterns correlated well with %FEV{sub 1.0} which was a good indicator of the severity of obstructive pulmonary diseases and restrictive pulmonary diseases. Furthermore, the mean %FEV{sub 1.0} in obstructive pulmonary diseases was nearly equal to the mean %FEV{sub 1.0} in restrictive pulmonary diseases in each type of the deposition patterns. (J.P.N.).

Neuromuscular-skeletal origins of predominant patterns of coordination in rhythmic two-joint arm movement.

Science.gov (United States)

de Rugy, Aymar; Riek, Stephan; Carson, Richard G

2006-01-01

The authors tested for predominant patterns of coordination in the combination of rhythmic flexion-extension (FE) and supination- (SP) at the elbow-joint complex. Participants (N=10) spontaneously established in-phase (supination synchronized with flexion) and antiphase (pronation synchronized with flexion) patterns. In addition, the authors used a motorized robot arm to generate involuntary SP movements with different phase relations with respect to voluntary FE. The involuntarily induced in-phase pattern was accentuated and was more consistent than other patterns. The result provides evidence that the predominance of the in-phase pattern originates in the influence of neuromuscular-skeletal constraints rather than in a preference dictated by perceptual-cognitive factors implicated in voluntary control. Neuromuscular-skeletal constraints involved in the predominance of the in-phase and the antiphase patterns are discussed.

Neurally Derived Tissues in Xenopus laevis Embryos Exhibit a Consistent Bioelectrical Left-Right Asymmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaibhav P. Pai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Consistent left-right asymmetry in organ morphogenesis is a fascinating aspect of bilaterian development. Although embryonic patterning of asymmetric viscera, heart, and brain is beginning to be understood, less is known about possible subtle asymmetries present in anatomically identical paired structures. We investigated two important developmental events: physiological controls of eye development and specification of neural crest derivatives, in Xenopus laevis embryos. We found that the striking hyperpolarization of transmembrane potential (Vmem demarcating eye induction usually occurs in the right eye field first. This asymmetry is randomized by perturbing visceral left-right patterning, suggesting that eye asymmetry is linked to mechanisms establishing primary laterality. Bilateral misexpression of a depolarizing channel mRNA affects primarily the right eye, revealing an additional functional asymmetry in the control of eye patterning by Vmem. The ATP-sensitive K+ channel subunit transcript, SUR1, is asymmetrically expressed in the eye primordia, thus being a good candidate for the observed physiological asymmetries. Such subtle asymmetries are not only seen in the eye: consistent asymmetry was also observed in the migration of differentiated melanocytes on the left and right sides. These data suggest that even anatomically symmetrical structures may possess subtle but consistent laterality and interact with other developmental left-right patterning pathways.

Loading pattern optimization using ant colony algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoareau, Fabrice

2008-01-01

Electricite de France (EDF) operates 58 nuclear power plants (NPP), of the Pressurized Water Reactor type. The loading pattern optimization of these NPP is currently done by EDF expert engineers. Within this framework, EDF R and D has developed automatic optimization tools that assist the experts. LOOP is an industrial tool, developed by EDF R and D and based on a simulated annealing algorithm. In order to improve the results of such automatic tools, new optimization methods have to be tested. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms are recent methods that have given very good results on combinatorial optimization problems. In order to evaluate the performance of such methods on loading pattern optimization, direct comparisons between LOOP and a mock-up based on the Max-Min Ant System algorithm (a particular variant of ACO algorithms) were made on realistic test-cases. It is shown that the results obtained by the ACO mock-up are very similar to those of LOOP. Future research will consist in improving these encouraging results by using parallelization and by hybridizing the ACO algorithm with local search procedures. (author)

Complex Systems and Patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieters, C.P.

2008-01-01

Although the term 'pattern' is often used in science, it is an elusive term and can have different dialectic meanings in various disciplines. Yet, the 'feel' for this term is fairly consistent; it usually requires little explanation to understand what a pattern is, and therefore it usually tends to

THE DYNAMICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BAR AND SPIRAL PATTERNS OF NGC 1365

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speights, Jason C.; Rooke, Paul C.

2016-01-01

Theories that attempt to explain the dynamical relationship between bar and spiral patterns in galactic disks make different predictions about the radial profile of the pattern speed. These are tested for the H-alpha bar and spiral patterns of NGC 1365. The radial profile of the pattern speed is measured by fitting mathematical models that are based on the Tremaine–Weinberg method. The results show convincing evidence for the bar rotating at a faster rate than the spiral pattern, inconsistent with a global wave mode or a manifold. There is evidence for mode coupling of the bar and spiral patterns at the overlap of corotation and inner Lindblad resonances (ILRs), but the evidence is unreliable and inconsistent. The results are the most consistent with the bar and spiral patterns being dynamically distinct features. The pattern speed of the bar begins near an ILR and ends near the corotation resonance (CR). The radial profile of the pattern speed beyond the bar most closely resembles what is expected for coupled spiral modes and tidal interactions.

Response patterns in adult forest trees to chronic ozone stress: identification of variations and consistencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunn, Angela J.; Reiter, Ilja M.; Haeberle, Karl-Heinz; Langebartels, Christian; Bahnweg, Guenther; Pretzsch, Hans; Sandermann, Heinrich; Matyssek, Rainer

2005-01-01

The responsiveness of adult beech and spruce trees to chronic O 3 stress was studied at a free-air O 3 exposure experiment in Freising/Germany. Over three growing seasons, gas exchange characteristics, biochemical parameters, macroscopic O 3 injury and the phenology of leaf organs were investigated, along with assessments of branch and stem growth as indications of tree performance. To assess response pattern to chronic O 3 stress in adult forest trees, we introduce a new evaluation approach, which provides a comprehensive, readily accomplishable overview across several tree-internal scaling levels, different canopy regions and growing seasons. This new approach, based on a three-grade colour coding, combines statistical analysis and the proficient ability of the 'human eye' in pattern recognition. - Responses of adult forest trees to chronic O 3 stress can be visualized in a survey table applying a three-grade colour coding to each investigated parameter

Addressable Inverter Matrix Tests Integrated-Circuit Wafer

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, Martin G.

1988-01-01

Addressing elements indirectly through shift register reduces number of test probes. With aid of new technique, complex test structure on silicon wafer tested with relatively small number of test probes. Conserves silicon area by reduction of area devoted to pads. Allows thorough evaluation of test structure characteristics and of manufacturing process parameters. Test structure consists of shift register and matrix of inverter/transmission-gate cells connected to two-by-ten array of probe pads. Entire pattern contained in square area having only 1.6-millimeter sides. Shift register is conventional static CMOS device using inverters and transmission gates in master/slave D flip-flop configuration.

Wave Pattern Peculiarities of Different Types of Explosions Conducted at Semipalatinsk Test Site

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolova, Inna

2014-05-01

The historical seismograms of the explosions conducted at the STS in 1949 - 1989 are of great interest for the researchers in the field of monitoring. Large number of air (86), surface (30) and underground nuclear explosions were conducted here in boreholes and tunnels (340). In addition to nuclear explosions, large chemical explosions were conducted at the Test Site. It is known that tectonic earthquakes occur on the Test Site territory and near it. Since 2005 the Institute of Geophysical Researches conducts works on digitizing the historical seismograms of nuclear explosions. Currently, the database contains more than 6000 digitized seismograms of nuclear explosions used for investigative monitoring tasks, major part of them (4000) are events from the STS region. Dynamic parameters of records of air, surface and underground nuclear explosions, as well as large chemical explosions with compact charge laying were investigated for seismic stations located on the territory of Kazakhstan using digitized records of the STS events. In addition, the comparison between salvo wave pattern and single explosions was conducted. The records of permanent and temporary seismic stations (epicentral distances range 100 - 800 km) were used for the investigations. Explosions spectra were analyzed, specific features of each class of events were found. The seismograms analysis shows that the wave pattern depends significantly on the explosion site and on the source type.

Glass consistency and glass performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plodinec, M.J.; Ramsey, W.G.

1994-01-01

Glass produced by the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) will have to consistently be more durable than a benchmark glass (evaluated using a short-term leach test), with high confidence. The DWPF has developed a Glass Product Control Program to comply with this specification. However, it is not clear what relevance product consistency has on long-term glass performance. In this report, the authors show that DWPF glass, produced in compliance with this specification, can be expected to effectively limit the release of soluble radionuclides to natural environments. However, the release of insoluble radionuclides to the environment will be limited by their solubility, and not glass durability

Patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men living in Scotland: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Boydell, Nicola; Buston, Katie; McDaid, Lisa Margaret

2017-08-17

Increasing overall rates, and frequency, of HIV testing in populations at risk is a key public health objective and a critical dimension of HIV prevention efforts. In the UK, men who have sex with men (MSM) remain one of the communities most at risk of HIV and, within this, young gay men are a key risk group. Understanding HIV testing practices is important in the development of interventions to promote testing among young gay and bisexual men. Qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty young gay and bisexual men (aged 18-29) in Scotland. Thematic analysis of men's accounts of their approach to HIV testing identified three overarching patterns of testing: 'habitual', 'reactive' and ' ad hoc'. This qualitative study, the first to explore patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men in the UK, contributes novel findings around the role of social support and 'community' in shaping young men's approaches to HIV testing. The findings suggest that social support can play an important role in encouraging and facilitating HIV testing among young gay men, however, social norms of non-testing also have the potential to act as a barrier to development of a regular routine. Men with habitual testing practices framed HIV testing as both a personal and 'community' responsibility, and more effective than testing in response to risk events or emergent symptoms. Men who reported reactive testing practices described testing for HIV primarily in response to perceived exposure to sexual risk, along with 'transitional moments' such as starting, ending or changes to a relationship. Among young men who reported testing on an ad hoc basis, inconvenience and disruptions to HIV testing practices, particularly where men lacked social support, acted as a barrier to developing a routine of regular testing. Our findings suggest that interventions which seek to increase rates of HIV testing and testing frequency among young gay and bisexual men should include a

Patterns of family health history communication among older African American adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hovick, Shelly R; Yamasaki, Jill S; Burton-Chase, Allison M; Peterson, Susan K

2015-01-01

This qualitative study examined patterns of communication regarding family health history among older African American adults. The authors conducted 5 focus groups and 6 semi-structured interviews with African Americans aged 60 years and older (N = 28). The authors identified 4 distinct patterns of family health history communication: noncommunication, open communication, selective communication (communication restricted to certain people or topics), and one-way communication (communication not reciprocated by younger family members). In general, participants favored open family health history communication, often resulting from desires to change patterns of noncommunication in previous generations regarding personal and family health history. Some participants indicated that they were selective about what and with whom they shared health information in order to protect their privacy and not worry others. Others described family health history communication as one-way or unreciprocated by younger family members who appeared uninterested or unwilling to share personal and family health information. The communication patterns that the authors identified are consistent with communication privacy management theory and with findings from studies focused on genetic testing results for hereditary conditions, suggesting that individuals are consistent in their communication of health and genetic risk information. Findings may guide the development of health message strategies for African Americans to increase family health history communication.

Acculturation and dietary patterns among residents of Surinamese origin in the Netherlands: the HELIUS dietary pattern study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturkenboom, Suzanne M; Dekker, Louise H; Lamkaddem, Majda; Schaap, Laura A; de Vries, Jeanne H M; Stronks, Karien; Nicolaou, Mary

2016-03-01

Insight into the role of acculturation in dietary patterns is important to inform the development of nutrition programmes that target ethnic minority groups. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate how the adherence to dietary patterns within an ethnic minority population in the Netherlands varies by acculturation level compared with the host population. Cross-sectional study using data of the HELIUS study. Dietary patterns were assessed with an ethnic-specific FFQ. Acculturation was operationalized using unidimensional proxies (residence duration, age at migration and generation status) as well as on the basis of the bidimensional perspective, defined by four distinct acculturation strategies: assimilation, integration, separation and marginalization. Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Participants of Dutch (n 1370) and Surinamese (n 1727) origin. Three dietary patterns were identified: (i) 'noodle/rice dishes and white meat' (traditional Surinamese pattern); (ii) 'red meat, snacks and sweets'; and (iii) 'vegetables, fruit and nuts'. Surinamese-origin respondents adhered more to the traditional Surinamese pattern than the other dietary patterns. Neither the unidimensional proxies nor the bidimensional acculturation strategies demonstrated consistent associations with dietary patterns. The lack of consistent association between acculturation and dietary patterns in the present study indicates that dietary patterns are quite robust. Understanding the continued adherence to traditional dietary patterns when developing dietary interventions in ethnic minority groups is warranted.

Evaluation of the utility of a glycemic pattern identification system.

Science.gov (United States)

Otto, Erik A; Tannan, Vinay

2014-07-01

With the increasing prevalence of systems allowing automated, real-time transmission of blood glucose data there is a need for pattern recognition techniques that can inform of deleterious patterns in glycemic control when people test. We evaluated the utility of pattern identification with a novel pattern identification system named Vigilant™ and compared it to standard pattern identification methods in diabetes. To characterize the importance of an identified pattern we evaluated the relative risk of future hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events in diurnal periods following identification of a pattern in a data set of 536 patients with diabetes. We evaluated events 2 days, 7 days, 30 days, and 61-90 days from pattern identification, across diabetes types and cohorts of glycemic control, and also compared the system to 6 pattern identification methods consisting of deleterious event counts and percentages over 5-, 14-, and 30-day windows. Episodes of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, and severe hyperglycemia were 120%, 46%, 123%, and 76% more likely after pattern identification, respectively, compared to periods when no pattern was identified. The system was also significantly more predictive of deleterious events than other pattern identification methods evaluated, and was persistently predictive up to 3 months after pattern identification. The system identified patterns that are significantly predictive of deleterious glycemic events, and more so relative to many pattern identification methods used in diabetes management today. Further study will inform how improved pattern identification can lead to improved glycemic control. © 2014 Diabetes Technology Society.

Age effects and normative data on a Dutch test battery for auditory processing disorders.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neijenhuis, C.A.M.; Snik, A.F.M.; Priester, G.; Kordenoordt, S. van; Broek, P. van den

2002-01-01

A test battery compiled to diagnose auditory processing disorders (APDs) in an adult population was used on a population of 9-16-year-old children. The battery consisted of eight tests (words -in noise, filtered speech, binaural fusion, dichotic digits, frequency and duration patterns, backward

Consistency of hand preference: predictions to intelligence and school achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kee, D W; Gottfried, A; Bathurst, K

1991-05-01

Gottfried and Bathurst (1983) reported that hand preference consistency measured over time during infancy and early childhood predicts intellectual precocity for females, but not for males. In the present study longitudinal assessments of children previously classified by Gottfried and Bathurst as consistent or nonconsistent in cross-time hand preference were conducted during middle childhood (ages 5 to 9). Findings show that (a) early measurement of hand preference consistency for females predicts school-age intellectual precocity, (b) the locus of the difference between consistent vs. nonconsistent females is in verbal intelligence, and (c) the precocity of the consistent females was also revealed on tests of school achievement, particularly tests of reading and mathematics.

Hybrid foundry patterns of bevel gears

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budzik G.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Possibilities of making hybrid foundry patterns of bevel gears for investment casting process are presented. Rapid prototyping of gears with complex tooth forms is possible with the use of modern methods. One of such methods is the stereo-lithography, where a pattern is obtained as a result of resin curing with laser beam. Patterns of that type are applicable in precision casting. Removing of stereo-lithographic pattern from foundry mould requires use of high temperatures. Resin burning would generate significant amounts of harmful gases. In case of a solid stereo-lithographic pattern, the pressure created during gas burning may cause the mould to crack. A gas volume reduction may be achieved by using patterns of honeycomb structure. However, this technique causes a significant worsening of accuracy of stereo-lithographic patterns in respect of their dimensions and shape. In cooperation with WSK PZL Rzeszów, the Machine Design Department of Rzeszow University of Technology carried out research on the design of hybrid stereo-lithographic patterns. Hybrid pattern consists of a section made by stereo-lithographic process and a section made of casting wax. The latter material is used for stereo-lithographic pattern filling and for mould gating system. The hybrid pattern process consists of two stages: wax melting and then the burn-out of stereolithographic pattern. Use of hybrid patterns reduces the costs of production of stereolithographic patterns. High dimensional accuracy remains preserved in this process.

Tradução, adaptação e avaliação da consistência interna do Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test para uso com crianças do sexo feminino Translation, adaptation and internal consistency evaluation of the Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test for female children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizângela Moreira Careta Galindo

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho tem por objetivo traduzir, adaptar e validar o Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test, para uso com crianças de uma cidade do interior do estado de São Paulo. Foram sujeitos do estudo 261 escolares do sexo feminino, na faixa etária de 9 a 12 anos. Por meio da análise fatorial, com rotação varimax avaliou-se a consistência interna do instrumento. Esta análise, realizada com o auxílio do programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences, versão 10.0, revelou dois fatores. Para o instrumento total a consistência interna foi adequada (coeficiente a de Cronbach: 0,89 e para os dois fatores (1 e 2 os valores de a também foram considerados satisfatórios (alfa=0,90 e alfa=0,80, respectivamente, mostrando, assim, que o Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test é útil para uma avaliação precoce, rastreando atitudes indicadoras de possíveis distúrbios no comportamento alimentar. Foram mantidas as características psicométricas do instrumento original.This study aimed to translate, adapt and validate the Eating Bahaviours and Body Image Test, to be used with children in a city in upstate São Paulo. Study subjects were 261 female students aging from 9 to 12 years. The internal consistency of the instrument was evaluated by means of factorial analysis with varimax rotation. This analysis was accomplished through Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 10.0, revealing two factors. The internal consistency was adequate for the total instrument (Cronbach's alpha=0.89 and a values were also considered satisfactory for the two factors (1 and 2 (alpha=0.90 and alpha=0.80, respectively, which demonstrated that the Eating Bahaviours and Body Image Test is useful for an initial evaluation, tracing symptoms that indicate possible eating behavior disorders. The psychometric characteristics of the original instrument were maintained.

Image recognition and consistency of response

Science.gov (United States)

Haygood, Tamara M.; Ryan, John; Liu, Qing Mary A.; Bassett, Roland; Brennan, Patrick C.

2012-02-01

Purpose: To investigate the connection between conscious recognition of an image previously encountered in an experimental setting and consistency of response to the experimental question. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four radiologists viewed 40 frontal chest radiographs and gave their opinion as to the position of a central venous catheter. One-to-three days later they again viewed 40 frontal chest radiographs and again gave their opinion as to the position of the central venous catheter. Half of the radiographs in the second set were repeated images from the first set and half were new. The radiologists were asked of each image whether it had been included in the first set. For this study, we are evaluating only the 20 repeated images. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test and Fisher's exact test to determine the relationship between conscious recognition of a previously interpreted image and consistency in interpretation of the image. Results. There was no significant correlation between recognition of the image and consistency in response regarding the position of the central venous catheter. In fact, there was a trend in the opposite direction, with radiologists being slightly more likely to give a consistent response with respect to images they did not recognize than with respect to those they did recognize. Conclusion: Radiologists' recognition of previously-encountered images in an observer-performance study does not noticeably color their interpretation on the second encounter.

Integration and consistency testing of groundwater flow models with hydro-geochemistry in site investigations in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitkaenen, P.; Loefman, J.; Korkealaakso, J.; Koskinen, L.; Ruotsalainen, P.; Hautojaervi, A.; Aeikaes, T.

1999-01-01

In the assessment of the suitability and safety of a geological repository for radioactive waste the understanding of the fluid flow at a site is essential. In order to build confidence in the assessment of the hydrogeological performance of a site in various conditions, integration of hydrological and hydrogeochemical methods and studies provides the primary method for investigating the evolution that has taken place in the past, and for predicting future conditions at the potential disposal site. A systematic geochemical sampling campaign was started since the beginning of 1990's in the Finnish site investigation programme. This enabled the initiating of integration and evaluation of site scale hydrogeochemical and groundwater flow models. Hydrogeochemical information has been used to screen relevant external processes and variables for definition of the initial and boundary conditions in hydrological simulations. The results obtained from interpretation and modelling hydrogeochemical evolution have been employed in testing the hydrogeochemical consistency of conceptual flow models. Integration and testing of flow models with hydrogeochemical information are considered to improve significantly the hydrogeological understanding of a site and increases confidence in conceptual hydrogeological models. (author)

How consistent are precipitation patterns predicted by GCMs in the absence of cloud radiative effects?

Science.gov (United States)

Popke, Dagmar; Bony, Sandrine; Mauritsen, Thorsten; Stevens, Bjorn

2015-04-01

Model simulations with state-of-the-art general circulation models reveal a strong disagreement concerning the simulated regional precipitation patterns and their changes with warming. The deviating precipitation response even persists when reducing the model experiment complexity to aquaplanet simulation with forced sea surface temperatures (Stevens and Bony, 2013). To assess feedbacks between clouds and radiation on precipitation responses we analyze data from 5 models performing the aquaplanet simulations of the Clouds On Off Klima Intercomparison Experiment (COOKIE), where the interaction of clouds and radiation is inhibited. Although cloud radiative effects are then disabled, the precipitation patterns among models are as diverse as with cloud radiative effects switched on. Disentangling differing model responses in such simplified experiments thus appears to be key to better understanding the simulated regional precipitation in more standard configurations. By analyzing the local moisture and moist static energy budgets in the COOKIE experiments we investigate likely causes for the disagreement among models. References Stevens, B. & S. Bony: What Are Climate Models Missing?, Science, 2013, 340, 1053-1054

Surface self-potential patterns related to transmissive fracture trends during a water injection test

Science.gov (United States)

DesRoches, A. J.; Butler, K. E.; MacQuarrie, K. TB

2018-03-01

Variations in self-potential (SP) signals were recorded over an electrode array during a constant head injection test in a fractured bedrock aquifer. Water was injected into a 2.2 m interval isolated between two inflatable packers at 44 m depth in a vertical well. Negative SP responses were recorded on surface corresponding to the start of the injection period with strongest magnitudes recorded in electrodes nearest the well. SP response decreased in magnitude at electrodes further from the well. Deflation of the packer system resulted in a strong reversal in the SP signal. Anomalous SP patterns observed at surface at steady state were found to be aligned with dominant fracture strike orientations found within the test interval. Numerical modelling of fluid and current flow within a simplified fracture network showed that azimuthal patterns in SP are mainly controlled by transmissive fracture orientations. The strongest SP gradients occur parallel to hydraulic gradients associated with water flowing out of the transmissive fractures into the tighter matrix and other less permeable cross-cutting fractures. Sensitivity studies indicate that increasing fracture frequency near the well increases the SP magnitude and enhances the SP anomaly parallel to the transmissive set. Decreasing the length of the transmissive fractures leads to more fluid flow into the matrix and into cross-cutting fractures proximal to the well, resulting in a more circular and higher magnitude SP anomaly. Results from the field experiment and modelling provide evidence that surface-based SP monitoring during constant head injection tests has the ability to identify groundwater flow pathways within a fractured bedrock aquifer.

Phoneme Error Pattern by Heritage Speakers of Spanish on an English Word Recognition Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Lu-Feng

2017-04-01

Heritage speakers acquire their native language from home use in their early childhood. As the native language is typically a minority language in the society, these individuals receive their formal education in the majority language and eventually develop greater competency with the majority than their native language. To date, there have not been specific research attempts to understand word recognition by heritage speakers. It is not clear if and to what degree we may infer from evidence based on bilingual listeners in general. This preliminary study investigated how heritage speakers of Spanish perform on an English word recognition test and analyzed their phoneme errors. A prospective, cross-sectional, observational design was employed. Twelve normal-hearing adult Spanish heritage speakers (four men, eight women, 20-38 yr old) participated in the study. Their language background was obtained through the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire. Nine English monolingual listeners (three men, six women, 20-41 yr old) were also included for comparison purposes. Listeners were presented with 200 Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 words in quiet. They repeated each word orally and in writing. Their responses were scored by word, word-initial consonant, vowel, and word-final consonant. Performance was compared between groups with Student's t test or analysis of variance. Group-specific error patterns were primarily descriptive, but intergroup comparisons were made using 95% or 99% confidence intervals for proportional data. The two groups of listeners yielded comparable scores when their responses were examined by word, vowel, and final consonant. However, heritage speakers of Spanish misidentified significantly more word-initial consonants and had significantly more difficulty with initial /p, b, h/ than their monolingual peers. The two groups yielded similar patterns for vowel and word-final consonants, but heritage speakers made significantly

Environmental context explains Lévy and Brownian movement patterns of marine predators.

Science.gov (United States)

Humphries, Nicolas E; Queiroz, Nuno; Dyer, Jennifer R M; Pade, Nicolas G; Musyl, Michael K; Schaefer, Kurt M; Fuller, Daniel W; Brunnschweiler, Juerg M; Doyle, Thomas K; Houghton, Jonathan D R; Hays, Graeme C; Jones, Catherine S; Noble, Leslie R; Wearmouth, Victoria J; Southall, Emily J; Sims, David W

2010-06-24

An optimal search theory, the so-called Lévy-flight foraging hypothesis, predicts that predators should adopt search strategies known as Lévy flights where prey is sparse and distributed unpredictably, but that Brownian movement is sufficiently efficient for locating abundant prey. Empirical studies have generated controversy because the accuracy of statistical methods that have been used to identify Lévy behaviour has recently been questioned. Consequently, whether foragers exhibit Lévy flights in the wild remains unclear. Crucially, moreover, it has not been tested whether observed movement patterns across natural landscapes having different expected resource distributions conform to the theory's central predictions. Here we use maximum-likelihood methods to test for Lévy patterns in relation to environmental gradients in the largest animal movement data set assembled for this purpose. Strong support was found for Lévy search patterns across 14 species of open-ocean predatory fish (sharks, tuna, billfish and ocean sunfish), with some individuals switching between Lévy and Brownian movement as they traversed different habitat types. We tested the spatial occurrence of these two principal patterns and found Lévy behaviour to be associated with less productive waters (sparser prey) and Brownian movements to be associated with productive shelf or convergence-front habitats (abundant prey). These results are consistent with the Lévy-flight foraging hypothesis, supporting the contention that organism search strategies naturally evolved in such a way that they exploit optimal Lévy patterns.

BENDER GESTALT VISUALMOTOR TEST AND CARAS TEST: A EXAM OF CONSTRUCT VALIDITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cesar Merino Soto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Research with new versions of the Bender Gestalt Test (TGB has hardly attracted attention to the researchers of the Hispanic world, onsidering that this test is one of the most widely used psychological assessments. This study evaluates the construct validity of the modified version of TGB for children, elative to sustainedattention assessed by the Caras Test. Both tests were applied to 90 children, aged between 5 and 8, in standardized conditions. The esults indicate that the shared variance between the two measures is zero, even when applied disattenuated correlations for measurement error; also, no non-linear patterns were detected between the two variables. These correlations were consistent in the total sample and among subgroups of children. We discuss these results with respect to the limits of validity of this modified version of TGB in the Spanish language.

Investigating univariate temporal patterns for intrinsic connectivity networks based on complexity and low-frequency oscillation: a test-retest reliability study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X; Jiao, Y; Tang, T; Wang, H; Lu, Z

2013-12-19

Intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) are composed of spatial components and time courses. The spatial components of ICNs were discovered with moderate-to-high reliability. So far as we know, few studies focused on the reliability of the temporal patterns for ICNs based their individual time courses. The goals of this study were twofold: to investigate the test-retest reliability of temporal patterns for ICNs, and to analyze these informative univariate metrics. Additionally, a correlation analysis was performed to enhance interpretability. Our study included three datasets: (a) short- and long-term scans, (b) multi-band echo-planar imaging (mEPI), and (c) eyes open or closed. Using dual regression, we obtained the time courses of ICNs for each subject. To produce temporal patterns for ICNs, we applied two categories of univariate metrics: network-wise complexity and network-wise low-frequency oscillation. Furthermore, we validated the test-retest reliability for each metric. The network-wise temporal patterns for most ICNs (especially for default mode network, DMN) exhibited moderate-to-high reliability and reproducibility under different scan conditions. Network-wise complexity for DMN exhibited fair reliability (ICC<0.5) based on eyes-closed sessions. Specially, our results supported that mEPI could be a useful method with high reliability and reproducibility. In addition, these temporal patterns were with physiological meanings, and certain temporal patterns were correlated to the node strength of the corresponding ICN. Overall, network-wise temporal patterns of ICNs were reliable and informative and could be complementary to spatial patterns of ICNs for further study. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hexavalent Chrome Free Coatings for Electronics Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding Effectiveness (SE) Interim Test Report

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, Kurt R.

2015-01-01

Test specimen configuration was provided by Parker Chomerics. The EMI gasket used in this project was Cho-Seal 6503E. Black oxide alloy steel socket head bolts were used to hold the plates together. Non-conductive spacers were used to control the amount of compression on the gaskets. The following test fixture specifications were provided by Parker Chomerics. The CHO-TP09 test plate sets selected for this project consist of two aluminum plates manufactured to the specifications detailed in CHO­-TP09. The first plate, referred to as the test frame, is illustrated in Figure 1. The test frame is designed with a cutout in the center and two alternating bolt patterns. One pattern is used to bolt the test frame to the corresponding test cover plate (Figure 2), forming a test plate set. The second pattern accepts the hardware used to mount the fully assembled test plate set to the main adapter plate (Figure 3).

Patterning conductive PDMS nanocomposite in an elastomer using microcontact printing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Chao-Xuan; Choi, Jin-Woo

2009-01-01

This paper introduces a simple method of embedding conductive and flexible elastomer micropatterns into a bulk elastomer. Employing microcontact printing and cast molding techniques, patterns consisting of conductive poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) composites mixed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are embedded into bulk PDMS to form all-elastomer devices. To pattern conductive composites, a micromachined printing mold is utilized to transfer composite ink from a spin-coated thin layer to another substrate. Distinct from previously reported approaches, the printing mold in this technique, once fabricated, can be repeatedly used to generate new patterns and therefore greatly simplifies the device fabrication process and improves its efficiency. Manufactured devices with embedded conductive patterns exhibit excellent mechanical flexibility. With characterization of printing reliability, electrical conductivity of the composites is also shown with different loading percentages of MWCNTs. Furthermore, a simple strain gauge was fabricated and tested to demonstrate the potential applications of embedded conductive patterns. Overall, this approach demonstrates feasibility to be a simple method to pattern conductive elastomers that work as electrodes or sensing probes in PDMS-based devices. With further development, this technology yields many potential applications in lab-on-a-chip systems

Speckle pattern processing by digital image correlation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gubarev Fedor

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Testing the method of speckle pattern processing based on the digital image correlation is carried out in the current work. Three the most widely used formulas of the correlation coefficient are tested. To determine the accuracy of the speckle pattern processing, test speckle patterns with known displacement are used. The optimal size of a speckle pattern template used for determination of correlation and corresponding the speckle pattern displacement is also considered in the work.

Is cosmology consistent?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaomin; Tegmark, Max; Zaldarriaga, Matias

2002-01-01

We perform a detailed analysis of the latest cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements (including BOOMERaNG, DASI, Maxima and CBI), both alone and jointly with other cosmological data sets involving, e.g., galaxy clustering and the Lyman Alpha Forest. We first address the question of whether the CMB data are internally consistent once calibration and beam uncertainties are taken into account, performing a series of statistical tests. With a few minor caveats, our answer is yes, and we compress all data into a single set of 24 bandpowers with associated covariance matrix and window functions. We then compute joint constraints on the 11 parameters of the 'standard' adiabatic inflationary cosmological model. Our best fit model passes a series of physical consistency checks and agrees with essentially all currently available cosmological data. In addition to sharp constraints on the cosmic matter budget in good agreement with those of the BOOMERaNG, DASI and Maxima teams, we obtain a heaviest neutrino mass range 0.04-4.2 eV and the sharpest constraints to date on gravity waves which (together with preference for a slight red-tilt) favor 'small-field' inflation models

A Common Force-Sharing Pattern in Joint Action That Consists of Four People.

Science.gov (United States)

Masumoto, Junya; Inui, Nobuyuki

2017-12-20

The authors examined the force-sharing patterns in a joint action performed by a group of two, three, or four people compared with a solo action. In the joint actions, 28 participants produced periodic isometric forces such that the sum of forces they produced cycled between 5% and 10% maximum voluntary contraction with the right hand at 1 Hz. In both the three- and four-person tasks, the correlation between forces produced by two of the three or four participants was negative, and the remaining one or two participants produced intermediate forces. The errors of force and interval and force variabilities were smaller in four- and three-people groups than individuals. Four- and three-people groups thus performed better than individuals.

Patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men living in Scotland: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Boydell

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Increasing overall rates, and frequency, of HIV testing in populations at risk is a key public health objective and a critical dimension of HIV prevention efforts. In the UK, men who have sex with men (MSM remain one of the communities most at risk of HIV and, within this, young gay men are a key risk group. Understanding HIV testing practices is important in the development of interventions to promote testing among young gay and bisexual men. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty young gay and bisexual men (aged 18–29 in Scotland. Thematic analysis of men’s accounts of their approach to HIV testing identified three overarching patterns of testing: ‘habitual’, ‘reactive’ and ‘ ad hoc’. Results This qualitative study, the first to explore patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men in the UK, contributes novel findings around the role of social support and ‘community’ in shaping young men’s approaches to HIV testing. The findings suggest that social support can play an important role in encouraging and facilitating HIV testing among young gay men, however, social norms of non-testing also have the potential to act as a barrier to development of a regular routine. Men with habitual testing practices framed HIV testing as both a personal and ‘community’ responsibility, and more effective than testing in response to risk events or emergent symptoms. Men who reported reactive testing practices described testing for HIV primarily in response to perceived exposure to sexual risk, along with ‘transitional moments’ such as starting, ending or changes to a relationship. Among young men who reported testing on an ad hoc basis, inconvenience and disruptions to HIV testing practices, particularly where men lacked social support, acted as a barrier to developing a routine of regular testing. Conclusions Our findings suggest that interventions which seek to increase

Self-consistency corrections in effective-interaction calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkand, Y.; Kirson, M.W.

1975-01-01

Large-matrix extended-shell-model calculations are used to compute self-consistency corrections to the effective interaction and to the linked-cluster effective interaction. The corrections are found to be numerically significant and to affect the rate of convergence of the corresponding perturbation series. The influence of various partial corrections is tested. It is concluded that self-consistency is an important effect in determining the effective interaction and improving the rate of convergence. (author)

Effect of precipitation pattern on leaching of preservative from treated wood and implications for accelerated testing

Science.gov (United States)

Stan Lebow

2014-01-01

There is a need to develop improved accelerated test methods for evaluating the leaching of wood preservatives from treated wood exposed to precipitation. In this study the effects of rate of rainfall and length of intervals between rainfall events on leaching was evaluated by exposing specimens to varying patterns of simulated rainfall under controlled laboratory...

The Impact of Condom Use Negotiation Self-Efficacy and Partnership Patterns on Consistent Condom Use among College-Educated Women

Science.gov (United States)

Nesoff, Elizabeth D.; Dunkle, Kristin; Lang, Delia

2016-01-01

This study sought to explore the impact of condom negotiation self-efficacy, interpersonal factors, and sensational factors on condom use behavior among a population of college-educated women with different patterns and types of sexual partner. We administered an online questionnaire capturing sexual behavior, partnership patterns, perceived…

Quantitative analysis of calcined fertilizers by X-ray diffraction patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cekinski, E.

1987-01-01

An X-ray diffraction pattern method for quantitative analyses of phosphate fertilizers obtained by calcination of a misture of Anitapolis phosphate concentrate and sodium carbonate is described. The method consists in plotting a calibration curve, using spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) as internal standard, of the phases that were formed by calcination, sintetized in laboratory. The tests conducted in order to avail the method accuracy showed good correlation between the obtained data and the real values. (author) [pt

Repositioning through Culture: Testing Change in Connectivity Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Plaza

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Symbolic knowledge-driven innovations can play an important role in the economic development of cities and regions. Cultural events and infrastructures can act as powerful connectivity engines, generating new connections, rewiring links, and repositioning institutions/cities/regions on the Internet map. Within this framework, this paper aims to contribute to the analytical understanding of culture-led repositioning. For this purpose we perform regression analysis with cultural networks (observational cross-sectional network data from digital media for a specific cultural case study: the Basque Culinary Center (BCC, a higher education faculty of haute cuisine promoted by the University of Mondragon along with a group of Michelin-starred chefs. Results show that a cultural sector, such as haute cuisine, can contribute to structural changes in connectivity patterns, putting an institution/city/region on the media map. It is the connection (in the online press of the BCC to the influential Michelin-starred chefs that can fuel the accumulation of press articles (media items on the BCC; and it is precisely this accumulation of press articles that can impact BCC revenues. Put differently, the co-branding between the influential Michelin chefs and the BCC may have put the BCC on the press map, promoting new student registrations and fostering Basque haute cuisine. The main contribution of this article is a prototype of regression analysis to test repositioning with network data.

FUROSEMIDE TEST: ITS PATTERN IN NOT SEVERE CHRONIC RENAL DISEASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos G. Musso

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Furosemide test is a simple and useful test of renal physiology used to evaluate the capability of the collecting tubules to secrete potassium under the effect of serum aldosterone. Its behaviour pattern has already been established in children and young adults but not described in chronic renal disease patients yet, which we explored in this study.Material & Method: Twenty-six young volunteers (between 20 and 40 years old, chronically on a low potassium diet (40 mmol of K day were studied: twenty of them were healthy young ( they were neither suffering form diseases nor on any medication, and the rest were young patients suffering from stage II / III chronic renal disease (damaged kidney with GFR between 83.1 ml-min to 39.2 ml-min secondary to glomerular diseases documented by kidney biopsy. None of the studied chronic renal disease patients were suffering from diabetes mellitus, urinary obstruction, nor treated with dyskalemia generating drugs, such as: diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists, etc. Before, while the test was being carried out and after 180 minutes of a single dose of intravenous furosemide (1 mg/kg, urine and blood samples were obtained, for creatinine and potassium levels. From these data we calculated fractional excretion (FE of potassium. Statistical analysis was performed applying Student´s t-test.Results: There was no significant difference neither in pre-furosemide (basal and post-furosemide average FE of potassium between the healthy and chronic renal disease (CRD group: 16.4 ± 8.6% (CRD vs 11.5 ± 4.6% (healthy (p = NS ; 40.8 ± 3.2 % (CRD vs 35.4 ± 8.9% (healthy (p = NS respectively. Conversely, there was a significant difference in post-furosemide peak FE of potassium value, which was higher and delayed in the CRD group compared to the healthy one: 49.5 ± 8.2 % at 118 mins (CRD vs 31.6 ± 11% at 30 mins (healthy (p = 0.001.Conclusion: Furosemide test showed a

A high frequency test bench for rapid single-flux-quantum circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engseth, H; Intiso, S; Rafique, M R; Tolkacheva, E; Kidiyarova-Shevchenko, A

2006-01-01

We have designed and experimentally verified a test bench for high frequency testing of rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuits. This test bench uses an external tunable clock signal that is stable in amplitude, phase and frequency. The high frequency external clock reads out the clock pattern stored in a long shift register. The clock pattern is consequently shifted out at high speed and split to feed both the circuit under test and an additional shift register in the test bench for later verification at low speed. This method can be employed for reliable high speed verification of RSFQ circuit operation, with use of only low speed read-out electronics. The test bench consists of 158 Josephson junctions and the occupied area is 3300 x 660 μm 2 . It was experimentally verified up to 33 GHz with ± 21.7% margins on the global bias supply current

Pseudo-random arranged color filter array for controlling moiré patterns in display.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yangui; Fan, Hang; An, Sengzhong; Li, Juntao; Wang, Jiahui; Zhou, Jianying; Liu, Yikun

2015-11-16

Optical display quality can be degraded by the appearance of moiré pattern occurring in a display system consisting of a basic matrix superimposed with a functional structured optical layer. We propose in this paper a novel pseudo-random arranged color filter array with the table number arranged with an optimal design scenario. We show that the moiré pattern can be significantly reduced with the introduction of the special color filter array. The idea is tested with an experiment that gives rise to a substantially reduced moiré pattern in a display system. It is believed that the novel functional optical structures have significant impact to complex structured display system in general and to the autostereoscopic and integrated display systems in particular.

High-performance speech recognition using consistency modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Digalakis, Vassilios; Murveit, Hy; Monaco, Peter; Neumeyer, Leo; Sankar, Ananth

1994-12-01

The goal of SRI's consistency modeling project is to improve the raw acoustic modeling component of SRI's DECIPHER speech recognition system and develop consistency modeling technology. Consistency modeling aims to reduce the number of improper independence assumptions used in traditional speech recognition algorithms so that the resulting speech recognition hypotheses are more self-consistent and, therefore, more accurate. At the initial stages of this effort, SRI focused on developing the appropriate base technologies for consistency modeling. We first developed the Progressive Search technology that allowed us to perform large-vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) experiments. Since its conception and development at SRI, this technique has been adopted by most laboratories, including other ARPA contracting sites, doing research on LVSR. Another goal of the consistency modeling project is to attack difficult modeling problems, when there is a mismatch between the training and testing phases. Such mismatches may include outlier speakers, different microphones and additive noise. We were able to either develop new, or transfer and evaluate existing, technologies that adapted our baseline genonic HMM recognizer to such difficult conditions.

Processamento auditivo: comparação entre potenciais evocados auditivos de média latência e testes de padrões temporais Auditory processing: comparision between auditory middle latency response and temporal pattern tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliane Schochat

2009-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: verificar a concordância entre os resultados da avaliação do Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência e testes de padrões temporais. MÉTODOS: foram avaliados 155 sujeitos de ambos os sexos, idade entre sete e 16 anos, com audição periférica normal. Os sujeitos foram submetidos aos testes de Padrão de Frequência e Duração e Potenciais Evocados auditivos de Média Latência. RESULTADOS: os sujeitos foram distribuídos em dois grupos: normal ou alterado para o processamento auditivo. O índice de alteração foi em torno de 30%, exceto para Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência que foi pouco menor (17,4%. Os padrões de frequência e duração foram concordantes até 12 anos. A partir dos 13 anos, observou-se maior ocorrência de alteração no padrão de frequência que no padrão de duração. Os padrões de frequência e duração (orelhas direita e esquerda e Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência não foram concordantes. Para 7 e 8 anos a combinação padrão de frequência e duração normal / Média Latência alterado tem maior ocorrência que a combinação padrão de frequência e duração alterada / Média Latência normal. Nas demais idades, ocorreu o contrário. Não houve diferença estatística entre as faixas etárias quanto à distribuição de normal e alterado no padrão de frequência (orelhas direita e esquerda, nem para o Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência, com exceção do padrão de duração para o grupo de 9 e 10 anos. CONCLUSÃO: não houve concordância entre os resultados do Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência e os testes de padrões temporais aplicados.PURPOSE: to check the concordance between the Middle Latency Response and temporal processing tests. METHODS: 155 normal hearing subjects of both genders (age group range between 7 to 16 years were evaluated with the Pitch and Duration Pattern Tests (behavioral and Middle Latency Response

Consistency relations in effective field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munshi, Dipak; Regan, Donough, E-mail: D.Munshi@sussex.ac.uk, E-mail: D.Regan@sussex.ac.uk [Astronomy Centre, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH (United Kingdom)

2017-06-01

The consistency relations in large scale structure relate the lower-order correlation functions with their higher-order counterparts. They are direct outcome of the underlying symmetries of a dynamical system and can be tested using data from future surveys such as Euclid. Using techniques from standard perturbation theory (SPT), previous studies of consistency relation have concentrated on continuity-momentum (Euler)-Poisson system of an ideal fluid. We investigate the consistency relations in effective field theory (EFT) which adjusts the SPT predictions to account for the departure from the ideal fluid description on small scales. We provide detailed results for the 3D density contrast δ as well as the scaled divergence of velocity θ-bar . Assuming a ΛCDM background cosmology, we find the correction to SPT results becomes important at k ∼> 0.05 h/Mpc and that the suppression from EFT to SPT results that scales as square of the wave number k , can reach 40% of the total at k ≈ 0.25 h/Mpc at z = 0. We have also investigated whether effective field theory corrections to models of primordial non-Gaussianity can alter the squeezed limit behaviour, finding the results to be rather insensitive to these counterterms. In addition, we present the EFT corrections to the squeezed limit of the bispectrum in redshift space which may be of interest for tests of theories of modified gravity.

Plant Functional Traits Are More Consistent Than Plant Species on Periglacial Patterned Ground in the Rocky Mountains of Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Apple, M. E.; Ricketts, M. K.; Gallagher, J. H. R.

2017-12-01

Periglacial patterned ground exists as stripes and hexagons near glaciers and snowfields, some of which are former glaciers. The patterns are accentuated by profound differences in plant cover between the sloping surfaces, generally perceived as green, and the flat treads, generally perceived as brown but which are not devoid of plant life. On four sites in the Rocky Mountains of Montana we detected strong similarities in plant functional traits on the sloping surfaces of striped and hexagonal periglacial patterned ground. On Mt. Keokirk in the Pioneer Mountains, Kinnickinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, dominates narrow green stripes. On Goat Flat in the Pintler Mountains, Mountain Avens, Dryas octopetala, dominates the side walls of hexagonally patterned ground and narrow green stripes. At Glacier National Park, D. octopetala and the Arctic Willow, Salix arctica, co-dominate the green risers of widely-spaced striped periglacial patterned system at Siyeh Pass, while D. octopetala, S. arctica, and the Mountain Heather, Phyllodoce glanduliflora, co-dominate the green risers of the widely-spaced stripes of Piegan Pass. All four of these dictotyledonous angiosperm species are adventitiously-rooted dwarf shrubs with simple leaves. Of these, P. glanduliflora, A. uva-ursi and D. octopetala are evergreen. D. octopetala is symbiotic with N-fixing Frankia sp. All are mycorrhizal, although D. octopetala and S. arctica are ectomycorrhizal and P. glanduliflora and A. uva-ursi have ericaceous mycorrhizae. In contrast, dwarf shrubs are scarce on flat treads and within hexagons, which are chiefly inhabited by herbaceous, taprooted or rhizomatous, VAM angiosperms. As the green stripes and hexagon walls have greater plant cover, they likely have greater organic material due to leaf buildup and root turnover, anchor themselves and the soil with adventitious roots, their clonality suggests long lives, and N-fixing influences N dynamics of the periglacial patterned ground.

Consistency of variables in PCS and JASTRO great area database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, Tomohiro; Teshima, Teruki; Abe, Mitsuyuki

1998-01-01

To examine whether the Patterns of Care Study (PCS) reflects the data for the major areas in Japan, the consistency of variables in the PCS and in the major area database of the Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) were compared. Patients with esophageal or uterine cervical cancer were sampled from the PCS and JASTRO databases. From the JASTRO database, 147 patients with esophageal cancer and 95 patients with uterine cervical cancer were selected according to the eligibility criteria for the PCS. From the PCS, 455 esophageal and 432 uterine cervical cancer patients were surveyed. Six items for esophageal cancer and five items for uterine cervical cancer were selected for a comparative analysis of PCS and JASTRO databases. Esophageal cancer: Age (p=.0777), combination of radiation and surgery (p=.2136), and energy of the external beam (p=.6400) were consistent for PCS and JASTRO. However, the dose of the external beam for the non-surgery group showed inconsistency (p=.0467). Uterine cervical cancer: Age (p=.6301) and clinical stage (p=.8555) were consistent for the two sets of data. However, the energy of the external beam (p<.0001), dose rate of brachytherapy (p<.0001), and brachytherapy utilization by clinical stage (p<.0001) showed inconsistencies. It appears possible that the JASTRO major area database could not account for all patients' backgrounds and factors and that both surveys might have an imbalance in the stratification of institutions including differences in equipment and staffing patterns. (author)

Development and performance evaluation of 32-channel gamma densitometer for the measurement of flow pattern and void fraction in the downcomer of MIDAS test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, In Cheol; Kim, Y. K.; Yun, B. J.; Kwon, T. S.; Euh, D. J.; Song, C.

2002-03-01

APR 1400, which adopts DVI type of ECCS, is expected to show its unique thermal hydraulic phenomena. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate whether existing safety analysis code can correctly predict the thermal hydraulic phenomena. Among the several phenomena, void fraction and flow pattern govern the other major phenomena. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to develop the 32-channel gamma densitometer which can measure the void fraction and flow pattern in the downcomer at various locations. The 32-channel gamma densitometer for MIDAS test apparatus has been developed. Throughout the performance evaluation test, the integrity of the 32 channel gamma densitometer has been validated. The measurement error of water film thickness is expected to be less than ±0.5mm. Also, it can correctly predict the flow patterns and the transition location of flow pattern in the downcomer of MIDAS test apparatus

Pattern-Directed Processing of Knowledge from Texts.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorndyke, Perry W.

A framework for viewing human text comprehension, memory, and recall is presented that assumes patterns of abstract conceptual relations are used to guide processing. These patterns consist of clusters of knowledge that encode prototypical co-occurrences of situations and events in narrative texts. The patterns are assumed to be a part of a…

Consistency of performance of robot-assisted surgical tasks in virtual reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, I H; Siu, K-C; Mukherjee, M; Monk, E; Oleynikov, D; Stergiou, N

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate consistency of performance of robot-assisted surgical tasks in a virtual reality environment. Eight subjects performed two surgical tasks, bimanual carrying and needle passing, with both the da Vinci surgical robot and a virtual reality equivalent environment. Nonlinear analysis was utilized to evaluate consistency of performance by calculating the regularity and the amount of divergence in the movement trajectories of the surgical instrument tips. Our results revealed that movement patterns for both training tasks were statistically similar between the two environments. Consistency of performance as measured by nonlinear analysis could be an appropriate methodology to evaluate the complexity of the training tasks between actual and virtual environments and assist in developing better surgical training programs.

Testing a Conceptual Model of Working through Self-Defeating Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Meifen; Ku, Tsun-Yao

2007-01-01

The present study developed and examined a conceptual model of working through self-defeating patterns. Participants were 390 college students at a large midwestern university. Results indicated that self-defeating patterns mediated the relations between attachment and distress. Also, self-esteem mediated the link between self-defeating patterns…

Spontaneous magnetic alignment by yearling snapping turtles: rapid association of radio frequency dependent pattern of magnetic input with novel surroundings.

Science.gov (United States)

Landler, Lukas; Painter, Michael S; Youmans, Paul W; Hopkins, William A; Phillips, John B

2015-01-01

We investigated spontaneous magnetic alignment (SMA) by juvenile snapping turtles using exposure to low-level radio frequency (RF) fields at the Larmor frequency to help characterize the underlying sensory mechanism. Turtles, first introduced to the testing environment without the presence of RF aligned consistently towards magnetic north when subsequent magnetic testing conditions were also free of RF ('RF off → RF off'), but were disoriented when subsequently exposed to RF ('RF off → RF on'). In contrast, animals initially introduced to the testing environment with RF present were disoriented when tested without RF ('RF on → RF off'), but aligned towards magnetic south when tested with RF ('RF on → RF on'). Sensitivity of the SMA response of yearling turtles to RF is consistent with the involvement of a radical pair mechanism. Furthermore, the effect of RF appears to result from a change in the pattern of magnetic input, rather than elimination of magnetic input altogether, as proposed to explain similar effects in other systems/organisms. The findings show that turtles first exposed to a novel environment form a lasting association between the pattern of magnetic input and their surroundings. However, under natural conditions turtles would never experience a change in the pattern of magnetic input. Therefore, if turtles form a similar association of magnetic cues with the surroundings each time they encounter unfamiliar habitat, as seems likely, the same pattern of magnetic input would be associated with multiple sites/localities. This would be expected from a sensory input that functions as a global reference frame, helping to place multiple locales (i.e., multiple local landmark arrays) into register to form a global map of familiar space.

The global cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: consistent over decades and around the world.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Jonathan; Giangrande, Evan; Weinberger, Daniel R; Dickinson, Dwight

2013-10-01

Schizophrenia results in cognitive impairments as well as positive, negative, and disorganized symptomatology. The present study examines the extent to which these cognitive deficits are generalized across domains, potential moderator variables, and whether the pattern of cognitive findings reported in schizophrenia has remained consistent over time and across cultural and geographic variation. Relevant publications from 2006 to 2011 were identified through keyword searches in PubMed and an examination of reference lists. Studies were included if they (1) compared the cognitive performance of adult schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, (2) based schizophrenia diagnoses on contemporary diagnostic criteria, (3) reported information sufficient to permit effect size calculation, (4) were reported in English, and (5) reported data for neuropsychological tests falling into at least 3 distinct cognitive domains. A set of 100 non-overlapping studies was identified, and effect sizes (Hedge's g) were calculated for each cognitive variable. Consistent with earlier analyses, patients with schizophrenia scored significantly lower than controls across all cognitive tests and domains (grand mean effect size, g=-1.03). Patients showed somewhat larger impairments in the domains of processing speed (g=-1.25) and episodic memory (g=-1.23). Our results also showed few inconsistencies when grouped by geographic region. The present study extends findings from 1980 to 2006 of a substantial, generalized cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, demonstrating that this finding has remained robust over time despite changes in assessment instruments and alterations in diagnostic criteria, and that it manifests similarly in different regions of the world despite linguistic and cultural differences. © 2013.

Two-phase flow patterns recognition and parameters estimation through natural circulation test loop image analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mesquita, R.N.; Libardi, R.M.P.; Masotti, P.H.F.; Sabundjian, G.; Andrade, D.A.; Umbehaun, P.E.; Torres, W.M.; Conti, T.N.; Macedo, L.A. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Nuclear Engineering Center], e-mail: rnavarro@ipen.br

2009-07-01

Visualization of natural circulation test loop cycles is used to study two-phase flow patterns associated with phase transients and static instabilities of flow. Experimental studies on natural circulation flow were originally related to accidents and transient simulations relative to nuclear reactor systems with light water refrigeration. In this regime, fluid circulation is mainly caused by a driving force ('thermal head') which arises from density differences due to temperature gradient. Natural circulation phenomenon has been important to provide residual heat removal in cases of 'loss of pump power' or plant shutdown in nuclear power plant accidents. The new generation of compact nuclear reactors includes natural circulation of their refrigerant fluid as a security mechanism in their projects. Two-phase flow patterns have been studied for many decades, and the related instabilities have been object of special attention recently. Experimental facility is an all glass-made cylindrical tubes loop which contains about twelve demineralized water liters, a heat source by an electrical resistor immersion heater controlled by a Variac, and a helicoidal heat exchanger working as cold source. Data is obtained through thermo-pairs distributed over the loop and CCD cameras. Artificial intelligence based algorithms are used to improve (bubble) border detection and patterns recognition, in order to estimate and characterize, phase transitions patterns and correlate them with the periodic static instability (chugging) cycle observed in this circuit. Most of initial results show good agreement with previous numerical studies in this same facility. (author)

Two-phase flow patterns recognition and parameters estimation through natural circulation test loop image analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesquita, R.N.; Libardi, R.M.P.; Masotti, P.H.F.; Sabundjian, G.; Andrade, D.A.; Umbehaun, P.E.; Torres, W.M.; Conti, T.N.; Macedo, L.A.

2009-01-01

Visualization of natural circulation test loop cycles is used to study two-phase flow patterns associated with phase transients and static instabilities of flow. Experimental studies on natural circulation flow were originally related to accidents and transient simulations relative to nuclear reactor systems with light water refrigeration. In this regime, fluid circulation is mainly caused by a driving force ('thermal head') which arises from density differences due to temperature gradient. Natural circulation phenomenon has been important to provide residual heat removal in cases of 'loss of pump power' or plant shutdown in nuclear power plant accidents. The new generation of compact nuclear reactors includes natural circulation of their refrigerant fluid as a security mechanism in their projects. Two-phase flow patterns have been studied for many decades, and the related instabilities have been object of special attention recently. Experimental facility is an all glass-made cylindrical tubes loop which contains about twelve demineralized water liters, a heat source by an electrical resistor immersion heater controlled by a Variac, and a helicoidal heat exchanger working as cold source. Data is obtained through thermo-pairs distributed over the loop and CCD cameras. Artificial intelligence based algorithms are used to improve (bubble) border detection and patterns recognition, in order to estimate and characterize, phase transitions patterns and correlate them with the periodic static instability (chugging) cycle observed in this circuit. Most of initial results show good agreement with previous numerical studies in this same facility. (author)

The natural history of achalasia: Evidence of a continuum-"The evolutive pattern theory".

Science.gov (United States)

Salvador, Renato; Voltarel, Guerrino; Savarino, Edoardo; Capovilla, Giovanni; Pesenti, Elisa; Perazzolo, Anna; Nicoletti, Loredana; Costantini, Andrea; Merigliano, Stefano; Costantini, Mario

2018-04-01

It is currently unclear if the three manometric patterns of esophageal achalasia represent distinct entities or part of a disease continuum. The study's aims were: a) to test the hypothesis that the three patterns represent different stages in the evolution of achalasia; b) to investigate whether manometric patterns change after Laparoscopic-Heller-Dor (LHD). We assessed the patients diagnosed with achalasia who underwent LHD as their first treatment from 1992 to 2016. Their symptoms were scored using a detailed questionnaire for dysphagia, food-regurgitation, and chest pain. Barium-swallow, endoscopy, and esophageal-manometry were performed before and 6 months after surgery. The study population consisted of 511 patients (M:F=283:228). Patients' demographic and clinical data showed that those with pattern III had a shorter history of symptoms, a higher incidence of chest pain, and a less dilated gullet (ptheory that the different manometric patterns represent different stages in the evolution of the disease-where pattern III is the earliest stage, pattern II an intermediate stage, and pattern I the final stage. Copyright © 2017 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Different Tests of Episodic Memory Produce Consistent Results in Human Adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Cheke, Lucy G.; Clayton, Nicola S.

2013-01-01

A number of different philosophical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives on episodic memory have led to the development of very different tests with which to assess it. Although these tests putatively assess the same psychological capacity, they have rarely been directly compared. Here, a sample of undergraduates was tested on three different…

The Principle of Energetic Consistency

Science.gov (United States)

Cohn, Stephen E.

2009-01-01

A basic result in estimation theory is that the minimum variance estimate of the dynamical state, given the observations, is the conditional mean estimate. This result holds independently of the specifics of any dynamical or observation nonlinearity or stochasticity, requiring only that the probability density function of the state, conditioned on the observations, has two moments. For nonlinear dynamics that conserve a total energy, this general result implies the principle of energetic consistency: if the dynamical variables are taken to be the natural energy variables, then the sum of the total energy of the conditional mean and the trace of the conditional covariance matrix (the total variance) is constant between observations. Ensemble Kalman filtering methods are designed to approximate the evolution of the conditional mean and covariance matrix. For them the principle of energetic consistency holds independently of ensemble size, even with covariance localization. However, full Kalman filter experiments with advection dynamics have shown that a small amount of numerical dissipation can cause a large, state-dependent loss of total variance, to the detriment of filter performance. The principle of energetic consistency offers a simple way to test whether this spurious loss of variance limits ensemble filter performance in full-blown applications. The classical second-moment closure (third-moment discard) equations also satisfy the principle of energetic consistency, independently of the rank of the conditional covariance matrix. Low-rank approximation of these equations offers an energetically consistent, computationally viable alternative to ensemble filtering. Current formulations of long-window, weak-constraint, four-dimensional variational methods are designed to approximate the conditional mode rather than the conditional mean. Thus they neglect the nonlinear bias term in the second-moment closure equation for the conditional mean. The principle of

Chemical composition analysis and product consistency tests supporting refinement of the Nepheline model for the high aluminum Hanford Glass composition region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Mcclane, D. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)

2016-02-17

In this report, SRNL provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for a series of simulated HLW glasses fabricated by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as part of an ongoing nepheline crystallization study. The results of these analyses will be used to improve the ability to predict crystallization of nepheline as a function of composition and heat treatment for glasses formulated at high alumina concentrations.

Bone involvement pattern in hypervascular lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjersand, A.J.

1982-01-01

The pattern of the focal bone lesion which consists partly or wholly of rounded holes with comparatively smooth edges is discussed. Twenty-two bone lesions were studied by angiography. The 'hypervascular pattern' occurred in five cases of widely different histology, all with strong intraosseous hypervascularity. Different pathogenic mechanisms in the creation of this pattern are discussed. It is probably the result of both destructive and reparative processes in the bone. (orig.)

Molecular patterns of X chromosome-linked color vision genes among 134 menof European ancestry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drummond-Borg, M.; Deeb, S.S.; Motulsky, A.G.

1989-01-01

The authors used Southern blot hybridization to study X chromosome-linked color vision genes encoding the apoproteins of red and green visual pigments in 134 unselected Caucasian men. One hundred and thirteen individuals (84.3%) had a normal arrangement of their color vision pigment genes. All had one red pigment gene; the number of green pigment genes ranged from one to five with a mode of two. The frequency of molecular genotypes indicative of normal color vision (84.3%) was significantly lower than had been observed in previous studies of color vision phenotypes. Color vision defects can be due to deletions of red or green pigment genes or due to formation of hybrid genes comprising portions of both red and green pigment genes. Characteristic anomalous patterns were seen in 15 (11.2%) individuals: 7 (5.2%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranomaly, 2 (1.5%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranopia, and 6 (4.5%) had protan patterns. Previously undescribed hybrid gene patterns consisting of both green and red pigment gene fragments in addition to normal red and green genes were observed in another 6 individuals (4.5%). Thus, DNA testing detected anomalous color vision pigment genes at a higher frequency than expected from phenotypic color vision tests

Pattern visual evoked potentials in malingering.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, A; Akio, T; Matsuda, E; Wakami, Y

2001-03-01

We previously developed a new method for estimating objective visual acuity by means of pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP). In this study, this method was applied to the diagnosis of malingering. Six patients ranging in age from 40 to 54 years (mean 47 years) with suspected malingering were evaluated by means of the visual evoked potential test, optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) inhibition test, and the visual field test. In the PVEP study, the stimulus consisted of black and white checkerboards (39', 26', 15', and 9') with a visual angle of 8 degrees, contrast level of 15%, and a frequency of 0.7 Hz. One hundred PVEP responses were averaged per session. Routine ophthalmic examinations were normal in all patients. Five patients had a tubularly constricted visual field, and the remaining patient had a normal visual field. The objective visual acuities of the six patients estimated from PVEP were better than their subjective visual acuities estimated with Landolt rings. Among a variety of psychophysical and electrophysiologic ancillary tests, we consider our PVEP method a useful method for objectively determining visual acuity in a patient with signs of ocular malingering.

Consistency of Vegetation Index Seasonality Across the Amazon Rainforest

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Eduardo Eiji; Moura, Yhasmin Mendes; Wagner, Fabien; Hilker, Thomas; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Wang, Yujie; Chave, Jerome; Mottus, Matti; Aragao, Luiz E.O.C.; Shimabukuro, Yosio

2016-01-01

Vegetation indices (VIs) calculated from remotely sensed reflectance are widely used tools for characterizing the extent and status of vegetated areas. Recently, however, their capability to monitor the Amazon forest phenology has been intensely scrutinized. In this study, we analyze the consistency of VIs seasonal patterns obtained from two MODIS products: the Collection 5 BRDF product (MCD43) and the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction algorithm (MAIAC). The spatio-temporal patterns of the VIs were also compared with field measured leaf litterfall, gross ecosystem productivity and active microwave data. Our results show that significant seasonal patterns are observed in all VIs after the removal of view-illumination effects and cloud contamination. However, we demonstrate inconsistencies in the characteristics of seasonal patterns between different VIs and MODIS products. We demonstrate that differences in the original reflectance band values form a major source of discrepancy between MODIS VI products. The MAIAC atmospheric correction algorithm significantly reduces noise signals in the red and blue bands. Another important source of discrepancy is caused by differences in the availability of clear-sky data, as the MAIAC product allows increased availability of valid pixels in the equatorial Amazon. Finally, differences in VIs seasonal patterns were also caused by MODIS collection 5 calibration degradation. The correlation of remote sensing and field data also varied spatially, leading to different temporal offsets between VIs, active microwave and field measured data. We conclude that recent improvements in the MAIAC product have led to changes in the characteristics of spatio-temporal patterns of VIs seasonality across the Amazon forest, when compared to the MCD43 product. Nevertheless, despite improved quality and reduced uncertainties in the MAIAC product, a robust biophysical interpretation of VIs seasonality is still missing.

Consistency of vegetation index seasonality across the Amazon rainforest

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Eduardo Eiji; Moura, Yhasmin Mendes; Wagner, Fabien; Hilker, Thomas; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Wang, Yujie; Chave, Jérôme; Mõttus, Matti; Aragão, Luiz E. O. C.; Shimabukuro, Yosio

2016-10-01

Vegetation indices (VIs) calculated from remotely sensed reflectance are widely used tools for characterizing the extent and status of vegetated areas. Recently, however, their capability to monitor the Amazon forest phenology has been intensely scrutinized. In this study, we analyze the consistency of VIs seasonal patterns obtained from two MODIS products: the Collection 5 BRDF product (MCD43) and the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction algorithm (MAIAC). The spatio-temporal patterns of the VIs were also compared with field measured leaf litterfall, gross ecosystem productivity and active microwave data. Our results show that significant seasonal patterns are observed in all VIs after the removal of view-illumination effects and cloud contamination. However, we demonstrate inconsistencies in the characteristics of seasonal patterns between different VIs and MODIS products. We demonstrate that differences in the original reflectance band values form a major source of discrepancy between MODIS VI products. The MAIAC atmospheric correction algorithm significantly reduces noise signals in the red and blue bands. Another important source of discrepancy is caused by differences in the availability of clear-sky data, as the MAIAC product allows increased availability of valid pixels in the equatorial Amazon. Finally, differences in VIs seasonal patterns were also caused by MODIS collection 5 calibration degradation. The correlation of remote sensing and field data also varied spatially, leading to different temporal offsets between VIs, active microwave and field measured data. We conclude that recent improvements in the MAIAC product have led to changes in the characteristics of spatio-temporal patterns of VIs seasonality across the Amazon forest, when compared to the MCD43 product. Nevertheless, despite improved quality and reduced uncertainties in the MAIAC product, a robust biophysical interpretation of VIs seasonality is still missing.

Technical Note: Validation of halo modeling for proton pencil beam spot scanning using a quality assurance test pattern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Liyong, E-mail: linl@uphs.upenn.edu; Huang, Sheng; Kang, Minglei; Solberg, Timothy D.; McDonough, James E.; Ainsley, Christopher G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2015-09-15

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of a comprehensive test pattern in validating calculation models that include the halo component (low-dose tails) of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) spots. Such a pattern has been used previously for quality assurance purposes to assess spot shape, position, and dose. Methods: In this study, a scintillation detector was used to measure the test pattern in air at isocenter for two proton beam energies (115 and 225 MeV) of two IBA universal nozzles (UN #1 and UN #2). Planar measurements were compared with calculated dose distributions based on the weighted superposition of location-independent (UN #1) or location-dependent (UN #2) spot profiles, previously measured using a pair-magnification method and between two nozzles. Results: Including the halo component below 1% of the central dose is shown to improve the gamma-map comparison between calculation and measurement from 94.9% to 98.4% using 2 mm/2% criteria for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #1. In contrast, including the halo component below 1% of the central dose does not improve the gamma agreement for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #2, due to the cutoff of the halo component at off-axis locations. When location-dependent spot profiles are used for calculation instead of spot profiles at central axis, the gamma agreement is improved from 98.0% to 99.5% using 2 mm/2% criteria. The two nozzles clearly have different characteristics, as a direct comparison of measured data shows a passing rate of 89.7% for the 115 MeV proton beam. At 225 MeV, the corresponding gamma comparisons agree better between measurement and calculation, and between measurements in the two nozzles. Conclusions: In addition to confirming the primary component of individual PBS spot profiles, a comprehensive test pattern is useful for the validation of the halo component at off-axis locations, especially for low energy protons.

The ultrasonic testing of austenitic welds and claddings as described in the handbooks of the IIW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neumann, E.; Wuestenberg, H.

1991-01-01

The handbooks of the International Institute of Welding (IIW) are to give guidance in the use of ultrasonic testing techniques developed for austenitic welded joints and platings, and serve as a pattern for working out testing instructions for these special tests. Basically these handbooks consist of the metallurgical description of the test subjects; sound propagation in acoustically anisotropic structures; description of testing techniques, and guidance in preparing testing instructions. (orig./DG) [de

On the internal consistency of the term structure of forecasts of housing starts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pierdzioch, C.; Rulke, J. C.; Stadtmann, G.

2013-01-01

We use the term structure of forecasts of housing starts to test for rationality of forecasts. Our test is based on the idea that short-term and long-term forecasts should be internally consistent. We test the internal consistency of forecasts using data for Australia, Canada, Japan and the United...

GLASS FABRICATION AND PRODUCT CONSISTENCY TESTING OF LANTHANIDE BOROSHILICATE FRIT X COMPOSITION FOR PLUTONIUM DISPOSITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marra, J

2006-11-21

The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE/EM) plans to conduct the Plutonium Disposition Project at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to disposition excess weapons-usable plutonium. A plutonium glass waste form is the preferred option for immobilization of the plutonium for subsequent disposition in a geologic repository. A reference glass composition (Lanthanide Borosilicate (LaBS) Frit B) was developed during the Plutonium Immobilization Program (PIP) to immobilize plutonium in the late 1990's. A limited amount of performance testing was performed on this baseline composition before efforts to further pursue Pu disposition via a glass waste form ceased. Recent FY05 studies have further investigated the LaBS Frit B formulation as well as development of a newer LaBS formulation denoted as LaBS Frit X. The objectives of this present task were to fabricate plutonium loaded LaBS Frit X glass and perform corrosion testing to provide near-term data that will increase confidence that LaBS glass product is suitable for disposal in the Yucca Mountain Repository. Specifically, testing was conducted in an effort to provide data to Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) personnel for use in performance assessment calculations. Plutonium containing LaBS glass with the Frit X composition with a 9.5 wt% PuO{sub 2} loading was prepared for testing. Glass was prepared to support Product Consistency Testing (PCT) at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). The glass was thoroughly characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) prior to performance testing. A series of PCTs were conducted at SRNL using quenched Pu Frit X glass with varying exposed surface areas. Effects of isothermal and can-in-canister heat treatments on the Pu Frit X glass were also investigated. Another series of PCTs were performed on these different heat-treated Pu Frit X glasses. Leachates from all these PCTs

Consistency in long-distance bird migration: contrasting patterns in time and space for two raptors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vardanis, Yannis; Nilsson, Jan-Ake; Klaassen, Raymond H. G.; Strandberg, Roine; Alerstam, Thomas

As the evolutionary responses to environmental change depend on selection acting on individual differences, disentangling within- and between-individual variation becomes imperative. In animal migration research, multiyear tracks are thus needed to estimate the individual consistency of phenotypic

Individual behavioural differences in pigs: intra- and inter-test consistency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoolder, H.A.M.; Burbidge, J.A.; Lawrence, A.B.; Simmins, P.H.

1996-01-01

Two studies have been carried out in pigs to determine the relation between escape behaviour and production parameters and between escape behaviour and other factors. In the first, 823 piglets were tested with the backtest at 10 and 17 days of age. Production parameters, such as average daily weight

Test Structures For Bumpy Integrated Circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, Martin G.; Sayah, Hoshyar R.

1989-01-01

Cross-bridge resistors added to comb and serpentine patterns. Improved combination of test structures built into integrated circuit used to evaluate design rules, fabrication processes, and quality of interconnections. Consist of meshing serpentines and combs, and cross bridge. Structures used to make electrical measurements revealing defects in design or fabrication. Combination of test structures includes three comb arrays, two serpentine arrays, and cross bridge. Made of aluminum or polycrystalline silicon, depending on material in integrated-circuit layers evaluated. Aluminum combs and serpentine arrays deposited over steps made by polycrystalline silicon and diffusion layers, while polycrystalline silicon versions of these structures used to cross over steps made by thick oxide layer.

Tensor GSVD of patient- and platform-matched tumor and normal DNA copy-number profiles uncovers chromosome arm-wide patterns of tumor-exclusive platform-consistent alterations encoding for cell transformation and predicting ovarian cancer survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Preethi Sankaranarayanan

Full Text Available The number of large-scale high-dimensional datasets recording different aspects of a single disease is growing, accompanied by a need for frameworks that can create one coherent model from multiple tensors of matched columns, e.g., patients and platforms, but independent rows, e.g., probes. We define and prove the mathematical properties of a novel tensor generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD, which can simultaneously find the similarities and dissimilarities, i.e., patterns of varying relative significance, between any two such tensors. We demonstrate the tensor GSVD in comparative modeling of patient- and platform-matched but probe-independent ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV tumor, mostly high-grade, and normal DNA copy-number profiles, across each chromosome arm, and combination of two arms, separately. The modeling uncovers previously unrecognized patterns of tumor-exclusive platform-consistent co-occurring copy-number alterations (CNAs. We find, first, and validate that each of the patterns across only 7p and Xq, and the combination of 6p+12p, is correlated with a patient's prognosis, is independent of the tumor's stage, the best predictor of OV survival to date, and together with stage makes a better predictor than stage alone. Second, these patterns include most known OV-associated CNAs that map to these chromosome arms, as well as several previously unreported, yet frequent focal CNAs. Third, differential mRNA, microRNA, and protein expression consistently map to the DNA CNAs. A coherent picture emerges for each pattern, suggesting roles for the CNAs in OV pathogenesis and personalized therapy. In 6p+12p, deletion of the p21-encoding CDKN1A and p38-encoding MAPK14 and amplification of RAD51AP1 and KRAS encode for human cell transformation, and are correlated with a cell's immortality, and a patient's shorter survival time. In 7p, RPA3 deletion and POLD2 amplification are correlated with DNA stability, and a longer survival

PC based manual and safety logic card test setup for 235 MWe PHWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandgadkar, G.M.; Kohli, A.K.; Agarwal, R.G.; Chandra, Rajesh

1992-01-01

Fuel handling controls for 235 MWe PHWR make use of Manual and Logic cards (MLCs) for providing safety interlocks. These cards consist of various type of logic blocks. By connecting these logic blocks all the safety interlocks required for fuel handling controls have been provided. Previously trouble shooting of these cards was done by means of logic probe. Since the method was manual, it was laborious and time consuming. PC based test setup has overcome this drawback and detects the fault at the component level within few seconds. It also gives printout of status of faulty MLC cards. Here motherboard has been designed having slots for insertion of MLC cards. The input/output connection of these cards are coming to two 50 pin FRC connectors. PC communicates through 144 line digital input/output card with MLC card under test. Software is user friendly and outputs suitable input patterns to the card under test and checks for output pattern. It compares this output pattern with compare pattern and detects the fault and displays the symptoms. This system is currently in use at test facility for fuelling machine for 235 MWe PHWR reactor at Refuelling Technology Division, Hall-7. This test setup has been proposed for use at NAPP and future reactors. (author). 4 figs., 1 annexure

Mining Temporal Patterns to Improve Agents Behavior: Two Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Fournier-Viger, Philippe; Nkambou, Roger; Faghihi, Usef; Nguifo, Engelbert Mephu

We propose two mechanisms for agent learning based on the idea of mining temporal patterns from agent behavior. The first one consists of extracting temporal patterns from the perceived behavior of other agents accomplishing a task, to learn the task. The second learning mechanism consists in extracting temporal patterns from an agent's own behavior. In this case, the agent then reuses patterns that brought self-satisfaction. In both cases, no assumption is made on how the observed agents' behavior is internally generated. A case study with a real application is presented to illustrate each learning mechanism.

Consistent paternity skew through ontogeny in Peron's tree frog (Litoria peronii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig D H Sherman

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A large number of studies in postcopulatory sexual selection use paternity success as a proxy for fertilization success. However, selective mortality during embryonic development can lead to skews in paternity in situations of polyandry and sperm competition. Thus, when assessment of paternity fails to incorporate mortality skews during early ontogeny, this may interfere with correct interpretation of results and subsequent evolutionary inference. In a previous series of in vitro sperm competition experiments with amphibians (Litoria peronii, we showed skewed paternity patterns towards males more genetically similar to the female. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we use in vitro fertilizations and sperm competition trials to test if this pattern of paternity of fully developed tadpoles reflects patterns of paternity at fertilization and if paternity skews changes during embryonic development. We show that there is no selective mortality through ontogeny and that patterns of paternity of hatched tadpoles reflects success of competing males in sperm competition at fertilization. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While this study shows that previous inferences of fertilization success from paternity data are valid for this species, rigorous testing of these assumptions is required to ensure that differential embryonic mortality does not confound estimations of true fertilization success.

The touchscreen operant platform for testing working memory and pattern separation in rats and mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Oomen, Charlotte A; Hvoslef-Eide, Martha; Heath, Christopher J; Mar, Adam C; Horner, Alexa E; Bussey, Timothy J; Saksida, Lisa M

2013-10-01

The automated touchscreen operant chamber for rats and mice allows for the assessment of multiple cognitive domains within the same testing environment. This protocol presents the location discrimination (LD) task and the trial-unique delayed nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) task, which both assess memory for location. During these tasks, animals are trained to a predefined criterion during ∼20-40 daily sessions. In LD sessions, touching the same location on the screen is rewarded on consecutive trials, followed by a reversal of location-reward contingencies. TUNL, a working memory task, requires animals to 'nonmatch' to a sample location after a delay. In both the LD and TUNL tasks, spatial similarity can be varied, allowing assessment of pattern separation ability, a function that is thought to be performed by the dentate gyrus (DG). These tasks are therefore particularly useful in animal models of hippocampal, and specifically DG, function, but they additionally permit discernment of changes in pattern separation from those in working memory.

Poly-Pattern Compressive Segmentation of ASTER Data for GIS

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Wayne; Warner, Eric; Tutwiler, Richard

2007-01-01

Pattern-based segmentation of multi-band image data, such as ASTER, produces one-byte and two-byte approximate compressions. This is a dual segmentation consisting of nested coarser and finer level pattern mappings called poly-patterns. The coarser A-level version is structured for direct incorporation into geographic information systems in the manner of a raster map. GIs renderings of this A-level approximation are called pattern pictures which have the appearance of color enhanced images. The two-byte version consisting of thousands of B-level segments provides a capability for approximate restoration of the multi-band data in selected areas or entire scenes. Poly-patterns are especially useful for purposes of change detection and landscape analysis at multiple scales. The primary author has implemented the segmentation methodology in a public domain software suite.

Chemical composition analysis and product consistency tests supporting refinement of the Nepheline Model for the high aluminum Hanford glass composition region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Mcclane, D. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-03-01

In this report, Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for a series of simulated high level waste (HLW) glasses fabricated by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as part of an ongoing nepheline crystallization study. The results of these analyses will be used to improve the ability to predict crystallization of nepheline as a function of composition and heat treatment for glasses formulated at high alumina concentrations.

Patterns - "A crime solver".

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasupriya, A; Dhanapal, Raghu; Reena, K; Saraswathi, Tr; Ramachandran, Cr

2011-01-01

This study is intended to analyze the predominant pattern of lip and finger prints in males and females and to correlate lip print and finger print for gender identity. The study sample comprised of 200 students of Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, 100 males and 100 females aged between 18 to 27 years. Brown/pink colored lip stick was applied on the lips and the subject was asked to spread it uniformly over the lips. Lip prints were traced in the normal rest position of the lips with the help of cellophane tape. The imprint of the left thumb was taken on a white chart sheet and visualized using magnifying lens. While three main types of finger prints are identified, the classification of lip prints is simplified into branched, reticular, and vertical types. Association between lip prints and finger prints was statistically tested using Chi-square test. This study showed that lip and finger patterns did not reveal statistically significant results within the gender. The correlation between lip and finger patterns for gender identification, was statistically significant. In males, branched type of lip pattern associated with arch, loop, and whorl type of finger pattern was most significant. In females, vertical lip pattern associated with arch finger pattern and reticular lip pattern associated with whorl finger patterns were most significant. We conclude that a correlative study between the lip print and finger print will be very useful in forensic science for gender identification.

The test of variables of attention (TOVA): Internal consistency (Q1 vs. Q2 and Q3 vs. Q4) in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Science.gov (United States)

The internal consistency of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) was examined in a cohort of 6- to 12-year-old children (N = 63) strictly diagnosed with ADHD. The internal consistency of errors of omission (OMM), errors of commission (COM), response time (RT), and response time variability (RTV...

Learning Digital Test and Diagnostics via Internet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinz-Dietrich Wuttke

2007-02-01

Full Text Available An environment targeted to e-learning is presented for teaching design and test of electronic systems. The environment consists of a set of Java applets, and of web based access to the hardware equipments, which can be used in the classroom, for learning at home, in laboratory research and training, or for carrying out testing of students during exams. The tools support university courses on digital electronics, computer hardware, testing and design for testability to learn by hands-on exercises how to design digital systems, how to make them testable, how to build self-testing systems, how to generate test patterns, how to analyze the quality of tests, and how to localize faults in hardware. The tasks chosen for hands-on training represent simultaneously research problems, which allow to fostering in students critical thinking, problem solving skills and creativity.

Patterns of natural mortality in stream-living brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Science.gov (United States)

Lobon-Cervia, J.; Budy, P.; Mortensen, E.

2012-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that lifetime mortality patterns and their corresponding rates and causal factors differ among populations of stream-living salmonids. To this end, we examined the lifetime mortality patterns of several successive cohorts of two stream-living brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Spain and Denmark. In the southern population, we observed a consistent two-phase pattern, in which mortality was negligible during the first half of the lifetime and severe during the rest of the lifetime. In contrast, the northern population demonstrated a three-phase pattern with an earlier phase varying from negligible to severe, followed by a second stage of weak mortality, and lastly by a third life stage of severe mortality. Despite substantial differences in the mortality patterns between the two populations, the combined effect of recruitment (as a proxy of the density-dependent processes occurring during the lifetime) and mean body mass (as a proxy of growth experienced by individuals in a given cohort) explained c. 89% of the total lifetime mortality rates across cohorts and populations. A comparison with other published data on populations of stream-living brown trout within its native range highlighted lifetime mortality patterns of one, two, three and four phases, but also suggested that common patterns may occur in populations that experience similar individual growth and population density. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

NSLS-II filling pattern measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yong Hu; Dalesio, L.B.; Kiman Ha; Pinayev, I.

2012-01-01

Multi-bunch injection will be deployed at NSLS-II. High bandwidth diagnostic beam monitors with high speed digitizers are used to measure bunch-by-bunch charge variation. In order to minimize intensity-correlated orbit oscillations due to uneven bunch patterns, we need to measure the filling pattern (also named bunch pattern or bunch structure). This paper focuses on filling pattern measurements: how to measure bunch structure and make this information available in EPICS-based control system. This measurement requires combination of 3 types of beam monitors (Wall Current Monitor, Fast Current Transformer and Beam Position Monitor), data acquisition and controls (fast digitizer, EPICS software, etc.) and Event Timing system. High-bandwidth filling pattern monitor requires high-speed digitizer to sample its analog output signal. The evaluation results of commercial fast digitizer Agilent Acqiris and high bandwidth detector Bergoz FCT are presented. We have also tested the algorithm software for filling pattern measurement as well as the interface to event timing system. It appears that filling pattern measurement system is well understood and the tests for control hardware and software have given good results

Executive function in high-functioning autism: Decision-making consistency as a characteristic gambling behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hsuan-Chen; White, Sarah; Rees, Geraint; Burgess, Paul W

2018-02-02

Restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests, or activities are a critical diagnostic criterion for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies using gambling paradigms with ASD populations have identified that, unlike typically developed control participants, people with a diagnosis of ASD tend to maintain particular response patterns regardless of the magnitude of potential outcomes to uncertain gains or losses. Here we designed a gambling test that permitted calculation of the response consistency in gambling choices in situations that presented varying expected outcomes in terms of gains or losses. The task was administered to 33 adults with a diagnosis of ASDs and compared to a group of 47 typically-developed (TD) control participants who were matched for age and IQ. When presented with choices where participants could either make a risky gamble or a safe choice in terms of gains or losses (e.g., 20% chance of winning £5 vs. 100% chance of winning £1), the ASD participants did not differ from the TDs in their overall risk-taking behaviour. However, they were more consistent in their individual choices from trial to trial. Furthermore, the proportion of participants who either implemented an invariate response strategy (e.g., either always choosing the most risky or most "safe" option) was significantly higher in the ASD group compared with the controls. Additionally, while the ASD group were slower to make their responses in the win frame and the first half of the lose frame, by the end of the task their decision times were the same as the TD controls. These findings suggest that the ASD tendency towards repetitive behaviour may demonstrate itself even in high-level decision-making tasks, which needs to be understood if we are to be sure what such tasks are measuring. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Postprandial Reactive Hypoglycaemia: Varying Presentation Patterns on Extended Glucose Tolerance Tests and Possible Therapeutic Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Stuart

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Reactive hypoglycemia is a state characterised by sympathetic or neuroglycopenic symptoms associated with hypoglycaemia in the postprandial state resulting in considerable distress to the patient. It is our practice to carry out either extended glucose tolerance tests (eGTTs or mixed meal tests in these patients. We describe two patients who experienced hypoglycaemic symptoms early and late during eGTT. The patient who experienced symptoms early, in contrast to the patient who presented with late symptoms, did not possess any characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. Based on clinical symptoms, glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA levels, we speculate on possible mechanisms that may have accounted for each of their presentation patterns. We then discuss low glycaemic index diet which will be the mainstay of management.

Long-term product consistency test of simulated 90-19/Nd HLW glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gan, X.Y.; Zhang, Z.T.; Yuan, W.Y.; Wang, L.; Bai, Y.; Ma, H.

2011-01-01

Chemical durability of 90-19/Nd glass, a simulated high-level waste (HLW) glass in contact with the groundwater was investigated with a long-term product consistency test (PCT). Generally, it is difficult to observe the long term property of HLW glass due to the slow corrosion rate in a mild condition. In order to overcome this problem, increased contacting surface (S/V = 6000 m -1 ) and elevated temperature (150 o C) were employed to accelerate the glass corrosion evolution. The micro-morphological characteristics of the glass surface and the secondary minerals formed after the glass alteration were analyzed by SEM-EDS and XRD, and concentrations of elements in the leaching solution were determined by ICP-AES. In our experiments, two types of minerals, which have great impact on glass dissolution, were found to form on 90-19/Nd HLW glass surface when it was subjected to a long-term leaching in the groundwater. One is Mg-Fe-rich phyllosilicates with honeycomb structure; the other is aluminosilicates (zeolites). Mg and Fe in the leaching solution participated in the formation of phyllosilicates. The main components of phyllosilicates in alteration products of 90-19/Nd HLW glass are nontronite (Na 0.3 Fe 2 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2 .4H 2 O) and montmorillonite (Ca 0.2 (Al,Mg) 2 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2 .4H 2 O), and those of aluminosilicates are mordenite ((Na 2 ,K 2 ,Ca)Al 2 Si 10 O 24 .7H 2 O)) and clinoptilolite ((Na,K,Ca) 5 Al 6 Si 30 O 72 .18H 2 O). Minerals like Ca(Mg)SO 4 and CaCO 3 with low solubility limits are prone to form precipitant on the glass surface. Appearance of the phyllosilicates and aluminosilicates result in the dissolution rate of 90-19/Nd HLW glass resumed, which is increased by several times over the stable rate. As further dissolution of the glass, both B and Na in the glass were found to leach out in borax form.

Consistency of color representation in smart phones.

Science.gov (United States)

Dain, Stephen J; Kwan, Benjamin; Wong, Leslie

2016-03-01

One of the barriers to the construction of consistent computer-based color vision tests has been the variety of monitors and computers. Consistency of color on a variety of screens has necessitated calibration of each setup individually. Color vision examination with a carefully controlled display has, as a consequence, been a laboratory rather than a clinical activity. Inevitably, smart phones have become a vehicle for color vision tests. They have the advantage that the processor and screen are associated and there are fewer models of smart phones than permutations of computers and monitors. Colorimetric consistency of display within a model may be a given. It may extend across models from the same manufacturer but is unlikely to extend between manufacturers especially where technologies vary. In this study, we measured the same set of colors in a JPEG file displayed on 11 samples of each of four models of smart phone (iPhone 4s, iPhone5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and Samsung Galaxy S4) using a Photo Research PR-730. The iPhones are white LED backlit LCD and the Samsung are OLEDs. The color gamut varies between models and comparison with sRGB space shows 61%, 85%, 117%, and 110%, respectively. The iPhones differ markedly from the Samsungs and from one another. This indicates that model-specific color lookup tables will be needed. Within each model, the primaries were quite consistent (despite the age of phone varying within each sample). The worst case in each model was the blue primary; the 95th percentile limits in the v' coordinate were ±0.008 for the iPhone 4 and ±0.004 for the other three models. The u'v' variation in white points was ±0.004 for the iPhone4 and ±0.002 for the others, although the spread of white points between models was u'v'±0.007. The differences are essentially the same for primaries at low luminance. The variation of colors intermediate between the primaries (e.g., red-purple, orange) mirror the variation in the primaries. The variation in

Efficient self-consistency for magnetic tight binding

Science.gov (United States)

Soin, Preetma; Horsfield, A. P.; Nguyen-Manh, D.

2011-06-01

Tight binding can be extended to magnetic systems by including an exchange interaction on an atomic site that favours net spin polarisation. We have used a published model, extended to include long-ranged Coulomb interactions, to study defects in iron. We have found that achieving self-consistency using conventional techniques was either unstable or very slow. By formulating the problem of achieving charge and spin self-consistency as a search for stationary points of a Harris-Foulkes functional, extended to include spin, we have derived a much more efficient scheme based on a Newton-Raphson procedure. We demonstrate the capabilities of our method by looking at vacancies and self-interstitials in iron. Self-consistency can indeed be achieved in a more efficient and stable manner, but care needs to be taken to manage this. The algorithm is implemented in the code PLATO. Program summaryProgram title:PLATO Catalogue identifier: AEFC_v2_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFC_v2_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 228 747 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 880 369 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C and PERL Computer: Apple Macintosh, PC, Unix machines Operating system: Unix, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows XP Has the code been vectorised or parallelised?: Yes. Up to 256 processors tested RAM: Up to 2 Gbytes per processor Classification: 7.3 External routines: LAPACK, BLAS and optionally ScaLAPACK, BLACS, PBLAS, FFTW Catalogue identifier of previous version: AEFC_v1_0 Journal reference of previous version: Comput. Phys. Comm. 180 (2009) 2616 Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes Nature of problem: Achieving charge and spin self-consistency in magnetic tight binding can be very

A simple labeled test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishii, Keita; Tanabe, Satoshi; Mitsuhashi, Toshiharu; Saigenji, Katsunori [Kitasato Univ., Sagamihara, Kanagawa (Japan). School of Medicine

1994-10-01

We developed a simple test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying. Preparation of a test meal for routine clinical use in institutions should be as simple as possible. The newly developed test meal consists of instant noodles labeled with 37 MBq (1 mCi) technetium-99m and does not require the use of cooking utensils. The test meal was given with drinking water (180 ml) to healthy adult volunteers (6 men, 34.5[+-]2.2 years old) and gastric emptying was measured at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 80, 100, 120 minutes after the end of the meal, and results were compared with those derived without drinking water. The emptying pattern of the test meal with water exhibited an exponential pattern typical of a liquid meal, and that without water formed a linear pattern after an initial lag phase in keeping with gastric emptying of a solid meal. In addition, the test meal was given to 11 patients of diabetic gastroparesis (5 men, 6 women, 50.4[+-]4.5 years old), and gastric emptying was measured. At each period evaluated, emptying was significantly slower in diabetic gastroparesis than in healthy controls (6 men, 1 woman, 32.1[+-]3.0 years old). These results show that the test meal is reliable and applicable to the clinical assessment of gastric emptying, while fulfilling the need for simplicity. (author).

Interesting association rule mining with consistent and inconsistent rule detection from big sales data in distributed environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh J. Prajapati

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, there is an increasing demand in mining interesting patterns from the big data. The process of analyzing such a huge amount of data is really computationally complex task when using traditional methods. The overall purpose of this paper is in twofold. First, this paper presents a novel approach to identify consistent and inconsistent association rules from sales data located in distributed environment. Secondly, the paper also overcomes the main memory bottleneck and computing time overhead of single computing system by applying computations to multi node cluster. The proposed method initially extracts frequent itemsets for each zone using existing distributed frequent pattern mining algorithms. The paper also compares the time efficiency of Mapreduce based frequent pattern mining algorithm with Count Distribution Algorithm (CDA and Fast Distributed Mining (FDM algorithms. The association generated from frequent itemsets are too large that it becomes complex to analyze it. Thus, Mapreduce based consistent and inconsistent rule detection (MR-CIRD algorithm is proposed to detect the consistent and inconsistent rules from big data and provide useful and actionable knowledge to the domain experts. These pruned interesting rules also give useful knowledge for better marketing strategy as well. The extracted consistent and inconsistent rules are evaluated and compared based on different interestingness measures presented together with experimental results that lead to the final conclusions.

Consistent and Conservative Model Selection with the Adaptive LASSO in Stationary and Nonstationary Autoregressions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kock, Anders Bredahl

2016-01-01

We show that the adaptive Lasso is oracle efficient in stationary and nonstationary autoregressions. This means that it estimates parameters consistently, selects the correct sparsity pattern, and estimates the coefficients belonging to the relevant variables at the same asymptotic efficiency...

The convection patterns in microemulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korneta, W.; Lopez Quintela, M.A.; Fernandez Novoa, A.

1991-07-01

The Rayleigh-Benard convection in the microemulsion consisting of water (7.5%), cyclohexan (oil-61.7%) and diethylenglycolmonobutylether (surfactant-30.8%) is studied from the onset of convection to the phase separation. The five classes of convection patterns are observed and recorded on the video: localized travelling waves, travelling waves, travelling waves and localized steady rolls, steady rolls and steady polygons. The Fourier transforms and histograms of these patterns are presented. The origin of any pattern is discussed. The intermittent behaviour close to the phase separation was observed. Possible applications of the obtained results are suggested. (author). 6 refs, 4 figs

Measuring consistency of web page design and its effects on performance and satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozok, A A; Salvendy, G

2000-04-01

This study examines the methods for measuring the consistency levels of web pages and the effect of consistency on the performance and satisfaction of the world-wide web (WWW) user. For clarification, a home page is referred to as a single page that is the default page of a web site on the WWW. A web page refers to a single screen that indicates a specific address on the WWW. This study has tested a series of web pages that were mostly hyperlinked. Therefore, the term 'web page' has been adopted for the nomenclature while referring to the objects of which the features were tested. It was hypothesized that participants would perform better and be more satisfied using web pages that have consistent rather than inconsistent interface design; that the overall consistency level of an interface design would significantly correlate with the three elements of consistency, physical, communicational and conceptual consistency; and that physical and communicational consistencies would interact with each other. The hypotheses were tested in a four-group, between-subject design, with 10 participants in each group. The results partially support the hypothesis regarding error rate, but not regarding satisfaction and performance time. The results also support the hypothesis that each of the three elements of consistency significantly contribute to the overall consistency of a web page, and that physical and communicational consistencies interact with each other, while conceptual consistency does not interact with them.

Biometric verification based on grip-pattern recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.; Bazen, A.M.; Kauffman, J.A.; Hartel, Pieter H.; Delp, Edward J.; Wong, Ping W.

This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a user-verification system for a smart gun, which is based on grip-pattern recognition. An existing pressure sensor consisting of an array of 44 x 44 piezoresistive elements is used to measure the grip pattern. An interface has been

Biometric verification based on grip-pattern recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.; Bazen, A.M.; Kauffman, J.A.; Hartel, Pieter H.

This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a user-verification system for a smart gun, which is based on grip-pattern recognition. An existing pressure sensor consisting of an array of 44 £ 44 piezoresistive elements is used to measure the grip pattern. An interface has been

Consistent mutational paths predict eukaryotic thermostability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Noort Vera

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteomes of thermophilic prokaryotes have been instrumental in structural biology and successfully exploited in biotechnology, however many proteins required for eukaryotic cell function are absent from bacteria or archaea. With Chaetomium thermophilum, Thielavia terrestris and Thielavia heterothallica three genome sequences of thermophilic eukaryotes have been published. Results Studying the genomes and proteomes of these thermophilic fungi, we found common strategies of thermal adaptation across the different kingdoms of Life, including amino acid biases and a reduced genome size. A phylogenetics-guided comparison of thermophilic proteomes with those of other, mesophilic Sordariomycetes revealed consistent amino acid substitutions associated to thermophily that were also present in an independent lineage of thermophilic fungi. The most consistent pattern is the substitution of lysine by arginine, which we could find in almost all lineages but has not been extensively used in protein stability engineering. By exploiting mutational paths towards the thermophiles, we could predict particular amino acid residues in individual proteins that contribute to thermostability and validated some of them experimentally. By determining the three-dimensional structure of an exemplar protein from C. thermophilum (Arx1, we could also characterise the molecular consequences of some of these mutations. Conclusions The comparative analysis of these three genomes not only enhances our understanding of the evolution of thermophily, but also provides new ways to engineer protein stability.

A fresh look at the thermodynamic consistency of vapour-liquid equilibria data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wisniak, Jaime; Ortega, Juan; Fernández, Luis

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The thermodynamic consistency tests commonly used to evaluate VLE data are presented and discussed. • Advantages/disadvantages for each one of test are listed using actual examples. • All manuscripts should include information about VLE variables and test results. • In any case, the Herington test should not be used for VLE data evaluation. • Simultaneous application of several tests is recommended. - Abstract: Design of a separation unit requires real information about the phase equilibrium of the system being handled. Accurate equilibrium data allows the best design from a thermodynamic viewpoint and contributes to a better knowledge about the behaviour of fluids and their mixtures. The principles behind the concept of thermodynamic consistency are presented and discussed. The present state of the art shows that no definite test is available for insuring the quality of the measured values. The main available procedures for testing the consistency of vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data at constant temperature or pressure are reviewed and analysed and recommendations provided for their proper use, for the presentation of VLE results, and also some possible means for determining their quality. Suitable examples are provided about the adequate use of the available tests and about their misuse.

Validity test and its consistency in the construction of patient loyalty model

Science.gov (United States)

Yanuar, Ferra

2016-04-01

The main objective of this present study is to demonstrate the estimation of validity values and its consistency based on structural equation model. The method of estimation was then implemented to an empirical data in case of the construction the patient loyalty model. In the hypothesis model, service quality, patient satisfaction and patient loyalty were determined simultaneously, each factor were measured by any indicator variables. The respondents involved in this study were the patients who ever got healthcare at Puskesmas in Padang, West Sumatera. All 394 respondents who had complete information were included in the analysis. This study found that each construct; service quality, patient satisfaction and patient loyalty were valid. It means that all hypothesized indicator variables were significant to measure their corresponding latent variable. Service quality is the most measured by tangible, patient satisfaction is the most mesured by satisfied on service and patient loyalty is the most measured by good service quality. Meanwhile in structural equation, this study found that patient loyalty was affected by patient satisfaction positively and directly. Service quality affected patient loyalty indirectly with patient satisfaction as mediator variable between both latent variables. Both structural equations were also valid. This study also proved that validity values which obtained here were also consistence based on simulation study using bootstrap approach.

A influência do ruído ambiental no desempenho de escolares nos testes de padrão tonal de frequência e padrão tonal de duração Environmental noise influence on student performance in the Frequency Pattern Tests and Duration Pattern Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludimila Souza Nascimento

2012-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: caracterizar o desempenho de escolares nos testes de padrão tonal de frequência e padrão tonal de duração no silêncio e na presença de ruído ambiental. METODO: trata-se de estudo experimental transversal, com amostra de conveniência, composta por 70 estudantes, que responderam a um formulário de percepção do ruído ambiental. O nível de ruído da escola foi avaliado com medidor de nível de pressão sonora. Os estudantes foram submetidos à avaliações (fala, motricidade orofacial, linguagem e simplificada do processamento auditivo e distribuídos em dois grupos (G1 sem alteração fonoaudiológica e G2 com alteração fonoaudiológica. Foram realizados também os testes de padrão tonal de frequência e duração (silêncio e ruído. RESULTADOS: o nível médio de pressão sonora da escola variou de 57,2 dB(A na sala de informática a 83,6 dB(A na quadra de esportes. Segundo os estudantes, o que mais interfere em suas atividades é o barulho de conversas durante a aula. Quanto aos testes de padrão tonal de frequência (TPF e duração (TPD, observou-se que a média de acertos no ambiente silencioso foi maior que no ambiente ruidoso. O G1 apresentou melhor desempenho no TPD e TPF que G2. No ruído houve piora no desempenho dos dois grupos (G1 e G2 nos testes. CONCLUSÃO: os níveis de pressão sonora da escola encontram-se elevados e fora do padrão recomendado pelas normas nacionais. No ruído, houve piora no desempenho dos testes nos dois grupos estudados.PURPOSE: to characterize student performance in Frequency Pattern Test (FPT and Duration Pattern Test (DPT in a silent ambient and under noise. METHOD: experimental cross-sectional study, measured in a convenience sample. Survey made up by 70 students who answered a form on their noise perception. School's noise level was evaluated using physical measurements. Students were submitted to previous evaluations (speech, language, and auditory processing and then splinted

Effects of the Maximum Luminance in a Medical-grade Liquid-crystal Display on the Recognition Time of a Test Pattern: Observer Performance Using Landolt Rings.

Science.gov (United States)

Doi, Yasuhiro; Matsuyama, Michinobu; Ikeda, Ryuji; Hashida, Masahiro

2016-07-01

This study was conducted to measure the recognition time of the test pattern and to investigate the effects of the maximum luminance in a medical-grade liquid-crystal display (LCD) on the recognition time. Landolt rings as signals of the test pattern were used with four random orientations, one on each of the eight gray-scale steps. Ten observers input the orientation of the gap on the Landolt rings using cursor keys on the keyboard. The recognition times were automatically measured from the display of the test pattern on the medical-grade LCD to the input of the orientation of the gap in the Landolt rings. The maximum luminance in this study was set to one of four values (100, 170, 250, and 400 cd/m(2)), for which the corresponding recognition times were measured. As a result, the average recognition times for each observer with maximum luminances of 100, 170, 250, and 400 cd/m(2) were found to be 3.96 to 7.12 s, 3.72 to 6.35 s, 3.53 to 5.97 s, and 3.37 to 5.98 s, respectively. The results indicate that the observer's recognition time is directly proportional to the luminance of the medical-grade LCD. Therefore, it is evident that the maximum luminance of the medical-grade LCD affects the test pattern recognition time.

Does computer-synthesized speech manifest personality? Experimental tests of recognition, similarity-attraction, and consistency-attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Nass, C; Lee, K M

2001-09-01

Would people exhibit similarity-attraction and consistency-attraction toward unambiguously computer-generated speech even when personality is clearly not relevant? In Experiment 1, participants (extrovert or introvert) heard a synthesized voice (extrovert or introvert) on a book-buying Web site. Participants accurately recognized personality cues in text to speech and showed similarity-attraction in their evaluation of the computer voice, the book reviews, and the reviewer. Experiment 2, in a Web auction context, added personality of the text to the previous design. The results replicated Experiment 1 and demonstrated consistency (voice and text personality)-attraction. To maximize liking and trust, designers should set parameters, for example, words per minute or frequency range, that create a personality that is consistent with the user and the content being presented.

Domain knowledge patterns in pedagogical diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Miarka, Rostislav

2017-07-01

This paper shows a proposal of representation of knowledge patterns in RDF(S) language. Knowledge patterns are used for reuse of knowledge. They can be divided into two groups - Top-level knowledge patterns and Domain knowledge patterns. Pedagogical diagnostics is aimed at testing of knowledge of students at primary and secondary school. An example of domain knowledge pattern from pedagogical diagnostics is part of this paper.

Tensor GSVD of Patient- and Platform-Matched Tumor and Normal DNA Copy-Number Profiles Uncovers Chromosome Arm-Wide Patterns of Tumor-Exclusive Platform-Consistent Alterations Encoding for Cell Transformation and Predicting Ovarian Cancer Survival

Science.gov (United States)

Sankaranarayanan, Preethi; Schomay, Theodore E.; Aiello, Katherine A.; Alter, Orly

2015-01-01

The number of large-scale high-dimensional datasets recording different aspects of a single disease is growing, accompanied by a need for frameworks that can create one coherent model from multiple tensors of matched columns, e.g., patients and platforms, but independent rows, e.g., probes. We define and prove the mathematical properties of a novel tensor generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD), which can simultaneously find the similarities and dissimilarities, i.e., patterns of varying relative significance, between any two such tensors. We demonstrate the tensor GSVD in comparative modeling of patient- and platform-matched but probe-independent ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) tumor, mostly high-grade, and normal DNA copy-number profiles, across each chromosome arm, and combination of two arms, separately. The modeling uncovers previously unrecognized patterns of tumor-exclusive platform-consistent co-occurring copy-number alterations (CNAs). We find, first, and validate that each of the patterns across only 7p and Xq, and the combination of 6p+12p, is correlated with a patient’s prognosis, is independent of the tumor’s stage, the best predictor of OV survival to date, and together with stage makes a better predictor than stage alone. Second, these patterns include most known OV-associated CNAs that map to these chromosome arms, as well as several previously unreported, yet frequent focal CNAs. Third, differential mRNA, microRNA, and protein expression consistently map to the DNA CNAs. A coherent picture emerges for each pattern, suggesting roles for the CNAs in OV pathogenesis and personalized therapy. In 6p+12p, deletion of the p21-encoding CDKN1A and p38-encoding MAPK14 and amplification of RAD51AP1 and KRAS encode for human cell transformation, and are correlated with a cell’s immortality, and a patient’s shorter survival time. In 7p, RPA3 deletion and POLD2 amplification are correlated with DNA stability, and a longer survival. In Xq

Corrosion behavior of environmental assessment glass in product consistency tests of extended duration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bates, J.K.; Buck, E.C.; Ebert, W.L.; Luo, J.S.; Tam, S.W.

1998-01-01

We have conducted static dissolution tests to study the corrosion behavior of the Environmental Assessment (EA) glass, which is the benchmark glass for high-level waste glasses being produced at US Department of Energy facilities. These tests were conducted to evaluate the behavior of the EA glass under the same long-term and accelerated test conditions that are being used to evaluate the corrosion of waste glasses. Tests were conducted at 90 C in a tuff groundwater solution at glass surface area/solution volume (WV) ratios of about 2000 and 20,000 m -1 . The glass dissolved at three distinct dissolution rates in tests conducted at 2000 m -1 . Based on the release of boron, dissolution within the first seven days occurred at a rate of about 0.65 g/(m 2 · d). The rate between seven and 70 days decreased to 0.009 g/(m 2 · d). An increase in the dissolution rate occurred at longer times after the precipitation of zeolite phases analcime, gmelinite, and an aluminum silicate base. The dissolution rate after phase formation was about 0.18 g/(m 2 · d). The formation of the same zeolite alteration phases occurred after about 20 days in tests at 20,000 m - . The average dissolution rate over the first 20 days was 0.5 g/(m 2 · d) and the rate after phase formation was about 0.20 g/(m 2 · d). An intermediate stage with a lower rate was not observed in tests at 20,000 m -1 . The corrosion behavior of EA glass is similar to that observed for other high-level waste glasses reacted under the same test conditions. The dissolution rate of EA glass is higher than that of other high-level waste glasses both in 7-day tests and after alteration phases form

Multiplicative renormalizability and self-consistent treatments of the Schwinger-Dyson equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, N.; Dorey, N.

1989-11-01

Many approximations to the Schwinger-Dyson equations place constraints on the renormalization constants of a theory. The requirement that the solutions to the equations be multiplicatively renormalizable also places constraints on these constants. Demanding that these two sets of constraints be compatible is an important test of the self-consistency of the approximations made. We illustrate this idea by considering the equation for the fermion propagator in massless quenched quantum electrodynamics, (QED), checking the consistency of various approximations. In particular, we show that the much used 'ladder' approximation is self-consistent, provided that the coupling constant is renormalized in a particular way. We also propose another approximation which satisfies this self-consistency test, but requires that the coupling be unrenormalized, as should be the case in the full quenched approximation. This new approximation admits an exact solution, which also satisfies the renormalization group equation for the quenched approximation. (author)

Cross-situational consistency of trait expressions and injunctive norms among Asian Canadian and European Canadian undergraduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Sadler, Pamela; McDonald, Kelly

2018-06-14

In the current paper, we sought to clarify when and why Asian Americans/Canadians and European Americans/Canadians differ in self-consistency (the consistency of personality traits across situations). European Canadian (n = 220) and second-generation Asian Canadian (n = 166) undergraduates (Mage = 19 years) described the traits they expressed and the traits others wanted them to express (i.e., injunctive norms, or injunctions) in four different social situations (i.e., with parents, with friends, with siblings, and with professors). Self-consistency was greater among European Canadians than Asian Canadians, but only when comparing behavior with parents versus with peers (i.e., friends and siblings). The same pattern was found for injunctive consistency (cross-situational consistency of trait injunctions). Injunctions strongly predicted the behavior of both Asian and European Canadians, but because the injunctions from parents versus peers diverged more for Asian Canadians, so did their behaviors. Controlling for the effect of inconsistent injunctions across situations eliminated the ethnic difference in self-consistency. Finally, Asian Canadians who perceived their immigrant parents as embracing a Canadian identity were as cross-situationally consistent as European Canadians because they tended to behave-and believe their parents approved of their behaving-with parents similarly to how they behaved with peers (e.g., more carefree and outspoken). Contrary to previous theorizing, cultural influences on broad cognitive or motivational dispositions (e.g., dialecticism, collectivism) alone cannot explain the observed pattern of ethnic differences in consistency. To understand when bicultural individuals are less consistent across situations also requires an understanding of the specific situations across which they tend to encounter divergent social norms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Consistency relation for cosmic magnetic fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jain, R. K.; Sloth, M. S.

2012-01-01

If cosmic magnetic fields are indeed produced during inflation, they are likely to be correlated with the scalar metric perturbations that are responsible for the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and large scale structure. Within an archetypical model of inflationary magnetogenesis, we show...... that there exists a new simple consistency relation for the non-Gaussian cross correlation function of the scalar metric perturbation with two powers of the magnetic field in the squeezed limit where the momentum of the metric perturbation vanishes. We emphasize that such a consistency relation turns out...... to be extremely useful to test some recent calculations in the literature. Apart from primordial non-Gaussianity induced by the curvature perturbations, such a cross correlation might provide a new observational probe of inflation and can in principle reveal the primordial nature of cosmic magnetic fields. DOI...

A general approach to the testing of binary solubility systems for thermodynamic consistency. Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program

Science.gov (United States)

Hamm, L. L.; Vanbrunt, V.

1982-08-01

The numerical solution to the ordinary differential equation which describes the high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibria of a binary system where one of the components is supercritical and exists as a noncondensable gas in the pure state is considered with emphasis on the implicit Runge-Kuta and orthogonal collocation methods. Some preliminary results indicate that the implicit Runge-Kutta method is superior. Due to the extreme nonlinearity of thermodynamic properties in the region near the critical locus, and extended cubic spline fitting technique is devised for correlating the P-x data. The least-squares criterion is employed in smoothing the experimental data. The technique could easily be applied to any thermodynamic data by changing the endpoint requirements. The volumetric behavior of the systems must be given or predicted in order to perform thermodynamic consistency tests. A general procedure is developed for predicting the volumetric behavior required and some indication as to the expected limit of accuracy is given.

An evaluation of the coping patterns of rape victims: integration with a schema-based information-processing model.

Science.gov (United States)

Littleton, Heather

2007-08-01

The current study sought to provide an expansion of Resick and Schnicke's information-processing model of interpersonal violence response. Their model posits that interpersonal violence threatens victims' schematic beliefs and that victims can resolve this threat through assimilation, accommodation, or overaccommodation. In addition, it is hypothesized that how victims resolve schematic threat affects their coping strategies. To test this hypothesis, a cluster analysis of rape victims' coping patterns was conducted. Victims' coping patterns were related to distress, self-worth, and rape label in ways consistent with predictions. Thus, future research should focus on the implications of how victims integrate trauma with schemas.

Time-consistent and market-consistent evaluations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pelsser, A.; Stadje, M.A.

2014-01-01

We consider evaluation methods for payoffs with an inherent financial risk as encountered for instance for portfolios held by pension funds and insurance companies. Pricing such payoffs in a way consistent to market prices typically involves combining actuarial techniques with methods from

Recent Patterns in Shared Decision Making for Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Fedewa, Stacey A; Gansler, Ted; Smith, Robert; Sauer, Ann Goding; Wender, Richard; Brawley, Otis W; Jemal, Ahmedin

2018-03-01

Previous studies report infrequent use of shared decision making for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. It is unknown whether this pattern has changed recently considering increased emphasis on shared decision making in prostate cancer screening recommendations. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine recent changes in shared decision making. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study among men aged 50 years and older in the United States using 2010 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data (n = 9,598). Changes in receipt of shared decision making were expressed as adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Analyses were stratified on PSA testing (recent [in the past year] or no testing). Elements of shared decision making assessed included the patient being informed about the advantages only, advantages and disadvantages, and full shared decision making (advantages, disadvantages, and uncertainties). Among men with recent PSA testing, 58.5% and 62.6% reported having received ≥1 element of shared decision making in 2010 and 2015, respectively ( P = .054, aPR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98-1.11). Between 2010 and 2015, being told only about the advantages of PSA testing significantly declined (aPR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96) and full shared decision making prevalence significantly increased (aPR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.28-1.79) in recently tested men. Among men without prior PSA testing, 10% reported ≥1 element of shared decision making, which did not change with time. Between 2010 and 2015, there was no increase in shared decision making among men with recent PSA testing though there was a shift away from only being told about the advantages of PSA testing towards full shared decision making. Many men receiving PSA testing did not receive shared decision making. © 2018 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

The evolution of polyandry: patterns of genotypic variation in female mating frequency, male fertilization success and a test of the sexy-sperm hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, L W

2003-07-01

The sexy-sperm hypothesis predicts that females obtain indirect benefits for their offspring via polyandy, in the form of increased fertilization success for their sons. I use a quantitative genetic approach to test the sexy-sperm hypothesis using the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Previous studies of this species have shown considerable phenotypic variation in fertilization success when two or more males compete. There were high broad-sense heritabilities for both paternity and polyandry. Patterns of genotypic variance were consistent with X-linked inheritance and/or maternal effects on these traits. The genetic architecture therefore precludes the evolution of polyandry via a sexy-sperm process. Thus the positive genetic correlation between paternity in sons and polyandry in daughters predicted by the sexy-sperm hypothesis was absent. There was significant heritable variation in the investment by females in ovaries and by males in the accessory gland. Surprisingly there was a very strong genetic correlation between these two traits. The significance of this genetic correlation for the coevolution of male seminal products and polyandry is discussed.

Evaluation of Physical Properties of Wax Mixtures Obtained From Recycling of Patterns Used in Precision Casting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Biernacki R.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The study investigated the properties of selected certified mixtures used to make wax patterns for the production of precision castings for the aerospace industry. In addition, an assessment of the recycled mixtures consisting of certified wax materials recovered during autoclaving was carried out. Hardness was tested via a proposed method based on penetration, creep related deformation, bending strength and linear contraction. The hardness was studied on laboratory specimens and patterns made with the use of injection molding equipment. For these patterns, linear contraction was estimated at variable pressure and for different temperature injection parameters. Deformations connected with creep and resistance were evaluated on cylindrical specimens. Differences in creep resistance in relation to the hardness were observed depending on the type of pattern mixtures. Recycled mixture has a greater resistance and smaller linear contraction than certified mixtures used for making sprue, raisers and other parts of filler system.

Patterns, Policy and Appropriateness: A 12-Year Utilization Review of Blood Glucose Test Strip Use in Insulin Users.

Science.gov (United States)

Falk, Jamie; Friesen, Kevin J; Okunnu, Anuoluwapo; Bugden, Shawn

2017-08-01

Considerable attention has been paid to the rising costs of the use of blood glucose test strips (BGTS). Insulin users have generally been treated as a single homogeneous group, resulting in policies that cap usage (8.2 strips/day) in provincial drug insurance programs. The objective of this study was to conduct a utilization review of BGTS by insulin users and to evaluate use patterns against current insulin use patterns and BGTS policy. BGTS usage was examined in a cohort of insulin users with type 1 and type 2 diabetes over a 12-year period (2001 to 2013) using the population-based administrative data in Manitoba, Canada. Total BGTS strip use increased by 121%, from $4.3 to $9.5 million. However, the number of insulin users also increased by 115%. Use has been stable at 1.5 strips per day per person since 2004 by insulin users with type 2 diabetes but has risen from 1.9 to 3.0 strips per day per person in those with type 1 diabetes. Mean daily test strip use was below the number of daily tests recommended for patients using insulin as per the current Canadian guidelines, with 11% and 15% of insulin users with type 1 and type 2 diabetes not claiming any BGTS use and a further 15% (type 1) and 28% (type 2) using fewer than 1 strip per day. BGTS use per insulin user has been stable for most of the past decade, and the vast majority of use falls well below provincial insurance caps. The amount of low-level testing (0 to <1 strip/day) suggests that greater attention should be directed to ensuring a safe level of testing by all insulin users. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formulation of the moiré patterns formed by superimposing of gratings consisting topological defects: moiré technique as a tool in singular optics detections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasouli, Saifollah; Yeganeh, Mohammad

2015-01-01

The use of moiré pattern of superimposition of linear forked gratings (LFGs) and Fresnel zone plates (ZPs) has already been reported for study of different physical effects. In spite of a considerable number of applications, there is no comprehensive formulation for this kind of moiré pattern. In this work, we introduce a new family of ZPs containing topological defects that we named defected ZP (DZP) and we present a very simple, uniform, and comprehensive formulation for the moiré pattern of superimposition of two LFGs, two DZPs, and superimposition of an LFG on a DZP, using the reciprocal vector approach. For the case of the two LFGs superimposition, we show that the resulting moiré pattern has a starlike shape or is a large-scale LFG pattern. In the case in which two DZPs are superimposed, we show that the resulting moiré pattern has three general forms: large-scale DZP pattern, starlike pattern, and large-scale LFG pattern. In the superimposition of an LFG on a DZP, in special conditions a new spiral ZP having a topological defect is produced in which its defect number related to the superimposed gratings structures. The presented formulation has potential applications in singular optics measurements. (paper)

Ventilation patterns of the songbird lung/air sac system during different behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackelprang, Rebecca; Goller, Franz

2013-10-01

Unidirectional, continuous airflow through the avian lung is achieved through an elaborate air sac system with a sequential, posterior to anterior ventilation pattern. This classical model was established through various approaches spanning passively ventilated systems to mass spectrometry analysis of tracer gas flow into various air sacs during spontaneous breathing in restrained ducks. Information on flow patterns in other bird taxa is missing, and these techniques do not permit direct tests of whether the basic flow pattern can change during different behaviors. Here we use thermistors implanted into various locations of the respiratory system to detect small pulses of tracer gas (helium) to reconstruct airflow patterns in quietly breathing and behaving (calling, wing flapping) songbirds (zebra finch and yellow-headed blackbird). The results illustrate that the basic pattern of airflow in these two species is largely consistent with the model. However, two notable differences emerged. First, some tracer gas arrived in the anterior set of air sacs during the inspiration during which it was inhaled, suggesting a more rapid throughput through the lung than previously assumed. Second, differences in ventilation between the two anterior air sacs emerged during calling and wing flapping, indicating that adjustments in the flow pattern occur during dynamic behaviors. It is unclear whether this modulation in ventilation pattern is passive or active. This technique for studying ventilation patterns during dynamic behaviors proves useful for establishing detailed timing of airflow and modulation of ventilation in the avian respiratory system.

A simple labeled test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, Keita; Tanabe, Satoshi; Mitsuhashi, Toshiharu; Saigenji, Katsunori

1994-01-01

We developed a simple test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying. Preparation of a test meal for routine clinical use in institutions should be as simple as possible. The newly developed test meal consists of instant noodles labeled with 37 MBq (1 mCi) technetium-99m and does not require the use of cooking utensils. The test meal was given with drinking water (180 ml) to healthy adult volunteers (6 men, 34.5±2.2 years old) and gastric emptying was measured at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 80, 100, 120 minutes after the end of the meal, and results were compared with those derived without drinking water. The emptying pattern of the test meal with water exhibited an exponential pattern typical of a liquid meal, and that without water formed a linear pattern after an initial lag phase in keeping with gastric emptying of a solid meal. In addition, the test meal was given to 11 patients of diabetic gastroparesis (5 men, 6 women, 50.4±4.5 years old), and gastric emptying was measured. At each period evaluated, emptying was significantly slower in diabetic gastroparesis than in healthy controls (6 men, 1 woman, 32.1±3.0 years old). These results show that the test meal is reliable and applicable to the clinical assessment of gastric emptying, while fulfilling the need for simplicity. (author)

Computer simulation and interpretation of 45Ca efflux profile patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borle, A.B.; Uchikawa, T.; Anderson, J.H.

1982-01-01

Stimulations or inhibitions by various agents of 45 Ca efflux from prelabeled cells or tissues display distinct and reproducible profile patterns when the results are plotted against time as fractional efflux ratios (FER). FER is the fractional efflux of 45 Ca from stimulated cells divided by the fractional efflux from a control unstimulated group. These profile patterns fall into three categories: peak patterns, exponential patterns, and mixed patterns. Each category can be positive (stimulation) or negative (inhibition). The interpretation of these profiles is difficult because 45 Ca efflux depends on three variables: the rate of calcium transport out of the cell, the specific activity of the cell compartment from which the calcium originates, and the concentration of free calcium in this compartment. A computer model based on data obtained by kinetic analyses of 45 Ca desaturation curves and consisting of two distinct intracellular pools was designed to follow the concentration of the traced substance ( 40 Ca), the tracer ( 45 Ca), and the specific activity of each compartment before, during, and after the stimulation or the inhibition of calcium fluxes at various pool boundaries. The computer model can reproduce all the FER profiles obtained experimentally and bring information which may be helpful to the interpretation of this type of data. Some predictions of the model were tested experimentally, and the results support the views that a peak pattern may reflect a sustained change in calcium transport across the plasma membrane, that an exponential pattern arises from calcium mobilization from an internal subcellular pool, and that a mixed pattern may be caused by a simultaneous change in calcium fluxes at both compartment boundaries

Consistent creep and rupture properties for creep-fatigue evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, C.C.

1978-01-01

The currently accepted practice of using inconsistent representations of creep and rupture behaviors in the prediction of creep-fatigue life is shown to introduce a factor of safety beyond that specified in current ASME Code design rules for 304 stainless steel Class 1 nuclear components. Accurate predictions of creep-fatigue life for uniaxial tests on a given heat of material are obtained by using creep and rupture properties for that same heat of material. The use of a consistent representation of creep and rupture properties for a mininum strength heat is also shown to provide adequate predictions. The viability of using consistent properties (either actual or those of a minimum heat) to predict creep-fatigue life thus identifies significant design uses for the results of characterization tests and improved creep and rupture correlations

Nonlinear relationship between the Product Consistency Test (PCT) response and the Al/B ratio in a soda-lime aluminoborosilicate glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farooqi, Rahmat Ullah, E-mail: rufarooqi@postech.ac.kr [Division of Advanced Nuclear Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Hrma, Pavel [Division of Advanced Nuclear Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (United States)

2016-06-15

We have investigated the effect of Al/B ratio on the Product Consistency Test (PCT) response. In an aluminoborosilicate soda-lime glass based on a modified International Simple Glass, ISG-3, the Al/B ratio varied from 0 to 0.55 (in mole fractions). In agreement with various models of the PCT response as a function of glass composition, we observed a monotonic increase of B and Na releases with decreasing Al/B mole ratio, but only when the ratio was higher than 0.05. Below this value (Al/B < 0.05), we observed a sharp decrease that we attribute to B in tetrahedral coordination.

Marginal Consistency: Upper-Bounding Partition Functions over Commutative Semirings.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Tomás

2015-07-01

Many inference tasks in pattern recognition and artificial intelligence lead to partition functions in which addition and multiplication are abstract binary operations forming a commutative semiring. By generalizing max-sum diffusion (one of convergent message passing algorithms for approximate MAP inference in graphical models), we propose an iterative algorithm to upper bound such partition functions over commutative semirings. The iteration of the algorithm is remarkably simple: change any two factors of the partition function such that their product remains the same and their overlapping marginals become equal. In many commutative semirings, repeating this iteration for different pairs of factors converges to a fixed point when the overlapping marginals of every pair of factors coincide. We call this state marginal consistency. During that, an upper bound on the partition function monotonically decreases. This abstract algorithm unifies several existing algorithms, including max-sum diffusion and basic constraint propagation (or local consistency) algorithms in constraint programming. We further construct a hierarchy of marginal consistencies of increasingly higher levels and show than any such level can be enforced by adding identity factors of higher arity (order). Finally, we discuss instances of the framework for several semirings, including the distributive lattice and the max-sum and sum-product semirings.

Consistent variability in beta-diversity patterns contrasts with changes in alpha-diversity along an onshore to offshore environmental gradient: the case of Red Sea soft-bottom macrobenthos

KAUST Repository

Alsaffar, Zahra Hassan Ali

2017-09-30

Patterns of variability in diversity (alpha and beta), abundance, and community structure of soft-bottom macrobenthic assemblages were investigated across an inshore/offshore environmental gradient in the central Red Sea. A total of three distinct soft-substrate biotopes were identified through multivariate techniques: seagrass meadows, nearshore, and offshore. While the seagrass biotope was associated with higher organic matter content, the two coastal biotopes presented higher redox potential in the sediments and dissolved oxygen in the water. Depth and medium sand increased toward the offshore, while the percentage of fine particles was a determinant of nearshore communities. Regardless of the prevailing environmental conditions, the three biotopes were characterized by high numbers of exclusive taxa, most of which were singletons. Changes in species richness were not related to depth or organic matter, peaking at intermediate depths (nearshore). However, the number of taxa increased exponentially with abundance. On the other hand, density decreased logarithmically with depth and organic matter in sediments, probably linked to a reduced availability of food. One of the most conspicuous features of the macrobenthic assemblages inhabiting soft substrates in the central oligotrophic Red Sea is the low level of dominance resulting from a high species richness: abundance ratio. Despite the differences observed for alpha-diversity across the three biotopes, beta-diversity patterns were rather consistent. These findings suggest that mechanisms driving biodiversity are similar across the depth gradient. The partitioning of beta-diversity also show that assemblages are mainly driven by the substitution of species (turnover or replacement), most likely as a result of environmental filtering. The heterogeneity of the seafloor in shallow waters of the Red Sea promoted by the co-existence of coral reefs inter-spaced by sedimentary habitats may increase the regional pool of

Cognitive consistency and math-gender stereotypes in Singaporean children.

Science.gov (United States)

Cvencek, Dario; Meltzoff, Andrew N; Kapur, Manu

2014-01-01

In social psychology, cognitive consistency is a powerful principle for organizing psychological concepts. There have been few tests of cognitive consistency in children and no research about cognitive consistency in children from Asian cultures, who pose an interesting developmental case. A sample of 172 Singaporean elementary school children completed implicit and explicit measures of math-gender stereotype (male=math), gender identity (me=male), and math self-concept (me=math). Results showed strong evidence for cognitive consistency; the strength of children's math-gender stereotypes, together with their gender identity, significantly predicted their math self-concepts. Cognitive consistency may be culturally universal and a key mechanism for developmental change in social cognition. We also discovered that Singaporean children's math-gender stereotypes increased as a function of age and that boys identified with math more strongly than did girls despite Singaporean girls' excelling in math. The results reveal both cultural universals and cultural variation in developing social cognition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The dynamics of visual experience, an EEG study of subjective pattern formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark A Elliott

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Since the origin of psychological science a number of studies have reported visual pattern formation in the absence of either physiological stimulation or direct visual-spatial references. Subjective patterns range from simple phosphenes to complex patterns but are highly specific and reported reliably across studies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using independent-component analysis (ICA we report a reduction in amplitude variance consistent with subjective-pattern formation in ventral posterior areas of the electroencephalogram (EEG. The EEG exhibits significantly increased power at delta/theta and gamma-frequencies (point and circle patterns or a series of high-frequency harmonics of a delta oscillation (spiral patterns. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Subjective-pattern formation may be described in a way entirely consistent with identical pattern formation in fluids or granular flows. In this manner, we propose subjective-pattern structure to be represented within a spatio-temporal lattice of harmonic oscillations which bind topographically organized visual-neuronal assemblies by virtue of low frequency modulation.

Trends in referral patterns, invasive management, and mortality in elderly patients referred for exercise stress testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouzas-Mosquera, Alberto; Peteiro, Jesús; Broullón, Francisco J; Calviño-Santos, Ramón; Mosquera, Víctor X; Barbeito-Caamaño, Cayetana; Larrañaga-Moreira, José María; Maneiro-Melón, Nicolás; Álvarez-García, Nemesio; Vázquez-Rodríguez, José Manuel

2015-12-01

Scarce data are available on the temporal patterns in clinical characteristics and outcomes of elderly patients referred for exercise stress testing. We aimed to assess the trends in baseline characteristics, tests results, referrals for invasive management, and mortality in these patients. We evaluated 11,192 patients aged ≥65years who were referred for exercise stress testing between January 1998 and December 2013. Calendar years were grouped into four quadrennia (1998-2001, 2002-2005, 2006-2009, and 2010-2013), and trends in clinical characteristics of the patients, type and results of the tests, referrals for invasive management, and mortality across the different periods were assessed. Despite a progressive decrease in the proportion of patients with non-interpretable baseline electrocardiograms or prior history of coronary artery disease, there was a gradual and marked increase in the use of cardiac imaging from 32.8% in 1998-2001 to 67.6% in 2010-2013 (pstress testing both without imaging (from 18.9 to 13.6%, pstress testing, we observed a decline over time in the probability of inducible myocardial ischemia, an increase in the use of cardiac imaging and in the rate of coronary revascularization, and an improvement in the survival rate at 1year. Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the hydrological consistency of evaporation products

KAUST Repository

Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel; Houborg, Rasmus; McCabe, Matthew

2017-01-01

Advances in space-based observations have provided the capacity to develop regional- to global-scale estimates of evaporation, offering insights into this key component of the hydrological cycle. However, the evaluation of large-scale evaporation retrievals is not a straightforward task. While a number of studies have intercompared a range of these evaporation products by examining the variance amongst them, or by comparison of pixel-scale retrievals against ground-based observations, there is a need to explore more appropriate techniques to comprehensively evaluate remote-sensing-based estimates. One possible approach is to establish the level of product agreement between related hydrological components: for instance, how well do evaporation patterns and response match with precipitation or water storage changes? To assess the suitability of this "consistency"-based approach for evaluating evaporation products, we focused our investigation on four globally distributed basins in arid and semi-arid environments, comprising the Colorado River basin, Niger River basin, Aral Sea basin, and Lake Eyre basin. In an effort to assess retrieval quality, three satellite-based global evaporation products based on different methodologies and input data, including CSIRO-PML, the MODIS Global Evapotranspiration product (MOD16), and Global Land Evaporation: the Amsterdam Methodology (GLEAM), were evaluated against rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) along with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) water storage anomalies. To ensure a fair comparison, we evaluated consistency using a degree correlation approach after transforming both evaporation and precipitation data into spherical harmonics. Overall we found no persistent hydrological consistency in these dryland environments. Indeed, the degree correlation showed oscillating values between periods of low and high water storage changes, with a phase difference of about 2–3 months

Evaluating the hydrological consistency of evaporation products

KAUST Repository

Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel

2017-01-18

Advances in space-based observations have provided the capacity to develop regional- to global-scale estimates of evaporation, offering insights into this key component of the hydrological cycle. However, the evaluation of large-scale evaporation retrievals is not a straightforward task. While a number of studies have intercompared a range of these evaporation products by examining the variance amongst them, or by comparison of pixel-scale retrievals against ground-based observations, there is a need to explore more appropriate techniques to comprehensively evaluate remote-sensing-based estimates. One possible approach is to establish the level of product agreement between related hydrological components: for instance, how well do evaporation patterns and response match with precipitation or water storage changes? To assess the suitability of this "consistency"-based approach for evaluating evaporation products, we focused our investigation on four globally distributed basins in arid and semi-arid environments, comprising the Colorado River basin, Niger River basin, Aral Sea basin, and Lake Eyre basin. In an effort to assess retrieval quality, three satellite-based global evaporation products based on different methodologies and input data, including CSIRO-PML, the MODIS Global Evapotranspiration product (MOD16), and Global Land Evaporation: the Amsterdam Methodology (GLEAM), were evaluated against rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) along with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) water storage anomalies. To ensure a fair comparison, we evaluated consistency using a degree correlation approach after transforming both evaporation and precipitation data into spherical harmonics. Overall we found no persistent hydrological consistency in these dryland environments. Indeed, the degree correlation showed oscillating values between periods of low and high water storage changes, with a phase difference of about 2–3 months

Severe aberrant glenohumeral motor patterns in a young female rower: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McGurk Neal

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This case features an 18-year-old female with glenohumeral dysrhythmia and subluxation-relocation patterns. This unusual case highlights the need for careful examination and consideration to the anatomical structures involved. Conventional approaches to shoulder examination include range of motion, orthopaedic tests and manual resistance tests. We also assessed the patient's cognitive ability to coordinate muscle function. With this type of assessment we found that co-contraction of local muscle groups seemed to initially improve the patients abnormal shoulder motion. With this information a rehabilitation method was instituted with a goal to maintain the improvement. Case presentation An 18-year-old female with no history of trauma, presented with painless kinesiopathology of the left shoulder (in abduction consisting of dysrhythmia of the glenohumeral joint and early lateral rotation of the scapula. Examination also showed associated muscle atrophy of the lower trapezius and surrounding general muscle weakness. We used an untested functional assessment method in addition to more conventional methods. Exercise rehabilitation interventions were subsequently prescribed and graduated in accordance with what is known as the General Physical Rehabilitation Pyramid. Conclusion This paper presents an unusual case of aberrant shoulder movement. It highlights the need for careful examination and thought regarding the anatomical structures and normal motor patterns associated with the manoeuvre being tested. It also emphasised the use of co-contraction during examination in an attempt to immediately improve a regional dysrythmia if there is suspicion of a regional aberrant motor pattern. Further research may be warranted to test this approach.

Test-Retest Reliability, Convergent Validity, and Internal Consistency of the Persian Version of Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale in Iranian Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OpenAIRE

Azar Sabet; Akram Azad; Ghorban Taghizadeh

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate convergent validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Persian translation of the Fullerton advanced balance (FAB) for use in Iranian community- dwelling older adults and improve the quality of their functional balance assessment. Methods & Materials: The original scale was translated with forward-backward protocol. In the next step, using convenience sampling and inclusion criteria, 88 functionally indep...

Consistency of test behaviour and individual difference in prescision of prediction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, R.R.

1998-01-01

Ghiselli ((1956, 1960) argued that the precision of prediction on the basis of a test may vary for different individuals. To quantify the individual precision of prediction he compared the observed criterion scores with the expected criterion scores estimated on the basis of the total scores on a

Dark energy two decades after: observables, probes, consistency tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Huterer, Dragan; Shafer, Daniel L

2018-01-01

The discovery of the accelerating universe in the late 1990s was a watershed moment in modern cosmology, as it indicated the presence of a fundamentally new, dominant contribution to the energy budget of the universe. Evidence for dark energy, the new component that causes the acceleration, has since become extremely strong, owing to an impressive variety of increasingly precise measurements of the expansion history and the growth of structure in the universe. Still, one of the central challenges of modern cosmology is to shed light on the physical mechanism behind the accelerating universe. In this review, we briefly summarize the developments that led to the discovery of dark energy. Next, we discuss the parametric descriptions of dark energy and the cosmological tests that allow us to better understand its nature. We then review the cosmological probes of dark energy. For each probe, we briefly discuss the physics behind it and its prospects for measuring dark energy properties. We end with a summary of the current status of dark energy research.

SNP interaction pattern identifier (SIPI)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Hui Yi; Chen, Dung Tsa; Huang, Po Yu

2017-01-01

Motivation: Testing SNP-SNP interactions is considered as a key for overcoming bottlenecks of genetic association studies. However, related statistical methods for testing SNP-SNP interactions are underdeveloped. Results: We propose the SNP Interaction Pattern Identifier (SIPI), which tests 45...

Relative amplitude preservation processing utilizing surface consistent amplitude correction. Part 3; Surface consistent amplitude correction wo mochiita sotai shinpuku hozon shori. 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saeki, T [Japan National Oil Corporation, Tokyo (Japan). Technology Research Center

1996-10-01

For the seismic reflection method conducted on the ground surface, generator and geophone are set on the surface. The observed waveforms are affected by the ground surface and surface layer. Therefore, it is required for discussing physical properties of the deep underground to remove the influence of surface layer, preliminarily. For the surface consistent amplitude correction, properties of the generator and geophone were removed by assuming that the observed waveforms can be expressed by equations of convolution. This is a correction method to obtain records without affected by the surface conditions. In response to analysis and correction of waveforms, wavelet conversion was examined. Using the amplitude patterns after correction, the significant signal region, noise dominant region, and surface wave dominant region would be separated each other. Since the amplitude values after correction of values in the significant signal region have only small variation, a representative value can be given. This can be used for analyzing the surface consistent amplitude correction. Efficiency of the process can be enhanced by considering the change of frequency. 3 refs., 5 figs.

On Input Vector Representation for the SVR model of Reactor Core Loading Pattern Critical Parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trontl, K.; Pevec, D.; Smuc, T.

2008-01-01

Determination and optimization of reactor core loading pattern is an important factor in nuclear power plant operation. The goal is to minimize the amount of enriched uranium (fresh fuel) and burnable absorbers placed in the core, while maintaining nuclear power plant operational and safety characteristics. The usual approach to loading pattern optimization involves high degree of engineering judgment, a set of heuristic rules, an optimization algorithm and a computer code used for evaluating proposed loading patterns. The speed of the optimization process is highly dependent on the computer code used for the evaluation. Recently, we proposed a new method for fast loading pattern evaluation based on general robust regression model relying on the state of the art research in the field of machine learning. We employed Support Vector Regression (SVR) technique. SVR is a supervised learning method in which model parameters are automatically determined by solving a quadratic optimization problem. The preliminary tests revealed a good potential of the SVR method application for fast and accurate reactor core loading pattern evaluation. However, some aspects of model development are still unresolved. The main objective of the work reported in this paper was to conduct additional tests and analyses required for full clarification of the SVR applicability for loading pattern evaluation. We focused our attention on the parameters defining input vector, primarily its structure and complexity, and parameters defining kernel functions. All the tests were conducted on the NPP Krsko reactor core, using MCRAC code for the calculation of reactor core loading pattern critical parameters. The tested input vector structures did not influence the accuracy of the models suggesting that the initially tested input vector, consisted of the number of IFBAs and the k-inf at the beginning of the cycle, is adequate. The influence of kernel function specific parameters (σ for RBF kernel

Commensurate comparisons of models with energy budget observations reveal consistent climate sensitivities

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, K.

2017-12-01

Global energy budget observations have been widely used to constrain the effective, or instantaneous climate sensitivity (ICS), producing median estimates around 2°C (Otto et al. 2013; Lewis & Curry 2015). A key question is whether the comprehensive climate models used to project future warming are consistent with these energy budget estimates of ICS. Yet, performing such comparisons has proven challenging. Within models, values of ICS robustly vary over time, as surface temperature patterns evolve with transient warming, and are generally smaller than the values of equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS). Naively comparing values of ECS in CMIP5 models (median of about 3.4°C) to observation-based values of ICS has led to the suggestion that models are overly sensitive. This apparent discrepancy can partially be resolved by (i) comparing observation-based values of ICS to model values of ICS relevant for historical warming (Armour 2017; Proistosescu & Huybers 2017); (ii) taking into account the "efficacies" of non-CO2 radiative forcing agents (Marvel et al. 2015); and (iii) accounting for the sparseness of historical temperature observations and differences in sea-surface temperature and near-surface air temperature over the oceans (Richardson et al. 2016). Another potential source of discrepancy is a mismatch between observed and simulated surface temperature patterns over recent decades, due to either natural variability or model deficiencies in simulating historical warming patterns. The nature of the mismatch is such that simulated patterns can lead to more positive radiative feedbacks (higher ICS) relative to those engendered by observed patterns. The magnitude of this effect has not yet been addressed. Here we outline an approach to perform fully commensurate comparisons of climate models with global energy budget observations that take all of the above effects into account. We find that when apples-to-apples comparisons are made, values of ICS in models are

Consistent creep and rupture properties for creep-fatigue evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, C.C.

1979-01-01

The currently accepted practice of using inconsistent representations of creep and rupture behaviors in the prediction of creep-fatigue life is shown to introduce a factor of safety beyond that specified in current ASME Code design rules for 304 stainless steel Class 1 nuclear components. Accurate predictions of creep-fatigue life for uniaxial tests on a given heat of material are obtained by using creep and rupture properties for that same heat of material. The use of a consistent representation of creep and rupture properties for a minimum strength heat is also shown to provide reasonable predictions. The viability of using consistent properties (either actual or those of a minimum strength heat) to predict creep-fatigue life thus identifies significant design uses for the results of characterization tests and improved creep and rupture correlations. 12 refs

Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

OpenAIRE

Fung, Teresa T.; Brown, Lisa S.

2012-01-01

Diet and lifestyle play a significant role in the development of colorectal cancer, but the full complexity of the association is not yet understood. Dietary pattern analysis is an important new technique that may help to elucidate the relationship. This review examines the most common techniques for extrapolating dietary patterns and reviews dietary pattern/colorectal cancer studies published between September 2011 and August 2012. The studies reviewed are consistent with prior research but ...

Imbalanced target prediction with pattern discovery on clinical data repositories.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Tak-Ming; Li, Yuxi; Chiau, Choo-Chiap; Zhu, Jane; Jiang, Jie; Huo, Yong

2017-04-20

Clinical data repositories (CDR) have great potential to improve outcome prediction and risk modeling. However, most clinical studies require careful study design, dedicated data collection efforts, and sophisticated modeling techniques before a hypothesis can be tested. We aim to bridge this gap, so that clinical domain users can perform first-hand prediction on existing repository data without complicated handling, and obtain insightful patterns of imbalanced targets for a formal study before it is conducted. We specifically target for interpretability for domain users where the model can be conveniently explained and applied in clinical practice. We propose an interpretable pattern model which is noise (missing) tolerant for practice data. To address the challenge of imbalanced targets of interest in clinical research, e.g., deaths less than a few percent, the geometric mean of sensitivity and specificity (G-mean) optimization criterion is employed, with which a simple but effective heuristic algorithm is developed. We compared pattern discovery to clinically interpretable methods on two retrospective clinical datasets. They contain 14.9% deaths in 1 year in the thoracic dataset and 9.1% deaths in the cardiac dataset, respectively. In spite of the imbalance challenge shown on other methods, pattern discovery consistently shows competitive cross-validated prediction performance. Compared to logistic regression, Naïve Bayes, and decision tree, pattern discovery achieves statistically significant (p-values repositories with imbalance and noise. The prediction results and interpretable patterns can provide insights in an agile and inexpensive way for the potential formal studies.

Consistency of extreme flood estimation approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Felder, Guido; Paquet, Emmanuel; Penot, David; Zischg, Andreas; Weingartner, Rolf

2017-04-01

Estimations of low-probability flood events are frequently used for the planning of infrastructure as well as for determining the dimensions of flood protection measures. There are several well-established methodical procedures to estimate low-probability floods. However, a global assessment of the consistency of these methods is difficult to achieve, the "true value" of an extreme flood being not observable. Anyway, a detailed comparison performed on a given case study brings useful information about the statistical and hydrological processes involved in different methods. In this study, the following three different approaches for estimating low-probability floods are compared: a purely statistical approach (ordinary extreme value statistics), a statistical approach based on stochastic rainfall-runoff simulation (SCHADEX method), and a deterministic approach (physically based PMF estimation). These methods are tested for two different Swiss catchments. The results and some intermediate variables are used for assessing potential strengths and weaknesses of each method, as well as for evaluating the consistency of these methods.

Patterns of diversification in islands: A comparative study across three gecko genera in the Socotra Archipelago.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Porta, Joan; Morales, Hernán E; Gómez-Díaz, Elena; Sindaco, Roberto; Carranza, Salvador

2016-05-01

In this study we used the complete fauna of geckos of the Socotra Archipelago to test whether the three gecko genera co-occurring in the islands (Pristurus, Hemidactylus and Haemodracon) produced similar outcomes of morphological and climatic diversification. To test this, we produced a time-calibrated tree of 346 geckos including all 16 endemic species of the archipelago and 26 potential close-relatives in the continent. Our dating estimates revealed that most of the diversity of geckos in the archipelago was the consequence of in situ diversification. However not all genera shared similar patterns of diversification. While in Hemidactylus and Haemodracon this involved great differences in body size and low levels of climatic diversification (mostly involving sympatric distributions), an opposite pattern appeared in Pristurus in which most of the diversification involved shifts in climatic envelopes (mostly involving allopatric and parapatric distributions) but almost no size differentiation. Consistently with this, Pristurus was the only genus in which rates of size diversification in islands were substantially lower than in the continent. This illustrates how different groups can greatly differ in their patterns of intra-island diversification and highlights the importance of taxon-dependent factors at determining different patterns of diversification in the same insular context. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns - “A crime solver”

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasupriya, A; Dhanapal, Raghu; Reena, K; Saraswathi, TR; Ramachandran, CR

2011-01-01

Objective: This study is intended to analyze the predominant pattern of lip and finger prints in males and females and to correlate lip print and finger print for gender identity. Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised of 200 students of Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, 100 males and 100 females aged between 18 to 27 years. Brown/pink colored lip stick was applied on the lips and the subject was asked to spread it uniformly over the lips. Lip prints were traced in the normal rest position of the lips with the help of cellophane tape. The imprint of the left thumb was taken on a white chart sheet and visualized using magnifying lens. While three main types of finger prints are identified, the classification of lip prints is simplified into branched, reticular, and vertical types. Association between lip prints and finger prints was statistically tested using Chi-square test. Results: This study showed that lip and finger patterns did not reveal statistically significant results within the gender. The correlation between lip and finger patterns for gender identification, was statistically significant. In males, branched type of lip pattern associated with arch, loop, and whorl type of finger pattern was most significant. In females, vertical lip pattern associated with arch finger pattern and reticular lip pattern associated with whorl finger patterns were most significant. Conclusion: We conclude that a correlative study between the lip print and finger print will be very useful in forensic science for gender identification. PMID:22022131

Developing a precise questionnaire to elucidate risk factors and injury pattern in RTA victims

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RK Singh

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road traffic injuries are a growing public health issue. Despite good numbers of traffic legislations/ law/bye-laws/ regulations/ policies at the national/ state level and various safety measures to prevent road accidents/ mishaps, awareness remains comparatively low in India. Till date no questionnaire has been suitably developed, standardized and positivised for determining association of causality with injury pattern and severity score. Objective: To design and develop a précised survey questionnaire determining association of causality with injury pattern along with severity score in RTA victims.  Methodology: Till date no such study has been ventured which has observed the inter relationship of these factors resulting in a specific injury. Designed questionnaire was based on literature review, and updated several times to ensure the precision and agreement with the help of institutional trauma expert team. As a pilot study, 30 RTA victims admitted in trauma centre of KG Medical University were enrolled and designed questionnaire was tested for easiness and doubts. The results were thoroughly analyzed for item difficulty, precision and internal consistency. Results: A significant agreement of question pertaining to speed (k=0.99, CI=0.95, visibility (k=0.87, alcohol (k=0.65 in the questionnaire. Questions related to environment, driver, vehicle and road factors show a significant consistency (p>0.05 as cause of accidents. Test of agreements done by Kappa showed in variables having value more than 0.60 except few variables. Discussion: The designed questionnaire is precise, reasonably reliable in perfect agreement. This questionnaire should emerge a useful tool in determining the association of risk factors with injury pattern and severity. 

An algebraic method for constructing stable and consistent autoregressive filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harlim, John; Hong, Hoon; Robbins, Jacob L.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we introduce an algebraic method to construct stable and consistent univariate autoregressive (AR) models of low order for filtering and predicting nonlinear turbulent signals with memory depth. By stable, we refer to the classical stability condition for the AR model. By consistent, we refer to the classical consistency constraints of Adams–Bashforth methods of order-two. One attractive feature of this algebraic method is that the model parameters can be obtained without directly knowing any training data set as opposed to many standard, regression-based parameterization methods. It takes only long-time average statistics as inputs. The proposed method provides a discretization time step interval which guarantees the existence of stable and consistent AR model and simultaneously produces the parameters for the AR models. In our numerical examples with two chaotic time series with different characteristics of decaying time scales, we find that the proposed AR models produce significantly more accurate short-term predictive skill and comparable filtering skill relative to the linear regression-based AR models. These encouraging results are robust across wide ranges of discretization times, observation times, and observation noise variances. Finally, we also find that the proposed model produces an improved short-time prediction relative to the linear regression-based AR-models in forecasting a data set that characterizes the variability of the Madden–Julian Oscillation, a dominant tropical atmospheric wave pattern

Assessing atmospheric bias correction for dynamical consistency using potential vorticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocheta, Eytan; Sharma, Ashish; Evans, Jason P

2014-01-01

Correcting biases in atmospheric variables prior to impact studies or dynamical downscaling can lead to new biases as dynamical consistency between the ‘corrected’ fields is not maintained. Use of these bias corrected fields for subsequent impact studies and dynamical downscaling provides input conditions that do not appropriately represent intervariable relationships in atmospheric fields. Here we investigate the consequences of the lack of dynamical consistency in bias correction using a measure of model consistency—the potential vorticity (PV). This paper presents an assessment of the biases present in PV using two alternative correction techniques—an approach where bias correction is performed individually on each atmospheric variable, thereby ignoring the physical relationships that exists between the multiple variables that are corrected, and a second approach where bias correction is performed directly on the PV field, thereby keeping the system dynamically coherent throughout the correction process. In this paper we show that bias correcting variables independently results in increased errors above the tropopause in the mean and standard deviation of the PV field, which are improved when using the alternative proposed. Furthermore, patterns of spatial variability are improved over nearly all vertical levels when applying the alternative approach. Results point to a need for a dynamically consistent atmospheric bias correction technique which results in fields that can be used as dynamically consistent lateral boundaries in follow-up downscaling applications. (letter)

Prophylactic accessory-pathway ablation in asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozenc, S; Iscen, S; Kibrisli, E; Tok, D; Parlak, A; Altinel, O; Altinel, S

2014-01-01

The optimal approach is controversial in asymptomatic patients who are coincidentally found to have evidence of an accessory pathway (AP) on an ECG. The risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is low, and the risk of developing symptoms also appears to be low, although a wide range of incidences have been reported. In our trial, we tested the hypothesis that if prophylactic accessory-pathway ablation performed at the time of the initial electrophysiological testing would improve the long-term outcome in asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern. Recruitment of patients began on February 1, 2004, and ended on February 5, 2009. All 110 asymptomatic patients were hospitalized and underwent electrophysiological testing the same day to assess the inducibility of atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia. The anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway was defined as the longest coupling interval at which anterograde block in the bypass tract was observed. For the statistical analysis, the statistical software SPSS version 15.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Of 110 asymptomatic patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern, 80 patients were ablated. Ablation group consisted of these patients. Control group consisted of remaining 30 and were divided into two groups according to the anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway. There was no significant difference between three groups in terms of arrhythmic events (p: 0.58). Asymptomatic patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome do not require prophylactic ablation, since they remain asymptomatic for many years.

Ring retroreflector system consisting of cube-corner reflectors with special coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burmistrov, V B; Sadovnikov, M A; Sokolov, A L; Shargorodskiy, V D

2013-01-01

The ring retroreflector system (RS) consisting of cubecorner reflectors (CCRs) with a special coating of reflecting surfaces, intended for uniaxially Earth-oriented navigation satellites, is considered. The error of distance measurement caused by both the laser pulse delay in the CCR and its spatial position (CCR configuration) is studied. It is shown that the ring RS, formed by the CCR with a double-spot radiation pattern, allows the distance measurement error to be essentially reduced. (nanogradient dielectric coatings and metamaterials)

Development of the automatic test pattern generation for NPP digital electronic circuits using the degree of freedom concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, D.S.; Seong, P.H.

1995-01-01

In this paper, an improved algorithm for automatic test pattern generation (ATG) for nuclear power plant digital electronic circuits--the combinational type of logic circuits is presented. For accelerating and improving the ATG process for combinational circuits the presented ATG algorithm has the new concept--the degree of freedom (DF). The DF, directly computed from the system descriptions such as types of gates and their interconnections, is the criterion to decide which among several alternate lines' logic values required along each path promises to be the most effective in order to accelerate and improve the ATG process. Based on the DF the proposed ATG algorithm is implemented in the automatic fault diagnosis system (AFDS) which incorporates the advanced fault diagnosis method of artificial intelligence technique, it is shown that the AFDS using the ATG algorithm makes Universal Card (UV Card) testing much faster than the present testing practice or by using exhaustive testing sets

Revealing the surface pattern of medieval pattern welded iron objects - etching tests conducted on reconstructed composites

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Thiele, Á.; Hošek, Jiří; Haramza, M.; Török, B.

2014-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 1 (2014), s. 18-24 ISSN 1805-7241 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP405/12/2289 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : etching * pattern welding * phosphoric iron * archaeometallurgy Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Bayesian detection of causal rare variants under posterior consistency.

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming

2013-07-26

Identification of causal rare variants that are associated with complex traits poses a central challenge on genome-wide association studies. However, most current research focuses only on testing the global association whether the rare variants in a given genomic region are collectively associated with the trait. Although some recent work, e.g., the Bayesian risk index method, have tried to address this problem, it is unclear whether the causal rare variants can be consistently identified by them in the small-n-large-P situation. We develop a new Bayesian method, the so-called Bayesian Rare Variant Detector (BRVD), to tackle this problem. The new method simultaneously addresses two issues: (i) (Global association test) Are there any of the variants associated with the disease, and (ii) (Causal variant detection) Which variants, if any, are driving the association. The BRVD ensures the causal rare variants to be consistently identified in the small-n-large-P situation by imposing some appropriate prior distributions on the model and model specific parameters. The numerical results indicate that the BRVD is more powerful for testing the global association than the existing methods, such as the combined multivariate and collapsing test, weighted sum statistic test, RARECOVER, sequence kernel association test, and Bayesian risk index, and also more powerful for identification of causal rare variants than the Bayesian risk index method. The BRVD has also been successfully applied to the Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction (EOMI) Exome Sequence Data. It identified a few causal rare variants that have been verified in the literature.

Bayesian detection of causal rare variants under posterior consistency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faming Liang

Full Text Available Identification of causal rare variants that are associated with complex traits poses a central challenge on genome-wide association studies. However, most current research focuses only on testing the global association whether the rare variants in a given genomic region are collectively associated with the trait. Although some recent work, e.g., the Bayesian risk index method, have tried to address this problem, it is unclear whether the causal rare variants can be consistently identified by them in the small-n-large-P situation. We develop a new Bayesian method, the so-called Bayesian Rare Variant Detector (BRVD, to tackle this problem. The new method simultaneously addresses two issues: (i (Global association test Are there any of the variants associated with the disease, and (ii (Causal variant detection Which variants, if any, are driving the association. The BRVD ensures the causal rare variants to be consistently identified in the small-n-large-P situation by imposing some appropriate prior distributions on the model and model specific parameters. The numerical results indicate that the BRVD is more powerful for testing the global association than the existing methods, such as the combined multivariate and collapsing test, weighted sum statistic test, RARECOVER, sequence kernel association test, and Bayesian risk index, and also more powerful for identification of causal rare variants than the Bayesian risk index method. The BRVD has also been successfully applied to the Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction (EOMI Exome Sequence Data. It identified a few causal rare variants that have been verified in the literature.

Bayesian detection of causal rare variants under posterior consistency.

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming; Xiong, Momiao

2013-01-01

Identification of causal rare variants that are associated with complex traits poses a central challenge on genome-wide association studies. However, most current research focuses only on testing the global association whether the rare variants in a given genomic region are collectively associated with the trait. Although some recent work, e.g., the Bayesian risk index method, have tried to address this problem, it is unclear whether the causal rare variants can be consistently identified by them in the small-n-large-P situation. We develop a new Bayesian method, the so-called Bayesian Rare Variant Detector (BRVD), to tackle this problem. The new method simultaneously addresses two issues: (i) (Global association test) Are there any of the variants associated with the disease, and (ii) (Causal variant detection) Which variants, if any, are driving the association. The BRVD ensures the causal rare variants to be consistently identified in the small-n-large-P situation by imposing some appropriate prior distributions on the model and model specific parameters. The numerical results indicate that the BRVD is more powerful for testing the global association than the existing methods, such as the combined multivariate and collapsing test, weighted sum statistic test, RARECOVER, sequence kernel association test, and Bayesian risk index, and also more powerful for identification of causal rare variants than the Bayesian risk index method. The BRVD has also been successfully applied to the Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction (EOMI) Exome Sequence Data. It identified a few causal rare variants that have been verified in the literature.

An efficient and novel computation method for simulating diffraction patterns from large-scale coded apertures on large-scale focal plane arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Shrekenhamer, Abraham; Gottesman, Stephen R.

2012-10-01

A novel and memory efficient method for computing diffraction patterns produced on large-scale focal planes by largescale Coded Apertures at wavelengths where diffraction effects are significant has been developed and tested. The scheme, readily implementable on portable computers, overcomes the memory limitations of present state-of-the-art simulation codes such as Zemax. The method consists of first calculating a set of reference complex field (amplitude and phase) patterns on the focal plane produced by a single (reference) central hole, extending to twice the focal plane array size, with one such pattern for each Line-of-Sight (LOS) direction and wavelength in the scene, and with the pattern amplitude corresponding to the square-root of the spectral irradiance from each such LOS direction in the scene at selected wavelengths. Next the set of reference patterns is transformed to generate pattern sets for other holes. The transformation consists of a translational pattern shift corresponding to each hole's position offset and an electrical phase shift corresponding to each hole's position offset and incoming radiance's direction and wavelength. The set of complex patterns for each direction and wavelength is then summed coherently and squared for each detector to yield a set of power patterns unique for each direction and wavelength. Finally the set of power patterns is summed to produce the full waveband diffraction pattern from the scene. With this tool researchers can now efficiently simulate diffraction patterns produced from scenes by large-scale Coded Apertures onto large-scale focal plane arrays to support the development and optimization of coded aperture masks and image reconstruction algorithms.

Polypharmacy patterns: unravelling systematic associations between prescribed medications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the existence of systematic associations in drug prescription that lead to the establishment of patterns of polypharmacy, and the clinical interpretation of the associations found in each pattern. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on information obtained from electronic medical records and the primary care pharmacy database in 2008. An exploratory factor analysis of drug dispensing information regarding 79,089 adult patients was performed to identify the patterns of polypharmacy. The analysis was stratified by age and sex. RESULTS: Seven patterns of polypharmacy were identified, which may be classified depending on the type of disease they are intended to treat: cardiovascular, depression-anxiety, acute respiratory infection (ARI, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, rhinitis-asthma, pain, and menopause. Some of these patterns revealed a clear clinical consistency and included drugs that are prescribed together for the same clinical indication (i.e., ARI and COPD patterns. Other patterns were more complex but also clinically consistent: in the cardiovascular pattern, drugs for the treatment of known risk factors-such as hypertension or dyslipidemia-were combined with other medications for the treatment of diabetes or established cardiovascular pathology (e.g., antiplatelet agents. Almost all of the patterns included drugs for preventing or treating potential side effects of other drugs in the same pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated the existence of non-random associations in drug prescription, resulting in patterns of polypharmacy that are sound from the pharmacological and clinical viewpoints and that exist in a significant proportion of the population. This finding necessitates future longitudinal studies to confirm some of the proposed causal associations. The information discovered would further the development and/or adaptation of clinical

Co-integration Rank Testing under Conditional Heteroskedasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavaliere, Guiseppe; Rahbæk, Anders; Taylor, A.M. Robert

null distributions of the rank statistics coincide with those derived by previous authors who assume either i.i.d. or (strict and covariance) stationary martingale difference innovations. We then propose wild bootstrap implementations of the co-integrating rank tests and demonstrate that the associated...... bootstrap rank statistics replicate the first-order asymptotic null distributions of the rank statistics. We show the same is also true of the corresponding rank tests based on the i.i.d. bootstrap of Swensen (2006). The wild bootstrap, however, has the important property that, unlike the i.i.d. bootstrap......, it preserves in the re-sampled data the pattern of heteroskedasticity present in the original shocks. Consistent with this, numerical evidence sug- gests that, relative to tests based on the asymptotic critical values or the i.i.d. bootstrap, the wild bootstrap rank tests perform very well in small samples un...

Laser-assisted patterning of double-sided adhesive tapes for optofluidic chip integration

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Vanessa; Janeczka, Christian; Arndt-Staufenbiel, Norbert; Havlik, George; Queisser, Marco; Schröder, Henning

2018-02-01

Portable high-sensitivity biosensors exhibit a growing demand in healthcare, food industry and environmental monitoring sectors. Optical biosensors based on photonic integration platforms are attractive candidates due to their high sensitivity, compactness and multiplexing capabilities. However, they need a low-cost and reliable integration with the microfluidic system. Laser-micropatterned double-sided biocompatible adhesive tapes are promising bonding layers for hybrid integration of an optofluidic biochip. As a part of the EU-PHOCNOSIS project, double-sided adhesive tapes have been proposed to integrate the polymer microfluidic system with the optical integrated waveguide sensor chip. Here the adhesive tape should be patterned in a micrometer scale in order to create an interaction between the sample that flows through the polymer microchannel and the photonic sensing microstructure. Three laser-assisted structuring methods are investigated to transfer microchannel patterns to the adhesive tape. The test structure design consists of a single channel with 400 μm wide, 30 mm length and two circular receivers with 3 mm radius. The best structuring results are found by using the picosecond UV laser where smooth and straight channel cross-sections are obtained. Such patterned tapes are used to bond blank polymer substrates to blank silicon substrates. As a proof of concept, the hybrid integration is tested using colored DI-water. Structuring tests related to the reduction of channel widths are also considered in this work. The use of this technique enables a simple and rapid manufacturing of narrow channels (50-60 μm in width) in adhesive tapes, achieving a cheap and stable integration of the optofluidic biochip.

An Early Mathematical Patterning Assessment: identifying young Australian Indigenous children's patterning skills

Science.gov (United States)

Papic, Marina

2015-12-01

This paper presents an Early Mathematical Patterning Assessment (EMPA) tool that provides early childhood educators with a valuable opportunity to identify young children's mathematical thinking and patterning skills through a series of hands-on and drawing tasks. EMPA was administered through one-to-one assessment interviews to children aged 4 to 5 years in the year prior to formal school. Two hundred and seventeen assessments indicated that the young low socioeconomic and predominantly Australian Indigenous children in the study group had varied patterning and counting skills. Three percent of the study group was able to consistently copy and draw an ABABAB pattern made with coloured blocks. Fifty percent could count to six by ones and count out six items with 4 % of the total group able to identify six items presented in regular formations without counting. The integration of patterning into early mathematics learning is critical to the abstraction of mathematical ideas and relationships and to the development of mathematical reasoning in young children. By using the insights into the children's thinking that the EMPA tool provides, early childhood educators can better inform mathematics teaching and learning and so help close the persistent gap in numeracy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.

Linear augmented plane wave method for self-consistent calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, T.; Kuebler, J.

1979-01-01

O.K. Andersen has recently introduced a linear augmented plane wave method (LAPW) for the calculation of electronic structure that was shown to be computationally fast. A more general formulation of an LAPW method is presented here. It makes use of a freely disposable number of eigenfunctions of the radial Schroedinger equation. These eigenfunctions can be selected in a self-consistent way. The present formulation also results in a computationally fast method. It is shown that Andersen's LAPW is obtained in a special limit from the present formulation. Self-consistent test calculations for copper show the present method to be remarkably accurate. As an application, scalar-relativistic self-consistent calculations are presented for the band structure of FCC lanthanum. (author)

Electrocorticographic discharge patterns in glioneuronal tumors and focal cortical dysplasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ferrier, Cyrille H.; Aronica, Eleanora; Leijten, Frans S. S.; Spliet, Wim G. M.; van Huffelen, Alexander C.; van Rijen, Peter C.; Binnie, Colin D.

2006-01-01

PURPOSE: To determine whether highly epileptiform electrocorticographical discharge patterns occur in patients with glioneuronal tumors (GNTs) and focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and whether specific histopathological features are related to such patterns. METHODS: The series consists of operated

Fine-scale patterns of population stratification confound rare variant association tests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy D O'Connor

Full Text Available Advances in next-generation sequencing technology have enabled systematic exploration of the contribution of rare variation to Mendelian and complex diseases. Although it is well known that population stratification can generate spurious associations with common alleles, its impact on rare variant association methods remains poorly understood. Here, we performed exhaustive coalescent simulations with demographic parameters calibrated from exome sequence data to evaluate the performance of nine rare variant association methods in the presence of fine-scale population structure. We find that all methods have an inflated spurious association rate for parameter values that are consistent with levels of differentiation typical of European populations. For example, at a nominal significance level of 5%, some test statistics have a spurious association rate as high as 40%. Finally, we empirically assess the impact of population stratification in a large data set of 4,298 European American exomes. Our results have important implications for the design, analysis, and interpretation of rare variant genome-wide association studies.

Consistent melanophore spot patterns allow long-term individual recognition of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

Science.gov (United States)

Stien, L H; Nilsson, J; Bui, S; Fosseidengen, J E; Kristiansen, T S; Øverli, Ø; Folkedal, O

2017-12-01

The present study shows that permanent melanophore spot patterns in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar make it possible to use images of the operculum to keep track of individual fish over extended periods of their life history. Post-smolt S. salar (n = 246) were initially photographed at an average mass of 98 g and again 10 months later after rearing in a sea cage, at an average mass of 3088 g. Spots that were present initially remained and were the most overt (largest) 10 months later, while new and less overt spots had developed. Visual recognition of spot size and position showed that fish with at least four initial spots were relatively easy to identify, while identifying fish with less than four spots could be challenging. An automatic image analysis method was developed and shows potential for fast match processing of large numbers of fish. The current findings promote visual recognition of opercular spots as a welfare-friendly alternative to tagging in experiments involving salmonid fishes. © The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Pattern activation/recognition theory of mind.

Science.gov (United States)

du Castel, Bertrand

2015-01-01

In his 2012 book How to Create a Mind, Ray Kurzweil defines a "Pattern Recognition Theory of Mind" that states that the brain uses millions of pattern recognizers, plus modules to check, organize, and augment them. In this article, I further the theory to go beyond pattern recognition and include also pattern activation, thus encompassing both sensory and motor functions. In addition, I treat checking, organizing, and augmentation as patterns of patterns instead of separate modules, therefore handling them the same as patterns in general. Henceforth I put forward a unified theory I call "Pattern Activation/Recognition Theory of Mind." While the original theory was based on hierarchical hidden Markov models, this evolution is based on their precursor: stochastic grammars. I demonstrate that a class of self-describing stochastic grammars allows for unifying pattern activation, recognition, organization, consistency checking, metaphor, and learning, into a single theory that expresses patterns throughout. I have implemented the model as a probabilistic programming language specialized in activation/recognition grammatical and neural operations. I use this prototype to compute and present diagrams for each stochastic grammar and corresponding neural circuit. I then discuss the theory as it relates to artificial network developments, common coding, neural reuse, and unity of mind, concluding by proposing potential paths to validation.

Assessing element-specific patterns of bioaccumulation across New England lakes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ward, Darren M.; Mayes, Brandon; Sturup, Stefan; Folt, Carol L.; Chen, Celia Y., E-mail: celia.chen@dartmouth.edu

2012-04-01

Little is known about differences among trace elements in patterns of bioaccumulation in freshwater food webs. Our goal was to identify patterns in bioaccumulation of different elements that are large and consistent enough to discern despite variation across lakes. We measured methylmercury (MeHg) and trace element (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in food web components of seven New England lakes on 3-5 dates per lake, and contrasted patterns of bioaccumulation across lakes, metals and seasons. In each lake, trace element concentrations were compared across trophic levels, including three size fractions of zooplankton, planktivorous fish, and piscivorous fish. The trophic position of each food web component was estimated from N isotope analysis. Trace element concentrations varied widely among taxa, lakes and sampling dates. Yet, we identified four consistent patterns of bioaccumulation that were consistent across lakes: (1) MeHg concentration increased (i.e., was biomagnified) and Pb concentration decreased (i.e., was biodiminished) with increased trophic position. (2) Zinc concentration (as with MeHg) was higher in fish than in zooplankton, but overall variation in Zn concentration (unlike MeHg) was low. (3) Arsenic and Cd concentrations (as with Pb) were lower in fish than in zooplankton, but (unlike Pb) were not significantly correlated with trophic position within zooplankton or fish groups. (4) Average summer concentrations of As, Pb, Hg, and MeHg in zooplankton significantly predicted their concentrations in either planktivorous or piscivorous fish. Our secondary goal was to review sampling approaches in forty-five published studies to determine the extent to which current sampling programs facilitate cross-lake and cross-study comparisons of bioaccumulation. We found that studies include different components of the food web and sample too infrequently to enable strong cross-lake and cross-study comparisons. We discuss sampling strategies that would

Assessing element-specific patterns of bioaccumulation across New England lakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, Darren M.; Mayes, Brandon; Sturup, Stefan; Folt, Carol L.; Chen, Celia Y.

2012-01-01

Little is known about differences among trace elements in patterns of bioaccumulation in freshwater food webs. Our goal was to identify patterns in bioaccumulation of different elements that are large and consistent enough to discern despite variation across lakes. We measured methylmercury (MeHg) and trace element (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in food web components of seven New England lakes on 3–5 dates per lake, and contrasted patterns of bioaccumulation across lakes, metals and seasons. In each lake, trace element concentrations were compared across trophic levels, including three size fractions of zooplankton, planktivorous fish, and piscivorous fish. The trophic position of each food web component was estimated from N isotope analysis. Trace element concentrations varied widely among taxa, lakes and sampling dates. Yet, we identified four consistent patterns of bioaccumulation that were consistent across lakes: (1) MeHg concentration increased (i.e., was biomagnified) and Pb concentration decreased (i.e., was biodiminished) with increased trophic position. (2) Zinc concentration (as with MeHg) was higher in fish than in zooplankton, but overall variation in Zn concentration (unlike MeHg) was low. (3) Arsenic and Cd concentrations (as with Pb) were lower in fish than in zooplankton, but (unlike Pb) were not significantly correlated with trophic position within zooplankton or fish groups. (4) Average summer concentrations of As, Pb, Hg, and MeHg in zooplankton significantly predicted their concentrations in either planktivorous or piscivorous fish. Our secondary goal was to review sampling approaches in forty-five published studies to determine the extent to which current sampling programs facilitate cross-lake and cross-study comparisons of bioaccumulation. We found that studies include different components of the food web and sample too infrequently to enable strong cross-lake and cross-study comparisons. We discuss sampling strategies that would

A simple test of expected utility theory using professional traders.

Science.gov (United States)

List, John A; Haigh, Michael S

2005-01-18

We compare behavior across students and professional traders from the Chicago Board of Trade in a classic Allais paradox experiment. Our experiment tests whether independence, a necessary condition in expected utility theory, is systematically violated. We find that both students and professionals exhibit some behavior consistent with the Allais paradox, but the data pattern does suggest that the trader population falls prey to the Allais paradox less frequently than the student population.

Identification system by eye retinal pattern

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunagawa, Takahisa; Shibata, Susumu

1987-01-01

Identification system by eye retinal pattern is introduced from the view-point of history of R and D, measurement, apparatus, evaluation tests, safety and application. According to our evaluation tests, enrolling time is approximately less than 1 min, verification time is a few seconds and false accept rate is 0 %. Evaluation tests at Sandia National Laboratories in USA show the comparison data of false accept rates such as 0 % for eye retinal pattern, 10.5 % for finger-print, 5.8 % for signature dynamics and 17.7 % for speaker voice. The identification system by eye retinal pattern has only three applications in Japan, but there has been a number of experience in USA. This fact suggests that the system will become an important means for physical protections not only in nuclear field but also in other industrial fields in Japan. (author)

Comparison of Pixel-Based and Object-Based Classification Using Parameters and Non-Parameters Approach for the Pattern Consistency of Multi Scale Landcover

Science.gov (United States)

Juniati, E.; Arrofiqoh, E. N.

2017-09-01

Information extraction from remote sensing data especially land cover can be obtained by digital classification. In practical some people are more comfortable using visual interpretation to retrieve land cover information. However, it is highly influenced by subjectivity and knowledge of interpreter, also takes time in the process. Digital classification can be done in several ways, depend on the defined mapping approach and assumptions on data distribution. The study compared several classifiers method for some data type at the same location. The data used Landsat 8 satellite imagery, SPOT 6 and Orthophotos. In practical, the data used to produce land cover map in 1:50,000 map scale for Landsat, 1:25,000 map scale for SPOT and 1:5,000 map scale for Orthophotos, but using visual interpretation to retrieve information. Maximum likelihood Classifiers (MLC) which use pixel-based and parameters approach applied to such data, and also Artificial Neural Network classifiers which use pixel-based and non-parameters approach applied too. Moreover, this study applied object-based classifiers to the data. The classification system implemented is land cover classification on Indonesia topographic map. The classification applied to data source, which is expected to recognize the pattern and to assess consistency of the land cover map produced by each data. Furthermore, the study analyse benefits and limitations the use of methods.

An eye tracking study of bloodstain pattern analysts during pattern classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, R M; Hoogenboom, J; Green, R D; Taylor, M C; de Bruin, K G

2018-05-01

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is the forensic discipline concerned with the classification and interpretation of bloodstains and bloodstain patterns at the crime scene. At present, it is unclear exactly which stain or pattern properties and their associated values are most relevant to analysts when classifying a bloodstain pattern. Eye tracking technology has been widely used to investigate human perception and cognition. Its application to forensics, however, is limited. This is the first study to use eye tracking as a tool for gaining access to the mindset of the bloodstain pattern expert. An eye tracking method was used to follow the gaze of 24 bloodstain pattern analysts during an assigned task of classifying a laboratory-generated test bloodstain pattern. With the aid of an automated image-processing methodology, the properties of selected features of the pattern were quantified leading to the delineation of areas of interest (AOIs). Eye tracking data were collected for each AOI and combined with verbal statements made by analysts after the classification task to determine the critical range of values for relevant diagnostic features. Eye-tracking data indicated that there were four main regions of the pattern that analysts were most interested in. Within each region, individual elements or groups of elements that exhibited features associated with directionality, size, colour and shape appeared to capture the most interest of analysts during the classification task. The study showed that the eye movements of trained bloodstain pattern experts and their verbal descriptions of a pattern were well correlated.

Gene expression patterns of oxidative phosphorylation complex I subunits are organized in clusters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yael Garbian

Full Text Available After the radiation of eukaryotes, the NUO operon, controlling the transcription of the NADH dehydrogenase complex of the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS complex I, was broken down and genes encoding this protein complex were dispersed across the nuclear genome. Seven genes, however, were retained in the genome of the mitochondrion, the ancient symbiote of eukaryotes. This division, in combination with the three-fold increase in subunit number from bacteria (N = approximately 14 to man (N = 45, renders the transcription regulation of OXPHOS complex I a challenge. Recently bioinformatics analysis of the promoter regions of all OXPHOS genes in mammals supported patterns of co-regulation, suggesting that natural selection favored a mechanism facilitating the transcriptional regulatory control of genes encoding subunits of these large protein complexes. Here, using real time PCR of mitochondrial (mtDNA- and nuclear DNA (nDNA-encoded transcripts in a panel of 13 different human tissues, we show that the expression pattern of OXPHOS complex I genes is regulated in several clusters. Firstly, all mtDNA-encoded complex I subunits (N = 7 share a similar expression pattern, distinct from all tested nDNA-encoded subunits (N = 10. Secondly, two sub-clusters of nDNA-encoded transcripts with significantly different expression patterns were observed. Thirdly, the expression patterns of two nDNA-encoded genes, NDUFA4 and NDUFA5, notably diverged from the rest of the nDNA-encoded subunits, suggesting a certain degree of tissue specificity. Finally, the expression pattern of the mtDNA-encoded ND4L gene diverged from the rest of the tested mtDNA-encoded transcripts that are regulated by the same promoter, consistent with post-transcriptional regulation. These findings suggest, for the first time, that the regulation of complex I subunits expression in humans is complex rather than reflecting global co-regulation.

Organ involvement in Argentinian systemic sclerosis patients with "late" pattern as compared to patients with "early/active" pattern by nailfold capillaroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Marino Claverie, Lucila; Knobel, Elizabeth; Takashima, Lorena; Techera, Lorena; Oliver, Marina; Gonzalez, Paula; Romanini, Félix E; Fonseca, María L; Mamani, Marta N

2013-06-01

Changes in nailfold capillaroscopy in systemic sclerosis patients could be related to the disease severity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with "late" scleroderma (SD) pattern have more organ involvement than patients with "early/active" SD pattern. Forty-six Argentinian patients (44 women and 2 men), with a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, were distributed in two groups based on the presence of late and early/active patterns. Organ involvement was assessed as follows: pulmonary function by chest radiography, high-resolution chest tomography (HRCT), lung volume tests, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO); esophageal involvement by manometry; and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by Doppler echocardiography and six-minute walk test. Honeycombing of the lungs evaluated by HRCT was more frequently present in patients with late pattern compared with early/active patients (p = 0.01). We also found statistically significant differences in lung volume tests (p = 0.03) and DLCO (p = 0.02) between the two SD pattern groups. Esophageal manometry showed a significantly higher frequency of motility disorders in the group with late pattern (p = 0.0024). In this study, patients with late pattern had higher frequency of pulmonary and esophageal involvement compared with patients with early/active pattern.

Does pattern-welding make Anglo-Saxon swords stronger?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birch, Thomas

2013-01-01

to assess whether the technique affects mechanical properties, this experimental study compared pattern-welded and plain forged blanks in a series of material tests. Specimens were subject to tensile, Charpy and Vickers diamond hardness testing. This was to investigate the relative strength, ductility......The purpose of pattern-welding, used for the construction of some Anglo-Saxon swords, has yet to be fully resolved. One suggestion is that the technique enhanced the mechanical properties of a blade. Another explanation is that pattern-welding created a desired aesthetic appearance. In order...... and toughness of pattern-welding. The results were inconclusive, however the study revealed that the fracture performance of pattern-welding may relate to its use....

Three-dimensional evaluation of pharyngeal airway in individuals with varying growth patterns using cone beam computed tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohan Diwakar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharyngeal airway volume in individuals with different vertical growth patterns. Methods: Cone beam computed tomography scans were evaluated of 40 subjects with the age range from 14 to 25 years and were divided into three groups. Horizontal growers consisted of 13 subjects, normal growers consisted of 14 subjects, and the vertical growers consisted of 13 subjects. The pharyngeal airway volume was measured using In Vivo Dental 5.1 software (Anatomage, Anatomy Imaging Software, San Jose, CA, USA. Results: The results obtained were analyzed statistically. The statistical test used for the analysis of the result was Student′s t-test. The independent t-test was done to compare the mean of the pharyngeal airway between the normal growers and horizontal growers and between the normal growers and the vertical growers. No statistically significant difference between the three groups was found in the volumetric measurements of the various sections of airway. Conclusions: Pharyngeal airway volume does not differ significantly in different vertical jaw relationships. It was possible to evaluate the pharyngeal airway volume three dimensionally.

An analysis of correlation between occlusion classification and skeletal pattern

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xinhua; Cai Bin; Wang Dawei; Wu Liping

2003-01-01

Objective: To study the correlation between dental relationship and skeletal pattern of individuals. Methods: 194 cases were selected and classified by angle classification, incisor relationship and skeletal pattern respectively. The correlation of angle classification and incisor relationship to skeletal pattern was analyzed with SPSS 10.0. Results: The values of correlation index (Kappa) were 0.379 and 0.494 respectively. Conclusion: The incisor relationship is more consistent with skeletal pattern than angle classification

Preschooler Sleep Patterns Related to Cognitive and Adaptive Functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe-Cooperman, Kathleen; Brady-Amoon, Peggy

2014-01-01

Research Findings: Preschoolers' sleep patterns were examined related to cognitive and adaptive functioning. The sample consisted of 874 typically developing preschool children with a mean age of 40.01 months. Parent/caregiver reports of children's sleep pattern factors, Stanford-Binet 5 intelligence scale scores, and Behavior Assessment System…

Navigation strategies as revealed by error patterns on the Magic Carpet test in children with cerebral palsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vittorio eBelmonti

2015-07-01

Full Text Available IntroductionShort-term memory develops differently in navigation vs. manual space. The Magic Carpet (MC is a novel navigation test derived from the Walking Corsi Test and the manual Corsi Block-tapping Task (CBT. The MC requires mental rotations and executive function. In Cerebral Palsy (CP, CBT and MC scores relate differently to clinical and lesional factors. Hypotheses of this study are: that frontal lesions specifically affect navigation in CP; that brain lesions affect MC cognitive strategies.Material and methodsTwenty-two children with spastic CP, aged 5 to 14 years, 14 with a unilateral and 8 with a bilateral form, underwent the CBT and the MC. Errors were classified into 7 patterns by a recently described algorithm. Brain lesions were quantified according to a novel semi-quantitative MRI scale. Control data were partially drawn from a previous study on 91 typically developing children.ResultsChildren with CP performed worse than controls on both tests. Right hemispheric impairment correlated with spatial memory. MC span was reduced less than CBT span and was more selectively related to right middle white-matter and frontal lesions. Error patterns were differently distributed in CP than in typical development and depended on right brain impairment: children with more extensive right lesions made more positional than sequential errors.DiscussionIn CP, navigation is affected only by extensive lesions involving the right frontal lobe. In addition, these are associated with abnormal cognitive strategies. Whereas in typical development positional errors, preserving serial order, increase with age and performance, in CP they are associated with poorer performance and more extensive right-brain lesions. The explanation may lie in lesion side: right brain is crucial for mental rotations, necessary for spatial updating. Left-lateralized spatial memory strategies, relying on serial order, are not efficient if not accompanied by right-brain spatial

Choosing the correct empirical antibiotic for urinary tract infection in pediatric: Surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Escherichia coli by E-Test method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedighi, Iraj; Solgi, Abbas; Amanati, Ali; Alikhani, Mohammad Yousef

2014-12-01

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are of the most common bacterial diseases worldwide. We investigate the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains isolated from pediatric patients with community acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) to find a clinical guidance for choosing a right empirical antibiotic in these patients. In this cross sectional study, 100 urine specimens which were positive for E. coli had been investigated for antibiotics susceptibility pattern. The susceptibility to Co-trimoxazol (25μg), Amikacin (30μg), Ceftriaxone (30μg), Nalidixic Acid (30μg), Cefixime (5μg), and Nitrofurantoin (300μg) tested with Disk diffusion agar and MIC determined with the E-test. Mean age of patients was 38 Months. Girls had greater proportion than boys (74 versus 26%). In Disk diffusion method, 26% of the isolates were susceptible to cotrimoxazole. Susceptibility to amikacin, ceftriaxone, nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid and cefixime was 94%, 66%, 97%, 62% and 52%, respectively. By E-Test method and according to CLSI criteria susceptibility for co-trimoxazol, amikacin, ceftriaxone and nalidixic acid was 37%, 97%, 67% and 50%, respectively. The highest percentage of agreement between Disk diffusion and E-Test method was found for amikacin (96%) and the lowest percentage for co-trimoxazole (89%). Treatment failure, prolonged or repeated hospitalization, increased costs of care, and increased mortality are some consequence of bacterial resistance in UTIs. Misuse of antibiotics in each geographic location directly affects antibiotic resistance pattern. In the treatment of UTI, proper selection of antimicrobial agents should be relevant to the bacterial susceptibility testing surveillance. According to our results, amikacin as an injectable drug and nitrofurantoin as an oral agent could be used as a drug of choice in our region for children with UTIs.

Will the consistent organic food consumer step forward?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Hans Jørn; Fenger, Morten H. J.; Thøgersen, John

2017-01-01

registered transactions over 20 months from 8,704 randomly selected customers with a loyalty card are analyzed using a hidden Markov model, capturing the dynamics in consumers’ purchases. The model identifies latent states representing identifiable, accessible, and actionable dynamic customer segments...... and it captures the movements between states or segments. A pattern emerges which is consistent with the theory of behavioral spillover and inconsistent with the theory of moral licensing, including a tendency to buy organic products in an increasing number of product categories over time. The order in which...... organic products are adopted is inversely related to the behavioral costs of adopting them. The employed approach provides a firm basis for personalized communication aiming to increase cross-selling of organic products, increase the sale of less popular organic products, and to accelerate movements from...

Large-area imaging reveals biologically driven non-random spatial patterns of corals at a remote reef

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Clinton B.; Eynaud, Yoan; Williams, Gareth J.; Pedersen, Nicole E.; Zgliczynski, Brian J.; Gleason, Arthur C. R.; Smith, Jennifer E.; Sandin, Stuart A.

2017-12-01

For sessile organisms such as reef-building corals, differences in the degree of dispersion of individuals across a landscape may result from important differences in life-history strategies or may reflect patterns of habitat availability. Descriptions of spatial patterns can thus be useful not only for the identification of key biological and physical mechanisms structuring an ecosystem, but also by providing the data necessary to generate and test ecological theory. Here, we used an in situ imaging technique to create large-area photomosaics of 16 plots at Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific, each covering 100 m2 of benthic habitat. We mapped the location of 44,008 coral colonies and identified each to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Using metrics of spatial dispersion, we tested for departures from spatial randomness. We also used targeted model fitting to explore candidate processes leading to differences in spatial patterns among taxa. Most taxa were clustered and the degree of clustering varied by taxon. A small number of taxa did not significantly depart from randomness and none revealed evidence of spatial uniformity. Importantly, taxa that readily fragment or tolerate stress through partial mortality were more clustered. With little exception, clustering patterns were consistent with models of fragmentation and dispersal limitation. In some taxa, dispersion was linearly related to abundance, suggesting density dependence of spatial patterning. The spatial patterns of stony corals are non-random and reflect fundamental life-history characteristics of the taxa, suggesting that the reef landscape may, in many cases, have important elements of spatial predictability.

Electrocorticographic language mapping with a listening task consisting of alternating speech and music phrases.

Science.gov (United States)

Mooij, Anne H; Huiskamp, Geertjan J M; Gosselaar, Peter H; Ferrier, Cyrille H

2016-02-01

Electrocorticographic (ECoG) mapping of high gamma activity induced by language tasks has been proposed as a more patient friendly alternative for electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM), the gold standard in pre-surgical language mapping of epilepsy patients. However, ECoG mapping often reveals more language areas than considered critical with ESM. We investigated if critical language areas can be identified with a listening task consisting of speech and music phrases. Nine patients with implanted subdural grid electrodes listened to an audio fragment in which music and speech alternated. We analysed ECoG power in the 65-95 Hz band and obtained task-related activity patterns in electrodes over language areas. We compared the spatial distribution of sites that discriminated between listening to speech and music to ESM results using sensitivity and specificity calculations. Our listening task of alternating speech and music phrases had a low sensitivity (0.32) but a high specificity (0.95). The high specificity indicates that this test does indeed point to areas that are critical to language processing. Our test cannot replace ESM, but this short and simple task can give a reliable indication where to find critical language areas, better than ECoG mapping using language tasks alone. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asymmetrical Pedaling Patterns in Parkinson's Disease Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Penko, Amanda L.; Hirsch, Joshua R.; Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia; Martin, Philip E.; Blackburn, Gordon; Alberts, Jay L.

2015-01-01

Background Approximately 1.5 million Americans are affected by Parkinson's disease [1] which includes the symptoms of postural instability and gait dysfunction. Currently, clinical evaluations of postural instability and gait dysfunction consist of a subjective rater assessment of gait patterns using items from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and assessments can be insensitive to the effectiveness of medical interventions. Current research suggests the importance of cycling for Parkinson's disease patients, and while Parkinson's gait has been evaluated in previous studies, little is known about lower extremity control during cycling. The purpose of this study is to examine the lower extremity coordination patterns of Parkinson's patients during cycling. Methods Twenty five participants, ages 44-72, with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease participated in an exercise test on a cycle ergometer that was equipped with pedal force measurements. Crank torque, crank angle and power produced by right and left leg were measured throughout the test to calculate Symmetry Index at three stages of exercise (20 Watt, 60 Watt, maximum performance). Findings Decreases in Symmetry Index were observed for average power output in Parkinson's patients as workload increased. Maximum power Symmetry Index showed a significant difference in symmetry between performance at both the 20 Watt and 60 Watt stage and the maximal resistance stage. Minimum power Symmetry Index did not show significant differences across the stages of the test. While lower extremity asymmetries were present in Parkinson's patients during pedaling, these asymmetries did not correlate to postural instability and gait dysfunction Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores. Interpretation This pedaling analysis allows for a more sensitive measure of lower extremity function than the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and may help to provide unique insight into current and

Chemical composition analysis and product consistency tests to support Enhanced Hanford Waste Glass Models. Results for the Augusta and October 2014 LAW Glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Best, D. R. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-07-07

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for several simulated low activity waste (LAW) glasses (designated as the August and October 2014 LAW glasses) fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of these analyses will be used as part of efforts to revise or extend the validation regions of the current Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant glass property models to cover a broader span of waste compositions.

Pattern recognition and string matching

CERN Document Server

Cheng, Xiuzhen

2002-01-01

The research and development of pattern recognition have proven to be of importance in science, technology, and human activity. Many useful concepts and tools from different disciplines have been employed in pattern recognition. Among them is string matching, which receives much theoretical and practical attention. String matching is also an important topic in combinatorial optimization. This book is devoted to recent advances in pattern recognition and string matching. It consists of twenty eight chapters written by different authors, addressing a broad range of topics such as those from classifica­ tion, matching, mining, feature selection, and applications. Each chapter is self-contained, and presents either novel methodological approaches or applications of existing theories and techniques. The aim, intent, and motivation for publishing this book is to pro­ vide a reference tool for the increasing number of readers who depend upon pattern recognition or string matching in some way. This includes student...

[Consistent Declarative Memory with Depressive Symptomatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Botelho de Oliveira, Silvia; Flórez, Ruth Natalia Suárez; Caballero, Diego Andrés Vásquez

2012-12-01

Some studies have suggested that potentiated remembrance of negative events on people with depressive disorders seems to be an important factor in the etiology, course and maintenance of depression. Evaluate the emotional memory in people with and without depressive symptomatology by means of an audio-visual test. 73 university students were evaluated, male and female, between 18 and 40 years old, distributed in two groups: with depressive symptomatology (32) and without depressive symptomatology (40), using the Scale from the Center of Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D, English Abbreviation) and a cutting point of 20. There were not meaningful differences between free and voluntary recalls, with and without depressive symptomatology, in spite of the fact that both groups had granted a higher emotional value to the audio-visual test and that they had associated it with emotional sadness. People with depressive symptomatology did not exhibit the effect of mnemonic potentiation generally associated to the content of the emotional version of the test; therefore, the hypothesis of emotional consistency was not validated. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Individualized prediction of schizophrenia based on the whole-brain pattern of altered white matter tract integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Jen; Liu, Chih-Min; Hsu, Yung-Chin; Lo, Yu-Chun; Hwang, Tzung-Jeng; Hwu, Hai-Gwo; Lin, Yi-Tin; Tseng, Wen-Yih Isaac

2018-01-01

A schizophrenia diagnosis relies on characteristic symptoms identified by trained physicians, and is thus prone to subjectivity. This study developed a procedure for the individualized prediction of schizophrenia based on whole-brain patterns of altered white matter tract integrity. The study comprised training (108 patients and 144 controls) and testing (60 patients and 60 controls) groups. Male and female participants were comparable in each group and were analyzed separately. All participants underwent diffusion spectrum imaging of the head, and the data were analyzed using the tract-based automatic analysis method to generate a standardized two-dimensional array of white matter tract integrity, called the connectogram. Unique patterns in the connectogram that most accurately identified schizophrenia were systematically reviewed in the training group. Then, the diagnostic performance of the patterns was individually verified in the testing group by using receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The performance was high in men (accuracy = 0.85) and satisfactory in women (accuracy = 0.75). In men, the pattern was located in discrete fiber tracts, as has been consistently reported in the literature; by contrast, the pattern was widespread over all tracts in women. These distinct patterns suggest that there is a higher variability in the microstructural alterations in female patients than in male patients. The individualized prediction of schizophrenia is feasible based on the different whole-brain patterns of tract integrity. The optimal masks and their corresponding regions in the fiber tracts could serve as potential imaging biomarkers for schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp 39:575-587, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integration and test planning patterns in different organizations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, de I.S.M.; Boumen, R.; Mortel - Fronczak, van de J.M.; Rooda, J.E.; Tretmans, J.

2007-01-01

Planning an integration and test phase is often done by experts in the visited organizations. These experts have a thorough knowledge about the system, integration and testing and the business drivers of an organization. An integration and test plan developedfor an airplane is different than the

Numerical investigation of degas performance on impeller of medium-consistency pump

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Medium-consistency technology is known as the process with high efficiency and low pollution. The gas distribution was simulated in the medium-consistency pump with different degas hole positions. Rheological behaviors of pulp suspension were obtained by experimental test. A modified Herschel–Bulkley model and the Eulerian gas–liquid two-phase flow model were utilized to approximately represent the behaviors of the medium-consistency pulp suspension. The results show that when the relative position is 0.53, the gas volume ratio is less than 0.1% at the pump outlet and 9.8% at the vacuum inlet, and the pump head is at the maximum. Because of the different numbers of the impeller blades and turbulence blades and the asymmetric volute structure, the gas is distributed unevenly in the impeller. In addition, the pump performance was tested in experiment and the results are used to validate computational fluid dynamics outcomes.

Inheritance patterns of morphological laterality in mouth opening of zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Science.gov (United States)

Hata, Hiroki; Hori, Michio

2012-01-01

The inheritance patterns of asymmetry in mouth opening in zebrafish were investigated using crossing experiments. Zebrafish exhibit asymmetric laterality in mouth opening, with each individual having either a leftward (righty) or rightward (lefty) bias. All righty incrosses produced only righty F(1), whereas all lefty incrosses resulted in an F(1) L:R ratio of 2:1. All test crosses between lefty and righty individuals resulted in an F(1) L:R=1:1. These results were consistent with the hereditary pattern for Japanese medaka, three Tanganyikan cichlids, and a Japanese riverine goby. The pattern suggests a one-locus two-allele Mendelian model of inheritance, with the lefty allele being dominant over righty and the dominant homozygote being lethal. To determine the reason for the absence of lefty homozygotes, the survival rates of the offspring were examined according to developmental stage. Survival did not differ among combinations of parent laterality. Thus the mechanism underlying the lethality of the dominant homozygote remains unclear. This study showed that the mouth-opening laterality of zebrafish is genetically determined and that the direction follows a Mendelian inheritance pattern that is shared among cypriniform zebrafish, beloniform medaka, perciform cichlids, and a goby, suggesting a common genetic background in mouth-opening laterality among these species.

DNA pattern recognition using canonical correlation algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, B K; Chakraborty, Chiranjib

2015-10-01

We performed canonical correlation analysis as an unsupervised statistical tool to describe related views of the same semantic object for identifying patterns. A pattern recognition technique based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was proposed for finding required genetic code in the DNA sequence. Two related but different objects were considered: one was a particular pattern, and other was test DNA sequence. CCA found correlations between two observations of the same semantic pattern and test sequence. It is concluded that the relationship possesses maximum value in the position where the pattern exists. As a case study, the potential of CCA was demonstrated on the sequence found from HIV-1 preferred integration sites. The subsequences on the left and right flanking from the integration site were considered as the two views, and statistically significant relationships were established between these two views to elucidate the viral preference as an important factor for the correlation.

A Monte Carlo-adjusted goodness-of-fit test for parametric models describing spatial point patterns

KAUST Repository

Dao, Ngocanh

2014-04-03

Assessing the goodness-of-fit (GOF) for intricate parametric spatial point process models is important for many application fields. When the probability density of the statistic of the GOF test is intractable, a commonly used procedure is the Monte Carlo GOF test. Additionally, if the data comprise a single dataset, a popular version of the test plugs a parameter estimate in the hypothesized parametric model to generate data for theMonte Carlo GOF test. In this case, the test is invalid because the resulting empirical level does not reach the nominal level. In this article, we propose a method consisting of nested Monte Carlo simulations which has the following advantages: the bias of the resulting empirical level of the test is eliminated, hence the empirical levels can always reach the nominal level, and information about inhomogeneity of the data can be provided.We theoretically justify our testing procedure using Taylor expansions and demonstrate that it is correctly sized through various simulation studies. In our first data application, we discover, in agreement with Illian et al., that Phlebocarya filifolia plants near Perth, Australia, can follow a homogeneous Poisson clustered process that provides insight into the propagation mechanism of these plants. In our second data application, we find, in contrast to Diggle, that a pairwise interaction model provides a good fit to the micro-anatomy data of amacrine cells designed for analyzing the developmental growth of immature retina cells in rabbits. This article has supplementary material online. © 2013 American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and Interface Foundation of North America.

Image processing and pattern recognition algorithms for evaluation of crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns (crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis analysis manager; CREAM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, I; Poulsen, L K; Hagerup, M

1987-01-01

points along the precipitation curve in the curve-fitting process. The system has been tested on crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns as well as crossed radioimmunoelectrophoretic patterns and it has been shown that the system can recognize the same precipitation curves on different immunoplates...

Description and recognition of patterns in stochastic signals. [Electroencephalograms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flik, T [Technische Univ. Berlin (F.R. Germany). Informatik-Forschungsgruppe Rechnerorganisation und Schaltwerke

1975-10-01

A method is shown for the description and recognition of patterns in stochastic signals such as electroencephalograms. For pattern extraction the signal is segmented at times of minimum amplitudes. The describing features consist of geometric values of the so defined patterns. The classification algorithm is based on the regression analysis, which is well known in the field of character recognition. For an economic classification a method is proposed which reduces the number of features. The quality of this pattern recognition method is demonstrated by the detection of spike wave complexes in electroencephalograms. The pattern description and recognition are provided for processing on a digital computer. (DE)

An Analysis of Differential Response Patterns on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IIIB in Struggling Adult Readers and Third-Grade Children

Science.gov (United States)

Pae, Hye K.; Greenberg, Daphne; Williams, Rihana S.

2012-01-01

This study examines the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IIIB (PPVT-IIIB) performance of 130 adults identified as struggling readers, in comparison to 175 third-grade children. Response patterns to the items on the PPVT-IIIB by these two groups were investigated, focusing on items, semantic categories, and lexical features, including word length,…

Growth Pattern of Body Dimension of Arfak Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elda Irma Jeanne Joice Kawulur

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Growth pattern of body height and weight reflect the nutritional status and health condition of a population. Assessment of growth pattern and nutritional status of children and adolescence is urgently needed because during this growth period there is a transition period frominfant to adult with fast growth spurt, secondary sexual character maturation, and dramatic body proportion change. A cross-sectional study of the physical growth status was done to 514Arfak children consisted of 231 girls aged 6-19 years and 283 boys aged 6-23 years, in Manokwari, West Papua Province.The study was conducted to find out the growth pattern of the body size of Arfak children. Anthropometry measurement consists of body height (cm and body weight (kg. Growth charts of these variables showed increase with age in both sexes. Growth rate of body weight of Arfak children at juvenile phase was higher than those of other populations, such as India, Purwakarta, and Karawang, except American population.

Consistent pattern of local adaptation during an experimental heat wave in a pipefish-trematode host-parasite system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne H Landis

Full Text Available Extreme climate events such as heat waves are expected to increase in frequency under global change. As one indirect effect, they can alter magnitude and direction of species interactions, for example those between hosts and parasites. We simulated a summer heat wave to investigate how a changing environment affects the interaction between the broad-nosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle as a host and its digenean trematode parasite (Cryptocotyle lingua. In a fully reciprocal laboratory infection experiment, pipefish from three different coastal locations were exposed to sympatric and allopatric trematode cercariae. In order to examine whether an extreme climatic event disrupts patterns of locally adapted host-parasite combinations we measured the parasite's transmission success as well as the host's adaptive and innate immune defence under control and heat wave conditions. Independent of temperature, sympatric cercariae were always more successful than allopatric ones, indicating that parasites are locally adapted to their hosts. Hosts suffered from heat stress as suggested by fewer cells of the adaptive immune system (lymphocytes compared to the same groups that were kept at 18°C. However, the proportion of the innate immune cells (monocytes was higher in the 18°C water. Contrary to our expectations, no interaction between host immune defence, parasite infectivity and temperature stress were found, nor did the pattern of local adaptation change due to increased water temperature. Thus, in this host-parasite interaction, the sympatric parasite keeps ahead of the coevolutionary dynamics across sites, even under increasing temperatures as expected under marine global warming.

Consistency analysis of parenting styles in Thailand during children's first year.

Science.gov (United States)

Phuphaibul, Rutja; Wittayasooporn, Jariya; Choprapawon, Chanpen

2012-09-01

This descriptive study identifies and examines the consistency of parenting styles during the first year of their children's lives. The data were collected from interviewing 4088 parents or primary care takers of the 6 month old infants during the third wave of data collection of The Prospective Cohort of Thai Children project. The instrument used was the Infant Parenting Styles Questionnaire, developed by the researchers, which reflected parental responses to infant care in five different situations. After the answers were categorized into controlling, reasoning, overprotection, and neglectful parenting styles, the weighted kappa was used for the consistency analysis. The findings revealed that during the first 6 months of life, the overprotection style was the most common, followed by the reasoning style. The controlling and neglectful styles were very seldom used. The consistency of the parental styles in the same care givers using the kappa values showed that agreement between each of the styles was very low (-0.0419 to 0.0688). This suggests that parenting styles during the first year of life seem to occur in random patterns. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Testing Local Independence between Two Point Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allard, Denis; Brix, Anders; Chadæuf, Joël

2001-01-01

Independence test, Inhomogeneous point processes, Local test, Monte Carlo, Nonstationary, Rotations, Spatial pattern, Tiger bush......Independence test, Inhomogeneous point processes, Local test, Monte Carlo, Nonstationary, Rotations, Spatial pattern, Tiger bush...

Theories of Person Perception Predict Patterns of Neural Activity During Mentalizing.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Mark A; Mitchell, Jason P

2017-08-22

Social life requires making inferences about other people. What information do perceivers spontaneously draw upon to make such inferences? Here, we test 4 major theories of person perception, and 1 synthetic theory that combines their features, to determine whether the dimensions of such theories can serve as bases for describing patterns of neural activity during mentalizing. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants made social judgments about well-known public figures. Patterns of brain activity were then predicted using feature encoding models that represented target people's positions on theoretical dimensions such as warmth and competence. All 5 theories of person perception proved highly accurate at reconstructing activity patterns, indicating that each could describe the informational basis of mentalizing. Cross-validation indicated that the theories robustly generalized across both targets and participants. The synthetic theory consistently attained the best performance-approximately two-thirds of noise ceiling accuracy--indicating that, in combination, the theories considered here can account for much of the neural representation of other people. Moreover, encoding models trained on the present data could reconstruct patterns of activity associated with mental state representations in independent data, suggesting the use of a common neural code to represent others' traits and states. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ocular TRUST: nationwide antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in ocular isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Asbell, Penny A; Colby, Kathryn A; Deng, Sophie; McDonnell, Peter; Meisler, David M; Raizman, Michael B; Sheppard, John D; Sahm, Daniel F

2008-06-01

Ocular Tracking Resistance in U.S. Today (TRUST) annually evaluates in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae to ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, penicillin, azithromycin, tobramycin, trimethoprim, and polymyxin B in national samples of ocular isolates. Laboratory investigation. Prospectively collected ocular isolates (197 S. aureus, 49 S. pneumoniae, and 32 H. influenzae) from 35 institutions and archived ocular isolates (760 S. pneumoniae and 356 H. influenzae) from 34 institutions were tested by an independent, central laboratory. Mean minimum inhibitory concentrations that would inhibit growth of 90% of the tested isolates (MIC(90)) were interpreted as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant according to standardized breakpoints for systemic treatment. S. aureus isolates were classified as methicillin susceptible (MSSA) or methicillin resistant (MRSA). MSSA or MRSA susceptibility patterns were virtually identical for the fluoroquinolones, that is, MSSA susceptibility was 79.9% to 81.1% and MRSA susceptibility was 15.2%. Trimethoprim was the only agent tested with high activity against MRSA. All S. pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin; 89.8% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. H. influenzae isolates were 100% susceptible to all tested agents but trimethoprim. Ocular TRUST 1 data were consistent with the eight-year longitudinal sample of archived ocular isolates. The fluoroquinolones were consistently active in MSSA, S. pneumoniae, and H. influenzae. After more than a decade of intensive ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin use as systemic therapy, 100% of ocular S. pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin; nonsusceptibility to ciprofloxacin was less than 15%. High-level in vitro MRSA resistance suggests the need to consider alternative therapy to fluoroquinolones when MRSA is a

Photo-identification in amphibian studies: a test of I3S Pattern

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Sannolo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Photo-identification is used for individual recognition of several animal species. It gives the possibility to take photos of large species from a distance or to avoid invasive marking techniques in small animals. For amphibians, the use of non-invasive marking methods is even more relevant in the light of their global decline. Here we use the photo-identification data from a population of Triturus carnifex to validate the photo-identification software I3S Pattern. This recently developed utility has never been applied to amphibians. The software proved to be efficient and accurate for individual recognition for this species. Contrarily to the previous releases of the I3S family, I3S Pattern is particularly suitable for amphibians characterized by a complex individual pattern of large blotches or irregular spots, which are not readily identified by eye.

Consistent model driven architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Niepostyn, Stanisław J.

2015-09-01

The goal of the MDA is to produce software systems from abstract models in a way where human interaction is restricted to a minimum. These abstract models are based on the UML language. However, the semantics of UML models is defined in a natural language. Subsequently the verification of consistency of these diagrams is needed in order to identify errors in requirements at the early stage of the development process. The verification of consistency is difficult due to a semi-formal nature of UML diagrams. We propose automatic verification of consistency of the series of UML diagrams originating from abstract models implemented with our consistency rules. This Consistent Model Driven Architecture approach enables us to generate automatically complete workflow applications from consistent and complete models developed from abstract models (e.g. Business Context Diagram). Therefore, our method can be used to check practicability (feasibility) of software architecture models.

Binary pseudorandom test standard to determine the modulation transfer function of optical microscopes

Science.gov (United States)

Lacey, Ian; Anderson, Erik H.; Artemiev, Nikolay A.; Babin, Sergey; Cabrini, Stefano; Calafiore, Guiseppe; Chan, Elaine R.; McKinney, Wayne R.; Peroz, Christophe; Takacs, Peter Z.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.

2015-09-01

This work reports on the development of a binary pseudo-random test sample optimized to calibrate the MTF of optical microscopes. The sample consists of a number of 1-D and 2-D patterns, with different minimum sizes of spatial artifacts from 300 nm to 2 microns. We describe the mathematical background, fabrication process, data acquisition and analysis procedure to return spatial frequency based instrument calibration. We show that the developed samples satisfy the characteristics of a test standard: functionality, ease of specification and fabrication, reproducibility, and low sensitivity to manufacturing error.

Characterisation of the hydraulic properties within the EDZ around drifts at level -490 m of the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL: A methodology for consistent interpretation of hydraulic tests

Science.gov (United States)

Baechler, S.; Lavanchy, J. M.; Armand, G.; Cruchaudet, M.

In order to investigate potential changes of the hydraulic properties of the EDZ over time in the Meuse/Haute-Marne underground research laboratory (URL), several hydraulic tests campaigns have been carried out between 2005 and 2008 in dedicated boreholes. After several test series, inconsistencies were noticed in the results, indicating, in particular cases, erratic, inexplicable property changes over time and spatial contrasts. It was therefore difficult to determine reliably potential trends of the EDZ hydraulic properties. It appeared necessary to re-evaluate both the interpretation concepts and assumptions applied to the numerical analyses of test data on the EDZ, trying to better constrain the flow model and the parameter variables. In order to improve the understanding of the geometrical, geomechanical and hydraulic properties of the EDZ, independent information from other investigation methods has been used to critically revise the conceptual model and formation parameters. In particular, results from a diffusion experiment and ultrasonic measurements allowed constraining the extent of the mechanical damaged zone around the borehole (BDZ). Storativity parameters were fitted due to their expected variability. Indeed, high storativity values can be presumed under the unsaturated conditions of the EDZ. The results of the reanalyses, performed with the numerical borehole simulator MULTISIM, demonstrated the good quality and consistency of the revised conceptual model with constrained BDZ and variable storativity. Overall the new simulation results obtained from selected test series are now very consistent. The revised conceptual model demonstrated its capacity to better represent the evolution and extension of the EDZ around a drift in Meuse/Haute-Marne URL. Further consistency checks are proposed to confirm the new model assumptions and the estimates of the single phase flow model in the EDZ.

Characterisation of the hydraulic properties within the EDZ around drifts at level -490 m of the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL: A methodology for consistent interpretation of hydraulic tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baechler, S.; Lavanchy, J. M.; Armand, G.; Cruchaudet, M.

2011-01-01

In order to investigate potential changes of the hydraulic properties of the EDZ over time in the Meuse/Haute-Marne underground research laboratory (URL), several hydraulic tests campaigns have been carried out between 2005 and 2008 in dedicated boreholes. After several test series, inconsistencies were noticed in the results, indicating, in particular cases, erratic, inexplicable property changes over time and spatial contrasts. It was therefore difficult to determine reliably potential trends of the EDZ hydraulic properties. It appeared necessary to re-evaluate both the interpretation concepts and assumptions applied to the numerical analyses of test data on the EDZ, trying to better constrain the flow model and the parameter variables. In order to improve the understanding of the geometrical, geomechanical and hydraulic properties of the EDZ, independent information from other investigation methods has been used to critically revise the conceptual model and formation parameters. In particular, results from a diffusion experiment and ultrasonic measurements allowed constraining the extent of the mechanical damaged zone around the borehole (BDZ). Storativity parameters were fitted due to their expected variability. Indeed, high storativity values can be presumed under the unsaturated conditions of the EDZ. The results of the reanalyses, performed with the numerical borehole simulator MULTISIM, demonstrated the good quality and consistency of the revised conceptual model with constrained BDZ and variable storativity. Overall the new simulation results obtained from selected test series are now very consistent. The revised conceptual model demonstrated its capacity to better represent the evolution and extension of the EDZ around a drift in Meuse/Haute-Marne URL. Further consistency checks are proposed to confirm the new model assumptions and the estimates of the single phase flow model in the EDZ. (authors)

Time perspective and attitude-behaviour consistency in future-oriented behaviours

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rabinovich, A.; Morton, T.; Postmes, T.

The authors propose that the salience of a distant-future time perspective, compared to a near-future time perspective, should increase attitude-behaviour and attitude-intention consistency for future-oriented behaviours. To test this prediction, time perspective was experimentally manipulated in

Soil transference patterns on bras: Image processing and laboratory dragging experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Kathleen R; Fitzpatrick, Robert W; Bottrill, Ralph S; Berry, Ron; Kobus, Hilton

2016-01-01

In a recent Australian homicide, trace soil on the victim's clothing suggested she was initially attacked in her front yard and not the park where her body was buried. However the important issue that emerged during the trial was how soil was transferred to her clothing. This became the catalyst for designing a range of soil transference experiments (STEs) to study, recognise and classify soil patterns transferred onto fabric when a body is dragged across a soil surface. Soil deposits of interest in this murder were on the victim's bra and this paper reports the results of anthropogenic soil transfer to bra-cups and straps caused by dragging. Transfer patterns were recorded by digital photography and photomicroscopy. Eight soil transfer patterns on fabric, specific to dragging as the transfer method, appeared consistently throughout the STEs. The distinctive soil patterns were largely dependent on a wide range of soil features that were measured and identified for each soil tested using X-ray Diffraction and Non-Dispersive Infra-Red analysis. Digital photographs of soil transfer patterns on fabric were analysed using image processing software to provide a soil object-oriented classification of all soil objects with a diameter of 2 pixels and above transferred. Although soil transfer patterns were easily identifiable by naked-eye alone, image processing software provided objective numerical data to support this traditional (but subjective) interpretation. Image software soil colour analysis assigned a range of Munsell colours to identify and compare trace soil on fabric to other trace soil evidence from the same location; without requiring a spectrophotometer. Trace soil from the same location was identified by linking soils with similar dominant and sub-dominant Munsell colour peaks. Image processing numerical data on the quantity of soil transferred to fabric, enabled a relationship to be discovered between soil type, clay mineralogy (smectite), particle size and

Properties of made by different methods of RP impeller foundry patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Budzik

2007-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents the tests of properties of foundry patterns of turbocharger turbine impeller. Impellers prototypes were predestinated for casting by method losing patterns. There were carried out tests of these prototypes made by different methods of Rapid Prototyping (RP. Two impeller were made by growth methods: stereolitography (SLA and three dimensional printing (3DP. One prototype was made by the method of Vacuum Casting as a wax casting. Tests were executed in the Department of Machine Design of Rzeszow University of Technology in cooperation with WSK PZL Rzeszow and Car Technology Krakow. First impeller was carried out by method of stereolitography on SLA 250 plant. That pattern was also used to carry out silicon matrix for casting of wax pattern. Next pattern was printed by three dimensional printer Z510 from the powder ZP14. Good removability of the pattern from the mould is particularly essential for impellers of small turbines with blades of small thickness of their section. All pattern were tested on their removability from the ceramic mould. The best melting properties had the wax pattern. Patterns made from resin SL5170 (SLA and powder ZP14 (3DP were removed in the process of burning but about 1% of soot was left in the mould.

Single-field consistency relations of large scale structure part III: test of the equivalence principle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Creminelli, Paolo [Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera 11, Trieste, 34151 (Italy); Gleyzes, Jérôme; Vernizzi, Filippo [CEA, Institut de Physique Théorique, Gif-sur-Yvette cédex, F-91191 France (France); Hui, Lam [Physics Department and Institute for Strings, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 (United States); Simonović, Marko, E-mail: creminel@ictp.it, E-mail: jerome.gleyzes@cea.fr, E-mail: lhui@astro.columbia.edu, E-mail: msimonov@sissa.it, E-mail: filippo.vernizzi@cea.fr [SISSA, via Bonomea 265, Trieste, 34136 (Italy)

2014-06-01

The recently derived consistency relations for Large Scale Structure do not hold if the Equivalence Principle (EP) is violated. We show it explicitly in a toy model with two fluids, one of which is coupled to a fifth force. We explore the constraints that galaxy surveys can set on EP violation looking at the squeezed limit of the 3-point function involving two populations of objects. We find that one can explore EP violations of order 10{sup −3}÷10{sup −4} on cosmological scales. Chameleon models are already very constrained by the requirement of screening within the Solar System and only a very tiny region of the parameter space can be explored with this method. We show that no violation of the consistency relations is expected in Galileon models.

Responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to different novel environments is a consistent individual trait in adult male outbred rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez, Cristina; Nadal, Roser; Armario, Antonio

2005-02-01

Susceptibility to some stress-induced pathologies may be strongly related to individual differences in the responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to stressors. However, there have been few attempts in rodents to study the reliability of the individual differences in the responsiveness of the HPA to stressors and the relationship to resting corticosterone levels. In the present work, we used a normal population of Sprague-Dawley rats, with a within-subject design. Our objectives were to study: (a) the reliability of the ACTH and corticosterone response to three different novel environments widely used in psychopharmacology and (b) the relationship between stress levels of HPA hormones and the daily pattern of corticosterone secretion (six samples over a 24-h-period). Animals were repeatedly sampled using tail-nick procedure. The novel environments were the elevated plus-maze, the hole-board and the circular corridor. Animals were sampled just after 15 min exposure to the tests and again at 15 and 30 min after the termination of exposure to them (post-tests). The hormonal levels just after the tests indicate that the hole-board seems to be more stressful than the circular corridor and the elevated plus-maze, the latter being characterized by the lowest defecation rate. Correlational analysis revealed that daily pattern of resting plasma corticosterone levels did not correlate to HPA responsiveness to the tests, suggesting no relationship between resting and stress levels of HPA hormones. In contrast, the present study demonstrates, for the first time, a good within-subject reliability of the ACTH and corticosterone responses to the three environments, suggesting that HPA responsiveness to these kind of stressors is a consistent individual trait in adult rats, despite differences in the physical characteristics of the novel environments.

Rotation-invariant neural pattern recognition system with application to coin recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukumi, M; Omatu, S; Takeda, F; Kosaka, T

1992-01-01

In pattern recognition, it is often necessary to deal with problems to classify a transformed pattern. A neural pattern recognition system which is insensitive to rotation of input pattern by various degrees is proposed. The system consists of a fixed invariance network with many slabs and a trainable multilayered network. The system was used in a rotation-invariant coin recognition problem to distinguish between a 500 yen coin and a 500 won coin. The results show that the approach works well for variable rotation pattern recognition.

Super Memory Bros.: going from mirror patterns to concordant patterns via similarity enhancements.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozubko, Jason D; Joordens, Steve

2008-12-01

When memory is contrasted for stimuli belonging to distinct stimulus classes, one of two patterns is observed: a mirror pattern, in which one stimulus gives rise to higher hits but lower false alarms (e.g., the frequency-based mirror effect) or a concordant pattern, in which one stimulus class gives rise both to higher hits and to higher false alarms (e.g., the pseudoword effect). On the basis of the dual-process account proposed by Joordens and Hockley (2000), we predict that mirror patterns occur when one stimulus class is more familiar and less distinctive than another, whereas concordant patterns occur when one stimulus class is more familiar than another. We tested these assumptions within a video game paradigm using novel stimuli that allow manipulations in terms of distinctiveness and familiarity (via similarity). When more distinctive, less familiar items are contrasted with less distinctive, more familiar items, a mirror pattern is observed. Systematically enhancing the familiarity of stimuli transforms the mirror pattern to a concordant pattern as predicted. Although our stimuli differ considerably from those used in examinations of the frequency-based mirror effect and the pseudoword effect, the implications of our findings with respect to those phenomena are also discussed.

Continuous firefly algorithm applied to PWR core pattern enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poursalehi, N.; Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.; Moghaddam, H.K.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Numerical results indicate the reliability of CFA for the nuclear reactor LPO. ► The major advantages of CFA are its light computational cost and fast convergence. ► Our experiments demonstrate the ability of CFA to obtain the near optimal loading pattern. -- Abstract: In this research, the new meta-heuristic optimization strategy, firefly algorithm, is developed for the nuclear reactor loading pattern optimization problem. Two main goals in reactor core fuel management optimization are maximizing the core multiplication factor (K eff ) in order to extract the maximum cycle energy and minimizing the power peaking factor due to safety constraints. In this work, we define a multi-objective fitness function according to above goals for the core fuel arrangement enhancement. In order to evaluate and demonstrate the ability of continuous firefly algorithm (CFA) to find the near optimal loading pattern, we developed CFA nodal expansion code (CFANEC) for the fuel management operation. This code consists of two main modules including CFA optimization program and a developed core analysis code implementing nodal expansion method to calculate with coarse meshes by dimensions of fuel assemblies. At first, CFA is applied for the Foxholes test case with continuous variables in order to validate CFA and then for KWU PWR using a decoding strategy for discrete variables. Results indicate the efficiency and relatively fast convergence of CFA in obtaining near optimal loading pattern with respect to considered fitness function. At last, our experience with the CFA confirms that the CFA is easy to implement and reliable

Continuous firefly algorithm applied to PWR core pattern enhancement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poursalehi, N., E-mail: npsalehi@yahoo.com [Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., P.O. Box 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.; Moghaddam, H.K. [Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., P.O. Box 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-05-15

Highlights: ► Numerical results indicate the reliability of CFA for the nuclear reactor LPO. ► The major advantages of CFA are its light computational cost and fast convergence. ► Our experiments demonstrate the ability of CFA to obtain the near optimal loading pattern. -- Abstract: In this research, the new meta-heuristic optimization strategy, firefly algorithm, is developed for the nuclear reactor loading pattern optimization problem. Two main goals in reactor core fuel management optimization are maximizing the core multiplication factor (K{sub eff}) in order to extract the maximum cycle energy and minimizing the power peaking factor due to safety constraints. In this work, we define a multi-objective fitness function according to above goals for the core fuel arrangement enhancement. In order to evaluate and demonstrate the ability of continuous firefly algorithm (CFA) to find the near optimal loading pattern, we developed CFA nodal expansion code (CFANEC) for the fuel management operation. This code consists of two main modules including CFA optimization program and a developed core analysis code implementing nodal expansion method to calculate with coarse meshes by dimensions of fuel assemblies. At first, CFA is applied for the Foxholes test case with continuous variables in order to validate CFA and then for KWU PWR using a decoding strategy for discrete variables. Results indicate the efficiency and relatively fast convergence of CFA in obtaining near optimal loading pattern with respect to considered fitness function. At last, our experience with the CFA confirms that the CFA is easy to implement and reliable.

Improved pattern recognition systems by hybrid methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duerr, B.; Haettich, W.; Tropf, H.; Winkler, G.; Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V., Karlsruhe

1978-12-01

This report describes a combination of statistical and syntactical pattern recongition methods. The hierarchically structured recognition system consists of a conventional statistical classifier, a structural classifier analysing the topological composition of the patterns, a stage reducing the number of hypotheses made by the first two stages, and a mixed stage based on a search for maximum similarity between syntactically generated prototypes and patterns. The stages work on different principles to avoid mistakes made in one stage in the other stages. This concept is applied to the recognition of numerals written without constraints. If no samples are rejected, a recognition rate of 99,5% is obtained. (orig.) [de

[A study of behavior patterns between smokers and nonsmokers].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, H S

1990-04-01

Clinical and epidemiologic studies of coronary heart disease (CHD) have from time to time over the last three decades found associations between prevalence of CHD and behavioral attributes and cigarette smoking. The main purpose of this study is reduced to major risk factor of coronary heart disease through prohibition of smoking and control of behavior pattern. The subjects consisted of 120 smokers and 90 nonsmokers who were married men older than 30 years working in officers. The officers were surveyed by means of questionnaire September 26 through October 6, 1989. The Instruments used for this study was a self-administered measurement tool composed of 59 items was made through modifications of Jenkuns Activity Survey (JAS). The Data were analysed by SAS (Statistical Analysis System) program personal computer. The statistical technique used for this study were Frequency, chi 2-test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The 15 items were chosen with items above 0.3 of the factor loading in the factor analysis. In the first factor analysis 19 factors were extracted and accounted for 86% of the total variance. However when the number of factors were limited to 3 in order to derive Jenkins classification, three factors were derived. There names are Job-Involvement, Speed & Impatience, Hard-Driving. Each of them includes 21 items, 21 and 9, respectively. The results of this study were as follow: 1. The score of the smoker group and non-smoker group in Job-Involvement (t = 5.7147, p less than 0.0001), Speed & Impatience (t = 4.6756, p less than .0001), Hard-Driving (t = 8.0822, p less than .0001) and total type A behavior pattern showed statistically significant differences (t = 8.1224, p less than .0001). 2. The score of type A behavior pattern by number of cigarettes smoked daily were not statistically significant differences. 3. The score of type A behavior pattern by duration of smoking were not significant differences. It was concluded that the

Impact of Alzheimer's Disease on Caregiver Questionnaire: internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability of a new measure for assessing caregiver burden.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Jason C; Ito, Diane; Chen, Yaozhu J; Cheng, Rebecca; Bolognese, Jennifer; Li-McLeod, Josephine

2014-09-04

There is a lack of validated instruments to measure the level of burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) on caregivers. The Impact of Alzheimer's Disease on Caregiver Questionnaire (IADCQ) is a 12-item instrument with a seven-day recall period that measures AD caregiver's burden across emotional, physical, social, financial, sleep, and time aspects. Primary objectives of this study were to evaluate psychometric properties of IADCQ administered on the Web and to determine most appropriate scoring algorithm. A national sample of 200 unpaid AD caregivers participated in this study by completing the Web-based version of IADCQ and Short Form-12 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12v2™). The SF-12v2 was used to measure convergent validity of IADCQ scores and to provide an understanding of the overall health-related quality of life of sampled AD caregivers. The IADCQ survey was also completed four weeks later by a randomly selected subgroup of 50 participants to assess test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented to test the dimensionality of the IADCQ items. Classical item-level and scale-level psychometric analyses were conducted to estimate psychometric characteristics of the instrument. Test-retest reliability was performed to evaluate the instrument's stability and consistency over time. Virtually none (2%) of the respondents had either floor or ceiling effects, indicating the IADCQ covers an ideal range of burden. A single-factor model obtained appropriate goodness of fit and provided evidence that a simple sum score of the 12 items of IADCQ can be used to measure AD caregiver's burden. Scales-level reliability was supported with a coefficient alpha of 0.93 and an intra-class correlation coefficient (for test-retest reliability) of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.50-0.80). Low-moderate negative correlations were observed between the IADCQ and scales of the SF-12v2. The study findings suggest the IADCQ has appropriate psychometric characteristics as a

Flow patterns in vertical two-phase flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McQuillan, K.W.; Whalley, P.B.

1985-01-01

This paper is concerned with the flow patterns which occur in upwards gas-liquid two-phase flow in vertical tubes. The basic flow patterns are described and the use of flow patter maps is discussed. The transition between plug flow and churn flow is modelled under the assumption that flooding of the falling liquid film limits the stability of plug flow. The resulting equation is combined with other flow pattern transition equations to produce theoretical flow pattern maps, which are then tested against experimental flow pattern data. Encouraging agreement is obtained

Typhoid outbreak in Songkhla, Thailand 2009-2011: clinical outcomes, susceptibility patterns, and reliability of serology tests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wannee Limpitikul

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical manifestations and outcomes, the reliability of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S ser. Typhi IgM and IgG rapid tests, and the susceptibility patterns and the response to treatment during the 2009-2011 typhoid outbreak in Songkhla province in Thailand. METHOD: The medical records of children aged <15 years with S ser. Typhi bacteremia were analysed. The efficacy of the typhoid IgM and IgG rapid tests and susceptibility of the S ser. Typhi to the current main antibiotics used for typhoid (amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, co-trimoxazole, and ciprofloxacin, were evaluated. RESULTS: S ser. Typhi bacteremia was found in 368 patients, and all isolated strains were susceptible to all 6 antimicrobials tested. Most of the patients were treated with ciprofloxacin for 7-14 days. The median time (IQR of fever before treatment and duration of fever after treatment were 5 (4, 7 days and 4 (3, 5 days, respectively. Complications of ascites, lower respiratory symptoms, anemia (Hct <30%, and ileal perforation were found in 7, 7, 22, and 1 patients, respectively. None of the patients had recurrent infection or died. The sensitivities of the typhoid IgM and IgG tests were 58.3% and 25.6% respectively, and specificities were 74.1% and 50.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most of the patients were diagnosed at an early stage and treated with a good outcome. All S ser. Typhi strains were susceptible to standard first line antibiotic typhoid treatment. The typhoid IgM and IgG rapid tests had low sensitivity and moderate specificity.

Sludge characterization: the role of physical consistency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spinosa, Ludovico; Wichmann, Knut

2003-07-01

The physical consistency is an important parameter in sewage sludge characterization as it strongly affects almost all treatment, utilization and disposal operations. In addition, in many european Directives a reference to the physical consistency is reported as a characteristic to be evaluated for fulfilling the regulations requirements. Further, in many analytical methods for sludge different procedures are indicated depending on whether a sample is liquid or not, is solid or not. Three physical behaviours (liquid, paste-like and solid) can be observed with sludges, so the development of analytical procedures to define the boundary limit between liquid and paste-like behaviours (flowability) and that between solid and paste-like ones (solidity) is of growing interest. Several devices can be used for evaluating the flowability and solidity properties, but often they are costly and difficult to be operated in the field. Tests have been carried out to evaluate the possibility to adopt a simple extrusion procedure for flowability measurements, and a Vicat needle for solidity ones. (author)

Consistency of ocular coherence tomography fast macular thickness mapping in diabetic diffuse macular edema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saraiva, Fabio Petersen; Costa, Patricia Grativol; Inomata, Daniela Lumi; Melo, Carlos Sergio Nascimento; Helal Junior, John; Nakashima, Yoshitaka

2007-01-01

Objectives: To investigate optical coherence tomography consistency on foveal thickness, foveal volume, and macular volume measurements in patients with and without diffuse diabetic macular edema. Introduction: Optical coherence tomography represents an objective technique that provides cross-sectional tomographs of retinal structure in vivo. However, it is expected that poor fixation ability, as seen in diabetic macular edema, could alter its results. Several authors have discussed the reproducibility of optical coherence tomography, but only a few have addressed the topic with respect to diabetic maculopathy. Methods: The study recruited diabetic patients without clinically evident retinopathy (control group) and with diffuse macular edema (case group). Only one eye of each patient was evaluated. Five consecutive fast macular scans were taken using Ocular Coherence Tomography 3; the 6 mm macular map was chosen. The consistency in measurements of foveal thickness, foveal volume, and total macular volume for both groups was evaluated using the Pearson's coefficient of variation. The T-test for independent samples was used in order to compare measurements of both groups. Results: Each group consisted of 20 patients. All measurements had a coefficient of variation less than 10%. The most consistent parameter for both groups was the total macular volume. Discussion: Consistency in measurement is a mainstay of any test. A test is unreliable if its measurements can not be correctly repeated. We found a good index of consistency, even considering patients with an unstable gaze. Conclusions: Optical coherence tomography is a consistent method for diabetic subjects with diffuse macular edema. (author)

Consistency of ocular coherence tomography fast macular thickness mapping in diabetic diffuse macular edema

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saraiva, Fabio Petersen; Costa, Patricia Grativol; Inomata, Daniela Lumi; Melo, Carlos Sergio Nascimento; Helal Junior, John; Nakashima, Yoshitaka [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Hospital das Clinicas. Dept. de Oftalmologia]. E-mail: fabiopetersen@yahoo.com.br

2007-07-01

Objectives: To investigate optical coherence tomography consistency on foveal thickness, foveal volume, and macular volume measurements in patients with and without diffuse diabetic macular edema. Introduction: Optical coherence tomography represents an objective technique that provides cross-sectional tomographs of retinal structure in vivo. However, it is expected that poor fixation ability, as seen in diabetic macular edema, could alter its results. Several authors have discussed the reproducibility of optical coherence tomography, but only a few have addressed the topic with respect to diabetic maculopathy. Methods: The study recruited diabetic patients without clinically evident retinopathy (control group) and with diffuse macular edema (case group). Only one eye of each patient was evaluated. Five consecutive fast macular scans were taken using Ocular Coherence Tomography 3; the 6 mm macular map was chosen. The consistency in measurements of foveal thickness, foveal volume, and total macular volume for both groups was evaluated using the Pearson's coefficient of variation. The T-test for independent samples was used in order to compare measurements of both groups. Results: Each group consisted of 20 patients. All measurements had a coefficient of variation less than 10%. The most consistent parameter for both groups was the total macular volume. Discussion: Consistency in measurement is a mainstay of any test. A test is unreliable if its measurements can not be correctly repeated. We found a good index of consistency, even considering patients with an unstable gaze. Conclusions: Optical coherence tomography is a consistent method for diabetic subjects with diffuse macular edema. (author)

Internal Consistency, Retest Reliability, and their Implications For Personality Scale Validity

Science.gov (United States)

McCrae, Robert R.; Kurtz, John E.; Yamagata, Shinji; Terracciano, Antonio

2010-01-01

We examined data (N = 34,108) on the differential reliability and validity of facet scales from the NEO Inventories. We evaluated the extent to which (a) psychometric properties of facet scales are generalizable across ages, cultures, and methods of measurement; and (b) validity criteria are associated with different forms of reliability. Composite estimates of facet scale stability, heritability, and cross-observer validity were broadly generalizable. Two estimates of retest reliability were independent predictors of the three validity criteria; none of three estimates of internal consistency was. Available evidence suggests the same pattern of results for other personality inventories. Internal consistency of scales can be useful as a check on data quality, but appears to be of limited utility for evaluating the potential validity of developed scales, and it should not be used as a substitute for retest reliability. Further research on the nature and determinants of retest reliability is needed. PMID:20435807

Consistently high sports/exercise activity is associated with better sleep quality, continuity and depth in midlife women: the SWAN sleep study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kline, Christopher E; Irish, Leah A; Krafty, Robert T; Sternfeld, Barbara; Kravitz, Howard M; Buysse, Daniel J; Bromberger, Joyce T; Dugan, Sheila A; Hall, Martica H

2013-09-01

To examine relationships between different physical activity (PA) domains and sleep, and the influence of consistent PA on sleep, in midlife women. Cross-sectional. Community-based. 339 women in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Sleep Study (52.1 ± 2.1 y). None. Sleep was examined using questionnaires, diaries and in-home polysomnography (PSG). PA was assessed in three domains (Active Living, Household/Caregiving, Sports/Exercise) using the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS) up to 4 times over 6 years preceding the sleep assessments. The association between recent PA and sleep was evaluated using KPAS scores immediately preceding the sleep assessments. The association between the historical PA pattern and sleep was examined by categorizing PA in each KPAS domain according to its pattern over the 6 years preceding sleep assessments (consistently low, inconsistent/consistently moderate, or consistently high). Greater recent Sports/Exercise activity was associated with better sleep quality (diary "restedness" [P sleep continuity (diary sleep efficiency [SE; P = 0.02]) and depth (higher NREM delta electroencephalographic [EEG] power [P = 0.04], lower NREM beta EEG power [P Sports/Exercise activity was also associated with better Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores (P = 0.02) and higher PSG-assessed SE (P sleep and Active Living or Household/Caregiving activity (either recent or historical pattern) were noted. Consistently high levels of recreational physical activity, but not lifestyle- or household-related activity, are associated with better sleep in midlife women. Increasing recreational physical activity early in midlife may protect against sleep disturbance in this population.

Mechanical Testing of Polymeric Composites for Aircraft Applications: Standards, Requirements and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Chinchan, Levon; Shevtsov, Sergey; Soloviev, Arcady; Shevtsova, Varvara; Huang, Jiun-Ping

The high-loaded parts of modern aircrafts and helicopters are often produced from polymeric composite materials. Such materials consist of reinforcing fibers, packed by layers with the different angles, and resin, which uniformly distributes the structural stresses between fibers. These composites should have an orthotropic symmetry of mechanical properties to obtain the desirable spatial distribution of elastic moduli consistent to the external loading pattern. Main requirements to the aircraft composite materials are the specified elastic properties (9 for orthotropic composite), long-term strength parameters, high resistance against the environmental influences, low thermal expansion to maintain the shape stability. These properties are ensured by an exact implementation of technological conditions and many testing procedures performed with the fibers, resin, prepregs and ready components. Most important mechanical testing procedures are defined by ASTM, SACMA and other standards. However in each case the wide diversity of components (dimensions and lay-up of fibers, rheological properties of thermosetting resins) requires a specific approach to the sample preparation, testing, and numerical processing of the testing results to obtain the veritable values of tested parameters. We pay the special attention to the cases where the tested specimens are cut not from the plates recommended by standards, but from the ready part manufactured with the specific lay-up, tension forces on the reinforcing fiber at the filament winding, and curing schedule. These tests can provide most useful information both for the composite structural design and to estimate a quality of the ready parts. We consider an influence of relation between specimen dimensions and pattern of the fibers winding (or lay-up) on the results of mechanical testing for determination of longitudinal, transverse and in-plane shear moduli, an original numerical scheme for reconstruction of in-plane shear

Enhanced columnar structure in CsI layer by substrate patterning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jing, T.; Cho, G.; Drewery, J.; Kaplan, S.N.; Mireshghi, A.; Perez-Mendez, V.; Wildermuth, D. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Fujieda, I. [Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, CA (United States)

1991-10-01

Columnar structure in evaporated CsI layers can be controlled by patterning substrates as well as varying evaporation conditions. Mesh-patterned substrates with various dimensions were created by spin-coating polyimide on glass or amorphous silicon substrates and defining patterns with standard photolithography technique. CsI(Tl) layers 200--1000 {mu}m were evaporated. Scintillation properties of these evaporated layers, such as light yield and speed, were equivalent to those of the source materials. Spatial resolution of X-ray detectors consisting of these layers and a linear array of X-ray detectors consisting of these layers and a linear array of Si photodiodes was evaluated by exposing them to a 25{mu}m narrow beam of X-ray. The results obtained with 200{mu}m thick CsI layers coupled to a linear photodiode array with 20 dots/mm resolution showed that the spatial resolution of CsI(Tl) evaporated on patterned substrates was about 75 {mu}m FWHM, whereas that on CsI(Tl) on flat substrates was about 230 {mu}m FWHM. Micrographs taken by SEM revealed that these layers retained the well-defined columnar structure originating from substrate patterns. Adhesion and light transmission of CsI(Tl) were also improved by patterning the substrate.

Beam angle optimization for intensity-modulated radiation therapy using a guided pattern search method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Humberto; Dias, Joana M; Ferreira, Brígida C; Lopes, Maria C

2013-01-01

Generally, the inverse planning of radiation therapy consists mainly of the fluence optimization. The beam angle optimization (BAO) in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) consists of selecting appropriate radiation incidence directions and may influence the quality of the IMRT plans, both to enhance better organ sparing and to improve tumor coverage. However, in clinical practice, most of the time, beam directions continue to be manually selected by the treatment planner without objective and rigorous criteria. The goal of this paper is to introduce a novel approach that uses beam’s-eye-view dose ray tracing metrics within a pattern search method framework in the optimization of the highly non-convex BAO problem. Pattern search methods are derivative-free optimization methods that require a few function evaluations to progress and converge and have the ability to better avoid local entrapment. The pattern search method framework is composed of a search step and a poll step at each iteration. The poll step performs a local search in a mesh neighborhood and ensures the convergence to a local minimizer or stationary point. The search step provides the flexibility for a global search since it allows searches away from the neighborhood of the current iterate. Beam’s-eye-view dose metrics assign a score to each radiation beam direction and can be used within the pattern search framework furnishing a priori knowledge of the problem so that directions with larger dosimetric scores are tested first. A set of clinical cases of head-and-neck tumors treated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Coimbra is used to discuss the potential of this approach in the optimization of the BAO problem. (paper)

A Complex Story: Universal Preference vs. Individual Differences Shaping Aesthetic Response to Fractals Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Nichola; Forsythe, Alexandra M.; Reilly, Ronan; Taylor, Richard; Helmy, Mai S.

2016-01-01

Fractal patterns offer one way to represent the rough complexity of the natural world. Whilst they dominate many of our visual experiences in nature, little large-scale perceptual research has been done to explore how we respond aesthetically to these patterns. Previous research (Taylor et al., 2011) suggests that the fractal patterns with mid-range fractal dimensions (FDs) have universal aesthetic appeal. Perceptual and aesthetic responses to visual complexity have been more varied with findings suggesting both linear (Forsythe et al., 2011) and curvilinear (Berlyne, 1970) relationships. Individual differences have been found to account for many of the differences we see in aesthetic responses but some, such as culture, have received little attention within the fractal and complexity research fields. This two-study article aims to test preference responses to FD and visual complexity, using a large cohort (N = 443) of participants from around the world to allow universality claims to be tested. It explores the extent to which age, culture and gender can predict our preferences for fractally complex patterns. Following exploratory analysis that found strong correlations between FD and visual complexity, a series of linear mixed-effect models were implemented to explore if each of the individual variables could predict preference. The first tested a linear complexity model (likelihood of selecting the more complex image from the pair of images) and the second a mid-range FD model (likelihood of selecting an image within mid-range). Results show that individual differences can reliably predict preferences for complexity across culture, gender and age. However, in fitting with current findings the mid-range models show greater consistency in preference not mediated by gender, age or culture. This article supports the established theory that the mid-range fractal patterns appear to be a universal construct underlying preference but also highlights the fragility of

Critical heat flux and flow pattern for water flow in annular geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Wook; Baek, Won Pil; Chang, Soon Heung

1996-01-01

An experimental study on critical heat flux (CHF) and two-phase flow visualization has been performed for water flow in internally-heated, vertical, concentric annuli under near atmospheric pressure. Tests have been done under stable forced-circulation, upward and downward flow conditions with three test sections of relatively large gap widths (heated length = 0.6 m, inner diameter = 19 mm, outer diameter = 29, 35 and 51 mm). The outer wall of the test section was made up of the transparent Pyrex tube to allow the observation of flow patterns near the CHF occurrence. The CHF mechanism was changed in the order of flooding, churn-to-annular flow transition, and local dryout under a large bubble in churn flow as the flow rate was increased from zero to higher values. Observed parametric trends are consistent with the previous understanding except that the CHF for downward flow is considerably lower than that for upward flow

Chemical composition analysis and product consistency tests to support enhanced Hanford waste glass models: Results for the January, March, and April 2015 LAW glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Edwards, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Riley, W. T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Best, D. R. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-09-03

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for several simulated low activity waste (LAW) glasses (designated as the January, March, and April 2015 LAW glasses) fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of these analyses will be used as part of efforts to revise or extend the validation regions of the current Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant glass property models to cover a broader span of waste compositions.

An image-processing methodology for extracting bloodstain pattern features.

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, Ravishka M; Humburg, Philomena J; Hoogenboom, Jerry; Baiker, Martin; Taylor, Michael C; de Bruin, Karla G

2017-08-01

There is a growing trend in forensic science to develop methods to make forensic pattern comparison tasks more objective. This has generally involved the application of suitable image-processing methods to provide numerical data for identification or comparison. This paper outlines a unique image-processing methodology that can be utilised by analysts to generate reliable pattern data that will assist them in forming objective conclusions about a pattern. A range of features were defined and extracted from a laboratory-generated impact spatter pattern. These features were based in part on bloodstain properties commonly used in the analysis of spatter bloodstain patterns. The values of these features were consistent with properties reported qualitatively for such patterns. The image-processing method developed shows considerable promise as a way to establish measurable discriminating pattern criteria that are lacking in current bloodstain pattern taxonomies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coordination in fast repetitive violin-bowing patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoonderwaldt, Erwin; Altenmüller, Eckart

2014-01-01

We present a study of coordination behavior in complex violin-bowing patterns involving simultaneous bow changes (reversal of bowing direction) and string crossings (changing from one string to another). Twenty-two violinists (8 advanced amateurs, 8 students with violin as major subject, and 6 elite professionals) participated in the experiment. We investigated the influence of a variety of performance conditions (specific bowing patterns, dynamic level, tempo, and transposition) and level of expertise on coordination behavior (a.o., relative phase and amplitude) and stability. It was found that the general coordination behavior was highly consistent, characterized by a systematic phase lead of bow inclination over bow velocity of about 15° (i.e., string crossings were consistently timed earlier than bow changes). Within similar conditions, a high individual consistency was found, whereas the inter-individual agreement was considerably less. Furthermore, systematic influences of performance conditions on coordination behavior and stability were found, which could be partly explained in terms of particular performance constraints. Concerning level of expertise, only subtle differences were found, the student and professional groups (higher level of expertise) showing a slightly higher stability than the amateur group (lower level of expertise). The general coordination behavior as observed in the current study showed a high agreement with perceptual preferences reported in an earlier study to similar bowing patterns, implying that complex bowing trajectories for an important part emerge from auditory-motor interaction.

Coordination in fast repetitive violin-bowing patterns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Schoonderwaldt

Full Text Available We present a study of coordination behavior in complex violin-bowing patterns involving simultaneous bow changes (reversal of bowing direction and string crossings (changing from one string to another. Twenty-two violinists (8 advanced amateurs, 8 students with violin as major subject, and 6 elite professionals participated in the experiment. We investigated the influence of a variety of performance conditions (specific bowing patterns, dynamic level, tempo, and transposition and level of expertise on coordination behavior (a.o., relative phase and amplitude and stability. It was found that the general coordination behavior was highly consistent, characterized by a systematic phase lead of bow inclination over bow velocity of about 15° (i.e., string crossings were consistently timed earlier than bow changes. Within similar conditions, a high individual consistency was found, whereas the inter-individual agreement was considerably less. Furthermore, systematic influences of performance conditions on coordination behavior and stability were found, which could be partly explained in terms of particular performance constraints. Concerning level of expertise, only subtle differences were found, the student and professional groups (higher level of expertise showing a slightly higher stability than the amateur group (lower level of expertise. The general coordination behavior as observed in the current study showed a high agreement with perceptual preferences reported in an earlier study to similar bowing patterns, implying that complex bowing trajectories for an important part emerge from auditory-motor interaction.

Construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Thai version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-TH) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Buntragulpoontawee, Montana; Phutrit, Suphatha; Tongprasert, Siam; Wongpakaran, Tinakon; Khunachiva, Jeeranan

2018-03-27

This study evaluated additional psychometric properties of the Thai version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-TH) which included, test-retest reliability, construct validity, internal consistency of in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. As for determining construct validity, the Thai EuroQOL questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) was also administered in order to examine convergent and divergent validity. Fifty patients completed both questionnaires. The DASH-TH showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.811) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.911). The exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor solution while the confirmatory factor analysis denoted that the hypothesized model adequately fit the data with a comparative fit index of 0.967 and a Tucker-Lewis index of 0.964. The related subscales between the DASH-TH and the Thai EQ-5D-5L were significantly correlated, indicating the DASH-TH's convergent and discriminant validity. The DASH-TH demonstrated good reliability, internal consistency construct validity, and multidimensionality, in assessing the upper extremity function in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

Consistency in color parameters of a commonly used shade guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Tashkandi, Esam

2010-01-01

The use of shade guides to assess the color of natural teeth subjectively remains one of the most common means for dental shade assessment. Any variation in the color parameters of the different shade guides may lead to significant clinical implications. Particularly, since the communication between the clinic and the dental laboratory is based on using the shade guide designation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of the L∗a∗b∗ color parameters of a sample of a commonly used shade guide. The color parameters of a total of 100 VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany(were measured using a X-Rite ColorEye 7000A Spectrophotometer (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA). Each shade guide consists of 16 tabs with different designations. Each shade tab was measured five times and the average values were calculated. The ΔE between the average L∗a∗b∗ value for each shade tab and the average of the 100 shade tabs of the same designation was calculated. Using the Student t-test analysis, no significant differences were found among the measured sample. There is a high consistency level in terms of color parameters of the measured VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide sample tested.

Efficacy and safety of dextrose-insulin in unmasking non-diagnostic Brugada ECG patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Velázquez-Rodríguez, Enrique; Rodríguez-Piña, Horacio; Pacheco-Bouthillier, Alex; Jiménez-Cruz, Marcelo Paz

Typical diagnostic, coved-type 1, Brugada ECG patterns fluctuate spontaneously over time with a high proportion of non-diagnostic ECG patterns. Insulin modulates ion transport mechanisms and causes hyperpolarization of the resting potential. We report our experience with unmasking J-ST changes in response to a dextrose-insulin test. Nine patients, mean age 40.5±19.4years (range: 15-65years), presented initially with a non-diagnostic ECG pattern, which was suggestive of Brugada syndrome (group I). They were compared with 10 patients with normal ECG patterns (group II). Participants received an infusion of 50g of 50% dextrose, followed by 10IU of intravenous regular insulin. Positive changes were defined by conversion to a diagnostic ECG pattern. The dextrose-insulin test was positive in six of seven (85.7%) patients (kappa 0.79, p=0.02) that was confirmed with a pharmacologic test (kappa 1, p=0.003). One had an inconclusive test, and two with a negative test had an early repolarization ECG pattern. All subjects in group II had a negative test (pECG patterns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Daily Laboratory Orders at a Large Urban Academic Center: A Multifaceted Approach to Changing Test Ordering Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolf, Joseph W; Dighe, Anand S; Coley, Christopher M; Kamis, Irina K; Wertheim, Bradley M; Wright, Douglas E; Lewandrowski, Kent B; Baron, Jason M

2017-08-01

We sought to address concerns regarding recurring inpatient laboratory test order practices (daily laboratory tests) through a multifaceted approach to changing ordering patterns. We engaged in an interdepartmental collaboration to foster mindful test ordering through clinical policy creation, electronic clinical decision support, and continuous auditing and feedback. Annualized daily order volumes decreased from approximately 25,000 to 10,000 during a 33-month postintervention review. This represented a significant change from preintervention order volumes (95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.64; P < 10-16). Total inpatient test volumes were not affected. Durable changes to inpatient order practices can be achieved through a collaborative approach to utilization management that includes shared responsibility for establishing clinical guidelines and electronic decision support. Our experience suggests auditing and continued feedback are additional crucial components to changing ordering behavior. Curtailing daily orders alone may not be a sufficient strategy to reduce in-laboratory costs. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Blood flow patterns during incremental and steady-state aerobic exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Coovert, Daniel; Evans, LeVisa D; Jarrett, Steven; Lima, Carla; Lima, Natalia; Gurovich, Alvaro N

2017-05-30

Endothelial shear stress (ESS) is a physiological stimulus for vascular homeostasis, highly dependent on blood flow patterns. Exercise-induced ESS might be beneficial on vascular health. However, it is unclear what type of ESS aerobic exercise (AX) produces. The aims of this study are to characterize exercise-induced blood flow patterns during incremental and steady-state AX. We expect blood flow pattern during exercise will be intensity-dependent and bidirectional. Six college-aged students (2 males and 4 females) were recruited to perform 2 exercise tests on cycleergometer. First, an 8-12-min incremental test (Test 1) where oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and blood lactate (La) were measured at rest and after each 2-min step. Then, at least 48-hr. after the first test, a 3-step steady state exercise test (Test 2) was performed measuring VO2, HR, BP, and La. The three steps were performed at the following exercise intensities according to La: 0-2 mmol/L, 2-4 mmol/L, and 4-6 mmol/L. During both tests, blood flow patterns were determined by high-definition ultrasound and Doppler on the brachial artery. These measurements allowed to determine blood flow velocities and directions during exercise. On Test 1 VO2, HR, BP, La, and antegrade blood flow velocity significantly increased in an intensity-dependent manner (repeated measures ANOVA, pflow velocity did not significantly change during Test 1. On Test 2 all the previous variables significantly increased in an intensity-dependent manner (repeated measures ANOVA, pflow patterns during incremental and steady-state exercises include both antegrade and retrograde blood flows.

Polymer nanocomposite patterning by dip-pen nanolithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandemir, Ayse Cagil; Ma, Huan; Reiser, Alain; Spolenak, Ralph; Erdem, Derya

2016-01-01

The ultimate aim of this study is to construct polymer nanocomposite patterns by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). Recent investigations have revealed the effect of the amount of ink (Laplace pressure) on the mechanism of liquid ink writing. In this study it is shown that not only the amount of ink, but also physisorption and surface diffusion are relevant. After a few writing steps, physisorption and surface diffusion outweigh the influence of the amount of ink, allowing consistent patterning governed by dwell times and writing speeds. Polymer matrices can be utilized as a delivery medium to deposit functional particles. DPN patterning of polymer nanocomposites allows for local tuning of the functionality and mechanical strength of the written patterns in high resolution, with the benefit of pattern flexibility. Typically polymer matrices with volatile components are used as a delivery medium for nanoparticle deposition, with subsequent removal of loosely bound matrix material by heating or oxygen plasma. In our study, nanocomposite patterns were constructed, and the differences between polymer and nanocomposite patterning were investigated. Cross-sectional SEM and TEM analysis confirmed that nanoparticles can be deposited with the liquid-polymer ink and are evenly distributed in the polymer matrix. (paper)

Testing of DRAINMOD for Forested Watersheds with Non-Pattern Drainage

Science.gov (United States)

Devendra M. Amatya; Ge Sun; R. Wayne Skaggs; Carl C. Trettin

2003-01-01

Models like DRAINMOD and its forestry version, DRAINLOB, have been specifically developed as a field scale model for evaluating hydrologic effects of crops (trees), soil, and water management practices for lands with pattern drainage (i.e. with parallel ditches) on relatively flat, high water table soils. These models conduct a water balance between the ditches to...

Microscopic observation of pattern attack by aggressive ions on finished surface of aluminium alloy sacrificial anode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaifol Samsu; Muhammad Daud; Siti Radiah Mohd Kamarudin; Nur Ubaidah Saidin; Azali Muhammad; Mohd Shaari Ripin; Rusni Rejab; Mohd Shariff Sattar

2010-01-01

This paper presents the results of a microscopic observation on submerged finished surface of aluminium alloy sacrificial anode. Experimental tests were carried out on polished surface aluminium anode exposed to seawater containing aggressive ions in order to observe of pattern corrosion attack on corroding surface of anode. Results have shown, at least under the present testing condition, that surface of sacrificial anode were attack by an aggressive ion such as chloride along grain boundaries. In addition, results of microanalysis showed that the corrosion products on surface of aluminium alloy have Al, Zn and O element for all sample and within the pit was consists of Al, Zn, O and Cl element. (author)

Radioactive tracer method as an instrument for testing effectiveness of effluent treatment installations and mixing patterns in natural streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szpilowski, S; Strzelczak, G; Winnicki, R [Institute of Nuclear Research, Warsaw (Poland)

1976-01-01

The radiotracer methods of evaluation of sewage flow rate, testing of effluent treatment plants and mixing patterns in natural streams have been described. Experimental works were carried out for industrial installations and natural streams. As a tracer of liquid phase an aqueous KBr solution labelled with /sup 82/Br have been used. The sediment materials have been labelled with /sup 198/Au in the form of colloidal gold. The results of investigations have been utilized for treatment process analysis and water pollution control.

A review of culturally adapted versions of the Oswestry Disability Index: the adaptation process, construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheahan, Peter J; Nelson-Wong, Erika J; Fischer, Steven L

2015-01-01

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is a self-report-based outcome measure used to quantify the extent of disability related to low back pain (LBP), a substantial contributor to workplace absenteeism. The ODI tool has been adapted for use by patients in several non-English speaking nations. It is unclear, however, if these adapted versions of the ODI are as credible as the original ODI developed for English-speaking nations. The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the literature to identify culturally adapted versions of the ODI and to report on the adaptation process, construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of these ODIs. Following a pragmatic review process, data were extracted from each study with regard to these four outcomes. While most studies applied adaptation processes in accordance with best-practice guidelines, there were some deviations. However, all studies reported high-quality psychometric properties: group mean construct validity was 0.734 ± 0.094 (indicated via a correlation coefficient), test-retest reliability was 0.937 ± 0.032 (indicated via an intraclass correlation coefficient) and internal consistency was 0.876 ± 0.047 (indicated via Cronbach's alpha). Researchers can be confident when using any of these culturally adapted ODIs, or when comparing and contrasting results between cultures where these versions were employed. Implications for Rehabilitation Low back pain is the second leading cause of disability in the world, behind only cancer. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) has been developed as a self-report outcome measure of low back pain for administration to patients. An understanding of the various cross-cultural adaptations of the ODI is important for more concerted multi-national research efforts. This review examines 16 cross-cultural adaptations of the ODI and should inform the work of health care and rehabilitation professionals.

A visual study of forced convection boiling. Part 2: Flow patterns and burnout for a round test section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirby, G.J.; Staniforth, R.; Kinneir, J.H.

1967-03-01

The studies of boiling water at 25 p.s.i.a. reported here show the same flow patterns as in earlier tests in that the bubbles formed on the heater regained close to the heated surface to coalesce into large bubbles which eventually spanned the flow channel. Burnout tests were made and it was found there was a change of slope of the heat flux-subcooling curve. Further tests showed that this effect was due to a change in flow regime between burnout with much vapour present and burnout with just nucleate bubbles present. In the latter regime it was found that burnout is dependent only on the conditions local to the burnout point. Photography of the burnout region was practicable only when few bubbles were present but although pictures of the bubble over the burnout point were taken, no clear evidence on the mechanism of formation of the bubble could be gleaned. Some speculation on the cause of burnout in this regime is made in the light of these experiments. (author)