WorldWideScience

Sample records for two-sided matching agents

  1. Social Welfare in One-Sided Matching Mechanisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christodoulou, George; Filos-Ratsikas, Aris; Frederiksen, Søren Kristoffer Stiil

    2016-01-01

    We study the Price of Anarchy of mechanisms for the fundamental problem of social welfare maximization in one-sided matching settings, when agents have general cardinal preferences over a finite set of items. We consider both the complete and incomplete information settings and show that the two...... most well-studied mechanisms in literature, Probabilistic Serial and Random Priority have a Price of Anarchy of $O(\\sqrt{n})$. We complement our results with a lower bound of $\\Omega(\\sqrt{n})$ on the Price of Anarchy of \\emph{all} mechanisms. As a result, we conclude that these mechanisms are optimal....

  2. Multi-Criterion Two-Sided Matching of Public–Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects: Criteria and Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ru Liang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Two kinds of evaluative criteria are associated with Public–Private Partnership (PPP infrastructure projects, i.e., private evaluative criteria and public evaluative criteria. These evaluative criteria are inversely related, that is, the higher the public benefits; the lower the private surplus. To balance evaluative criteria in the Two-Sided Matching (TSM decision, this paper develops a quantitative matching decision model to select an optimal matching scheme for PPP infrastructure projects based on the Hesitant Fuzzy Set (HFS under unknown evaluative criterion weights. In the model, HFS is introduced to describe values of the evaluative criteria and multi-criterion information is fully considered given by groups. The optimal model is built and solved by maximizing the whole deviation of each criterion so that the evaluative criterion weights are determined objectively. Then, the match-degree of the two sides is calculated and a multi-objective optimization model is introduced to select an optimal matching scheme via a min-max approach. The results provide new insights and implications of the influence on evaluative criteria in the TSM decision.

  3. Application of Two-Sided Matching to Internal Labor of the Hellenic Navy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-01

    Figure 7. The NIMP Algorithm¹³ The first memorable theoretical study of two-sided matching belongs to Milton Friedman and his 1955 article, “The Role...Military Personnel” (Master’s thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, 2011). 15. Milton Friedman . “The Role of Government in Education,” in...Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, June, 2009. Friedman , Milton . “The Role of Government in Education.” In Economics and the Public Interest, edited

  4. Social welfare in one-sided matchings: Random priority and beyond

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Filos-Ratsikas, Aris; Frederiksen, Søren Kristoffer Stiil; Zhang, Jie

    2014-01-01

    We study the problem of approximate social welfare maximization (without money) in one-sided matching problems when agents have unrestricted cardinal preferences over a finite set of items. Random priority is a very well-known truthful-in-expectation mechanism for the problem. We prove...... that the approximation ratio of random priority is Theta(n^{-1/2}) while no truthful-in-expectation mechanism can achieve an approximation ratio better than O(n^{-1/2}), where n is the number of agents and items. Furthermore, we prove that the approximation ratio of all ordinal (not necessarily truthful......-in-expectation) mechanisms is upper bounded by O(n^{-1/2}), indicating that random priority is asymptotically the best truthful-in-expectation mechanism and the best ordinal mechanism for the problem....

  5. Price discrimination in two-sided markets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Zhang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of a price discrimination strategy is an important tool in competition. It can hurt firms and benefit consumers in a one-sided market. However, in two-sided markets, its primary goal is to attract more agents or increase profits. Here, the performance of a second-degree price discrimination strategy in the context of duopoly two-sided platforms is analysed. Two exogenous variables, which include the discount rate and the price discrimination threshold, are used in order to examine whether the price discrimination strategy could help two-sided platforms achieve their objective, which is to maximise their market value. Three cases are considered, and we demonstrate that the price discrimination strategy cannot attract more agents and at the same time increase the profits; a lower price discrimination threshold cannot ensure larger markets shares; a higher discount rate is detrimental to the profit of a platform. However, this is good for its market shares. Moreover, discriminative pricing increases the competition.

  6. Matching Games with Additive Externalities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Branzei, Simina; Michalak, Tomasz; Rahwan, Talal

    2012-01-01

    Two-sided matchings are an important theoretical tool used to model markets and social interactions. In many real life problems the utility of an agent is influenced not only by their own choices, but also by the choices that other agents make. Such an influence is called an externality. Whereas ...

  7. Self-tuning wireless power transmission scheme based on on-line scattering parameters measurement and two-side power matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yanting; Yang, Yongmin; Chen, Zhongsheng

    2014-04-10

    Sub-resonances often happen in wireless power transmission (WPT) systems using coupled magnetic resonances (CMR) due to environmental changes, coil movements or component degradations, which is a serious challenge for high efficiency power transmission. Thus self-tuning is very significant to keep WPT systems following strongly magnetic resonant conditions in practice. Traditional coupled-mode ways is difficult to solve this problem. In this paper a two-port power wave model is presented, where power matching and the overall systemic power transmission efficiency are firstly defined by scattering (S) parameters. Then we propose a novel self-tuning scheme based on on-line S parameters measurements and two-side power matching. Experimental results testify the feasibility of the proposed method. These findings suggest that the proposed method is much potential to develop strongly self-adaptive WPT systems with CMR.

  8. Matchings with Externalities and Attitudes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Branzei, Simina; Michalak, Tomasz; Rahwan, Talal

    2013-01-01

    Two-sided matchings are an important theoretical tool used to model markets and social interactions. In many real-life problems the utility of an agent is influenced not only by their own choices, but also by the choices that other agents make. Such an influence is called an externality. Whereas ...... where agents take different attitudes when reasoning about the actions of others. In particular, we study optimistic, neutral and pessimistic attitudes and provide both computational hardness results and polynomial-time algorithms for computing stable outcomes....

  9. Towards Automated Bargaining in Electronic Markets: A Partially Two-Sided Competition Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatti, Nicola; Lazaric, Alessandro; Restelli, Marcello

    This paper focuses on the prominent issue of automating bargaining agents within electronic markets. Models of bargaining in literature deal with settings wherein there are only two agents and no model satisfactorily captures settings in which there is competition among buyers, being they more than one, and analogously among sellers. In this paper, we extend the principal bargaining protocol, i.e. the alternating-offers protocol, to capture bargaining in markets. The model we propose is such that, in presence of a unique buyer and a unique seller, agents' equilibrium strategies are those in the original protocol. Moreover, we game theoretically study the considered game providing the following results: in presence of one-sided competition (more buyers and one seller or vice versa) we provide agents' equilibrium strategies for all the values of the parameters, in presence of two-sided competition (more buyers and more sellers) we provide an algorithm that produce agents' equilibrium strategies for a large set of the parameters and we experimentally evaluate its effectiveness.

  10. BLMA: A Blind Matching Algorithm with Application to Cognitive Radio Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Hamza, Doha R.

    2017-01-26

    We consider a two-sided one-to-one abstract matching problem with a defined notion of pairwise stability. The formulated problem is shown to encompass the ordinal and cardinal utility markets. We propose a distributed blind matching algorithm (BLMA) to solve the problem. BLMA is characterized by random activations of agents, and by generic negotiation and aspiration (utility) update processes. We prove the solution produced by BLMA will converge to an

  11. BLMA: A Blind Matching Algorithm with Application to Cognitive Radio Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Hamza, Doha R.; Shamma, Jeff S.

    2017-01-01

    We consider a two-sided one-to-one abstract matching problem with a defined notion of pairwise stability. The formulated problem is shown to encompass the ordinal and cardinal utility markets. We propose a distributed blind matching algorithm (BLMA) to solve the problem. BLMA is characterized by random activations of agents, and by generic negotiation and aspiration (utility) update processes. We prove the solution produced by BLMA will converge to an

  12. Bargaining with Incomplete Information: An Infinite-Horizon Model with Two-Sided Uncertainty

    OpenAIRE

    Peter Cramton

    1984-01-01

    The resolution of any bargaining conflict depends crucially on the relative urgency of the agents to reach agreement and the information each agent has about the others' preferences. This paper explores, within the context of an infinite-horizon bargaining model with two-sided uncertainty, how timing and information affect the rational behaviour of agents when commitment is not possible. Since the bargainers are uncertain about whether trade is desirable, they must communicate some of their p...

  13. Exploring Tradeoffs in Demand-Side and Supply-Side Management of Urban Water Resources Using Agent-Based Modeling and Evolutionary Computation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lufthansa Kanta

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Urban water supply systems may be managed through supply-side and demand-side strategies, which focus on water source expansion and demand reductions, respectively. Supply-side strategies bear infrastructure and energy costs, while demand-side strategies bear costs of implementation and inconvenience to consumers. To evaluate the performance of demand-side strategies, the participation and water use adaptations of consumers should be simulated. In this study, a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS framework is developed to simulate consumer agents that change their consumption to affect the withdrawal from the water supply system, which, in turn influences operational policies and long-term resource planning. Agent-based models are encoded to represent consumers and a policy maker agent and are coupled with water resources system simulation models. The CAS framework is coupled with an evolutionary computation-based multi-objective methodology to explore tradeoffs in cost, inconvenience to consumers, and environmental impacts for both supply-side and demand-side strategies. Decisions are identified to specify storage levels in a reservoir that trigger: (1 increases in the volume of water pumped through inter-basin transfers from an external reservoir; and (2 drought stages, which restrict the volume of water that is allowed for residential outdoor uses. The proposed methodology is demonstrated for Arlington, Texas, water supply system to identify non-dominated strategies for an historic drought decade. Results demonstrate that pumping costs associated with maximizing environmental reliability exceed pumping costs associated with minimizing restrictions on consumer water use.

  14. Landmine detection using two-tapped joint orthogonal matching pursuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Sean; Glenn, Taylor; Wilson, Joseph N.; Gader, Paul D.

    2012-06-01

    Joint Orthogonal Matching Pursuits (JOMP) is used here in the context of landmine detection using data obtained from an electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor. The response from an object containing metal can be decomposed into a discrete spectrum of relaxation frequencies (DSRF) from which we construct a dictionary. A greedy iterative algorithm is proposed for computing successive residuals of a signal by subtracting away the highest matching dictionary element at each step. The nal condence of a particular signal is a combination of the reciprocal of this residual and the mean of the complex component. A two-tap approach comparing signals on opposite sides of the geometric location of the sensor is examined and found to produce better classication. It is found that using only a single pursuit does a comparable job, reducing complexity and allowing for real-time implementation in automated target recognition systems. JOMP is particularly highlighted in comparison with a previous EMI detection algorithm known as String Match.

  15. Automated side-chain model building and sequence assignment by template matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.

    2002-01-01

    A method for automated macromolecular side-chain model building and for aligning the sequence to the map is described. An algorithm is described for automated building of side chains in an electron-density map once a main-chain model is built and for alignment of the protein sequence to the map. The procedure is based on a comparison of electron density at the expected side-chain positions with electron-density templates. The templates are constructed from average amino-acid side-chain densities in 574 refined protein structures. For each contiguous segment of main chain, a matrix with entries corresponding to an estimate of the probability that each of the 20 amino acids is located at each position of the main-chain model is obtained. The probability that this segment corresponds to each possible alignment with the sequence of the protein is estimated using a Bayesian approach and high-confidence matches are kept. Once side-chain identities are determined, the most probable rotamer for each side chain is built into the model. The automated procedure has been implemented in the RESOLVE software. Combined with automated main-chain model building, the procedure produces a preliminary model suitable for refinement and extension by an experienced crystallographer

  16. Automated side-chain model building and sequence assignment by template matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C

    2003-01-01

    An algorithm is described for automated building of side chains in an electron-density map once a main-chain model is built and for alignment of the protein sequence to the map. The procedure is based on a comparison of electron density at the expected side-chain positions with electron-density templates. The templates are constructed from average amino-acid side-chain densities in 574 refined protein structures. For each contiguous segment of main chain, a matrix with entries corresponding to an estimate of the probability that each of the 20 amino acids is located at each position of the main-chain model is obtained. The probability that this segment corresponds to each possible alignment with the sequence of the protein is estimated using a Bayesian approach and high-confidence matches are kept. Once side-chain identities are determined, the most probable rotamer for each side chain is built into the model. The automated procedure has been implemented in the RESOLVE software. Combined with automated main-chain model building, the procedure produces a preliminary model suitable for refinement and extension by an experienced crystallographer.

  17. Platform pricing in matching markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goos, M.; van Cayseele, P.; Willekens, B.

    2011-01-01

    This paper develops a simple model of monopoly platform pricing accounting for two pertinent features of matching markets. 1) The trading process is characterized by search and matching frictions implying limits to positive cross-side network effects and the presence of own-side congestion.

  18. Effects of drugs of abuse and cholinergic agents on delayed matching-to-sample responding in the squirrel monkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudzik, T J; Wenger, G R

    1993-04-01

    To study how drugs may disrupt short-term memory function, squirrel monkeys were trained to respond under a titrating delayed matching-to-sample schedule of reinforcement. Monkeys could respond on each of three keys in an operant chamber. At the start of each trial, the 30th response on the center key illuminated each of the side keys, one of which matched the stimulus presented on the center key (simultaneous matching). A response to the correct (matching) side key turned off all stimuli and initiated a delay, the length of which varied as a function of ongoing performance. After the delay, stimuli were randomly presented on two of the three keys. A response to the key which matched the color on the center key before the delay resulted in delivery of a food pellet (delayed matching). Incorrect simultaneous or delayed matching responses initiated a timeout. Under this procedure, diazepam and scopolamine decreased delayed matching accuracy at one or more doses that did not significantly decrease mean delay values, but only scopolamine decreased matching accuracy at a dose that did not significantly decrease response rates. Cocaine decreased mean delay values after the highest dose without affecting matching accuracy. Pentobarbital and methylscopolamine decreased matching accuracy and mean and maximum delay values after the highest doses. Nicotine and phencyclidine produced small decreases in delayed matching accuracy without affecting mean and maximum delay values. Caffeine, morphine, physostigmine and neostigmine did not alter matching performance even after doses that markedly decreased rates of responding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  19. Matching profiles of masked perpetrators: a pilot study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lynnerup, Niels; Bojesen, Sophie; Kuhlman, Michael Bilde

    2010-01-01

    Seventeen male volunteers were photographed laterally with and without a tight-fitting balaclava. We then matched these photographs in blind trials. The matches were performed in two separate trials: as side-by-side comparisons, and by using superimposition. In both trials we graded the matches a...

  20. Update on antiplatelet agents, including MATCH, CHARISMA, and ESPRIT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skliut, Maryna; Jamieson, Dara G

    2008-02-01

    Despite recent advances in the acute treatment of stroke, prevention and risk factor modification remain the mainstays of management for patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. The majority of noncardioembolic ischemic strokes are atherothrombotic, presumed to be associated with the activation and aggregation of platelets. Antiplatelet medications have been shown to be effective in the secondary prevention of stroke of presumed arterial origin, both as monotherapy and in combination. Among combination of antiplatelet agents, aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole has demonstrated statistically significant additive benefit over monotherapy with each agent. Clopidogrel plus aspirin does not prevent recurrent ischemic stroke over each component individually, and the combination increases the risk of hemorrhagic side effects. This article reviews the most recent studies on antiplatelet medications, including the combination of aspirin and clopidogrel or extended-release dipyridamole, and discusses some of the controversies that still exist with the use of antiplatelet agents.

  1. Two-Sided Matching Agents for Electronic Employment Market Design: Social Welfare Implications

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gates, William

    2002-01-01

    ... employment market designs. Using a quasi-price measure for comparison and examining social welfare as a basis for assessing market-design alternatives, we provide novel insight into the balance required between technologically...

  2. An Incentive Theory of Matching

    OpenAIRE

    Brown, Alessio J. G.; Merkl, Christian; Snower, Dennis J.

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the labour market matching process by distinguishing its two component stages: the contact stage, in which job searchers make contact with employers and the selection stage, in which they decide whether to match. We construct a theoretical model explaining two-sided selection through microeconomic incentives. Firms face adjustment costs in responding to heterogeneous variations in the characteristics of workers and jobs. Matches and separations are described through firms'...

  3. Small-Sided Games : An Optimal Training Tool to Represent Tactical Match Demands in Elite-Standard Youth Soccer Players?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Olthof, S. B. H.; Frencken, W. G. P.; Lemmink, K. A. P. M.

    2016-01-01

    Small-sided games are an often used training tool in soccer practices. It has proven to provide a simultaneous physical, technical and tactical training stimulus for soccer players[1]. Small-sided games replicate the tactical character of a match, but in a simplified format with reductions in number

  4. Optimal Quality Strategy and Matching Service on Crowdfunding Platforms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenqing Wu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper develops a crowdfunding platform model incorporating quality and a matching service from the perspective of a two-sided market. It aims to explore the impact of different factors on the optimal quality threshold and matching service in a context of crowdfunding from the perspective of a two-sided market. We discuss the impact of different factors on the optimal quality threshold and matching service. Two important influential factors are under consideration, simultaneously. One is the quality threshold of admission and the other is the matching efficiency on crowdfunding platforms. This paper develops a two-sided market model incorporating quality, a matching service, and the characters of crowdfunding campaigns. After attempting to solve the model by derivative method, this paper identifies the mechanism of how the parameters influence the optimal quality threshold and matching service. Additionally, it compares the platform profits in scenarios with and without an exclusion policy. The results demonstrate that excluding low-quality projects is profitable when funder preference for project quality is substantial enough. Crowdfunding platform managers would be unwise to admit the quality threshold of the crowdfunding project and charge entrance fees when the parameter of funder preference for project quality is small.

  5. Matching Two-dimensional Gel Electrophoresis' Spots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dos Anjos, António; AL-Tam, Faroq; Shahbazkia, Hamid Reza

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes an approach for matching Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis (2-DE) gels' spots, involving the use of image registration. The number of false positive matches produced by the proposed approach is small, when compared to academic and commercial state-of-the-art approaches. This ar...

  6. A Diffusion Model for Two-sided Service Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Homma, Koichi; Yano, Koujin; Funabashi, Motohisa

    A diffusion model is proposed for two-sided service systems. ‘Two-sided’ refers to the existence of an economic network effect between two different and interrelated groups, e.g., card holders and merchants in an electronic money service. The service benefit for a member of one side depends on the number and quality of the members on the other side. A mathematical model by J. H. Rohlfs explains the network (or bandwagon) effect of communications services. In Rohlfs' model, only the users' group exists and the model is one-sided. This paper extends Rohlfs' model to a two-sided model. We propose, first, a micro model that explains individual behavior in regard to service subscription of both sides and a computational method that drives the proposed model. Second, we develop macro models with two diffusion-rate variables by simplifying the micro model. As a case study, we apply the models to an electronic money service and discuss the simulation results and actual statistics.

  7. Neosordarin and hydroxysordarin, two new antifungal agents from Sordaria araneosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davoli, Paolo; Engel, Günther; Werle, Andreas; Sterner, Olov; Anke, Timm

    2002-04-01

    Two novel antifungal agents belonging to the sordarin family have been isolated from fermentations of Sordaria araneosa by bioassay-guided purification and their structures elucidated by NMR techniques. Neosordarin (1) is closely related to the recently discovered hypoxysordarin (2), with only small differences on the aliphatic side chain acylating the hydroxyl in the 3'-position of the sordarose moiety. Hydroxysordarin (3) closely resembles sordarin (4), the only slight difference being the replacement of sordarose with altrose as the sugar unit.

  8. Dynamic Matching Markets and the Deferred Acceptance Mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kennes, John; Monte, Daniel; Tumennasan, Norovsambuu

    In many dynamic matching markets, priorities depend on previous allocations. In such environments, agents on the proposing side can manipulate the period-by-period deferred acceptance (DA) mechanism. We show that the fraction of agents with incentives to manipulate the DA mechanism approaches zero...... as the market size increases. In addition, we provide a novel al- gorithm to calculate the percentage of markets that can be manipulated. Based on randomly generated data, we find that the DA becomes approximately non-manipulable when the schools capacity reaches 20. Our theoretical and simulation results...... together justify the implementation of the period-by-period DA mechanism in dynamic markets....

  9. Classification of gap flow regimes in two side-by-side circular cylinders

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Atkins, M

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The behavior of the flow around two circular cylinders arranged in a side-by-side configuration strongly depends on the transverse center-to-center gap spacing ratio (T/D) where D is the cylinder diameter. Based on the observed wake structure [13...

  10. Numerical study of two side-by-side cylinders with unequal diameters at low Reynolds number

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Y Y; Wang, X K; Tan, S K

    2012-01-01

    Two-dimensional laminar flow about two side-by-side unequal cylinders with different diameter ratios d/D and centre-to-centre spacing ratios T/D at Re=300 (based on the larger cylinder diameter) was simulated using a CFD software. Comparisons of experimental and numerical results were made to elucidate the degree of interference due to d/D and T/D and their effects on the flow patterns and vortex shedding frequencies. The findings showed that the flow patterns behind two unequal cylinders were distinctly different from that behind two equal side-by-side cylinders, with distinct in-phase and anti-phase vortex shedding, and random switching of modes of vortex shedding.

  11. Patients' oral hydration levels and incidence of immediate to short-term mild side-effects in contrast agent enhanced MRI diagnostics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jonker, Leon; Fallahi, Farshid

    2015-01-01

    Aim: Gadolinium-based contrast agents for radiodiagnostic purposes can lead to side effects, including nephrotoxicity in patients with renal insufficiency. This study evaluated whether the occurrence of mild side effects from gadolinium-based contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates to patients' oral hydration levels. Methods: Oral fluid intake levels 24 h pre- and 24 h post-MRI, as well as incidence of mild side-effects experienced 30 min and 24 h post-MRI were recorded by using a patient self-reporting questionnaire. Results: A total of 174 patients, 29 controls, 98 administered Prohance and 47 receiving Dotarem, were enrolled. Overall, the most frequently reported side-effect was headache; nausea only occurred in patients receiving contrast agent. One or more side-effects experienced 24 h following the MRI scan were reported by 10% (controls), 24% (Prohance) and 22% (Dotarem) of patients, respectively. Multivariate ordinal regression analysis showed that only male gender (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.11–0.53) was statistically significantly associated with a decreased incidence of side-effects 30 min after MRI. At 24-h post MRI, a lack of contrast agent (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.09–1.74) and male gender (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.19–1.09) were associated with fewer side-effects. Conclusions: The level oral fluid intake before and after undergoing gadolinium-based contrast-enhanced MRI does not appear to markedly affect the incidence of common undesirable mild symptoms experienced shortly after the procedure. Confounding differences between patients in reporting side-effects may contribute to these findings. - Highlights: • We assess the incidence of patient-reported side-effects after contrast-enhanced MRI. • We examine the potential impact of oral hydration levels on side-effects. • Patient reported side-effects are high compared to those reported by clinicians. • Female gender and contrast agent itself are associated with increased side

  12. Heat transfer from two-side heated helical channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimonis, V.; Ragaishis, V.; Poshkas, P.

    1995-01-01

    Experimental results are presented on the heat transfer from two-side heated helical channels to gas (air) flows. The study covered six configurations and wide ranges of geometrical (D/h=5.5 to 84.2) and performance (Re=10 3 to 2*10 5 ) parameters. Under the influence of Re and of the channel curvature, the heat transfer from both the convex and the concave surfaces for two-side heating (q w1 ≅ q w2 ) is augmented by 20-30% over one-side heating. Improved relations to predict the critical values of Reynolds Re cr1 and Re cr2 are suggested. They enable more exact predictions of the heat transfer from convex surface in transient flows for one-side heating. The relation for annular channels is suggested for the turbulent heat transfer from the convex and concave surfaces of two-side heated helical channels. It can be adapted by introducing earlier expresions for one-side heated helical channels. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs

  13. Many-to-one blind matching for device-to-device communications

    KAUST Repository

    Hamza, Doha R.

    2018-01-23

    We formulate a two-sided many-to-one abstract matching problem defined by a collection of agreement functions. We then propose a blind matching algorithm (BLMA) to solve the problem. Our solution concept is a modified notion of pairwise stability whereby no pair of agents can e-improve their aspiration levels. We show that the random and decentralized process of BLMA converges to e-pairwise stable solutions with probability one. Next, we consider the application of BLMA in the resource and power allocation problem of device-to-device (D2D) links underlaying a cellular network. Only one resource block (RB) can be assigned to a given D2D while D2D links may occupy many RBs at any given time. We cast the D2D allocation problem within our many-to-one matching problem. We then consider a specific instance of BLMA with limited information exchange so that agents know nothing about the value, utility, of their mutual offers. Offers are simply declared and then either accepted or rejected. Despite the market and information decentralization characteristic of the BLMA, we show that agreement of aspiration levels can still be ascertained and that attaining e-pairwise stability is feasible. Numerical results further demonstrate the convergence properties of the BLMA and that the total utility attained by the BLMA is almost equal to the total utility attained by a centralized controller.

  14. An Evaluation of One-Sided and Two-Sided Communication Paradigms on Relaxed-Ordering Interconnect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibrahim, Khaled Z. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hargrove, Paul H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Iancu, Costin [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Yelick, Katherine [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2014-08-14

    The Cray Gemini interconnect hardware provides multiple transfer mechanisms and out-of-order message delivery to improve communication throughput. In this paper we quantify the performance of one-sided and two-sided communication paradigms with respect to: 1) the optimal available hardware transfer mechanism, 2) message ordering constraints, 3) per node and per core message concurrency. In addition to using Cray native communication APIs, we use UPC and MPI micro-benchmarks to capture one- and two-sided semantics respectively. Our results indicate that relaxing the message delivery order can improve performance up to 4.6x when compared with strict ordering. When hardware allows it, high-level one-sided programming models can already take advantage of message reordering. Enforcing the ordering semantics of two-sided communication comes with a performance penalty. Furthermore, we argue that exposing out-of-order delivery at the application level is required for the next-generation programming models. Any ordering constraints in the language specifications reduce communication performance for small messages and increase the number of active cores required for peak throughput.

  15. Change agent's contribution to recipients' resistance to change: A two-sided story

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, Janita F.J.; Rupert, Joyce

    2018-01-01

    In the change management literature, most studies on recipients’ resistance to change include only the views of agents or of recipients, thereby ignoring that these parties may have different perceptions. In this quantitative study, we include the perceptions of both parties in studying the

  16. Matching of equivalent field regions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Appel-Hansen, Jørgen; Rengarajan, S.B.

    2005-01-01

    In aperture problems, integral equations for equivalent currents are often found by enforcing matching of equivalent fields. The enforcement is made in the aperture surface region adjoining the two volumes on each side of the aperture. In the case of an aperture in a planar perfectly conducting...... screen, having the same homogeneous medium on both sides and an impressed current on one aide, an alternative procedure is relevant. We make use of the fact that in the aperture the tangential component of the magnetic field due to the induced currents in the screen is zero. The use of such a procedure...... shows that equivalent currents can be found by a consideration of only one of the two volumes into which the aperture plane divides the space. Furthermore, from a consideration of an automatic matching at the aperture, additional information about tangential as well as normal field components...

  17. Vortex interactions in a two side-by-side cylinder near-wake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Z.J.; Zhou, Y.

    2005-01-01

    The flow behind two side-by-side circular cylinders is experimentally investigated based on laser-illuminated flow-visualization, particle image velocimetry and hot-wire measurements. The flow is classified as three regimes: single street (the cylinder center-to-center spacing T/d 2.0). Special attention is given to the regime of 1.2 2.0, the flow structure change from the anti-phase to in-phase mode starts with a phase shift between gap vortices. The dynamical role of gap bleeding between cylinders for L/d < 1.2 is also examined

  18. Left-sided gall bladder: Report of two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chrungoo R

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Left-sided gall bladder without situs inversus viscerum is a rare albeit recognized clinical entity. We report our experience of two cases of left-sided gall bladder in two women aged 36 and 48 who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for chronic calculous cholecystitis. Left-sided gall bladder may provide an unusual surprise to the surgeons during laparoscopy as routine pre-operative studies may not always detect the anomaly. Awareness of the unpredictable confluence of the cystic duct into the common bile duct (CBD and selective use of intraoperative cholangiography aid in the safe laparoscopic management of this unusual entity.

  19. Clinical performance of a glass ionomer sealant protected with two different resin-based agents over a 2-year follow-up period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulusoy, A T; Tunc, E S; Bayrak, Ş

    2017-03-01

    To evaluate the effects of two different resin coating materials on the clinical performance of a conventional glass ionomer sealant. Permanent first mandibular molars of 60 children aged 6-9 years were sealed with Fuji VII. In each child, G-Coat Plus coating agent was applied to molars on one side and Heliobond coating agent to molars on the opposite side of the mouth. Clinical evaluations were carried out at 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after sealant and coating application. At 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after sealant and coating application, total sealant retention rates were 88%, 40%, 19%, 15% and 9% for molars coated with G-Coat Plus, and 93%, 47%, 17%, 15% and 7% for those coated with Heliobond. The differences between the two coating agents were not statistically significant (p>0.05). No incidence of caries was observed in either group during the two-year evaluation period. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare differences in retention rates and caries incidence by coating agent. Although retention rates of Fuji VII were relatively low and similar for both resin coating agents tested, dental caries were not observed in either group during the 24-month study period. In children with a high risk of caries and partially erupted molars, the use of a glass ionomer sealant with a resin-based coating agent should be encouraged.

  20. Harmony Search for Balancing Two-sided Assembly Lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hindriyanto Dwi Purnomo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Two-sided assembly lines balancing problems are important problem for large-sized products such as cars and buses, in which, tasks operations can be performed in the two sides of the line. In this paper, Harmony Search algorithm is proposed to solve two-sided assembly lines balancing problems type-I (TALBP-I. The proposed method adopts the COMSOAL heuristic and specific features of TALBP in the Harmony operators – the harmony memory consideration, random selection and pitch adjustment – in order to maintain the local and global search. The proposed method is evaluated based on 6 benchmark problems that are commonly used in TALBP. The experiment results show that the proposed method work well and produces better solution than the heuristic method and genetic algorithm.

  1. THE Economics of Match-Fixing

    OpenAIRE

    Caruso, Raul

    2007-01-01

    The phenomenon of match-fixing does constitute a constant element of sport contests. This paper presents a simple formal model in order to explain it. The intuition behind is that an asymmetry in the evaluation of the stake is the key factor leading to match-fixing. In sum, this paper considers a partial equilibrium model of contest where two asymmetric, rational and risk-neutral opponents evaluate differently a contested stake. Differently from common contest models, agents have the option ...

  2. Successive Two-sided Loop Jets Caused by Magnetic Reconnection between Two Adjacent Filamentary Threads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian, Zhanjun; Liu, Yu; Shen, Yuandeng [Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650216 (China); Elmhamdi, Abouazza; Kordi, Ayman S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Su, Jiangtao [University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Liu, Ying D., E-mail: ydshen@ynao.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

    2017-08-20

    We present observational analysis of two successive two-sided loop jets observed by the ground-based New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the space-borne Solar Dynamics Observatory . The two successive two-sided loop jets manifested similar evolution processes and both were associated with the interaction of two small-scale adjacent filamentary threads, magnetic emerging, and cancellation processes at the jet’s source region. High temporal and high spatial resolution observations reveal that the two adjacent ends of the two filamentary threads are rooted in opposite magnetic polarities within the source region. The two threads approached each other, and then an obvious brightening patch is observed at the interaction position. Subsequently, a pair of hot plasma ejections are observed heading in opposite directions along the paths of the two filamentary threads at a typical speed for two-sided loop jets of the order 150 km s{sup −1}. Close to the end of the second jet, we report the formation of a bright hot loop structure at the source region, which suggests the formation of new loops during the interaction. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed two-sided loop jets are caused by magnetic reconnection between the two adjacent filamentary threads, largely different from the previous scenario that a two-sided loop jet is generated by magnetic reconnection between an emerging bipole and the overlying horizontal magnetic fields.

  3. Better functional outcome provided by short-armed sigmoid colon-rectal side-to-end anastomosis after laparoscopic low anterior resection: a match-paired retrospective study from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuan-Chuan; Jin, Xiao-Dong; Zhang, Yu-Ting; Wang, Zi-Qiang

    2012-04-01

    Side-to-end anastomosis using the descending colon has been proved to be as effective as J pouch in alleviating low anterior resection syndrome. However, using the sigmoid colon, which is less compliant for reconstruction after rectal cancer surgery, is common in China due to less prevalence of diverticulosis. The effectiveness of using the sigmoid colon for a side-to-end colorectal anastomosis in improving bowel dysfunction after laparoscopic low anterior resection of rectal cancer has not been investigated. This study was designed to compare the functional and surgical outcomes between the two anastomoses. From October 2007 to December 2008, 16 rectal cancer patients underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection with short-armed (length of side limb 2-4 cm) side-to-end sigmoidorectal anastomosis at our department. The bowel functional results of these patients at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively were recorded and compared with that of another 1:2 matched 30 patients undergoing straight anastomosis. Bowel movement frequency in the side-to-end group was obviously less than that in the straight group 6 months postoperatively. Patients in the side-to-end group also had an improved incontinence score, a better ability to defer defecation, and less repeated evacuation. No differences were found between two groups 1 year after surgery. The study shows that the short-armed side-to-end colorectal anastomosis using the sigmoid colon can also improve the short-term bowel function in patients undergoing laparoscopic low anterior resection.

  4. Structural and electronic properties of free standing one-sided and two-sided hydrogenated silicene: A first principle study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohan, Brij; Kumar, Ashok; Ahluwalia, P. K.

    2014-01-01

    We performed first-principle study of the structural and electronic properties of two-dimensional hydrogenated silicene for two configurations; one is hydrogenation along one side of silicene sheet and second is hydrogenation in both sides of silicene sheet. The one-side hydrogenated silicene is found stable at planar geometry while increased buckling of 0.725 Å is found for both-side hydrogenated silicene. The result shows that the hydrogenation occupy the extended π-bonding network of silicene, and thus it exhibits semi-conducting behaviour with a band gap of 1.77 eV and 2.19 eV for one-side hydrogenated silicene and both-side hydrogenated silicene respectively. However, both-side hydrogenated silicene of binding energy 4.56 eV is more stable than one-side hydrogenated silicene of binding energy 4.30 eV, but experimentally silicene is synthesized on substrates which interacts one side of silicene layer and only other side is available for H-atoms. Therefore, practically one-side hydrogenation is also important

  5. Matching Automatic Gain Control Across Devices in Bimodal Cochlear Implant Users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veugen, Lidwien C E; Chalupper, Josef; Snik, Ad F M; Opstal, A John van; Mens, Lucas H M

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to improve bimodal benefit in listeners using a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid (HA) in contralateral ears, by matching the time constants and the number of compression channels of the automatic gain control (AGC) of the HA to the CI. Equivalent AGC was hypothesized to support a balanced loudness for dynamically changing signals like speech and improve bimodal benefit for speech understanding in quiet and with noise presented from the side(s) at 90 degree. Fifteen subjects participated in the study, all using the same Advanced Bionics Harmony CI processor and HA (Phonak Naida S IX UP). In a 3-visit crossover design with 4 weeks between sessions, performance was measured using a HA with a standard AGC (syllabic multichannel compression with 1 ms attack time and 50 ms release time) or an AGC that was adjusted to match that of the CI processor (dual AGC broadband compression, 3 and 240 msec attack time, 80 and 1500 msec release time). In all devices, the AGC was activated above the threshold of 63 dB SPL. The authors balanced loudness across the devices for soft and loud input sounds in 3 frequency bands (0 to 548, 548 to 1000, and >1000 Hz). Speech understanding was tested in free field in quiet and in noise for three spatial speaker configurations, with target speech always presented from the front. Single-talker noise was either presented from the CI side or the HA side, or uncorrelated stationary speech-weighted noise or single-talker noise was presented from both sides. Questionnaires were administered to assess differences in perception between the two bimodal fittings. Significant bimodal benefit over the CI alone was only found for the AGC-matched HA for the speech tests with single-talker noise. Compared with the standard HA, matched AGC characteristics significantly improved speech understanding in single-talker noise by 1.9 dB when noise was presented from the HA side. AGC matching increased bimodal benefit

  6. Price Competition in Two-Sided Markets with Heterogeneous Consumers and Network Effects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.

    We model a two-sided market with heterogeneous customers and two heterogeneous network effects. In our model, customers on each market side care differently about both the number and the type of customers on the other side. Examples of two-sided markets are online platforms or daily newspapers. In

  7. Two sides of the same coin: stem cells in cancer and regenerative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilmer, Matthias; Vykoukal, Jody; Recio Boiles, Alejandro; Coleman, Michael; Alt, Eckhard

    2014-07-01

    Multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue, cord blood, and other origins have recently received much attention as potential therapeutic agents with beneficial immunomodulatory and regenerative properties. In their native tissue environment, however, such cells also appear to have essential functions in building and supporting tumor microenvironments, providing metastatic niches, and maintaining cancer hallmarks. Here, we consider the varied roles of these tissue-resident stroma-associated cells, synthesize recent and emerging discoveries, and discuss the role, potential, and clinical applications of MSCs in cancer and regenerative medicine.-Ilmer, M., Vykoukal, J., Recio Boiles, A., Coleman, M., Alt, E. Two sides of the same coin: stem cells in cancer and regenerative medicine. © FASEB.

  8. The Effects of popcorn time on Netflix in a two–sided market

    OpenAIRE

    Ghini, Matteo Blomberg

    2016-01-01

    My thesis discusses the effects on legal streaming agents of entry of free, but illegal, substitutes, in a two–sided video streaming market. Legal streaming agents rely on support from two very different, but inevitably linked, groups: studios and consumers, while their free counterparts rely on support only from consumers. As a result, the pricing decisions for legal streaming agents are far more complex than those of firms operating in regular single–sided markets and of firms ...

  9. A Rare Side Effect due to TNF-Alpha Blocking Agent: Acute Pleuropericarditis with Adalimumab

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hakan Ozkan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonism is an important treatment strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Adalimumab is one of the well-known tumor necrosis factor-alpha blocking agents. There are several side effects reported in patients with adalimumab therapy. Cardiac side effects of adalimumab are rare. Only a few cardiac side effects were reported. A 61-year-old man treated with adalimumab for the last 6 months due to psoriatic arthritis presented with typically acute pleuropericarditis. Chest X-ray and echocardiography demonstrated marked pericardial effusion. Patient was successfully evaluated for the etiology of acute pleuro-pericarditis. Every etiology was excluded except the usage of adalimumab. Adalimumab was discontinued, and patient was treated with 1200 mg of ibuprofen daily. Control chest X-ray and echocardiography after three weeks demonstrated complete resolution of both pleural and pericardial effusions. This case clearly demonstrated the acute onset of pericarditis with adalimumab usage. Acute pericarditis and pericardial effusion should be kept in mind in patients with adalimumab treatment.

  10. Krylov-Schur-Type restarts for the two-sided arnoldi method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwaan, I.N.; Hochstenbach, M.E.

    2017-01-01

    We consider the two-sided Arnoldi method and propose a two-sided Krylov-Schurtype restarting method. We discuss the restart for standard Rayleigh-Ritz extraction as well as harmonic Rayleigh-Ritz extraction. Additionally, we provide error bounds for Ritz values and Ritz vectors in the context of

  11. Side-effects of cowpea treatment with botanical insecticides on two parasitoids of Callosobruchus maculatus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boeke, S.J.; Sinzogan, A.A.C.; Almeida, de R.P.; Boer, de P.W.M.; Jeong, G.S.; Kossou, D.K.; Loon, van J.J.A.

    2003-01-01

    Studies on the protective effect of botanical products against pest insects have infrequently been extended to side-effects on natural enemies. Indirect effects of botanicals on the storability of seeds could occur through their possible negative impact on biological control agents. Four plant

  12. The agent-relative/agent-neutral distinction: my two sense(s) | Lerm ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Careful analysis of various metaethics supports that there are these two senses – analysis, in particular, of a neo-Kantian metaethic, according to which reasons are agent-relative in the dependence sense but agent-neutral in the homogeneous sense, and – perhaps surprisingly – of Utilitarianism, according to which ...

  13. Upward Pricing Pressure in Two-Sided Markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Affeldt, P.; Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract: Pricing pressure indices have recently been proposed as alternative screening devices for horizontal mergers involving differentiated products. We extend the concept of Upward Pricing Pressure (UPP) proposed by Farrell and Shapiro (2010) to two-sided markets. Examples of such markets are

  14. Launching a Two-sided Platform

    OpenAIRE

    Solheim, Magnus Tovsen; Tovsen, Ole Kristoffer Solheim

    2017-01-01

    Two-sided platforms, such as Airbnb, Uber and eBay, have all revolutionized their industries. Despite having colossal potential, they are very difficult to launch. This is due to what s referred to as network effects, which imply that the value of the platform becomes larger as more people use it. Network effects lead to a chicken-or-egg-problem , where it is difficult to convince sellers to join if there are no buyers and vice versa, in addition to the need to reach a critical mass of users...

  15. Promotion of cooperation induced by two-sided players in prisoner's dilemma game

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Zhen; Li, Lixiang; Xiao, Jinghua; Podobnik, B.; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2018-01-01

    We examine how real-world individuals and companies can either reach an agreement or fail to reach an agreement after several stages of negotiation. We use a modified prisoner's dilemma game with two-sided players who can either cooperate or not cooperate with their neighbors. We find that the presence of even a small number of these two-sided players substantially promotes the cooperation because, unlike the rock-paper-scissors scenario, when the cooperators change to the non-cooperators to gain a payoff, they can turn to the two-sided players and continue negotiating. We find that the network structure influences the spread of strategies. Lattice and regular-random (RR) networks benefit the spread of both non-cooperation and two-sided strategies, but scale-free (SF) networks stop both strategies. We also find that the Erdös-R e ´ nyi (ER) network promotes the two-sided strategy and blocks the spread of non-cooperation. As the ER network density decreases, and the network degree is lowered the lifetime of non-cooperators increases. Our results expand our understanding of the role played by the two-sided strategy in the growth of the cooperative behavior in networks.

  16. An improved 2-agent kidney exchange mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caragiannis, Ioannis; Filos-Ratsikas, Aris; Procaccia, Ariel D.

    2015-01-01

    We study a mechanism design version of matching computation in graphs that models the game played by hospitals participating in pairwise kidney exchange programs. We present a new randomized matching mechanism for two agents which is truthful in expectation and has an approximation ratio of 3...

  17. Upward pricing pressure in two-sided markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Affeldt, P.; Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.

    2013-01-01

    Measuring upward pricing pressure (UPP) has recently been proposed by Farrell and Shapiro (2010) as an alternative screening device for horizontal mergers. We extend the concept of UPP to two-sided markets. Examples of such markets are the newspaper market, where the demand for advertising is

  18. CYP2D6 genotype predicts antipsychotic side effects in schizophrenia inpatients: a retrospective matched case-control study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kobylecki, Camilla J; Jakobsen, Klaus D; Hansen, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    -state plasma concentrations at a given dose, thus increasing the risk of toxic effects from medication. METHODS: We identified 18 PM patients with a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis from a clinical database covering all patients who have been analyzed in an ongoing standardized CYP2D6 screening program. Each...... PM patient was carefully matched on age, gender and diagnosis with an intermediate metabolizer (IM) and an extensive metabolizer (EM) from the same database to generate 18 triplets. Clinical data, primarily on side effects of treatment, were obtained from medical records by an experienced research...

  19. Clinical application of intravascular administration of non-ionic, low osmolar contrast agent, Ioversol (Optiray 320) and its side effects comparison with Meglumine Iothalamate (Conray 60)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Hyun Sook; Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Hae Kyung; Chung, Moo Chan; Choi, Deuk Lin; Kwon, Kuy Hyang; Kim, Ki Jung

    1990-01-01

    Ioversol, the non-ionic, low osmolar contrast agent has been well characterized chemically and in terms of basic toxicity testing. Ioversol has a fomula similar to that of other nonionic agent. We review the results of intravascular use of this contrast agent, compared ionic contrast media(Meglumine Iothalamate (Conray 60)). Each study was assessed for imaging quality,and patients were monitored vital signs, changes of hematology and blood chemistry and urinalysis before and after contrast administration and were observed for occurrence of side effects. A small number of side effects were reported but no clinically significant sequelae in Ioversol group and much less vital sign changes compared with Conray group. There were no significant changes in vital signs related to the use of Ioversol, and no significant alterations in the renal function parameter or other blood chemistry and hematology measurement were encountered in both contrast media. In most cases, the image qualities were good. In conclusion, Ioversol is safe, well tolerated and efficious for use in intravascular contrast agent, and less vital sign changes and side effect than ionic Meglumine Iothalamte, and Ioversol is likely to provide a useful and acceptable alternative to other low osmolar and nonionic contrast agents

  20. Intranasal corticosteroids topical characteristics: side effects, formulation, and volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petty, David A; Blaiss, Michael S

    2013-01-01

    Guidelines from throughout the world recommend intranasal corticosteroids (INSs) as first-line treatment for most patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis. In general, limited comparative studies between different INSs have not indicated that one particular steroid moiety is more effective than another in controlling symptoms of allergic rhinitis. However, there are numerous formulations available with different ingredients that may influence a patient's adherence to treatment. This article looks at topical features with these agents, specifically, formulations, vehicles (aqueous vs aerosol), and side effects such as epistaxis and nasal septal perforation. Topical side effects are minimal with INSs with the exception of epistaxis. There are major differences in formulations, volumes, and vehicles between INSs, which could affect adherence. Physicians need to be aware of the different INS attributes to try to match patients' preferences in order to achieve better adherence and improve outcomes in sufferers of allergic rhinitis.

  1. The advertising-financed business model in two-sided media markets

    OpenAIRE

    Anderson, Simon P.; Jullien, Bruno

    2016-01-01

    This chapter focuses on the economic mechanisms at work in recent models of advertising finance in media markets developed around the concept of two-sided markets. The objective is to highlight new and original insights from this approach, and to clarify the conceptual aspects. The chapter first develops a canonical model of two-sided markets for advertising, where platforms deliver content to consumers and resell their "attention" to advertisers. A key distinction is drawn between free media...

  2. AIthesin (eT 1341) - A New Intravenous Anaesthetic Agent*

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1973-01-06

    Jan 6, 1973 ... agent to a total of 104 patients and the side-effects noted. Two dosage ranges ... a substitute for thiopentone sodium, especially in patients who are going home .... sedation might reduce this side-effect. Cardiac arrhythmias ...

  3. Grammars with two-sided contexts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail Barash

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available In a recent paper (M. Barash, A. Okhotin, "Defining contexts in context-free grammars", LATA 2012, the authors introduced an extension of the context-free grammars equipped with an operator for referring to the left context of the substring being defined. This paper proposes a more general model, in which context specifications may be two-sided, that is, both the left and the right contexts can be specified by the corresponding operators. The paper gives the definitions and establishes the basic theory of such grammars, leading to a normal form and a parsing algorithm working in time O(n^4, where n is the length of the input string.

  4. Two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis on opposite sides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, Kyeong Hwa; Kim, Seon Jeong; KIm Ok Hwa; Kim, Seung Ho; Lee, Kwang Hwi; Beak, Hye Jin; Lee, Ye Daun [Dept. of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Cha, Yoon Ki [Dept. of Radiology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Ilsan Hospital, Goyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-09-15

    Cervical spondylolysis, with or without spondylolisthesis, is a rare condition defined as a corticated cleft between the superior and inferior articular facets of the articular pillar. The defect occurs predominantly at C6, and is usually bilateral in up to two-thirds of cases. Multilevel involvement is uncommon, however, to date, no case of two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis on opposite sides has been reported. Here, we report a rare case of a patient affected by two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis at C5 and C6 on opposite sides in a 19-year-old male complaining of neck pain.

  5. Two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis on opposite sides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Kyeong Hwa; Kim, Seon Jeong; KIm Ok Hwa; Kim, Seung Ho; Lee, Kwang Hwi; Beak, Hye Jin; Lee, Ye Daun; Cha, Yoon Ki

    2015-01-01

    Cervical spondylolysis, with or without spondylolisthesis, is a rare condition defined as a corticated cleft between the superior and inferior articular facets of the articular pillar. The defect occurs predominantly at C6, and is usually bilateral in up to two-thirds of cases. Multilevel involvement is uncommon, however, to date, no case of two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis on opposite sides has been reported. Here, we report a rare case of a patient affected by two consecutive levels of unilateral cervical spondylolysis at C5 and C6 on opposite sides in a 19-year-old male complaining of neck pain

  6. Match-derived relative pitch area changes the physical and team tactical performance of elite soccer players in small-sided soccer games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olthof, Sigrid B H; Frencken, Wouter G P; Lemmink, Koen A P M

    2018-07-01

    Small-sided games (SSGs) are used in training sessions to prepare for full-sized matches. For the same number of players, smaller pitch sizes result in decreased physical performance and shorter interpersonal distances. A relative pitch area derived from the full-sized match results in larger pitch sizes and this may increase the fit between SSGs and full-sized matches. This study aimed to investigate SSGs with a traditional small pitch and a match-derived relative pitch area in youth elite soccer players. Four age categories (under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19) played 4 vs. 4 plus goalkeepers on a small (40x30m, 120m 2 relative pitch area) and large pitch (68x47m, 320m 2 relative pitch area). The number of games per age category ranged 15-30. Positional data (LPM-system) were collected to determine physical (total distance covered, high intensity distance and number of sprints) and team tactical (inter-team distance, LPW-ratio, surface area, stretch indices, goalkeeper-defender distance) performance measures and tactical variability. On a large pitch, physical performance significantly increased, inter-team and intra-team distances were significantly larger and tactical variability of intra-team distance measures significantly increased. The match-derived relative pitch area is an important training manipulation and leads to changes in physical and tactical performance 4 vs. 4 plus goalkeepers.

  7. Two-loop matching coefficients for heavy quark currents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kniehl, B.A.; Onishchenko, A.; Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina; Piclum, J.H.; Karlsruhe Univ.; Steinhauser, M.

    2006-04-01

    In this paper we consider the matching coefficients up to two loops between Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and Non-Relativistic QCD (NRQCD) for the vector, axial-vector, scalar and pseudo-scalar currents. The structure of the effective theory is discussed and analytical results are presented. Particular emphasis is put on the singlet diagrams. (Orig.)

  8. THE TWO SIDES OF MONEY LAUNDERING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Corina – Maria ENE

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The mainly goal of money laundering is to carry out more and more illegal economic transactions or activities to produce individual or groups gains and then to legitimate them. Money laundering converts illicit source of money generated by criminal activities in order to hide the connection between money and their original illegal activities. This is one of money laundering side. The second side implies corruption. While money laundering is a passing channel for illicit funds due to its criminal origin source, such funds may derive from corruption offences. All corruption’s forms represent the most important illicit funds branches for money laundering process. Corrupt people methods used to exploit the national and international financial system reflect the relationship between those two criminal activities. Criminals achieve their personal interests by hiding their corruption proceeds and transfer these gains to official economies. Corruption spread in any society entails money laundering spread, and the converse, too. There is a quite “indecent” relationship between money laundering and corruption. This paper tries to identify the multiple connections between the two phenomenons showing the negative impacts these criminal behaviours are having on the national and international economy. We conclude by highlighting the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in order to fight against money laundering and corruption by integrating these problem frameworks at national level. International community must focus their resources on money laundering and corruption risks areas and maximize their response impact.

  9. Lock-on characteristics behind two side-by-side cylinders of diameter ratio two at small gap ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Petry Y. R.; Lu, Wei-Ting; Chou, Shy-Tsin; Kuo, Cheng-Hsiung

    2012-10-01

    The lock-on characteristics, the detailed interactions and downstream evolutions of the wakes behind side-by-side cylinders of unequal diameter ( D/ d = 2), spaced by a gap ratio 0.75 ( G/ D = 0.75), are investigated at Reynolds number 600 by the dye flow visualization, laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) and particle image velocimeter (PIV) velocity measurements. The lock-on frequency bands are studied by LDA and PIV at Reynolds number 2,000. The D, d and G are the diameters of the large, the small cylinders and the net gap between two cylinders, respectively. Periodic excitations, in form of rotary oscillation about the cylinder center, are applied to the large cylinder with the same amplitude. It is found that while the large cylinder is excited, two lock-on frequency bands of the wake behind the large cylinder are detected. These two lock-on frequency bands correspond to the primary and the one-third sub-harmonic lock-on of the wake behind large cylinder, respectively. These two lock-on frequency bands distribute symmetrically about the fundamental and the third superharmonic of the natural shedding frequency behind a single cylinder at the same Reynolds number. The left-shifted frequency band (1.8 ≤ f e / f os ≤ 2.0) is not considered as a locked-on frequency band because the phase difference between two excitation frequencies across f e / f os = 2.0 vary significantly. While the wake behind the large cylinder is locked-on at f e /3 (or f os ), the gap flow becomes unbiased and the frequency of the wake behind small cylinder remains around the natural shedding frequency. Thus, the frequency band of 3.0 ≤ f e / f os ≤ 3.22 is also not locked-on because the phase difference in the narrow wake excited at f e / f os = 2.93 and 3.07 changes significantly. Note f e and f os denote the excitation frequency and the natural shedding frequency behind a single large cylinder, respectively.

  10. Lock-on characteristics behind two side-by-side cylinders of diameter ratio two at small gap ratio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Petry Y.R.; Lu, Wei-Ting; Chou, Shy-Tsin; Kuo, Cheng-Hsiung [National Chung Hsing University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Taichung (China)

    2012-10-15

    The lock-on characteristics, the detailed interactions and downstream evolutions of the wakes behind side-by-side cylinders of unequal diameter (D/d = 2), spaced by a gap ratio 0.75 (G/D = 0.75), are investigated at Reynolds number 600 by the dye flow visualization, laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) and particle image velocimeter (PIV) velocity measurements. The lock-on frequency bands are studied by LDA and PIV at Reynolds number 2,000. The D, d and G are the diameters of the large, the small cylinders and the net gap between two cylinders, respectively. Periodic excitations, in form of rotary oscillation about the cylinder center, are applied to the large cylinder with the same amplitude. It is found that while the large cylinder is excited, two lock-on frequency bands of the wake behind the large cylinder are detected. These two lock-on frequency bands correspond to the primary and the one-third sub-harmonic lock-on of the wake behind large cylinder, respectively. These two lock-on frequency bands distribute symmetrically about the fundamental and the third superharmonic of the natural shedding frequency behind a single cylinder at the same Reynolds number. The left-shifted frequency band (1.8 {<=} f{sub e} /f{sub os} {<=} 2.0) is not considered as a locked-on frequency band because the phase difference between two excitation frequencies across f{sub e} /f{sub os} = 2.0 vary significantly. While the wake behind the large cylinder is locked-on at f{sub e} /3 (or f{sub os}), the gap flow becomes unbiased and the frequency of the wake behind small cylinder remains around the natural shedding frequency. Thus, the frequency band of 3.0 {<=} f{sub e} /f{sub os} {<=} 3.22 is also not locked-on because the phase difference in the narrow wake excited at f{sub e} /f{sub os} = 2.93 and 3.07 changes significantly. Note f{sub e} and f{sub os} denote the excitation frequency and the natural shedding frequency behind a single large cylinder, respectively. (orig.)

  11. Gastrointestinal Side Effects of the Radioiodine Therapy for the Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Two Days after Prescription

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pashnehsaz, Mehran; Takavar, Abbas; Izadyar, Sina; Zakariaee, Seyed Salman; Mahmoudi, Mahmoud; Paydar, Reza; Geramifar, Parham

    2016-01-01

    Iodine-131 (I-131) therapy is one of the conventional approaches in the treatment of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The radioiodine agents also accumulate in the other organs that cause pain and damage to the patients. Radioiodine therapy is associated with various gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. In this study, GI side effects of the radioiodine therapy were investigated. GI toxicities of the radioiodine therapy were studied in 137 patients with histologically proven DTC in Jun-Nov 2014. All the patients were treated by radioiodine agents in the research institute of Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The patients were examined 48 h after prescription (before discharge) and their GI side effects were registered. Correlation of the age, gender, administered dose, administered dose per body weight as the independent factors, and GI side effects were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Regression coefficients and linearity of the variable were investigated by MATLAB software. Line fitting was performed using MATLAB curve-fitting toolbox. From the subjects, 38 patients had GI complaints (30.4%). Significant factors influencing GI side effects were dose per body weight and administered doses. There was no significant correlation between age and gender as the independent parameters and GI complaints. The most prevalent GI side effect was nausea that occurs in 26.4% of the patients. From the results, it could be concluded that the GI side effects could be prevented by administering a safe radioiodine dose value less than 5,550 MBq

  12. TNF and cancer: the two sides of the coin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocellin, Simone; Nitti, Donato

    2008-01-01

    Despite its name, discovery history and approval as anticancer agent, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been implicated in both cancer development and progression in some preclinical models. In particular, as a central mediator of inflammation, TNF might represent one of the molecular links between chronic inflammation and the subsequent development of malignant disease. Furthermore, deregulated TNF expression within the tumor microenvironment appears to favor malignant cell tissue invasion, migration and ultimately metastasis formation. On the other side, TNF clearly possesses antitumor effects not only in preclinical models but also in the clinical setting. In order to reconcile these conflicting findings, we provide readers with an overview on the most relevant available evidence supporting anticancer as well as cancer-promoting TNF effects; on the basis of these data, we propose a model to explain the coexistence of these apparently paradoxical TNF activities.

  13. Game Demands of Seven-A-Side Soccer in Young Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbero-Alvarez, José C; Gómez-López, Maite; Castagna, Carlo; Barbero-Alvarez, Verónica; Romero, David V; Blanchfield, Anthony W; Nakamura, Fábio Y

    2017-07-01

    Barbero-Alvarez, JC, Gómez-López, M, Castagna, C, Barbero-Alvarez, V, Romero, DV, Blanchfield, AW, and Nakamura, FY. Game demands of seven-a-side soccer in young players. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1771-1779, 2017-The aim of this study was to examine the activity patterns and physiological demands of 7-a-side youth soccer matches across 2 chronological age categories (U12 and U14). Twenty-two soccer players of a national youth soccer academy were investigated. Players of each age category performed 2 training matches (2 × 25 minutes) and were monitored by global positioning system and heart rate monitor units. Players of both categories covered similar total distance (5,348 ± 307 m), at similar mean heart rate values (86 ± 4% of maximum). However, the number of high-intensity runs (82.5 ± 17.4 vs. 69.7 ± 15.2) and total distance covered during sprints (264 ± 207 vs. 128 ± 74 m) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in U14 compared with U12. The results suggest a highly demanding nature of 7-a-side soccer for skilled players, with physical maturity possibly influencing the match-related high-intensity performance at these ages.

  14. Computer face-matching technology using two-dimensional photographs accurately matches the facial gestalt of unrelated individuals with the same syndromic form of intellectual disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudding-Byth, Tracy; Baxter, Anne; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Hackett, Anna; O'Donnell, Sheridan; White, Susan M; Attia, John; Brunner, Han; de Vries, Bert; Koolen, David; Kleefstra, Tjitske; Ratwatte, Seshika; Riveros, Carlos; Brain, Steve; Lovell, Brian C

    2017-12-19

    Massively parallel genetic sequencing allows rapid testing of known intellectual disability (ID) genes. However, the discovery of novel syndromic ID genes requires molecular confirmation in at least a second or a cluster of individuals with an overlapping phenotype or similar facial gestalt. Using computer face-matching technology we report an automated approach to matching the faces of non-identical individuals with the same genetic syndrome within a database of 3681 images [1600 images of one of 10 genetic syndrome subgroups together with 2081 control images]. Using the leave-one-out method, two research questions were specified: 1) Using two-dimensional (2D) photographs of individuals with one of 10 genetic syndromes within a database of images, did the technology correctly identify more than expected by chance: i) a top match? ii) at least one match within the top five matches? or iii) at least one in the top 10 with an individual from the same syndrome subgroup? 2) Was there concordance between correct technology-based matches and whether two out of three clinical geneticists would have considered the diagnosis based on the image alone? The computer face-matching technology correctly identifies a top match, at least one correct match in the top five and at least one in the top 10 more than expected by chance (P syndromes except Kabuki syndrome. Although the accuracy of the computer face-matching technology was tested on images of individuals with known syndromic forms of intellectual disability, the results of this pilot study illustrate the potential utility of face-matching technology within deep phenotyping platforms to facilitate the interpretation of DNA sequencing data for individuals who remain undiagnosed despite testing the known developmental disorder genes.

  15. Dual-sided reading versus single-sided reading: comparison of image quality and radiation dose between the two computed radiography system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Shaojuan; Qi Hengtao; Zhao Yongxia; Jiao Fanglian

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To assess and compare the difference in image quality and exposure dose between single-sided reading image plate (IP) and dual-sided reading IP. Methods: A contrast-detail phantom CDRAD 2.0 was exposed by single-sided and dual-sided reading IP with different mAs sets. The entrance surface doses were recorded for all images. Images were then presented to two radiologists on a high resolution monitor of diagnosis workstation. The image quality figure (IQF) was measured for each image. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's correlation test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the difference in image quality and exposure dose between single-sided IP and dual-sided reading IP. Results: With different tube current dosage of 5.6, 12.0, 20.0, 25.0, and 40.0 mAs, IQF values of single-sided reading IP were 47.95, 37.68, 34.31, 28.61, and 24.65, respectively, while those of dual- sided reading IP were 38.83, 29.81, 29.65, 25.16, and 21.43, respectively. The IQF difference between them showed statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion: Image quality of dual-sided reading IP has been proved to be far superior to that of single-sided reading IP, in particular for low contrast detail. The image quality of single-sided reading IP is similar to that of dual-sided reading IP only at high dose levels. The clinical application of dual-sided reading IP will reduce the exposure dose by about 25% compared with single-sided reading IP. (authors)

  16. Clinical application and side effects of non-ionic, low-osmolar contrast media: Iopromide (Ultavist)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jong Tae; Suh, Jung Ho; Suh, Jin Suk; Lee, Yeon Hee

    1988-01-01

    Generally non-ionic, water-soluble contrast media has been known to be considerably better than the conventional ionic contrast agents, because of its physiochemical properties which are more hydrophilic, lower in osmolality than the ionic agents of equivalent iodine concentration. It means that the non-ionic agent has less side reaction and better general tolerance. Iopromide (Ultavist) is a newly developed non-ionic contrast media that is suitable for angiography. Some non-ionic contrast media such as Metrizamide and lopamidol were clinically introduced and proved tobe the most compromising agents for neuroradiographic study, but lopromide is not yet freely available in the vascular study. In order to evaluate the clinical fitness and its side effects of lopromide for angiography various type of angiography were done in 136 patients using lopromide and 51 received Diatrizoate meglumine (DTM). Similar volumes of the contrast media was administered at similar rate to both groups. The results were as the follows: 1. In celiac angiography of 31 patients with lopromide (Ultravist 370) and 18 with DTM 60, there were observed 9.7% mild pain and 25.8% mild heat sensation in lopromide. In DTM 60 mild pain was approximately 3 times more frequently observed than lopromide. Heat sensation is mild and similar in frequency of both groups. There was no clinically significant side effects related to the osmolality and its difference between two groups. 2. In peripheral angiography of 47 patients with lopromide 300 and 24 with DTM 60, there were observed 19.1% mild, 6.4 moderate in pain and 46.8% mild, 1% moderate heat sensation in lopromide. But in DTM there were 33.3% mild, 58.3% moderate and 8.3% severe pain, and also 70.8% mild and 16.7% moderate heat sensation in DTM were observed. lopromide is more advantageous and better contrast agents than the DTM for peripheral vascular study on the point of low side effect related to osmolality. 3. In renal angiography, there was no

  17. Structural optimization and evaluation of butenolides as potent antifouling agents: modification of the side chain affects the biological activities of compounds

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yongxin

    2012-09-01

    A recent global ban on the use of organotin compounds as antifouling agents has increased the need for safe and effective antifouling compounds. In this study, a series of new butenolide derivatives with various amine side chains was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-larval settlement activities in the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite. Side chain modification of butenolide resulted in butenolides 3c-3d, which possessed desirable physico-chemical properties and demonstrated highly effective non-toxic anti-larval settlement efficacy. A structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that varying the alkyl side chain had a notable effect on anti-larval settlement activity and that seven to eight carbon alkyl side chains with a tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) substituent on an amine terminal were optimal in terms of bioactivity. Analysis of the physico-chemical profile of butenolide analogues indicated that lipophilicity is a very important physico-chemical parameter contributing to bioactivity. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

  18. Structural optimization and evaluation of butenolides as potent antifouling agents: modification of the side chain affects the biological activities of compounds

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yongxin; Zhang, Fengying; Xu, Ying; Matsumura, Kiyotaka; Han, Zhuang; Liu, Lingli; Lin, Wenhan; Jia, Yanxing; Qian, Pei Yuan

    2012-01-01

    A recent global ban on the use of organotin compounds as antifouling agents has increased the need for safe and effective antifouling compounds. In this study, a series of new butenolide derivatives with various amine side chains was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-larval settlement activities in the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite. Side chain modification of butenolide resulted in butenolides 3c-3d, which possessed desirable physico-chemical properties and demonstrated highly effective non-toxic anti-larval settlement efficacy. A structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that varying the alkyl side chain had a notable effect on anti-larval settlement activity and that seven to eight carbon alkyl side chains with a tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) substituent on an amine terminal were optimal in terms of bioactivity. Analysis of the physico-chemical profile of butenolide analogues indicated that lipophilicity is a very important physico-chemical parameter contributing to bioactivity. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

  19. Training in two-tier labor markets: The role of job match quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akgündüz, Yusuf Emre; van Huizen, Thomas

    2015-07-01

    This study examines training investments in two-tier labor markets, focusing on the role of job match quality. Temporary workers are in general more likely than permanent workers to leave their employer and therefore are less likely to receive employer-funded training. However, as firms prefer to continue productive job matches, we hypothesize that the negative effect of holding a temporary contract on the probability to be trained diminishes with the quality of the job match. Using a recent longitudinal survey from the Netherlands, we find that temporary workers indeed participate less frequently in firm-sponsored training. However, this effect is fully driven by mismatches: holding a temporary contract does not significantly decrease the probability to receive training for workers in good job matches. Depending on match quality, a temporary job can either be a stepping stone or a dead-end. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. CRISP. Market-oriented online supply-demand matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamphuis, I.G.; Kester, J.C.P.; Carlsson, P; Akkermans, H.

    2004-04-01

    Current power distribution systems are operated in a top-down manner. Power production control and price formation take place on a central level on the basis of relatively static data from a data collection and dispatching network with a limited scope and granularity. When incorporating a more considerable fraction of small-scale producers on the basis of, for instance, renewable energy, operation of the distribution grid requires more data to be collected from a more extensive information and data communication network. Furthermore, increased local flows, in the form of two-way communication with distributed computation techniques, enable a more dynamic adaptation in power supply and demand patterns paving the way to a flexible way of embedding of ill-predictable supply of some types of renewable energy sources. DSM-programs have been in use in the utility sector for years now. In this document, first, current Demand Side Management (DSM) and Demand Response Resource (DRR) techniques are discussed; then, supply side management especially in a DG (Distributed Generation) context is treated. A framework of novel concepts and possible technology directions is presented subsequently and some preliminary scenarios are shown to illustrate these concepts. An overview of more flexible supply and demand matching schemes is given essentially based on four distinct types of SDM clusters. It appears, that it is possible to fulfil requirements for these distributed environments in terms of needed information and communication technology, ICT, if these are paralleled with the expected future penetration of ever-smaller scale data-exchange networks at power customer sites. Agent technology using algorithms from micro-economic market theory offers a promising possibility for managing the complexity of price formation and supply demand matching in these fine-grained bottom-up control distribution networks. Implication of these technical developments in terms of market and business

  1. Scheduling Two-Sided Transformations Using Tile Algorithms on Multicore Architectures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hatem Ltaief

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to describe, in the context of multicore architectures, three different scheduler implementations for the two-sided linear algebra transformations, in particular the Hessenberg and Bidiagonal reductions which are the first steps for the standard eigenvalue problems and the singular value decompositions respectively. State-of-the-art dense linear algebra softwares, such as the LAPACK and ScaLAPACK libraries, suffer performance losses on multicore processors due to their inability to fully exploit thread-level parallelism. At the same time the fine-grain dataflow model gains popularity as a paradigm for programming multicore architectures. Buttari et al. (Parellel Comput. Syst. Appl. 35 (2009, 38–53 introduced the concept of tile algorithms in which parallelism is no longer hidden inside Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms but is brought to the fore to yield much better performance. Along with efficient scheduling mechanisms for data-driven execution, these tile two-sided reductions achieve high performance computing by reaching up to 75% of the DGEMM peak on a 12000×12000 matrix with 16 Intel Tigerton 2.4 GHz processors. The main drawback of the tile algorithms approach for two-sided transformations is that the full reduction cannot be obtained in one stage. Other methods have to be considered to further reduce the band matrices to the required forms.

  2. Edge-assignment and figure-ground segmentation in short-term visual matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Driver, J; Baylis, G C

    1996-12-01

    Eight experiments examined the role of edge-assignment in a contour matching task. Subjects judged whether the jagged vertical edge of a probe shape matched the jagged edge that divided two adjoining shapes in an immediately preceding figure-ground display. Segmentation factors biased assignment of this dividing edge toward a figural shape on just one of its sides. Subjects were faster and more accurate at matching when the probe edge had a corresponding assignment. The rapid emergence of this effect provides an on-line analog of the long-term memory advantage for figures over grounds which Rubin (1915/1958) reported. The present on-line advantage was found when figures were defined by relative contrast and size, or by symmetry, and could not be explained solely by the automatic drawing of attention toward the location of the figural region. However, deliberate attention to one region of an otherwise ambiguous figure-ground display did produce the advantage. We propose that one-sided assignment of dividing edges may be obligatory in vision.

  3. Population and housing: A two-sided relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clara H. Mulder

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I explore the relationship between population and housing. I argue that this relationship is two-sided. On the one hand, the size of a population, and particularly the number of households, determines the demand for housing. On the other hand, the availability of suitable and affordable housing may attract certain categories of migrants. It also influences young people's opportunities to leave the parental home, marry or cohabit, and have children. Furthermore, home-ownership hampers residential mobility and migration by binding people to a place.

  4. MATCHING IN INFORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eeckhout, Jan; Munshi, Kaivan

    2010-09-01

    This paper analyzes an informal financial institution that brings heterogeneous agents together in groups. We analyze decentralized matching into these groups, and the equilibrium composition of participants that consequently arises. We find that participants sort remarkably well across the competing groups, and that they re-sort immediately following an unexpected exogenous regulatory change. These findings suggest that the competitive matching model might have applicability and bite in other settings where matching is an important equilibrium phenomenon. (JEL: O12, O17, G20, D40).

  5. DMPD: Targeting bacterial endotoxin: two sides of a coin. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available n M. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Jan;1096:1-17. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Targeting bacterial endotoxin: two sides of a coin. Pub...medID 17405910 Title Targeting bacterial endotoxin: two sides of a coin. Authors Bo

  6. 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.

  7. An Economic Evalution of Demand-side Energy Storage Systems by using a Multi-agent based Electricity Market

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furusawa, Ken; Sugihara, Hideharu; Tsuji, Kiichiro

    Opened wholesale electric power market in April 2005, deregulation of electric power industry in Japan has faced a new competitive environment. In the new environment, Independent Power Producer (: IPP), Power Producer and Supplier (: PPS), Load Service Entity (: LSE) and electric utility can trade electric energy through both bilateral contracts and single-price auction at the electricity market. In general, the market clearing price (: MCP) is largely changed by amount of total load demand in the market. The influence may cause price spike, and consequently the volatility of MCP will make LSEs and their customers to face a risk of revenue and cost. DSM is attracted as a means of load leveling, and has effect on decreasing MCP at peak load period. Introducing Energy Storage systems (: ES) is one of DSM in order to change demand profile at customer-side. In case that customers decrease their own demand at jumped MCP, a bidding strategy of generating companies may be changed their strategy. As a result, MCP is changed through such complex mechanism. In this paper the authors evaluate MCP by multi-agent. It is considered that customer-side ES has an effect on MCP fluctuation. Through numerical examples, this paper evaluates the influence on MCP by controlling customer-side ES corresponding to variation of MCP.

  8. MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION OF CONCURRENT TWO-SIDED LENS PROCESSING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. S. Kozeruk

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to modernize technology for obtaining high-accuracy lenses with fine centre. Presently their operating surfaces are fixed  to an accessory with the help of adhesive substance that leads to elastic deformation in glass and causes local errors in lens parts.A mathematical model for concurrent two-sided processing of high-accuracy optical parts with spherical surfaces has been developed in the paper. The paper presents analytical expressions that permit to calculate sliding speed at any point on the processed spherical surface depending on type and value of technological equipment settings. Calculation of parameter Q = Pv in a diametric section of the convexo-concave lens has been carried out while using these expressions together with functional dependence of pressure on contact zone еarea of tool and part bedding surfaces.Theoretical and experimental investigations have been carried out with the purpose to study changes in Q parameter according to the processed lens surface for various setting parameters of the technological equipment and their optimum values ensuring preferential stock removal in the central or boundary part zone or uniform distribution of the removal along the whole processed surface have been determined in the paper.The paper proposes a machine tool scheme for concurrent two-sided grinding and polishing of lenses while fixing their side (cylindrical surface. Machine tool kinematics makes it possible flexibly and within wide limits to change its setting parameters  that significantly facilitates the control of form-building process of parts with highly-precise spherical surfaces.Methodology for investigations presupposes the following: mathematical simulation of highly-precise spherical surface form-building process under conditions of forced closing, execution of numerical and experimental studies.  

  9. Wake structures of two side by side spheres in a tripped boundary layer flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Canli Eyüb

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Two independent spheres were placed in a side by side arrangement and flow structure in the wake region of the spheres was investigated with a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV system when the spheres were in a boundary layer over a flat plate as a special case. Reynolds number was 5000 based on the sphere diameter which was 42.5 mm. Boundary layer was tripped 8mm away from the leading edge of the flat plate with a 5 mm trip wire. The thickness of the hydrodynamically developed boundary layer was determined as 63mm which was larger than the sphere diameter of D=42.5mm. Wake region of the spheres was examined from point of flow physics for the different sphere locations in the ranges of 0≤G/D ≤1.5 and 0≤S/D ≤1.5 where G and S were the distance between the spheres and the distance between the bottom point of the spheres and the flat plate surface, respectively. Depending on the different sphere locations, instantaneous and time averaged vorticity data, scalar values of time-averaged velocity components and their root mean square (rms values and time averaged vorticity data are presented in the study for the evaluation of wake region of the spheres. It is demonstrated that the gap between the two spheres and the interaction between the gap and the boundary layer greatly affects flow pattern, especially when spheres are located near to the flat plate surface, i.e. S/D=0.1 for 0≤G/D ≤1.5. Different distances between the spheres resulted in various flow patterns as the spheres were approached to the flat plate. The distance S/D=0.1 for all gap values has the strongest effect on the wake structures. Beyond G/D=1.0, the sphere wakes tend to be similar to single sphere case. The instantaneous vorticity fields of the side by side arrangements comprised wavy structures in higher level comparing to an individual sphere case. The gap flow intensifies the occurrence of small scale eddies in the wake region. The submersion rate of the spheres

  10. The deportation continuum: convergences between state agents and NGO workers in the Dutch deportation field

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalir, B.; Wissink, L.

    2016-01-01

    The social field in which deportations of illegalized migrants are operationalized is often perceived to be comprised of two opposing sides that together form a deportation regime: on the one side, street-level state agents, on the other side, civil-society actors. Focusing ethnographically on

  11. Pulmonary hemorrhage following anabolic agent abuse: Two cases

    OpenAIRE

    Hvid-Jensen, Helene S.; Rasmussen, Finn; Bendstrup, Elisabeth

    2016-01-01

    Numerous adverse effects follow anabolic agent abuse. Pulmonary hemorrhage is not considered one of them. We present two cases of young male bodybuilders who developed diffuse alveolar bleeding as a result of anabolic steroid abuse. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage associated with anabolic agent abuse has not been described previously in the literature. Both patients developed acute dyspnea and hemoptysis with consistent radiological findings. In both cases symptoms promptly resolved with cessatio...

  12. Matching the Hagedorn temperature in AdS/CFT correspondence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harmark, Troels; Orselli, Marta

    2006-01-01

    We match the Hagedorn/deconfinement temperature of planar N=4 super Yang-Mills (SYM) on RxS 3 to the Hagedorn temperature of string theory on AdS 5 xS 5 . The match is done in a near-critical region where both gauge theory and string theory are weakly coupled. The near-critical region is near a point with zero temperature and critical chemical potential. On the gauge-theory side we are taking a decoupling limit found in Ref. 7 in which the physics of planar N=4 SYM is given exactly by the ferromagnetic XXX 1/2 Heisenberg spin chain. We find moreover a general relation between the Hagedorn/deconfinement temperature and the thermodynamics of the Heisenberg spin chain and we use this to compute it in two distinct regimes. On the string-theory side, we identify the dual limit for which the string tension and string coupling go to zero. This limit is taken of string theory on a maximally supersymmetric pp-wave background with a flat direction, obtained from a Penrose limit of AdS 5 xS 5 . We compute the Hagedorn temperature of the string theory and find agreement with the Hagedorn/deconfinement temperature computed on the gauge-theory side

  13. Inclusion probability for DNA mixtures is a subjective one-sided match statistic unrelated to identification information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perlin, Mark William

    2015-01-01

    DNA mixtures of two or more people are a common type of forensic crime scene evidence. A match statistic that connects the evidence to a criminal defendant is usually needed for court. Jurors rely on this strength of match to help decide guilt or innocence. However, the reliability of unsophisticated match statistics for DNA mixtures has been questioned. The most prevalent match statistic for DNA mixtures is the combined probability of inclusion (CPI), used by crime labs for over 15 years. When testing 13 short tandem repeat (STR) genetic loci, the CPI(-1) value is typically around a million, regardless of DNA mixture composition. However, actual identification information, as measured by a likelihood ratio (LR), spans a much broader range. This study examined probability of inclusion (PI) mixture statistics for 517 locus experiments drawn from 16 reported cases and compared them with LR locus information calculated independently on the same data. The log(PI(-1)) values were examined and compared with corresponding log(LR) values. The LR and CPI methods were compared in case examples of false inclusion, false exclusion, a homicide, and criminal justice outcomes. Statistical analysis of crime laboratory STR data shows that inclusion match statistics exhibit a truncated normal distribution having zero center, with little correlation to actual identification information. By the law of large numbers (LLN), CPI(-1) increases with the number of tested genetic loci, regardless of DNA mixture composition or match information. These statistical findings explain why CPI is relatively constant, with implications for DNA policy, criminal justice, cost of crime, and crime prevention. Forensic crime laboratories have generated CPI statistics on hundreds of thousands of DNA mixture evidence items. However, this commonly used match statistic behaves like a random generator of inclusionary values, following the LLN rather than measuring identification information. A quantitative

  14. Novice in Secondary School--The Coin Has Two Sides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulvik, Marit; Smith, Kari; Helleve, Ingrid

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study is to gain an insight into novice teachers' diverse experiences. The study is conducted among nine beginning teachers in upper secondary school in Norway, and the research instrument was semi structured interviews. The main findings indicate that there are two sides of the coin of being a new teacher, positive as well as less…

  15. Inclusion probability for DNA mixtures is a subjective one-sided match statistic unrelated to identification information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark William Perlin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: DNA mixtures of two or more people are a common type of forensic crime scene evidence. A match statistic that connects the evidence to a criminal defendant is usually needed for court. Jurors rely on this strength of match to help decide guilt or innocence. However, the reliability of unsophisticated match statistics for DNA mixtures has been questioned. Materials and Methods: The most prevalent match statistic for DNA mixtures is the combined probability of inclusion (CPI, used by crime labs for over 15 years. When testing 13 short tandem repeat (STR genetic loci, the CPI -1 value is typically around a million, regardless of DNA mixture composition. However, actual identification information, as measured by a likelihood ratio (LR, spans a much broader range. This study examined probability of inclusion (PI mixture statistics for 517 locus experiments drawn from 16 reported cases and compared them with LR locus information calculated independently on the same data. The log(PI -1 values were examined and compared with corresponding log(LR values. Results: The LR and CPI methods were compared in case examples of false inclusion, false exclusion, a homicide, and criminal justice outcomes. Statistical analysis of crime laboratory STR data shows that inclusion match statistics exhibit a truncated normal distribution having zero center, with little correlation to actual identification information. By the law of large numbers (LLN, CPI -1 increases with the number of tested genetic loci, regardless of DNA mixture composition or match information. These statistical findings explain why CPI is relatively constant, with implications for DNA policy, criminal justice, cost of crime, and crime prevention. Conclusions: Forensic crime laboratories have generated CPI statistics on hundreds of thousands of DNA mixture evidence items. However, this commonly used match statistic behaves like a random generator of inclusionary values, following the LLN

  16. Single-machine scheduling of proportionally deteriorating jobs by two agents

    OpenAIRE

    S Gawiejnowicz; W-C Lee; C-L Lin; C-C Wu

    2011-01-01

    We consider a problem of scheduling a set of independent jobs by two agents on a single machine. Every agent has its own subset of jobs to be scheduled and uses its own optimality criterion. The processing time of each job proportionally deteriorates with respect to the starting time of the job. The problem is to find a schedule that minimizes the total tardiness of the first agent, provided that no tardy job is allowed for the second agent. We prove basic properties of the problem and give a...

  17. Central nervous system side effects associated with zolpidem treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toner, L C; Tsambiras, B M; Catalano, G; Catalano, M C; Cooper, D S

    2000-01-01

    Zolpidem is one of the newer medications developed for the treatment of insomnia. It is an imidazopyridine agent that is an alternative to the typical sedative-hypnotic agents. Zolpidem use is gaining favor because of its efficacy and its side effect profile, which is milder and less problematic than that of the benzodiazepines and barbiturates used to treat insomnia. Still, side effects are not uncommon with zolpidem use. We report a series of cases in which the patients developed delirium, nightmares and hallucinations during treatment with zolpidem. We will review its pharmacology, discuss previous reports of central nervous system side effects, examine the impact of drug interactions with concurrent use of antidepressants, examine gender differences in susceptibility to side effects, and explore the significance of protein binding in producing side effects.

  18. Detailed phase matching characterization of inter-modal four-wave mixing in a two-mode fiber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis, Søren Michael Mørk; Jung, Y.; Begleris, I.

    2016-01-01

    We experimentally characterize the phase matching properties of two inter-modal four-wave mixing processes in a graded index fiber guiding the LP01 and LP11 mode-groups.......We experimentally characterize the phase matching properties of two inter-modal four-wave mixing processes in a graded index fiber guiding the LP01 and LP11 mode-groups....

  19. Definition of an Ontology Matching Algorithm for Context Integration in Smart Cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero-Cerdeira, Lorena; Rodríguez-Martínez, Francisco J; Gómez-Rodríguez, Alma

    2014-12-08

    In this paper we describe a novel proposal in the field of smart cities: using an ontology matching algorithm to guarantee the automatic information exchange between the agents and the smart city. A smart city is composed by different types of agents that behave as producers and/or consumers of the information in the smart city. In our proposal, the data from the context is obtained by sensor and device agents while users interact with the smart city by means of user or system agents. The knowledge of each agent, as well as the smart city's knowledge, is semantically represented using different ontologies. To have an open city, that is fully accessible to any agent and therefore to provide enhanced services to the users, there is the need to ensure a seamless communication between agents and the city, regardless of their inner knowledge representations, i.e., ontologies. To meet this goal we use ontology matching techniques, specifically we have defined a new ontology matching algorithm called OntoPhil to be deployed within a smart city, which has never been done before. OntoPhil was tested on the benchmarks provided by the well known evaluation initiative, Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative, and also compared to other matching algorithms, although these algorithms were not specifically designed for smart cities. Additionally, specific tests involving a smart city's ontology and different types of agents were conducted to validate the usefulness of OntoPhil in the smart city environment.

  20. QSAR studies of some side chain modified 7-chloro-4-aminoquinolines as antimalarial agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitendra K. Sahu

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR analyses were carried out for a series of new side chain modified 4-amino-7-chloroquinolines to find out the structural requirements of their antimalarial activities against both chloroquine sensitive (HB3 and resistant (Dd2 Plasmodium falciparum strain. The statistically significant best 2D QSAR models for Dd2, having correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.9188 and cross validated squared correlation coefficient (q2 = 0.8349 with external predictive ability (pred_r2 = 0.7258 and for HB3, having r2 = 0.9024, q2 = 0.8089 and pred_r2 = 0.7463 were developed by multiple linear regression coupled with genetic algorithm (GA–MLR and stepwise (SW–MLR forward algorithm, respectively. The results of the present study may be useful on the designing of more potent analogues as antimalarial agents.

  1. Statistical Significance and Effect Size: Two Sides of a Coin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xitao

    This paper suggests that statistical significance testing and effect size are two sides of the same coin; they complement each other, but do not substitute for one another. Good research practice requires that both should be taken into consideration to make sound quantitative decisions. A Monte Carlo simulation experiment was conducted, and a…

  2. On revenue and welfare dominance of ad valorem taxes in two-sided markets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kind, Hans Jarle; Köthenbürger, Marko; Schjelderup, Guttorm

    2009-01-01

    A benchmark result in public economics is that it is possible to increase both tax revenue and welfare by making a monopoly subject to ad valorem taxes rather than unit taxes. We show that such revenue and welfare dominance does not hold in two-sided markets.......A benchmark result in public economics is that it is possible to increase both tax revenue and welfare by making a monopoly subject to ad valorem taxes rather than unit taxes. We show that such revenue and welfare dominance does not hold in two-sided markets....

  3. Matching games with partial information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laureti, Paolo; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

    2003-06-01

    We analyze different ways of pairing agents in a bipartite matching problem, with regard to its scaling properties and to the distribution of individual “satisfactions”. Then we explore the role of partial information and bounded rationality in a generalized Marriage Problem, comparing the benefits obtained by self-searching and by a matchmaker. Finally we propose a modified matching game intended to mimic the way consumers’ information makes firms to enhance the quality of their products in a competitive market.

  4. Comparison of active-set method deconvolution and matched-filtering for derivation of an ultrasound transit time spectrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wille, M-L; Langton, C M; Zapf, M; Ruiter, N V; Gemmeke, H

    2015-01-01

    The quality of ultrasound computed tomography imaging is primarily determined by the accuracy of ultrasound transit time measurement. A major problem in analysis is the overlap of signals making it difficult to detect the correct transit time. The current standard is to apply a matched-filtering approach to the input and output signals. This study compares the matched-filtering technique with active set deconvolution to derive a transit time spectrum from a coded excitation chirp signal and the measured output signal. The ultrasound wave travels in a direct and a reflected path to the receiver, resulting in an overlap in the recorded output signal. The matched-filtering and deconvolution techniques were applied to determine the transit times associated with the two signal paths. Both techniques were able to detect the two different transit times; while matched-filtering has a better accuracy (0.13 μs versus 0.18 μs standard deviations), deconvolution has a 3.5 times improved side-lobe to main-lobe ratio. A higher side-lobe suppression is important to further improve image fidelity. These results suggest that a future combination of both techniques would provide improved signal detection and hence improved image fidelity. (note)

  5. Sexual side effects induced by psychotropic drugs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Ellids

    2002-01-01

    The majority of psychotropic drugs entail sexual side effects. The sexual side effects may reduce quality of life and may give rise to non-compliance. For example, 30-60 per cent of patients treated with antidepressants are known to develop a sexual dysfunction. However, some psychotropic drugs...... with no or very few sexual side effects have begun to emerge. The treatment of sexual side effects induced by psychotropic drugs may consist of: modified sexual habits, reduction in dosage, switching to another medication, possibly in combination with different psychotropic agents, other varieties...

  6. Oscillations of centroid position and surface area of soccer teams in small-sided games

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frencken, Wouter; Lemmink, Koen; Delleman, Nico; Visscher, Chris

    2011-01-01

    There is a need for a collective variable that captures the dynamics of team sports like soccer at match level. The centroid positions and surface areas of two soccer teams potentially describe the coordinated flow of attacking and defending in small-sided soccer games at team level. The aim of the

  7. A Two-Sided Market Model of Optimal Price Structure for Instant Messenger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Xu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Instant messenger (IM is one of the most popular Internet applications all over the world. This paper examines the pricing problem of IM based on two-sided market model. IM serves as a two-sided platform, which gets both Internet users and advertisers on board. This paper concludes that IM operator adopts a heavily skewed price structure that favors IM users both under monopolistic case and under horizontal differentiated duopolistic case. When advertising revenue is large enough relatively to marginal cost for serving IM users, IM users can enjoy free service provided by IM operators. The competitive equilibrium of duopolistic case is not necessarily symmetric when advertisers choose singlehoming. Even in the symmetric equilibrium platform would rather deter all advertisers.

  8. Probability matching in perceptrons: Effects of conditional dependence and linear nonseparability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael R W Dawson

    Full Text Available Probability matching occurs when the behavior of an agent matches the likelihood of occurrence of events in the agent's environment. For instance, when artificial neural networks match probability, the activity in their output unit equals the past probability of reward in the presence of a stimulus. Our previous research demonstrated that simple artificial neural networks (perceptrons, which consist of a set of input units directly connected to a single output unit learn to match probability when presented different cues in isolation. The current paper extends this research by showing that perceptrons can match probabilities when presented simultaneous cues, with each cue signaling different reward likelihoods. In our first simulation, we presented up to four different cues simultaneously; the likelihood of reward signaled by the presence of one cue was independent of the likelihood of reward signaled by other cues. Perceptrons learned to match reward probabilities by treating each cue as an independent source of information about the likelihood of reward. In a second simulation, we violated the independence between cues by making some reward probabilities depend upon cue interactions. We did so by basing reward probabilities on a logical combination (AND or XOR of two of the four possible cues. We also varied the size of the reward associated with the logical combination. We discovered that this latter manipulation was a much better predictor of perceptron performance than was the logical structure of the interaction between cues. This indicates that when perceptrons learn to match probabilities, they do so by assuming that each signal of a reward is independent of any other; the best predictor of perceptron performance is a quantitative measure of the independence of these input signals, and not the logical structure of the problem being learned.

  9. Probability matching in perceptrons: Effects of conditional dependence and linear nonseparability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Michael R W; Gupta, Maya

    2017-01-01

    Probability matching occurs when the behavior of an agent matches the likelihood of occurrence of events in the agent's environment. For instance, when artificial neural networks match probability, the activity in their output unit equals the past probability of reward in the presence of a stimulus. Our previous research demonstrated that simple artificial neural networks (perceptrons, which consist of a set of input units directly connected to a single output unit) learn to match probability when presented different cues in isolation. The current paper extends this research by showing that perceptrons can match probabilities when presented simultaneous cues, with each cue signaling different reward likelihoods. In our first simulation, we presented up to four different cues simultaneously; the likelihood of reward signaled by the presence of one cue was independent of the likelihood of reward signaled by other cues. Perceptrons learned to match reward probabilities by treating each cue as an independent source of information about the likelihood of reward. In a second simulation, we violated the independence between cues by making some reward probabilities depend upon cue interactions. We did so by basing reward probabilities on a logical combination (AND or XOR) of two of the four possible cues. We also varied the size of the reward associated with the logical combination. We discovered that this latter manipulation was a much better predictor of perceptron performance than was the logical structure of the interaction between cues. This indicates that when perceptrons learn to match probabilities, they do so by assuming that each signal of a reward is independent of any other; the best predictor of perceptron performance is a quantitative measure of the independence of these input signals, and not the logical structure of the problem being learned.

  10. Transverse two-stream instability in a matched plasma channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whlttum, D.H.

    1994-01-01

    A relativistic electron beam magnetically self-focused in a plasma is subject to a transverse two stream or 'hose' instability. Linear evolution is described in terms of a tune distribution characterizing the beam, and an effective transverse impedance determined by the beam and the plasma profiles. This model is compared to cloud-in-cell simulations of three-dimensional transport of a beam with a Bennett profile, through a matched plasma channel. In the limit of large skin-depth this instability appears to be the primary limitation on stable beam transport. (author)

  11. Comparing the physical demands of friendly matches and small-sided games in semiprofessional soccer players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casamichana, David; Castellano, Julen; Castagna, Carlo

    2012-03-01

    This study compared the physical demands of friendly matches (FMs) and small-sided games (SGs) in semiprofessional soccer players by means of global positioning system technology. Twenty-seven semiprofessional soccer players were monitored during 7 FMs and 9 sessions involving different SGs. Their physical profile was described on the basis of 20 variables related to distances and frequencies at different running speeds, the number of accelerations, and through global indicators of workload such as the work:rest ratio, player workload, and the exertion index. Results showed significant differences (p FM); the distribution of the distance covered in the speed zones 7.0-12.9 km·h(-1) (SG > FM) and >21 km·h(-1) (FM > SG); the distribution of time spent in certain speed zones (FM > SG: 0.0-6.9 and >21 km·h(-1); FM > SG: 7.0-12.9 km·h(-1)). More sprints per hour of play were performed during FMs, with greater mean durations and distances, greater maximum durations and distances, and a greater frequency per hour of play for sprints of 10-40 and >40 m (p < 0.01). The frequency of repeated high-intensity efforts was higher during FM (p < 0.01). The results show that coaches and strength and conditioning professionals should consider FMs during their training routine to foster specific adaptations in the domain of high-intensity effort.

  12. Effect of two mobilizing agents on the elimination of 147Pm from rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Kunyuan; Gao Xianhua; Lao Qinhua

    1984-01-01

    A study was performed to determine the effect of two new mobilizing agents: N,N-bis-carboxymethyl amino acetylcysteine and hyaluronidase on the elimination of intracheally-injected 147 Pm from rats. The results showed that both the two agents could promote the elimination of 147 Pm from rats and decrease the body retention of rats. The former agent is much more effective in elimination than the other

  13. Minimization of spin tune spread by matching dispersion prime at RHIC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Kewisch, J. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Huang, H. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

    2017-08-31

    At RHIC, the spin polarization is preserved with a pair of Siberian snakes on the oppo- site sides in each ring. The polarized proton beam with finite spin tune spread might cross spin resonances multiple times in two cases, one is when beam going through strong spin intrinsic resonances during acceleration, the other is when sweeping spin flipper’ frequency across the spin tune to flip the direction of spin polarization. The consequence is loss of spin polarization in both cases. Therefore, a scheme of min- imizing the spin tune spread by matching the dispersion primes at the two snakes was introduced based on the fact that the spin tune spread is proportional to the difference of dispersion primes at the two snakes. The scheme was implemented at fixed energies for the spin flipper study and during beam acceleration for better spin polarization transmission efficiency. The effect of minimizing the spin tune spread by matching the dispersion primes was observed and confirmed experimentally. The principle of minimizing the spin tune spread by matching the dispersion primes, the impact on the beam optics, and the effect of a narrower spin tune spread are presented in this report.

  14. Social long-term care insurance with two-sided altruism

    OpenAIRE

    Cremer, Helmuth; Pestieau, Pierre; Roeder, Kerstin

    2015-01-01

    This paper studies the design of a social long-term care (LTC) insurance when altruism is two-sided. The laissez-faire solution is not efficient, unless there is perfect altruism. Under full information, the first-best can be decentralized by a linear subsidy on informal aid, a linear tax on bequests when the parent is dependent and state specific lump-sum transfers which provide insurance. We also study a second-best scheme comprising a LTC benefit, a payroll tax on children's earnings and a...

  15. Distributed Consensus of Stochastic Delayed Multi-agent Systems Under Asynchronous Switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiaotai; Tang, Yang; Cao, Jinde; Zhang, Wenbing

    2016-08-01

    In this paper, the distributed exponential consensus of stochastic delayed multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics is investigated under asynchronous switching. The asynchronous switching considered here is to account for the time of identifying the active modes of multi-agent systems. After receipt of confirmation of mode's switching, the matched controller can be applied, which means that the switching time of the matched controller in each node usually lags behind that of system switching. In order to handle the coexistence of switched signals and stochastic disturbances, a comparison principle of stochastic switched delayed systems is first proved. By means of this extended comparison principle, several easy to verified conditions for the existence of an asynchronously switched distributed controller are derived such that stochastic delayed multi-agent systems with asynchronous switching and nonlinear dynamics can achieve global exponential consensus. Two examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  16. Computer program determines exact two-sided tolerance limits for normal distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, H. A.; Webb, S. R.

    1968-01-01

    Computer program determines by numerical integration the exact statistical two-sided tolerance limits, when the proportion between the limits is at least a specified number. The program is limited to situations in which the underlying probability distribution for the population sampled is the normal distribution with unknown mean and variance.

  17. The evaluation of small-sided games as a talent identification tool in highly trained prepubertal soccer players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenner, Jonathan S J; Iga, John; Unnithan, Viswanath

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate physiological and technical attributes of prepubertal soccer players during multiple small-sided games (SSGs), and determine if SSGs can act as a talent identification tool. Sixteen highly trained U10 soccer players participated and separated into two groups of eight. Each group played six small-sided (4 vs. 4) matches of 5-min duration. Each player was awarded total points for the match result and goals scored. A game technical scoring chart was used to rate each player's performance during each game. Time-motion characteristics were measured using micromechanical devices. Total points had a very large significant relationship with game technical scoring chart (r = 0.758, P talented prepubertal soccer players.

  18. Magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents: Overview and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Guoping; Robinson, Leslie; Hogg, Peter

    2007-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive clinical imaging modality, which has become widely used in the diagnosis and/or staging of human diseases around the world. Some MRI examinations include the use of contrast agents. The categorizations of currently available contrast agents have been described according to their effect on the image, magnetic behavior and biodistribution in the body, respectively. In this field, superparamagnetic iron oxide particles and soluble paramagnetic metal chelates are two main classes of contrast agents for MRI. This review outlines the research and development of MRI contrast agents. In future, the ideal MRI contrast agent will be focused on the neutral tissue- or organ-targeting materials with high relaxivity and specificity, low toxicity and side effects, suitable long intravascular duration and excretion time, high contrast enhancement with low dose in vivo, and with minimal cost

  19. Training in two-tier labor markets : The role of job match quality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akgündüz, Yusuf Emre; van Huizen, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    This study examines training investments in two-tier labor markets, focusing on the role of job match quality. Temporary workers are in general more likely than permanent workers to leave their employer and therefore are less likely to receive employer-funded training. However, as firms prefer to

  20. Two-Agent Scheduling to Minimize the Maximum Cost with Position-Dependent Jobs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Long Wan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates a single-machine two-agent scheduling problem to minimize the maximum costs with position-dependent jobs. There are two agents, each with a set of independent jobs, competing to perform their jobs on a common machine. In our scheduling setting, the actual position-dependent processing time of one job is characterized by variable function dependent on the position of the job in the sequence. Each agent wants to fulfil the objective of minimizing the maximum cost of its own jobs. We develop a feasible method to achieve all the Pareto optimal points in polynomial time.

  1. Peace and development: two sides of the same coin?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viveros Tafur, Memphis Ronald

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available There is the notion that peace and development are positively correlated, that peace drives development and that development drives peace, for Galtung (1985: 147 Peace and Development should be regarded as two sides of the same coin and considers development in relation to peace. This paper shows that peace and development are uncorrelated in several countries where there is peace without development or development without peace. The use of quantitative models as a tool for the analysis is a plus for the findings because most of the related theories are qualitative.

  2. How to optimize brand awareness through non-administrated social channels in a two-sided network

    OpenAIRE

    Arozin, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    The effects of social media on digital branding is analysed in this paper, to establish how to optimize brand awareness through non-administrated social media channels in a two-sided network. This is a relatively unexplored field which may prove to be important for future businesses. Different levels of cooperation between brands are increasing and the implementation of two-sided networks are becoming standardized. A new way of differentiation is needed for the ever changing field of social m...

  3. Effects of age and spa treatment on match running performance over two consecutive games in highly trained young soccer players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchheit, Martin; Horobeanu, Cosmin; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto; Simpson, Ben M; Bourdon, Pitre C

    2011-03-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the effect of age and spa treatment (i.e. combined sauna, cold water immersion, and jacuzzi) on match running performance over two consecutive matches in highly trained young soccer players. Fifteen pre- (age 12.8 ± 0.6 years) and 13 post- (15.9 ± 1 y) peak height velocity (PHV) players played two matches (Matches 1 and 2) within 48 h against the same opposition, with no specific between-match recovery intervention (control). Five post-PHV players also completed another set of two consecutive matches, with spa treatment implemented after the first match. Match running performance was assessed using a global positioning system with very-high-intensity running (> 16.1-19.0 km · h(-1)), sprinting distance (>19 km · h(-1)), and peak match speed determined. Match 2 very-high-intensity running was "possibly" impaired in post-PHV players (-9 ± 33%; ± 90% confidence limits), whereas it was "very likely" improved for the pre-PHV players (+27 ± 22%). The spa treatment had a beneficial impact on Match 2 running performance, with a "likely" rating for sprinting distance (+30 ± 67%) and "almost certain" for peak match speed (+6.4 ± 3%). The results suggest that spa treatment is an effective recovery intervention for post-PHV players, while its value in pre-PHV players is questionable.

  4. Supercritical heat transfer in an annular channel with two-sided heaing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sergeev, V.V.; Remizov, O.V.; Gal'chenko, Eh.F.

    1986-01-01

    The paper deals with experimental inestigation into worsening of heat transfer at forced up flow in steam-water mixture in a vertical annular channel with two-sided heating and development of technique for calculation of supercritical heat exchange in this channel. Bench-scale experiments are carried out at high-pressure at mass rates of the coolant equal to 300-865 kg/(m 2 x s), pressure of 9.8-17.8 MPa and heat flux on the internal surface - 20-400 kW/m 2 , on the external surface - 35-450 kW/m 2 . Technique for calculation of supercritical heat exchange in channels with one- and two-sided heating is suggested. Analysis of the obtained experimental data permits to determine conditions for arising departure nucleate boiling on the internal and external surfaces and on both surfaces simultaneously. It is concluded that the suggested technique of calculation adequately reflects the effect of regime parameters of coolant flow on temperature regime of heat transferring surfaces in the supercritical area

  5. Free convection performance of circular cavities having two active curved vertical sides and two inactive curved horizontal sides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ridouane, El Hassan; Campo, Antonio

    2006-01-01

    A detailed review of the archival reveals that the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of circular cavities have not been investigated so far and of course their physical features are not understood. A prominent application of these cavities arises in the miniaturized packaging of electronic components that are subject to strict constraints. This paper addresses primarily steady-state laminar natural convection of air in a circular cavity of diameter H inscribed in a square cavity of side H where the corresponding sides are in contact at four points. A third cavity, an arc-square cavity whose shape lies between the square and circular cavity shapes is included in the analysis. The finite volume method is used to perform the numerical simulations. The methodology takes into account the second-order-accurate QUICK scheme for the discretization of the convective term, whereas the pressure-velocity coupling is handled with the SIMPLE scheme. Since the air is not assumed a Boussinesq gas, it was decided to take all thermophysical properties as temperature-dependent. In the end, it has been demonstrated that the circular cavity possesses a superior balance between heat transfer enhancement and size in cross-section area in comparison with the standard square cavity. The side of the square cavity is similar to the diameter of the circular cavity

  6. VALUE-ADDED SERVICE INVESTING AND PRICING STRATEGIES FOR A TWO-SIDED PLATFORM UNDER INVESTING RESOURCE CONSTRAINT

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Guowei Dou; Ping He

    2017-01-01

    Investing on value-added service (VAS) amplifies users' participation and platform profit.However,the investing resource is usually limited in practice.This paper investigates VAS investing and pricing strategies for a two-sided platform under investing resource constraint.We reveal that with VAS investment,Subsidizing can still be done to enlarge users' demand,even when the investing cost becomes higher.For optimal pricing strategies,the network effect will be the dominating determinant if the gap between two marginal cross-side benefits (i.e.the benefit that users obtain when each new user join the other side of the platform) is large.Interestingly,we show that with the increase of the marginal investing cost,users might either be priced higher or lower.If the marginal investing cost increases to a high level,and the gap between the two marginal cross-side benefits is large,lowering the access fee for users possessing the higher cross-side network effect does not necessarily compensate more profit loss caused by higher cost.Moreover,after VAS is developed,raising the access fee for those whose marginal investing benefit is large does not necessarily generate more profit as well.The opposite strategy further enlarges users' utility,and promotes the investment to benefit more users.

  7. The application of radiosterilised bovine bone xenograft as a dental haemostatic agent in adult merino sheep

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samsudin, A.R.; Meor Kamal, M. Z.; Afifi Abu Bakar

    1999-01-01

    The aim of this study is to look at the efficacy of radiosterilised demineralised freeze dried bovine bone xenograft as a dental haemostatic agent in tooth socket wound following tooth extraction. Six adult Merino sheep underwent extraction of two central incisor teeth under general anaesthesia. In one tooth extraction socket (socket side A) a standard gelatin dental haemostatic agent was inserted while a radiosterilised cancellous bovine bone cube was inserted into the second tooth extraction socket (socket side B). The time taken for the bleeding from the both socket to stop was noted and the sheep were kept asleep under general anesthesia till complete hemostasis was achieved. The feeding habits and wound healing were observed till the tenth postoperative day. Results showed that in socket A, complete hemostasis was achieved in a mean time of 135 seconds (range 110 seconds to 145 seconds) and in socket B, complete hemostasis was achieved in a mean time of 97 seconds (range 8 8 seconds to 112 seconds). Observation regarding feeding habits demonstrate that all the sheep showed preference to chew food on the side of socket 'side B' till the fifth postoperative day and by the seventh day, all sheep chew on both sides of the jaw. The standard gelatin dental hemostatic agent was found to be dislodged from all socket side B on the first postoperative day while the bovine bone cube remained in socked side A till the seventh postoperative day. In conclusion, radiosterilised cancellous bovine bone cube may be applied as an effective dental hemostatic agent following tooth extraction

  8. A Frequency-Tracking and Impedance-Matching Combined System for Robust Wireless Power Transfer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanting Luo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the greatest challenges to power embedded devices using magnetically coupled resonant wireless power transfer (WPT system is that the amount of power delivered to the load is very sensitive to load impedance variations. Previous adaptive impedance-matching (IM technologies have drawbacks because adding IM networks, relay coils, or other compensating components in the receiver-side will significantly increase the receiver size. In this paper, a novel frequency-tracking and impedance-matching combined system is proposed to improve the robustness of wireless power transfer for embedded devices. The characteristics of the improved WPT system are investigated theoretically based on the two-port network model. Simulation and experimental studies are carried out to validate the proposed system. The results suggest that the frequency-tracking and impedance-matching combined WPT system can quickly find the best matching points and maintain high power transmission efficiency and output power when the load impedance changes.

  9. Drug side effect extraction from clinical narratives of psychiatry and psychology patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, Sunghwan; Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Chute, Christopher G; Savova, Guergana K

    2011-12-01

    To extract physician-asserted drug side effects from electronic medical record clinical narratives. Pattern matching rules were manually developed through examining keywords and expression patterns of side effects to discover an individual side effect and causative drug relationship. A combination of machine learning (C4.5) using side effect keyword features and pattern matching rules was used to extract sentences that contain side effect and causative drug pairs, enabling the system to discover most side effect occurrences. Our system was implemented as a module within the clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System. The system was tested in the domain of psychiatry and psychology. The rule-based system extracting side effects and causative drugs produced an F score of 0.80 (0.55 excluding allergy section). The hybrid system identifying side effect sentences had an F score of 0.75 (0.56 excluding allergy section) but covered more side effect and causative drug pairs than individual side effect extraction. The rule-based system was able to identify most side effects expressed by clear indication words. More sophisticated semantic processing is required to handle complex side effect descriptions in the narrative. We demonstrated that our system can be trained to identify sentences with complex side effect descriptions that can be submitted to a human expert for further abstraction. Our system was able to extract most physician-asserted drug side effects. It can be used in either an automated mode for side effect extraction or semi-automated mode to identify side effect sentences that can significantly simplify abstraction by a human expert.

  10. The Interaction Between Schema Matching and Record Matching in Data Integration

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Binbin; Li, Zhixu; Zhang, Xiangliang; Liu, An; Liu, Guanfeng; Zheng, Kai; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Xiaofang

    2016-01-01

    Schema Matching (SM) and Record Matching (RM) are two necessary steps in integrating multiple relational tables of different schemas, where SM unifies the schemas and RM detects records referring to the same real-world entity. The two processes have

  11. Targeting cancer chemotherapeutic agents by use of lipiodol contrast medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konno, T.

    1990-01-01

    Arterially administered Lipiodol Ultrafluid contrast medium selectively remained in various malignant solid tumors because of the difference in time required for the removal of Lipiodol contrast medium from normal capillaries and tumor neovasculature. Although blood flow was maintained in the tumor, even immediately after injection Lipiodol contrast medium remained in the neovasculature of the tumor. To target anti-cancer agents to tumors by using Lipiodol contrast medium as a carrier, the characteristics of the agents were examined. Anti-cancer agents had to be soluble in Lipiodol, be stable in it, and separate gradually from it so that the anti-cancer agents would selectively remain in the tumor. These conditions were found to be necessary on the basis of the measurement of radioactivity in VX2 tumors implanted in the liver of 16 rabbits that received arterial injections of 14C-labeled doxorubicin. Antitumor activities and side effects of arterial injections of two types of anti-cancer agents were compared in 76 rabbits with VX2 tumors. Oily anti-cancer agents that had characteristics essential for targeting were compared with simple mixtures of anti-cancer agents with Lipiodol contrast medium that did not have these essential characteristics. Groups of rabbits that received oily anti-cancer agents responded significantly better than groups that received simple mixtures, and side effects were observed more frequently in the groups that received the simple mixtures. These results suggest that targeting of the anti-cancer agent to the tumor is important for treatment of solid malignant tumors

  12. Observation of Associated Near-side and Away-side Long-range Correlations in $\\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=5.02 TeV Proton-lead Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

    CERN Document Server

    Aad, Georges; Abbott, Brad; Abdallah, Jalal; Abdel Khalek, Samah; Abdelalim, Ahmed Ali; Abdinov, Ovsat; Aben, Rosemarie; Abi, Babak; Abolins, Maris; AbouZeid, Ossama; Abramowicz, Halina; Abreu, Henso; Acharya, Bobby Samir; Adamczyk, Leszek; Adams, David; Addy, Tetteh; Adelman, Jahred; Adomeit, Stefanie; Adragna, Paolo; Adye, Tim; Aefsky, Scott; Aguilar-Saavedra, Juan Antonio; Agustoni, Marco; Ahlen, Steven; Ahles, Florian; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Ahsan, Mahsana; Aielli, Giulio; Åkesson, Torsten Paul Ake; Akimoto, Ginga; Akimov, Andrei; Alam, Muhammad Aftab; Albert, Justin; Albrand, Solveig; Aleksa, Martin; Aleksandrov, Igor; Alessandria, Franco; Alexa, Calin; Alexander, Gideon; Alexandre, Gauthier; Alexopoulos, Theodoros; Alhroob, Muhammad; Aliev, Malik; Alimonti, Gianluca; Alison, John; Allbrooke, Benedict; Allison, Lee John; Allport, Phillip; Allwood-Spiers, Sarah; Almond, John; Aloisio, Alberto; Alon, Raz; Alonso, Alejandro; Alonso, Francisco; Altheimer, Andrew David; Alvarez Gonzalez, Barbara; Alviggi, Mariagrazia; Amako, Katsuya; Amelung, Christoph; Ammosov, Vladimir; Amor Dos Santos, Susana Patricia; Amorim, Antonio; Amoroso, Simone; Amram, Nir; Anastopoulos, Christos; Ancu, Lucian Stefan; Andari, Nansi; Andeen, Timothy; Anders, Christoph Falk; Anders, Gabriel; Anderson, Kelby; Andreazza, Attilio; Andrei, George Victor; Anduaga, Xabier; Angelidakis, Stylianos; Anger, Philipp; Angerami, Aaron; Anghinolfi, Francis; Anisenkov, Alexey; Anjos, Nuno; Annovi, Alberto; Antonaki, Ariadni; Antonelli, Mario; Antonov, Alexey; Antos, Jaroslav; Anulli, Fabio; Aoki, Masato; Aperio Bella, Ludovica; Apolle, Rudi; Arabidze, Giorgi; Aracena, Ignacio; Arai, Yasuo; Arce, Ayana; Arfaoui, Samir; Arguin, Jean-Francois; Argyropoulos, Spyridon; Arik, Engin; Arik, Metin; Armbruster, Aaron James; Arnaez, Olivier; Arnal, Vanessa; Artamonov, Andrei; Artoni, Giacomo; Arutinov, David; Asai, Shoji; Ask, Stefan; Åsman, Barbro; Asquith, Lily; Assamagan, Ketevi; Astalos, Robert; Astbury, Alan; Atkinson, Markus; Auerbach, Benjamin; Auge, Etienne; Augsten, Kamil; Aurousseau, Mathieu; Avolio, Giuseppe; Axen, David; Azuelos, Georges; Azuma, Yuya; Baak, Max; Baccaglioni, Giuseppe; Bacci, Cesare; Bach, Andre; Bachacou, Henri; Bachas, Konstantinos; Backes, Moritz; Backhaus, Malte; Backus Mayes, John; Badescu, Elisabeta; Bagnaia, Paolo; Bai, Yu; Bailey, David; Bain, Travis; Baines, John; Baker, Oliver Keith; Baker, Sarah; Balek, Petr; Balli, Fabrice; Banas, Elzbieta; Banerjee, Piyali; Banerjee, Swagato; Banfi, Danilo; Bangert, Andrea Michelle; Bansal, Vikas; Bansil, Hardeep Singh; Barak, Liron; Baranov, Sergei; Barber, Tom; Barberio, Elisabetta Luigia; Barberis, Dario; Barbero, Marlon; Bardin, Dmitri; Barillari, Teresa; Barisonzi, Marcello; Barklow, Timothy; Barlow, Nick; Barnett, Bruce; Barnett, Michael; Baroncelli, Antonio; Barone, Gaetano; Barr, Alan; Barreiro, Fernando; Barreiro Guimarães da Costa, João; Bartoldus, Rainer; Barton, Adam Edward; Bartsch, Valeria; Basye, Austin; Bates, Richard; Batkova, Lucia; Batley, Richard; Battaglia, Andreas; Battistin, Michele; Bauer, Florian; Bawa, Harinder Singh; Beale, Steven; Beau, Tristan; Beauchemin, Pierre-Hugues; Beccherle, Roberto; Bechtle, Philip; Beck, Hans Peter; Becker, Anne Kathrin; Becker, Sebastian; Beckingham, Matthew; Becks, Karl-Heinz; Beddall, Andrew; Beddall, Ayda; Bedikian, Sourpouhi; Bednyakov, Vadim; Bee, Christopher; Beemster, Lars; Beermann, Thomas; Begel, Michael; Behar Harpaz, Silvia; Belanger-Champagne, Camille; Bell, Paul; Bell, William; Bella, Gideon; Bellagamba, Lorenzo; Bellomo, Massimiliano; Belloni, Alberto; Beloborodova, Olga; Belotskiy, Konstantin; Beltramello, Olga; Benary, Odette; Benchekroun, Driss; Bendtz, Katarina; Benekos, Nektarios; Benhammou, Yan; Benhar Noccioli, Eleonora; Benitez Garcia, Jorge-Armando; Benjamin, Douglas; Benoit, Mathieu; Bensinger, James; Benslama, Kamal; Bentvelsen, Stan; Berge, David; Bergeaas Kuutmann, Elin; Berger, Nicolas; Berghaus, Frank; Berglund, Elina; Beringer, Jürg; Bernat, Pauline; Bernhard, Ralf; Bernius, Catrin; Bernlochner, Florian Urs; Berry, Tracey; Bertella, Claudia; Bertin, Antonio; Bertolucci, Federico; Besana, Maria Ilaria; Besjes, Geert-Jan; Besson, Nathalie; Bethke, Siegfried; Bhimji, Wahid; Bianchi, Riccardo-Maria; Bianchini, Louis; Bianco, Michele; Biebel, Otmar; Bieniek, Stephen Paul; Bierwagen, Katharina; Biesiada, Jed; Biglietti, Michela; Bilokon, Halina; Bindi, Marcello; Binet, Sebastien; Bingul, Ahmet; Bini, Cesare; Biscarat, Catherine; Bittner, Bernhard; Black, Curtis; Black, James; Black, Kevin; Blair, Robert; Blanchard, Jean-Baptiste; Blazek, Tomas; Bloch, Ingo; Blocker, Craig; Blocki, Jacek; Blum, Walter; Blumenschein, Ulrike; Bobbink, Gerjan; Bobrovnikov, Victor; Bocchetta, Simona Serena; Bocci, Andrea; Boddy, Christopher Richard; Boehler, Michael; Boek, Jennifer; Boek, Thorsten Tobias; Boelaert, Nele; Bogaerts, Joannes Andreas; Bogdanchikov, Alexander; Bogouch, Andrei; Bohm, Christian; Bohm, Jan; Boisvert, Veronique; Bold, Tomasz; Boldea, Venera; Bolnet, Nayanka Myriam; Bomben, Marco; Bona, Marcella; Boonekamp, Maarten; Bordoni, Stefania; Borer, Claudia; Borisov, Anatoly; Borissov, Guennadi; Borjanovic, Iris; Borri, Marcello; Borroni, Sara; Bortfeldt, Jonathan; Bortolotto, Valerio; Bos, Kors; Boscherini, Davide; Bosman, Martine; Boterenbrood, Hendrik; Bouchami, Jihene; Boudreau, Joseph; Bouhova-Thacker, Evelina Vassileva; Boumediene, Djamel Eddine; Bourdarios, Claire; Bousson, Nicolas; Boutouil, Sara; Boveia, Antonio; Boyd, James; Boyko, Igor; Bozovic-Jelisavcic, Ivanka; Bracinik, Juraj; Branchini, Paolo; Brandt, Andrew; Brandt, Gerhard; Brandt, Oleg; Bratzler, Uwe; Brau, Benjamin; Brau, James; Braun, Helmut; Brazzale, Simone Federico; Brelier, Bertrand; Bremer, Johan; Brendlinger, Kurt; Brenner, Richard; Bressler, Shikma; Bristow, Timothy Michael; Britton, Dave; Brochu, Frederic; Brock, Ian; Brock, Raymond; Broggi, Francesco; Bromberg, Carl; Bronner, Johanna; Brooijmans, Gustaaf; Brooks, Timothy; Brooks, William; Brown, Gareth; Bruckman de Renstrom, Pawel; Bruncko, Dusan; Bruneliere, Renaud; Brunet, Sylvie; Bruni, Alessia; Bruni, Graziano; Bruschi, Marco; Bryngemark, Lene; Buanes, Trygve; Buat, Quentin; Bucci, Francesca; Buchanan, James; Buchholz, Peter; Buckingham, Ryan; Buckley, Andrew; Buda, Stelian Ioan; Budagov, Ioulian; Budick, Burton; Bugge, Lars; Bulekov, Oleg; Bundock, Aaron Colin; Bunse, Moritz; Buran, Torleiv; Burckhart, Helfried; Burdin, Sergey; Burgess, Thomas; Burke, Stephen; Busato, Emmanuel; Büscher, Volker; Bussey, Peter; Buszello, Claus-Peter; Butler, Bart; Butler, John; Buttar, Craig; Butterworth, Jonathan; Buttinger, William; Byszewski, Marcin; Cabrera Urbán, Susana; Caforio, Davide; Cakir, Orhan; Calafiura, Paolo; Calderini, Giovanni; Calfayan, Philippe; Calkins, Robert; Caloba, Luiz; Caloi, Rita; Calvet, David; Calvet, Samuel; Camacho Toro, Reina; Camarri, Paolo; Cameron, David; Caminada, Lea Michaela; Caminal Armadans, Roger; Campana, Simone; Campanelli, Mario; Canale, Vincenzo; Canelli, Florencia; Canepa, Anadi; Cantero, Josu; Cantrill, Robert; Cao, Tingting; Capeans Garrido, Maria Del Mar; Caprini, Irinel; Caprini, Mihai; Capriotti, Daniele; Capua, Marcella; Caputo, Regina; Cardarelli, Roberto; Carli, Tancredi; Carlino, Gianpaolo; Carminati, Leonardo; Caron, Sascha; Carquin, Edson; Carrillo-Montoya, German D; Carter, Antony; Carter, Janet; Carvalho, João; Casadei, Diego; Casado, Maria Pilar; Cascella, Michele; Caso, Carlo; Castaneda-Miranda, Elizabeth; Castillo Gimenez, Victoria; Castro, Nuno Filipe; Cataldi, Gabriella; Catastini, Pierluigi; Catinaccio, Andrea; Catmore, James; Cattai, Ariella; Cattani, Giordano; Caughron, Seth; Cavaliere, Viviana; Cavalleri, Pietro; Cavalli, Donatella; Cavalli-Sforza, Matteo; Cavasinni, Vincenzo; Ceradini, Filippo; Santiago Cerqueira, Augusto; Cerri, Alessandro; Cerrito, Lucio; Cerutti, Fabio; Cetin, Serkant Ali; Chafaq, Aziz; Chakraborty, Dhiman; Chalupkova, Ina; Chan, Kevin; Chang, Philip; Chapleau, Bertrand; Chapman, John Derek; Chapman, John Wehrley; Charlton, Dave; Chavda, Vikash; Chavez Barajas, Carlos Alberto; Cheatham, Susan; Chekanov, Sergei; Chekulaev, Sergey; Chelkov, Gueorgui; Chelstowska, Magda Anna; Chen, Chunhui; Chen, Hucheng; Chen, Shenjian; Chen, Xin; Chen, Yujiao; Cheng, Yangyang; Cheplakov, Alexander; Cherkaoui El Moursli, Rajaa; Chernyatin, Valeriy; Cheu, Elliott; Cheung, Sing-Leung; Chevalier, Laurent; Chiefari, Giovanni; Chikovani, Leila; Childers, John Taylor; Chilingarov, Alexandre; Chiodini, Gabriele; Chisholm, Andrew; Chislett, Rebecca Thalatta; Chitan, Adrian; Chizhov, Mihail; Choudalakis, Georgios; Chouridou, Sofia; Chow, Bonnie Kar Bo; Christidi, Ilektra-Athanasia; Christov, Asen; Chromek-Burckhart, Doris; Chu, Ming-Lee; Chudoba, Jiri; Ciapetti, Guido; Ciftci, Abbas Kenan; Ciftci, Rena; Cinca, Diane; Cindro, Vladimir; Ciocio, Alessandra; Cirilli, Manuela; Cirkovic, Predrag; Citron, Zvi Hirsh; Citterio, Mauro; Ciubancan, Mihai; Clark, Allan G; Clark, Philip James; Clarke, Robert; Cleland, Bill; Clemens, Jean-Claude; Clement, Benoit; Clement, Christophe; Coadou, Yann; Cobal, Marina; Coccaro, Andrea; Cochran, James H; Coffey, Laurel; Cogan, Joshua Godfrey; Coggeshall, James; Colas, Jacques; Cole, Brian; Cole, Stephen; Colijn, Auke-Pieter; Collins, Neil; Collins-Tooth, Christopher; Collot, Johann; Colombo, Tommaso; Colon, German; Compostella, Gabriele; Conde Muiño, Patricia; Coniavitis, Elias; Conidi, Maria Chiara; Consonni, Sofia Maria; Consorti, Valerio; Constantinescu, Serban; Conta, Claudio; Conti, Geraldine; Conventi, Francesco; Cooke, Mark; Cooper, Ben; Cooper-Sarkar, Amanda; Copic, Katherine; Cornelissen, Thijs; Corradi, Massimo; Corriveau, Francois; Cortes-Gonzalez, Arely; Cortiana, Giorgio; Costa, Giuseppe; Costa, María José; Costanzo, Davide; Côté, David; Cottin, Giovanna; Courneyea, Lorraine; Cowan, Glen; Cox, Brian; Cranmer, Kyle; Crépé-Renaudin, Sabine; Crescioli, Francesco; Cristinziani, Markus; Crosetti, Giovanni; Cuciuc, Constantin-Mihai; Cuenca Almenar, Cristóbal; Cuhadar Donszelmann, Tulay; Cummings, Jane; Curatolo, Maria; Curtis, Chris; Cuthbert, Cameron; Cwetanski, Peter; Czirr, Hendrik; Czodrowski, Patrick; Czyczula, Zofia; D'Auria, Saverio; D'Onofrio, Monica; D'Orazio, Alessia; Da Cunha Sargedas De Sousa, Mario Jose; Da Via, Cinzia; Dabrowski, Wladyslaw; Dafinca, Alexandru; Dai, Tiesheng; Dallaire, Frederick; Dallapiccola, Carlo; Dam, Mogens; Damiani, Daniel; Danielsson, Hans Olof; Dao, Valerio; Darbo, Giovanni; Darlea, Georgiana Lavinia; Dassoulas, James; Davey, Will; Davidek, Tomas; Davidson, Nadia; Davidson, Ruth; Davies, Eleanor; Davies, Merlin; Davignon, Olivier; Davison, Adam; Davygora, Yuriy; Dawe, Edmund; Dawson, Ian; Daya-Ishmukhametova, Rozmin; De, Kaushik; de Asmundis, Riccardo; De Castro, Stefano; De Cecco, Sandro; de Graat, Julien; De Groot, Nicolo; de Jong, Paul; De La Taille, Christophe; De la Torre, Hector; De Lorenzi, Francesco; De Nooij, Lucie; De Pedis, Daniele; De Salvo, Alessandro; De Sanctis, Umberto; De Santo, Antonella; De Vivie De Regie, Jean-Baptiste; De Zorzi, Guido; Dearnaley, William James; Debbe, Ramiro; Debenedetti, Chiara; Dechenaux, Benjamin; Dedovich, Dmitri; Degenhardt, James; Del Peso, Jose; Del Prete, Tarcisio; Delemontex, Thomas; Deliyergiyev, Maksym; Dell'Acqua, Andrea; Dell'Asta, Lidia; Della Pietra, Massimo; della Volpe, Domenico; Delmastro, Marco; Delsart, Pierre-Antoine; Deluca, Carolina; Demers, Sarah; Demichev, Mikhail; Demirkoz, Bilge; Denisov, Sergey; Derendarz, Dominik; Derkaoui, Jamal Eddine; Derue, Frederic; Dervan, Paul; Desch, Klaus Kurt; Deviveiros, Pier-Olivier; Dewhurst, Alastair; DeWilde, Burton; Dhaliwal, Saminder; Dhullipudi, Ramasudhakar; Di Ciaccio, Anna; Di Ciaccio, Lucia; Di Donato, Camilla; Di Girolamo, Alessandro; Di Girolamo, Beniamino; Di Luise, Silvestro; Di Mattia, Alessandro; Di Micco, Biagio; Di Nardo, Roberto; Di Simone, Andrea; Di Sipio, Riccardo; Diaz, Marco Aurelio; Diehl, Edward; Dietrich, Janet; Dietzsch, Thorsten; Diglio, Sara; Dindar Yagci, Kamile; Dingfelder, Jochen; Dinut, Florin; Dionisi, Carlo; Dita, Petre; Dita, Sanda; Dittus, Fridolin; Djama, Fares; Djobava, Tamar; Barros do Vale, Maria Aline; Do Valle Wemans, André; Doan, Thi Kieu Oanh; Dobbs, Matt; Dobos, Daniel; Dobson, Ellie; Dodd, Jeremy; Doglioni, Caterina; Doherty, Tom; Dohmae, Takeshi; Doi, Yoshikuni; Dolejsi, Jiri; Dolezal, Zdenek; Dolgoshein, Boris; Donadelli, Marisilvia; Donini, Julien; Dopke, Jens; Doria, Alessandra; Dos Anjos, Andre; Dotti, Andrea; Dova, Maria-Teresa; Doyle, Tony; Dressnandt, Nandor; Dris, Manolis; Dubbert, Jörg; Dube, Sourabh; Dubreuil, Emmanuelle; Duchovni, Ehud; Duckeck, Guenter; Duda, Dominik; Dudarev, Alexey; Dudziak, Fanny; Duerdoth, Ian; Duflot, Laurent; Dufour, Marc-Andre; Duguid, Liam; Dührssen, Michael; Dunford, Monica; Duran Yildiz, Hatice; Düren, Michael; Duxfield, Robert; Dwuznik, Michal; Ebenstein, William; Ebke, Johannes; Eckweiler, Sebastian; Edson, William; Edwards, Clive; Edwards, Nicholas Charles; Ehrenfeld, Wolfgang; Eifert, Till; Eigen, Gerald; Einsweiler, Kevin; Eisenhandler, Eric; Ekelof, Tord; El Kacimi, Mohamed; Ellert, Mattias; Elles, Sabine; Ellinghaus, Frank; Ellis, Katherine; Ellis, Nicolas; Elmsheuser, Johannes; Elsing, Markus; Emeliyanov, Dmitry; Engelmann, Roderich; Engl, Albert; Epp, Brigitte; Erdmann, Johannes; Ereditato, Antonio; Eriksson, Daniel; Ernst, Jesse; Ernst, Michael; Ernwein, Jean; Errede, Deborah; Errede, Steven; Ertel, Eugen; Escalier, Marc; Esch, Hendrik; Escobar, Carlos; Espinal Curull, Xavier; Esposito, Bellisario; Etienne, Francois; Etienvre, Anne-Isabelle; Etzion, Erez; Evangelakou, Despoina; Evans, Hal; Fabbri, Laura; Fabre, Caroline; Facini, Gabriel John; Fakhrutdinov, Rinat; Falciano, Speranza; Fang, Yaquan; Fanti, Marcello; Farbin, Amir; Farilla, Addolorata; Farley, Jason; Farooque, Trisha; Farrell, Steven; Farrington, Sinead; Farthouat, Philippe; Fassi, Farida; Fassnacht, Patrick; Fassouliotis, Dimitrios; Fatholahzadeh, Baharak; Favareto, Andrea; Fayard, Louis; Federic, Pavol; Fedin, Oleg; Fedorko, Wojciech; Fehling-Kaschek, Mirjam; Feligioni, Lorenzo; Feng, Cunfeng; Feng, Eric; Fenyuk, Alexander; Ferencei, Jozef; Fernando, Waruna; Ferrag, Samir; Ferrando, James; Ferrara, Valentina; Ferrari, Arnaud; Ferrari, Pamela; Ferrari, Roberto; Ferreira de Lima, Danilo Enoque; Ferrer, Antonio; Ferrere, Didier; Ferretti, Claudio; Ferretto Parodi, Andrea; Fiascaris, Maria; Fiedler, Frank; Filipčič, Andrej; Filthaut, Frank; Fincke-Keeler, Margret; Fiolhais, Miguel; Fiorini, Luca; Firan, Ana; Fischer, Julia; Fisher, Matthew; Fitzgerald, Eric Andrew; Flechl, Martin; Fleck, Ivor; Fleischmann, Philipp; Fleischmann, Sebastian; Fletcher, Gareth Thomas; Fletcher, Gregory; Flick, Tobias; Floderus, Anders; Flores Castillo, Luis; Florez Bustos, Andres Carlos; Flowerdew, Michael; Fonseca Martin, Teresa; Formica, Andrea; Forti, Alessandra; Fortin, Dominique; Fournier, Daniel; Fowler, Andrew; Fox, Harald; Francavilla, Paolo; Franchini, Matteo; Franchino, Silvia; Francis, David; Frank, Tal; Franklin, Melissa; Franz, Sebastien; Fraternali, Marco; Fratina, Sasa; French, Sky; Friedrich, Conrad; Friedrich, Felix; Froidevaux, Daniel; Frost, James; Fukunaga, Chikara; Fullana Torregrosa, Esteban; Fulsom, Bryan Gregory; Fuster, Juan; Gabaldon, Carolina; Gabizon, Ofir; Gadatsch, Stefan; Gadfort, Thomas; Gadomski, Szymon; Gagliardi, Guido; Gagnon, Pauline; Galea, Cristina; Galhardo, Bruno; Gallas, Elizabeth; Gallo, Valentina Santina; Gallop, Bruce; Gallus, Petr; Gan, KK; Gandrajula, Reddy Pratap; Gao, Yongsheng; Gaponenko, Andrei; Garay Walls, Francisca; Garberson, Ford; García, Carmen; García Navarro, José Enrique; Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice; Gardner, Robert; Garelli, Nicoletta; Garonne, Vincent; Gatti, Claudio; Gaudio, Gabriella; Gaur, Bakul; Gauthier, Lea; Gauzzi, Paolo; Gavrilenko, Igor; Gay, Colin; Gaycken, Goetz; Gazis, Evangelos; Ge, Peng; Gecse, Zoltan; Gee, Norman; Geerts, Daniël Alphonsus Adrianus; Geich-Gimbel, Christoph; Gellerstedt, Karl; Gemme, Claudia; Gemmell, Alistair; Genest, Marie-Hélène; Gentile, Simonetta; George, Matthias; George, Simon; Gerbaudo, Davide; Gerlach, Peter; Gershon, Avi; Geweniger, Christoph; Ghazlane, Hamid; Ghodbane, Nabil; Giacobbe, Benedetto; Giagu, Stefano; Giangiobbe, Vincent; Gianotti, Fabiola; Gibbard, Bruce; Gibson, Adam; Gibson, Stephen; Gilchriese, Murdock; Gillam, Thomas; Gillberg, Dag; Gillman, Tony; Gingrich, Douglas; Ginzburg, Jonatan; Giokaris, Nikos; Giordani, MarioPaolo; Giordano, Raffaele; Giorgi, Francesco Michelangelo; Giovannini, Paola; Giraud, Pierre-Francois; Giugni, Danilo; Giunta, Michele; Gjelsten, Børge Kile; Gladilin, Leonid; Glasman, Claudia; Glatzer, Julian; Glazov, Alexandre; Glonti, George; Goddard, Jack Robert; Godfrey, Jennifer; Godlewski, Jan; Goebel, Martin; Goeringer, Christian; Goldfarb, Steven; Golling, Tobias; Golubkov, Dmitry; Gomes, Agostinho; Gomez Fajardo, Luz Stella; Gonçalo, Ricardo; Goncalves Pinto Firmino Da Costa, Joao; Gonella, Laura; González de la Hoz, Santiago; Gonzalez Parra, Garoe; Gonzalez Silva, Laura; Gonzalez-Sevilla, Sergio; Goodson, Jeremiah Jet; Goossens, Luc; Göpfert, Thomas; Gorbounov, Petr Andreevich; Gordon, Howard; Gorelov, Igor; Gorfine, Grant; Gorini, Benedetto; Gorini, Edoardo; Gorišek, Andrej; Gornicki, Edward; Goshaw, Alfred; Gössling, Claus; Gostkin, Mikhail Ivanovitch; Gough Eschrich, Ivo; Gouighri, Mohamed; Goujdami, Driss; Goulette, Marc Phillippe; Goussiou, Anna; Goy, Corinne; Gozpinar, Serdar; Grabowska-Bold, Iwona; Grafström, Per; Grahn, Karl-Johan; Gramstad, Eirik; Grancagnolo, Francesco; Grancagnolo, Sergio; Grassi, Valerio; Gratchev, Vadim; Gray, Heather; Gray, Julia Ann; Graziani, Enrico; Grebenyuk, Oleg; Greenshaw, Timothy; Greenwood, Zeno Dixon; Gregersen, Kristian; Gregor, Ingrid-Maria; Grenier, Philippe; Griffiths, Justin; Grigalashvili, Nugzar; Grillo, Alexander; Grimm, Kathryn; Grinstein, Sebastian; Gris, Philippe Luc Yves; Grishkevich, Yaroslav; Grivaz, Jean-Francois; Grohs, Johannes Philipp; Grohsjean, Alexander; Gross, Eilam; Grosse-Knetter, Joern; Groth-Jensen, Jacob; Grybel, Kai; Guest, Daniel; Gueta, Orel; Guicheney, Christophe; Guido, Elisa; Guillemin, Thibault; Guindon, Stefan; Gul, Umar; Gunther, Jaroslav; Guo, Bin; Guo, Jun; Gutierrez, Phillip; Guttman, Nir; Gutzwiller, Olivier; Guyot, Claude; Gwenlan, Claire; Gwilliam, Carl; Haas, Andy; Haas, Stefan; Haber, Carl; Hadavand, Haleh Khani; Hadley, David; Haefner, Petra; Hajduk, Zbigniew; Hakobyan, Hrachya; Hall, David; Halladjian, Garabed; Hamacher, Klaus; Hamal, Petr; Hamano, Kenji; Hamer, Matthias; Hamilton, Andrew; Hamilton, Samuel; Han, Liang; Hanagaki, Kazunori; Hanawa, Keita; Hance, Michael; Handel, Carsten; Hanke, Paul; Hansen, John Renner; Hansen, Jørgen Beck; Hansen, Jorn Dines; Hansen, Peter Henrik; Hansson, Per; Hara, Kazuhiko; Harenberg, Torsten; Harkusha, Siarhei; Harper, Devin; Harrington, Robert; Harris, Orin; Hartert, Jochen; Hartjes, Fred; Haruyama, Tomiyoshi; Harvey, Alex; Hasegawa, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Yoji; Hassani, Samira; Haug, Sigve; Hauschild, Michael; Hauser, Reiner; Havranek, Miroslav; Hawkes, Christopher; Hawkings, Richard John; Hawkins, Anthony David; Hayakawa, Takashi; Hayashi, Takayasu; Hayden, Daniel; Hays, Chris; Hayward, Helen; Haywood, Stephen; Head, Simon; Heck, Tobias; Hedberg, Vincent; Heelan, Louise; Heim, Sarah; Heinemann, Beate; Heisterkamp, Simon; Helary, Louis; Heller, Claudio; Heller, Matthieu; Hellman, Sten; Hellmich, Dennis; Helsens, Clement; Henderson, Robert; Henke, Michael; Henrichs, Anna; Henriques Correia, Ana Maria; Henrot-Versille, Sophie; Hensel, Carsten; Medina Hernandez, Carlos; Hernández Jiménez, Yesenia; Herrberg, Ruth; Herten, Gregor; Hertenberger, Ralf; Hervas, Luis; Hesketh, Gavin Grant; Hessey, Nigel; Hickling, Robert; Higón-Rodriguez, Emilio; Hill, John; Hiller, Karl Heinz; Hillert, Sonja; Hillier, Stephen; Hinchliffe, Ian; Hines, Elizabeth; Hirose, Minoru; Hirsch, Florian; Hirschbuehl, Dominic; Hobbs, John; Hod, Noam; Hodgkinson, Mark; Hodgson, Paul; Hoecker, Andreas; Hoeferkamp, Martin; Hoffman, Julia; Hoffmann, Dirk; Hohlfeld, Marc; Holmgren, Sven-Olof; Holy, Tomas; Holzbauer, Jenny; Hong, Tae Min; Hooft van Huysduynen, Loek; Hostachy, Jean-Yves; Hou, Suen; Hoummada, Abdeslam; Howard, Jacob; Howarth, James; Hrabovsky, Miroslav; Hristova, Ivana; Hrivnac, Julius; Hryn'ova, Tetiana; Hsu, Pai-hsien Jennifer; Hsu, Shih-Chieh; Hu, Diedi; Hubacek, Zdenek; Hubaut, Fabrice; Huegging, Fabian; Huettmann, Antje; Huffman, Todd Brian; Hughes, Emlyn; Hughes, Gareth; Huhtinen, Mika; Hülsing, Tobias Alexander; Hurwitz, Martina; Huseynov, Nazim; Huston, Joey; Huth, John; Iacobucci, Giuseppe; Iakovidis, Georgios; Ibbotson, Michael; Ibragimov, Iskander; Iconomidou-Fayard, Lydia; Idarraga, John; Iengo, Paolo; Igonkina, Olga; Ikegami, Yoichi; Ikematsu, Katsumasa; Ikeno, Masahiro; Iliadis, Dimitrios; Ilic, Nikolina; Ince, Tayfun; Ioannou, Pavlos; Iodice, Mauro; Iordanidou, Kalliopi; Ippolito, Valerio; Irles Quiles, Adrian; Isaksson, Charlie; Ishino, Masaya; Ishitsuka, Masaki; Ishmukhametov, Renat; Issever, Cigdem; Istin, Serhat; Ivashin, Anton; Iwanski, Wieslaw; Iwasaki, Hiroyuki; Izen, Joseph; Izzo, Vincenzo; Jackson, Brett; Jackson, John; Jackson, Paul; Jaekel, Martin; Jain, Vivek; Jakobs, Karl; Jakobsen, Sune; Jakoubek, Tomas; Jakubek, Jan; Jamin, David Olivier; Jana, Dilip; Jansen, Eric; Jansen, Hendrik; Janssen, Jens; Jantsch, Andreas; Janus, Michel; Jared, Richard; Jarlskog, Göran; Jeanty, Laura; Jeng, Geng-yuan; Jen-La Plante, Imai; Jennens, David; Jenni, Peter; Jež, Pavel; Jézéquel, Stéphane; Jha, Manoj Kumar; Ji, Haoshuang; Ji, Weina; Jia, Jiangyong; Jiang, Yi; Jimenez Belenguer, Marcos; Jin, Shan; Jinnouchi, Osamu; Joergensen, Morten Dam; Joffe, David; Johansen, Marianne; Johansson, Erik; Johansson, Per; Johnert, Sebastian; Johns, Kenneth; Jon-And, Kerstin; Jones, Graham; Jones, Roger; Jones, Tim; Joram, Christian; Jorge, Pedro; Joshi, Kiran Daniel; Jovicevic, Jelena; Jovin, Tatjana; Ju, Xiangyang; Jung, Christian; Jungst, Ralph Markus; Juranek, Vojtech; Jussel, Patrick; Juste Rozas, Aurelio; Kabana, Sonja; Kaci, Mohammed; Kaczmarska, Anna; Kadlecik, Peter; Kado, Marumi; Kagan, Harris; Kagan, Michael; Kajomovitz, Enrique; Kalinin, Sergey; Kama, Sami; Kanaya, Naoko; Kaneda, Michiru; Kaneti, Steven; Kanno, Takayuki; Kantserov, Vadim; Kanzaki, Junichi; Kaplan, Benjamin; Kapliy, Anton; Kar, Deepak; Karagounis, Michael; Karakostas, Konstantinos; Karnevskiy, Mikhail; Kartvelishvili, Vakhtang; Karyukhin, Andrey; Kashif, Lashkar; Kasieczka, Gregor; Kass, Richard; Kastanas, Alex; Kataoka, Yousuke; Katzy, Judith; Kaushik, Venkatesh; Kawagoe, Kiyotomo; Kawamoto, Tatsuo; Kawamura, Gen; Kazama, Shingo; Kazanin, Vassili; Kazarinov, Makhail; Keeler, Richard; Keener, Paul; Kehoe, Robert; Keil, Markus; Keller, John; Kenyon, Mike; Keoshkerian, Houry; Kepka, Oldrich; Kerschen, Nicolas; Kerševan, Borut Paul; Kersten, Susanne; Kessoku, Kohei; Keung, Justin; Khalil-zada, Farkhad; Khandanyan, Hovhannes; Khanov, Alexander; Kharchenko, Dmitri; Khodinov, Alexander; Khomich, Andrei; Khoo, Teng Jian; Khoriauli, Gia; Khoroshilov, Andrey; Khovanskiy, Valery; Khramov, Evgeniy; Khubua, Jemal; Kim, Hyeon Jin; Kim, Shinhong; Kimura, Naoki; Kind, Oliver; King, Barry; King, Matthew; King, Robert Steven Beaufoy; Kirk, Julie; Kiryunin, Andrey; Kishimoto, Tomoe; Kisielewska, Danuta; Kitamura, Takumi; Kittelmann, Thomas; Kiuchi, Kenji; Kladiva, Eduard; Klein, Max; Klein, Uta; Kleinknecht, Konrad; Klemetti, Miika; Klier, Amit; Klimek, Pawel; Klimentov, Alexei; Klingenberg, Reiner; Klinger, Joel Alexander; Klinkby, Esben; Klioutchnikova, Tatiana; Klok, Peter; Klous, Sander; Kluge, Eike-Erik; Kluge, Thomas; Kluit, Peter; Kluth, Stefan; Kneringer, Emmerich; Knoops, Edith; Knue, Andrea; Ko, Byeong Rok; Kobayashi, Tomio; Kobel, Michael; Kocian, Martin; Kodys, Peter; Koenig, Sebastian; Koetsveld, Folkert; Koevesarki, Peter; Koffas, Thomas; Koffeman, Els; Kogan, Lucy Anne; Kohlmann, Simon; Kohn, Fabian; Kohout, Zdenek; Kohriki, Takashi; Koi, Tatsumi; Kolanoski, Hermann; Kolesnikov, Vladimir; Koletsou, Iro; Koll, James; Komar, Aston; Komori, Yuto; Kondo, Takahiko; Köneke, Karsten; König, Adriaan; Kono, Takanori; Kononov, Anatoly; Konoplich, Rostislav; Konstantinidis, Nikolaos; Kopeliansky, Revital; Koperny, Stefan; Köpke, Lutz; Kopp, Anna Katharina; Korcyl, Krzysztof; Kordas, Kostantinos; Korn, Andreas; Korol, Aleksandr; Korolkov, Ilya; Korolkova, Elena; Korotkov, Vladislav; Kortner, Oliver; Kortner, Sandra; Kostyukhin, Vadim; Kotov, Sergey; Kotov, Vladislav; Kotwal, Ashutosh; Kourkoumelis, Christine; Kouskoura, Vasiliki; Koutsman, Alex; Kowalewski, Robert Victor; Kowalski, Tadeusz; Kozanecki, Witold; Kozhin, Anatoly; Kral, Vlastimil; Kramarenko, Viktor; Kramberger, Gregor; Krasny, Mieczyslaw Witold; Krasznahorkay, Attila; Kraus, Jana; Kravchenko, Anton; Kreiss, Sven; Krejci, Frantisek; Kretzschmar, Jan; Kreutzfeldt, Kristof; Krieger, Nina; Krieger, Peter; Kroeninger, Kevin; Kroha, Hubert; Kroll, Joe; Kroseberg, Juergen; Krstic, Jelena; Kruchonak, Uladzimir; Krüger, Hans; Kruker, Tobias; Krumnack, Nils; Krumshteyn, Zinovii; Kruse, Mark; Kubota, Takashi; Kuday, Sinan; Kuehn, Susanne; Kugel, Andreas; Kuhl, Thorsten; Kukhtin, Victor; Kulchitsky, Yuri; Kuleshov, Sergey; Kuna, Marine; Kunkle, Joshua; Kupco, Alexander; Kurashige, Hisaya; Kurata, Masakazu; Kurochkin, Yurii; Kus, Vlastimil; Kuwertz, Emma Sian; Kuze, Masahiro; Kvita, Jiri; Kwee, Regina; La Rosa, Alessandro; La Rotonda, Laura; Labarga, Luis; Lablak, Said; Lacasta, Carlos; Lacava, Francesco; Lacey, James; Lacker, Heiko; Lacour, Didier; Lacuesta, Vicente Ramón; Ladygin, Evgueni; Lafaye, Remi; Laforge, Bertrand; Lagouri, Theodota; Lai, Stanley; Laisne, Emmanuel; Lambourne, Luke; Lampen, Caleb; Lampl, Walter; Lancon, Eric; Landgraf, Ulrich; Landon, Murrough; Lang, Valerie Susanne; Lange, Clemens; Lankford, Andrew; Lanni, Francesco; Lantzsch, Kerstin; Lanza, Agostino; Laplace, Sandrine; Lapoire, Cecile; Laporte, Jean-Francois; Lari, Tommaso; Larner, Aimee; Lassnig, Mario; Laurelli, Paolo; Lavorini, Vincenzo; Lavrijsen, Wim; Laycock, Paul; Le Dortz, Olivier; Le Guirriec, Emmanuel; Le Menedeu, Eve; LeCompte, Thomas; Ledroit-Guillon, Fabienne Agnes Marie; Lee, Hurng-Chun; Lee, Jason; Lee, Shih-Chang; Lee, Lawrence; Lefebvre, Michel; Legendre, Marie; Legger, Federica; Leggett, Charles; Lehmacher, Marc; Lehmann Miotto, Giovanna; Leister, Andrew Gerard; Leite, Marco Aurelio Lisboa; Leitner, Rupert; Lellouch, Daniel; Lemmer, Boris; Lendermann, Victor; Leney, Katharine; Lenz, Tatiana; Lenzen, Georg; Lenzi, Bruno; Leonhardt, Kathrin; Leontsinis, Stefanos; Lepold, Florian; Leroy, Claude; Lessard, Jean-Raphael; Lester, Christopher; Lester, Christopher Michael; Levêque, Jessica; Levin, Daniel; Levinson, Lorne; Lewis, Adrian; Lewis, George; Leyko, Agnieszka; Leyton, Michael; Li, Bing; Li, Bo; Li, Haifeng; Li, Ho Ling; Li, Shu; Li, Xuefei; Liang, Zhijun; Liao, Hongbo; Liberti, Barbara; Lichard, Peter; Lie, Ki; Liebal, Jessica; Liebig, Wolfgang; Limbach, Christian; Limosani, Antonio; Limper, Maaike; Lin, Simon; Linde, Frank; Linnemann, James; Lipeles, Elliot; Lipniacka, Anna; Lisovyi, Mykhailo; Liss, Tony; Lissauer, David; Lister, Alison; Litke, Alan; Liu, Dong; Liu, Jianbei; Liu, Lulu; Liu, Minghui; Liu, Yanwen; Livan, Michele; Livermore, Sarah; Lleres, Annick; Llorente Merino, Javier; Lloyd, Stephen; Lo Sterzo, Francesco; Lobodzinska, Ewelina; Loch, Peter; Lockman, William; Loddenkoetter, Thomas; Loebinger, Fred; Loevschall-Jensen, Ask Emil; Loginov, Andrey; Loh, Chang Wei; Lohse, Thomas; Lohwasser, Kristin; Lokajicek, Milos; Lombardo, Vincenzo Paolo; Long, Robin Eamonn; Lopes, Lourenco; Lopez Mateos, David; Lorenz, Jeanette; Lorenzo Martinez, Narei; Losada, Marta; Loscutoff, Peter; Losty, Michael; Lou, XinChou; Lounis, Abdenour; Loureiro, Karina; Love, Jeremy; Love, Peter; Lowe, Andrew; Lu, Feng; Lubatti, Henry; Luci, Claudio; Lucotte, Arnaud; Ludwig, Dörthe; Ludwig, Inga; Ludwig, Jens; Luehring, Frederick; Lukas, Wolfgang; Luminari, Lamberto; Lund, Esben; Lundberg, Björn; Lundberg, Johan; Lundberg, Olof; Lund-Jensen, Bengt; Lundquist, Johan; Lungwitz, Matthias; Lynn, David; Lysak, Roman; Lytken, Else; Ma, Hong; Ma, Lian Liang; Maccarrone, Giovanni; Macchiolo, Anna; Maček, Boštjan; Machado Miguens, Joana; Macina, Daniela; Mackeprang, Rasmus; Madar, Romain; Madaras, Ronald; Maddocks, Harvey Jonathan; Mader, Wolfgang; Madsen, Alexander; Maeno, Mayuko; Maeno, Tadashi; Magnoni, Luca; Magradze, Erekle; Mahboubi, Kambiz; Mahlstedt, Joern; Mahmoud, Sara; Mahout, Gilles; Maiani, Camilla; Maidantchik, Carmen; Maio, Amélia; Majewski, Stephanie; Makida, Yasuhiro; Makovec, Nikola; Mal, Prolay; Malaescu, Bogdan; Malecki, Pawel; Malecki, Piotr; Maleev, Victor; Malek, Fairouz; Mallik, Usha; Malon, David; Malone, Caitlin; Maltezos, Stavros; Malyshev, Vladimir; Malyukov, Sergei; Mamuzic, Judita; Manabe, Atsushi; Mandelli, Luciano; Mandić, Igor; Mandrysch, Rocco; Maneira, José; Manfredini, Alessandro; Manhaes de Andrade Filho, Luciano; Manjarres Ramos, Joany Andreina; Mann, Alexander; Manning, Peter; Manousakis-Katsikakis, Arkadios; Mansoulie, Bruno; Mantifel, Rodger; Mapelli, Alessandro; Mapelli, Livio; March, Luis; Marchand, Jean-Francois; Marchese, Fabrizio; Marchiori, Giovanni; Marcisovsky, Michal; Marino, Christopher; Marroquim, Fernando; Marshall, Zach; Marti, Lukas Fritz; Marti-Garcia, Salvador; Martin, Brian; Martin, Brian Thomas; Martin, Jean-Pierre; Martin, Tim; Martin, Victoria Jane; Martin dit Latour, Bertrand; Martinez, Homero; Martinez, Mario; Martinez Outschoorn, Verena; Martin-Haugh, Stewart; Martyniuk, Alex; Marx, Marilyn; Marzano, Francesco; Marzin, Antoine; Masetti, Lucia; Mashimo, Tetsuro; Mashinistov, Ruslan; Masik, Jiri; Maslennikov, Alexey; Massa, Ignazio; Massol, Nicolas; Mastrandrea, Paolo; Mastroberardino, Anna; Masubuchi, Tatsuya; Matsunaga, Hiroyuki; Matsushita, Takashi; Mättig, Peter; Mättig, Stefan; Mattravers, Carly; Maurer, Julien; Maxfield, Stephen; Maximov, Dmitriy; Mazini, Rachid; Mazur, Michael; Mazzaferro, Luca; Mazzanti, Marcello; Mc Donald, Jeffrey; Mc Kee, Shawn Patrick; McCarn, Allison; McCarthy, Robert; McCarthy, Tom; McCubbin, Norman; McFarlane, Kenneth; Mcfayden, Josh; Mchedlidze, Gvantsa; Mclaughlan, Tom; McMahon, Steve; McPherson, Robert; Meade, Andrew; Mechnich, Joerg; Mechtel, Markus; Medinnis, Mike; Meehan, Samuel; Meera-Lebbai, Razzak; Meguro, Tatsuma; Mehlhase, Sascha; Mehta, Andrew; Meier, Karlheinz; Meineck, Christian; Meirose, Bernhard; Melachrinos, Constantinos; Mellado Garcia, Bruce Rafael; Meloni, Federico; Mendoza Navas, Luis; Meng, Zhaoxia; Mengarelli, Alberto; Menke, Sven; Meoni, Evelin; Mercurio, Kevin Michael; Meric, Nicolas; Mermod, Philippe; Merola, Leonardo; Meroni, Chiara; Merritt, Frank; Merritt, Hayes; Messina, Andrea; Metcalfe, Jessica; Mete, Alaettin Serhan; Meyer, Carsten; Meyer, Christopher; Meyer, Jean-Pierre; Meyer, Jochen; Meyer, Joerg; Michal, Sebastien; Micu, Liliana; Middleton, Robin; Migas, Sylwia; Mijović, Liza; Mikenberg, Giora; Mikestikova, Marcela; Mikuž, Marko; Miller, David; Miller, Robert; Mills, Bill; Mills, Corrinne; Milov, Alexander; Milstead, David; Milstein, Dmitry; Milutinovic-Dumbelovic, Gordana; Minaenko, Andrey; Miñano Moya, Mercedes; Minashvili, Irakli; Mincer, Allen; Mindur, Bartosz; Mineev, Mikhail; Ming, Yao; Mir, Lluisa-Maria; Mirabelli, Giovanni; Mitrevski, Jovan; Mitsou, Vasiliki A; Mitsui, Shingo; Miyagawa, Paul; Mjörnmark, Jan-Ulf; Moa, Torbjoern; Moeller, Victoria; Mohapatra, Soumya; Mohr, Wolfgang; Moles-Valls, Regina; Molfetas, Angelos; Mönig, Klaus; Monk, James; Monnier, Emmanuel; Montejo Berlingen, Javier; Monticelli, Fernando; Monzani, Simone; Moore, Roger; Mora Herrera, Clemencia; Moraes, Arthur; Morange, Nicolas; Morel, Julien; Moreno, Deywis; Moreno Llácer, María; Morettini, Paolo; Morgenstern, Marcus; Morii, Masahiro; Morley, Anthony Keith; Mornacchi, Giuseppe; Morris, John; Morvaj, Ljiljana; Möser, Nicolas; Moser, Hans-Guenther; Mosidze, Maia; Moss, Josh; Mount, Richard; Mountricha, Eleni; Mouraviev, Sergei; Moyse, Edward; Mueller, Felix; Mueller, James; Mueller, Klemens; Mueller, Timo; Muenstermann, Daniel; Müller, Thomas; Munwes, Yonathan; Murray, Bill; Mussche, Ido; Musto, Elisa; Myagkov, Alexey; Myska, Miroslav; Nackenhorst, Olaf; Nadal, Jordi; Nagai, Koichi; Nagai, Ryo; Nagai, Yoshikazu; Nagano, Kunihiro; Nagarkar, Advait; Nagasaka, Yasushi; Nagel, Martin; Nairz, Armin Michael; Nakahama, Yu; Nakamura, Koji; Nakamura, Tomoaki; Nakano, Itsuo; Namasivayam, Harisankar; Nanava, Gizo; Napier, Austin; Narayan, Rohin; Nash, Michael; Nattermann, Till; Naumann, Thomas; Navarro, Gabriela; Neal, Homer; Nechaeva, Polina; Neep, Thomas James; Negri, Andrea; Negri, Guido; Negrini, Matteo; Nektarijevic, Snezana; Nelson, Andrew; Nelson, Timothy Knight; Nemecek, Stanislav; Nemethy, Peter; Nepomuceno, Andre Asevedo; Nessi, Marzio; Neubauer, Mark; Neumann, Manuel; Neusiedl, Andrea; Neves, Ricardo; Nevski, Pavel; Newcomer, Mitchel; Newman, Paul; Nguyen, Duong Hai; Nguyen Thi Hong, Van; Nickerson, Richard; Nicolaidou, Rosy; Nicquevert, Bertrand; Niedercorn, Francois; Nielsen, Jason; Nikiforou, Nikiforos; Nikiforov, Andriy; Nikolaenko, Vladimir; Nikolic-Audit, Irena; Nikolics, Katalin; Nikolopoulos, Konstantinos; Nilsen, Henrik; Nilsson, Paul; Ninomiya, Yoichi; Nisati, Aleandro; Nisius, Richard; Nobe, Takuya; Nodulman, Lawrence; Nomachi, Masaharu; Nomidis, Ioannis; Norberg, Scarlet; Nordberg, Markus; Novakova, Jana; Nozaki, Mitsuaki; Nozka, Libor; Nuncio-Quiroz, Adriana-Elizabeth; Nunes Hanninger, Guilherme; Nunnemann, Thomas; Nurse, Emily; O'Brien, Brendan Joseph; O'Neil, Dugan; O'Shea, Val; Oakes, Louise Beth; Oakham, Gerald; Oberlack, Horst; Ocariz, Jose; Ochi, Atsuhiko; Ochoa, Ines; Oda, Susumu; Odaka, Shigeru; Odier, Jerome; Ogren, Harold; Oh, Alexander; Oh, Seog; Ohm, Christian; Ohshima, Takayoshi; Okamura, Wataru; Okawa, Hideki; Okumura, Yasuyuki; Okuyama, Toyonobu; Olariu, Albert; Olchevski, Alexander; Olivares Pino, Sebastian Andres; Oliveira, Miguel Alfonso; Oliveira Damazio, Denis; Oliver Garcia, Elena; Olivito, Dominick; Olszewski, Andrzej; Olszowska, Jolanta; Onofre, António; Onyisi, Peter; Oram, Christopher; Oreglia, Mark; Oren, Yona; Orestano, Domizia; Orlando, Nicola; Oropeza Barrera, Cristina; Orr, Robert; Osculati, Bianca; Ospanov, Rustem; Osuna, Carlos; Otero y Garzon, Gustavo; Ottersbach, John; Ouchrif, Mohamed; Ouellette, Eric; Ould-Saada, Farid; Ouraou, Ahmimed; Ouyang, Qun; Ovcharova, Ana; Owen, Mark; Owen, Simon; Ozcan, Veysi Erkcan; Ozturk, Nurcan; Pacheco Pages, Andres; Padilla Aranda, Cristobal; Pagan Griso, Simone; Paganis, Efstathios; Pahl, Christoph; Paige, Frank; Pais, Preema; Pajchel, Katarina; Palacino, Gabriel; Paleari, Chiara; Palestini, Sandro; Pallin, Dominique; Palma, Alberto; Palmer, Jody; Pan, Yibin; Panagiotopoulou, Evgenia; Panduro Vazquez, William; Pani, Priscilla; Panikashvili, Natalia; Panitkin, Sergey; Pantea, Dan; Papadelis, Aras; Papadopoulou, Theodora; Paramonov, Alexander; Paredes Hernandez, Daniela; Park, Woochun; Parker, Michael Andrew; Parodi, Fabrizio; Parsons, John; Parzefall, Ulrich; Pashapour, Shabnaz; Pasqualucci, Enrico; Passaggio, Stefano; Passeri, Antonio; Pastore, Fernanda; Pastore, Francesca; Pásztor, Gabriella; Pataraia, Sophio; Patel, Nikhul; Pater, Joleen; Patricelli, Sergio; Pauly, Thilo; Pearce, James; Pedersen, Maiken; Pedraza Lopez, Sebastian; Pedraza Morales, Maria Isabel; Peleganchuk, Sergey; Pelikan, Daniel; Peng, Haiping; Penning, Bjoern; Penson, Alexander; Penwell, John; Perepelitsa, Dennis; Perez Cavalcanti, Tiago; Perez Codina, Estel; Pérez García-Estañ, María Teresa; Perez Reale, Valeria; Perini, Laura; Pernegger, Heinz; Perrino, Roberto; Perrodo, Pascal; Peshekhonov, Vladimir; Peters, Krisztian; Peters, Yvonne; Petersen, Brian; Petersen, Jorgen; Petersen, Troels; Petit, Elisabeth; Petridis, Andreas; Petridou, Chariclia; Petrolo, Emilio; Petrucci, Fabrizio; Petschull, Dennis; Petteni, Michele; Pezoa, Raquel; Phan, Anna; Phillips, Peter William; Piacquadio, Giacinto; Picazio, Attilio; Piccaro, Elisa; Piccinini, Maurizio; Piec, Sebastian Marcin; Piegaia, Ricardo; Pignotti, David; Pilcher, James; Pilkington, Andrew; Pina, João Antonio; Pinamonti, Michele; Pinder, Alex; Pinfold, James; Pingel, Almut; Pinto, Belmiro; Pizio, Caterina; Pleier, Marc-Andre; Pleskot, Vojtech; Plotnikova, Elena; Plucinski, Pawel; Poblaguev, Andrei; Poddar, Sahill; Podlyski, Fabrice; Poettgen, Ruth; Poggioli, Luc; Pohl, David-leon; Pohl, Martin; Polesello, Giacomo; Policicchio, Antonio; Polifka, Richard; Polini, Alessandro; Poll, James; Polychronakos, Venetios; Pomeroy, Daniel; Pommès, Kathy; Pontecorvo, Ludovico; Pope, Bernard; Popeneciu, Gabriel Alexandru; Popovic, Dragan; Poppleton, Alan; Portell Bueso, Xavier; Pospelov, Guennady; Pospisil, Stanislav; Potrap, Igor; Potter, Christina; Potter, Christopher; Poulard, Gilbert; Poveda, Joaquin; Pozdnyakov, Valery; Prabhu, Robindra; Pralavorio, Pascal; Pranko, Aliaksandr; Prasad, Srivas; Pravahan, Rishiraj; Prell, Soeren; Pretzl, Klaus Peter; Price, Darren; Price, Joe; Price, Lawrence; Prieur, Damien; Primavera, Margherita; Proissl, Manuel; Prokofiev, Kirill; Prokoshin, Fedor; Protopapadaki, Eftychia-sofia; Protopopescu, Serban; Proudfoot, James; Prudent, Xavier; Przybycien, Mariusz; Przysiezniak, Helenka; Psoroulas, Serena; Ptacek, Elizabeth; Pueschel, Elisa; Puldon, David; Purohit, Milind; Puzo, Patrick; Pylypchenko, Yuriy; Qian, Jianming; Quadt, Arnulf; Quarrie, David; Quayle, William; Raas, Marcel; Radeka, Veljko; Radescu, Voica; Radloff, Peter; Ragusa, Francesco; Rahal, Ghita; Rahimi, Amir; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Rammensee, Michael; Rammes, Marcus; Randle-Conde, Aidan Sean; Randrianarivony, Koloina; Rangel-Smith, Camila; Rao, Kanury; Rauscher, Felix; Rave, Tobias Christian; Ravenscroft, Thomas; Raymond, Michel; Read, Alexander Lincoln; Rebuzzi, Daniela; Redelbach, Andreas; Redlinger, George; Reece, Ryan; Reeves, Kendall; Reinsch, Andreas; Reisinger, Ingo; Relich, Matthew; Rembser, Christoph; Ren, Zhongliang; Renaud, Adrien; Rescigno, Marco; Resconi, Silvia; Resende, Bernardo; Reznicek, Pavel; Rezvani, Reyhaneh; Richter, Robert; Richter-Was, Elzbieta; Ridel, Melissa; Rieck, Patrick; Rijssenbeek, Michael; Rimoldi, Adele; Rinaldi, Lorenzo; Rios, Ryan Randy; Ritsch, Elmar; Riu, Imma; Rivoltella, Giancesare; Rizatdinova, Flera; Rizvi, Eram; Robertson, Steven; Robichaud-Veronneau, Andree; Robinson, Dave; Robinson, James; Robson, Aidan; Rocha de Lima, Jose Guilherme; Roda, Chiara; Roda Dos Santos, Denis; Roe, Adam; Roe, Shaun; Røhne, Ole; Rolli, Simona; Romaniouk, Anatoli; Romano, Marino; Romeo, Gaston; Romero Adam, Elena; Rompotis, Nikolaos; Roos, Lydia; Ros, Eduardo; Rosati, Stefano; Rosbach, Kilian; Rose, Anthony; Rose, Matthew; Rosenbaum, Gabriel; Rosendahl, Peter Lundgaard; Rosenthal, Oliver; Rosselet, Laurent; Rossetti, Valerio; Rossi, Elvira; Rossi, Leonardo Paolo; Rotaru, Marina; Roth, Itamar; Rothberg, Joseph; Rousseau, David; Royon, Christophe; Rozanov, Alexandre; Rozen, Yoram; Ruan, Xifeng; Rubbo, Francesco; Rubinskiy, Igor; Ruckstuhl, Nicole; Rud, Viacheslav; Rudolph, Christian; Rudolph, Matthew Scott; Rühr, Frederik; Ruiz-Martinez, Aranzazu; Rumyantsev, Leonid; Rurikova, Zuzana; Rusakovich, Nikolai; Ruschke, Alexander; Rutherfoord, John; Ruthmann, Nils; Ruzicka, Pavel; Ryabov, Yury; Rybar, Martin; Rybkin, Grigori; Ryder, Nick; Saavedra, Aldo; Sadeh, Iftach; Sadrozinski, Hartmut; Sadykov, Renat; Safai Tehrani, Francesco; Sakamoto, Hiroshi; Salamanna, Giuseppe; Salamon, Andrea; Saleem, Muhammad; Salek, David; Salihagic, Denis; Salnikov, Andrei; Salt, José; Salvachua Ferrando, Belén; Salvatore, Daniela; Salvatore, Pasquale Fabrizio; Salvucci, Antonio; Salzburger, Andreas; Sampsonidis, Dimitrios; Sanchez, Arturo; Sánchez, Javier; Sanchez Martinez, Victoria; Sandaker, Heidi; Sander, Heinz Georg; Sanders, Michiel; Sandhoff, Marisa; Sandoval, Tanya; Sandoval, Carlos; Sandstroem, Rikard; Sankey, Dave; Sansoni, Andrea; Santamarina Rios, Cibran; Santoni, Claudio; Santonico, Rinaldo; Santos, Helena; Santoyo Castillo, Itzebelt; Sapp, Kevin; Saraiva, João; Sarangi, Tapas; Sarkisyan-Grinbaum, Edward; Sarrazin, Bjorn; Sarri, Francesca; Sartisohn, Georg; Sasaki, Osamu; Sasaki, Yuichi; Sasao, Noboru; Satsounkevitch, Igor; Sauvage, Gilles; Sauvan, Emmanuel; Sauvan, Jean-Baptiste; Savard, Pierre; Savinov, Vladimir; Savu, Dan Octavian; Sawyer, Lee; Saxon, David; Saxon, James; Sbarra, Carla; Sbrizzi, Antonio; Scannicchio, Diana; Scarcella, Mark; Schaarschmidt, Jana; Schacht, Peter; Schaefer, Douglas; Schaelicke, Andreas; Schaepe, Steffen; Schaetzel, Sebastian; Schäfer, Uli; Schaffer, Arthur; Schaile, Dorothee; Schamberger, R. Dean; Scharf, Veit; Schegelsky, Valery; Scheirich, Daniel; Schernau, Michael; Scherzer, Max; Schiavi, Carlo; Schieck, Jochen; Schillo, Christian; Schioppa, Marco; Schlenker, Stefan; Schmidt, Evelyn; Schmieden, Kristof; Schmitt, Christian; Schmitt, Christopher; Schmitt, Sebastian; Schneider, Basil; Schnellbach, Yan Jie; Schnoor, Ulrike; Schoeffel, Laurent; Schoening, Andre; Schorlemmer, Andre Lukas; Schott, Matthias; Schouten, Doug; Schovancova, Jaroslava; Schram, Malachi; Schroeder, Christian; Schroer, Nicolai; Schultens, Martin Johannes; Schultes, Joachim; Schultz-Coulon, Hans-Christian; Schulz, Holger; Schumacher, Markus; Schumm, Bruce; Schune, Philippe; Schwartzman, Ariel; Schwegler, Philipp; Schwemling, Philippe; Schwienhorst, Reinhard; Schwindling, Jerome; Schwindt, Thomas; Schwoerer, Maud; Sciacca, Gianfranco; Scifo, Estelle; Sciolla, Gabriella; Scott, Bill; Searcy, Jacob; Sedov, George; Sedykh, Evgeny; Seidel, Sally; Seiden, Abraham; Seifert, Frank; Seixas, José; Sekhniaidze, Givi; Sekula, Stephen; Selbach, Karoline Elfriede; Seliverstov, Dmitry; Sellden, Bjoern; Sellers, Graham; Seman, Michal; Semprini-Cesari, Nicola; Serfon, Cedric; Serin, Laurent; Serkin, Leonid; Serre, Thomas; Seuster, Rolf; Severini, Horst; Sfyrla, Anna; Shabalina, Elizaveta; Shamim, Mansoora; Shan, Lianyou; Shank, James; Shao, Qi Tao; Shapiro, Marjorie; Shatalov, Pavel; Shaw, Kate; Sherwood, Peter; Shimizu, Shima; Shimojima, Makoto; Shin, Taeksu; Shiyakova, Mariya; Shmeleva, Alevtina; Shochet, Mel; Short, Daniel; Shrestha, Suyog; Shulga, Evgeny; Shupe, Michael; Sicho, Petr; Sidoti, Antonio; Siegert, Frank; Sijacki, Djordje; Silbert, Ohad; Silva, José; Silver, Yiftah; Silverstein, Daniel; Silverstein, Samuel; Simak, Vladislav; Simard, Olivier; Simic, Ljiljana; Simion, Stefan; Simioni, Eduard; Simmons, Brinick; Simoniello, Rosa; Simonyan, Margar; Sinervo, Pekka; Sinev, Nikolai; Sipica, Valentin; Siragusa, Giovanni; Sircar, Anirvan; Sisakyan, Alexei; Sivoklokov, Serguei; Sjölin, Jörgen; Sjursen, Therese; Skinnari, Louise Anastasia; Skottowe, Hugh Philip; Skovpen, Kirill; Skubic, Patrick; Slater, Mark; Slavicek, Tomas; Sliwa, Krzysztof; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Smart, Ben; Smestad, Lillian; Smirnov, Sergei; Smirnov, Yury; Smirnova, Lidia; Smirnova, Oxana; Smith, Ben Campbell; Smith, Kenway; Smizanska, Maria; Smolek, Karel; Snesarev, Andrei; Snidero, Giacomo; Snow, Steve; Snow, Joel; Snyder, Scott; Sobie, Randall; Sodomka, Jaromir; Soffer, Abner; Soh, Dart-yin; Solans, Carlos; Solar, Michael; Solc, Jaroslav; Soldatov, Evgeny; Soldevila, Urmila; Solfaroli Camillocci, Elena; Solodkov, Alexander; Solovyanov, Oleg; Solovyev, Victor; Soni, Nitesh; Sood, Alexander; Sopko, Vit; Sopko, Bruno; Sosebee, Mark; Soualah, Rachik; Soueid, Paul; Soukharev, Andrey; South, David; Spagnolo, Stefania; Spanò, Francesco; Spighi, Roberto; Spigo, Giancarlo; Spiwoks, Ralf; Spousta, Martin; Spreitzer, Teresa; Spurlock, Barry; St Denis, Richard Dante; Stahlman, Jonathan; Stamen, Rainer; Stanecka, Ewa; Stanek, Robert; Stanescu, Cristian; Stanescu-Bellu, Madalina; Stanitzki, Marcel Michael; Stapnes, Steinar; Starchenko, Evgeny; Stark, Jan; Staroba, Pavel; Starovoitov, Pavel; Staszewski, Rafal; Staude, Arnold; Stavina, Pavel; Steele, Genevieve; Steinbach, Peter; Steinberg, Peter; Stekl, Ivan; Stelzer, Bernd; Stelzer, Harald Joerg; Stelzer-Chilton, Oliver; Stenzel, Hasko; Stern, Sebastian; Stewart, Graeme; Stillings, Jan Andre; Stockton, Mark; Stoebe, Michael; Stoerig, Kathrin; Stoicea, Gabriel; Stonjek, Stefan; Strachota, Pavel; Stradling, Alden; Straessner, Arno; Strandberg, Jonas; Strandberg, Sara; Strandlie, Are; Strang, Michael; Strauss, Emanuel; Strauss, Michael; Strizenec, Pavol; Ströhmer, Raimund; Strom, David; Strong, John; Stroynowski, Ryszard; Stugu, Bjarne; Stumer, Iuliu; Stupak, John; Sturm, Philipp; Styles, Nicholas Adam; Su, Dong; Subramania, Halasya Siva; Subramaniam, Rajivalochan; Succurro, Antonella; Sugaya, Yorihito; Suhr, Chad; Suk, Michal; Sulin, Vladimir; Sultansoy, Saleh; Sumida, Toshi; Sun, Xiaohu; Sundermann, Jan Erik; Suruliz, Kerim; Susinno, Giancarlo; Sutton, Mark; Suzuki, Yu; Suzuki, Yuta; Svatos, Michal; Swedish, Stephen; Swiatlowski, Maximilian; Sykora, Ivan; Sykora, Tomas; Ta, Duc; Tackmann, Kerstin; Taffard, Anyes; Tafirout, Reda; Taiblum, Nimrod; Takahashi, Yuta; Takai, Helio; Takashima, Ryuichi; Takeda, Hiroshi; Takeshita, Tohru; Takubo, Yosuke; Talby, Mossadek; Talyshev, Alexey; Tam, Jason; Tamsett, Matthew; Tan, Kong Guan; Tanaka, Junichi; Tanaka, Reisaburo; Tanaka, Satoshi; Tanaka, Shuji; Tanasijczuk, Andres Jorge; Tani, Kazutoshi; Tannoury, Nancy; Tapprogge, Stefan; Tardif, Dominique; Tarem, Shlomit; Tarrade, Fabien; Tartarelli, Giuseppe Francesco; Tas, Petr; Tasevsky, Marek; Tassi, Enrico; Tayalati, Yahya; Taylor, Christopher; Taylor, Frank; Taylor, Geoffrey; Taylor, Wendy; Teinturier, Marthe; Teischinger, Florian Alfred; Teixeira Dias Castanheira, Matilde; Teixeira-Dias, Pedro; Temming, Kim Katrin; Ten Kate, Herman; Teng, Ping-Kun; Terada, Susumu; Terashi, Koji; Terron, Juan; Testa, Marianna; Teuscher, Richard; Therhaag, Jan; Theveneaux-Pelzer, Timothée; Thoma, Sascha; Thomas, Juergen; Thompson, Emily; Thompson, Paul; Thompson, Peter; Thompson, Stan; Thomsen, Lotte Ansgaard; Thomson, Evelyn; Thomson, Mark; Thong, Wai Meng; Thun, Rudolf; Tian, Feng; Tibbetts, Mark James; Tic, Tomáš; Tikhomirov, Vladimir; Tikhonov, Yury; Timoshenko, Sergey; Tiouchichine, Elodie; Tipton, Paul; Tisserant, Sylvain; Todorov, Theodore; Todorova-Nova, Sharka; Toggerson, Brokk; Tojo, Junji; Tokár, Stanislav; Tokushuku, Katsuo; Tollefson, Kirsten; Tomlinson, Lee; Tomoto, Makoto; Tompkins, Lauren; Toms, Konstantin; Tonoyan, Arshak; Topfel, Cyril; Topilin, Nikolai; Torrence, Eric; Torres, Heberth; Torró Pastor, Emma; Toth, Jozsef; Touchard, Francois; Tovey, Daniel; Tran, Huong Lan; Trefzger, Thomas; Tremblet, Louis; Tricoli, Alesandro; Trigger, Isabel Marian; Trincaz-Duvoid, Sophie; Tripiana, Martin; Triplett, Nathan; Trischuk, William; Trocmé, Benjamin; Troncon, Clara; Trottier-McDonald, Michel; Trovatelli, Monica; True, Patrick; Trzebinski, Maciej; Trzupek, Adam; Tsarouchas, Charilaos; Tseng, Jeffrey; Tsiakiris, Menelaos; Tsiareshka, Pavel; Tsionou, Dimitra; Tsipolitis, Georgios; Tsiskaridze, Shota; Tsiskaridze, Vakhtang; Tskhadadze, Edisher; Tsukerman, Ilya; Tsulaia, Vakhtang; Tsung, Jieh-Wen; Tsuno, Soshi; Tsybychev, Dmitri; Tua, Alan; Tudorache, Alexandra; Tudorache, Valentina; Tuggle, Joseph; Turala, Michal; Turecek, Daniel; Turk Cakir, Ilkay; Turra, Ruggero; Tuts, Michael; Tykhonov, Andrii; Tylmad, Maja; Tyndel, Mike; Tzanakos, George; Uchida, Kirika; Ueda, Ikuo; Ueno, Ryuichi; Ughetto, Michael; Ugland, Maren; Uhlenbrock, Mathias; Ukegawa, Fumihiko; Unal, Guillaume; Undrus, Alexander; Unel, Gokhan; Ungaro, Francesca; Unno, Yoshinobu; Urbaniec, Dustin; Urquijo, Phillip; Usai, Giulio; Vacavant, Laurent; Vacek, Vaclav; Vachon, Brigitte; Vahsen, Sven; Valencic, Nika; Valentinetti, Sara; Valero, Alberto; Valery, Loic; Valkar, Stefan; Valladolid Gallego, Eva; Vallecorsa, Sofia; Valls Ferrer, Juan Antonio; Van Berg, Richard; Van Der Deijl, Pieter; van der Geer, Rogier; van der Graaf, Harry; Van Der Leeuw, Robin; van der Poel, Egge; van der Ster, Daniel; van Eldik, Niels; van Gemmeren, Peter; Van Nieuwkoop, Jacobus; van Vulpen, Ivo; Vanadia, Marco; Vandelli, Wainer; Vaniachine, Alexandre; Vankov, Peter; Vannucci, Francois; Vari, Riccardo; Varnes, Erich; Varol, Tulin; Varouchas, Dimitris; Vartapetian, Armen; Varvell, Kevin; Vassilakopoulos, Vassilios; Vazeille, Francois; Vazquez Schroeder, Tamara; Veloso, Filipe; Veneziano, Stefano; Ventura, Andrea; Ventura, Daniel; Venturi, Manuela; Venturi, Nicola; Vercesi, Valerio; Verducci, Monica; Verkerke, Wouter; Vermeulen, Jos; Vest, Anja; Vetterli, Michel; Vichou, Irene; Vickey, Trevor; Vickey Boeriu, Oana Elena; Viehhauser, Georg; Viel, Simon; Villa, Mauro; Villaplana Perez, Miguel; Vilucchi, Elisabetta; Vincter, Manuella; Vinek, Elisabeth; Vinogradov, Vladimir; Virzi, Joseph; Vitells, Ofer; Viti, Michele; Vivarelli, Iacopo; Vives Vaque, Francesc; Vlachos, Sotirios; Vladoiu, Dan; Vlasak, Michal; Vogel, Adrian; Vokac, Petr; Volpi, Guido; Volpi, Matteo; Volpini, Giovanni; von der Schmitt, Hans; von Radziewski, Holger; von Toerne, Eckhard; Vorobel, Vit; Vorwerk, Volker; Vos, Marcel; Voss, Rudiger; Vossebeld, Joost; Vranjes, Nenad; Vranjes Milosavljevic, Marija; Vrba, Vaclav; Vreeswijk, Marcel; Vu Anh, Tuan; Vuillermet, Raphael; Vukotic, Ilija; Vykydal, Zdenek; Wagner, Wolfgang; Wagner, Peter; Wahlen, Helmut; Wahrmund, Sebastian; Wakabayashi, Jun; Walch, Shannon; Walder, James; Walker, Rodney; Walkowiak, Wolfgang; Wall, Richard; Waller, Peter; Walsh, Brian; Wang, Chiho; Wang, Haichen; Wang, Hulin; Wang, Jike; Wang, Jin; Wang, Kuhan; Wang, Rui; Wang, Song-Ming; Wang, Tan; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Warburton, Andreas; Ward, Patricia; Wardrope, David Robert; Warsinsky, Markus; Washbrook, Andrew; Wasicki, Christoph; Watanabe, Ippei; Watkins, Peter; Watson, Alan; Watson, Ian; Watson, Miriam; Watts, Gordon; Watts, Stephen; Waugh, Anthony; Waugh, Ben; Weber, Michele; Webster, Jordan S; Weidberg, Anthony; Weigell, Philipp; Weingarten, Jens; Weiser, Christian; Wells, Phillippa; Wenaus, Torre; Wendland, Dennis; Weng, Zhili; Wengler, Thorsten; Wenig, Siegfried; Wermes, Norbert; Werner, Matthias; Werner, Per; Werth, Michael; Wessels, Martin; Wetter, Jeffrey; Weydert, Carole; Whalen, Kathleen; White, Andrew; White, Martin; White, Sebastian; Whitehead, Samuel Robert; Whiteson, Daniel; Whittington, Denver; Wicke, Daniel; Wickens, Fred; Wiedenmann, Werner; Wielers, Monika; Wienemann, Peter; Wiglesworth, Craig; Wiik-Fuchs, Liv Antje Mari; Wijeratne, Peter Alexander; Wildauer, Andreas; Wildt, Martin Andre; Wilhelm, Ivan; Wilkens, Henric George; Will, Jonas Zacharias; Williams, Eric; Williams, Hugh; Williams, Sarah; Willis, William; Willocq, Stephane; Wilson, John; Wilson, Michael Galante; Wilson, Alan; Wingerter-Seez, Isabelle; Winkelmann, Stefan; Winklmeier, Frank; Wittgen, Matthias; Wittig, Tobias; Wittkowski, Josephine; Wollstadt, Simon Jakob; Wolter, Marcin Wladyslaw; Wolters, Helmut; Wong, Wei-Cheng; Wooden, Gemma; Wosiek, Barbara; Wotschack, Jorg; Woudstra, Martin; Wozniak, Krzysztof; Wraight, Kenneth; Wright, Michael; Wrona, Bozydar; Wu, Sau Lan; Wu, Xin; Wu, Yusheng; Wulf, Evan; Wynne, Benjamin; Xella, Stefania; Xiao, Meng; Xie, Song; Xu, Chao; Xu, Da; Xu, Lailin; Yabsley, Bruce; Yacoob, Sahal; Yamada, Miho; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Akira; Yamamoto, Kyoko; Yamamoto, Shimpei; Yamamura, Taiki; Yamanaka, Takashi; Yamauchi, Katsuya; Yamazaki, Takayuki; Yamazaki, Yuji; Yan, Zhen; Yang, Haijun; Yang, Hongtao; Yang, Un-Ki; Yang, Yi; Yang, Zhaoyu; Yanush, Serguei; Yao, Liwen; Yasu, Yoshiji; Yatsenko, Elena; Ye, Jingbo; Ye, Shuwei; Yen, Andy L; Yilmaz, Metin; Yoosoofmiya, Reza; Yorita, Kohei; Yoshida, Rikutaro; Yoshihara, Keisuke; Young, Charles; Young, Christopher John; Youssef, Saul; Yu, Dantong; Yu, David Ren-Hwa; Yu, Jaehoon; Yu, Jie; Yuan, Li; Yurkewicz, Adam; Zabinski, Bartlomiej; Zaidan, Remi; Zaitsev, Alexander; Zambito, Stefano; Zanello, Lucia; Zanzi, Daniele; Zaytsev, Alexander; Zeitnitz, Christian; Zeman, Martin; Zemla, Andrzej; Zenin, Oleg; Ženiš, Tibor; Zerwas, Dirk; Zevi della Porta, Giovanni; Zhang, Dongliang; Zhang, Huaqiao; Zhang, Jinlong; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Xueyao; Zhang, Zhiqing; Zhao, Long; Zhao, Zhengguo; Zhemchugov, Alexey; Zhong, Jiahang; Zhou, Bing; Zhou, Ning; Zhou, Yue; Zhu, Cheng Guang; Zhu, Hongbo; Zhu, Junjie; Zhu, Yingchun; Zhuang, Xuai; Zhuravlov, Vadym; Zibell, Andre; Zieminska, Daria; Zimin, Nikolai; Zimmermann, Robert; Zimmermann, Simone; Zimmermann, Stephanie; Zinonos, Zinonas; Ziolkowski, Michael; Zitoun, Robert; Živković, Lidija; Zmouchko, Viatcheslav; Zobernig, Georg; Zoccoli, Antonio; zur Nedden, Martin; Zutshi, Vishnu; Zwalinski, Lukasz

    2013-05-01

    Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle ($\\Delta-\\phi$) and pseudorapidity ($\\Delta-\\eta$) are measured in $\\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1 $\\mu b^{-1}$ of data as a function of $p_T$ and the transverse energy ($\\sum E_T^{Pb}$) summed over 3.1 < $\\eta$ < 4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|$\\Delta-\\eta$|<5) near-side ($\\Delta-\\phi$ ~ 0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing $\\sum E_T^{Pb}$. A long-range away-side ($\\Delta-\\phi$ ~ pi) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small $\\sum E_T^{Pb}$, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in $\\Delta-\\eta$ and $\\Delta-\\phi$) and $\\sum E_T^{Pb}$ dependence. The resultant $\\Delta-\\phi$ correlation is approximately symmetric about $...

  13. Side-by-side comparisons of evacuated compound parabolic concentrator and flat plate solar collector systems at temperatures of 90 to 100C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, J. W.; Schertz, W. W.; Wantroba, A. S.

    1987-03-01

    This collector system study is an extension of a previous system study in which Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) compared the performance of three solar energy systems operated side by side for over a year. In the present system study, four solar energy systems were operated side by side for part of a year. Two of the collector systems used commercially available compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) collectors, one used a commercially available flat plate collector, and one used an experimental CPC collector built by The University of Chicago. The collectors were mounted in fixed positions; they did not track the Sun, and their tilt angles were not seasonally adjusted. All of the collector arrays faced south and were tilted at 42 deg with respect to the horizon (to match the 42 deg N latitude at ANL). All four collector systems started each day with their storage temperatures at 90 C. During the day, each system was operated by its own solar controller. At the end of the day, the tanks were mixed and the temperature changes in the tanks were measured. The change in storage energy was calculated from the temperature change, the heat capacity of the storage system, and the pump energy.

  14. Side branch absorber for exhaust manifold of two-stroke internal combustion engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Ralph E [San Antonio, TX; Broerman, III, Eugene L.; Bourn, Gary D [Laramie, WY

    2011-01-11

    A method of improving scavenging operation of a two-stroke internal combustion engine. The exhaust pressure of the engine is analyzed to determine if there is a pulsation frequency. Acoustic modeling is used to design an absorber. An appropriately designed side branch absorber may be attached to the exhaust manifold.

  15. Spectral-Domain Measurement of Strain Sensitivity of a Two-Mode Birefringent Side-Hole Fiber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waclaw Urbanczyk

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The strain sensitivity of a two-mode birefringent side-hole fiber is measured in the spectral domain. In a simple experimental setup comprising a broadband source, a polarizer, a two-mode birefringent side-hole fiber under varied elongations, an analyzer and a compact spectrometer, the spectral interferograms are resolved. These are characterized by the equalization wavelength at which spectral interference fringes have the highest visibility (the largest period due to the zero group optical path difference between the fundamental, the LP01 mode and the higher-order, the LP11 mode. The spectral interferograms with the equalization wavelength are processed to retrieve the phase as a function of the wavelength. From the retrieved phase functions corresponding to different elongations of a two-mode birefringent side-hole fiber under test, the spectral strain sensitivity is obtained. Using this approach, the intermodal spectral strain sensitivity was measured for both x and y polarizations. Moreover, the spectral polarimetric sensitivity to strain was measured for the fundamental mode when a birefringent delay line was used in tandem with the fiber. Its spectral dependence was also compared with that obtained from a shift of the spectral interferograms not including the equalization wavelength, and good agreement was confirmed.

  16. The two sides of silicon detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devine, S.R.

    2001-10-01

    Results are presented on in situ irradiation of silicon detector's at cryogenic temperature. The results show that irradiation at cryogenic temperatures does not detrimentally effect a silicon detectors performance when compared to its irradiation at room temperature. Operation of silicon devices at cryogenic temperatures offers the advantage of reducing radiation-induced leakage current to levels of a few pA, while at 130K the Lazarus Effect plays an important role i.e. minimum voltage required for full depletion. Performing voltage scans on a 'standard' silicon pad detector pre- and post annealing, the charge collection efficiency was found to be 60% at 200V and 95% at 200V respectively. Time dependence measurements are presented, showing that for a dose of 6.5x10 14 p/cm 2 (450GeV protons) the time dependence of the charge collection efficiency is negligible. However, for higher doses, 1.2x10 15 p/cm 2 , the charge collection efficiency drops from an initial measured value of 67% to a stable value of 58% over a period of 15 minutes for reversed biased diodes. An analysis of the 'double junction' effect is also presented. A comparison between the Transient Current Technique and an X-ray technique is presented. The double junction has been observed in p + /n/n + silicon detectors after irradiation beyond 'type inversion', corresponding to a fluence equivalent to ∼3x10 13 cm -2 1MeV neutrons, producing p + /p/n + and essentially two p-n junctions within one device. With increasing bias voltage, as the electric field is extending into the detector bulk from opposite sides of the silicon detector, there are two distinct depletion regions that collect charge signal independently. Summing the signal charge from the two regions, one is able to reconstruct the initial energy of the incident particle. From Transient Current measurements it is apparent that E-field manipulation is possible by excess carrier injection, enabling a high enough E-field to extend across the

  17. Tackle mechanisms and match characteristics in women's elite football tournaments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tscholl, P; O'Riordan, D; Fuller, C W; Dvorak, J; Junge, A

    2007-08-01

    Several tools have been used for assessing risk situations and for gathering tackle information from international football matches for men but not for women. To analyse activities in women's football and to identify the characteristics and risk potentials of tackles. Retrospective video analysis. Video recordings of 24 representative matches from six women's top-level tournaments were analysed for tackle parameters and their risk potential. 3531 tackles were recorded. Tackles in which the tackling player came from the side and stayed on her feet accounted for nearly half of all challenges for the ball in which body contact occurred. 2.7% of all tackles were classified as risk situations, with sliding-in tackles from behind and the side having the highest risk potential. Match referees sanctioned sliding-in tackles more often than other tackles (20% v 17%, respectively). Tackle parameters did not change in the duration of a match; however, there was an increase in the number of injury risk situations and foul plays towards the end of each half. Match properties provide valuable information for a better understanding of injury situations in football. Staying on feet and jumping vertically tackle actions leading to injury were sanctioned significantly more times by the referee than those not leading to injury (pgame are not adequate or match referees in women's football are not able to distinguish between sliding-in tackles leading to and those not leading to injury.

  18. The Basic Economics of Match Fixing in Sport Tournaments

    OpenAIRE

    Raul Caruso

    2009-01-01

    Match-fixing is a recurring phenomenon of sport contests. This paper presents a simple formal model in order to explain them. The intuition behind is that an asymmetry in the evaluation of the stake is the key factor leading to match-fixing or to tacit collusion. In particular, it will be demonstrated that an asymmetry in the evaluation of the stake can lead to a concession from one agent to the other and then to a match-fixing. It is also demonstrated that when the asymmetry in the evaluatio...

  19. Inversion of Side Scan Sonar Motion and Posture in Seabed Geomorphology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Weiliang

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Side scan sonar measurement platform, affected by underwater environment and its own motion precision, inevitably has posture and motion disturbance, which greatly affects accuracy of geomorphic image formation. It is difficult to sensitively and accurately capture these underwater disturbances by relying on auxiliary navigation devices. In this paper, we propose a method to invert motion and posture information of the measurement platform by using the matching relation between the strip images. The inversion algorithm is the key link in the image mosaic frame of side scan sonar, and the acquired motion posture information can effectively improve seabed topography and plotting accuracy and stability. In this paper, we first analyze influence of platform motion and posture on side scan sonar mapping, and establish the correlation model between motion, posture information and strip image matching information. Then, based on the model, a reverse neural network is established. Based on input, output of neural network, design of and test data set, a motion posture inversion mechanism based on strip image matching information is established. Accuracy and validity of the algorithm are verified by the experimental results.

  20. Maximizing Total Profit in Two-agent Problem of Order Acceptance and Scheduling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reisi-Nafchi

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In competitive markets, attracting potential customers and keeping current customers is a survival condition for each company. So, paying attention to the requests of customers is important and vital. In this paper, the problem of order acceptance and scheduling has been studied, in which two types of customers or agents compete in a single machine environment. The objective is maximizing sum of the total profit of first agent's accepted orders and the total revenue of second agent. Therefore, only the first agent has penalty and its penalty function is lateness and the second agent's orders have a common due date and this agent does not accept any tardy order. To solve the problem, a mathematical programming, a heuristic algorithm and a pseudo-polynomial dynamic programming algorithm are proposed. Computational results confirm the ability of solving all problem instances up to 70 orders size optimally and also 93.12% of problem instances up to 150 orders size by dynamic programming.

  1. Performance of transmission goals in one and two-touch combined team of Ukraine on football in a friendly match in 2011 and the matches of the European Championship in 2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.M. Chornobay

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study is to determine the performance of the transmission ball in one and two-touch athletes Ukrainian National Team. The material for the study included a video of friendly and official matches of the Ukrainian team at the European Championships in 2012. It is established that the team performed for the match 78 - 63 gears with one touch (replication error - 20.51% - 34.72% and 124 - 107 gears in two touches (replication error - 10.28% - 17.79%. It is noted that the lower estimate corresponds to the transmission rate of less than 100 goals in one touch of the match. Team deserves high marks, performing over 130 such programs ball per game. Ukrainian national team in 2011, served an average of 125 per game gear ball in two touches. More gear ball with one touch in 2012 Ukrainian performed in the game against England - 78 assists. It is noted that the figures obtained passes of ball team of Ukraine are the basis for the preparation of the appropriate correction for the next match.

  2. Two tree-formation methods for fast pattern search using nearest-neighbour and nearest-centroid matching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schomaker, Lambertus; Mangalagiu, D.; Vuurpijl, Louis; Weinfeld, M.; Schomaker, Lambert; Vuurpijl, Louis

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes tree­based classification of character images, comparing two methods of tree formation and two methods of matching: nearest neighbor and nearest centroid. The first method, Preprocess Using Relative Distances (PURD) is a tree­based reorganization of a flat list of patterns,

  3. A Coin for the Tsar: The Two Disruptive Sides of Cryptocurrency

    OpenAIRE

    Telley, Chris

    2018-01-01

    Captain Telley warns about the dangers of Russia getting into the cryptocurrency business in "A Coin for the Tsar: The Two Disruptive Sides of Cryptocurrency," written for the Small Wars Journal. As he states, "This paper examines the evolving power of cryptocurrency, describes threat behaviors enabled by the technology, and recommends some ways to counter threat activity in this nascent digital economic environment while preserving the possibilities for healthy innovation." Vladimir Putin...

  4. Forging a morphological system out of two dimensions: Agentivity and number.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horton, L; Goldin-Meadow, S; Coppola, M; Senghas, A; Brentari, D

    2015-12-01

    Languages have diverse strategies for marking agentivity and number. These strategies are negotiated to create combinatorial systems. We consider the emergence of these strategies by studying features of movement in a young sign language in Nicaragua (NSL). We compare two age cohorts of Nicaraguan signers (NSL1 and NSL2), adult homesigners in Nicaragua (deaf individuals creating a gestural system without linguistic input), signers of American and Italian Sign Languages (ASL and LIS), and hearing individuals asked to gesture silently. We find that all groups use movement axis and repetition to encode agentivity and number, suggesting that these properties are grounded in action experiences common to all participants. We find another feature - unpunctuated repetition - in the sign systems (ASL, LIS, NSL, Homesign) but not in silent gesture. Homesigners and NSL1 signers use the unpunctuated form, but limit its use to No-Agent contexts; NSL2 signers use the form across No-Agent and Agent contexts. A single individual can thus construct a marker for number without benefit of a linguistic community (homesign), but generalizing this form across agentive conditions requires an additional step. This step does not appear to be achieved when a linguistic community is first formed (NSL1), but requires transmission across generations of learners (NSL2).

  5. Fundamental study of DSA images using gadolinium contrast agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagashima, Hiroyuki; Shiraishi, Akihisa; Igarashi, Hitoshi; Sakamoto, Hajime; Sano, Yoshitomo

    2002-01-01

    Most contrast agents used in digital subtraction angiography (DSA) are non-ionic iodinated contrast agents, which can cause severe side effects in patients with contraindications for iodine or allergic reactions to iodine. Therefore, DSA examinations using carbon dioxide gas or examinations done by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) were carried out in these patients. However, none of these examinations provided mages as clear as those of DSA with an iodinated contrast agent. We experienced DSA examination using a gadolinium contrast agent in a patient contraindicated for iodine. The patient had undergone MRI examination with a gadolinium contrast agent previously without side effects. The characteristics of gadolinium and the iodinated contrast agent were compared, and the DSA images obtained clinically using these media were also evaluated. The signal-to-noise (SN) ratio of the gadolinium contrast agent was the highest at tube voltages of 70 to 80 kilovolts and improved slightly when the image intensifier (I.I.) entrance dose was greater than 300 μR (77.4 nC/kg). The dilution ratios of five iodinated contrast agents showed the same S/N value as the undiluted gadolinium contrast agent. Clinically, the images obtained showed a slight decrease in contrast but provided the data necessary to make a diagnosis and made it possible to obtain interventional radiology (IVR) without any side effects. DSA examinations using a gadolinium contrast agent have some benefit with low risk and are thought to be useful for patients contraindicated for iodine. (author)

  6. Impedance matching wireless power transmission system for biomedical devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lum, Kin Yun; Lindén, Maria; Tan, Tian Swee

    2015-01-01

    For medical application, the efficiency and transmission distance of the wireless power transfer (WPT) are always the main concern. Research has been showing that the impedance matching is one of the critical factors for dealing with the problem. However, there is not much work performed taking both the source and load sides into consideration. Both sides matching is crucial in achieving an optimum overall performance, and the present work proposes a circuit model analysis for design and implementation. The proposed technique was validated against experiment and software simulation. Result was showing an improvement in transmission distance up to 6 times, and efficiency at this transmission distance had been improved up to 7 times as compared to the impedance mismatch system. The system had demonstrated a near-constant transfer efficiency for an operating range of 2cm-12cm.

  7. Flow and wall shear stress in end-to-side and side-to-side anastomosis of venous coronary artery bypass grafts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poulikakos Dimos

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Purpose Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG surgery represents the standard treatment of advanced coronary artery disease. Two major types of anastomosis exist to connect the graft to the coronary artery, i.e., by using an end-to-side or a side-to-side anastomosis. There is still controversy because of the differences in the patency rates of the two types of anastomosis. The purpose of this paper is to non-invasively quantify hemodynamic parameters, such as mass flow and wall shear stress (WSS, in end-to-side and side-to-side anastomoses of patients with CABG using computational fluid dynamics (CFD. Methods One patient with saphenous CABG and end-to-side anastomosis and one patient with saphenous CABG and side-to-side anastomosis underwent 16-detector row computed tomography (CT. Geometric models of coronary arteries and bypasses were reconstructed for CFD analysis. Blood flow was considered pulsatile, laminar, incompressible and Newtonian. Peri-anastomotic mass flow and WSS were quantified and flow patterns visualized. Results CFD analysis based on in-vivo CT coronary angiography data was feasible in both patients. For both types of CABG, flow patterns were characterized by a retrograde flow into the native coronary artery. WSS variations were found in both anastomoses types, with highest WSS values at the heel and lowest WSS values at the floor of the end-to-side anastomosis. In contrast, the highest WSS values of the side-to-side anastomosis configuration were found in stenotic vessel segments and not in the close vicinity of the anastomosis. Flow stagnation zones were found in end-to-side but not in side-to-side anastomosis, the latter also demonstrating a smoother stream division throughout the cardiac cycle. Conclusion CFD analysis of venous CABG based on in-vivo CT datasets in patients was feasible producing qualitative and quantitative information on mass flow and WSS. Differences were found between the two types of anastomosis

  8. 单面与双面信息广告重复效应的实证研究%An Empirical Study on One-sided VS Two-sided Advertising's Repetition Effect

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    代祺; 梁樑

    2011-01-01

    By introducing the variable of business ethics perception and integrating Optimal Arousal Theory, Processing Fluency Model, Attribution Theory and Two Factor Theory, the study compares the repetition effects differences between one and two-sided advertisements. Using inter-group experiment design, the results suggest that two-sided advertisements are processed less fluently than one-sided ones, but the percentage of accurate recall and advertisement response are higher than its counterpart. The repetition effects are inverted U shape for one-side advertisements and monotonic increase for two-sided advertisements. Thus, the wearing out effects of two-sided advertisements is delayed. The diversity in perception of business ethics play important role in determining this differences.%通过引入企业道德感知变量,并在整合最优唤醒理论、加工流畅模型、归因理论和两因素理论的基础上,深入剖析了单、双面信息广告重复效应的差异.研究结果表明:双面信息广告比单面信息广告加工更困难,但消费者对其广告正确回忆率更高,广告反应也更积极.单面信息广告的重复效应呈现先增后减的倒U趋势,而双面信息广告的重复效应呈单调递增趋势,疲劳效应延迟出现.消费者对企业道德感知的差异在很大程度上决定了单、双面信息广告重复效应的差异.

  9. Effect of Rotational Speed on the Stability of Two Rotating Side-by-side Circular Cylinders at Low Reynolds Number

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Huashu; Zhang, Shuo; Yang, Hui; Setoguchi, Toshiaki; Kinoue, Yoichi

    2018-04-01

    Flow around two rotating side-by-side circular cylinders of equal diameter D is numerically studied at the Reynolds number 40≤ Re ≤200 and various rotation rate θ i . The incoming flow is assumed to be two-dimensional laminar flow. The governing equations are the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and solved by the finite volume method (FVM). The ratio of the center-to-center spacing to the cylinder diameter is T/D=2. The objective of the present work is to investigate the effect of rotational speed and Reynolds number on the stability of the flow. The simulation results are compared with the experimental data and a good agreement is achieved. The stability of the flow is analyzed by using the energy gradient theory, which produces the energy gradient function K to identify the region where the flow is the most prone to be destabilized and the degree of the destabilization. Numerical results reveal that K is the most significant at the separated shear layers of the cylinder pair. With Re increases, the length of the wake is shorter and the vortex shedding generally exhibits a symmetrical distribution for θ i < θ crit . It is also shown that the unsteady vortex shedding can be suppressed by rotating the cylinders in the counter-rotating mode.

  10. From Semi- to Full-Two-Dimensional Conjugated Side-Chain Design: A Way toward Comprehensive Solar Energy Absorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chao, Pengjie [Department; School; Wang, Huan [Department; Qu, Shiwei [Department; Mo, Daize [Department; Meng, Hong [School; Chen, Wei [Materials; Institute; He, Feng [Department

    2017-12-05

    Two polymers with fully two-dimensional (2D) conjugated side chains, 2D-PTB-Th and 2D-PTB-TTh, were synthesized and characterized through simultaneously integrating the 2D-TT and the 2D-BDT monomers onto the polymer backbone. Resulting from the synergistic effect from the conjugated side chains on both monomers, the two polymers showed remarkably efficient absorption of the sunlight and improved pi-pi intermolecular interactions for efficient charge carrier transport. The optimized bulk heterojunction device based on 2D-PTB-Th and PC71BM shows a higher PCE of 9.13% compared to PTB7-Th with a PCE of 8.26%, which corresponds to an approximately 10% improvement in solar energy conversion. The fully 2D-conjugated side-chain concept reported here developed a new molecular design strategy for polymer materials with enhanced sunlight absorption and efficient solar energy conversion.

  11. Assessing unilateral merger effects in a two-sided market : An application to the Dutch daily newspaper market

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.; Michielsen, T.O.

    2012-01-01

    We compare different methods to assess unilateral merger effects in a two-sided market by applying them to a hypothetical merger in the Dutch newspaper industry. We first specify and estimate a structural model of demand for differentiated products in both the readership and the advertising sides of

  12. Agent Performance in Vehicle Routing when the Only Thing Certain is Uncertainty (extended abstract)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mahr, T.; Srour, J.; De Weerdt, M.M.; Zuidwijk, R.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we investigate whether a distributed agent-based planning approach indeed suffers less from job arrival uncertainty than a centralized optimization-based approach. In order to compare the two different approaches, we use the best available algorithms for both sides.

  13. Targeted two-photon PDT photo-sensitizers for the treatment of subcutaneous tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spangler, C. W.; Rebane, A.; Starkey, J.; Drobizhev, M.

    2009-06-01

    New porphyrin-based photo-sensitizers have been designed, synthesized and characterized that exhibit greatly enhanced intrinsic two-photon absorption. These new photo-sensitizers have been incorporated into triad formulations that also incorporate Near-infrared (NIR) imaging agents, and small-molecule targeting agents that direct the triads to cancerous tumors' over-expressed receptor sites. PDT can be initiated deep into the tissue transparency window at 780-800 nm utilizing a regeneratively amplified Ti:sapphire laser using 100-150 fs pulses of 600-800 mW. Human tumor xenografts of human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and both small SCLC (NCI-H69) and NSCLC (A-459) have been successfully treated using octreotate targeting of over-expressed SST2 receptors. In particular, the lung cancer xenografts can be successfully treated by irradiating from the side of the mouse opposite the implanted tumor, thereby passing through ca. 2 cm of mouse skin, tissue and organs with no discernible damage to healthy tissue while causing regression in the tumors. These results suggest a new PDT paradigm for the noninvasive treatment of subcutaneous tumors, including the possibility that the targeting moiety could be matched to individual patient genetic profiles (patient-specific therapeutics).

  14. Does player unavailability affect football teams' match physical outputs? A two-season study of the UEFA champions league.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windt, Johann; Ekstrand, Jan; Khan, Karim M; McCall, Alan; Zumbo, Bruno D

    2018-05-01

    Player unavailability negatively affects team performance in elite football. However, whether player unavailability and its concomitant performance decrement is mediated by any changes in teams' match physical outputs is unknown. We examined whether the number of players injured (i.e. unavailable for match selection) was associated with any changes in teams' physical outputs. Prospective cohort study. Between-team variation was calculated by correlating average team availability with average physical outputs. Within-team variation was quantified using linear mixed modelling, using physical outputs - total distance, sprint count (efforts over 20km/h), and percent of distance covered at high speeds (>14km/h) - as outcome variables, and player unavailability as the independent variable of interest. To control for other factors that may influence match physical outputs, stage (group stage/knockout), venue (home/away), score differential, ball possession (%), team ranking (UEFA Club Coefficient), and average team age were all included as covariates. Teams' average player unavailability was positively associated with the average number of sprints they performed in matches across two seasons. Multilevel models similarly demonstrated that having 4 unavailable players was associated with 20.8 more sprints during matches in 2015/2016, and with an estimated 0.60-0.77% increase in the proportion of total distance run above 14km/h in both seasons. Player unavailability had a possibly positive and likely positive association with total match distances in the two respective seasons. Having more players injured and unavailable for match selection was associated with an increase in teams' match physical outputs. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Computed tomography enterography: a comparison of different neutral oral contrast agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Ippolito, Giuseppe; Braga, Fernanda Angeli; Resende, Marcelo Cardoso; Bretas, Elisa Almeida Sathler; Nunes, Thiago Franchi; Rosas, George de Queiroz; Tiferes, Dario Arie

    2012-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of neutral oral contrast agents, comparing intestinal distension, distinction of intestinal wall, acceptance and side effects. Materials and Methods: Prospective, randomized, and double-blinded study involving 30 patients who underwent computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis with administration of neutral oral contrast agents, divided into three groups according the contrast agent type: milk, water, and polyethylene glycol. The images were consensually analyzed by two observers, considering the degree of bowel distension and intestinal wall distinction. The patients responded to a questionnaire regarding the taste of the ingested solution and on their side effects. Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Among 40 studied intestinal segments, appropriate bowel distension (intestinal loop diameter > 2 cm) was observed in 14 segments (35%) in the milk group, 10 segments (25%) in the water group and 23 segments (57%) in the polyethylene glycol group (p = 0.01). Preparation with polyethylene glycol resulted in the best bowel distension, but it presented the worst taste and highest incidence of diarrhea as reported by patients. Conclusion: Bowel preparation with oral polyethylene glycol results in higher degree of bowel distension than with water or milk, but presents worst acceptance related to its taste and frequency of diarrhea as a side effect. (author)

  16. Computed tomography enterography: a comparison of different neutral oral contrast agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Ippolito, Giuseppe, E-mail: giuseppe_dr@uol.com.br [Department of Imaging Diagnosis, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Braga, Fernanda Angeli; Resende, Marcelo Cardoso; Bretas, Elisa Almeida Sathler; Nunes, Thiago Franchi; Rosas, George de Queiroz; Tiferes, Dario Arie [Abdominal Imaging Section, Department of Imaging Diagnosis - Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2012-05-15

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of neutral oral contrast agents, comparing intestinal distension, distinction of intestinal wall, acceptance and side effects. Materials and Methods: Prospective, randomized, and double-blinded study involving 30 patients who underwent computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis with administration of neutral oral contrast agents, divided into three groups according the contrast agent type: milk, water, and polyethylene glycol. The images were consensually analyzed by two observers, considering the degree of bowel distension and intestinal wall distinction. The patients responded to a questionnaire regarding the taste of the ingested solution and on their side effects. Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Among 40 studied intestinal segments, appropriate bowel distension (intestinal loop diameter > 2 cm) was observed in 14 segments (35%) in the milk group, 10 segments (25%) in the water group and 23 segments (57%) in the polyethylene glycol group (p = 0.01). Preparation with polyethylene glycol resulted in the best bowel distension, but it presented the worst taste and highest incidence of diarrhea as reported by patients. Conclusion: Bowel preparation with oral polyethylene glycol results in higher degree of bowel distension than with water or milk, but presents worst acceptance related to its taste and frequency of diarrhea as a side effect. (author)

  17. Foreknowledge, Caring, and the Side-Effect Effect in Young Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellizzoni, Sandra; Siegal, Michael; Surian, Luca

    2009-01-01

    Children and adults often judge that the side effects of the actions of an uncaring story agent have been intentional if the effects are harmful but not if these are beneficial, creating an asymmetrical "side-effect" effect. The authors report 3 experiments involving 4- and 5-year-olds (N = 188) designed to clarify the role of foreknowledge and…

  18. Persistence Probabilities of Two-Sided (Integrated) Sums of Correlated Stationary Gaussian Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurzada, Frank; Buck, Micha

    2018-02-01

    We study the persistence probability for some two-sided, discrete-time Gaussian sequences that are discrete-time analogues of fractional Brownian motion and integrated fractional Brownian motion, respectively. Our results extend the corresponding ones in continuous time in Molchan (Commun Math Phys 205(1):97-111, 1999) and Molchan (J Stat Phys 167(6):1546-1554, 2017) to a wide class of discrete-time processes.

  19. Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Side-Effects after Antimuscarinic Treatment for Overactive Bladder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Aram; Lee, Kyu-Sung; Jung, Rangrhee; Na, Selee; Kim, Joon-Chul; Kim, Hyeong Gon; Choo, Myung-Soo

    2017-09-01

    Drug therapy is the mainstay of treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), but antimuscarinic agents possess side-effects. These side-effects decrease the patients' quality of life. We therefore assessed the impact of side-effects on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) through an analysis of EQ-5D questionnaire. This study was designed to investigate the patients' satisfaction by quality weight of health status as affected by the side-effects of OAB medications. Patients who had OAB symptoms lasting longer than 3 months and have experienced side-effects after any antimuscarinic treatments filled in the EQ-5D questionnaire. The enrolled patients had two EQ-5D questionnaires for two different health statuses, i.e., presence or absence of side-effects. Quality weight was calculated using the ED-5D health status score with Korean tariff. One hundred patients were enrolled and completed the HR-QoL questionnaire. The most prevalent side-effect was dry mouth (61%) and 28% patients had dry mouth and constipation concurrently. Most of the patients with side-effects tried to endure and overcome these side-effects (79%), but 10% desired a change in medication, and 6% stopped medication altogether. The quality weight of EQ-5D without side-effects was 0.863, while the quality weight with side-effects was 0.666 (P effects and 57 in those with side-effects, supporting the results of quality weight assessment. Overactive bladder patients may enjoy a better quality of life if side-effects associated with antimuscarinic therapy are fewer. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  20. Thickness measurement by two-sided step-heating thermal imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaoli; Tao, Ning; Sun, J. G.; Zhang, Cunlin; Zhao, Yuejin

    2018-01-01

    Infrared thermal imaging is a promising nondestructive technique for thickness prediction. However, it is usually thought to be only appropriate for testing the thickness of thin objects or near-surface structures. In this study, we present a new two-sided step-heating thermal imaging method which employed a low-cost portable halogen lamp as the heating source and verified it with two stainless steel step wedges with thicknesses ranging from 5 mm to 24 mm. We first derived the one-dimensional step-heating thermography theory with the consideration of warm-up time of the lamp, and then applied the nonlinear regression method to fit the experimental data by the derived function to determine the thickness. After evaluating the reliability and accuracy of the experimental results, we concluded that this method is capable of testing thick objects. In addition, we provided the criterions for both the required data length and the applicable thickness range of the testing material. It is evident that this method will broaden the thermal imaging application for thickness measurement.

  1. Phase-matching-free parametric oscillators based on two dimensional semiconductors

    OpenAIRE

    Ciattoni, A.; Marini, A.; Rizza, C.; Conti, C.

    2017-01-01

    Optical parametric oscillators are widely-used pulsed and continuous-wave tunable sources for innumerable applications, as in quantum technologies, imaging and biophysics. A key drawback is material dispersion imposing the phase-matching condition that generally entails a complex setup design, thus hindering tunability and miniaturization. Here we show that the burden of phase-matching is surprisingly absent in parametric micro-resonators adopting monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides as...

  2. Ulipristal acetate as an emergency contraceptive agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Alan M; Thomas, Michael A

    2012-09-01

    Emergency contraceptive agents play a crucial role in preventing unplanned pregnancy. These agents and devices have been studied since the 1960s and have had varied results in terms of side effects and efficacy. A new oral tablet for emergency contraception (EC), ulipristal acetate (UPA) , is a selective progesterone receptor modulator and can be used up to 120 h following unprotected intercourse, without an increase in adverse effects or a decrease in efficacy. This article reviews studies that evaluate the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and safety profile of UPA as an emergency contraceptive agent. UPA, a selective progesterone receptor modulator, is administered as a single 30 mg dose for EC. This agent provides a comparable, if not better, efficacy and side effect profile than seen with levonorgestrel or mifepristone. Because it has both agonistic and antagonistic effects on the progesterone receptor, ongoing clinical trials are documenting UPA's use for patients with endometriosis and as an extended use contraceptive.

  3. A Reliable Methodology for Determining Seed Viability by Using Hyperspectral Data from Two Sides of Wheat Seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tingting; Wei, Wensong; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Ranran; Li, Mingliu; Yang, Liming; Wang, Jianhua; Sun, Qun

    2018-03-08

    This study investigated the possibility of using visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) hyperspectral imaging techniques to discriminate viable and non-viable wheat seeds. Both sides of individual seeds were subjected to hyperspectral imaging (400-1000 nm) to acquire reflectance spectral data. Four spectral datasets, including the ventral groove side, reverse side, mean (the mean of two sides' spectra of every seed), and mixture datasets (two sides' spectra of every seed), were used to construct the models. Classification models, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and support vector machines (SVM), coupled with some pre-processing methods and successive projections algorithm (SPA), were built for the identification of viable and non-viable seeds. Our results showed that the standard normal variate (SNV)-SPA-PLS-DA model had high classification accuracy for whole seeds (>85.2%) and for viable seeds (>89.5%), and that the prediction set was based on a mixed spectral dataset by only using 16 wavebands. After screening with this model, the final germination of the seed lot could be higher than 89.5%. Here, we develop a reliable methodology for predicting the viability of wheat seeds, showing that the VIS/NIR hyperspectral imaging is an accurate technique for the classification of viable and non-viable wheat seeds in a non-destructive manner.

  4. Hippocampal lesions impair performance on a conditional delayed matching and non-matching to position task in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloan, Hazel L; Döbrössy, Màtè; Dunnett, Stephen B

    2006-08-10

    The hippocampus is thought to be involved in a range of cognitive processes, from the ability to acquire new memories, to the ability to learn about spatial relationships. Humans and monkeys with damage to the hippocampus are typically impaired on delayed matching to sample tasks, of which the operant delayed matching to position task (DMTP) is a rat analogue. The reported effects of hippocampal damage on DMTP vary, ranging from delay-dependent deficits to no deficit whatsoever. The present study investigates a novel memory task; the conditional delayed matching/non-matching to position task (CDM/NMTP) in the Skinner box. CDM/NMTP uses the presence of specific stimulus cues to signify whether a particular trial is matching or non-matching in nature. Thus, it incorporates both the task contingencies within one session, and supplements the requirement for remembering the side of the lever in the sample phase with attending to the stimulus and remembering the conditional discrimination for the rule. Rats were trained preoperatively and the effects of bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus were examined on postoperative retention of the task. Rats with lesions of the hippocampus incurred a significant impairment on the task that was manifest at all delays intervals. Despite a bias towards matching during training, trials of either type were performed with equivalent accuracy and neither rule was affected differentially by the lesion. This task may prove useful in determining the cognitive roles of a range of brain areas.

  5. Imageology and clinical examination: Two sides of the same coin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deepa Das

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The continuous and rapid transition of techniques from research lab into clinical practice has been the pattern of development in radiology and imaging, and this has put the concept of clinical imaging into a different perspective. From a passive role of pattern recognition, distinguishing a radiograph from normal to abnormal, the task of a radiologist today has been elevated to reporting a comprehensive clinical imaging assay, giving information at a level profound enough to be useful for scientists working in allied fields. A peep into the literature shows how radiological and clinical examination can be two sides of the same coin.

  6. Neutrophils in Cancer: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uribe-Querol, Eileen; Rosales, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in blood and are considered to be the first line of defense during inflammation and infections. In addition, neutrophils are also found infiltrating many types of tumors. Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) have relevant roles in malignant disease. Indeed neutrophils may be potent antitumor effector cells. However, increasing clinical evidence shows TANs correlate with poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment controls neutrophil recruitment and in turn TANs help tumor progression. Hence, TANs can be beneficial or detrimental to the host. It is the purpose of this review to highlight these two sides of the neutrophil coin in cancer and to describe recent studies that provide some light on the mechanisms for neutrophil recruitment to the tumor, for neutrophils supporting tumor progression, and for neutrophil activation to enhance their antitumor functions.

  7. Goal Format in Small-Sided Soccer Games: Technical Actions and Offensive Scenarios of Prepubescent Players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Craig Pulling

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the number of goal-posts and the positioning of goal-posts used within small-sided games on the frequency of technical actions and offensive scenarios performed by prepubescent players within soccer. The participants were eight male prepubescent soccer players (12.1 ± 0.5 years. The participants were video recorded for 20 min playing four different formats of 4v4 small-sided games: (1 standard two goal game; (2 four goal game, one goal in each corner; (3 two goal game with goal-posts positioned 9.14 m/10 yd infield, scoring only through the back of the goal; (4 four goal-game, one goal positioned 9.14 m/10 yd infield in each corner, scoring through either the front or back of each goal. Chi-squared tests of independence were utilized to statistically explore the impact of the different small-sided game formats. There were significant associations (p < 0.05 observed between the different small-sided game formats and the frequency of turns, dribbles, shots, goals and overlaps performed. For example, players performed more turns in small-sided game format two and more shots during small-sided game format four. It is suggested coaches should consider using a variation of the number and positioning of goal-posts in small-sided games as an effective training tool in the development of prepubescent soccer players. This will enable coaches to vary the focus of sessions, and develop specific technical and tactical actions within a situation similar to that of real match-play.

  8. Slowing and Loss of Complexity in Alzheimer's EEG: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin Dauwels

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Medical studies have shown that EEG of Alzheimer's disease (AD patients is “slower” (i.e., contains more low-frequency power and is less complex compared to age-matched healthy subjects. The relation between those two phenomena has not yet been studied, and they are often silently assumed to be independent. In this paper, it is shown that both phenomena are strongly related. Strong correlation between slowing and loss of complexity is observed in two independent EEG datasets: (1 EEG of predementia patients (a.k.a. Mild Cognitive Impairment; MCI and control subjects; (2 EEG of mild AD patients and control subjects. The two data sets are from different patients, different hospitals and obtained through different recording systems. The paper also investigates the potential of EEG slowing and loss of EEG complexity as indicators of AD onset. In particular, relative power and complexity measures are used as features to classify the MCI and MiAD patients versus age-matched control subjects. When combined with two synchrony measures (Granger causality and stochastic event synchrony, classification rates of 83% (MCI and 98% (MiAD are obtained. By including the compression ratios as features, slightly better classification rates are obtained than with relative power and synchrony measures alone.

  9. Two Young Women with Left-sided Pneumothorax Due to Thoracic Endometriosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yukumi, Shungo; Suzuki, Hideaki; Morimoto, Masamitsu; Shigematsu, Hisayuki; Okazaki, Mikio; Abe, Masahiro; Kitazawa, Sohei; Nakamura, Kenji; Sano, Yoshifumi

    Pneumothorax associated with thoracic endometriosis (TE) generally occurs in women around 30 years old and it usually affects the right pleural cavity. We herein report two cases of TE associated with left-sided pneumothorax in young women. The prevalence of TE in younger patients may be underestimated if these cases are treated as spontaneous pneumothorax. Pneumothorax occurring in younger patients has not been reported to show laterality. TE-related or catamenial pneumothorax in young women must therefore represent a different clinical entity from the condition seen in older patients.

  10. Comparison of accuracies of an intraoral spectrophotometer and conventional visual method for shade matching using two shade guide systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parameswaran, Vidhya; Anilkumar, S; Lylajam, S; Rajesh, C; Narayan, Vivek

    2016-01-01

    This in vitro study compared the shade matching abilities of an intraoral spectrophotometer and the conventional visual method using two shade guides. The results of previous investigations between color perceived by human observers and color assessed by instruments have been inconclusive. The objectives were to determine accuracies and interrater agreement of both methods and effectiveness of two shade guides with either method. In the visual method, 10 examiners with normal color vision matched target control shade tabs taken from the two shade guides (VITAPAN Classical™ and VITAPAN 3D Master™) with other full sets of the respective shade guides. Each tab was matched 3 times to determine repeatability of visual examiners. The spectrophotometric shade matching was performed by two independent examiners using an intraoral spectrophotometer (VITA Easyshade™) with five repetitions for each tab. Results revealed that visual method had greater accuracy than the spectrophotometer. The spectrophotometer; however, exhibited significantly better interrater agreement as compared to the visual method. While VITAPAN Classical shade guide was more accurate with the spectrophotometer, VITAPAN 3D Master shade guide proved better with visual method. This in vitro study clearly delineates the advantages and limitations of both methods. There were significant differences between the methods with the visual method producing more accurate results than the spectrophotometric method. The spectrophotometer showed far better interrater agreement scores irrespective of the shade guide used. Even though visual shade matching is subjective, it is not inferior and should not be underrated. Judicious combination of both techniques is imperative to attain a successful and esthetic outcome.

  11. [Psychoanalysis and Side Effect].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirahase, Joichiro

    2015-01-01

    A study of psychoanalysis from the perspective of side effects reveals that its history was a succession of measures to deal with its own side effects. This, however, does not merely suggest that, as a treatment method, psychoanalysis is incomplete and weak: rather, its history is a record of the growth and development of psychoanalysis that discovered therapeutic significance from phenomena that were initially regarded as side effects, made use of these discoveries, and elaborated them as a treatment method. The approach of research seen during the course of these developments is linked to the basic therapeutic approach of psychoanalysis. A therapist therefore does not draw conclusions about a patient's words and behaviors from a single aspect, but continues to make efforts to actively discover a variety of meanings and values from them, and to make the patient's life richer and more productive. This therapeutic approach is undoubtedly one of the unique aspects of psychoanalysis. I discuss the issue of psychoanalysis and side effects with the aim of clarifying this unique characteristic of psychoanalysis. The phenomenon called resistance inevitably emerges during the process of psychoanalytic treatment. Resistance can not only obstruct the progress of therapy; it also carries the risk of causing a variety of disadvantages to the patient. It can therefore be seen as an adverse effect. However, if we re-examine this phenomenon from the perspective of transference, we find that resistance is in fact a crucial tool in psychoanalysis, and included in its main effect, rather than a side effect. From the perspective of minimizing the character of resistance as a side effect and maximizing its character as a main effect, I have reviewed logical organization, dynamic evaluation, the structuring of treatment, the therapist's attitudes, and the training of therapists. I conclude by stating that psychoanalysis has aspects that do not match the perspective known as a side

  12. Hierarchical Stereo Matching in Two-Scale Space for Cyber-Physical System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunah Choi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Dense disparity map estimation from a high-resolution stereo image is a very difficult problem in terms of both matching accuracy and computation efficiency. Thus, an exhaustive disparity search at full resolution is required. In general, examining more pixels in the stereo view results in more ambiguous correspondences. When a high-resolution image is down-sampled, the high-frequency components of the fine-scaled image are at risk of disappearing in the coarse-resolution image. Furthermore, if erroneous disparity estimates caused by missing high-frequency components are propagated across scale space, ultimately, false disparity estimates are obtained. To solve these problems, we introduce an efficient hierarchical stereo matching method in two-scale space. This method applies disparity estimation to the reduced-resolution image, and the disparity result is then up-sampled to the original resolution. The disparity estimation values of the high-frequency (or edge component regions of the full-resolution image are combined with the up-sampled disparity results. In this study, we extracted the high-frequency areas from the scale-space representation by using difference of Gaussian (DoG or found edge components, using a Canny operator. Then, edge-aware disparity propagation was used to refine the disparity map. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms previous methods.

  13. Hierarchical Stereo Matching in Two-Scale Space for Cyber-Physical System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eunah; Lee, Sangyoon; Hong, Hyunki

    2017-07-21

    Dense disparity map estimation from a high-resolution stereo image is a very difficult problem in terms of both matching accuracy and computation efficiency. Thus, an exhaustive disparity search at full resolution is required. In general, examining more pixels in the stereo view results in more ambiguous correspondences. When a high-resolution image is down-sampled, the high-frequency components of the fine-scaled image are at risk of disappearing in the coarse-resolution image. Furthermore, if erroneous disparity estimates caused by missing high-frequency components are propagated across scale space, ultimately, false disparity estimates are obtained. To solve these problems, we introduce an efficient hierarchical stereo matching method in two-scale space. This method applies disparity estimation to the reduced-resolution image, and the disparity result is then up-sampled to the original resolution. The disparity estimation values of the high-frequency (or edge component) regions of the full-resolution image are combined with the up-sampled disparity results. In this study, we extracted the high-frequency areas from the scale-space representation by using difference of Gaussian (DoG) or found edge components, using a Canny operator. Then, edge-aware disparity propagation was used to refine the disparity map. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms previous methods.

  14. Comparison of side effects of oxytetracycline and talc pleurodesis: an experimental study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Chemical pleurodesis is widely recommended in the treatment of refractory pleural effusion or pulmonary air leak of different etiologies. Although several agents have been used, many questions have remained unanswered about their toxicity. Talc is the most commonly used agent for the treatment, with rare, serious complications reported. Oxytetracycline pleurodesis in clinical practice has been described in a few studies, but literature reveals no experimental studies using this agent. We performed a prospective, randomized, observer-blinded, controlled study to evaluate the changes in lung histology and systemic response to pleurodesis with oxytetracycline and talc in acute and subacute phases in a rat model. Methods Forty-two male albino Wistar rats were divided into three groups and 3 subgroups with 7 animals in each. Group 1 was given oxytetracycline, 35 mg/kg; Group 2 was given talc slurry, 60 mg/kg in 0.5 mL saline solution, and Group 3 was given only 0.5 mL saline intrapleurally. In subgroups "a" the nimls were sacrificed at the postoperative 72nd hour and, in subgroups "b", on the postoperative day 7. The surfaces were graded by microscopic examination. Results Oxytetracycline produced alveolar collapse, hemorrhage, edema, inflammation at the postoperative 72nd hour and hemorrhage on the postoperative day 7, while talc produced significant edema, inflammation, proliferation, fibrosis at the postoperative 72nd hour and hemorrhage, edema, inflammation, proliferation, and fibrosis on the postoperative day 7 (p oxytetracycline on the postoperative day 7. On contralateral side, oxytetracycline and talc produced significant hemorrhage on the postoperative day 7 (p oxytetracycline were more pronounced, whereas the side effects of talc were prolonged to subacute phase. We propose that the occasional side effects in humans may be related to these changes as were observed in our rat model, and like talc, oxytetracycline must be used cautiously in patients

  15. Neutrophils in Cancer: Two Sides of the Same Coin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen Uribe-Querol

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in blood and are considered to be the first line of defense during inflammation and infections. In addition, neutrophils are also found infiltrating many types of tumors. Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs have relevant roles in malignant disease. Indeed neutrophils may be potent antitumor effector cells. However, increasing clinical evidence shows TANs correlate with poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment controls neutrophil recruitment and in turn TANs help tumor progression. Hence, TANs can be beneficial or detrimental to the host. It is the purpose of this review to highlight these two sides of the neutrophil coin in cancer and to describe recent studies that provide some light on the mechanisms for neutrophil recruitment to the tumor, for neutrophils supporting tumor progression, and for neutrophil activation to enhance their antitumor functions.

  16. Optimization of secondary side water chemistry in TQNPC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Lan

    2007-01-01

    This article briefly introduces the types of corrosion that may be happened on steam generator heat exchange tubes in Qinshan CANDU6 nuclear power station and chemical effects on corrosion. The water chemistry optimization on minimzing deposition and corrosion of steam generators are introduced. The article summarizes the experiences of plant chemistry control and morpholine operation, providing guidance for optimizing secondary side water chemistry in the future, giving reference on selection of secondary side alkali agent and setting water chemistry specifications for other nuclear power stations. (authors)

  17. Local Search Approaches in Stable Matching Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toby Walsh

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The stable marriage (SM problem has a wide variety of practical applications, ranging from matching resident doctors to hospitals, to matching students to schools or, more generally, to any two-sided market. In the classical formulation, n men and n women express their preferences (via a strict total order over the members of the other sex. Solving an SM problem means finding a stable marriage where stability is an envy-free notion: no man and woman who are not married to each other would both prefer each other to their partners or to being single. We consider both the classical stable marriage problem and one of its useful variations (denoted SMTI (Stable Marriage with Ties and Incomplete lists where the men and women express their preferences in the form of an incomplete preference list with ties over a subset of the members of the other sex. Matchings are permitted only with people who appear in these preference lists, and we try to find a stable matching that marries as many people as possible. Whilst the SM problem is polynomial to solve, the SMTI problem is NP-hard. We propose to tackle both problems via a local search approach, which exploits properties of the problems to reduce the size of the neighborhood and to make local moves efficiently. We empirically evaluate our algorithm for SM problems by measuring its runtime behavior and its ability to sample the lattice of all possible stable marriages. We evaluate our algorithm for SMTI problems in terms of both its runtime behavior and its ability to find a maximum cardinality stable marriage. Experimental results suggest that for SM problems, the number of steps of our algorithm grows only as O(n log(n, and that it samples very well the set of all stable marriages. It is thus a fair and efficient approach to generate stable marriages. Furthermore, our approach for SMTI problems is able to solve large problems, quickly returning stable matchings of large and often optimal size, despite the

  18. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents: A Review of Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Sahraei

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI contrast agents most commonly agents used in diagnosing different diseases. Several agents have been ever introduced with different peculiar characteristics. They vary in potency, adverse reaction and other specification, so it is important to select the proper agent in different situations. We conducted a systematic literature search in MEDLINE/PUBMED, Web of Science (ISI, Scopus,Google Scholar by using keywords "gadolinium" and "MRI contrast Medias", "Gadofosvest", "Gadobenate" and "Gadoxetate". The most frequent contrast media agents made based on gadolinium (Gd. These are divided into two categories based on the structure of their chelating parts, linear agents and macrocyclic agents. All characteristics of contrast media factors, including efficiency, kinetic properties, stability, side effects and the rate of resolution are directly related to the structure of chelating part of that formulation.In vitro data has shown that the macrocyclic compounds are the most stable Gd-CA as they do not bind to serum proteins, they all possess similar and relatively low relaxivity and the prevalence of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF has decreased by increasing the use of macrocyclic agents in recent years. No cases of NSF have been recorded after the administration of any of the high-relaxivity protein interacting agents, the vascular imaging agent gadofosveset trisodium (Ablavar, the hepatic imaging agent gadoxetate meglumine (Eovist, and the multipurpose agent gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance. In pregnancy and lactating women, stable macrocyclic agent is recommended.

  19. Comparison of oncological outcomes of right-sided colon cancer versus left-sided colon cancer after curative resection: Which side is better outcome?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Dae Ro; Kuk, Jung Kul; Kim, Taehyung; Shin, Eung Jin

    2017-10-01

    There are embryological origins, anatomical, histological, genetic, and immunological differences between right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colon cancer (LCC). Many studies have sought to determine the survival and prognosis according to tumor location. This study aimed to analyze outcomes between RCC and LCC. Between January 2000 and December 2012, data on 414 patients who underwent curative resection for RCC and LCC were retrieved from a retrospective database. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed and RCC was identified in 207 and LCC in 207 patients. On average, RCC exhibited a more advanced N stage, increased tumor size, more frequently poorly differentiated tumors, more harvested lymph nodes, and more positivity of lymphovascular invasion than LCC. With a median follow-up of 66.7 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for RCC and LCC were 82.1% and 88.7%, respectively, (P cancers, the DFS rates were 61.1% (RCC) and 81.9% (LCC; P colon cancer is needed.

  20. The agents of natural genome editing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witzany, Guenther

    2011-06-01

    The DNA serves as a stable information storage medium and every protein which is needed by the cell is produced from this blueprint via an RNA intermediate code. More recently it was found that an abundance of various RNA elements cooperate in a variety of steps and substeps as regulatory and catalytic units with multiple competencies to act on RNA transcripts. Natural genome editing on one side is the competent agent-driven generation and integration of meaningful DNA nucleotide sequences into pre-existing genomic content arrangements, and the ability to (re-)combine and (re-)regulate them according to context-dependent (i.e. adaptational) purposes of the host organism. Natural genome editing on the other side designates the integration of all RNA activities acting on RNA transcripts without altering DNA-encoded genes. If we take the genetic code seriously as a natural code, there must be agents that are competent to act on this code because no natural code codes itself as no natural language speaks itself. As code editing agents, viral and subviral agents have been suggested because there are several indicators that demonstrate viruses competent in both RNA and DNA natural genome editing.

  1. A translational study "case report" on the small molecule "energy blocker" 3-bromopyruvate (3BP) as a potent anticancer agent: from bench side to bedside.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Y H; Verhoeven, H A; Lee, M J; Corbin, D J; Vogl, T J; Pedersen, P L

    2012-02-01

    The small alkylating molecule, 3-bromopyruvate (3BP), is a potent and specific anticancer agent. 3BP is different in its action from most currently available chemo-drugs. Thus, 3BP targets cancer cells' energy metabolism, both its high glycolysis ("Warburg Effect") and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This inhibits/ blocks total energy production leading to a depletion of energy reserves. Moreover, 3BP as an "Energy Blocker", is very rapid in killing such cells. This is in sharp contrast to most commonly used anticancer agents that usually take longer to show a noticeable effect. In addition, 3BP at its effective concentrations that kill cancer cells has little or no effect on normal cells. Therefore, 3BP can be considered a member, perhaps one of the first, of a new class of anticancer agents. Following 3BP's discovery as a novel anticancer agent in vitro in the Year 2000 (Published in Ko et al. Can Lett 173:83-91, 2001), and also as a highly effective and rapid anticancer agent in vivo shortly thereafter (Ko et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 324:269-275, 2004), its efficacy as a potent anticancer agent in humans was demonstrated. Here, based on translational research, we report results of a case study in a young adult cancer patient with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, a bench side discovery in the Department of Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine was taken effectively to bedside treatment at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main Hospital, Germany. The results obtained hold promise for 3BP as a future cancer therapeutic without apparent cyto-toxicity when formulated properly.

  2. Modelling relationships between match events and match outcome in elite football.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongyou; Hopkins, Will G; Gómez, Miguel-Angel

    2016-08-01

    Identifying match events that are related to match outcome is an important task in football match analysis. Here we have used generalised mixed linear modelling to determine relationships of 16 football match events and 1 contextual variable (game location: home/away) with the match outcome. Statistics of 320 close matches (goal difference ≤ 2) of season 2012-2013 in the Spanish First Division Professional Football League were analysed. Relationships were evaluated with magnitude-based inferences and were expressed as extra matches won or lost per 10 close matches for an increase of two within-team or between-team standard deviations (SD) of the match event (representing effects of changes in team values from match to match and of differences between average team values, respectively). There was a moderate positive within-team effect from shots on target (3.4 extra wins per 10 matches; 99% confidence limits ±1.0), and a small positive within-team effect from total shots (1.7 extra wins; ±1.0). Effects of most other match events were related to ball possession, which had a small negative within-team effect (1.2 extra losses; ±1.0) but a small positive between-team effect (1.7 extra wins; ±1.4). Game location showed a small positive within-team effect (1.9 extra wins; ±0.9). In analyses of nine combinations of team and opposition end-of-season rank (classified as high, medium, low), almost all between-team effects were unclear, while within-team effects varied depending on the strength of team and opposition. Some of these findings will be useful to coaches and performance analysts when planning training sessions and match tactics.

  3. Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in sqrt[s(NN)]=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aad, G; Abajyan, T; Abbott, B; Abdallah, J; Abdel Khalek, S; Abdelalim, A A; Abdinov, O; Aben, R; Abi, B; Abolins, M; Abouzeid, O S; Abramowicz, H; Abreu, H; Acharya, B S; Adamczyk, L; Adams, D L; Addy, T N; Adelman, J; Adomeit, S; Adragna, P; Adye, T; Aefsky, S; Aguilar-Saavedra, J A; Agustoni, M; Ahlen, S P; Ahles, F; Ahmad, A; Ahsan, M; Aielli, G; Akesson, T P A; Akimoto, G; Akimov, A V; Alam, M A; Albert, J; Albrand, S; Aleksa, M; Aleksandrov, I N; Alessandria, F; Alexa, C; Alexander, G; Alexandre, G; Alexopoulos, T; Alhroob, M; Aliev, M; Alimonti, G; Alison, J; Allbrooke, B M M; Allison, L J; Allport, P P; Allwood-Spiers, S E; Almond, J; Aloisio, A; Alon, R; Alonso, A; Alonso, F; Altheimer, A; Alvarez Gonzalez, B; Alviggi, M G; Amako, K; Amelung, C; Ammosov, V V; Amor Dos Santos, S P; Amorim, A; Amoroso, S; Amram, N; Anastopoulos, C; Ancu, L S; Andari, N; Andeen, T; Anders, C F; Anders, G; Anderson, K J; Andreazza, A; Andrei, V; Anduaga, X S; Angelidakis, S; Anger, P; Angerami, A; 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Barr, A J; Barreiro, F; Barreiro Guimarães da Costa, J; Bartoldus, R; Barton, A E; Bartsch, V; Basye, A; Bates, R L; Batkova, L; Batley, J R; Battaglia, A; Battistin, M; Bauer, F; Bawa, H S; Beale, S; Beau, T; Beauchemin, P H; Beccherle, R; Bechtle, P; Beck, H P; Becker, K; Becker, S; Beckingham, M; Becks, K H; Beddall, A J; Beddall, A; Bedikian, S; Bednyakov, V A; Bee, C P; Beemster, L J; Beermann, T A; Begel, M; Behar Harpaz, S; Belanger-Champagne, C; Bell, P J; Bell, W H; Bella, G; Bellagamba, L; Bellomo, M; Belloni, A; Beloborodova, O; Belotskiy, K; Beltramello, O; Benary, O; Benchekroun, D; Bendtz, K; Benekos, N; Benhammou, Y; Benhar Noccioli, E; Benitez Garcia, J A; Benjamin, D P; Benoit, M; Bensinger, J R; Benslama, K; Bentvelsen, S; Berge, D; Bergeaas Kuutmann, E; Berger, N; Berghaus, F; Berglund, E; Beringer, J; Bernat, P; Bernhard, R; Bernius, C; Bernlochner, F U; Berry, T; Bertella, C; Bertin, A; Bertolucci, F; Besana, M I; Besjes, G J; Besson, N; Bethke, S; Bhimji, W; Bianchi, R M; Bianchini, L; Bianco, M; Biebel, O; Bieniek, S P; Bierwagen, K; Biesiada, J; Biglietti, M; Bilokon, H; Bindi, M; Binet, S; Bingul, A; Bini, C; Biscarat, C; Bittner, B; Black, C W; Black, J E; Black, K M; Blair, R E; Blanchard, J-B; Blazek, T; Bloch, I; Blocker, C; Blocki, J; Blum, W; Blumenschein, U; Bobbink, G J; Bobrovnikov, V S; Bocchetta, S S; Bocci, A; Boddy, C R; Boehler, M; Boek, J; Boek, T T; Boelaert, N; Bogaerts, J A; Bogdanchikov, A; Bogouch, A; Bohm, C; Bohm, J; Boisvert, V; Bold, T; Boldea, V; Bolnet, N M; Bomben, M; Bona, M; Boonekamp, M; Bordoni, S; Borer, C; Borisov, A; Borissov, G; Borjanovic, I; Borri, M; Borroni, S; Bortfeldt, J; Bortolotto, V; Bos, K; Boscherini, D; Bosman, M; Boterenbrood, H; Bouchami, J; Boudreau, J; Bouhova-Thacker, E V; Boumediene, D; Bourdarios, C; Bousson, N; Boutouil, S; Boveia, A; Boyd, J; Boyko, I R; Bozovic-Jelisavcic, I; Bracinik, J; Branchini, P; Brandt, A; Brandt, G; Brandt, O; Bratzler, U; Brau, B; Brau, J E; Braun, H M; Brazzale, S F; Brelier, B; Bremer, J; Brendlinger, K; Brenner, R; Bressler, S; Bristow, T M; Britton, D; Brochu, F M; Brock, I; Brock, R; Broggi, F; Bromberg, C; Bronner, J; Brooijmans, G; Brooks, T; Brooks, W K; Brown, G; Bruckman de Renstrom, P A; Bruncko, D; Bruneliere, R; Brunet, S; Bruni, A; Bruni, G; Bruschi, M; Bryngemark, L; Buanes, T; Buat, Q; Bucci, F; Buchanan, J; Buchholz, P; Buckingham, R M; Buckley, A G; Buda, S I; Budagov, I A; Budick, B; Bugge, L; Bulekov, O; Bundock, A C; Bunse, M; Buran, T; Burckhart, H; Burdin, S; Burgess, T; Burke, S; Busato, E; Büscher, V; Bussey, P; Buszello, C P; Butler, B; Butler, J M; Buttar, C M; Butterworth, J M; Buttinger, W; Byszewski, M; Cabrera Urbán, S; Caforio, D; Cakir, O; Calafiura, P; Calderini, G; Calfayan, P; Calkins, R; Caloba, L P; Caloi, R; Calvet, D; Calvet, S; Camacho Toro, R; Camarri, P; Cameron, D; Caminada, L M; Caminal Armadans, R; Campana, S; Campanelli, M; Canale, V; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Cantero, J; Cantrill, R; Cao, T; Capeans Garrido, M D M; 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Zmouchko, V V; Zobernig, G; Zoccoli, A; Zur Nedden, M; Zutshi, V; Zwalinski, L

    2013-05-03

    Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δø) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in sqrt[s(NN)] = 5.02 TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1 μb(-1) of data as a function of transverse momentum (p(T)) and the transverse energy (ΣE(T)(Pb)) summed over 3.1 < η < 4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2 < |Δ η | < 5) "near-side" (Δø ~ 0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣE(T)(Pb). A long-range "away-side" (Δø ~ π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣE(T)(Pb), is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δø) and ΣE(T)(Pb) dependence. The resultant Δø correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos2Δø modulation for all ΣE(T)(Pb) ranges and particle p(T).

  4. Will the light truck bumper height-matching standard reduce deaths in cars?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ossiander, Eric M; Koepsell, Thomas D; McKnight, Barbara

    2013-03-01

    In a collision between a car and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) or pickup truck, car occupants are more likely to be killed than if they crashed with another car. Some of the excess risk may be due to the propensity of SUVs and pickups with high bumpers to override the lower bumpers in cars. To reduce this incompatibility, particularly in head-on collisions, in 2003 automobile manufacturers voluntarily established a bumper height-matching standard for pickups and SUVs. To assess whether height-matching bumpers in pickups and SUVs were associated with the risk of death in either car occupants or pickup and SUV occupants. Case-control study of collisions between one car and one SUV or pickup in the US during 2000-2008, in which the SUV or pickup was model year 2000-2006. Cases were all decedents in fatal crashes; one control was selected from each crash in a national probability sample of crashes. Occupants of cars that crashed with SUVs or pickups with height-matching bumpers may be at slightly reduced risk of death compared to those that crashed with other SUVs or pickups (adjusted odds ratio: 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.61-1.13)). There was no evidence of a reduction in risk in head-on crashes (1.09 (0.66-1.79)). In crashes in which the SUV or pickup struck the car on the side, height-matched bumpers were associated with a reduced risk of death (0.68 (0.48-0.97)). Occupants of SUVs and pickups with height-matching bumpers may also be at slightly reduced risk of death (0.91 (0.64-1.28)). Height-matching bumpers were associated with a reduced risk of death among car occupants in crashes in which SUVs or pickups struck cars in the side, but there was little evidence of an effect in head-on crashes. The new bumper height-matching standard may not achieve its primary goal of reducing deaths in head-on crashes, but may modestly reduce overall deaths in crashes between cars and SUVs or pickups because of unanticipated benefits to car occupants in side crashes, and a

  5. A blind matching algorithm for cognitive radio networks

    KAUST Repository

    Hamza, Doha R.

    2016-08-15

    We consider a cognitive radio network where secondary users (SUs) are allowed access time to the spectrum belonging to the primary users (PUs) provided that they relay primary messages. PUs and SUs negotiate over allocations of the secondary power that will be used to relay PU data. We formulate the problem as a generalized assignment market to find an epsilon pairwise stable matching. We propose a distributed blind matching algorithm (BLMA) to produce the pairwise-stable matching plus the associated power allocations. We stipulate a limited information exchange in the network so that agents only calculate their own utilities but no information is available about the utilities of any other users in the network. We establish convergence to epsilon pairwise stable matchings in finite time. Finally we show that our algorithm exhibits a limited degradation in PU utility when compared with the Pareto optimal results attained using perfect information assumptions. © 2016 IEEE.

  6. A Two-Phase Model for Trade Matching and Price Setting in Double Auction Water Markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Tingting; Zheng, Hang; Zhao, Jianshi; Liu, Yicheng; Tang, Pingzhong; Yang, Y. C. Ethan; Wang, Zhongjing

    2018-04-01

    Delivery in water markets is generally operated by agencies through channel systems, which imposes physical and institutional market constraints. Many water markets allow water users to post selling and buying requests on a board. However, water users may not be able to choose efficiently when the information (including the constraints) becomes complex. This study proposes an innovative two-phase model to address this problem based on practical experience in China. The first phase seeks and determines the optimal assignment that maximizes the incremental improvement of the system's social welfare according to the bids and asks in the water market. The second phase sets appropriate prices under constraints. Applying this model to China's Xiying Irrigation District shows that it can improve social welfare more than the current "pool exchange" method can. Within the second phase, we evaluate three objective functions (minimum variance, threshold-based balance, and two-sided balance), which represent different managerial goals. The threshold-based balance function should be preferred by most users, while the two-sided balance should be preferred by players who post extreme prices.

  7. Object-based connectedness facilitates matching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koning, A.R.; Lier, R.J. van

    2003-01-01

    In two matching tasks, participants had to match two images of object pairs. Image-based (113) connectedness refers to connectedness between the objects in an image. Object-based (OB) connectedness refers to connectedness between the interpreted objects. In Experiment 1, a monocular depth cue

  8. Technical and physical demands of small vs. large sided games in relation to playing position in elite soccer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dellal, A; Owen, A; Wong, D P

    2012-01-01

    positional roles participated in the study (25.3±2.4years, 182.4±2.3cm, 77.3±4.1kg; M±SD). Players completed three different conditioned small-sided 4 vs. 4 games (1 ball touch=1T, 2 ball touches=2T and Free Play=FP) as well as two friendly matches. Heart rate (HR), blood lactate ([La]), ratings of perceived...

  9. Spatial competition with intermediated matching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Raalte, C.L.J.P.; Webers, H.M.

    1995-01-01

    This paper analyzes the spatial competition in commission fees between two match makers. These match makers serve as middlemen between buyers and sellers who are located uniformly on a circle. The profits of the match makers are determined by their respective market sizes. A limited willingness to

  10. Side effects after diagnostic lumbar puncture and lumbar iohexol myelography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sand, T.; Stovner, L.J.; Salvesen, R.; Dale, L.

    1987-01-01

    A prospective, controlled study was performed to compare side effect incidences after lumbar iohexol myelography (n=97) and diagnostic lumbar puncture (n=85). No significant side effect incidence differences (iohexol vs. controls) were found regarding number of patients with any side effect (63 vs. 73%), headache (44 vs. 54%), nausea, dizziness, visual, auditory, or psychic symptoms. Early-onset headache occurred significantly more often in the iohexol group (16 vs 5%), while postural headache occurred most frequently after lumbar puncture (25 vs. 41%). These results suggest that apart from the slight early-onset headache, most side effets after lumbar iohexol myelography are related to the puncture per se, not to the contrast agent. (orig.)

  11. Laparoscopic side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy for chronic pancreatitis in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyoichi Deie

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Surgical pancreatic duct (PD drainage for chronic pancreatitis in children is relatively rare. It is indicated in cases of recurrent pancreatitis and PD dilatation that have not responded to medical therapy and therapeutic endoscopy. We performed laparoscopic side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy for two paediatric patients with chronic pancreatitis. The main PD was opened easily by electrocautery after locating the dilated PD by intraoperative ultrasonography. The dilated PD was split longitudinally from the pancreatic tail to the pancreatic head by laparoscopic coagulation shears or electrocautery after pancreatography. A laparoscopic side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy was performed by a one-layered technique using continuous 4-0 polydioxanone (PDS sutures from the pancreatic tail to the pancreatic head. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications or recurrences. This procedure has cosmetic advantages compared with open surgery for chronic pancreatitis. Laparoscopic side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy in children is feasible and effective for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

  12. Two sides of the same coin? The (techno)epistemic cultures of systems and synthetic biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kastenhofer, Karen

    2013-06-01

    Systems and synthetic biology both emerged around the turn of this century as labels for new research approaches. Although their disciplinary status as well as their relation to each other is rarely discussed in depth, now and again the idea is invoked that both approaches represent 'two sides of the same coin'. The following paper focuses on this general notion and compares it with empirical findings concerning the epistemic cultures prevalent in the two contexts. Drawing on interviews with researchers from both fields, on participatory observation in conferences and courses and on documentary analysis, this paper delineates differences and similarities, incompatibilities and blurred boundaries. By reconstructing systems and synthetic biology's epistemic cultures, this paper argues that they represent two 'communities of vision', encompassing heterogeneous practices. Understanding the relation of the respective visions of understanding nature and engineering life is seen as indispensible for the characterisation of (techno)science in more general terms. Depending on the conceptualisation of understanding and construction (or: science and engineering), related practices such as in silico modelling for enhancing understanding or enabling engineering can either be seen as incommensurable or 'two sides of one coin'. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Many-to-one blind matching for device-to-device communications

    KAUST Repository

    Hamza, Doha R.; Shamma, Jeff S.

    2018-01-01

    -to-one matching problem. We then consider a specific instance of BLMA with limited information exchange so that agents know nothing about the value, utility, of their mutual offers. Offers are simply declared and then either accepted or rejected. Despite

  14. Latent palmprint matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Anil K; Feng, Jianjiang

    2009-06-01

    The evidential value of palmprints in forensic applications is clear as about 30 percent of the latents recovered from crime scenes are from palms. While biometric systems for palmprint-based personal authentication in access control type of applications have been developed, they mostly deal with low-resolution (about 100 ppi) palmprints and only perform full-to-full palmprint matching. We propose a latent-to-full palmprint matching system that is needed in forensic applications. Our system deals with palmprints captured at 500 ppi (the current standard in forensic applications) or higher resolution and uses minutiae as features to be compatible with the methodology used by latent experts. Latent palmprint matching is a challenging problem because latent prints lifted at crime scenes are of poor image quality, cover only a small area of the palm, and have a complex background. Other difficulties include a large number of minutiae in full prints (about 10 times as many as fingerprints), and the presence of many creases in latents and full prints. A robust algorithm to reliably estimate the local ridge direction and frequency in palmprints is developed. This facilitates the extraction of ridge and minutiae features even in poor quality palmprints. A fixed-length minutia descriptor, MinutiaCode, is utilized to capture distinctive information around each minutia and an alignment-based minutiae matching algorithm is used to match two palmprints. Two sets of partial palmprints (150 live-scan partial palmprints and 100 latent palmprints) are matched to a background database of 10,200 full palmprints to test the proposed system. Despite the inherent difficulty of latent-to-full palmprint matching, rank-1 recognition rates of 78.7 and 69 percent, respectively, were achieved in searching live-scan partial palmprints and latent palmprints against the background database.

  15. OPE-RχT matching at order αs: hard gluonic corrections to three-point Green functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamin, Matthias; Mateu, Vicent

    2008-01-01

    In this work we push the matching between the QCD operator product expansion (OPE) and resonance chiral theory (RχT) to order α s . To this end we compute two- and three-point QCD Green functions (GFs) in both theories and compare the results. GFs which are order parameters of chiral symmetry breaking make this matching more transparent and thus we concentrate on those. On the OPE side one needs to calculate the hard-gluon virtual corrections to the quark condensate, and in particular for three-point GFs this computation was hitherto missing. We also discuss the need for including the infinite tower of hadronic states in the hadronic representation of the GF when non-analytic terms such as logarithms are present in the OPE Wilson coefficients

  16. Application of an impedance matching transformer to a plasma focus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bures, B L; James, C; Krishnan, M; Adler, R

    2011-10-01

    A plasma focus was constructed using an impedance matching transformer to improve power transfer between the pulse power and the dynamic plasma load. The system relied on two switches and twelve transformer cores to produce a 100 kA pulse in short circuit on the secondary at 27 kV on the primary with 110 J stored. With the two transformer systems in parallel, the Thevenin equivalent circuit parameters on the secondary side of the driver are: C = 10.9 μF, V(0) = 4.5 kV, L = 17 nH, and R = 5 mΩ. An equivalent direct drive circuit would require a large number of switches in parallel, to achieve the same Thevenin equivalent. The benefits of this approach are replacement of consumable switches with non-consumable transformer cores, reduction of the driver inductance and resistance as viewed by the dynamic load, and reduction of the stored energy to produce a given peak current. The system is designed to operate at 100 Hz, so minimizing the stored energy results in less load on the thermal management system. When operated at 1 Hz, the neutron yield from the transformer matched plasma focus was similar to the neutron yield from a conventional (directly driven) plasma focus at the same peak current.

  17. Breaking the Barrier to Slow Water Exchange Rates for Optimal Magnetic Resonance Detection of paraCEST Agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernando, W Shirangi; Martins, André F; Zhao, Piyu; Wu, Yunkou; Kiefer, Garry E; Platas-Iglesias, Carlos; Sherry, A Dean

    2016-03-21

    EuDOTA-tetraamide complexes as paraCEST agents offer an attractive platform for designing biological sensors and responsive agents. The early versions of these agents showed low sensitivity at temperature and power levels suitable for in vivo applications partly due to non-optimal water exchange rates. Here we report two new EuDOTA derivatives having glutamyl-phosphonate side arms that display the slowest water exchange rates of any other paraCEST agent reported so far. The advantages of such systems are demonstrated experimentally both in vitro and in vivo and DFT calculations were performed to help understand the physical-chemical reasons for this interesting behavior.

  18. DarkSide-20k: A 20 Tonne Two-Phase LAr TPC for Direct Dark Matter Detection at LNGS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aalseth, C.E.; et al.

    2017-07-25

    Building on the successful experience in operating the DarkSide-50 detector, the DarkSide Collaboration is going to construct DarkSide-20k, a direct WIMP search detector using a two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) with an active (fiducial) mass of 23 t (20 t). The DarkSide-20k LArTPC will be deployed within a shield/veto with a spherical Liquid Scintillator Veto (LSV) inside a cylindrical Water Cherenkov Veto (WCV). Operation of DarkSide-50 demonstrated a major reduction in the dominant $^{39}$Ar background when using argon extracted from an underground source, before applying pulse shape analysis. Data from DarkSide-50, in combination with MC simulation and analytical modeling, shows that a rejection factor for discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils of $\\gt3\\times10^9$ is achievable. This, along with the use of the veto system, is the key to unlocking the path to large LArTPC detector masses, while maintaining an "instrumental background-free" experiment, an experiment in which less than 0.1 events (other than $\

  19. Two-out-of-two color matching based visual cryptography schemes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machizaud, Jacques; Fournel, Thierry

    2012-09-24

    Visual cryptography which consists in sharing a secret message between transparencies has been extended to color prints. In this paper, we propose a new visual cryptography scheme based on color matching. The stacked printed media reveal a uniformly colored message decoded by the human visual system. In contrast with the previous color visual cryptography schemes, the proposed one enables to share images without pixel expansion and to detect a forgery as the color of the message is kept secret. In order to correctly print the colors on the media and to increase the security of the scheme, we use spectral models developed for color reproduction describing printed colors from an optical point of view.

  20. Audiovisual integration increases the intentional step synchronization of side-by-side walkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noy, Dominic; Mouta, Sandra; Lamas, Joao; Basso, Daniel; Silva, Carlos; Santos, Jorge A

    2017-12-01

    When people walk side-by-side, they often synchronize their steps. To achieve this, individuals might cross-modally match audiovisual signals from the movements of the partner and kinesthetic, cutaneous, visual and auditory signals from their own movements. Because signals from different sensory systems are processed with noise and asynchronously, the challenge of the CNS is to derive the best estimate based on this conflicting information. This is currently thought to be done by a mechanism operating as a Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE). The present work investigated whether audiovisual signals from the partner are integrated according to MLE in order to synchronize steps during walking. Three experiments were conducted in which the sensory cues from a walking partner were virtually simulated. In Experiment 1 seven participants were instructed to synchronize with human-sized Point Light Walkers and/or footstep sounds. Results revealed highest synchronization performance with auditory and audiovisual cues. This was quantified by the time to achieve synchronization and by synchronization variability. However, this auditory dominance effect might have been due to artifacts of the setup. Therefore, in Experiment 2 human-sized virtual mannequins were implemented. Also, audiovisual stimuli were rendered in real-time and thus were synchronous and co-localized. All four participants synchronized best with audiovisual cues. For three of the four participants results point toward their optimal integration consistent with the MLE model. Experiment 3 yielded performance decrements for all three participants when the cues were incongruent. Overall, these findings suggest that individuals might optimally integrate audiovisual cues to synchronize steps during side-by-side walking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Decreasing the Burden of Side Effects Through Positive Message Framing: an Experimental Proof-of-Concept Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilhelm, Marcel; Rief, Winfried; Doering, Bettina K

    2018-05-21

    Informing patients about treatment side effects increases the occurrence and intensity of side effects. Since the obligatory informed consent procedure in drug treatments requires transparency and nocebo research suggests that the informed consent of a drug leads to an increased occurrence of the mentioned side effects, the aim of this proof of concept study was to determine the effect of two different framings of informed consent on the occurrence, intensity, and perceived threat of side effects. Healthy male participants (n = 80) were randomized to one of two framing groups. The positive framing group was informed that the common side effect dizziness was a sign that the drug had started to work, while the neutral framing group was told that dizziness is an unpleasant but well-known side effect. Side effects were measured after the administration of metoprolol, an antihypertensive agent. Post hoc moderator analyses investigated the effect of pre-existing negative beliefs about the general harm of medication on the framing manipulation. Metoprolol-specific drug-attributed side effects were rated significantly less threatening in the positive framing group. The between-group effect size (Cohen's d) was small (d = 0.38, p = 0.049). Exploratory post hoc moderator analyses suggest that participants who believed that medication is a source of harmful effects benefited from positive framing, compared to neutral framing of drug-attributed side effects. Positive framing was partially effective in decreasing specific side effect measures, particularly among participants with a tendency to believe that medicine is harmful. Informed consent procedures should therefore be personalized, focusing on patients with negative treatment beliefs.

  2. Efficient line matching with homography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yan; Dai, Yuxing; Zhu, Zhiliang

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we propose a novel approach to line matching based on homography. The basic idea is to use cheaply obtainable matched points to boost the similarity between two images. Two types of homography method, which are estimated by direct linear transformation, transform images and extract their similar parts, laying a foundation for the use of optical flow tracking. The merit of the similarity is that rapid matching can be achieved by regionalizing line segments and local searching. For multiple homography estimation that can perform better than one global homography, we introduced the rank-one modification method of singular value decomposition to reduce the computation cost. The proposed approach results in point-to-point matches, which can be utilized with state-of-the-art point-match-based structures from motion (SfM) frameworks seamlessly. The outstanding performance and feasible robustness of our approach are demonstrated in this paper.

  3. Rational Arithmetic Mathematica Functions to Evaluate the Two-Sided One Sample K-S Cumulative Sampling Distribution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Randall Brown

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the most widely used goodness-of-fit tests is the two-sided one sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S test which has been implemented by many computer statistical software packages. To calculate a two-sided p value (evaluate the cumulative sampling distribution, these packages use various methods including recursion formulae, limiting distributions, and approximations of unknown accuracy developed over thirty years ago. Based on an extensive literature search for the two-sided one sample K-S test, this paper identifies an exact formula for sample sizes up to 31, six recursion formulae, and one matrix formula that can be used to calculate a p value. To ensure accurate calculation by avoiding catastrophic cancelation and eliminating rounding error, each of these formulae is implemented in rational arithmetic. For the six recursion formulae and the matrix formula, computational experience for sample sizes up to 500 shows that computational times are increasing functions of both the sample size and the number of digits in the numerator and denominator integers of the rational number test statistic. The computational times of the seven formulae vary immensely but the Durbin recursion formula is almost always the fastest. Linear search is used to calculate the inverse of the cumulative sampling distribution (find the confidence interval half-width and tables of calculated half-widths are presented for sample sizes up to 500. Using calculated half-widths as input, computational times for the fastest formula, the Durbin recursion formula, are given for sample sizes up to two thousand.

  4. Multiscale modeling of nerve agent hydrolysis mechanisms: a tale of two Nobel Prizes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, Martin J.; Wymore, Troy W.

    2014-10-01

    The 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems, whereas the 2013 Peace Prize was given to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for their efforts to eliminate chemical warfare agents. This review relates the two by introducing the field of multiscale modeling and highlighting its application to the study of the biological mechanisms by which selected chemical weapon agents exert their effects at an atomic level.

  5. Perfect match? Generation Y as change agents for information communication technology implementation in healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yee, Kwang Chien; Miils, Erin; Airey, Caroline

    2008-01-01

    The current healthcare delivery model will not meet future healthcare demands. The only sustainable healthcare future is one that best leverages advances in technology to improve productivity and efficiency. Information communication technology (ICT) has, therefore, been touted as the panacea of future healthcare challenges. Many ICT projects in healthcare, however, fail to deliver on their promises to transform the healthcare system. From a technologist's perspective, this is often due to the lack of socio-technical consideration. From a socio-cultural perspective, however, there is often strong inertia to change. While the utilisation of user-centred design principles will generate a new wave of enthusiasm among technologists, this has to be matched with socio-cultural changes within the healthcare system. Generation Y healthcare workers might be the socio-cultural factor required, in combination with new technology, to transform the healthcare system. Generation Y has generated significant technology-driven changes in many other industries. The socio-cultural understanding of generation Y healthcare workers is essential to guide the design and implementation of ICT solutions for a sustainable healthcare future. This paper presents the initial analysis of our qualitative study which aims to generate in-depth conceptual insights of generation Y healthcare workers and their view of ICT in healthcare. Our results show that generation Y healthcare workers might assist future ICT implementation in healthcare. This paper, however, argues that significant changes to the current healthcare organisation will be required in order to unleash the full potential of generation Y workers and ICT implementation. Finally, this paper presents some strategies to empower generation Y workers as change agents for a sustainable future healthcare system.

  6. Probability matching in perceptrons: Effects of conditional dependence and linear nonseparability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Probability matching occurs when the behavior of an agent matches the likelihood of occurrence of events in the agent’s environment. For instance, when artificial neural networks match probability, the activity in their output unit equals the past probability of reward in the presence of a stimulus. Our previous research demonstrated that simple artificial neural networks (perceptrons, which consist of a set of input units directly connected to a single output unit) learn to match probability when presented different cues in isolation. The current paper extends this research by showing that perceptrons can match probabilities when presented simultaneous cues, with each cue signaling different reward likelihoods. In our first simulation, we presented up to four different cues simultaneously; the likelihood of reward signaled by the presence of one cue was independent of the likelihood of reward signaled by other cues. Perceptrons learned to match reward probabilities by treating each cue as an independent source of information about the likelihood of reward. In a second simulation, we violated the independence between cues by making some reward probabilities depend upon cue interactions. We did so by basing reward probabilities on a logical combination (AND or XOR) of two of the four possible cues. We also varied the size of the reward associated with the logical combination. We discovered that this latter manipulation was a much better predictor of perceptron performance than was the logical structure of the interaction between cues. This indicates that when perceptrons learn to match probabilities, they do so by assuming that each signal of a reward is independent of any other; the best predictor of perceptron performance is a quantitative measure of the independence of these input signals, and not the logical structure of the problem being learned. PMID:28212422

  7. Agents, games and evolution strategies at work and play

    CERN Document Server

    Kimbrough, Steven Orla

    2011-01-01

    StartersContexts of Strategic InteractionGames in the Wild and the Problems of PlayMixed MotivesPlaying Prisoner's DilemmaFanning Out: 2x2 Games and ModelsStag HuntPareto versus NashAffording CooperationMarkets and ApplicationsCompetitive MarketsMonopoly StoriesOligopoly: Cournot CompetitionOligopoly: Bertrand CompetitionSupply Curve BiddingTwo-Sided MatchingIDS GamesOrganizational AmbidexterityBargainingTopics in Strategic AnalysisLying and Related AbusesEvolutionary ModelsBackward InductionSumming UpAppendicesGame ConceptsUseful Mathematical ResultsFurther Arguments on the Surprise ExamResources on the WebBibliographyIndex.

  8. Multiagent Reinforcement Learning with Regret Matching for Robot Soccer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL algorithm Nash- learning with regret matching, in which regret matching is used to speed up the well-known MARL algorithm Nash- learning. It is critical that choosing a suitable strategy for action selection to harmonize the relation between exploration and exploitation to enhance the ability of online learning for Nash- learning. In Markov Game the joint action of agents adopting regret matching algorithm can converge to a group of points of no-regret that can be viewed as coarse correlated equilibrium which includes Nash equilibrium in essence. It is can be inferred that regret matching can guide exploration of the state-action space so that the rate of convergence of Nash- learning algorithm can be increased. Simulation results on robot soccer validate that compared to original Nash- learning algorithm, the use of regret matching during the learning phase of Nash- learning has excellent ability of online learning and results in significant performance in terms of scores, average reward and policy convergence.

  9. [Comparison of clinicopathological features and prognosis between left-sided colon cancer and right-sided colon cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xianhua; Yu, Guanyu; Liu, Peng; Hao, Liqiang; Liu, Lianjie; Zhang, Wei

    2017-06-25

    To compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis between left-sided colon cancer (LC) and right-sided colon cancer (RC). Clinicopathological and follow-up data of 2 174 colon carcinoma cases undergoing resection at Shanghai Changhai Hospital of The Second Military Medical University from January 2000 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with transverse colon cancer, overlapping position, unknown location, recurrent cancer, multiple primary cancer, concomitant malignant tumors, preoperative chemotherapy, local resection, incomplete clinical data and missed follow up were excluded. Finally, a total of 1 036 patients, whose primary tumors were radically removed, were enrolled, with 563 patients in LC group (including carcinoma in cecum, ascending colon and hepatic flexure) and 473 in RC group (including carcinoma in splenic flexure, descending colon and sigmoid colon). The clinicopathological features and survival, including median overall survival, 5-year overall survival rate, tumor specific median overall survival, cancer specific 5-year overall survival rate, were compared between LC and RC groups. Tumor specific overall survival was defined as the period between operation date to the date of death caused by cancer progression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of survival. Propensity score matching was carried out to balance the clinicopathological factors between the two groups with the SAS 9.3, taking the following parameters into consideration (age, gender, gross appearance, tumor diameter, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, TNM stages, differentiation, CEA and CA199-9). Patients in RC group and LC group were matched according to the propensity scores and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of two groups were compared again. No significant differences were identified between the two groups in age, distant metastasis and serum CEA level

  10. Synthesis and property characterization of two novel side-chain isoindigo copolymers for polymer solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Liu

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Two novel side-chain conjugated polymers, PTBT-TID and PTBT-TTID, based on the new synthetic thiophene-benzne-thiophene (TBT unit, side-chain isoindigo (ID unit, and the introduced thiophene π-bridge, have been designed and synthesized. The photophysical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of the two polymers have been systematically investigated. The two polymers possess relatively good solubility as well as excellent thermal stability up to 380°C, and all of the polymer solar cell (PSC devices based on the two polymers obtain high open circuit voltage (Voc of about 0.8 V. The polymer solar cells based on the polymer PTBT-TID show relatively higher efficiencies than the PTBT-TTID-based ones, due to the broader absorption spectrum, a relatively higher hole mobility, a lower HOMO (the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level, a stronger IPCE (the incident photon to current conversion efficiency response and a better microphase separation, Consequently, the device based on PTBT-TID:PC61BM (1:2, by weight gives the best power conversion efficiency (PCE of 2.04%, with a short-circuit current density (Jsc of 5.39 mA·cm–2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc of 0.83 V, and a fill factor (FF of 0.45.

  11. Study of inter-modal four wave mixing in two few-mode fibres with different phase matching properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parmigiani, F.; Jung, Y.; Friis, Søren Michael Mørk

    2016-01-01

    We experimentally study inter-modal four-wave mixing (FWM) in few-mode fibres with different phase matching properties. The possibility of transmitting two spatial modes without intermodal FWM cross-talk in the C-band is presented....

  12. A new series of two-ring-based side chain liquid crystalline polymers: synthesis and mesophase characterization

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Reddy, GSM

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available A new series of side chain liquid crystalline polymers containing a core, a butamethylenoxy spacer, ester groups, and terminal alkoxy groups were synthesised and their structures were confirmed. The core was constructed with two phenyl rings...

  13. Roads may act as barriers to flying insects: species composition of bees and wasps differs on two sides of a large highway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petter Andersson

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Roads may act as barriers to animal movements, but direct barrier effects on insects have rarely been studied. In this study we collected data on bees and wasps along two sides of a large road in Sweden using yellow pan traps. We then analyzed if the species composition differed between the two sides of the road; first for the whole community, and then only for the smallest species (which typically are poorer dispersers. As a complement, we analyzed if different vegetation variables differed between the two sides of the road, as this may also affect differences in species composition. Finally, we analyzed if species richness and abundance in general differed between the two sides and how these two response variables were explained by the vegetation variables. There was a significant difference in species composition between the eastern and the western side of the road when analyzing the whole community, and this relationship became even stronger when the largest species were excluded. The vegetation variables did not strongly differ between the two sides, and there was no difference in species richness and abundance of bees and wasps either. Abundance was, however, explained by the number of flowering plants in the surroundings of the trap. Even though using a rather limited data set, our results indicate that large roads may act as barriers on the movement of bees and wasps, especially for small species with poor dispersal ability. On the other hand, road verges may be important habitat for many species, which leads to a potential conflict that is important to consider in the planning of green infrastructure.

  14. A Two-Stage Multi-Agent Based Assessment Approach to Enhance Students' Learning Motivation through Negotiated Skills Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadli, Abdelhafid; Bendella, Fatima; Tranvouez, Erwan

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we present an Agent-based evaluation approach in a context of Multi-agent simulation learning systems. Our evaluation model is based on a two stage assessment approach: (1) a Distributed skill evaluation combining agents and fuzzy sets theory; and (2) a Negotiation based evaluation of students' performance during a training…

  15. Fault Reconnaissance Agent for Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elhadi M. Shakshuki

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the key prerequisite for a scalable, effective and efficient sensor network is the utilization of low-cost, low-overhead and high-resilient fault-inference techniques. To this end, we propose an intelligent agent system with a problem solving capability to address the issue of fault inference in sensor network environments. The intelligent agent system is designed and implemented at base-station side. The core of the agent system – problem solver – implements a fault-detection inference engine which harnesses Expectation Maximization (EM algorithm to estimate fault probabilities of sensor nodes. To validate the correctness and effectiveness of the intelligent agent system, a set of experiments in a wireless sensor testbed are conducted. The experimental results show that our intelligent agent system is able to precisely estimate the fault probability of sensor nodes.

  16. Golimumab and certolizumab: The two new anti-tumor necrosis factor kids on the block

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mittal Mohit

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF agents have revolutionized treatment of psoriasis and many other inflammatory diseases of autoimmune origin. They have considerable advantages over the existing immunomodulators. Anti-TNF agents are designed to target a very specific component of the immune-mediated inflammatory cascades. Thus, they have lower risks of systemic side-effects. In a brief period of 10 years, a growing number of biological therapies are entering the clinical arena while many more biologicals remain on the horizon. With time, the long-term side-effects and efficacies of these individual agents will become clearer and help to determine which ones are the most suitable for long-term care. Golimumab (a human monoclonal anti-TNF-α antibody and Certolizumab (a PEGylated Fab fragment of humanized monoclonal TNF-α antibody are the two latest additions to the anti-TNF regimen. Here, we are providing a brief description about these two drugs and their uses.

  17. What matters when judging intentionality-moral content or normative status? Testing the rational scientist model of the side-effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadopoulos, C; Hayes, B K

    2018-06-01

    Previous work has demonstrated a "side-effect effect," such that intentionality is more likely to be attributed to agents who bring about negatively valenced as opposed to positively valenced side effects. The rational-scientist model explains this by suggesting that norm-violating side effects are more informative for inferring intentionality than norm-conforming side effects. In the present study we reexamined this account, addressing limitations of previous empirical tests (e.g., Uttich & Lombrozo, Cognition 116: 87-100, 2010). Side-effect valence and norm status were manipulated factorially, enabling an examination of the impact of norm status on intentionality judgments in both positively and negatively valenced side effects. Additionally, the impact of side-effect norm status on the perceived valences of side effects and agents was examined. Effects of norm status were found for both positive and negative side effects. Violation of an ostensibly neutral norm led to negative perceptions of the side effect. However, a norm status effect on intentionality judgments persisted when these effects were controlled. These results support the view that the side-effect effect is the result of the rational use of social-cognitive evidence.

  18. Peri-Prosthetic Knee Infection Management: Spacers Loaded with Two or Three Antibiotic Agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortola, David Joaquin; Fenga, Domenico; Marcellino, Sandra; Rosi, Massimiliano; Centofanti, Francesco; Rosa, Michele Attilio

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this work was to compare pre-made antibiotic-loaded spacers with two commercially available antibiotic agents and custom-made cements with three antibiotic agents added. We evaluated: (a) the validity of our procedures, (b) the control of the rate of infection in the long term, (c) complications, and (d) quality of life and patient satisfaction. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 112 consecutively treated patients between January 2010 and December 2013; 56 patients were treated with a pre-formed cement spacer (clindamycin + gentamicin), and 56 patients were treated with a spacer loaded with three antibiotic agents (clindamycin + gentamicin + vancomycin). Demographic data were collected: Classification of infection according to criteria of Cierny-Mader; microbiologic results; number of previous operations; and years of disease. Infection control or relapse after at least 18 months of follow-up was evaluated. Complications were recorded. Every patient completed the SF-36 test and Oxford Knee Score. With a follow-up of 32.87 months (standard deviation 12.04), at the end of treatment, amputation occurred in three of 112 patients because of recurrence of infection, and one patient died from other causes not related to the infection. The study population presented a rate of recurrence of infection of 2.70%. Our results suggest that a two stage re-implant with three antibiotic agents added to the spacer should be considered to avoid rescue procedures, especially in patients with multi-resistant micro-organism infections.

  19. Use of the contingency matrix in the TRACK-MATCH procedure for two projections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baginyan, S.A.; Moroz, V.I.

    1985-01-01

    When analysing the work of geometrical reconstruction programs it is noted that if the TRACK-MATCH procedure is successful, it garantes the event measurement correctness. This serves as a base for application of the TRACK-MATCH procedure as a test for event mask measurements. Such use of the procedure does not require point-to-point correspondence between track images in different projections. It is sufficient to establish that the TRACK-MATCH procedure admits a solusion. It is shown that the problem of point-to-point correspondence between track images in different projections is reduced to conting matrix analysis. It is stated that if the determinant of the contingency matrix is not equal to zero it is sufficient for the TRACK-MATCH procedure to be solved

  20. Isolated left-sided pulmonary artery agenesis with left lung hypoplasia: A report of two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V Govindaraj

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Unilateral absence of pulmonary artery or pulmonary artery agenesis (UAPA is a rare congenital malformation that can present as an isolated lesion or in association with other cardiac anomalies. Though congenital, presentation in adults are also reported. Most common presentation in adults is of exercise intolerance. The developing lung on the affected side is hypoplastic. Diagnosis of UAPA is established by imaging methods like CT and MRI . There is no specific treatment for this condition. Treatment depends on patients symptomatology, presence of pulmonary hypertension and collateral circulation. Presence of pulmonary hypertension carries a bad prognosis. We present two adult patients with isolated left sided unilateral pulmonary artery agenesis with ipsilateral lung hypoplasia. The diagnosis was confirmed by CT chest and perfusion scan.

  1. Caffeine supplementation does not affect match activities and fatigue resistance during match play in young football players

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pettersen, Svein Arne; Krustrup, Peter; Bendiksen, Mads

    2014-01-01

    The study examined the effect of caffeine supplementation on match activities and development of fatigue during a football match. In a randomised, double-blind cross-over design, two experimental football games separated by 7 days were organised between the junior teams of two professional footba...

  2. An Improvement on LSB Matching and LSB Matching Revisited Steganography Methods

    OpenAIRE

    Qazanfari, Kazem; Safabakhsh, Reza

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the steganography methods is to communicate securely in a completely undetectable manner. LSB Matching and LSB Matching Revisited steganography methods are two general and esiest methods to achieve this aim. Being secured against first order steganalysis methods is the most important feature of these methods. On the other hand, these methods don't consider inter pixel dependency. Therefore, recently, several steganalysis methods are proposed that by using co-occurrence matrix detec...

  3. Probability matching and strategy availability

    OpenAIRE

    J. Koehler, Derek; Koehler, Derek J.; James, Greta

    2010-01-01

    Findings from two experiments indicate that probability matching in sequential choice arises from an asymmetry in strategy availability: The matching strategy comes readily to mind, whereas a superior alternative strategy, maximizing, does not. First, compared with the minority who spontaneously engage in maximizing, the majority of participants endorse maximizing as superior to matching in a direct comparison when both strategies are described. Second, when the maximizing strategy is brought...

  4. Ketamine for Pain Management-Side Effects & Potential Adverse Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Cheryl A; Ivester, Julius R

    2017-12-01

    An old anesthetic agent, ketamine is finding new use in lower doses for analgesic purposes. There are concerns stemming from its potential side effects-specifically psychomimetic effects. These side effects are directly related to dose amount. The doses used for analgesic purposes are much lower than those used for anesthesia purposes. A literature review was performed to ascertain potential side effects and/or adverse events when using ketamine for analgesia purposes. The search included CINAHL, PubMed, and Ovid using the search terms "ketamine," "ketamine infusion," "pain," "adverse events," "practice guideline," and "randomized controlled trial." Searches were limited to full-text, peer-reviewed articles and systematic reviews. Initially 1,068 articles were retrieved. The search was then narrowed by using the Boolean connector AND with various search term combinations. After adjusting for duplication, article titles and abstracts were reviewed, leaving 25 articles for an in-depth analysis. Specific exclusion criteria were then applied. The literature supports the use of ketamine for analgesic purposes, and ketamine offers a nonopioid option for the management of some pain conditions. Because ketamine is still classified as an anesthetic agent, health care institutions should develop their own set of policies and protocols for the administration of ketamine. By using forethought and understanding of the properties of ketamine, appropriate care may be planned to mitigate potential side effects and adverse events so that patients are appropriately cared for and their pain effectively managed. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The influence of detoxification agents on the intensity of side effects caused by medium-high doses of methotrexate in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Case series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šumar Jovana S.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective The treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL in Serbia is conducted according to protocol ALL IC BMF-2009. The therapy includes the application of cytostatic drugs methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine, and drug detoxifying Calcium Folinate. At the moment, 80% of affected children could be cured with current treatment, but resistance to the therapy and its toxic effects remain serious clinical problems. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of detoxification agents (Calcium Folinate, silymarin and ursodeoxycholic acid on the side effects of methotrexate, applied in this protocol. Methods A modified acute toxicity form (GPOH was used for side effects monitoring. The research included children with either standard or intermediate risk ALL in the consolidation therapy phase, who were hospitalised at the Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina in Novi Sad during the period from July 2010 to February 2011. Results The most frequent side effect after 40 applications of methotrexate in ten children was bone marrow depression. Methotrexate caused: leukopenia in 10 patients, thrombocytopenia in 5 patients; after the use of folic acid, platelet count grew in 8 patients, leukocyte in 2 patients. Less frequent side effects: an increase serum transaminase activity, the state of fever, bronchopneumonia, diarrhoea with mild cramps and hypercalcaemia. Conclusion The application of Calcium Folinate, silymarin and ursodeoxycholic acid prevented the occurrence of severe adverse effects caused by medium-high doses of methotrexate. Observed adverse effects were of mild to moderate intensity, reversible and did not significantly disturb the quality of life in treated patients.

  6. TideGrapher: Visual Analytics of Tactical Situations for Rugby Matches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusuke Ishikawa

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Various attempts at exploiting information visualization for sports have recently been reported in the literature, although it is still challenging to analyze continuous ball matches. In this paper, we propose a novel visual analytics system, called TideGrapher, to track the transition of tactile situations in a rugby match. With a particular focus on the side position of the ball, we designed a dedicated spatial substrate based on the spatio-temporal trajectory of the ball and provided a set of basic interactions. Quantitative analysis was strengthened by adding a new index, called initiative, to commonly used possession (ball occupation and territory (dominance of territory. The feasibility of the proposed visual analytics system was proven empirically through application to datasets from real amateur and professional matches. Keywords: Information visualization, Sports visualization, Quantitative analysis, Visual analytics

  7. An integrative assessment of the commercial air transportation system via adaptive agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Choon Giap

    The overarching research objective is to address the tightly-coupled interactions between the demand-side and supply-side components of the United States Commercial Air Transportation System (CATS) in a time-variant environment. A system-of-system perspective is adopted, where the scope is extended beyond the National Airspace System (NAS) level to the National Transportation System (NTS) level to capture the intermodal and multimodal relationships between the NTS stakeholders. The Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation technique is employed where the NTS/NAS is treated as an integrated Multi-Agent System comprising of consumer and service provider agents, representing the demand-side and supply-side components respectively. Successful calibration and validation of both model components against the observable real world data resulted in a CATS simulation tool where the aviation demand is estimated from socioeconomic and demographic properties of the population instead of merely based on enplanement growth multipliers. This valuable achievement enabled a 20-year outlook simulation study to investigate the implications of a global fuel price hike on the airline industry and the U.S. CATS at large. Simulation outcomes revealed insights into the airline competitive behaviors and the subsequent responses from transportation consumers.

  8. The Brown-Servranckx matching transformer for simultaneous RFQ to DTL H+ and H- matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wadlinger, E.A.; Garnett, R.W.

    1996-01-01

    The issue involved in the simultaneous matching of H + and H - beams between an RFQ and DTL lies in the fact that both beams experience the same electric-field forces at a given position in the RFQ. Hence, the two beams are focused to the same correlation. However, matching to a DTL requires correlation of the opposite sign. The Brown-Servranckx quarter-wave (λ / 4) matching transformer system, which requires four quadrupoles, provides a method to simultaneously match H + and H - beams between an RFQ and a DTL. The method requires the use of a special RFQ section to obtain the Twiss parameter conditions β x = β y and α x = α y = 0 at the exit of the RFQ. This matching between the RFQ and DTL is described. (author)

  9. The Brown-Servranckx matching transformer for simultaneous RFQ to DTL H+ and H- matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wadlinger, E.A.; Garnett, R.W.

    1996-01-01

    The issue involved in simultaneous matching of H + and H - beams between an RFQ and DTL lies in the fact that both beams experience the same electric-field forces at a given position in the RFQ. Hence, the two beams are focused to the same correlation. However, matching to a DTL requires correlation of the opposite sign. The Brown-Servranckx quarter-wave (λ/4) matching transformer system, which requires four quadrupoles, provides a method to simultaneously match H + and H - beams between an RFQ and a DTL. The method requires the use of a special RFQ section to obtain the Twiss parameter conditions β x =β y and α x =α y =0 at the exit of the RFQ. This matching between the RFQ and DTL is described

  10. The Interaction Between Schema Matching and Record Matching in Data Integration

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Binbin

    2016-09-20

    Schema Matching (SM) and Record Matching (RM) are two necessary steps in integrating multiple relational tables of different schemas, where SM unifies the schemas and RM detects records referring to the same real-world entity. The two processes have been thoroughly studied separately, but few attention has been paid to the interaction of SM and RM. In this work, we find that, even alternating them in a simple manner, SM and RM can benefit from each other to reach a better integration performance (i.e., in terms of precision and recall). Therefore, combining SM and RM is a promising solution for improving data integration. To this end, we define novel matching rules for SM and RM, respectively, that is, every SM decision is made based on intermediate RM results, and vice versa, such that SM and RM can be performed alternately. The quality of integration is guaranteed by a Matching Likelihood Estimation model and the control of semantic drift, which prevent the effect of mismatch magnification. To reduce the computational cost, we design an index structure based on q-grams and a greedy search algorithm that can reduce around 90 percent overhead of the interaction. Extensive experiments on three data collections show that the combination and interaction between SM and RM significantly outperforms previous works that conduct SM and RM separately.

  11. Data Acquisition Based on Stable Matching of Bipartite Graph in Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xiaolan; Hong, Donghui; Chen, Wenlong

    2017-06-08

    Existing studies on data acquisition in vehicular networks often take the mobile vehicular nodes as data carriers. However, their autonomous movements, limited resources and security risks impact the quality of services. In this article, we propose a data acquisition model using stable matching of bipartite graph in cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems, namely, DAS. Contents are distributed to roadside units, while vehicular nodes support supplementary storage. The original distribution problem is formulated as a stable matching problem of bipartite graph, where the data and the storage cells compose two sides of vertices. Regarding the factors relevant with the access ratio and delay, the preference rankings for contents and roadside units are calculated, respectively. With a multi-replica preprocessing algorithm to handle the potential one-to-many mapping, the matching problem is addressed in polynomial time. In addition, vehicular nodes carry and forward assistant contents to deliver the failed packets because of bandwidth competition. Furthermore, an incentive strategy is put forward to boost the vehicle cooperation and to achieve a fair bandwidth allocation at roadside units. Experiments show that DAS achieves a high access ratio and a small storage cost with an acceptable delay.

  12. Measurement of left ventricular torsion using block-matching-based speckle tracking for two-dimensional echocardiography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Feng-Rong; Wang, Xiao-Jing; Wu, Qiang; Yao, Gui-Hua; Zhang, Yun

    2013-01-01

    Left ventricular (LV) torsion is a sensitive and global index of LV systolic and diastolic function, but how to noninvasively measure it is challenging. Two-dimensional echocardiography and the block-matching based speckle tracking method were used to measure LV torsion. Main advantages of the proposed method over the previous ones are summarized as follows: (1) The method is automatic, except for manually selecting some endocardium points on the end-diastolic frame in initialization step. (2) The diamond search strategy is applied, with a spatial smoothness constraint introduced into the sum of absolute differences matching criterion; and the reference frame during the search is determined adaptively. (3) The method is capable of removing abnormal measurement data automatically. The proposed method was validated against that using Doppler tissue imaging and some preliminary clinical experimental studies were presented to illustrate clinical values of the proposed method.

  13. End Effects on the Linear Induction MHD Generator Calculated by Two-Sided Laplace Transform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engeln, F.; Peschka, W. [Deutsche Versuchsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut fuer Energiewandlung und Elektrische Antriebe, Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany (Germany)

    1966-11-15

    In induction MHD systems special problems occur where the flow enters or leaves the magnetic field. These problems are generally described as end effects. Large gradients of the magnetic field are present at the inlet and also at the outlet of an MHD induction engine, these generating electric current systems in the fluid which may spoil the performance characteristics of the generator due to the interaction with the primary field of the engine. The two-dimensional induction MHD generator of finite length, using a polyphase winding system to obtain a travelling magnetic field, is treated as a boundary value problem by two-sided Laplace transform. For simplicity incompressibility is assumed. The two- dimensional boundary value problem of the induction engine is solved for - {infinity} Less-Than-Over-Equal-To x Less-Than-Over-Equal-To {infinity}. x is parallel to the flow direction of the linear MHD generator. In the region 0 Less-Than-Over-Equal-To x Less-Than-Over-Equal-To L the magnetic travelling wave is sinusoidal with a cyclical frequency {omega} and a phase-velocity v{sub s}. At x = 0 the conducting incompressible working fluid enters the field region and leaves it at the point-x = L. Two mathematical methods can be used to solve the boundary value problem, the Fourier transform or the two-sided Laplace transform. The latter offers the advantage of representing a complex analytical function in the image space. Moreover, it is possible to obtain the characteristics of the generator in the image space (e. g. field configuration, power flow function, etc.). That implies a large simplification of mathematical treatment. The solution in the original space then is given by asymptotic expansion of the known image function. (author)

  14. On Tree-Constrained Matchings and Generalizations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Canzar (Stefan); K. Elbassioni; G.W. Klau (Gunnar); J. Mestre

    2011-01-01

    htmlabstractWe consider the following \\textsc{Tree-Constrained Bipartite Matching} problem: Given two rooted trees $T_1=(V_1,E_1)$, $T_2=(V_2,E_2)$ and a weight function $w: V_1\\times V_2 \\mapsto \\mathbb{R}_+$, find a maximum weight matching $\\mathcal{M}$ between nodes of the two trees, such that

  15. Coevolution in management fashion: an agent-based model of consultant-driven innovation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strang, David; David, Robert J; Akhlaghpour, Saeed

    2014-07-01

    The rise of management consultancy has been accompanied by increasingly marked faddish cycles in management techniques, but the mechanisms that underlie this relationship are not well understood. The authors develop a simple agent-based framework that models innovation adoption and abandonment on both the supply and demand sides. In opposition to conceptions of consultants as rhetorical wizards who engineer waves of management fashion, firms and consultants are treated as boundedly rational actors who chase the secrets of success by mimicking their highest-performing peers. Computational experiments demonstrate that consultant-driven versions of this dynamic in which the outcomes of firms are strongly conditioned by their choice of consultant are robustly faddish. The invasion of boom markets by low-quality consultants undercuts popular innovations while simultaneously restarting the fashion cycle by prompting the flight of high-quality consultants into less densely occupied niches. Computational experiments also indicate conditions involving consultant mobility, aspiration levels, mimic probabilities, and client-provider matching that attenuate faddishness.

  16. Comparison of two chair-side tests for enumeration of Mutans Streptococci in saliva

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Twetman, Lisa; Twetman, Svante

    2014-01-01

    AIM: To compare the prevalence and levels of salivary Mutans Streptococci (MS) assessed with two commercial chair-side methods based on culture growth or monoclonal antibodies, respectively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of a convenience sample of 89 adults, 23-72 years of age......, referred to a maxillofacial hospital clinic with a caries history. Stimulated whole saliva samples were collected and the number of MS was assessed with the Dentocult-SM Strip Mutans (DSM) and the Saliva-Check Mutans (SCM). The outcome was compared with conventional anaerobic laboratory cultivation...

  17. Dynamics of two-dimensional vortex system in a strong square pinning array at the second matching field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Qing-Bao [Department of Physics, Lishui University, Lishui 323000 (China); Luo, Meng-Bo, E-mail: Luomengbo@zju.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2013-10-30

    We study the dynamics of a two-dimensional vortex system in a strong square pinning array at the second matching field. Two kinds of depinning behaviors, a continuous depinning transition at weak pinning and a discontinuous one at strong pinning, are found. We show that the two different kinds of vortex depinning transitions can be identified in transport as a function of the pinning strength and temperature. Moreover, interstitial vortex state can be probed from the transport properties of vortices.

  18. Comparison of lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sitilertpisan, Patraporn; Pirunsan, Ubon; Puangmali, Aatit; Ratanapinunchai, Jonjin; Kiatwattanacharoen, Suchart; Neamin, Hudsaleark; Laskin, James J

    2011-11-01

    To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. A case control study design. University laboratory. 16 female Thai national weightlifters and 16 matched controls participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging with a 12-MHz linear array was used to measure the resting thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO) and total thickness (Total) of lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) on the right side of abdominal wall. The absolute muscle thickness and the relative contribution of each muscle to the total thickness were determined. Weightlifters had significantly thicker absolute TrA and IO muscles than matched controls (p routine Olympic style weight training among female weightlifters appears to result in preferential hypertrophy or adaptation of the IO muscle. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The match-to-match variation of match-running in elite female soccer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trewin, Joshua; Meylan, César; Varley, Matthew C; Cronin, John

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the match-to-match variation of match-running in elite female soccer players utilising GPS, using full-match and rolling period analyses. Longitudinal study. Elite female soccer players (n=45) from the same national team were observed during 55 international fixtures across 5 years (2012-2016). Data was analysed using a custom built MS Excel spreadsheet as full-matches and using a rolling 5-min analysis period, for all players who played 90-min matches (files=172). Variation was examined using co-efficient of variation and 90% confidence limits, calculated following log transformation. Total distance per minute exhibited the smallest variation when both the full-match and peak 5-min running periods were examined (CV=6.8-7.2%). Sprint-efforts were the most variable during a full-match (CV=53%), whilst high-speed running per minute exhibited the greatest variation in the post-peak 5-min period (CV=143%). Peak running periods were observed as slightly more variable than full-match analyses, with the post-peak period very-highly variable. Variability of accelerations (CV=17%) and Player Load (CV=14%) was lower than that of high-speed actions. Positional differences were also present, with centre backs exhibiting the greatest variation in high-speed movements (CV=41-65%). Practitioners and researchers should account for within player variability when examining match performances. Identification of peak running periods should be used to assist worst case scenarios. Whilst micro-sensor technology should be further examined as to its viable use within match-analyses. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Two related algorithms for root-to-frontier tree pattern matching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cleophas, L.G.W.A.; Hemerik, C.; Zwaan, G.

    2006-01-01

    Tree pattern matching (TPM) algorithms on ordered, ranked trees play an important role in applications such as compilers and term rewriting systems. Many TPM algorithms appearing in the literature are based on tree automata. For efficiency, these automata should be deterministic, yet deterministic

  1. The matching of characteristics of the turbo-supercharging system and two-stroke transport diesel engine

    OpenAIRE

    Алёхин, Сергей Алексеевич; Герасименко, Владимир Петрович; Опалев, Василий Анатольевич

    2013-01-01

    The basic problems of the matching of characteristics of turbo-supercharging units and two-stroke transport diesel engines with various number of cylinders are considered. Influence of the number of impeller tiers and other geometrical parameters on the pressure characteristic of the centrifugal compressor and joint action of the compressor and the piston engine is investigated. Effective measures on the optimum coordination of a mechanical turbo-supercharging with a transport diesel engin...

  2. Computer-mediated communication as a channel for social resistance : The strategic side of SIDE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spears, R; Lea, M; Corneliussen, RA; Postmes, T; Ter Haar, W

    2002-01-01

    In two studies, the authors tested predictions derived from the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE) concerning the potential of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to serve as a means to resist powerful out-groups. Earlier research using the SIDE model indicates that the

  3. Detached Eddy Simulation of Flap Side-Edge Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balakrishnan, Shankar K.; Shariff, Karim R.

    2016-01-01

    Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) of flap side-edge flow was performed with a wing and half-span flap configuration used in previous experimental and numerical studies. The focus of the study is the unsteady flow features responsible for the production of far-field noise. The simulation was performed at a Reynolds number (based on the main wing chord) of 3.7 million. Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed as a precursor to the DES. The results of these precursor simulations match previous experimental and RANS results closely. Although the present DES simulations have not reached statistical stationary yet, some unsteady features of the developing flap side-edge flowfield are presented. In the final paper it is expected that statistically stationary results will be presented including comparisons of surface pressure spectra with experimental data.

  4. Endogenous antispermatogenic agents: prospects for male contraception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, L L; Robaire, B

    1978-01-01

    A review of endogenous antispermatogenic agents as prospects for male contraception is reported. It is demonstrated that endogenous compounds exert regulatory influences at 4 major levels in the male: 1) between germ cells; 2) between Sertoli and germ cells; 3) between Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules; and 4) between the central nervous system and the testis. Efforts to interrupt spermatogenesis have failed to find application as male contraceptives for various reasons: 1) some investigators ignored the vulnerable control points by utilizing nonspecific agents; 2) others attacked a vulnerable control point but used synthetic drugs that had deleterious side effects; and 3) still others attacked a vulnerable control point with a relatively innocuous drug but used an impractical mode of drug administration. The potential for devising innovative techniques for administering relatively innocuous drugs at dosages sufficient to produce sterility without causing deleterious side effects is demonstrated. The most promising solution for the development of an antispermatogenic male contraceptive is the interference with the adenohypophyseal-gonadal axis via the subcutaneous sustained release of steroid formulations containing either androgen-danazol, androgen-progestin, or androgen-estrogen formulations. Another promising agent would be luteinizing releasing hormone agonist-androgen formulation.

  5. Characterization of the intensity of effort of blind athletes from the Brazilian Football 5-A-Side national team

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramon Pereira Souza

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Football 5-a-side is a sport played by blind athletes that takes part in the Paralympic Games since 2004. The Brazilian national team is currently considered the best team in the world in this sport. Objective: To analyze the variations of intensity of effort (average per position and group average made by blind athletes of the Brazilian football 5-a-side national team during six matches simulations. Methods: The sample on this research is the intentional type, made with eight blind male players,  ages ranging from 21 to 30 years old (23.8 ± 3.3, all of them part of the Brazilian Football 5-a-side National team, which played in the 2012 Paralympics Games in England. In was evaluated the VO2máx and the heart rate during six simulations of official matches. Results: The intensity of effort of the blind athletes of the Brazilian Football 5-a-side National Team is intermittent and remains 52.5 % of the total time of a match (50 minutes with an intensity of effort between the zone 2 (between threshold ventilation and respiratory compensation point and the zone 3 (above the respiratory compensation point averaging 89.8 % of the HR max. Conclusion: The intensity of effort is greater than the Football of 11 and, that in the Futsal players.

  6. Radiotherapy and 'new' drugs-new side effects?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niyazi, Maximilian; Maihoefer, Cornelius; Krause, Mechthild; Rödel, Claus; Budach, Wilfried; Belka, Claus

    2011-01-01

    Targeted drugs have augmented the cancer treatment armamentarium. Based on the molecular specificity, it was initially believed that these drugs had significantly less side effects. However, currently it is accepted that all of these agents have their specific side effects. Based on the given multimodal approach, special emphasis has to be placed on putative interactions of conventional cytostatic drugs, targeted agents and other modalities. The interaction of targeted drugs with radiation harbours special risks, since the awareness for interactions and even synergistic toxicities is lacking. At present, only limited is data available regarding combinations of targeted drugs and radiotherapy. This review gives an overview on the current knowledge on such combined treatments. Using the following MESH headings and combinations of these terms pubmed database was searched: Radiotherapy AND cetuximab/trastuzumab/panitumumab/nimotuzumab, bevacizumab, sunitinib/sorafenib/lapatinib/gefitinib/erlotinib/sirolimus, thalidomide/lenalidomide as well as erythropoietin. For citation crosscheck the ISI web of science database was used employing the same search terms. Several classes of targeted substances may be distinguished: Small molecules including kinase inhibitors and specific inhibitors, antibodies, and anti-angiogenic agents. Combination of these agents with radiotherapy may lead to specific toxicities or negatively influence the efficacy of RT. Though there is only little information on the interaction of molecular targeted radiation and radiotherapy in clinical settings, several critical incidents are reported. The addition of molecular targeted drugs to conventional radiotherapy outside of approved regimens or clinical trials warrants a careful consideration especially when used in conjunction in hypo-fractionated regimens. Clinical trials are urgently needed in order to address the open question in regard to efficacy, early and late toxicity

  7. Matching fields and lattice points of simplices

    OpenAIRE

    Loho, Georg; Smith, Ben

    2018-01-01

    We show that the Chow covectors of a linkage matching field define a bijection of lattice points and we demonstrate how one can recover the linkage matching field from this bijection. This resolves two open questions from Sturmfels & Zelevinsky (1993) on linkage matching fields. For this, we give an explicit construction that associates a bipartite incidence graph of an ordered partition of a common set to all lattice points in a dilated simplex. Given a triangulation of a product of two simp...

  8. Stability, Optimality and Manipulation in Matching Problems with Weighted Preferences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Silvia Pini

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The stable matching problem (also known as the stable marriage problem is a well-known problem of matching men to women, so that no man and woman, who are not married to each other, both prefer each other. Such a problem has a wide variety of practical applications, ranging from matching resident doctors to hospitals, to matching students to schools or, more generally, to any two-sided market. In the classical stable marriage problem, both men and women express a strict preference order over the members of the other sex, in a qualitative way. Here, we consider stable marriage problems with weighted preferences: each man (resp., woman provides a score for each woman (resp., man. Such problems are more expressive than the classical stable marriage problems. Moreover, in some real-life situations, it is more natural to express scores (to model, for example, profits or costs rather than a qualitative preference ordering. In this context, we define new notions of stability and optimality, and we provide algorithms to find marriages that are stable and/or optimal according to these notions. While expressivity greatly increases by adopting weighted preferences, we show that, in most cases, the desired solutions can be found by adapting existing algorithms for the classical stable marriage problem. We also consider the manipulability properties of the procedures that return such stable marriages. While we know that all procedures are manipulable by modifying the preference lists or by truncating them, here, we consider if manipulation can occur also by just modifying the weights while preserving the ordering and avoiding truncation. It turns out that, by adding weights, in some cases, we may increase the possibility of manipulating, and this cannot be avoided by any reasonable restriction on the weights.

  9. Hypericin in the light and in the dark: Two sides of the same coin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuzana eJendzelovska

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Hypericin (4,5,7,4',5',7'-hexahydroxy-2,2'-dimethylnaphtodiantrone is a naturally occurring chromophore found in plants of the genus Hypericum, especially Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort, and in some basidiomycetes (Dermocybe spp. or endophytic fungi (Thielavia subthermophila. In recent decades, hypericin has been intensively studied for its broad pharmacological spectrum. Among its antidepressant and light-dependent antiviral actions, hypericin is a powerful natural photosensitizer that is applicable in the photodynamic therapy (PDT of various oncological diseases. As the accumulation of hypericin is significantly higher in neoplastic tissue than in normal tissue, it can be used in photodynamic diagnosis (PDD as an effective fluorescence marker for tumor detection and visualization. In addition, light-activated hypericin acts as a strong pro-oxidant agent with antineoplastic and antiangiogenic properties, since it effectively induces the apoptosis, necrosis or autophagy of cancer cells. Moreover, a strong affinity of hypericin for necrotic tissue was discovered. Thus, hypericin and its radiolabeled derivatives have been recently investigated as potential biomarkers for the non-invasive targeting of tissue necrosis in numerous disorders, including solid tumors. On the other hand, several light-independent actions of hypericin have also been described, even though its effects in the dark have not been studied as intensively as those of photoactivated hypericin. Various experimental studies have revealed no cytotoxicity of hypericin in the dark; however, it can serve as a potential antimetastatic and antiangiogenic agent. On the contrary, hypericin can induce the expression of some ABC transporters, which are often associated with the multidrug resistance (MDR of cancer cells. Moreover, the hypericin-mediated attenuation of the cytotoxicity of some chemotherapeutics was revealed. Therefore, hypericin might represent another St. John

  10. The value of less connected agents in Boolean networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epstein, Daniel; Bazzan, Ana L. C.

    2013-11-01

    In multiagent systems, agents often face binary decisions where one seeks to take either the minority or the majority side. Examples are minority and congestion games in general, i.e., situations that require coordination among the agents in order to depict efficient decisions. In minority games such as the El Farol Bar Problem, previous works have shown that agents may reach appropriate levels of coordination, mostly by looking at the history of past decisions. Not many works consider any kind of structure of the social network, i.e., how agents are connected. Moreover, when structure is indeed considered, it assumes some kind of random network with a given, fixed connectivity degree. The present paper departs from the conventional approach in some ways. First, it considers more realistic network topologies, based on preferential attachments. This is especially useful in social networks. Second, the formalism of random Boolean networks is used to help agents to make decisions given their attachments (for example acquaintances). This is coupled with a reinforcement learning mechanism that allows agents to select strategies that are locally and globally efficient. Third, we use agent-based modeling and simulation, a microscopic approach, which allows us to draw conclusions about individuals and/or classes of individuals. Finally, for the sake of illustration we use two different scenarios, namely the El Farol Bar Problem and a binary route choice scenario. With this approach we target systems that adapt dynamically to changes in the environment, including other adaptive decision-makers. Our results using preferential attachments and random Boolean networks are threefold. First we show that an efficient equilibrium can be achieved, provided agents do experimentation. Second, microscopic analysis show that influential agents tend to consider few inputs in their Boolean functions. Third, we have also conducted measurements related to network clustering and centrality

  11. Multi-Agent Software Engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed, A.H.

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposed an alarm-monitoring system for people based on multi-agent using maps. The system monitors the users physical context using their mobile phone. The agents on the mobile phones are responsible for collecting, processing and sending data to the server. They can determine the parameters of their environment by sensors. The data are processed and sent to the server. On the other side, a set of agents on server can store this data and check the preconditions of the restrictions associated with the user, in order to trigger the appropriate alarms. These alarms are sent not only to the user who is alarmed to avoid the appeared restriction, but also to his supervisor. The proposed system is a general purpose alarm system that can be used in different critical application areas. It has been applied for monitoring the workers of radiation sites. However, these workers can do their activity tasks in the radiation environments safely

  12. PARTICIPATION OF MINI-BASKETBALL PLAYERS DURING SMALL-SIDED COMPETITIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M\\u00AA Isabel Pi\\u00F1ar

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the differences of competition between mini-basketball with the traditional rules (5-a-side and minibasket with rule modifications (3-a-side such as: reduced number of players on court, compulsory participation in 2 of the match's 4 periods, reduced court size, placing the free throw line at 3m from the basket, and including a three-point line. The sample that was selected included 47 mini-basketball players, and the study was carried out using a quasi-experimental design without a control group. The aim was to determine the effect of rule modifications on the participation of the player with the ball. It was demonstrated that the degree of individual participation is greater in mini-basketball with modified rules.

  13. The interaction between schema matching and record matching in data integration (extended abstract)

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Binbin; Li, Zhixu; Zhang, Xiangliang; Liu, An; Liu, Guanfeng; Zheng, Kai; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Xiaofang

    2017-01-01

    Schema Matching (SM) and Record Matching (RM) are two necessary steps in integrating multiple relational tables of different schemas, where SM unifies the schemas and RM detects records referring to the same real-world entity. The two processes have been thoroughly studied separately, but few attention has been paid to the interaction of SM and RM. In this work we find that, even alternating them in a simple manner, SM and RM can benefit from each other to reach a better integration performance (i.e., in terms of precision and recall). Therefore, combining SM and RM is a promising solution for improving data integration.

  14. The interaction between schema matching and record matching in data integration (extended abstract)

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Binbin

    2017-05-18

    Schema Matching (SM) and Record Matching (RM) are two necessary steps in integrating multiple relational tables of different schemas, where SM unifies the schemas and RM detects records referring to the same real-world entity. The two processes have been thoroughly studied separately, but few attention has been paid to the interaction of SM and RM. In this work we find that, even alternating them in a simple manner, SM and RM can benefit from each other to reach a better integration performance (i.e., in terms of precision and recall). Therefore, combining SM and RM is a promising solution for improving data integration.

  15. Does small-sided-games’ court area influence metabolic, perceptual, and physical performance parameters of young elite basketball players?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcelino, PR; Aoki, MS; Arruda, AFS; Freitas, CG; Mendez-Villanueva, A

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of court size on physiological responses and physical performance of young elite basketball players. Twelve male basketball players (18.6 ± 0.5 years; 88.8 ± 14.5 kg; 192.6 ± 6.5 cm) from an under-19 team performed two small-sided games (matches) with different court areas (28x15 m and 28x9 m; 28x15 and 28x9 protocols). The number of players (3x3) was kept the same in each protocol. The players performed a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test before and after each match. Blood lactate concentration was collected before (pre) and after (post) the matches, and the session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) was determined 30 minutes after the match. Best and mean time in the RSA test were not different between the 28x15 and the 28x9 match protocols (p > 0.05). A significant difference was observed for lactate concentration from pre- to post-match (p 0.05, ES=0.41). In summary, the results of the current study suggest that the different court areas induced similar responses. Although there was no significant difference in effort perception, players tended to perceive a greater effort in the larger court size. PMID:26985132

  16. Assessing Unilateral Merger Effects in a Two-Sided Market : An Application to the Dutch Daily Newspaper Market

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.; Michielsen, T.O.

    2011-01-01

    We compare different methods to assess unilateral merger effects in a two-sided market by applying them to a hypothetical merger in the Dutch newspaper industry. For this, we first specify and estimate a structural model of demand for differentiated products on both the readership and the

  17. Derivation of Continuum Models from An Agent-based Cancer Model: Optimization and Sensitivity Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voulgarelis, Dimitrios; Velayudhan, Ajoy; Smith, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Agent-based models provide a formidable tool for exploring complex and emergent behaviour of biological systems as well as accurate results but with the drawback of needing a lot of computational power and time for subsequent analysis. On the other hand, equation-based models can more easily be used for complex analysis in a much shorter timescale. This paper formulates an ordinary differential equations and stochastic differential equations model to capture the behaviour of an existing agent-based model of tumour cell reprogramming and applies it to optimization of possible treatment as well as dosage sensitivity analysis. For certain values of the parameter space a close match between the equation-based and agent-based models is achieved. The need for division of labour between the two approaches is explored. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  18. Alkalisation agent measurement with differential conductivity method in secondary water system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wuhrmann, Peter; Lendi, Marco

    2012-09-01

    Besides ammonia hydroxide, also morpholine and ethanol-amine (ETA) are mainly used as a pH regulating agent on the secondary water side [1]. The concentration of the alkalisation agent can only be calculated if the chemical composition in the sample is known [2]. Therefore, for a reliable alkalisation agent measurement, there are three major steps to take: A reliable specific and (degassed) acid conductivity measurement, pH calculation and the selection of the chemical model for concentration calculation of the alkalisation agent (authors)

  19. Matched-Filter Thermography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nima Tabatabaei

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Conventional infrared thermography techniques, including pulsed and lock-in thermography, have shown great potential for non-destructive evaluation of broad spectrum of materials, spanning from metals to polymers to biological tissues. However, performance of these techniques is often limited due to the diffuse nature of thermal wave fields, resulting in an inherent compromise between inspection depth and depth resolution. Recently, matched-filter thermography has been introduced as a means for overcoming this classic limitation to enable depth-resolved subsurface thermal imaging and improving axial/depth resolution. This paper reviews the basic principles and experimental results of matched-filter thermography: first, mathematical and signal processing concepts related to matched-fileting and pulse compression are discussed. Next, theoretical modeling of thermal-wave responses to matched-filter thermography using two categories of pulse compression techniques (linear frequency modulation and binary phase coding are reviewed. Key experimental results from literature demonstrating the maintenance of axial resolution while inspecting deep into opaque and turbid media are also presented and discussed. Finally, the concept of thermal coherence tomography for deconvolution of thermal responses of axially superposed sources and creation of depth-selective images in a diffusion-wave field is reviewed.

  20. DarkSide-20k: A 20 tonne two-phase LAr TPC for direct dark matter detection at LNGS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aalseth, C. E.; Acerbi, F.; Agnes, P.; Albuquerque, I. F. M.; Alexander, T.; Alici, A.; Alton, A. K.; Antonioli, P.; Arcelli, S.; Ardito, R.; Arnquist, I. J.; Asner, D. M.; Ave, M.; Back, H. O.; Barrado Olmedo, A. I.; Batignani, G.; Bertoldo, E.; Bettarini, S.; Bisogni, M. G.; Bocci, V.; Bondar, A.; Bonfini, G.; Bonivento, W.; Bossa, M.; Bottino, B.; Boulay, M.; Bunker, R.; Bussino, S.; Buzulutskov, A.; Cadeddu, M.; Cadoni, M.; Caminata, A.; Canci, N.; Candela, A.; Cantini, C.; Caravati, M.; Cariello, M.; Carlini, M.; Carpinelli, M.; Castellani, A.; Catalanotti, S.; Cataudella, V.; Cavalcante, P.; Cavuoti, S.; Cereseto, R.; Chepurnov, A.; Cicalò, C.; Cifarelli, L.; Citterio, M.; Cocco, A. G.; Colocci, M.; Corgiolu, S.; Covone, G.; Crivelli, P.; D'Antone, I.; D'Incecco, M.; D'Urso, D.; Da Rocha Rolo, M. D.; Daniel, M.; Davini, S.; de Candia, A.; De Cecco, S.; De Deo, M.; De Filippis, G.; De Guido, G.; De Rosa, G.; Dellacasa, G.; Della Valle, M.; Demontis, P.; Derbin, A.; Devoto, A.; Di Eusanio, F.; Di Pietro, G.; Dionisi, C.; Dolgov, A.; Dormia, I.; Dussoni, S.; Empl, A.; Fernandez Diaz, M.; Ferri, A.; Filip, C.; Fiorillo, G.; Fomenko, K.; Franco, D.; Froudakis, G. E.; Gabriele, F.; Gabrieli, A.; Galbiati, C.; Garcia Abia, P.; Gendotti, A.; Ghisi, A.; Giagu, S.; Giampa, P.; Gibertoni, G.; Giganti, C.; Giorgi, M. A.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Gligan, M. L.; Gola, A.; Gorchakov, O.; Goretti, A. M.; Granato, F.; Grassi, M.; Grate, J. W.; Grigoriev, G. Y.; Gromov, M.; Guan, M.; Guerra, M. B. B.; Guerzoni, M.; Gulino, M.; Haaland, R. K.; Hallin, A.; Harrop, B.; Hoppe, E. W.; Horikawa, S.; Hosseini, B.; Hughes, D.; Humble, P.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, An.; Jillings, C.; Johnson, T. N.; Keeter, K.; Kendziora, C. L.; Kim, S.; Koh, G.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Kubankin, A.; Kuss, M.; Kuźniak, M.; La Commara, M.; Lehnert, B.; Li, X.; Lissia, M.; Lodi, G. U.; Loer, B.; Longo, G.; Loverre, P.; Lussana, R.; Luzzi, L.; Ma, Y.; Machado, A. A.; Machulin, I. N.; Mandarano, A.; Mapelli, L.; Marcante, M.; Margotti, A.; Mari, S. M.; Mariani, M.; Maricic, J.; Martoff, C. J.; Mascia, M.; Mayer, M.; McDonald, A. B.; Messina, A.; Meyers, P. D.; Milincic, R.; Moggi, A.; Moioli, S.; Monroe, J.; Monte, A.; Morrocchi, M.; Mount, B. J.; Mu, W.; Muratova, V. N.; Murphy, S.; Musico, P.; Nania, R.; Navrer Agasson, A.; Nikulin, I.; Nosov, V.; Nozdrina, A. O.; Nurakhov, N. N.; Oleinik, A.; Oleynikov, V.; Orsini, M.; Ortica, F.; Pagani, L.; Pallavicini, M.; Palmas, S.; Pandola, L.; Pantic, E.; Paoloni, E.; Paternoster, G.; Pavletcov, V.; Pazzona, F.; Peeters, S.; Pelczar, K.; Pellegrini, L. A.; Pelliccia, N.; Perotti, F.; Perruzza, R.; Pesudo, V.; Piemonte, C.; Pilo, F.; Pocar, A.; Pollmann, T.; Portaluppi, D.; Pugachev, D. A.; Qian, H.; Radics, B.; Raffaelli, F.; Ragusa, F.; Razeti, M.; Razeto, A.; Regazzoni, V.; Regenfus, C.; Reinhold, B.; Renshaw, A. L.; Rescigno, M.; Retière, F.; Riffard, Q.; Rivetti, A.; Rizzardini, S.; Romani, A.; Romero, L.; Rossi, B.; Rossi, N.; Rubbia, A.; Sablone, D.; Salatino, P.; Samoylov, O.; Sánchez García, E.; Sands, W.; Sanfilippo, S.; Sant, M.; Santorelli, R.; Savarese, C.; Scapparone, E.; Schlitzer, B.; Scioli, G.; Segreto, E.; Seifert, A.; Semenov, D. A.; Shchagin, A.; Shekhtman, L.; Shemyakina, E.; Sheshukov, A.; Simeone, M.; Singh, P. N.; Skensved, P.; Skorokhvatov, M. D.; Smirnov, O.; Sobrero, G.; Sokolov, A.; Sotnikov, A.; Speziale, F.; Stainforth, R.; Stanford, C.; Suffritti, G. B.; Suvorov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Testera, G.; Tonazzo, A.; Tosi, A.; Trinchese, P.; Unzhakov, E. V.; Vacca, A.; Vázquez-Jáuregui, E.; Verducci, M.; Viant, T.; Villa, F.; Vishneva, A.; Vogelaar, B.; Wada, M.; Wahl, J.; Walding, J.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Watson, A. W.; Westerdale, S.; Williams, R.; Wojcik, M. M.; Wu, S.; Xiang, X.; Xiao, X.; Yang, C.; Ye, Z.; Yllera de Llano, A.; Zappa, F.; Zappalà, G.; Zhu, C.; Zichichi, A.; Zullo, M.; Zullo, A.; Zuzel, G.

    2018-03-01

    Building on the successful experience in operating the DarkSide-50 detector, the DarkSide Collaboration is going to construct DarkSide-20k, a direct WIMP search detector using a two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) with an active (fiducial) mass of 23 t (20 t). This paper describes a preliminary design for the experiment, in which the DarkSide-20k LAr TPC is deployed within a shield/veto with a spherical Liquid Scintillator Veto (LSV) inside a cylindrical Water Cherenkov Veto (WCV). This preliminary design provides a baseline for the experiment to achieve its physics goals, while further development work will lead to the final optimization of the detector parameters and an eventual technical design. Operation of DarkSide-50 demonstrated a major reduction in the dominant 39Ar background when using argon extracted from an underground source, before applying pulse shape analysis. Data from DarkSide-50, in combination with MC simulation and analytical modeling, shows that a rejection factor for discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils of >3 × 109 is achievable. This, along with the use of the veto system and utilizing silicon photomultipliers in the LAr TPC, are the keys to unlocking the path to large LAr TPC detector masses, while maintaining an experiment in which less than < 0.1 events (other than ν-induced nuclear recoils) is expected to occur within the WIMP search region during the planned exposure. DarkSide-20k will have ultra-low backgrounds than can be measured in situ, giving sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon cross sections of 1.2 × 10^{-47} cm2 (1.1 × 10^{-46} cm2) for WIMPs of 1 TeV/c 2 (10 TeV/c 2) mass, to be achieved during a 5 yr run producing an exposure of 100 t yr free from any instrumental background.

  1. Dynamic call center routing policies using call waiting and agent idle times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chan, W.; Koole, G.M.; L'Ecuyer, P.

    2014-01-01

    We study call routing policies for call centers with multiple call types and multiple agent groups. We introduce new weight-based routing policies where each pair (call type, agent group) is given a matching priority defined as an affine combination of the longest waiting time for that call type and

  2. Molecular Epidemiology of Agents of Human Chromoblastomycosis in Brazil with the Description of Two Novel Species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata R Gomes

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The human mutilating disease chromoblastomycosis is caused by melanized members of the order Chaetothyriales. To assess population diversity among 123 clinical strains of agents of the disease in Brazil we applied sequencing of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, and partial cell division cycle and β-tubulin genes. Strains studied were limited to three clusters divided over the single family Herpotrichiellaceae known to comprise agents of the disease. A Fonsecaea cluster contained the most important agents, among which F. pedrosoi was prevalent with 80% of the total set of strains, followed by 13% for F. monophora, 3% for F. nubica, and a single isolate of F. pugnacius. Additional agents, among which two novel species, were located among members of the genus Rhinocladiella and Cyphellophora, with frequencies of 3% and 1%, respectively.

  3. The combination of sodium perborate and water as intracoronal teeth bleaching agent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananta Tantri Budi

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The color change on post-endodontic treated teeth can be overcome by intracoronal tooth bleaching using walking bleach. Some agents used in walking bleach are combination of sodium peroxide and hydrogen peroxide, and combination of sodium perborate and water. Purpose: The objective of this review is to provide information and consideration of using safe and effective bleaching agents in the field of dentistry. Reviews: On one side, the use of sodium perborate and water combination does not cause the reduction of dentin hardness, enamel decay, and root resorbtion. On the other side, the use of sodium perborate and 30% hydrogen peroxide combination indicates that it takes longer time in yielding the proper color of teeth. Conclusion: The use of sodium perborate and water combination as bleaching agents is effective and safe.

  4. Modification of eucalyptus pulp fiber using silane coupling agents with aliphatic side chains of different length

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of three silane coupling agents with different aliphatic chain lengths on the hydrophobicity of eucalyptus pulp fiber. The three silanes coupling agents used (isobutyltrimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, and n-octyltriethoxysilane [OTES]) we...

  5. Can We Predict the Efficacy of Anti-TNF-α Agents?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopetuso, Loris Riccardo; Gerardi, Viviana; Papa, Valerio; Scaldaferri, Franco; Rapaccini, Gian Lodovico; Gasbarrini, Antonio; Papa, Alfredo

    2017-09-14

    The use of biologic agents, particularly anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, has revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), modifying their natural history. Several data on the efficacy of these agents in inducing and maintaining clinical remission have been accumulated over the past two decades: their use avoid the need for steroids therapy, promote mucosal healing, reduce hospitalizations and surgeries and therefore dramatically improve the quality of life of IBD patients. However, primary non-response to these agents or loss of response over time mainly due to immunogenicity or treatment-related side-effects are a frequent concern in IBD patients. Thus, the identification of predicting factors of efficacy is crucial to allow clinicians to efficiently use these therapies, avoiding them when they are ineffective and eventually shifting towards alternative biological therapies with the end goal of optimizing the cost-effectiveness ratio. In this review, we aim to identify the predictive factors of short- and long-term benefits of anti-TNF-α therapy in IBD patients. In particular, multiple patient-, disease- and treatment-related factors have been evaluated.

  6. Patterns of somatic alterations between matched primary and metastatic colorectal tumors characterized by whole-genome sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Tao; Cho, Yong Beom; Wang, Kai; Huang, Donghui; Hong, Hye Kyung; Choi, Yoon-La; Ko, Young Hyeh; Nam, Do-Hyun; Jin, Juyoun; Yang, Heekyoung; Fernandez, Julio; Deng, Shibing; Rejto, Paul A; Lee, Woo Yong; Mao, Mao

    2014-10-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have poor prognosis after formation of distant metastasis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which genetic changes facilitate metastasis is critical for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling disease progression while minimizing toxic side effects. A comprehensive portrait of somatic alterations in CRC and the changes between primary and metastatic tumors has yet to be developed. We performed whole genome sequencing of two primary CRC tumors and their matched liver metastases. By comparing to matched germline DNA, we catalogued somatic alterations at multiple scales, including single nucleotide variations, small insertions and deletions, copy number aberrations and structural variations in both the primary and matched metastasis. We found that the majority of these somatic alterations are present in both sites. Despite the overall similarity, several de novo alterations in the metastases were predicted to be deleterious, in genes including FBXW7, DCLK1 and FAT2, which might contribute to the initiation and progression of distant metastasis. Through careful examination of the mutation prevalence among tumor cells at each site, we also proposed distinct clonal evolution patterns between primary and metastatic tumors in the two cases. These results suggest that somatic alterations may play an important role in driving the development of colorectal cancer metastasis and present challenges and opportunities when considering the choice of treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. MATCH package for the ANL three-view geometry program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gieraltowski, G.F.

    1976-02-01

    The ANL MATCH package consists of a set of 13 subroutines which are linked to the current 12-foot and 15-foot versions of the ANL TVGP program. Their purpose is to match the tracks from the various measured views to obtain a proper matched set of tracks to be processed by TVGP. The MATCH package can effectively handle up to 20 tracks per event measured in 2 or 3 views and, in cases of ambiguous match solutions, allow up to 10 match ambiguities. A basic assumption made is that the same number of tracks is measured in each view. MATCH can work in either two or three measured views with the assumption that, if only two views are measured, the last point measured on each track is a good representation of the true end-point of the track. This is not to say that, if this assumption is false, that MATCH cannot obtain a match solution. It is true, however, that the probability of obtaining a match solution is inversely proportional both to the number of tracks per vertex and to the momentum of the tracks. Current uses of MATCH are in obtaining match solutions for two-view K - p (6.5 GeV/c) events measured on POLLY III and in obtaining match solutions for events with large numbers of tracks (3 to 10) produced by an anti ν p interaction in the FNAL 15-foot bubble chamber with a spectrum of momentum values ranging from 5 to 25 Gev/c

  8. Two-Agent Single-Machine Scheduling of Jobs with Time-Dependent Processing Times and Ready Times

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan-Yee Kung

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Scheduling involving jobs with time-dependent processing times has recently attracted much research attention. However, multiagent scheduling with simultaneous considerations of jobs with time-dependent processing times and ready times is relatively unexplored. Inspired by this observation, we study a two-agent single-machine scheduling problem in which the jobs have both time-dependent processing times and ready times. We consider the model in which the actual processing time of a job of the first agent is a decreasing function of its scheduled position while the actual processing time of a job of the second agent is an increasing function of its scheduled position. In addition, each job has a different ready time. The objective is to minimize the total completion time of the jobs of the first agent with the restriction that no tardy job is allowed for the second agent. We propose a branch-and-bound and several genetic algorithms to obtain optimal and near-optimal solutions for the problem, respectively. We also conduct extensive computational results to test the proposed algorithms and examine the impacts of different problem parameters on their performance.

  9. Approaches for Stereo Matching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takouhi Ozanian

    1995-04-01

    Full Text Available This review focuses on the last decade's development of the computational stereopsis for recovering three-dimensional information. The main components of the stereo analysis are exposed: image acquisition and camera modeling, feature selection, feature matching and disparity interpretation. A brief survey is given of the well known feature selection approaches and the estimation parameters for this selection are mentioned. The difficulties in identifying correspondent locations in the two images are explained. Methods as to how effectively to constrain the search for correct solution of the correspondence problem are discussed, as are strategies for the whole matching process. Reasons for the occurrence of matching errors are considered. Some recently proposed approaches, employing new ideas in the modeling of stereo matching in terms of energy minimization, are described. Acknowledging the importance of computation time for real-time applications, special attention is paid to parallelism as a way to achieve the required level of performance. The development of trinocular stereo analysis as an alternative to the conventional binocular one, is described. Finally a classification based on the test images for verification of the stereo matching algorithms, is supplied.

  10. Preferred chewing side-dependent two-point discrimination and cortical activation pattern of tactile tongue sensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minato, Akiko; Ono, Takashi; Miyamoto, Jun J; Honda, Ei-ichi; Kurabayashi, Tohru; Moriyama, Keiji

    2009-10-12

    Although tactile feedback from the tongue should contribute to habitual chewing, it is unclear how the sensation of the tongue and its projection to the central nervous system differ with regard to the preferred chewing side (PCS). The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) whether the sensory threshold of the tongue differed according to the side and (2) whether the pattern of hemispheric cortical activation by tactile tongue stimulation differed, with special attention to the PCS. Twelve healthy adults participated in the study. The PCS was determined with a mandibular kinesiograph. In the behavioral study, the mean thresholds for two-point discrimination (TPD) in the anterior, canine and posterior regions on both sides of the tongue, and those between PCS and non-PCS in each region were statistically compared. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging study, tactile stimulation was delivered to either side of the tongue with acrylic balls via a mandibular splint. The runs were measured with a T2*-weighted gradient echo-type echo planar imaging sequence in a 1.5T scanner. Activated voxel numbers in the bilateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1) were statistically compared. The threshold of TPD increased in the order of the anterior, canine and posterior regions. Moreover, this threshold was significantly smaller on the PCS than on the non-PCS in both the canine and posterior regions. Moreover, the number of activated voxels in S1 contralateral to the PCS was significantly greater than that in S1 contralateral to the non-PCS. The present study shows that the PCS is associated with asymmetric tactile sensation and cortical activation of the tongue. The sensory acuity of the tongue on the PCS may play an important role in functional coupling between the jaw and tongue to maximize the efficiency of chewing.

  11. Controversy over nuclear power. Behavior of two sides and media from the point of communication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sata, Tsutomu

    2006-01-01

    The interaction process among the four groups such as the affirmative side, the reverse side, mass media and the people for nuclear power is analyzed from the point of communication. A definition of four groups, safety of the sites and economic induction, the affirmative side aims at persuasion, the reverse side appeals to feelings, mass media takes up news to amusement, articles dramatized on the basis of the fact, persuasion with threatening has the opposite effect, personal attitude is affected by the group criterion, media brings people's interaction into focus, people have a hatred for a one-sided information, and information with sincerity touches the heart are reported. (S.Y.)

  12. Matching theory

    CERN Document Server

    Plummer, MD

    1986-01-01

    This study of matching theory deals with bipartite matching, network flows, and presents fundamental results for the non-bipartite case. It goes on to study elementary bipartite graphs and elementary graphs in general. Further discussed are 2-matchings, general matching problems as linear programs, the Edmonds Matching Algorithm (and other algorithmic approaches), f-factors and vertex packing.

  13. Analysis of matches and partial-matches in a Danish STR data set

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tvedebrink, Torben; Eriksen, Poul Svante; Curan, James Michael

    2012-01-01

    Over the recent years, the national databases of STR profiles have grown in size due to the success of forensic DNA analysis in solving crimes. The accumulation of DNA profiles implies that the probability of a random match or near match of two randomly selected DNA profiles in the database...... increases. We analysed 53,295 STR profiles from individuals investigated in relation to crime case investigations at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Incomplete STR profiles (437 circa 0.8% of the total), 48 redundant STR profiles from...

  14. Two-sided messages for health risk prevention: the role of argument type, refutation, and issue ambivalence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornelis, Erlinde; Cauberghe, Veroline; De Pelsmacker, Patrick

    2013-06-01

    Two experiments were conducted among adolescents in 2011 in urban parts of Belgium, Europe. The effectiveness of two-sided binge drinking and marijuana prevention messages was investigated in relation to argument type, refutation, and issue ambivalence. Study 1 (n = 373) serves as a baseline study for study 2 (n = 156). Data were collected through a printed questionnaire in classrooms in Flemish secondary schools. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Implications for health practitioners, as well as limitations and suggestions for further research are given.

  15. A Single-Machine Two-Agent Scheduling Problem by a Branch-and-Bound and Three Simulated Annealing Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shangchia Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the field of distributed decision making, different agents share a common processing resource, and each agent wants to minimize a cost function depending on its jobs only. These issues arise in different application contexts, including real-time systems, integrated service networks, industrial districts, and telecommunication systems. Motivated by its importance on practical applications, we consider two-agent scheduling on a single machine where the objective is to minimize the total completion time of the jobs of the first agent with the restriction that an upper bound is allowed the total completion time of the jobs for the second agent. For solving the proposed problem, a branch-and-bound and three simulated annealing algorithms are developed for the optimal solution, respectively. In addition, the extensive computational experiments are also conducted to test the performance of the algorithms.

  16. The Kent Face Matching Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fysh, Matthew C; Bindemann, Markus

    2018-05-01

    This study presents the Kent Face Matching Test (KFMT), which comprises 200 same-identity and 20 different-identity pairs of unfamiliar faces. Each face pair consists of a photograph from a student ID card and a high-quality portrait that was taken at least three months later. The test is designed to complement existing resources for face-matching research, by providing a more ecologically valid stimulus set that captures the natural variability that can arise in a person's appearance over time. Two experiments are presented to demonstrate that the KFMT provides a challenging measure of face matching but correlates with established tests. Experiment 1 compares a short version of this test with the optimized Glasgow Face Matching Test (GFMT). In Experiment 2, a longer version of the KFMT, with infrequent identity mismatches, is correlated with performance on the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and the Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT). The KFMT is freely available for use in face-matching research. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  17. Combined atresia of one left-sided and one right-sided cardiac valve in a premature newborn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, William C; Sing, Alan C; Guileyardo, Joseph M

    2017-10-01

    Described herein is the heart of a 2-day-old newborn, the product of a 25-week gestation, with atresia of two cardiac valves, one on the right side and one on the left side, apparently a previously undescribed entity.

  18. Does small-sided-games’ court area influence metabolic, perceptual, and physical performance parameters of young elite basketball players?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PR Marcelino

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of court size on physiological responses and physical performance of young elite basketball players. Twelve male basketball players (18.6 ± 0.5 years; 88.8 ± 14.5 kg; 192.6 ± 6.5 cm from an under-19 team performed two small-sided games (matches with different court areas (28x15 m and 28x9 m; 28x15 and 28x9 protocols. The number of players (3x3 was kept the same in each protocol. The players performed a repeated-sprint ability (RSA test before and after each match. Blood lactate concentration was collected before (pre and after (post the matches, and the session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE was determined 30 minutes after the match. Best and mean time in the RSA test were not different between the 28x15 and the 28x9 match protocols (p>0.05. A significant difference was observed for lactate concentration from pre- to post-match (p 0.0S, ES=(0.41. In summary, the results of the current study suggest that the different court areas induced similar responses. Although there was no significant difference in effort perception, players tended to perceive a greater effort in the larger court size.

  19. Accurate switching intensities and length scales in quasi-phase-matched materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bang, Ole; Graversen, Torben Winther; Corney, Joel Frederick

    2001-01-01

    We consider unseeded typeI second-harmonic generation in quasi-phase-matched quadratic nonlinear materials and derive an accurate analytical expression for the evolution of the average intensity. The intensity- dependent nonlinear phase mismatch that is due to the cubic nonlinearity induced...... by quasi phase matching is found. The equivalent formula for the intensity of maximum conversion, the crossing of which changes the one-period nonlinear phase shift of the fundamental abruptly by p , corrects earlier estimates [Opt.Lett. 23, 506 (1998)] by a factor of 5.3. We find the crystal lengths...... that are necessary to obtain an optimal flat phase versus intensity response on either side of this separatrix intensity....

  20. Self-Similar Spin Images for Point Cloud Matching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulido, Daniel

    The rapid growth of Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) technologies that collect, process, and disseminate 3D point clouds have allowed for increasingly accurate spatial modeling and analysis of the real world. Lidar sensors can generate massive 3D point clouds of a collection area that provide highly detailed spatial and radiometric information. However, a Lidar collection can be expensive and time consuming. Simultaneously, the growth of crowdsourced Web 2.0 data (e.g., Flickr, OpenStreetMap) have provided researchers with a wealth of freely available data sources that cover a variety of geographic areas. Crowdsourced data can be of varying quality and density. In addition, since it is typically not collected as part of a dedicated experiment but rather volunteered, when and where the data is collected is arbitrary. The integration of these two sources of geoinformation can provide researchers the ability to generate products and derive intelligence that mitigate their respective disadvantages and combine their advantages. Therefore, this research will address the problem of fusing two point clouds from potentially different sources. Specifically, we will consider two problems: scale matching and feature matching. Scale matching consists of computing feature metrics of each point cloud and analyzing their distributions to determine scale differences. Feature matching consists of defining local descriptors that are invariant to common dataset distortions (e.g., rotation and translation). Additionally, after matching the point clouds they can be registered and processed further (e.g., change detection). The objective of this research is to develop novel methods to fuse and enhance two point clouds from potentially disparate sources (e.g., Lidar and crowdsourced Web 2.0 datasets). The scope of this research is to investigate both scale and feature matching between two point clouds. The specific focus of this research will be in developing a novel local descriptor

  1. Plasmapheresis reverses all side-effects of a cisplatin overdose – a case report and treatment recommendation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ploner Ferdinand

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cisplatin is widely used as an antineoplastic agent since it is effective against a broad spectrum of different tumours. Nevertheless, it has several potential side effects affecting different organ systems and an overdose may lead to life-threatening complications and even death. Case presentation We report on a 46-year old woman with non-small cell lung cancer who accidentally received 225 mg/m2 of cisplatin, which was threefold the dose as scheduled, within a 3-day period. Two days later, the patient presented with hearing loss, severe nausea and vomiting, acute renal failure as well as elevated liver enzymes. In addition, she developed a severe myelodepression. After plasmapheresis on two consecutive days and vigorous supportive treatment, the toxicity-related symptoms improved and the patient recovered without any sequelae. Conclusion To date, no general accepted guidelines for the treatment of cisplatin overdoses are available. Along with the experience from other published cases, our report shows that plasmapheresis is capable of lowering cisplatin plasma and serum levels efficiently. Therefore, plasma exchange performed as soon as possible can ameliorate all side effects of a cisplatin overdose and be a potential tool for clinicians for treatment. However, additional intensive supportive treatment-modalities are necessary to control all occurring side effects.

  2. Quantitative flow characteristics for side-by-side square cylinders via PIV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dogan Sercan

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available In this study, instantaneous and time-averaged flow structures downstream of the sharp-edged single and two and three side-by-side square cylinders (SCs immersed in a uniform open channel water flow were studied by a technique of particle image velocimetry (PIV. Experimental results of wake flow structures were presented for gap ratios (G/D in the range of 1.0”G/D”3.0 for Reynolds number values of 1050, 2450 and 3400. Flow structures depending on the square cylinder (SC configurations and Reynolds number were discussed. It has been found that the development of the vortex shedding as well as the flow structure were substantially altered for side-by-side SCs comparing to the single SC. Asymmetrical and biased wake structures were observed because of the jetlike flow between the SCs for two SCs cases for the gap ratio less than 2.0. Depending on the gap spacing between the SCs, the interaction results of time2 averaged vorticity, velocity vector field, Reynolds stress correlations and streamline patterns in the wake region form a distinguished flow structure. Strouhal numbers for the single square cylinder for 1050≤Re≤3400 are found in the range of 0.12-0.13. The present results have supported the previous works by providing detailed quantitative experimental information with PIV in the wake region of the SC and might be helpful for validation of numerical studies and designers.

  3. Equilibrium and matching under price controls

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herings, P.J.J.

    2015-01-01

    The paper considers a one-to-one matching with contracts model in the presence of price controls. This set-up contains two important streams in the matching literature, those with and those without monetary transfers, as special cases and allows for intermediate cases with some restrictions on the

  4. Reliability and accuracy of four dental shade-matching devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim-Pusateri, Seungyee; Brewer, Jane D; Davis, Elaine L; Wee, Alvin G

    2009-03-01

    There are several electronic shade-matching instruments available for clinical use, but the reliability and accuracy of these instruments have not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of 4 dental shade-matching instruments in a standardized environment. Four shade-matching devices were tested: SpectroShade, ShadeVision, VITA Easyshade, and ShadeScan. Color measurements were made of 3 commercial shade guides (Vitapan Classical, Vitapan 3D-Master, and Chromascop). Shade tabs were placed in the middle of a gingival matrix (Shofu GUMY) with shade tabs of the same nominal shade from additional shade guides placed on both sides. Measurements were made of the central region of the shade tab positioned inside a black box. For the reliability assessment, each shade tab from each of the 3 shade guide types was measured 10 times. For the accuracy assessment, each shade tab from 10 guides of each of the 3 types evaluated was measured once. Differences in reliability and accuracy were evaluated using the Standard Normal z test (2 sided) (alpha=.05) with Bonferroni correction. Reliability of devices was as follows: ShadeVision, 99.0%; SpectroShade, 96.9%; VITA Easyshade, 96.4%; and ShadeScan, 87.4%. A significant difference in reliability was found between ShadeVision and ShadeScan (P=.008). All other comparisons showed similar reliability. Accuracy of devices was as follows: VITA Easyshade, 92.6%; ShadeVision, 84.8%; SpectroShade, 80.2%; and ShadeScan, 66.8%. Significant differences in accuracy were found between all device pairs (Preliability (over 96%), indicating predictable shade values from repeated measurements. However, there was more variability in accuracy among devices (67-93%), and differences in accuracy were seen with most device comparisons.

  5. Pathogenesis-based treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting--two new agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navari, Rudolph M

    2003-01-01

    Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is associated with a significant deterioration in quality of life. The emetogenicity of the chemotherapeutic agents, repeated chemotherapy cycles, and patient risk factors (female gender, younger age, alcohol consumption, history of motion sickness) are the major risk factors for CINV. The use of 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists plus dexamethasone has significantly improved the control of acute CINV, but delayed nausea and vomiting remains a significant clinical problem. Although the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, dexamethasone, and metoclopramide have been used to prevent delayed CINV, only dexamethasone appears to have much efficacy with acceptable toxicity. Recent studies have introduced two new agents, palonosetron and aprepitant, for the prevention of both acute and delayed CINV. Palonosetron is a new 5-HT3 receptor antagonist with a longer half life and a higher binding affinity than older 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. It improves the complete response rate (no emesis, no need for rescue) of acute and delayed CINV in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy compared to the older 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The other agent, aprepitant, is the first agent available in the new drug class of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists. When added to a standard regimen of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy, it improves the complete response rate of acute CINV. Aprepitant also improves the complete response of delayed CINV when compared to placebo and when used in combination with dexamethasone compared to dexamethasone alone. Acute and delayed nausea may also be improved by aprepitant when used in combination with a 5-HT3 and dexamethasone prechemotherapy or with daily dosing for 3-5 days following chemotherapy. Based on these studies, new guidelines for the prevention of CINV are proposed. Future studies may consider the use of

  6. Multi-Robot Item Delivery and Foraging: Two Sides of a Coin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somchaya Liemhetcharat

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Multi-robot foraging has been widely studied in the literature, and the general assumption is that the robots are simple, i.e., with limited processing and carrying capacity. We previously studied continuous foraging with slightly more capable robots, and in this article, we are interested in using similar robots for item delivery. Interestingly, item delivery and foraging are two sides of the same coin: foraging an item from a location is similar to satisfying a demand. We formally define the multi-robot item delivery problem and show that the continuous foraging problem is a special case of it. We contribute distributed multi-robot algorithms that solve the item delivery and foraging problems and describe how our shared world model is synchronized across the multi-robot team. We performed extensive experiments on simulated robots using a Java simulator, and we present our results to demonstrate that we outperform benchmark algorithms from multi-robot foraging.

  7. A Polygon and Point-Based Approach to Matching Geospatial Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan J. Ruiz-Lendínez

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A methodology for matching bidimensional entities is presented in this paper. The matching is proposed for both area and point features extracted from geographical databases. The procedure used to obtain homologous entities is achieved in a two-step process: The first matching, polygon to polygon matching (inter-element matching, is obtained by means of a genetic algorithm that allows the classifying of area features from two geographical databases. After this, we apply a point to point matching (intra-element matching based on the comparison of changes in their turning functions. This study shows that genetic algorithms are suitable for matching polygon features even if these features are quite different. Our results show up to 40% of matched polygons with differences in geometrical attributes. With regards to point matching, the vertex from homologous polygons, the function and threshold values proposed in this paper show a useful method for obtaining precise vertex matching.

  8. Fast method for geometric calibration of detectors and matching testing between two detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pechenova, O.Yu.

    2002-01-01

    A fast method of geometric calibration of detectors has been proposed. The main idea of this method is to determine offsets by fitting the real data distribution by analytic functions which describe the motion of one detector relative to the other one. This method can be applicable to offsets determination for one detector relative to the other detector or for one part of the detector relative to its other part. The detectors should be placed perpendicular to the beam axis. The form of analytic functions depends on the geometry of the experiment and direction of the coordinate axes. The analytic functions have been obtained using the rotation matrices. This method can be applied to the matching testing between two detectors

  9. Fast image matching algorithm based on projection characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lijuan; Yue, Xiaobo; Zhou, Lijun

    2011-06-01

    Based on analyzing the traditional template matching algorithm, this paper identified the key factors restricting the speed of matching and put forward a brand new fast matching algorithm based on projection. Projecting the grayscale image, this algorithm converts the two-dimensional information of the image into one-dimensional one, and then matches and identifies through one-dimensional correlation, meanwhile, because of normalization has been done, when the image brightness or signal amplitude increasing in proportion, it could also perform correct matching. Experimental results show that the projection characteristics based image registration method proposed in this article could greatly improve the matching speed, which ensuring the matching accuracy as well.

  10. Structural comparison of arabinoxylans from two barley side-stream fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitkänen, Leena; Tuomainen, Päivi; Virkki, Liisa; Aseyev, Vladimir; Tenkanen, Maija

    2008-07-09

    The structures of barley ( Hordeum vulgare) arabinoxylans isolated from two industrial side fractions, barley husks (BH) and barley fiber (BF), were characterized. Arabinoxylans were extracted with saturated barium hydroxide after enzymatic pretreatment. Barium hydroxide was selective toward arabinoxylans, and only a minor amount of glucose-containing material was coextracted. Acid methanolysis followed by gas chromatography, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and specific enzymatic treatments followed by anion exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) revealed that the chemical structure of barley husk arabinoxylan (BHAX) clearly differed from that of barley fiber arabinoxylan (BFAX). BFAX was more branched, containing more beta-D-xylopyranosyl (beta-D-Xylp) residues carrying alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (alpha-L-Araf) units at both O-2 and O-3 positions. BHAX, on the other hand, contained more 2-O-beta-D-Xyl p-alpha-L-Ara f substituents than BFAX. BHAX and BFAX also differed with respect to the hydrodynamic properties investigated with multidetector size exclusion chromatography. BFAX had a higher weight-average molar mass and larger hydrodynamic volume, the latter indicating less dense conformation than BHAX. Mn, Mw /Mn, Rh, and the Mark-Houwink a value were also determined for both arabinoxylans.

  11. Two Strategies Of Agent-Based Modelling Application For Management Of Lakeland Landscapes At A Regional Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giełda-Pinas Katarzyna

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This work presents two different strategies of ABM for management of selected lakeland landscapes and their impact on sustainable development. Two different lakeland research areas as well as two different sets of agents and their decision rules were compared. In Strategy 1 decisions made by farmers and their influence on the land use/cover pattern as well as the indirect consequence of phosphorus and nitrogen delivery to the water bodies were investigated. In this strategy, a group of farmer agents is encouraged to participate in an agri-environmental program. The Strategy 2 combines the decisions of farmers, foresters and local authorities. The agents in the model share a common goal to produce a spatial plan. The land use/cover patterns arising from different attitudes and decision rules of the involved actors were investigated. As the basic spatial unit, the first strategy employed a landscape unit, i.e. lake catchment whereas the second strategy used an administrative unit, i.e. commune. Both strategies resulted in different land use/cover patterns and changes, which were evaluated in terms of sustainability policy. The main conclusion for Strategy 1 is that during 5 years of farmer’s participation in the agri-environmental program, there was significant decrease of nutrient leaching to the lake. The main conclusion for Strategy 2 should be stated that cooperating of the agents is better for the natural environment than the competitions between them. In both strategies, agents’ decisions influence the environment but different spatial units of analysis express this environment.

  12. Selecting foils for identification lineups: matching suspects or descriptions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tunnicliff, J L; Clark, S E

    2000-04-01

    Two experiments directly compare two methods of selecting foils for identification lineups. The suspect-matched method selects foils based on their match to the suspect, whereas the description-matched method selects foils based on their match to the witness's description of the perpetrator. Theoretical analyses and previous results predict an advantage for description-matched lineups both in terms of correctly identifying the perpetrator and minimizing false identification of innocent suspects. The advantage for description-matched lineups should be particularly pronounced if the foils selected in suspect-matched lineups are too similar to the suspect. In Experiment 1, the lineups were created by trained police officers, and in Experiment 2, the lineups were constructed by undergraduate college students. The results of both experiments showed higher suspect-to-foil similarity for suspect-matched lineups than for description-matched lineups. However, neither experiment showed a difference in correct or false identification rates. Both experiments did, however, show that there may be an advantage for suspect-matched lineups in terms of no-pick and rejection responses. From these results, the endorsement of one method over the other seems premature.

  13. Ultrasonically induced dynamics of a contrast agent microbubble between two parallel elastic walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doinikov, Alexander A; Bouakaz, Ayache

    2013-01-01

    This work presents the derivation of a Rayleigh–Plesset-like equation that describes the radial oscillation of a contrast agent microbubble between two elastic walls, assuming that the bubble is attached to one of them. The obtained equation is then used in numerical simulations in order to establish how the presence of the second wall affects the resonance properties and the scattered echo of the contrast microbubble. The effect of encapsulation on the dynamics of the microbubble is simulated by the Marmottant shell model which is commonly used for the modeling of the dynamics of lipid-shelled contrast agents. Two cases are examined. In the first, the mechanical properties of the walls are set to correspond to OptiCell chambers which are widely used in experiments on microbubble contrast agents. In the second, the properties of the walls correspond to walls of blood vessels. It is shown that the presence of the second wall increases the resonance frequency of the contrast microbubble and decreases the amplitudes of the radial oscillation and the scattered echo of the microbubble as compared to the case that the second wall is absent. It is also shown that the presence of the second wall can change noticeably the intensity of the second harmonic in the spectrum of the scattered pressure. It is demonstrated that, depending on the value of the driving frequency, the presence of the second wall can either increase or decrease the intensity of the second harmonic as compared to its intensity in the case that the second wall is absent. (paper)

  14. Research on Battery Energy Storage System Based on User Side

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qian; Zhang, Yichi; Yun, Zejian; Wang, Xuguang; Zhang, Dong; Bian, Di

    2018-01-01

    This paper introduces the effect of user side energy storage on the user side and the network side, a battery energy storage system for the user side is designed. The main circuit topology of the battery energy storage system based on the user side is given, the structure is mainly composed of two parts: DC-DC two-way half bridge converter and DC-AC two-way converter, a control strategy combining battery charging and discharging characteristics is proposed to decouple the grid side and the energy storage side, and the block diagram of the charging and discharging control of the energy storage system is given. The simulation results show that the battery energy storage system of the user side can not only realize reactive power compensation of low-voltage distribution network, but also improve the power quality of the users.

  15. Coarse-to-fine region selection and matching

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Yanchao

    2015-10-15

    We present a new approach to wide baseline matching. We propose to use a hierarchical decomposition of the image domain and coarse-to-fine selection of regions to match. In contrast to interest point matching methods, which sample salient regions to reduce the cost of comparing all regions in two images, our method eliminates regions systematically to achieve efficiency. One advantage of our approach is that it is not restricted to covariant salient regions, which is too restrictive under large viewpoint and leads to few corresponding regions. Affine invariant matching of regions in the hierarchy is achieved efficiently by a coarse-to-fine search of the affine space. Experiments on two benchmark datasets shows that our method finds more correct correspondence of the image (with fewer false alarms) than other wide baseline methods on large viewpoint change. © 2015 IEEE.

  16. Incremental Design of Perishable Goods Markets through Multi-Agent Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuo Miyashita

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In current markets of perishable goods such as fish and vegetables, sellers are typically in a weak bargaining position, since perishable products cannot be stored for long without losing their value. To avoid the risk of spoiling products, sellers have few alternatives other than selling their goods at the prices offered by buyers in the markets. The market mechanism needs to be reformed in order to resolve unfairness between sellers and buyers. Double auction markets, which collect bids from both sides of the trades and match them, allow sellers to participate proactively in the price-making process. However, in perishable goods markets, sellers have an incentive to discount their bid gradually for fear of spoiling unsold goods. Buyers can take advantage of sellers’ discounted bids to increase their profit by strategic bidding. To solve the problem, we incrementally improve an online double auction mechanism for perishable goods markets, which promotes buyers’ truthful bidding by penalizing their failed bids without harming their individual rationality. We evaluate traders’ behavior under several market conditions using multi-agent simulations and show that the developed mechanism achieves fair resource allocation among traders.

  17. Transform domain Wyner-Ziv video coding with refinement of noise residue and side information

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Xin; Forchhammer, Søren

    2010-01-01

    are successively updating the estimated noise residue for noise modeling and side information frame quality during decoding. Experimental results show that the proposed decoder can improve the Rate- Distortion (RD) performance of a state-of-the-art Wyner Ziv video codec for the set of test sequences.......Distributed Video Coding (DVC) is a video coding paradigm which mainly exploits the source statistics at the decoder based on the availability of side information at the decoder. This paper considers feedback channel based Transform Domain Wyner-Ziv (TDWZ) DVC. The coding efficiency of TDWZ video...... coding does not match that of conventional video coding yet, mainly due to the quality of side information and inaccurate noise estimation. In this context, a novel TDWZ video decoder with noise residue refinement (NRR) and side information refinement (SIR) is proposed. The proposed refinement schemes...

  18. Reconstruction of networks from one-step data by matching positions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jianshe; Dang, Ni; Jiao, Yang

    2018-05-01

    It is a challenge in estimating the topology of a network from short time series data. In this paper, matching positions is developed to reconstruct the topology of a network from only one-step data. We consider a general network model of coupled agents, in which the phase transformation of each node is determined by its neighbors. From the phase transformation information from one step to the next, the connections of the tail vertices are reconstructed firstly by the matching positions. Removing the already reconstructed vertices, and repeatedly reconstructing the connections of tail vertices, the topology of the entire network is reconstructed. For sparse scale-free networks with more than ten thousands nodes, we almost obtain the actual topology using only the one-step data in simulations.

  19. The use of monoamine pharmacological agents in the treatment of sexual dysfunction: evidence in the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moll, Jennifer L; Brown, Candace S

    2011-04-01

    The monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine play an important role in many medical and psychological conditions, including sexual responsiveness and behavior. Pharmacological agents that modulate monoamines may help alleviate sexual dysfunction. To provide an overview of pharmacological agents that modulate monoamines and their use in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. EMBASE and PubMed search for articles published between 1950 and 2010 using key words "sexual dysfunction,"monoamines,"monoaminergic receptors," and "generic names for pharmacological agents." To assess the literature evaluating the efficacy of monoamine pharmacologic agents used in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. The literature primarily cites the use of monoaminergic agents to treat sexual side effects from serotonergic reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), with bupropion, buspirone and ropinirole providing the most convincing evidence. Controlled trials have shown that bupropion improves overall sexual dysfunction, but not frequency of sexual activity in depressed and nondepressed patients. Nefazodone and apomorphine have been used to treat sexual dysfunction, but their use is limited by significant side effect and safety profiles. New research on pharmacologic agents with subtype selectivity at dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors and those that possess dual mechanisms of action are being investigated. There has been tremendous progress over the past 50 years in understanding the role of monoamines in sexual function and the effect of pharmacologic agents which stimulate or antagonize monoaminergic receptors on sexual dysfunction. Nevertheless, large, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of currently available agents in populations without comorbid disorders are limited, preventing adequate interpretation of data. Continued research on sexual function and specific receptor subtypes will result in the development of more selective

  20. Comparison between risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic agent and haloperidol, a conventional agent used to treat schizophrenia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, A.; Jawed, M.; Maheshwari, M.P.

    2012-01-01

    An observational and comparative study was conducted to compare the functional outcome between the patients treated with conventional antipsychotic agent haloperidol and typical antipsychotic agent, Risperidone (Risperidal). A total of 32 patients were included in the study with established schizophrenia according to (DSM iv). The data was processed on SSPE 10th version. The primary outcome measure was the improvement of negative symptoms of schizophrenia and secondary outcome measure was to observe the superiority of the atypical drug Risperid one over conventional agent haloperidol regarding side effects. Patients were assessed at baseline, 2nd and 8th week, using four tools of assessment. For treatment group receiving haloperidol mean was 47.2+-11.50 at 8th week and for Risperidone treatment group mean was 43+-14.68. The P values for all the parameters in the Clozapine group were significant as compared to haloperidol. (author)

  1. Amine : une plate-forme pour le développement de systèmes et d’agents intelligents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karim Bouzoubaa

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an overview of Amine ; a multi-layer and open-source platform, implemented in Java and dedicated to the development of intelligent systems and agents. Amine is composed of four layers : a a kernel layer that enables the creation, edition, update and manipulation of multi-lingua ontologies, b an algebraic layer that offers a set of elementary data types, structured types and various matching-based operations, c a programming layer that provides three programming paradigms: i an ontology or memory-based programming paradigm which is concerned by incremental and automatic integration of knowledge in an ontology (or agent memory, ii a pattern-matching and rule-based programming paradigm, embedded in PROLOG+CG language, and iii an activation and propagation-based programming paradigm, embedded in SYNERGY language, and d an agent and multi-agent systems layer that enables the development of agent-based applications.

  2. Pulsed Power Generators For Two-section Lia Relativistic Magnetron Driver

    CERN Document Server

    Agafonov, A V; Pevchev, V P

    2004-01-01

    Two prototypes of pulsed power generators for a two-sectional LIA - specialized driver of a relativistic magnetron were constructed and tested. The driver for the double-sided powering of a relativistic magnetron consists of two identical sets of induction modules (two sections of LIA) with inner electrodes - vacuum adders connected to both sides of a coaxial magnetron. It provides the symmetric power flowing in a magnetron and a possibility of localising of the electron flow in magnetron interaction region. The first generator designed for a small-scale laboratory installation provides the output pulses of 100 ns in duration with voltage amplitude of 50 kV at repetition rate of 1 pps. The construction of the generator is based on the application of experimental capacitor banks designed as a pulse forming line with the next parameters: charging voltage - 80 kV, impedance - 1,7 Ohm, pulse duration - 80 ns at a matched load. The second generator was designed for 1 MV integrated LIA - magnetron system. It cons...

  3. The V0 detector is two disks of counters in both sides of the interaction point.

    CERN Multimedia

    Grossiord, Jean-Yves

    2006-01-01

    The V0 detector is two disks of counters in both sides of the interaction point. Here is the V0C disk to be fixed on the front face of the muon spectrometer absorber. It is made of 48 scintillating elements coupled to two wavelength fibre layers which emit and guide the light up to connrctors arounda case made of Carbon fibre plates. The light going out of connectors is collected by an optical fibre bundle and transmitted at 3 metres to photo-multipliers which convert light to electrical signal. The elements are set in the case following 2 small rings of 8 counters and 2 large rings of 16 counters grouped two by two. 32 channels of detection distributed around the LHC beam pipe constitute thus the detector

  4. Probability matching and strategy availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, Derek J; James, Greta

    2010-09-01

    Findings from two experiments indicate that probability matching in sequential choice arises from an asymmetry in strategy availability: The matching strategy comes readily to mind, whereas a superior alternative strategy, maximizing, does not. First, compared with the minority who spontaneously engage in maximizing, the majority of participants endorse maximizing as superior to matching in a direct comparison when both strategies are described. Second, when the maximizing strategy is brought to their attention, more participants subsequently engage in maximizing. Third, matchers are more likely than maximizers to base decisions in other tasks on their initial intuitions, suggesting that they are more inclined to use a choice strategy that comes to mind quickly. These results indicate that a substantial subset of probability matchers are victims of "underthinking" rather than "overthinking": They fail to engage in sufficient deliberation to generate a superior alternative to the matching strategy that comes so readily to mind.

  5. Morphological and Molecular Identification of the Causal Agent of Anthracnose Disease of Avocado in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimaru, S K; Monda, E; Cheruiyot, R C; Mbaka, J; Alakonya, A

    2018-01-01

    Anthracnose disease of avocado contributes to a huge loss of avocado fruits due to postharvest rot in Kenya. The causal agent of this disease has not been clear but presumed to be Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as reported in other regions where avocado is grown. The fungus mainly infects fruits causing symptoms such as small blackish spots, "pepper spots," and black spots with raised margin which coalesce as infection progresses. Due to economic losses associated with the disease and emerging information of other species of fungi as causal agents of the disease, this study was aimed at identifying causal agent(s) of the disease. A total of 80 fungal isolates were collected from diseased avocado fruits in Murang'a County, the main avocado growing region in Kenya. Forty-six isolates were morphologically identified as Colletotrichum spp. based on their cultural characteristics, mainly whitish, greyish, and creamish colour and cottony/velvety mycelia on the top side of the culture and greyish cream with concentric zonation on the reverse side. Their spores were straight with rounded end and nonseptate. Thirty-four isolates were identified as Pestalotiopsis spp. based on their cultural characteristics: whitish grey mycelium with black fruiting structure on the upper side and greyish black one on the lower side and septate spores with 3-4 septa and 2 or 3 appendages at one end. Further molecular studies using ITS indicated Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , Colletotrichum boninense , and Pestalotiopsis microspora as the causal agents of anthracnose disease in avocado. However, with this being the first report, there is a need to conduct further studies to establish whether there is coinfection or any interaction thereof.

  6. Morphological and Molecular Identification of the Causal Agent of Anthracnose Disease of Avocado in Kenya

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. K. Kimaru

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Anthracnose disease of avocado contributes to a huge loss of avocado fruits due to postharvest rot in Kenya. The causal agent of this disease has not been clear but presumed to be Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as reported in other regions where avocado is grown. The fungus mainly infects fruits causing symptoms such as small blackish spots, “pepper spots,” and black spots with raised margin which coalesce as infection progresses. Due to economic losses associated with the disease and emerging information of other species of fungi as causal agents of the disease, this study was aimed at identifying causal agent(s of the disease. A total of 80 fungal isolates were collected from diseased avocado fruits in Murang’a County, the main avocado growing region in Kenya. Forty-six isolates were morphologically identified as Colletotrichum spp. based on their cultural characteristics, mainly whitish, greyish, and creamish colour and cottony/velvety mycelia on the top side of the culture and greyish cream with concentric zonation on the reverse side. Their spores were straight with rounded end and nonseptate. Thirty-four isolates were identified as Pestalotiopsis spp. based on their cultural characteristics: whitish grey mycelium with black fruiting structure on the upper side and greyish black one on the lower side and septate spores with 3-4 septa and 2 or 3 appendages at one end. Further molecular studies using ITS indicated Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Colletotrichum boninense, and Pestalotiopsis microspora as the causal agents of anthracnose disease in avocado. However, with this being the first report, there is a need to conduct further studies to establish whether there is coinfection or any interaction thereof.

  7. Neuraminidase and hemagglutinin matching patterns of a highly pathogenic avian and two pandemic H1N1 influenza A viruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonghui Zhang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Influenza A virus displays strong reassortment characteristics, which enable it to achieve adaptation in human infection. Surveying the reassortment and virulence of novel viruses is important in the prevention and control of an influenza pandemic. Meanwhile, studying the mechanism of reassortment may accelerate the development of anti-influenza strategies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The hemagglutinin (HA and neuraminidase (NA matching patterns of two pandemic H1N1 viruses (the 1918 and current 2009 strains and a highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1 were studied using a pseudotyped particle (pp system. Our data showed that four of the six chimeric HA/NA combinations could produce infectious pps, and that some of the chimeric pps had greater infectivity than did their ancestors, raising the possibility of reassortment among these viruses. The NA of H5N1 (A/Anhui/1/2005 could hardly reassort with the HAs of the two H1N1 viruses. Many biological characteristics of HA and NA, including infectivity, hemagglutinating ability, and NA activity, are dependent on their matching pattern. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggest the existence of an interaction between HA and NA, and the HA NA matching pattern is critical for valid viral reassortment.

  8. Clinical effect of Cystenosine on leukocytopenia at the time of therapy with radiation and antineoplastic agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Kazuhide; Usui, Ryu; Inoue, Hiroshi; Mihashi, Norio; Niibe, Hideo.

    1977-01-01

    Out of 62 cases, 25 cases received only radiotherapy, 11 cases received both radiotherapy and antineoplastic agents, and 26 cases received only antineoplastic agents. Total dose of x-ray ranges from 3000 to 6200 rad in 18 of 36 cases of the former two groups, and 2600 to 6260 rad of 60 Co dose were irradiated to 18 cases of the rest. This agent was administered 9 tablets per a day (one tablet contains 200 mg of inosine and 20 mg of cystine) for 19 to 142 days. Its effects on leukocytopenia showed marked effectiveness in 9 out of 25 cases treated with only radiation, effectiveness in 8 cases, and ineffectiveness in 3 cases. Its effective rate was 72.8%. The effective rate was 65.4% in the cases treated with only antineoplastic agents, and was 67.7% in all cases. A certain relationship between dose and the effective rate was not recognized. Radiation sickness, such as loss of appetite general fatigue and mausea, decreased gradually by using this agent. Side effect was not recognized particularly. (Kanao. N.)

  9. Medium scale test study of chemical cleaning technique for secondary side of SG in PWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Mengqin; Zhang Shufeng; Yu Jinghua; Hou Shufeng

    1997-08-01

    The medium scale test study of chemical cleaning technique for removing corrosion product (Fe 3 O 4 ) in secondary side of SG in PWR has been completed. The test has been carried out in a medium scale test loop. The medium scale test evaluated the effect of the chemical cleaning technique (temperature, flow rate, cleaning time, cleaning process), the state of corrosion product deposition on magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) solubility and safety of materials of SG in cleaning process. The inhibitor component of chemical cleaning agent has been improved by electrochemical linear polarization method, the effect of inhibitor on corrosion resistance of materials have been examined in the medium scale test loop, the most components of chemical cleaning agent have been obtained, the EDTA is main component in cleaning agent. The electrochemical method for monitor corrosion of materials during cleaning process has been completed in the laboratory. The study of the medium scale test of chemical cleaning technique have had the optimum chemical cleaning technique for remove corrosion product in SG secondary side of PWR. (9 refs., 4 figs., 11 tabs.)

  10. Matching modes between HIRFL and CSR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, J.Y.; Li, H.H.; Yuan, Y.J.

    2001-01-01

    National key scientific project 'HIRFL-CSR Cooler Storage Ring' makes use of existing HIRFL as its pre-accelerator. In order to take the full capability of HIRFL, we have studied in detailed the matching modes between HIRFL and CSR. It is proposed to use two matching modes: direct matching between SFC (HIRFL injector cyclotron) and CSRm (CSR main ring), three-cascade matching of SFC, SSC (HIRFL main cyclotron) and CSRm. With these combinations, better beam transmission efficiency, better beam utilization efficiency of HIRFL-CSR accelerator complex and better operation efficiency of HIRFL can be obtained. In the first case, SSC can be used simultaneously in other purposes, either to accelerate medium energy heavy ions or to accelerate protons combined with another small cyclotron

  11. University Reactor Matching Grants Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    John Valentine; Farzad Rahnema; Said Abdel-Khalik

    2003-01-01

    During the 2002 Fiscal year, funds from the DOE matching grant program, along with matching funds from the industrial sponsors, have been used to support research in the area of thermal-hydraulics. Both experimental and numerical research projects have been performed. Experimental research focused on two areas: (1) Identification of the root cause mechanism for axial offset anomaly in pressurized water reactors under prototypical reactor conditions, and (2) Fluid dynamic aspects of thin liquid film protection schemes for inertial fusion reactor chambers. Numerical research focused on two areas: (1) Multi-fluid modeling of both two-phase and two-component flows for steam conditioning and mist cooling applications, and (2) Modeling of bounded Rayleigh-Taylor instability with interfacial mass transfer and fluid injection through a porous wall simulating the ''wetted wall'' protection scheme in inertial fusion reactor chambers. Details of activities in these areas are given

  12. Is Matching Innate?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallistel, C. R.; King, Adam Philip; Gottlieb, Daniel; Balci, Fuat; Papachristos, Efstathios B.; Szalecki, Matthew; Carbone, Kimberly S.

    2007-01-01

    Experimentally naive mice matched the proportions of their temporal investments (visit durations) in two feeding hoppers to the proportions of the food income (pellets per unit session time) derived from them in three experiments that varied the coupling between the behavioral investment and food income, from no coupling to strict coupling.…

  13. 76 FR 5235 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (SSA Internal Match)-Match Number 1014

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-28

    ...; Computer Matching Program (SSA Internal Match)--Match Number 1014 AGENCY: Social Security Administration... regarding protections for such persons. The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching....C. 552a, as amended, and the provisions of the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988...

  14. The influence of upper limb position on the effect of a contrast agent in chest CT enhancement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Shi-Ting; Wang, Meng; Gao, Zhenhua; Tan, Guosheng; Cai, Huasong; Hu, Xiaoshu; Yang, Jianyong; Li, Zi-Ping

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To compare the influence of two different upper limb positions on contrast agent effects in chest CT enhancement. Materials and methods: In 142 patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT chest scanning, an indwelling venous catheter was placed in the right hand and iodinated contrast agent was injected through a high-pressure single syringe pump. The patients were divided into three age groups (<40 years; 40–60 years; and >60 years) and randomly assigned to one of two upper limb position groups: (1) supine position, both upper limbs extended and raised above head in the same horizontal plane as the body; and (2) supine position, both upper limbs raised and crossed on the forehead, with the right arm on top. Differences in mean CT values on the two sides of the thoracic inlet along the right subclavian vein were used to evaluate the effects of the contrast agent. Results: Although contrast agent effects were not significantly different among the three age groups with either limb position, there was a significant difference between patients adopting the second limb positions (Chi-square value was 5.936, P < 0.05). An excellent or good contrast agent effect was observed in 63.08% of patients assuming the first limb position, as compared with 81.69% assuming the second position. Conclusion: For contrast-enhanced CT chest scans, use of the second limb position can reduce retention of the contrast agent in the right axillary vein and the right subclavian vein outside the thorax, increase contrast agent utilization, and decrease artifacts caused by high-density, local retention of the contrast agent

  15. Citation Matching in Sanskrit Corpora Using Local Alignment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Abhinandan S.; Rao, Shrisha

    Citation matching is the problem of finding which citation occurs in a given textual corpus. Most existing citation matching work is done on scientific literature. The goal of this paper is to present methods for performing citation matching on Sanskrit texts. Exact matching and approximate matching are the two methods for performing citation matching. The exact matching method checks for exact occurrence of the citation with respect to the textual corpus. Approximate matching is a fuzzy string-matching method which computes a similarity score between an individual line of the textual corpus and the citation. The Smith-Waterman-Gotoh algorithm for local alignment, which is generally used in bioinformatics, is used here for calculating the similarity score. This similarity score is a measure of the closeness between the text and the citation. The exact- and approximate-matching methods are evaluated and compared. The methods presented can be easily applied to corpora in other Indic languages like Kannada, Tamil, etc. The approximate-matching method can in particular be used in the compilation of critical editions and plagiarism detection in a literary work.

  16. A thermoelectric generator using loop heat pipe and design match for maximum-power generation

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Bin-Juine

    2015-09-05

    The present study focuses on the thermoelectric generator (TEG) using loop heat pipe (LHP) and design match for maximum-power generation. The TEG uses loop heat pipe, a passive cooling device, to dissipate heat without consuming power and free of noise. The experiments for a TEG with 4W rated power show that the LHP performs very well with overall thermal resistance 0.35 K W-1, from the cold side of TEG module to the ambient. The LHP is able to dissipate heat up to 110W and is maintenance free. The TEG design match for maximum-power generation, called “near maximum-power point operation (nMPPO)”, is studied to eliminate the MPPT (maximum-power point tracking controller). nMPPO is simply a system design which properly matches the output voltage of TEG with the battery. It is experimentally shown that TEG using design match for maximum-power generation (nMPPO) performs better than TEG with MPPT.

  17. Technical performance and match-to-match variation in elite football teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongyou; Gómez, Miguel-Angel; Gonçalves, Bruno; Sampaio, Jaime

    2016-01-01

    Recent research suggests that match-to-match variation adds important information to performance descriptors in team sports, as it helps measure how players fine-tune their tactical behaviours and technical actions to the extreme dynamical environments. The current study aims to identify the differences in technical performance of players from strong and weak teams and to explore match-to-match variation of players' technical match performance. Performance data of all the 380 matches of season 2012-2013 in the Spanish First Division Professional Football League were analysed. Twenty-one performance-related match actions and events were chosen as variables in the analyses. Players' technical performance profiles were established by unifying count values of each action or event of each player per match into the same scale. Means of these count values of players from Top3 and Bottom3 teams were compared and plotted into radar charts. Coefficient of variation of each match action or event within a player was calculated to represent his match-to-match variation of technical performance. Differences in the variation of technical performances of players across different match contexts (team and opposition strength, match outcome and match location) were compared. All the comparisons were achieved by the magnitude-based inferences. Results showed that technical performances differed between players of strong and weak teams from different perspectives across different field positions. Furthermore, the variation of the players' technical performance is affected by the match context, with effects from team and opposition strength greater than effects from match location and match outcome.

  18. Stabilization of Gob-Side Entry with an Artificial Side for Sustaining Mining Work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong-sheng Wang

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available A concrete artificial side (AS is introduced to stabilize a gob-side entry (GSE. To evaluate the stability of the AS, a uniaxial compression failure experiment was conducted with large and small-scale specimens. The distribution characteristics of the shear stress were obtained from a numerical simulation. Based on the failure characteristics and the variation of the shear stress, a failure criterion was determined and implemented in the strengthening method for the artificial side. In an experimental test, the distribution pattern of the maximum shear stress showed an X shape, which contributed to the failure shape of the specimen. The shear stress distribution and failure shape are induced by a combination of two sets of shear stresses, which implies that failure of the AS follows the twin shear strength theory. The use of anchor bolts, bolts, and anchor bars enhances the shear strength of the artificial side. When this side is stable, the components can constrain the lateral deformation as well as improve the internal friction angle and cohesion. When the AS is damaged, the components prevent the sliding of broken blocks along the shear failure plane and improve the residual strength of the artificial side. When reinforced with an anchor bar, the AS is still stable even after mining operations for three years.

  19. Anxiety and depression: individual entities or two sides of the same coin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nutt, David

    2004-01-01

    Several factors have led to suggestions that anxiety and depression are actually the same disease: very frequently, they co-exist; there is an overlap of symptoms between the two conditions; a number of similar agents can be used to treat both mental states; the same neurotransmitters are involved in both anxiety and depressive disorders; and stress can predispose both. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have shown efficacy in a number of neuroses: depression; obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders (panic disorder [PD], social anxiety disorder [SAD], generalised anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder). Furthermore, other drugs, for example, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, are effective in treating both depression and some anxiety disorders. Yet some drugs are only effective in anxiety, for example, benzodiazepines, and this suggests that the two states are actually different. Despite the broad range of conditions that are treated by SSRIs, a number of differences are clear when SSRIs are used in depressive and anxious states. When used in PD and OCD, the effective dose of the SSRI is often higher than when used to treat depression. Furthermore, SSRIs often work more slowly in patients with anxiety compared with those with depression. In order to assess which serotonergic pathways and mechanisms are involved in these conditions, tryptophan depletion tests can be performed. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin (5-HT), so if the SSRI treatment effects are dependent on an increase in synaptic 5-HT levels, depletion will result in a relapse in symptoms. However, if the SSRI treatment works through post-receptor events, then tryptophan depletion will have little effect on the individual's symptoms. In depression, tryptophan depletion induced relapse in patients treated and controlled on SSRIs, but not in those recovered on noradrenergic agents such as desipramine. In some anxious states (PD and

  20. Subcritical Water Hydrolysis of Peptides: Amino Acid Side-Chain Modifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Thomas; Bowra, Steve; Cooper, Helen J.

    2017-09-01

    Previously we have shown that subcritical water may be used as an alternative to enzymatic digestion in the proteolysis of proteins for bottom-up proteomics. Subcritical water hydrolysis of proteins was shown to result in protein sequence coverages greater than or equal to that obtained following digestion with trypsin; however, the percentage of peptide spectral matches for the samples treated with trypsin were consistently greater than for those treated with subcritical water. This observation suggests that in addition to cleavage of the peptide bond, subcritical water treatment results in other hydrolysis products, possibly due to modifications of amino acid side chains. Here, a model peptide comprising all common amino acid residues (VQSIKCADFLHYMENPTWGR) and two further model peptides (VCFQYMDRGDR and VQSIKADFLHYENPTWGR) were treated with subcritical water with the aim of probing any induced amino acid side-chain modifications. The hydrolysis products were analyzed by direct infusion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, either collision-induced dissociation or electron transfer dissociation, and liquid chromatography collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The results show preferential oxidation of cysteine to sulfinic and sulfonic acid, and oxidation of methionine. In the absence of cysteine and methionine, oxidation of tryptophan was observed. In addition, water loss from aspartic acid and C-terminal amidation were observed in harsher subcritical water conditions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  1. A possibility for generation of two species of charge carriers along main-chain and side-chains for a π-conjugated polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudo, Yuki; Kawabata, Kohsuke; Goto, Hiromasa

    2013-01-01

    Iodide doping produces charge carriers in π-conjugated polymers. Solitons can be generated in the case of polyacetylene, and polarons in the case of aromatic-type conjugated polymers. We synthesized a conjugated main-chain/side-chain polymer, which consists of polyene in the main-chain and aromatic-type conjugated units in the side-chains. Based on the SSH (Su, Schrieffer, Heeger) theoretical model of solitons in one-dimensional conjugated polymers, we experimentally carried out chemical doping to the main-chain/side-chains conjugated polymer. Generation of the charge carriers was examined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. This study may lead to realization of a dual doping system of solitons and polarons in π-conjugation expanded to two-dimensional directions in polymers.

  2. Asymptotically Optimal Agents

    OpenAIRE

    Lattimore, Tor; Hutter, Marcus

    2011-01-01

    Artificial general intelligence aims to create agents capable of learning to solve arbitrary interesting problems. We define two versions of asymptotic optimality and prove that no agent can satisfy the strong version while in some cases, depending on discounting, there does exist a non-computable weak asymptotically optimal agent.

  3. Iodinated contrast media and contrast-induced nephropathy: is there a preferred cost-effective agent?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Samin K

    2008-05-01

    Over 20 years have passed since the introduction of the tri-iodinated low-osmolar nonionic contrast agents such as iopamidol, iohexol, ioversol and iopromide. During this time, most cardiology practices have switched to these nonionic agents to avoid the nuisance side effects and cardiac adverse events associated with the older ionic contrast agents. Although the improved tolerability of the nonionic agents is generally attributed to their decreased osmolality (approximately half that of the older ionic contrast agents), in fact, these contrast agents also differ from the older agents in their ionicity, viscosity and direct chemotoxicity. The impact of these properties on safety, together with cost differences, should be considered when selecting a contrast agent.

  4. The DarkSide Program at LNGS

    OpenAIRE

    Wright, Alex; Collaboration, for the DarkSide

    2011-01-01

    DarkSide is a direct detection dark matter program based on two phase time projection chambers with depleted argon targets. The DarkSide detectors are designed, using novel low background techniques and active shielding, to be capable of demonstrating in situ a very low level of residual background. This means that each detector in the DarkSide program should have the ability to make a convincing claim of dark matter detection based on the observation of a few nuclear recoil events. The colla...

  5. Low immunosuppressive burden after HLA-matched related or unrelated BMT using posttransplantation cyclophosphamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanakry, Christopher G; Bolaños-Meade, Javier; Kasamon, Yvette L; Zahurak, Marianna; Durakovic, Nadira; Furlong, Terry; Mielcarek, Marco; Medeot, Marta; Gojo, Ivana; Smith, B Douglas; Kanakry, Jennifer A; Borrello, Ivan M; Brodsky, Robert A; Gladstone, Douglas E; Huff, Carol Ann; Matsui, William H; Swinnen, Lode J; Cooke, Kenneth R; Ambinder, Richard F; Fuchs, Ephraim J; de Lima, Marcos J; Andersson, Borje S; Varadhan, Ravi; O'Donnell, Paul V; Jones, Richard J; Luznik, Leo

    2017-03-09

    The intensive and prolonged immunosuppressive therapy required to prevent or treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation (alloBMT) puts patients at substantial risk for life-threatening infections, organ toxicity, and disease relapse. Posttransplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) can function as single-agent GVHD prophylaxis after myeloablative, HLA-matched related (MRD), or HLA-matched unrelated (MUD) donor T-cell-replete bone marrow allografting, obviating the need for additional prophylactic immunosuppression. However, patients who develop GVHD require supplemental treatment. We assessed the longitudinal requirement for immunosuppressive therapy in 339 patients treated with this transplantation platform: 247 receiving busulfan/cyclophosphamide (BuCy) conditioning (data collected retrospectively) and 92 receiving busulfan/fludarabine (BuFlu) conditioning (data collected prospectively). Approximately 50% of MRD patients and 30% of MUD patients never required immunosuppression beyond PTCy. In patients requiring further immunosuppression, typically only 1 to 2 agents were required, and the median durations of systemic pharmacologic immunosuppression for the BuCy MRD, BuFlu MRD, BuCy MUD, and BuFlu MUD groups all were 4.5 to 5 months. For these 4 groups, 1-year probabilities of being alive and off all systemic immunosuppression were 61%, 53%, 53%, and 51% and 3-year probabilities were 53%, 48%, 49%, and 56%, respectively. These data suggest that PTCy minimizes the global immunosuppressive burden experienced by patients undergoing HLA-matched alloBMT.

  6. Gecko-inspired bidirectional double-sided adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhengzhi; Gu, Ping; Wu, Xiaoping

    2014-05-14

    A new concept of gecko-inspired double-sided adhesives (DSAs) is presented. The DSAs, constructed by dual-angled (i.e. angled base and angled tip) micro-pillars on both sides of the backplane substrate, are fabricated by combinations of angled etching, mould replication, tip modification, and curing bonding. Two types of DSA, symmetric and antisymmetric (i.e. pillars are patterned symmetrically or antisymmetrically relative to the backplane), are fabricated and studied in comparison with the single-sided adhesive (SSA) counterparts through both non-conformal and conformal tests. Results indicate that the DSAs show controllable and bidirectional adhesion. Combination of the two pillar-layers can either amplify (for the antisymmetric DSA, providing a remarkable and durable adhesion capacity of 25.8 ± 2.8 N cm⁻² and a high anisotropy ratio of ∼8) or counteract (for the symmetric DSA, generating almost isotropic adhesion) the adhesion capacity and anisotropic level of one SSA (capacity of 16.2 ± 1.7 N cm⁻² and anisotropy ratio of ∼6). We demonstrate that these two DSAs can be utilized as a facile fastener for two individual objects and a small-scale delivery setup, respectively, complementing the functionality of the commonly studied SSA. As such, the double-sided patterning is believed to be a new branch in the further development of biomimetic dry adhesives.

  7. Systemic Antifungal Agents: Current Status and Projected Future Developments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seyedmousavi, S.; Rafati, H.; Ilkit, M.; Tolooe, A.; Hedayati, M.T.; Verweij, P.E.

    2017-01-01

    By definition, an antifungal agent is a drug that selectively destroys fungal pathogens with minimal side effects to the host. Despite an increase in the prevalence of fungal infections particularly in immunocompromised patients, only a few classes of antifungal drugs are available for therapy, and

  8. Matching of ion sources to cyclotron inflectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baartman, R.

    1988-06-01

    In general, cyclotron inflectors strongly couple the two transverse subspaces. This leads to a growth in emittance projections for a beam with no initial correlation between the two transverse subspaces. Only in the case of the Mueller (hyperboloid) inflector is there no emittance growth. We have made calculations using an optimization routine to match a given beam through the axial injection system. We find that in the limit where all the emittance is due to a beam's axial angular momentum (for example, from an ECR source), matching with no emittance growth is possible even in the case of mirror or spiral inflectors. Moreover, any one of the two transverse emittances circulating in the cyclotron can be made smaller than the source emittance while maintaining the sum of the emittances constant. This is achieved by rotating the matching quadrupoles with respect to the inflector and retuning

  9. Labour Market Intermediaries: A Corrective to the Human Capital Paradigm (Mis)matching Skills and Jobs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobbins, Tony; Plows, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    The orthodox supply-side human capital theory (HCT) paradigm is inadequate for understanding and adjusting to labour market volatility in UK regional economies like Wales. This article explores the role of regional labour market intermediaries (LMIs) in matching supply (skills) and demand (job opportunities) in regional labour markets. Some LMIs…

  10. Posterior Probability Matching and Human Perceptual Decision Making.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard F Murray

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Probability matching is a classic theory of decision making that was first developed in models of cognition. Posterior probability matching, a variant in which observers match their response probabilities to the posterior probability of each response being correct, is being used increasingly often in models of perception. However, little is known about whether posterior probability matching is consistent with the vast literature on vision and hearing that has developed within signal detection theory. Here we test posterior probability matching models using two tools from detection theory. First, we examine the models' performance in a two-pass experiment, where each block of trials is presented twice, and we measure the proportion of times that the model gives the same response twice to repeated stimuli. We show that at low performance levels, posterior probability matching models give highly inconsistent responses across repeated presentations of identical trials. We find that practised human observers are more consistent across repeated trials than these models predict, and we find some evidence that less practised observers more consistent as well. Second, we compare the performance of posterior probability matching models on a discrimination task to the performance of a theoretical ideal observer that achieves the best possible performance. We find that posterior probability matching is very inefficient at low-to-moderate performance levels, and that human observers can be more efficient than is ever possible according to posterior probability matching models. These findings support classic signal detection models, and rule out a broad class of posterior probability matching models for expert performance on perceptual tasks that range in complexity from contrast discrimination to symmetry detection. However, our findings leave open the possibility that inexperienced observers may show posterior probability matching behaviour, and our methods

  11. Optimal Sample Size Determinations for the Heteroscedastic Two One-Sided Tests of Mean Equivalence: Design Schemes and Software Implementations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jan, Show-Li; Shieh, Gwowen

    2017-01-01

    Equivalence assessment is becoming an increasingly important topic in many application areas including behavioral and social sciences research. Although there exist more powerful tests, the two one-sided tests (TOST) procedure is a technically transparent and widely accepted method for establishing statistical equivalence. Alternatively, a direct…

  12. Two staged incentive contract focused on efficiency and innovation matching in critical chain project management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Zhang

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define the relative optimal incentive contract to effectively encourage employees to improve work efficiency while actively implementing innovative behavior. Design/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes a two staged incentive contract coordinated with efficiency and innovation in Critical Chain Project Management using learning real options, based on principle-agent theory. The situational experiment is used to analyze the validity of the basic model. Finding: The two staged incentive scheme is more suitable for employees to create and implement learning real options, which will throw themselves into innovation process efficiently in Critical Chain Project Management. We prove that the combination of tolerance for early failure and reward for long-term success is effective in motivating innovation. Research limitations/implications: We do not include the individual characteristics of uncertain perception, which might affect the consistency of external validity. The basic model and the experiment design need to improve. Practical Implications: The project managers should pay closer attention to early innovation behavior and monitoring feedback of competition time in the implementation of Critical Chain Project Management. Originality/value: The central contribution of this paper is the theoretical and experimental analysis of incentive schemes for innovation in Critical Chain Project Management using the principal-agent theory, to encourage the completion of CCPM methods as well as imitative free-riding on the creative ideas of other members in the team.

  13. State of otolaryngology match: has competition increased since the "early" match?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera-Muffly, Cristina; Sheeder, Jeanelle; Abaza, Mona

    2015-05-01

    To examine fluctuations in supply and demand of otolaryngology residency positions after the shift from an "early match" coordinated by the San Francisco match to a "conventional" matching process through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). To determine whether competition among otolaryngology residency positions have changed during this time frame. Database analysis. Matching statistics from 1998 to 2013 were obtained for all first-year residency positions through the NRMP. Matching statistics from 1998 to 2005 were obtained for otolaryngology residency positions through the San Francisco match. Univariate analysis was performed, with a P value less than .05 determined as significant. The number of otolaryngology positions and applicants remained proportional to the overall number of positions and applicants in the NRMP match. Otolaryngology applicants per position and the matching rate of all applicants did not change between the 2 time periods studied. The overall match rate of US seniors applying to otolaryngology did not change, while the match rate of non-US seniors decreased significantly following initiation of the conventional match. There was no significant change in United States Medical Licensing Exam step 1 scores or percentage of unfilled otolaryngology residency positions between the 2 time periods. When comparing the early versus conventional otolaryngology match time periods, the only major change was the decreased percentage of matching among non-US senior applicants. Despite a significant shift in match timing after 2006, the supply, demand, and competitiveness of otolaryngology residency positions have not changed significantly. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

  14. Impedance-matched Marx generators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. A. Stygar

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available We have conceived a new class of prime-power sources for pulsed-power accelerators: impedance-matched Marx generators (IMGs. The fundamental building block of an IMG is a brick, which consists of two capacitors connected electrically in series with a single switch. An IMG comprises a single stage or several stages distributed axially and connected in series. Each stage is powered by a single brick or several bricks distributed azimuthally within the stage and connected in parallel. The stages of a multistage IMG drive an impedance-matched coaxial transmission line with a conical center conductor. When the stages are triggered sequentially to launch a coherent traveling wave along the coaxial line, the IMG achieves electromagnetic-power amplification by triggered emission of radiation. Hence a multistage IMG is a pulsed-power analogue of a laser. To illustrate the IMG approach to prime power, we have developed conceptual designs of two ten-stage IMGs with LC time constants on the order of 100 ns. One design includes 20 bricks per stage, and delivers a peak electrical power of 1.05 TW to a matched-impedance 1.22-Ω load. The design generates 113 kV per stage and has a maximum energy efficiency of 89%. The other design includes a single brick per stage, delivers 68 GW to a matched-impedance 19-Ω load, generates 113 kV per stage, and has a maximum energy efficiency of 90%. For a given electrical-power-output time history, an IMG is less expensive and slightly more efficient than a linear transformer driver, since an IMG does not use ferromagnetic cores.

  15. Impedance-matched Marx generators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stygar, W. A.; LeChien, K. R.; Mazarakis, M. G.; Savage, M. E.; Stoltzfus, B. S.; Austin, K. N.; Breden, E. W.; Cuneo, M. E.; Hutsel, B. T.; Lewis, S. A.; McKee, G. R.; Moore, J. K.; Mulville, T. D.; Muron, D. J.; Reisman, D. B.; Sceiford, M. E.; Wisher, M. L.

    2017-04-01

    We have conceived a new class of prime-power sources for pulsed-power accelerators: impedance-matched Marx generators (IMGs). The fundamental building block of an IMG is a brick, which consists of two capacitors connected electrically in series with a single switch. An IMG comprises a single stage or several stages distributed axially and connected in series. Each stage is powered by a single brick or several bricks distributed azimuthally within the stage and connected in parallel. The stages of a multistage IMG drive an impedance-matched coaxial transmission line with a conical center conductor. When the stages are triggered sequentially to launch a coherent traveling wave along the coaxial line, the IMG achieves electromagnetic-power amplification by triggered emission of radiation. Hence a multistage IMG is a pulsed-power analogue of a laser. To illustrate the IMG approach to prime power, we have developed conceptual designs of two ten-stage IMGs with L C time constants on the order of 100 ns. One design includes 20 bricks per stage, and delivers a peak electrical power of 1.05 TW to a matched-impedance 1.22 -Ω load. The design generates 113 kV per stage and has a maximum energy efficiency of 89%. The other design includes a single brick per stage, delivers 68 GW to a matched-impedance 19 -Ω load, generates 113 kV per stage, and has a maximum energy efficiency of 90%. For a given electrical-power-output time history, an IMG is less expensive and slightly more efficient than a linear transformer driver, since an IMG does not use ferromagnetic cores.

  16. No Way Out or Swallow the Bait of Two-Sided Exit Options in Negotiation: The Influence of Social Motives and Interpersonal Trust

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Giebels, Ellen; de Dreu, Carsten K.W.; van de Vliert, Evert

    2003-01-01

    In two negotiation experiments with business students we examined effects of the two-sided availability of alternative negotiators in combination with the parties’ social motive. Contrary to our expectation, prosocial negotiators rather than egoistic negotiators were sensitive to the presence of

  17. An Image Matching Method Based on Fourier and LOG-Polar Transform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijia Zhang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This Traditional template matching methods are not appropriate for the situation of large angle rotation between two images in the online detection for industrial production. Aiming at this problem, Fourier transform algorithm was introduced to correct image rotation angle based on its rotatary invariance in time-frequency domain, orienting image under test in the same direction with reference image, and then match these images using matching algorithm based on log-polar transform. Compared with the current matching algorithms, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can not only match two images with rotation of arbitrary angle, but also possess a high matching accuracy and applicability. In addition, the validity and reliability of algorithm was verified by simulated matching experiment targeting circular images.

  18. Comparing outcomes between side-to-side anastomosis and other anastomotic configurations after intestinal resection for patients with Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Zhen; Li, Yi; Zhu, Weiming; Gong, Jianfeng; Li, Ning; Li, Jieshou

    2013-04-01

    Anastomotic configurations may be a predictor of postoperative recurrence for Crohn's disease. One previous meta-analysis showed side-to-side anastomosis was associated with fewer anastomotic leaks but did not reduce postoperative recurrence rates. After 2007, more articles that found distinct results were published. We aimed to update the meta-analysis comparing outcomes between side-to-side anastomosis and other anastomotic configurations after intestinal resection for patients with Crohn's disease. A literature search that included PubMed, EMBASE, the Science Citation Index, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify studies up to May 2012. Trials comparing side-to-side anastomosis with other anastomotic configurations for Crohn's disease were analyzed. Sensitivity analysis and heterogeneity assessment were also performed. Eleven trials compared side-to-side with other anastomotic configurations were included. Overall, results showed a significant reduction in the overall postoperative complications [n = 777; odds ratio (OR) = 0.60; P = 0.01], but side-to-side anastomosis did not reduce the anastomotic leak rate (n = 879; OR = 0.48; P = 0.07), complications other than anastomotic leak (n = 777; OR = 0.72; P = 0.13), endoscopic recurrence rates [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.73; P = 0.07], symptomatic recurrence rates (HR = 0.74; P = 0.20), and reoperation rates for recurrence (HR = 0.37; P = 0.06). Sensitivity analysis including two randomized controlled trials found no significant differences in short-term complications between the two groups. Sensitivity analysis including nine trials comparing only stapled side-to-side anastomosis with other anastomotic configurations showed stapled side-to-side anastomosis could reduce reoperation rates (HR = 0.38; P = 0.01). Side-to-side anastomosis did not reduce short-term complications and postoperative recurrence for Crohn's disease. Stapled side-to-side anastomosis may lead to fewer reoperations needed for recurrence

  19. Adaptive Synchronization for Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Systems with Switching Topologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ridho Rosa

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This work provides a multi-agent extension of output-feedback model reference adaptive control (MRAC, designed to synchronize a network of heterogeneous uncertain agents. The implementation of this scheme is based on multi-agent matching conditions. The practical advantage of the proposed MRAC is the possibility of handling the case of the unknown dynamics of the agents only by using the output and the control input of its neighbors. In addition, it is reasonable to consider the case when the communication topology is time-varying. In this work, the time-varying communication leads to a switching control structure that depends on the number of the predecessor of the agents. By using the switching control structure to handle the time-varying topologies, we show that synchronization can be achieved. The multi-agent adaptive switching controller is first analyzed, and numerical simulations based on formation control of simplifier quadcopter dynamics are provided.

  20. Comparative study of the action of two different types of bleaching agents activated by two different types of irradiation fonts: xenon plasma arc lamp and 960 nm diode laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walverde, Debora Ayala

    2001-01-01

    This in vitro study compares two different types of tooth bleaching agents stimulated with two different irradiation fonts. These fonts accelerate the action of the bleaching agents upon the enamel surface by heating up the materials. We used the xenon plasma arc lamp and a 960 nm fiber-coupled diode laser to irradiate the two materials containing 35% of hydrogen peroxide (Opus White and Opalescence extra). The color of the teeth was measured with a spectrophotometer using the CIELAB color system that gives the numeric values of L * a * b * . (author)

  1. Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography phantom study: intravenous iodinated and gadolinium-based contrast agents may cause false-negative results in assessment of vesicoureteral reflux in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldhoen, Simon; Sauer, Alexander; Gassenmaier, Tobias; Petritsch, Bernhard; Herz, Stefan; Blanke, Philipp; Bley, Thorsten A.; Wirth, Clemens; Derlin, Thorsten

    2015-01-01

    Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography (ce-VUS) is commonly requested simultaneously to other diagnostic imaging necessitating intravenous contrast agents. To date there is limited knowldedge about intravesical interactions between different types of contrast agents. To assess the effect of excreted intravenous iodinated and gadolinium-based contrast agents on the intravesical distribution of ultrasound contrast within contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography. Iodinated (iomeprol, iopamidol) and gadolinium-based (gadoterate meglumine) contrast agents were diluted to bladder concentration and injected into balloons filled with saline solution. CT scans were performed to assess the contrast distribution in these phantoms. Regions of interest were placed at the top and bottom side of each balloon and Hounsfield units (HU) were measured. Three other balloons were filled with saline solution and contrast media likewise. The ultrasound contrast agent sulphur hexafluoride was added and its distribution was assessed using sonography. MDCT scans showed a separation of two liquid layers in all bladder phantoms with the contrast layers located at the bottom and the saline solution at the top. Significant differences of the HU measurements at the top and bottom side were observed (P < 0.001-0.007). Following injection of ultrasound contrast agent, US showed its distribution exclusively among the saline solution. False-negative results of contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography may occur if it is performed shortly after imaging procedures requiring intravenous contrast. (orig.)

  2. An in-situ FTIR study of the side-chain alkylation of toluene with methanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, S.T.; Garces, J.

    1985-01-01

    The side-chain alkylation of toluene with methanol to styrene and ethylbenzene can be an economically attractive industrial process if it has high enough conversion and selectivity. This process has been investigated by many others using zeolites or metal oxides as the catalyst. It has been generally accepted that high basicity in certain size pores in the catalyst is required for such side-chain alkylation. However, the actual reaction mechanism is still not understood. In this paper the results of an in-situ FT-IR study of the side-chain alkylation in Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs exchanged X zeolites is discussed. It was found that the KX, RbX and CsX zeolites, which are capable of side-chain alkylation, also form surface formate and a surface precursor of formate from methanol decomposition. While the surface formate itself is not the alkylation agent, the observed formate precursor may be the intermediate for side-chain alkylation

  3. Generic Energy Matching Model and Figure of Matching Algorithm for Combined Renewable Energy Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.C. Brezet

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the Energy Matching Model and Figure of Matching Algorithm which originally was dedicated only to photovoltaic (PV systems [1] are extended towards a Model and Algorithm suitable for combined systems which are a result of integration of two or more renewable energy sources into one. The systems under investigation will range from mobile portable devices up to the large renewable energy system conceivably to be applied at the Afsluitdijk (Closure- dike in the north of the Netherlands. This Afsluitdijk is the major dam in the Netherlands, damming off the Zuiderzee, a salt water inlet of the North Sea and turning it into the fresh water lake of the IJsselmeer. The energy chain of power supplies based on a combination of renewable energy sources can be modeled by using one generic Energy Matching Model as starting point.

  4. New method for studying the efficiency of chelating agents of the polyamine acid series for internal decontamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lafuma, J.; Nenot, J.C.; Morin, M.

    1968-01-01

    We followed the biological fate of a complex formed on one side with either a rare earth (cerium-144) or a transuranium element (plutonium-239), and on the other side with a chelating agent of the polyamino acid series (EDTA, BAETA, DTPA, TTHA). This method allowed to study: 1 - the in vivo stability of the various complexes and to compare them; 2 - the stability of the complexes as a function of the isotope - chelating agent weight relationships; 3 - the metabolism of the chelating agents resulting in stable complexes, i. e. DTPA and TTHA mainly. This simple method brought out the higher efficiency, of DTPA in chelating rare earths and plutonium and for therapeutic purposes. (authors) [fr

  5. Interaction of a hot jet with two cold side jets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nouali Nassira

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Spreading of the multijet in terms of both the velocity and temperature field depends strongly on the flow type related to the velocity and temperature ratios between the cold side jets to the hot central one. This is the reason why the present work focuses on numerical investigation of non isothermal three parallel non-ventilated turbulent plane jets. As well, it seems natural to pick as reference the available experimental data. The numerical predictions confirm the three types (A, B, C of flow patterns given by the available flow visualization and reveal a fourth that will be called type D. The purpose of the present study is to explore the effect of the velocity ratio on the decay rates of the velocity and temperature in the fully developed region. It is found that the addition of side jets increase the rate of decrease of the centerline velocity for the flow of type A and decreases in the other cases. The effect of various types of flow on the rate of decrease of the velocity and the temperature in the fully developed flow region are investigated in details: This led to establish several correlations of the rate of decrease that play an important role in the diffusion of momentum and temperature.

  6. Children's Attributions of Intentions to an Invisible Agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bering, Jesse M.; Parker, Becky D.

    2006-01-01

    Children ages 3-9 years were informed that an invisible agent (Princess Alice) would help them play a forced-choice game by "telling them, somehow, when they chose the wrong box," whereas a matched control group of children were not given this supernatural prime. On 2 unexpected event trials, an experimenter triggered a simulated unexpected event…

  7. Two-Sided Matching in Hierarchical Organizations-An Application for the Assignment of Military Personnel

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    performance in the unit. Although the terminology may be different, such characteristics are not dissimilar to the way positions are advertised in...other contexts; for example, an academic position may be advertised according to the desired level (assistant professor, associate professor, etc...239 Person Characteristics 101 102 103 104 105 Rank O-3 O-3 O-4 O-3 O-2 Branch Engineers Armour Infantry Artillery Artillery Primary Skill

  8. Measuring SPIO and Gd contrast agent magnetization using 3 T MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantillon-Murphy, Pádraig; Wald, Lawrence L.; Zahn, Markus; Adalsteinsson, Elfar

    2011-01-01

    Traditional methods of measuring magnetization in magnetic fluid samples, such as vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), are typically limited to maximum field strengths of about 1 T. This work demonstrates the ability of MRI to measure the magnetization associated with two commercial MRI contrast agents at 3 T by comparing analytical solutions to experimental imaging results for the field pattern associated with agents in cylindrical vials. The results of the VSM and fitted MRI data match closely. The method represents an improvement over VSM measurements since results are attainable at imaging field strengths. The agents investigated are Feridex, a superparamagnetic iron oxide suspension used primarily for liver imaging, and Magnevist, a paramagnetic, gadolinium-based compound used for tumors, inflammation and vascular lesions. MR imaging of the agents took place in sealed cylindrical vials in the presence of a surrounding volume of deionized water where the effects of the contrast agents had a measurable effect on the water's magnetization in the vicinity of the compartment of contrast agent. A pair of phase images were used to reconstruct a B0 fieldmap. The resultant B0 maps in the water region, corrected for shimming and container edge effects, were used to predict the agent's magnetization at 3 T. The results were compared with the results from VSM measurements up to 1.2 T and close correlation was observed. The technique should be of interest to those seeking quantification of the magnetization associated with magnetic suspensions beyond the traditional scope of VSM. The magnetization needs to be sufficiently strong (Ms≳50 Am2/kg Fe for Feridex and χm≳5 × 10−5 m3/kg Gd for Magnevist) for a measurable dipole field in the surrounding water. For this reason, the technique is mostly suitable for undiluted agents. PMID:19588450

  9. Areal Feature Matching Based on Similarity Using Critic Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J.; Yu, K.

    2015-10-01

    In this paper, we propose an areal feature matching method that can be applied for many-to-many matching, which involves matching a simple entity with an aggregate of several polygons or two aggregates of several polygons with fewer user intervention. To this end, an affine transformation is applied to two datasets by using polygon pairs for which the building name is the same. Then, two datasets are overlaid with intersected polygon pairs that are selected as candidate matching pairs. If many polygons intersect at this time, we calculate the inclusion function between such polygons. When the value is more than 0.4, many of the polygons are aggregated as single polygons by using a convex hull. Finally, the shape similarity is calculated between the candidate pairs according to the linear sum of the weights computed in CRITIC method and the position similarity, shape ratio similarity, and overlap similarity. The candidate pairs for which the value of the shape similarity is more than 0.7 are determined as matching pairs. We applied the method to two geospatial datasets: the digital topographic map and the KAIS map in South Korea. As a result, the visual evaluation showed two polygons that had been well detected by using the proposed method. The statistical evaluation indicates that the proposed method is accurate when using our test dataset with a high F-measure of 0.91.

  10. Histological Evaluation of Decellularized Skeletal Muscle Tissue Using Two Different Decellularization Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hana Hrebíková

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine effect of two decellularized agents, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS and Triton X-100, to the skeletal muscle tissue. Final scaffold was evaluated by several histological techniques to analyse preservation of essential structures including collagen and elastic fibres, basement membranes, glycosaminoglycans and also to confirm elimination of nuclear and cytoplasmic components which are redundant in effectively prepared decellularized scaffolds. Comparison of tissue scaffolds processed with different detergents proved that SDS is superior to Triton X-100 as it can effectively decellularize muscle tissue.

  11. Tuning and matching of the BPX ICH system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swain, D.W.

    1991-01-01

    Two methods of tuning and matching the ion cyclotron heating (ICH) antennas for the Burning Plasma Experiment (BPX) to the BPX plasma have been analyzed. Both appear to provide adequate tuning and matching capabilities. However, there are trade-offs between the frequency range that can be covered and the compactness of the high-voltage region of the transmission lines that makes up of the matching network. 4 refs., 5 figs

  12. Job Searchers, Job Matches and the Elasticity of Matching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broersma, L.; van Ours, J.C.

    1998-01-01

    This paper stresses the importance of a specification of the matching function in which the measure of job matches corresponds to the measure of job searchers. In many empirical studies on the matching function this requirement has not been fulfilled because it is difficult to find information about

  13. Fluorine-Containing Taxoid Anticancer Agents and Their Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Seitz, Joshua; Vineberg, Jacob G.; Zuniga, Edison S.; Ojima, Iwao

    2013-01-01

    A long-standing problem of conventional chemotherapy is the lack of tumor-specific treatments. Traditional chemotherapy relies on the premise that rapidly proliferating cancer cells are more likely to be killed by a cytotoxic agent. In reality, however, cytotoxic agents have very little or no specificity, which leads to systemic toxicity, causing undesirable severe side effects. Consequently, various “molecularly targeted cancer therapies” have been developed for use in specific cancers, incl...

  14. Theory of fractional order elements based impedance matching networks

    KAUST Repository

    Radwan, Ahmed G.

    2011-03-01

    Fractional order circuit elements (inductors and capacitors) based impedance matching networks are introduced for the first time. In comparison to the conventional integer based L-type matching networks, fractional matching networks are much simpler and versatile. Any complex load can be matched utilizing a single series fractional element, which generally requires two elements for matching in the conventional approach. It is shown that all the Smith chart circles (resistance and reactance) are actually pairs of completely identical circles. They appear to be single for the conventional integer order case, where the identical circles completely overlap each other. The concept is supported by design equations and impedance matching examples. © 2010 IEEE.

  15. Quantum learning and universal quantum matching machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Masahide; Carlini, Alberto

    2002-01-01

    Suppose that three kinds of quantum systems are given in some unknown states vertical bar f> xN , vertical bar g 1 > xK , and vertical bar g 2 > xK , and we want to decide which template state vertical bar g 1 > or vertical bar g 2 >, each representing the feature of the pattern class C 1 or C 2 , respectively, is closest to the input feature state vertical bar f>. This is an extension of the pattern matching problem into the quantum domain. Assuming that these states are known a priori to belong to a certain parametric family of pure qubit systems, we derive two kinds of matching strategies. The first one is a semiclassical strategy that is obtained by the natural extension of conventional matching strategies and consists of a two-stage procedure: identification (estimation) of the unknown template states to design the classifier (learning process to train the classifier) and classification of the input system into the appropriate pattern class based on the estimated results. The other is a fully quantum strategy without any intermediate measurement, which we might call as the universal quantum matching machine. We present the Bayes optimal solutions for both strategies in the case of K=1, showing that there certainly exists a fully quantum matching procedure that is strictly superior to the straightforward semiclassical extension of the conventional matching strategy based on the learning process

  16. Myocardium tracking via matching distributions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Ayed, Ismail; Li, Shuo; Ross, Ian; Islam, Ali

    2009-01-01

    The goal of this study is to investigate automatic myocardium tracking in cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MR) sequences using global distribution matching via level-set curve evolution. Rather than relying on the pixelwise information as in existing approaches, distribution matching compares intensity distributions, and consequently, is well-suited to the myocardium tracking problem. Starting from a manual segmentation of the first frame, two curves are evolved in order to recover the endocardium (inner myocardium boundary) and the epicardium (outer myocardium boundary) in all the frames. For each curve, the evolution equation is sought following the maximization of a functional containing two terms: (1) a distribution matching term measuring the similarity between the non-parametric intensity distributions sampled from inside and outside the curve to the model distributions of the corresponding regions estimated from the previous frame; (2) a gradient term for smoothing the curve and biasing it toward high gradient of intensity. The Bhattacharyya coefficient is used as a similarity measure between distributions. The functional maximization is obtained by the Euler-Lagrange ascent equation of curve evolution, and efficiently implemented via level-set. The performance of the proposed distribution matching was quantitatively evaluated by comparisons with independent manual segmentations approved by an experienced cardiologist. The method was applied to ten 2D mid-cavity MR sequences corresponding to ten different subjects. Although neither shape prior knowledge nor curve coupling were used, quantitative evaluation demonstrated that the results were consistent with manual segmentations. The proposed method compares well with existing methods. The algorithm also yields a satisfying reproducibility. Distribution matching leads to a myocardium tracking which is more flexible and applicable than existing methods because the algorithm uses only the current data, i.e., does not

  17. Size matters: pitch dimensions constrain inter-team distances and surface area difference in small-sided soccer games

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frencken, Wouter; van der Plaats, Jorrit; Visscher, Chris; Lemmink, Koen

    2013-01-01

    Pitch size varies in official soccer matches and differently sized pitches are adopted for tactical purposes in small-sided training games. Since interactive team behaviour emerges under con- straints, the authors evaluate the effect of pitch size (task) manipulations on interactive team behaviour

  18. Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arif, Tasleem

    2015-01-01

    Salicylic acid has been used to treat various skin disorders for more than 2,000 years. The ability of salicylic acid to exfoliate the stratum corneum makes it a good agent for peeling. In particular, the comedolytic property of salicylic acid makes it a useful peeling agent for patients with acne. Once considered as a keratolytic agent, the role of salicylic acid as a desmolytic agent, because of its ability to disrupt cellular junctions rather than breaking or lysing intercellular keratin filaments, is now recognized and is discussed here. Salicylic acid as a peeling agent has a number of indications, including acne vulgaris, melasma, photodamage, freckles, and lentigines. The efficacy and safety of salicylic acid peeling in Fitzpatrick skin types I-III as well as in skin types V and VI have been well documented in the literature. This paper reviews the available data and literature on salicylic acid as a peeling agent and its possible indications. Its properties, efficacy and safety, the peeling procedure, and possible side effects are discussed in detail. An account of salicylism is also included.

  19. An accurate algorithm to match imperfectly matched images for lung tumor detection without markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozario, Timothy; Bereg, Sergey; Yan, Yulong; Chiu, Tsuicheng; Liu, Honghuan; Kearney, Vasant; Jiang, Lan; Mao, Weihua

    2015-05-08

    In order to locate lung tumors on kV projection images without internal markers, digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) are created and compared with projection images. However, lung tumors always move due to respiration and their locations change on projection images while they are static on DRRs. In addition, global image intensity discrepancies exist between DRRs and projections due to their different image orientations, scattering, and noises. This adversely affects comparison accuracy. A simple but efficient comparison algorithm is reported to match imperfectly matched projection images and DRRs. The kV projection images were matched with different DRRs in two steps. Preprocessing was performed in advance to generate two sets of DRRs. The tumors were removed from the planning 3D CT for a single phase of planning 4D CT images using planning contours of tumors. DRRs of background and DRRs of tumors were generated separately for every projection angle. The first step was to match projection images with DRRs of background signals. This method divided global images into a matrix of small tiles and similarities were evaluated by calculating normalized cross-correlation (NCC) between corresponding tiles on projections and DRRs. The tile configuration (tile locations) was automatically optimized to keep the tumor within a single projection tile that had a bad matching with the corresponding DRR tile. A pixel-based linear transformation was determined by linear interpolations of tile transformation results obtained during tile matching. The background DRRs were transformed to the projection image level and subtracted from it. The resulting subtracted image now contained only the tumor. The second step was to register DRRs of tumors to the subtracted image to locate the tumor. This method was successfully applied to kV fluoro images (about 1000 images) acquired on a Vero (BrainLAB) for dynamic tumor tracking on phantom studies. Radiation opaque markers were

  20. Impact of side-effects of atypical antipsychotics on non-compliance, relapse and cost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortimer, A; Williams, P; Meddis, D

    2003-01-01

    Atypical antipsychotics generally have milder side-effects than conventional antipsychotics, but also differ among themselves in this respect. This study aimed to compare the impact of different side-effect profiles of individual atypical antipsychotics on non-compliance, relapse and cost in schizophrenia. A state-transition model was built using literature data supplemented by expert opinion. The model found that quetiapine and ziprasidone were similar in estimated non-compliance and relapse rates. Olanzapine and risperidone had higher estimated non-compliance and relapse rates, and incremental, 1-year, per-patient direct costs, using US-based cost data, of approximately $530 (95% confidence interval [CI] approximately $275, $800), and approximately $485 (95% CI approximately $235, $800), respectively, compared with quetiapine. Incremental costs attributable to different side-effect profiles were highly significant. This study shows that differing side-effect profiles of the newer antipsychotic agents are likely to lead to different compliance rates, and consequent variation in relapse rates. The cost implications of these heterogenous clinical outcomes are substantial.

  1. 78 FR 73195 - Privacy Act of 1974: CMS Computer Matching Program Match No. 2013-01; HHS Computer Matching...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-05

    ... 1974: CMS Computer Matching Program Match No. 2013-01; HHS Computer Matching Program Match No. 1312 AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS... Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, this notice announces the renewal of a CMP that CMS plans...

  2. An Agent-Based Model of New Venture Creation: Conceptual Design for Simulating Entrepreneurship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Provance, Mike; Collins, Andrew; Carayannis, Elias

    2012-01-01

    There is a growing debate over the means by which regions can foster the growth of entrepreneurial activity in order to stimulate recovery and growth of their economies. On one side, agglomeration theory suggests the regions grow because of strong clusters that foster knowledge spillover locally; on the other side, the entrepreneurial action camp argues that innovative business models are generated by entrepreneurs with unique market perspectives who draw on knowledge from more distant domains. We will show you the design for a novel agent-based model of new venture creation that will demonstrate the relationship between agglomeration and action. The primary focus of this model is information exchange as the medium for these agent interactions. Our modeling and simulation study proposes to reveal interesting relationships in these perspectives, offer a foundation on which these disparate theories from economics and sociology can find common ground, and expand the use of agent-based modeling into entrepreneurship research.

  3. Monitoring volatile anaesthetic agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, W.J.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: The methods that have been used for monitoring volatile anaesthetic agents depend on some physical property such as Density, Refractometry, Mass, Solubility, Raman scattering, or Infra-red absorption. Today, refractometry and infra-red techniques are the most common. Refractometry is used for the calibration of vaporizers. All anaesthetic agents increase the refractive index of the carrier gas. Provided the mixture is known then the refractive change measures the concentration of the volatile anaesthetic agent. Raman Scattering is when energy hits a molecule a very small fraction of the energy is absorbed and re-emitted at one or more lower frequencies. The shift in frequency is a function of the chemical bonds and is a fingerprint of the substance irradiated. Electromagnetic (Infra-red) has been the commonest method of detection of volatile agents. Most systems use a subtractive system, i.e. the agent in the sampling cell absorbed some of the infrared energy and the photo-detector therefore received less energy. A different approach is where the absorbed energy is converted into a pressure change and detected as sound (Acoustic monitor). This gives a more stable zero reference. More recently, the detector systems have used multiple narrow-band wavelengths in the infrared bands and by shape matching or matrix computing specific agent identification is achieved and the concentration calculated. In the early Datex AS3 monitors, a spectral sweep across the 3 micron infrared band was used to create spectral fingerprints. The recently released AS3 monitors use a different system with five very narrow band filters in the 8-10 micron region. The transmission through each of these filters is a value in a matrix which is solved by a micro computer to identify the agent and its concentration. These monitors can assist in improving the safety and efficiency of our anaesthetics but do not ensure that the patient is completely anaesthetized. Copyright (2000

  4. Monitoring volatile anaesthetic agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Russell, W J [Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA (Australia). Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

    2000-12-01

    Full text: The methods that have been used for monitoring volatile anaesthetic agents depend on some physical property such as Density, Refractometry, Mass, Solubility, Raman scattering, or Infra-red absorption. Today, refractometry and infra-red techniques are the most common. Refractometry is used for the calibration of vaporizers. All anaesthetic agents increase the refractive index of the carrier gas. Provided the mixture is known then the refractive change measures the concentration of the volatile anaesthetic agent. Raman Scattering is when energy hits a molecule a very small fraction of the energy is absorbed and re-emitted at one or more lower frequencies. The shift in frequency is a function of the chemical bonds and is a fingerprint of the substance irradiated. Electromagnetic (Infra-red) has been the commonest method of detection of volatile agents. Most systems use a subtractive system, i.e. the agent in the sampling cell absorbed some of the infrared energy and the photo-detector therefore received less energy. A different approach is where the absorbed energy is converted into a pressure change and detected as sound (Acoustic monitor). This gives a more stable zero reference. More recently, the detector systems have used multiple narrow-band wavelengths in the infrared bands and by shape matching or matrix computing specific agent identification is achieved and the concentration calculated. In the early Datex AS3 monitors, a spectral sweep across the 3 micron infrared band was used to create spectral fingerprints. The recently released AS3 monitors use a different system with five very narrow band filters in the 8-10 micron region. The transmission through each of these filters is a value in a matrix which is solved by a micro computer to identify the agent and its concentration. These monitors can assist in improving the safety and efficiency of our anaesthetics but do not ensure that the patient is completely anaesthetized. Copyright (2000

  5. Radioprotective Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilker Kelle

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Since1949, a great deal of research has been carried out on the radioprotective activity of various chemical substances. Thiol compounds, compounds which contain –SH radical, different classes of pharmacological agents and other compounds such as vitamine C and WR-2721 have been shown to reduce mortality when administered prior to exposure to a lethal dose of radiation. Recently, honey bee venom as well as that of its components melittin and histamine have shown to be valuable in reduction of radiation-induced damage and also provide prophylactic alternative treatment for serious side effects related with radiotherapy. It has been suggested that the radioprotective activity of bee venom components is related with the stimulation of the hematopoetic system.

  6. Stable schizophrenia patients learn equally well as age-matched controls and better than elderly controls in two sensorimotor rotary pursuit tasks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Picker, L.J. De; Cornelis, C.; Hulstijn, W.; Dumont, G.J.H.; Fransen, E.; Timmers, M.; Janssens, L.; Morrens, M.; Sabbe, B.G.C.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To compare sensorimotor performance and learning in stable schizophrenia patients, healthy age- and sex-matched controls and elderly controls on two variations of the rotary pursuit: circle pursuit (true motor learning) and figure pursuit (motor and sequence learning). Method: In the

  7. No-hardware-signature cybersecurity-crypto-module: a resilient cyber defense agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaghloul, A. R. M.; Zaghloul, Y. A.

    2014-06-01

    We present an optical cybersecurity-crypto-module as a resilient cyber defense agent. It has no hardware signature since it is bitstream reconfigurable, where single hardware architecture functions as any selected device of all possible ones of the same number of inputs. For a two-input digital device, a 4-digit bitstream of 0s and 1s determines which device, of a total of 16 devices, the hardware performs as. Accordingly, the hardware itself is not physically reconfigured, but its performance is. Such a defense agent allows the attack to take place, rendering it harmless. On the other hand, if the system is already infected with malware sending out information, the defense agent allows the information to go out, rendering it meaningless. The hardware architecture is immune to side attacks since such an attack would reveal information on the attack itself and not on the hardware. This cyber defense agent can be used to secure a point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, a whole network, and/or a single entity in the cyberspace. Therefore, ensuring trust between cyber resources. It can provide secure communication in an insecure network. We provide the hardware design and explain how it works. Scalability of the design is briefly discussed. (Protected by United States Patents No.: US 8,004,734; US 8,325,404; and other National Patents worldwide.)

  8. Managing the side effects of multiple sclerosis therapy: pharmacotherapy options for patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rommer, Paulus S; Zettl, Uwe K

    2018-04-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated and neurodegenerative disease with an unpredictable outcome. Immune-modulatory treatment aims at decreasing long-term disability. With the increasing number of treatment options, it is essential to fully digest the possible side effects of the available therapeutics and to monitor patients is essential. Areas covered: All approved disease-modifying drugs (DMD) for MS are discussed in this review. Mode of action, adverse effects, reported risks for infections and malignancies, and pregnancy related issues are discussed in the review. The authors also provide suggestions for monitoring therapy. For all approved DMDs the pivotal studies have been included for possible side effects, as well as reports by health authorities. For this manuscript, PubMed was checked for reports on side effects for various drugs. Expert opinion: Treatment options in MS are manifold, each carrying different risks. The safety-risk profile for approved agents is favorable. Knowing and monitoring these possible side effects is essential to minimize risks associated with treatment. Presently, the long-term experience for some of these therapies is missing and this must be addressed.

  9. Experimental design and instability analysis of coaxial electrospray process for microencapsulation of drugs and imaging agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Ting; Zhang, Leilei; Li, Guangbin; Roberts, Cynthia J; Yin, Xiezhen; Xu, Ronald

    2013-07-01

    Recent developments in multimodal imaging and image-guided therapy requires multilayered microparticles that encapsulate several imaging and therapeutic agents in the same carrier. However, commonly used microencapsulation processes have multiple limitations such as low encapsulation efficiency and loss of bioactivity for the encapsulated biological cargos. To overcome these limitations, we have carried out both experimental and theoretical studies on coaxial electrospray of multilayered microparticles. On the experimental side, an improved coaxial electrospray setup has been developed. A customized coaxial needle assembly combined with two ring electrodes has been used to enhance the stability of the cone and widen the process parameter range of the stable cone-jet mode. With this assembly, we have obtained poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles with fine morphology and uniform size distribution. On the theoretical side, an instability analysis of the coaxial electrified jet has been performed based on the experimental parameters. The effects of process parameters on the formation of different unstable modes have been studied. The reported experimental and theoretical research represents a significant step toward quantitative control and optimization of the coaxial electrospray process for microencapsulation of multiple drugs and imaging agents in multimodal imaging and image-guided therapy.

  10. Study of matching between HIRFL and CSR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Jingyu; Li Haohu; Yuan Youjin

    2001-01-01

    'HIRFL-CSR Cooler Storage Ring' makes use of existing HIRFL as its pre-accelerator. In order to take the full capability of HIRFL, the authors have studied in detailed the matching modes between HIRFL and CSR. It is proposed to use two matching modes; direct matching between SFC (HIRFL injector cyclotron) and CSRm (CSR main ring); three-cascade matching of SFC, SSC (HIRFL main cyclotron) and CSRm. With these combinations, better beam transmission efficiency, better beam utilization efficiency of HIRFL-CSR accelerator complex and better operation efficiency of HIRFL can be obtained. In the first case, SSC can be used simultaneously in other purposes, either to accelerate medium energy heavy ions or to accelerate protons combined with another small cyclotron

  11. AREAL FEATURE MATCHING BASED ON SIMILARITY USING CRITIC METHOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kim

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we propose an areal feature matching method that can be applied for many-to-many matching, which involves matching a simple entity with an aggregate of several polygons or two aggregates of several polygons with fewer user intervention. To this end, an affine transformation is applied to two datasets by using polygon pairs for which the building name is the same. Then, two datasets are overlaid with intersected polygon pairs that are selected as candidate matching pairs. If many polygons intersect at this time, we calculate the inclusion function between such polygons. When the value is more than 0.4, many of the polygons are aggregated as single polygons by using a convex hull. Finally, the shape similarity is calculated between the candidate pairs according to the linear sum of the weights computed in CRITIC method and the position similarity, shape ratio similarity, and overlap similarity. The candidate pairs for which the value of the shape similarity is more than 0.7 are determined as matching pairs. We applied the method to two geospatial datasets: the digital topographic map and the KAIS map in South Korea. As a result, the visual evaluation showed two polygons that had been well detected by using the proposed method. The statistical evaluation indicates that the proposed method is accurate when using our test dataset with a high F-measure of 0.91.

  12. Design of a Two-level Adaptive Multi-Agent System for Malaria Vectors driven by an ontology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etang Josiane

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The understanding of heterogeneities in disease transmission dynamics as far as malaria vectors are concerned is a big challenge. Many studies while tackling this problem don't find exact models to explain the malaria vectors propagation. Methods To solve the problem we define an Adaptive Multi-Agent System (AMAS which has the property to be elastic and is a two-level system as well. This AMAS is a dynamic system where the two levels are linked by an Ontology which allows it to function as a reduced system and as an extended system. In a primary level, the AMAS comprises organization agents and in a secondary level, it is constituted of analysis agents. Its entry point, a User Interface Agent, can reproduce itself because it is given a minimum of background knowledge and it learns appropriate "behavior" from the user in the presence of ambiguous queries and from other agents of the AMAS in other situations. Results Some of the outputs of our system present a series of tables, diagrams showing some factors like Entomological parameters of malaria transmission, Percentages of malaria transmission per malaria vectors, Entomological inoculation rate. Many others parameters can be produced by the system depending on the inputted data. Conclusion Our approach is an intelligent one which differs from statistical approaches that are sometimes used in the field. This intelligent approach aligns itself with the distributed artificial intelligence. In terms of fight against malaria disease our system offers opportunities of reducing efforts of human resources who are not obliged to cover the entire territory while conducting surveys. Secondly the AMAS can determine the presence or the absence of malaria vectors even when specific data have not been collected in the geographical area. In the difference of a statistical technique, in our case the projection of the results in the field can sometimes appeared to be more general.

  13. Human matching performance of genuine crime scene latent fingerprints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Matthew B; Tangen, Jason M; McCarthy, Duncan J

    2014-02-01

    There has been very little research into the nature and development of fingerprint matching expertise. Here we present the results of an experiment testing the claimed matching expertise of fingerprint examiners. Expert (n = 37), intermediate trainee (n = 8), new trainee (n = 9), and novice (n = 37) participants performed a fingerprint discrimination task involving genuine crime scene latent fingerprints, their matches, and highly similar distractors, in a signal detection paradigm. Results show that qualified, court-practicing fingerprint experts were exceedingly accurate compared with novices. Experts showed a conservative response bias, tending to err on the side of caution by making more errors of the sort that could allow a guilty person to escape detection than errors of the sort that could falsely incriminate an innocent person. The superior performance of experts was not simply a function of their ability to match prints, per se, but a result of their ability to identify the highly similar, but nonmatching fingerprints as such. Comparing these results with previous experiments, experts were even more conservative in their decision making when dealing with these genuine crime scene prints than when dealing with simulated crime scene prints, and this conservatism made them relatively less accurate overall. Intermediate trainees-despite their lack of qualification and average 3.5 years experience-performed about as accurately as qualified experts who had an average 17.5 years experience. New trainees-despite their 5-week, full-time training course or their 6 months experience-were not any better than novices at discriminating matching and similar nonmatching prints, they were just more conservative. Further research is required to determine the precise nature of fingerprint matching expertise and the factors that influence performance. The findings of this representative, lab-based experiment may have implications for the way fingerprint examiners testify in

  14. Physiological and skill demands of 'on-side' and 'off-side' games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabbett, Tim J; Jenkins, David G; Abernethy, Bruce

    2010-11-01

    This study investigated the physiological and skill demands of 'on-side' and 'off-side' games in elite rugby league players. Sixteen male rugby league players participated in 'on-side' and 'off-side' games. Both small-sided games were played in a 40- × 40-m playing area. The 'off-side' game permitted players to have 3 'plays' while in possession of the ball. Players were permitted to pass backward or forward (to an 'off-side' player). The 'on-side' game also permitted players to have 3 'plays' while in possession of the ball. However, players were only permitted to pass backward to players in an 'on-side' position. Heart rate and movement patterns (via global positioning system) were recorded continuously throughout both games. Data were collected on the distance covered, number of high-acceleration and velocity efforts, and recovery between efforts. Video footage was also taken to track the performance of the players. Post hoc inspection of the footage was undertaken to count the number of possessions and the number and quality of disposals. In comparison to 'on-side' games, 'off-side' games had a greater number of involvements ("touches"), passes, and effective passes. However, the cognitive demands of 'on-side' games were greater than 'off-side' games. 'Off-side' games resulted in a greater total distance covered, greater distance covered in mild and moderate accelerations, and greater distance covered in low, moderate, and high-velocity efforts. There were also a greater number of short duration recovery periods between efforts in 'off-side' games. The results of this study demonstrate that 'off-side' games provide greater physiological and skill demands than 'on-side' games. 'Off-side' games may provide a practical alternative to 'on-side' games for the development of skill and fitness in elite rugby league players.

  15. Danazol: an antigonadotropic agent in the treatment of pelvic endometriosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauersen, N H; Wilson, K H; Birnbaum, S

    1975-12-01

    Danazol, an antigonadotropic agent, was administered in a dosage of 800 mg. daily for six months to 32 patients with pelvic endometriosis. Twenty-eight patients (87.5 per cent) were found to have a marked improvement of both clinical and subjective symptoms of endometriosis. Furthermore, Danazol was found to be effective in three patients with chronic cystic mastitis and one patient with fibrocystic disease. There was no change in uterine size in two patients with uterine adenomyosis and one patient with uterine myomas during the treatment period. Danazol was ineffective in relieving the symptoms of the menopausal syndrome in one patient. The main side effects of Danazol treatment were weight gain and water retention which were maximal at four months of treatment and then decreased. Other side effects such as acne, oiliness of skin, and voice change were rare in this series. Danazol therapy was found to be very effective in this study for the treatment of pelvic endometriosis, and the drug was well tolerated by the patients.

  16. Quantizing the electromagnetic field near two-sided semitransparent mirrors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furtak-Wells, Nicholas; Clark, Lewis A.; Purdy, Robert; Beige, Almut

    2018-04-01

    This paper models light scattering through flat surfaces with finite transmission, reflection, and absorption rates, with wave packets approaching the mirror from both sides. While using the same notion of photons as in free space, our model also accounts for the presence of mirror images and the possible exchange of energy between the electromagnetic field and the mirror surface. To test our model, we derive the spontaneous decay rate and the level shift of an atom in front of a semitransparent mirror as a function of its transmission and reflection rates. When considering limiting cases and using standard approximations, our approach reproduces well-known results but it also paves the way for the modeling of more complex scenarios.

  17. Side Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Side effects are problems that occur when cancer treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Learn about side effects caused by cancer treatment. Know what signs and symptoms to call your doctor about. Learn about treatments for side effects.

  18. Heart rate monitoring in soccer: interest and limits during competitive match play and training, practical application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandre, Dellal; da Silva, Cristiano Diniz; Hill-Haas, Stephen; Wong, Del P; Natali, Antonio J; De Lima, Jorge R P; Bara Filho, Mauricio G B; Marins, Joao J C B; Garcia, Emerson Silami; Karim, Chamari

    2012-10-01

    The identification of physiological loads imposed by soccer training or match play reveals essential information, which may help improve training and recovery strategies. Until today, the use of heart rate (HR) monitoring is not standardized in soccer. Thus, the aim of this review was to analyze, determine and compare the exercise intensity (EI) monitored by HR in professional, youth, and recreational soccer players during matches and training sessions using a meta-analysis. Heart rate is one of the most common physiological variables used to determine exercise internal training load. The mean EI recorded during competitive matches was described as 70-80% of VO2max or 80-90% of maximal heart rate (HRmax), independent of the playing level. With respect to HR training zones, approximately 65% of the total match duration is spent at intensity of 70-90% HRmax and rarely below 65% HRmax. However, although HRmax is mostly employed in the literature, monitoring EI should be expressed in relation to reserve heart rate, as it was described as a more reliable indicator of HR, allowing interindividual comparisons. The HR response according to the playing position indicates that midfielders are characterized by the highest EI, followed by forwards and fullbacks. Moreover, in the second half of the match, the EI is lower than that observed during the first half; this reduction could be correlated with the level of the player's physical conditioning. Consequently, coaches may favor the use of interval training or small-sided training games because these are shown to improve both aerobic capacity and the ability to repeat high-intensity actions. Small-sided games allow reaching similar HR responses to those found during interval training and match play but with greater heterogeneity values. Future investigations should include a larger sample of players with special reference to playing position and the expression of EI in percentage of the reserve heart rate, analyzing the

  19. Effect of two in-office whitening agents on the enamel surface in vivo: a morphological and non-contact profilometric study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadenaro, Milena; Breschi, Lorenzo; Nucci, Cesare; Antoniolli, Francesca; Visintini, Erika; Prati, Carlo; Matis, Bruce A; Di Lenarda, Roberto

    2008-01-01

    This study evaluated the morphological effects produced in vivo by two in-office bleaching agents on enamel surface roughness using a noncontact profilometric analysis of epoxy replicas. The null hypothesis tested was that there would be no difference in the micromorphology of the enamel surface during or after bleaching with two different bleaching agents. Eighteen subjects were selected and randomly assigned to two treatment groups (n=9). The tooth whitening materials tested were 38% hydrogen peroxide (HP) (Opalescence Xtra Boost) and 35% carbamide peroxide (CP) (Rembrandt Quik Start). The bleaching agents were applied in accordance with manufacturer protocols. The treatments were repeated four times at one-week intervals. High precision impressions of the upper right incisor were taken at baseline as the control (CTRL) and after each bleaching treatment (T0: first application, T1: second application at one week, T2: third application at two weeks and T3: fourth application at three weeks). Epoxy resin replicas were poured from impressions, and the surface roughness was analyzed by means of a non-contact profilometer (Talysurf CLI 1000). Epoxy replicas were then observed using SEM. All data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and differences were determined with a t-test. No significant differences in surface roughness were found on enamel replicas using either 38% hydrogen peroxide or 35% carbamide peroxide in vivo. This in vivo study supports the null hypothesis that two in-office bleaching agents, with either a high concentration of hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, do not alter enamel surface roughness, even after multiple applications.

  20. Probabilistic seismic history matching using binary images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davolio, Alessandra; Schiozer, Denis Jose

    2018-02-01

    Currently, the goal of history-matching procedures is not only to provide a model matching any observed data but also to generate multiple matched models to properly handle uncertainties. One such approach is a probabilistic history-matching methodology based on the discrete Latin Hypercube sampling algorithm, proposed in previous works, which was particularly efficient for matching well data (production rates and pressure). 4D seismic (4DS) data have been increasingly included into history-matching procedures. A key issue in seismic history matching (SHM) is to transfer data into a common domain: impedance, amplitude or pressure, and saturation. In any case, seismic inversions and/or modeling are required, which can be time consuming. An alternative to avoid these procedures is using binary images in SHM as they allow the shape, rather than the physical values, of observed anomalies to be matched. This work presents the incorporation of binary images in SHM within the aforementioned probabilistic history matching. The application was performed with real data from a segment of the Norne benchmark case that presents strong 4D anomalies, including softening signals due to pressure build up. The binary images are used to match the pressurized zones observed in time-lapse data. Three history matchings were conducted using: only well data, well and 4DS data, and only 4DS. The methodology is very flexible and successfully utilized the addition of binary images for seismic objective functions. Results proved the good convergence of the method in few iterations for all three cases. The matched models of the first two cases provided the best results, with similar well matching quality. The second case provided models presenting pore pressure changes according to the expected dynamic behavior (pressurized zones) observed on 4DS data. The use of binary images in SHM is relatively new with few examples in the literature. This work enriches this discussion by presenting a new

  1. Developing a Novel Parameter Estimation Method for Agent-Based Model in Immune System Simulation under the Framework of History Matching: A Case Study on Influenza A Virus Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tingting; Cheng, Zhengguo; Zhang, Le

    2017-01-01

    Since they can provide a natural and flexible description of nonlinear dynamic behavior of complex system, Agent-based models (ABM) have been commonly used for immune system simulation. However, it is crucial for ABM to obtain an appropriate estimation for the key parameters of the model by incorporating experimental data. In this paper, a systematic procedure for immune system simulation by integrating the ABM and regression method under the framework of history matching is developed. A novel parameter estimation method by incorporating the experiment data for the simulator ABM during the procedure is proposed. First, we employ ABM as simulator to simulate the immune system. Then, the dimension-reduced type generalized additive model (GAM) is employed to train a statistical regression model by using the input and output data of ABM and play a role as an emulator during history matching. Next, we reduce the input space of parameters by introducing an implausible measure to discard the implausible input values. At last, the estimation of model parameters is obtained using the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) by fitting the experiment data among the non-implausible input values. The real Influeza A Virus (IAV) data set is employed to demonstrate the performance of our proposed method, and the results show that the proposed method not only has good fitting and predicting accuracy, but it also owns favorable computational efficiency. PMID:29194393

  2. Developing a Novel Parameter Estimation Method for Agent-Based Model in Immune System Simulation under the Framework of History Matching: A Case Study on Influenza A Virus Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Li

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Since they can provide a natural and flexible description of nonlinear dynamic behavior of complex system, Agent-based models (ABM have been commonly used for immune system simulation. However, it is crucial for ABM to obtain an appropriate estimation for the key parameters of the model by incorporating experimental data. In this paper, a systematic procedure for immune system simulation by integrating the ABM and regression method under the framework of history matching is developed. A novel parameter estimation method by incorporating the experiment data for the simulator ABM during the procedure is proposed. First, we employ ABM as simulator to simulate the immune system. Then, the dimension-reduced type generalized additive model (GAM is employed to train a statistical regression model by using the input and output data of ABM and play a role as an emulator during history matching. Next, we reduce the input space of parameters by introducing an implausible measure to discard the implausible input values. At last, the estimation of model parameters is obtained using the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO by fitting the experiment data among the non-implausible input values. The real Influeza A Virus (IAV data set is employed to demonstrate the performance of our proposed method, and the results show that the proposed method not only has good fitting and predicting accuracy, but it also owns favorable computational efficiency.

  3. Lift on side by side intruders of various geometries within a granular flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acevedo-Escalante, M. F.; Caballero-Robledo, G. A.

    2017-06-01

    Obstacles within fluids have been widely used in engineering and in physics to study hydrodynamic interactions. In granular matter, objects within a granular flow have helped to understand fundamental features of drag and lift forces. In our group, we have studied numerically the flow mediated interaction between two static disks within a vertical granular flow in a two-dimensional container where the flow velocity and the distance between obstacles were varied. Attractive and repulsive forces were found depending on flow velocity and separation between intruders. The simulations evidenced a relationship between the average flow velocity in a specific section ahead of the obstacles and the attractive-repulsive lift. On the other hand, it was showed that the lift force on an object dragged within a granular medium depends on the shape of the intruder. Here we present experimental results of the interaction between two side-by-side intruders of different shapes within a vertical granular flow. We built a quasi-two-dimensional container in which we placed the intruders and using load cells we measured lift and drag forces during the discharge process for different flow velocities.

  4. Consensus of satellite cluster flight using an energy-matching optimal control method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jianjun; Zhou, Liang; Zhang, Bo

    2017-11-01

    This paper presents an optimal control method for consensus of satellite cluster flight under a kind of energy matching condition. Firstly, the relation between energy matching and satellite periodically bounded relative motion is analyzed, and the satellite energy matching principle is applied to configure the initial conditions. Then, period-delayed errors are adopted as state variables to establish the period-delayed errors dynamics models of a single satellite and the cluster. Next a novel satellite cluster feedback control protocol with coupling gain is designed, so that the satellite cluster periodically bounded relative motion consensus problem (period-delayed errors state consensus problem) is transformed to the stability of a set of matrices with the same low dimension. Based on the consensus region theory in the research of multi-agent system consensus issues, the coupling gain can be obtained to satisfy the requirement of consensus region and decouple the satellite cluster information topology and the feedback control gain matrix, which can be determined by Linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal method. This method can realize the consensus of satellite cluster period-delayed errors, leading to the consistency of semi-major axes (SMA) and the energy-matching of satellite cluster. Then satellites can emerge the global coordinative cluster behavior. Finally the feasibility and effectiveness of the present energy-matching optimal consensus for satellite cluster flight is verified through numerical simulations.

  5. Translation failure and medical reversal: Two sides to the same coin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Vinay

    2016-01-01

    Translation failure occurs when the results of preclinical, observational and/or early phase studies fail to predict the results of well done (i.e. appropriately controlled, adequately powered, and properly conducted) phase III or randomised clinical trials. Some failures occur when promising basic science findings fail to replicate in human studies, while others happen when promising uncontrolled trial data show an exaggerated effect that vanishes in the setting of a randomised trial. Medical reversals occur when the results of preclinical, observational and/or early phase studies fail to predict the results of subsequent randomized clinical trials, but the practice has already gained widespread acceptance. Oncologic examples include bevacizumab and the use of autologous stem cell transplant in metastatic breast cancer. In a well-intentioned effort to reduce the rate of translation failure, oncologists must be careful that changes to regulatory processes and clinical trial design do not actually work to increase the approval of ineffective compounds. By trying to cure translation failure, we should be careful to avoid medical reversal. The rise of surrogate end-points and role of hard-wired bias in oncology trials suggest that we may be currently ignoring the simple fact that translation failure and medical reversal are two sides to the same coin. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. LACTATE PROFILE DURING GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING MATCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ognjen Uljevic

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine and compare lactate profile of two groups of Greco-Roman wrestlers with different competences and training experience. Study was conducted on 10 wrestles that were members of Croatian national team and 10 wrestlers that were members of Wrestling club Split. Lactate samples were collected at four intervals during control fights that were held according to international wrestling rules of World wrestling federation FILA. Values of lactate increased as competition progressed, and they were highest at the end of the match for both groups of wrestlers. According to this study there were no significant differences in lactate between two groups at the end of the match, while significant differences were noted during the match. The information about lactate profile presented in this study can be used by coaches and wrestlers to develop condition programs

  7. Simultaneous in vivo truncation of pectic side chains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Øbro, Jens; Borkhardt, Bernhard; Harholt, Jesper

    2009-01-01

    . These modifications often prevent gelation, which has been a major functional requirement of commercial pectins until recently. We have previously shown that modification of pectin is possible through heterologous expression of pectin degrading enzymes in planta. To test the effect of simultaneous modification......Despite the wide occurrence of pectin in nature only a few source materials have been used to produce commercial pectins. One of the reasons for this is that many plant species contain pectins with high levels of neutral sugar side chains or that are highly substituted with acetyl or other groups...... of the two main neutral pectic side chains in pectic rhamnogalacturonan I (RGI), we constitutively expressed two different enzymes in Arabidopsis thaliana that would either modify the galactan or the arabinan side chains, or both side chains simultaneously. Our analysis showed that the simultaneous...

  8. Flapping modes of three filaments placed side by side in a free stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Fang-Bao; Luo, Haoxiang; Zhu, Luoding; Lu, Xi-Yun

    2010-11-01

    Flexible filaments flapping in a surrounding flow are useful models for understanding the flow-induced vibration and mimicking the schooling behavior of fish. In the present work, the coupled modes of three identical filaments in a side-by- side arrangement are studied using the linear stability analysis and also an immersed boundary--lattice Boltzmann method for low Reynolds numbers (Re on order of 100). The numerical simulations show that the system dynamics exhibits several patterns that depend on the spacing between the filaments. Among these patterns, three can be predicted by the linear analysis and have been reported before. These modes are: (1) the three filaments all flap in phase; (2) the two outer filaments are out of phase while the middle one is stable; (3) the two outer filaments are in phase while the middle one is out of phase. The simulations also identified two additional modes: (1) the outer two filaments are out of phase while the middle one flaps at a frequency reduced by half; (2) the outer two filaments are out of phase while the middle one flaps at a slightly different frequency. In addition to the vibratory modes, the drag force and the flapping amplitude are also computed, and the implication of the result will be discussed.

  9. Estimation of Panel Data Regression Models with Two-Sided Censoring or Truncation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alan, Sule; Honore, Bo E.; Hu, Luojia

    2014-01-01

    This paper constructs estimators for panel data regression models with individual speci…fic heterogeneity and two–sided censoring and truncation. Following Powell (1986) the estimation strategy is based on moment conditions constructed from re–censored or re–truncated residuals. While these moment...

  10. Commentary: the postdoctoral residency match in clinical neuropsychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodin, Doug; Grote, Christopher L

    2016-07-01

    Postdoctoral recruitment in clinical neuropsychology has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Prior to 1994, there were no organized recruitment guidelines for the specialty. From 1994 to 2001, the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) facilitated a uniform notification date where member programs agreed to not make offers prior to a specified date. In 2001, APPCN partnered with National Matching Services to administer a computerized match recruitment system. Presently, not all programs participate in the match. This often results in students applying to 'match' and 'non-match' programs which can lead to significant stress on the part of applicants and program directors. This issue has recently become the focus of journal articles and public discussions. The goals of this paper were to review the history of postdoctoral recruitment in clinical neuropsychology, review the benefits of coordinated recruitment systems, review the structure and function of the computerized match, and explain why the computerized match for postdoctoral recruitment in clinical neuropsychology is beneficial for the specialty of clinical neuropsychology.

  11. Multi-Agent Market Modeling of Foreign Exchange Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmermann, Georg; Neuneier, Ralph; Grothmann, Ralph

    A market mechanism is basically driven by a superposition of decisions of many agents optimizing their profit. The oeconomic price dynamic is a consequence of the cumulated excess demand/supply created on this micro level. The behavior analysis of a small number of agents is well understood through the game theory. In case of a large number of agents one may use the limiting case that an individual agent does not have an influence on the market, which allows the aggregation of agents by statistic methods. In contrast to this restriction, we can omit the assumption of an atomic market structure, if we model the market through a multi-agent approach. The contribution of the mathematical theory of neural networks to the market price formation is mostly seen on the econometric side: neural networks allow the fitting of high dimensional nonlinear dynamic models. Furthermore, in our opinion, there is a close relationship between economics and the modeling ability of neural networks because a neuron can be interpreted as a simple model of decision making. With this in mind, a neural network models the interaction of many decisions and, hence, can be interpreted as the price formation mechanism of a market.

  12. Fluid-mediated stability and speed-increase for heaving hydrofoils swimming side-by-side

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newbolt, Joel; Zhang, Jun; Ristroph, Leif

    2017-11-01

    As an example of collective motion in active swimmers we study the fluid-mediated interaction between two heaving hydrofoils that swim with a fixed transverse separation (between the heaving mid-heights) but are free to independently choose their forward swimming speeds and positions. Experiments reveal that out-of-phase foils are attracted to a side-by-side configuration which also increases the swimming speed of the pair (up to 59% faster for our parameters), while in-phase foils are repelled from this configuration. Because this type of swimming is qualitatively similar to that of fish and birds this interaction could be important to schooling and flocking.

  13. Options for refractive index and viscosity matching to study variable density flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clément, Simon A.; Guillemain, Anaïs; McCleney, Amy B.; Bardet, Philippe M.

    2018-02-01

    Variable density flows are often studied by mixing two miscible aqueous solutions of different densities. To perform optical diagnostics in such environments, the refractive index of the fluids must be matched, which can be achieved by carefully choosing the two solutes and the concentration of the solutions. To separate the effects of buoyancy forces and viscosity variations, it is desirable to match the viscosity of the two solutions in addition to their refractive index. In this manuscript, several pairs of index matched fluids are compared in terms of viscosity matching, monetary cost, and practical use. Two fluid pairs are studied in detail, with two aqueous solutions (binary solutions of water and a salt or alcohol) mixed into a ternary solution. In each case: an aqueous solution of isopropanol mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and an aqueous solution of glycerol mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate (Na_2SO_4). The first fluid pair allows reaching high-density differences at low cost, but brings a large difference in dynamic viscosity. The second allows matching dynamic viscosity and refractive index simultaneously, at reasonable cost. For each of these four solutes, the density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index are measured versus concentration and temperature, as well as wavelength for the refractive index. To investigate non-linear effects when two index-matched, binary solutions are mixed, the ternary solutions formed are also analyzed. Results show that density and refractive index follow a linear variation with concentration. However, the viscosity of the isopropanol and NaCl pair deviates from the linear law and has to be considered. Empirical correlations and their coefficients are given to create index-matched fluids at a chosen temperature and wavelength. Finally, the effectiveness of the refractive index matching is illustrated with particle image velocimetry measurements performed for a buoyant jet in a

  14. The effect of curve sawing two-sided cants from small diameter hardwood sawlogs on lumber and pallet part yields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter Hamner; Marshall S. White; Philip A. Araman

    2006-01-01

    Curve sawing is a primary log breakdown process that incorporates gang-saw technology to allow two-sided cants from logs with sweep to be cut parallel to the log surface or log axis. Since curve-sawn logs with sweep are cut along the grain, the potential for producing high quality straight-grain lumber and cants increases, and strength, stiffness, and dimensional...

  15. Dual discharge from a stratified two-phase region through side orifices oriented horizontally

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassan, I G; Soliman, H M; Sims, G E [Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Kowalski, J E [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Labs.

    1996-12-31

    Experimental data are presented for the mass flow rate and quality of two-phase (air-water) discharge from a stratified region through two side orifices (6.35 mm i.d.) with their parallel centre lines located in a horizontal plane. These data correspond to different values of the interface level between the onsets of gas and liquid entrainments for test-section pressures of 316 and 517 kPa, test-section-to-separators pressure difference ranging from 40 to 235 kPa, orifice separating distance to diameter ratio ranging from 1.5 to 8 and different hydraulic resistances of the lines connecting the test section to the separators. Influences of these independent variables on the deviation between the present results (of mass flow rate and quality) and those corresponding to a single discharge are presented and discussed. Normalized plots are presented showing that the present data of dual discharge and those of a single discharge can be collapsed for the whole test range when specific definition for the dimensionless height of the interface and mass flow rate are used. Excellent agreement is demonstrated between single-discharge correlations and the present data using these dimensionless quantities. (author). 12 refs., 1 tab., 16 figs.

  16. Dual discharge from a stratified two-phase region through side orifices oriented horizontally

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, I.G.; Soliman, H.M.; Sims, G.E.; Kowalski, J.E.

    1995-01-01

    Experimental data are presented for the mass flow rate and quality of two-phase (air-water) discharge from a stratified region through two side orifices (6.35 mm i.d.) with their parallel centre lines located in a horizontal plane. These data correspond to different values of the interface level between the onsets of gas and liquid entrainments for test-section pressures of 316 and 517 kPa, test-section-to-separators pressure difference ranging from 40 to 235 kPa, orifice separating distance to diameter ratio ranging from 1.5 to 8 and different hydraulic resistances of the lines connecting the test section to the separators. Influences of these independent variables on the deviation between the present results (of mass flow rate and quality) and those corresponding to a single discharge are presented and discussed. Normalized plots are presented showing that the present data of dual discharge and those of a single discharge can be collapsed for the whole test range when specific definition for the dimensionless height of the interface and mass flow rate are used. Excellent agreement is demonstrated between single-discharge correlations and the present data using these dimensionless quantities. (author). 12 refs., 1 tab., 16 figs

  17. Slip effects on a generalized Burgers’ fluid flow between two side walls with fractional derivative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shihao Han

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a research for the 3D flow of a generalized Burgers’ fluid between two side walls generated by an exponential accelerating plate and a constant pressure gradient, where the no-slip assumption between the exponential accelerating plate and the Burgers’ fluid is no longer valid. The governing equations of the generalized Burgers’ fluid flow are established by using the fractional calculus approach. Exact analytic solutions for the 3D flow are established by employing the Laplace transform and the finite Fourier sine transform. Furthermore, some 3D and 2D figures for the fluid velocity and shear stress are plotted to analyze and discuss the effects of various parameters.

  18. Cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by a Chrysosporium species related to Nannizziopsis vriesii in two green iguanas (Iguana iguana).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abarca, M L; Martorell, J; Castellá, G; Ramis, A; Cabañes, F J

    2008-06-01

    This report describes the first isolation of a Chrysosporium species as the etiological agent of dermatomycosis in two green iguanas (Iguana iguana). The ITS-5.8S rRNA gene of the two strains was sequenced and a search on the GenBank database revealed that the closest match was Nannizziopsis vriesii. Treatment with oral ketoconazole, in combination with topical 2% chlorhexidine solution and terbinafine resulted in clinical cure.

  19. Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arif T

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Tasleem Arif Postgraduate Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India Abstract: Salicylic acid has been used to treat various skin disorders for more than 2,000 years. The ability of salicylic acid to exfoliate the stratum corneum makes it a good agent for peeling. In particular, the comedolytic property of salicylic acid makes it a useful peeling agent for patients with acne. Once considered as a keratolytic agent, the role of salicylic acid as a desmolytic agent, because of its ability to disrupt cellular junctions rather than breaking or lysing intercellular keratin filaments, is now recognized and is discussed here. Salicylic acid as a peeling agent has a number of indications, including acne vulgaris, melasma, photodamage, freckles, and lentigines. The efficacy and safety of salicylic acid peeling in Fitzpatrick skin types I–III as well as in skin types V and VI have been well documented in the literature. This paper reviews the available data and literature on salicylic acid as a peeling agent and its possible indications. Its properties, efficacy and safety, the peeling procedure, and possible side effects are discussed in detail. An account of salicylism is also included. Keywords: acne vulgaris, desmolytic agent, melasma, photodamage, salicylic acid 

  20. Orexin receptor antagonists as therapeutic agents for insomnia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Clementina Equihua

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Insomnia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or non-restorative sleep with impairment of daytime functioning.Currently, treatment for insomnia involves a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological therapy. Among pharmacological interventions, the most evidence exists for benzodiazepine receptor agonist drugs (GABAA receptor, although concerns persist regarding their safety and their limited efficacy. The use of these hypnotic medications must be carefully monitored for adverse effects.Orexin (hypocretin neuropeptides have been shown to regulate transitions between wakefulness and sleep by promoting cholinergic/monoaminergic neural pathways. This has led to the development of a new class of pharmacological agents that antagonize the physiological effects of orexin. The development of these agents may lead to novel therapies for insomnia without the side effect profile of hypnotics (e.g. impaired cognition, disturbed arousal, and motor balance difficulties. However, antagonizing a system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle may create an entirely different side effect profile. In this review, we discuss the role of orexin and its receptors on the sleep-wake cycle and that of orexin antagonists in the treatment of insomnia.

  1. Matching and correlation computations in stereoscopic depth perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doi, Takahiro; Tanabe, Seiji; Fujita, Ichiro

    2011-03-02

    A fundamental task of the visual system is to infer depth by using binocular disparity. To encode binocular disparity, the visual cortex performs two distinct computations: one detects matched patterns in paired images (matching computation); the other constructs the cross-correlation between the images (correlation computation). How the two computations are used in stereoscopic perception is unclear. We dissociated their contributions in near/far discrimination by varying the magnitude of the disparity across separate sessions. For small disparity (0.03°), subjects performed at chance level to a binocularly opposite-contrast (anti-correlated) random-dot stereogram (RDS) but improved their performance with the proportion of contrast-matched (correlated) dots. For large disparity (0.48°), the direction of perceived depth reversed with an anti-correlated RDS relative to that for a correlated one. Neither reversed nor normal depth was perceived when anti-correlation was applied to half of the dots. We explain the decision process as a weighted average of the two computations, with the relative weight of the correlation computation increasing with the disparity magnitude. We conclude that matching computation dominates fine depth perception, while both computations contribute to coarser depth perception. Thus, stereoscopic depth perception recruits different computations depending on the disparity magnitude.

  2. Kappa statistic for clustered matched-pair data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhao; Zhou, Ming

    2014-07-10

    Kappa statistic is widely used to assess the agreement between two procedures in the independent matched-pair data. For matched-pair data collected in clusters, on the basis of the delta method and sampling techniques, we propose a nonparametric variance estimator for the kappa statistic without within-cluster correlation structure or distributional assumptions. The results of an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study demonstrate that the proposed kappa statistic provides consistent estimation and the proposed variance estimator behaves reasonably well for at least a moderately large number of clusters (e.g., K ≥50). Compared with the variance estimator ignoring dependence within a cluster, the proposed variance estimator performs better in maintaining the nominal coverage probability when the intra-cluster correlation is fair (ρ ≥0.3), with more pronounced improvement when ρ is further increased. To illustrate the practical application of the proposed estimator, we analyze two real data examples of clustered matched-pair data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. An Unpredicted Side Effect of Bisphosphonates in a Patient with Chronic Renal Failure Due to Multiple Myeloma: Reversible Parkinsonism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barış İşak

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available In this report, we present a unique case in which the chemotherapeutic agent, i.e., zoledronic acid, deepened the hypocalcemia on the basis of chronic renal failure secondary to multiple myeloma and caused parkinsonism episodes. An 80-year-old female patient, who had been diagnosed as multiple myeloma and had been administered bisphosphonate therapy monthly for six months, was ad¬mitted to our emergency room with two parkinsonism episodes. Low serum calcium levels accompanied parkinsonism symptoms, which subsided with calcium replacement therapy in both episodes. Imaging did not reveal any pathology in the basal ganglia. The fact that the patient was cured both times with calcium replacement suggests that hypocalcemia was the actual cause. This can be interpreted as a unique case, reflecting the reversible functional impairment due to metabolic side effects of a chemotherapeutic agent rather than destructive changes in the basal ganglia.

  4. An Unpredicted Side Effect of Bisphosphonates in a Patient with Chronic Renal Failure Due to Multiple Myeloma: Reversible Parkinsonism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barış İşak

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available In this report, we present a unique case in which the chemotherapeutic agent, i.e., zoledronic acid, deepened the hypocalcemia on the basis of chronic renal failure secondary to multiple myeloma and caused parkinsonism episodes. An 80-year-old female patient, who had been diagnosed as multiple myeloma and had been administered bisphosphonate therapy monthly for six months, was ad¬mitted to our emergency room with two parkinsonism episodes. Low serum calcium levels accompanied parkinsonism symptoms, which subsided with calcium replacement therapy in both episodes. Imaging did not reveal any pathology in the basal ganglia. The fact that the patient was cured both times with calcium replacement suggests that hypocalcemia was the actual cause. This can be interpreted as a unique case, reflecting the reversible functional impairment due to metabolic side effects of a chemotherapeutic agent rather than destructive changes in the basal ganglia

  5. Influence of the side-by-side arrangement on the performance of a small Savonius wind turbine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jang Choon-Man

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Scaled-down Savonius turbine rotors arrayed side-by-side are introduced to analyze the effects of design parameters on the performance between turbine rotors. Unsteady flow simulation and experimental measurement have been performed to compare turbine performance and validate the numerical simulation of the turbine rotor. Commercial code, SC/Tetra, which uses an unstructured grid system, has been used to solve the three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Single turbine rotors and two turbine rotors arrayed side-by-side were numerically analyzed. The distance between rotor tips is 0.5 times the rotor diameter. Throughout the numerical simulation, the power coefficient obtained by the time-averaged result of unsteady flow simulation was found to be in good agreement with the experimental result. A discussion on the design parameters using both a single and arrayed turbine rotors is presented based on the results of the unsteady flow simulation, including the flow field, power coefficient, velocity and vorticity contours.

  6. Approximate semantic matching of music classes on the internet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aleksovski, Zharko; Kate, Warner Ten; Van Harmelen, Frank

    2006-01-01

    We address the problem of semantic matching, which concerns the search for semantic agreement between heterogeneous concept hierarchies. We propose a new approximation method to discover and assess the "strength" (preciseness) of a semantic match between concepts from two such concept hierarchies.

  7. A clinical compariosn of sup(99m)Tc-DPD and two sup(99m)Tc-MDP agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vorne, M.; Vaehaetalo, S.; Lantto, T.

    1983-01-01

    Two hundred and fifty-seven patients were studied with bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals. They were randomly divided into three groups. Two groups were injected with two different sup(99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonates from two manufactures (MDP 1 and MDP 2) and the third group with sup(99m)Tc-dicarboxypropane diphosphonate (DPD). DPD was found to be superior with respect to blood clearance, femur to soft tissue ratio and subjectivly assessed image quality. There seemed to be no marked differences between the bone-seeking agents in the visualisation of pathological foci. The image quality seemed to be better in the MDP 2 group than in the MDP 1 group but they were similar in other respects. The femur to soft tissue ratio decreased with increasing age in the DPD group but not in the MDP groups. With all agents worsening of scan quality with increasing age was noted and the image quality was better with men than with women. When short incubation times of radiopharmaceuticals were used before injection, the bone to soft tissue ratio was lower and the scan quality was poorer than with incubation times longer than 20 min. (orig.)

  8. Double agents and secret agents: the emerging fields of exogenous chemical exchange saturation transfer and T2-exchange magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents for molecular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daryaei, Iman; Pagel, Mark D

    2015-01-01

    Two relatively new types of exogenous magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents may provide greater impact for molecular imaging by providing greater specificity for detecting molecular imaging biomarkers. Exogenous chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) agents rely on the selective saturation of the magnetization of a proton on an agent, followed by chemical exchange of a proton from the agent to water. The selective detection of a biomarker-responsive CEST signal and an unresponsive CEST signal, followed by the ratiometric comparison of these signals, can improve biomarker specificity. We refer to this improvement as a "double-agent" approach to molecular imaging. Exogenous T 2 -exchange agents also rely on chemical exchange of protons between the agent and water, especially with an intermediate rate that lies between the slow exchange rates of CEST agents and the fast exchange rates of traditional T 1 and T 2 agents. Because of this intermediate exchange rate, these agents have been relatively unknown and have acted as "secret agents" in the contrast agent research field. This review exposes these secret agents and describes the merits of double agents through examples of exogenous agents that detect enzyme activity, nucleic acids and gene expression, metabolites, ions, redox state, temperature, and pH. Future directions are also provided for improving both types of contrast agents for improved molecular imaging and clinical translation. Therefore, this review provides an overview of two new types of exogenous contrast agents that are becoming useful tools within the armamentarium of molecular imaging.

  9. Effect of Viscous Agents on Corneal Density in Dry Eye Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegener, Alfred R; Meyer, Linda M; Schönfeld, Carl-Ludwig

    2015-10-01

    To investigate the effect of the viscous agents, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carbomer, povidone, and a combination of HPMC and povidone on corneal density in patients with dry eye disease. In total, 98 eyes of 49 patients suffering from dry eye and 65 eyes of 33 healthy age-matched individuals were included in this prospective, randomized study. Corneal morphology was documented with Scheimpflug photography and corneal density was analyzed in 5 anatomical layers (epithelium, bowman membrane, stroma, descemet's membrane, and endothelium). Corneal density was evaluated for the active ingredients HPMC, carbomer, povidone, and a combination of HPMC and povidone as the viscous agents contained in the artificial tear formulations used by the dry eye patients. Data were compared to the age-matched healthy control group without medication. Corneal density in dry eye patients was reduced in all 5 anatomical layers compared to controls. Corneal density was highest and very close to control in patients treated with HPMC containing ocular lubricants. Patients treated with lubricants, including carbomer as the viscous agent displayed a significant reduction of corneal density in layers 1 and 2 compared to control. HPMC containing ocular lubricants can help to maintain physiological corneal density and may be beneficial in the treatment of dry eye disease.

  10. Unsupervised image matching based on manifold alignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pei, Yuru; Huang, Fengchun; Shi, Fuhao; Zha, Hongbin

    2012-08-01

    This paper challenges the issue of automatic matching between two image sets with similar intrinsic structures and different appearances, especially when there is no prior correspondence. An unsupervised manifold alignment framework is proposed to establish correspondence between data sets by a mapping function in the mutual embedding space. We introduce a local similarity metric based on parameterized distance curves to represent the connection of one point with the rest of the manifold. A small set of valid feature pairs can be found without manual interactions by matching the distance curve of one manifold with the curve cluster of the other manifold. To avoid potential confusions in image matching, we propose an extended affine transformation to solve the nonrigid alignment in the embedding space. The comparatively tight alignments and the structure preservation can be obtained simultaneously. The point pairs with the minimum distance after alignment are viewed as the matchings. We apply manifold alignment to image set matching problems. The correspondence between image sets of different poses, illuminations, and identities can be established effectively by our approach.

  11. Marriage and Divorce in a Model of Matching

    OpenAIRE

    Mumcu, Ayse; Saglam, Ismail

    2006-01-01

    We study the problem of marriage formation and marital distribution in a two-period model of matching, extending the matching with bargaining framework of Crawford and Rochford (1986). We run simulations to find the effects of alimony rate, legal cost of divorce, initial endowments, couple and single productivity parameters on the payoffs and marital status in the society.

  12. Physiological responses and match characteristics in professional tennis players during a one-hour simulated tennis match

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kilit Bülent

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of serve and return game situations on physiological responses and match characteristics in professional male tennis players during one hour-long simulated singles tennis matches. Ten internationally ranked tennis players (age 22.2 ± 2.8 years; body height 180.7 ± 4.4 cm; body mass 75.9 ± 8.9 kg participated in this study. Their physiological responses were measured using two portable analyzers during indoor hard court matches. Ratings of perceived exertion were also determined at the end of the game. The variables describing the characteristics of the matches determined from video recordings were: (a duration of rallies; (b rest time; (c work-to-rest ratio; (d effective playing time; and (d strokes per rally. Significant differences (p<0.05 were found between serving and returning conditions in an hour-long simulated singles tennis match in terms of oxygen uptake, a heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, pulmonary ventilation, respiration frequency and a respiratory gas exchange ratio. In addition, both the heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion responses were moderately correlated with the duration of rallies and strokes per rally (r = 0.60 to 0.26; p<0.05. Taken together, these results indicate that the serve game situation has a significant effect on the physiological response in an hour-long simulated tennis match between professional male tennis players. These findings might be used for the physiological adaptations required for tennis-specific aerobic endurance.

  13. Flapping propulsion with side-by-side pitching foils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huera-Huarte, Francisco

    2016-11-01

    Fish schools are one of the most common types of collective behaviour observed in nature. One of the reasons why fish swim in groups, is to reduce the cost of transport of the school. In this work we explore the propulsive performance of two foils flapping in a symmetric configuration, i.e. with an out-of-phase flapping motion. Direct thrust measurements and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) allowed a detailed examination of the forces and the wake generated by the system, for different kinematics (swept angles and frequencies) and shaft separations. For certain specific cases, volumetric PIV shows major differences on how the different structures in the wake of the system evolve, depending on the imposed kinematics and the side-by-side separation between the foils. Results obtained will be compared against data produced with isolated flapping foils with similar imposed kinematics, with the aim to better understand the interactions between both and the performance of the system as a whole. The author would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y competitividad (MINECO) through Grant DPI2015-71645-P.

  14. Magnetic safety matches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindén, J.; Lindberg, M.; Greggas, A.; Jylhävuori, N.; Norrgrann, H.; Lill, J. O.

    2017-07-01

    In addition to the main ingredients; sulfur, potassium chlorate and carbon, ordinary safety matches contain various dyes, glues etc, giving the head of the match an even texture and appealing color. Among the common reddish-brown matches there are several types, which after ignition can be attracted by a strong magnet. Before ignition the match head is generally not attracted by the magnet. An elemental analysis based on proton-induced x-ray emission was performed to single out iron as the element responsible for the observed magnetism. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used for identifying the various types of iron-compounds, present before and after ignition, responsible for the macroscopic magnetism: Fe2O3 before and Fe3O4 after. The reaction was verified by mixing the main chemicals in the match-head with Fe2O3 in glue and mounting the mixture on a match stick. The ash residue after igniting the mixture was magnetic.

  15. Collective emotion dynamics in chats with agents, moderators and Bots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Šuvakov

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Using agent-directed simulations, we investigate fluctuations in the collective emotional states on a chat network where agents interchange messages with a fixed number of moderators and emotional Bot. To design a realistic chat system, the interaction rules and some statistical parameters, as well as the agent's attributes, are inferred from the empirical chat channel Ubuntu. In the simulations, the Bot's emotion is fixed; the moderators tune the level of its activity by passing a fraction ε of messages to the Bot. At ε ≥ 0, the collective emotional state matching the Bot's emotion polarity gradually arises; the average growth rate of the dominant emotional charge serves as an order parameter. Due to self-organizing effects, the collective dynamics is more explosive when positive emotions arise by positive Bot than the onset of negative emotions in the presence of negative Bot at the same ε. Furthermore, when the emotions matching the Bot's emotion polarity are spread over the system, the underlying fractal processes exhibit higher persistence and stronger clustering of events than the processes spreading of emotion polarity opposite to the Bot's emotion. On the other hand, the relaxation dynamics is controlled by the external noise; the related nonextensive parameter, estimated from the statistics of returns, is virtually independent of the Bot's activity level and emotion contents.

  16. 23andMe: a new two-sided data-banking market model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoeklé, Henri-Corto; Mamzer-Bruneel, Marie-France; Vogt, Guillaume; Hervé, Christian

    2016-03-31

    Since 2006, the genetic testing company 23andMe has collected biological samples, self-reported information, and consent documents for biobanking and research from more than 1,000,000 individuals (90% participating in research), through a direct-to-consumer (DTC) online genetic-testing service providing a genetic ancestry report and a genetic health report. However, on November 22, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted the sale of genetic health testing, on the grounds that 23andMe was not acting in accordance with federal law, by selling tests of undemonstrated reliability as predictive tests for medical risk factors. Consumers could still obtain the genetic ancestry report, but they no longer had access to the genetic health report in the United States (US). However, this did not prevent the company from continuing its health research, with previously obtained and future samples, provided that consent had been obtained from the consumers concerned, or with health reports for individuals from other countries. Furthermore, 23andMe was granted FDA authorization on February 19, 2015, first to provide reports about Bloom syndrome carrier status, and, more recently, to provide consumers with "carrier status" information for 35 genes known (with high levels of confidence) to cause disease. In this Debate, we highlight the likelihood that the primary objective of the company was probably two-fold: promoting itself within the market for predictive testing for human genetic diseases and ancestry at a low cost to consumers, and establishing a high-value database/biobank for research (one of the largest biobanks of human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and personal information). By dint of this marketing approach, a two-sided market has been established between the consumer and the research laboratories, involving the establishment of a database/DNA biobank for scientific and financial gain. We describe here the profound ethical issues raised by this setup.

  17. MatchGUI: A Graphical MATLAB-Based Tool for Automatic Image Co-Registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansar, Adnan I.

    2011-01-01

    MatchGUI software, based on MATLAB, automatically matches two images and displays the match result by superimposing one image on the other. A slider bar allows focus to shift between the two images. There are tools for zoom, auto-crop to overlap region, and basic image markup. Given a pair of ortho-rectified images (focused primarily on Mars orbital imagery for now), this software automatically co-registers the imagery so that corresponding image pixels are aligned. MatchGUI requires minimal user input, and performs a registration over scale and inplane rotation fully automatically

  18. The effect of two bleaching agents on the phosphate concentration of the enamel evaluated by Raman spectroscopy: An ex vivo study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sokkalingam Mothilal Venkatesan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim : The aim of this ex vivo study was to evaluate the effect of in-office bleaching agents,-35% and 38% hydrogen peroxide containing bleaching agents, on the phosphate concentration of the enamel evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. Materials and Methods : Forty noncarious, craze-free human maxillary incisors, extracted for periodontal reasons, were used in this study. Baseline Raman spectra from each specimen were obtained before the application of the bleaching agent to assess the phosphate content present in the teeth. The teeth were divided into two groups: Group A - bleached with pola office bleach (35% hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate (light activated. Group B - bleached with opalescence Xtra bleach (38% hydrogen peroxide potassium nitrate and fluoride (chemical activated. After the bleaching procedure, the treated specimens were taken to obtain Raman spectra to assess the phosphate loss after bleaching treatment. Results : The results showed that the chemically activated bleaching agent showed less phosphate loss when compared with the light activated bleaching agent. Conclusion : Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the chemically activated bleaching agent showed minimal phosphate loss when compared to light activated bleaching agent. The chemically activated bleaching agent was better than the light activated bleaching agent when values were evaluated statistically.

  19. A FPGA-based architecture for real-time image matching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianhui; Zhong, Sheng; Xu, Wenhui; Zhang, Weijun; Cao, Zhiguo

    2013-10-01

    Image matching is a fundamental task in computer vision. It is used to establish correspondence between two images taken at different viewpoint or different time from the same scene. However, its large computational complexity has been a challenge to most embedded systems. This paper proposes a single FPGA-based image matching system, which consists of SIFT feature detection, BRIEF descriptor extraction and BRIEF matching. It optimizes the FPGA architecture for the SIFT feature detection to reduce the FPGA resources utilization. Moreover, we implement BRIEF description and matching on FPGA also. The proposed system can implement image matching at 30fps (frame per second) for 1280x720 images. Its processing speed can meet the demand of most real-life computer vision applications.

  20. The DarkSide experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bottino, B.; Aalseth, C.E.; Acconcia, G.

    2017-01-01

    DarkSide is a dark matter direct search experiment at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). DarkSide is based on the detection of rare nuclear recoils possibly induced by hypothetical dark matter particles, which are supposed to be neutral, massive (m > 10 GeV) and weakly interactive (Wimp). The dark matter detector is a two-phase time projection chamber (TPC) filled with ultra-pure liquid argon. The TPC is placed inside a muon and a neutron active vetoes to suppress the background. Using argon as active target has many advantages, the key features are the strong discriminant power between nuclear and electron recoils, the spatial reconstruction and easy scalability to multi-tons size. At the moment DarkSide-50 is filled with ultra-pure argon, extracted from underground sources, and from April 2015 it is taking data in its final configuration. When combined with the preceding search with an atmospheric argon target, it is possible to set a 90% CL upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section of 2.0×10"−"44 cm"2 for a WIMP mass of 100 GeV/c"2. The next phase of the experiment, DarkSide-20k, will be the construction of a new detector with an active mass of ∼ 20 tons.

  1. Fast group matching for MR fingerprinting reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cauley, Stephen F; Setsompop, Kawin; Ma, Dan; Jiang, Yun; Ye, Huihui; Adalsteinsson, Elfar; Griswold, Mark A; Wald, Lawrence L

    2015-08-01

    MR fingerprinting (MRF) is a technique for quantitative tissue mapping using pseudorandom measurements. To estimate tissue properties such as T1 , T2 , proton density, and B0 , the rapidly acquired data are compared against a large dictionary of Bloch simulations. This matching process can be a very computationally demanding portion of MRF reconstruction. We introduce a fast group matching algorithm (GRM) that exploits inherent correlation within MRF dictionaries to create highly clustered groupings of the elements. During matching, a group specific signature is first used to remove poor matching possibilities. Group principal component analysis (PCA) is used to evaluate all remaining tissue types. In vivo 3 Tesla brain data were used to validate the accuracy of our approach. For a trueFISP sequence with over 196,000 dictionary elements, 1000 MRF samples, and image matrix of 128 × 128, GRM was able to map MR parameters within 2s using standard vendor computational resources. This is an order of magnitude faster than global PCA and nearly two orders of magnitude faster than direct matching, with comparable accuracy (1-2% relative error). The proposed GRM method is a highly efficient model reduction technique for MRF matching and should enable clinically relevant reconstruction accuracy and time on standard vendor computational resources. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Complementary Cohort Strategy for Multimodal Face Pair Matching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Yunlian; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Sun, Zhenan

    2016-01-01

    Face pair matching is the task of determining whether two face images represent the same person. Due to the limited expressive information embedded in the two face images as well as various sources of facial variations, it becomes a quite difficult problem. Towards the issue of few available images...... provided to represent each face, we propose to exploit an extra cohort set (identities in the cohort set are different from those being compared) by a series of cohort list comparisons. Useful cohort coefficients are then extracted from both sorted cohort identities and sorted cohort images...... for complementary information. To augment its robustness to complicated facial variations, we further employ multiple face modalities owing to their complementary value to each other for the face pair matching task. The final decision is made by fusing the extracted cohort coefficients with the direct matching...

  3. The European presence in global financial governance: a principal-agent perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mügge, D.

    2011-01-01

    Europe is a heavyweight in global finance. But does it have a presence in global financial governance to match? This paper employs a principal-agent approach to analyse patterns of policy-making delegation in the EU to explore this question. It finds a U-shaped relationship between the extent of

  4. Two against one - a case for single-sided films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixon, L.

    1979-01-01

    The disadvantages of double-sided X-ray film include parallax between the double images where the film is angled to the central ray, and a cross-over effect where light from the front screen affects the back emulsion and vice versa. An investigation of the percentage of the total film density due to cross-over showed the effect varied from 28% to 47%, increasing with total density and faster screens. Kilovoltage had little influence on the effect. A single emulsion film with one screen gave an appreciable increase in radiographic sharpness and definition but required an increase by about 2.5 times in the exposure required. A very fast screen overcame this effect without comparable loss of detail. The use of single emulsion films should also reduce the thickness of cut and therefore improve sharpness in tomography. (UK)

  5. Iris recognition using possibilistic fuzzy matching on local features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Chung-Chih; Lin, Heng-Yi; Taur, Jinshiuh; Tao, Chin-Wang

    2012-02-01

    In this paper, we propose a novel possibilistic fuzzy matching strategy with invariant properties, which can provide a robust and effective matching scheme for two sets of iris feature points. In addition, the nonlinear normalization model is adopted to provide more accurate position before matching. Moreover, an effective iris segmentation method is proposed to refine the detected inner and outer boundaries to smooth curves. For feature extraction, the Gabor filters are adopted to detect the local feature points from the segmented iris image in the Cartesian coordinate system and to generate a rotation-invariant descriptor for each detected point. After that, the proposed matching algorithm is used to compute a similarity score for two sets of feature points from a pair of iris images. The experimental results show that the performance of our system is better than those of the systems based on the local features and is comparable to those of the typical systems.

  6. Two-Dimensional Time-Domain Antenna Arrays for Optimum Steerable Energy Pattern with Low Side Lobes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Reyna

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This document presents the synthesis of different two-dimensional time-domain antenna arrays for steerable energy patterns with side lobe levels. The research is focused on the uniform and nonuniform distributions of true-time exciting delays and positions of antenna elements. The uniform square array, random array, uniform concentric ring array, and rotated nonuniform concentric ring array geometries are particularly studied. These geometries are synthesized by using the well-known sequential quadratic programming. The synthesis regards the optimal true-time exciting delays and optimal positions of pulsed antenna elements. The results show the capabilities of the different antenna arrays to steer the beam in their energy pattern in time domain and how their performance is in frequency domain after the synthesis in time domain.

  7. Balance control of grid currents for UPQC under unbalanced loads based on matching-ratio compensation algorithm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Xiaojun; Zhang, Chunjiang; Chai, Xiuhui

    2018-01-01

    In three-phase four-wire systems, unbalanced loads can cause grid currents to be unbalanced, and this may cause the neutral point potential on the grid side to shift. The neutral point potential shift will worsen the control precision as well as the performance of the threephase four-wire unified...... fluctuations, and elaborates the interaction between unbalanced grid currents and DC bus voltage fluctuations; two control strategies of UPQC under three-phase stationary coordinate based on the MCA are given, and finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy are verified...... power quality conditioner (UPQC), and it also leads to unbalanced three-phase output voltage, even causing damage to electric equipment. To deal with unbalanced loads, this paper proposes a matching-ratio compensation algorithm (MCA) for the fundamental active component of load currents...

  8. Perianal injectable bulking agents as treatment for faecal incontinence in adults. (Update)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maeda, Yasuko; Laurberg, Søren; Norton, Christine

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Faecal incontinence is a complex and distressing condition with significant medical and social implications. Injection of perianal bulking agents has been used to treat the symptoms of passive faecal incontinence. However, various agents have been used without a standardised technique...... evaluation of outcomes and thus it is difficult to gauge whether the improvement in incontinence scores matched practical symptom improvements that mattered to the patients. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: One large randomised controlled trial has shown that this form of treatment using dextranomer in stabilised...

  9. Achromatic hues matching in graphic printing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martinia Ira Glogar

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Some problems in process of dark achromatic hues reproduction and matching in graphic industry, where requests on colour matching are very high, are discussed. When achromatic hues is concerned, in terms of high requests on colour parameter matching, right on time production, quick response and high quality standards requests, the production and moreover the reproduction is subject to many variables and represent the manufacturing process of high complexity. The aim is to achieve a graphic reproduction with defined colour parameters and remission characteristics as close as possible to a standard. In this paper, black and grey hues characterized with average lightness value L*≤ 20, were analysed. Subjective as well as objective colour evaluation have been performed and results of colour differences obtained by two colour difference formulae, CIELAB and CMC(l:c have been compared.

  10. SIDES - Segment Interconnect Diagnostic Expert System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Booth, A.W.; Forster, R.; Gustafsson, L.; Ho, N.

    1989-01-01

    It is well known that the FASTBUS Segment Interconnect (SI) provides a communication path between two otherwise independent, asynchronous bus segments. The SI is probably the most important module in any FASTBUS data acquisition network since it's failure to function can cause whole segments of the network to be inaccessible and sometimes inoperable. This paper describes SIDES, an intelligent program designed to diagnose SI's both in situ as they operate in a data acquisition network, and in the laboratory in an acceptance/repair environment. The paper discusses important issues such as knowledge acquisition; extracting knowledge from human experts and other knowledge sources. SIDES can benefit high energy physics experiments, where SI problems can be diagnosed and solved more quickly. Equipment pool technicians can also benefit from SIDES, first by decreasing the number of SI's erroneously turned in for repair, and secondly as SIDES acts as an intelligent assistant to the technician in the diagnosis and repair process

  11. Combined neck dissection and postoperative radiation therapy in the management of the high-risk neck: a matched-pair analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lundahl, Robert E.; Foote, Robert L.; Bonner, James A.; Suman, Vera J.; Lewis, Jean E.; Kasperbauer, Jan L.; McCaffrey, Thomas V.; Olsen, Kerry D.

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy with regard to reducing the rate of recurrence in the neck, cancer-related death, and death from any cause in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region metastatic to neck nodes. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients with pathologically confirmed nodal metastases who underwent neck dissection and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. Time to recurrence in the dissected area of the neck, any recurrence in the neck, cancer-related death, and death from any cause were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. A matched-pair analysis was performed utilizing a cohort of patients who underwent neck dissection without postoperative radiation therapy. The patients from the two cohorts were matched according to previously reported high-risk features for cancer recurrence and death. Cox hazards models for the matched pairs were used to evaluate the relative risk of subsequent recurrence in the dissected side of the neck, any neck recurrence, cancer-related death, and overall survival. Materials: The medical records and pathologic slides of 95 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed nodal metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region who underwent neck dissection and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy between January 1974 and December 1990 were reviewed. Previously published data from 284 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region treated with neck dissection alone between January 1970 and December 1980 were used for a matched-pair analysis. Results: The relative risks for recurrence in the dissected side of the neck, any neck recurrence (dissected neck or delayed undissected neck metastasis), cancer-related death, and death from any cause for patients treated with operation alone relative to those treated with

  12. Lower Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis and Allergic Sensitization among Children and Adolescents with a Two-Sided Migrant Background.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernst, Sinja Alexandra; Schmitz, Roma; Thamm, Michael; Ellert, Ute

    2016-02-26

    In industrialized countries atopic diseases have been reported to be less likely in children and adolescents with a migrant background compared to non-migrants. This paper aimed at both examining and comparing prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis and allergic sensitization to specific IgE antibodies in children and adolescents with and without a migrant background. Using data of the population-based German Health Interview and Examination Survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS;n = 17,450; 0-17 years), lifetime and 12-month prevalence of atopic diseases and point prevalence of 20 common allergic sensitizations were investigated among migrants compared to non-migrants. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the association of atopic disease and allergic sensitization with migrant background. In multivariate analyses with substantial adjustment we found atopic dermatitis about one-third less often (OR 0.73, 0.57-0.93) in participants with a two-sided migrant background. Statistically significant associations between allergic sensitizations and a two-sided migrant background remained for birch (OR 0.73, 0.58-0.90), soybean (OR 0.72, 0.54-0.96), peanut (OR 0.69, 0.53-0.90), rice (OR 0.64, 0.48-0.87), potato (OR 0.64, 0.48-0.85), and horse dander (OR 0.58, 0.40-0.85). Environmental factors and living conditions might be responsible for the observed differences.

  13. EFFECTIVITY OF TWO BLEACHING AGENT OF 10% CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE WITH AND WITHOUT POTASSIUM NITRATE-FLUORIDE (CLINICAL STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayus Lusiyanti

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Tooth bleaching has become a popular treatment for esthetic improvement in dentistry. There are several 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching agents that are available in Indonesia which contained potassium nitrate-fluoride or without potassium nitrate-fluoride. However, there was no clinical report about these products in Indonesia. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of two bleaching and sensitivity of tooth and gingiva. Sixty-four participants were divided into 2 groups. The first group was treated with bleaching agent that contained potassium nitrate-fluoride (Opalescence PF, Ultradent. Bleaching treatment was done for 6-8 hours per night over a 2 week-period. Evaluations were performed at the baseline and at 3, 7, 14 day afterwards. Color change was measured using a value-ordered Vita classic shade guide; tooth and gingival sensitivity were examine using Electric Pulp Tester, Gingival Index and patient log. The results showed that there were no statistical differences in degree of color change between the two products. The mean color change after 2 weeks was 7-8 tabs lighter than baseline. Also there was no statistical difference in tooth and gingival sensitivity between the products. It can be concluded that 10% carbamide peroxide containing potassium nitrate-fluoride has the same effectiveness compared to other agent without potassium nitrate-fluoride for tooth color change and tooth and gingival sensitivity.

  14. Multiwalled carbon nanotube hybrids as MRI contrast agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikodem Kuźnik

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI is one of the most commonly used tomography techniques in medical diagnosis due to the non-invasive character, the high spatial resolution and the possibility of soft tissue imaging. Contrast agents, such as gadolinium complexes and superparamagnetic iron oxides, are administered to spotlight certain organs and their pathologies. Many new models have been proposed that reduce side effects and required doses of these already clinically approved contrast agents. These new candidates often possess additional functionalities, e.g., the possibility of bioactivation upon action of particular stimuli, thus serving as smart molecular probes, or the coupling with therapeutic agents and therefore combining both a diagnostic and therapeutic role. Nanomaterials have been found to be an excellent scaffold for contrast agents, among which carbon nanotubes offer vast possibilities. The morphology of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs, their magnetic and electronic properties, the possibility of different functionalization and the potential to penetrate cell membranes result in a unique and very attractive candidate for a new MRI contrast agent. In this review we describe the different issues connected with MWCNT hybrids designed for MRI contrast agents, i.e., their synthesis and magnetic and dispersion properties, as well as both in vitro and in vivo behavior, which is important for diagnostic purposes. An introduction to MRI contrast agent theory is elaborated here in order to point to the specific expectations regarding nanomaterials. Finally, we propose a promising, general model of MWCNTs as MRI contrast agent candidates based on the studies presented here and supported by appropriate theories.

  15. The value of hysterosalpingography using non-ionic contrast agent combined with low-tensive drug in diagnosis of infertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Qiwei; Liu Xiaojun; Shi Jianfen; Jiang Guohua; Ye Jinqing; Shen Jun; Song Ting

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To analyze the value of nonionic contrast agent combined with low tensive drug in the hysterosalpingography in diagnosis of infertility. Methods: 203 patients with infertility were randomly classified into two groups. Group 1 contained 108 patients administrated intramuscularly anisodamine (654-2) 30 minutes before hysterosalpingography. 95 patients in group 2 did not use 654-2. Non-ionic contrast agent was used in all patients. The image quality and post-contrast displaying status of uterus and uterine tube between the two groups were analyzed. Results: No allergic response occurred in all patients. The image quality and post-contrast displaying status of uterus and uterine tube of group 1 were obviously superior to that of group 2 (P<0.01). Conclusion: Hysterosalpingography clearly showed lesions of uterus and uterine tube when using non-ionic contrast agent combined with low-tensive drug. It is more safety with less side effects. The contraction of uterine tube can be relieved by the low-tensive drug effectively, so as to decrease the false positive rate, raise the diagnostic accuracy, and lessen patients sufferings. It is deserved to be applied generally. (authors)

  16. An adaptive clustering algorithm for image matching based on corner feature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhe; Dong, Min; Mu, Xiaomin; Wang, Song

    2018-04-01

    The traditional image matching algorithm always can not balance the real-time and accuracy better, to solve the problem, an adaptive clustering algorithm for image matching based on corner feature is proposed in this paper. The method is based on the similarity of the matching pairs of vector pairs, and the adaptive clustering is performed on the matching point pairs. Harris corner detection is carried out first, the feature points of the reference image and the perceived image are extracted, and the feature points of the two images are first matched by Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) function. Then, using the improved algorithm proposed in this paper, the matching results are clustered to reduce the ineffective operation and improve the matching speed and robustness. Finally, the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is used to match the matching points after clustering. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively eliminate the most wrong matching points while the correct matching points are retained, and improve the accuracy of RANSAC matching, reduce the computation load of whole matching process at the same time.

  17. INSTALLATION OF A BUYING AGENT ON THE CERN SITE

    CERN Multimedia

    Head of SPL Division

    1999-01-01

    In March, the Finance Committee approved the installation of a Buying Agent on the CERN site to process orders with a value below 5,000 CHF.The role of a Buying Agent is to supply low-cost products that are widely available on the market to a number of different clients. By purchasing quantities far in excess of CERN's own requirements, the Buying Agent is thus able to obtain better prices.In addition, the Agent must guarantee that purchasing requests are handled within a given time and that the product exactly matches users' needs; he must also check that the article delivered is the one ordered, and follow up all disputes and delivery delays.To offer you these services, the company LOGITRADE will be setting up office on the CERN site - Building 73, floor 3 - as of 3 May 1999 (phone No. 72280 _ 79167). Seen from the users, this company will have the same task as any other purchasing office on the site.Internal Purchase Requisitions (DAI) for a value of less than 5,000 CHF relating, initially, to computer con...

  18. Secure Mobile Agent from Leakage-Resilient Proxy Signatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Tang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A mobile agent can sign a message in a remote server on behalf of a customer without exposing its secret key; it can be used not only to search for special products or services, but also to make a contract with a remote server. Hence a mobile agent system can be used for electronic commerce as an important key technology. In order to realize such a system, Lee et al. showed that a secure mobile agent can be constructed using proxy signatures. Intuitively, a proxy signature permits an entity (delegator to delegate its signing right to another entity (proxy to sign some specified messages on behalf of the delegator. However, the proxy signatures are often used in scenarios where the signing is done in an insecure environment, for example, the remote server of a mobile agent system. In such setting, an adversary could launch side-channel attacks to exploit some leakage information about the proxy key or even other secret states. The proxy signatures which are secure in the traditional security models obviously cannot provide such security. Based on this consideration, in this paper, we design a leakage-resilient proxy signature scheme for the secure mobile agent systems.

  19. Optimizing Bandwidth Limited Problems Using One-SidedCommunication and Overlap

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bell, Christian; Bonachea, Dan; Nishtala, Rajesh; Yelick, Katherine

    2005-10-14

    Partitioned Global Address Space languages like Unified Parallel C (UPC) are typically valued for their expressiveness, especially for computations with fine-grained random accesses. In this paper we show that the one-sided communication model used in these languages also has a significant performance advantage for bandwidth-limited applications. We demonstrate this benefit through communication microbenchmarks and a case-study that compares UPC and MPI implementations of the NAS Fourier Transform (FT) benchmark. Our optimizations rely on aggressively overlapping communication with computation but spreading communication events throughout the course of the local computation. This alleviates the potential communication bottleneck that occurs when the communication is packed into a single phase (e.g., the large all-to-all in a multidimensional FFT). Even though the new algorithms require more messages for the same total volume of data, the resulting overlap leads to speedups of over 1.75x and 1.9x for the two-sided and one-sided implementations, respectively, when compared to the default NAS Fortran/MPI release. Our best one-sided implementations show an average improvement of 15 percent over our best two-sided implementations. We attribute this difference to the lower software overhead of one-sided communication, which is partly fundamental to the semantic difference between one-sided and two-sided communication. Our UPC results use the Berkeley UPC compiler with the GASNet communication system, and demonstrate the portability and scalability of that language and implementation, with performance approaching 0.5TFlop/s on the FT benchmark running on 512 processors.

  20. Two routes toward optimism: how agentic and communal themes in autobiographical memories guide optimism for the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Adrienne; Costabile, Kristi

    2017-11-01

    Autobiographical memories are particularly adaptive because they function not only to preserve the past, but also to direct our future thoughts and behaviours. Two studies were conducted to examine how communal and agentic themes of positive autobiographical memories differentially predicted the route from autobiographical memories to optimism for the future. Across two studies, results revealed that the degree to which participants focused on communal themes in their autobiographical memories predicted their experience of nostalgia. In turn, the experience of nostalgia increased participants' levels of self-esteem and in turn, optimism for the future. By contrast, the degree to which participants focused on agentic themes in their memories predicted self-esteem and optimism, operating outside the experience of nostalgia. These effects remained even after controlling for self-focused attention. Together, these studies provide greater understanding of the interrelations among autobiographical memory, self-concept, and time, and demonstrate how agency and communion operate to influence perceptions of one's future when thinking about the past.

  1. Best matching theory & applications

    CERN Document Server

    Moghaddam, Mohsen

    2017-01-01

    Mismatch or best match? This book demonstrates that best matching of individual entities to each other is essential to ensure smooth conduct and successful competitiveness in any distributed system, natural and artificial. Interactions must be optimized through best matching in planning and scheduling, enterprise network design, transportation and construction planning, recruitment, problem solving, selective assembly, team formation, sensor network design, and more. Fundamentals of best matching in distributed and collaborative systems are explained by providing: § Methodical analysis of various multidimensional best matching processes § Comprehensive taxonomy, comparing different best matching problems and processes § Systematic identification of systems’ hierarchy, nature of interactions, and distribution of decision-making and control functions § Practical formulation of solutions based on a library of best matching algorithms and protocols, ready for direct applications and apps development. Design...

  2. A method of encountering the ratio of adjacent sides and its applied study in nuclear engineering survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Jingqin

    1996-01-01

    The cross side or range net survey method is to compute the average error of the measured lengths of sides. With the increment of the side length, the viewing variance increases greatly. Generally the photo-electrical distance survey equipment has a high inside precision, but it is affected by typical weather error so that the outside precision is decreased, and this weather error similar to systematic error greatly decreases the viewing side precision. To solve this problem, theoretical study and field test were carried out for the correlation of ratios among short sides by photo-electrical survey, and the stability degree of the ratios of sides, a new method of ratio encountering of adjacent sides is put forward. Because of the weights of the ration variance σ γ 2 = 2η 2 γ 2 and the angular variance σ β 2 = 2J 2 ρ 2 match each other, so the systematic error can be eliminated completely, and a survey point co-ordinate of high precision can be obtained. It is easy to operate, as it does not require multi-photo-band survey or to operate at the optimal observation time, and is especially suitable to nuclear engineering survey applications. (3 tabs.)

  3. Nintendo Super Smash Bros. Melee: An "Untouchable" Agent

    OpenAIRE

    Parr, Ben; Dilipkumar, Deepak; Liu, Yuan

    2017-01-01

    Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Melee fighting game can be emulated on modern hardware allowing us to inspect internal memory states, such as character positions. We created an AI that avoids being hit by training using these internal memory states and outputting controller button presses. After training on a month's worth of Melee matches, our best agent learned to avoid the toughest AI built into the game for a full minute 74.6% of the time.

  4. Financial Regulation in an Agent Based Macroeconomic Model

    OpenAIRE

    Riccetti, Luca; Russo, Alberto; Mauro, Gallegati

    2013-01-01

    Starting from the agent-based decentralized matching macroeconomic model proposed in Riccetti et al. (2012), we explore the effects of banking regulation on macroeconomic dynamics. In particular, we study the overall credit exposure and the lending concentration towards a single counterparty, finding that the portfolio composition seems to be more relevant than the overall exposure for banking stability, even if both features are very important. We show that a too tight regulation is dangerou...

  5. Two sides of the coin. Part 1. Lipid and surfactant self-assembly revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ninham, Barry W; Larsson, Kåre; Lo Nostro, Pierandrea

    2017-04-01

    Hofmeister, specific ion effects, hydration and van der Waals forces at and between interfaces are factors that determine curvature and microstructure in self assembled aggregates of surfactants and lipids; and in microemulsions. Lipid and surfactant head group interactions and between aggregates vary enormously and are highly specific. They act on the hydrophilic side of a bilayer, micelle or other self assembled aggregate. It is only over the last three decades that the origin of Hofmeister effects has become generally understood. Knowledge of their systematics now provides much flexibility in designing nanostructured fluids. The other side of the coin involves equally specific forces. These (opposing) forces work on the hydrophobic side of amphiphilic interfaces. They are due to the interaction of hydrocarbons and other "oils" with hydrophobic tails of surfactants and lipids. The specificity of oleophilic solutes in microemulsions and lipid membranes provides a counterpoint to Hofmeister effects and hydration. Together with global packing constraints these effects determine microstructure. Another factor that has hardly been recognised is the role of dissolved gas. This introduces further, qualitative changes in forces that prescribe microstructure. The systematics of these effects and their interplay are elucidated. Awareness of these competing factors facilitates formulation of self assembled nanostructured fluids. New and predictable geometries that emerge naturally provide insights into a variety of biological phenomena like anaesthetic and pheromone action and transmission of the nervous impulse (see Part 2). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Motion-compensated PET image reconstruction with respiratory-matched attenuation correction using two low-dose inhale and exhale CT images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nam, Woo Hyun; Ahn, Il Jun; Ra, Jong Beom; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kim, Byung Il

    2013-01-01

    Positron emission tomography (PET) is widely used for diagnosis and follow up assessment of radiotherapy. However, thoracic and abdominal PET suffers from false staging and incorrect quantification of the radioactive uptake of lesion(s) due to respiratory motion. Furthermore, respiratory motion-induced mismatch between a computed tomography (CT) attenuation map and PET data often leads to significant artifacts in the reconstructed PET image. To solve these problems, we propose a unified framework for respiratory-matched attenuation correction and motion compensation of respiratory-gated PET. For the attenuation correction, the proposed algorithm manipulates a 4D CT image virtually generated from two low-dose inhale and exhale CT images, rather than a real 4D CT image which significantly increases the radiation burden on a patient. It also utilizes CT-driven motion fields for motion compensation. To realize the proposed algorithm, we propose an improved region-based approach for non-rigid registration between body CT images, and we suggest a selection scheme of 3D CT images that are respiratory-matched to each respiratory-gated sinogram. In this work, the proposed algorithm was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by using patient datasets including lung and/or liver lesion(s). Experimental results show that the method can provide much clearer organ boundaries and more accurate lesion information than existing algorithms by utilizing two low-dose CT images. (paper)

  7. Optimal energy efficiency policies and regulatory demand-side management tests: How well do they match?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brennan, Timothy J.

    2010-01-01

    Under conventional models, subsidizing energy efficiency requires electricity to be priced below marginal cost. Its benefits increase when electricity prices increase to finance the subsidy. With high prices, subsidies are counterproductive unless consumers fail to make efficiency investments when private benefits exceed costs. If the gain from adopting efficiency is only reduced electricity spending, capping revenues from energy sales may induce a utility to substitute efficiency for generation when the former is less costly. This goes beyond standard 'decoupling' of distribution revenues from sales, requiring complex energy price regulation. The models' results are used to evaluate tests in the 2002 California Standard Practice Manual for assessing demand-side management programs. Its 'Ratepayer Impact Measure' test best conforms to the condition that electricity price is too low. Its 'Total Resource Cost' and 'Societal Cost' tests resemble the condition for expanded decoupling. No test incorporates optimality conditions apart from consumer choice failure.

  8. Imaging analysis of heart movement for improving the respiration-gated radiotherapy in patients with left sided breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdelhamid, Rania; Farrag, A.; Khalifa, A. [Clinical Oncology Department, Assiut University (Egypt); Block, Andreas [Institut fuer Medizinische Strahlenphysik und Strahlenschutz, Klinikum Dortmund (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Respiration induced heart movement during radiotherapy exposes the heart to the inevitable risks of radio-exposure, and hence radiation injury, in cases of Lt. sided breast cancer. The impact of such a risk is additionally aggravated by the use of radiotherapy in combination with cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Radio-oncologists pay special attention to the coronary arteries that might be included in this small part of the heart exposed to radiation. The aim of this study was to include the internal heart movement for improving respiration-gated radiotherapy of left sided breast cancer. For 70 patients, all females left sided breast cancer, two planning CT's in inspiration and expiration, and one free breathing scan are performed. The heart motion was analyzed with the clinic-developed software ORAT in the simulator sequence for acquiring information of the cranio-caudal amplitude of heart movements in free breathing (respiration-induced amplitude) and a 15 seconds breath-hold phase (inherent amplitude). The role of inherent heart movement varies from one patient to another which should be taken in consideration during defining the parameters of respiration-gated radiotherapy. The inherent amplitude of the heart motion is the physiological lower limit of the respiration-gating window.

  9. Ferric ammonium citrate as a positive bowel contrast agent for MR imaging of the upper abdomen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kivelitz, D.; Taupitz, M.; Hamm, B. [Universitaetsklinikum Charite, Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie; Gehl, H.B. [Medizinische Univ. Luebeck (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie; Heuck, A. [Muenchen Univ. (Germany). Radiologische Klinik; Krahe, T. [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologische Diagnostik; Lodemann, K.P. [Bracco-Byk Gulden GmbH, Konstanz (Germany)

    1999-07-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the safety and diagnostic efficacy of two different doses of ferric ammonium citrate as a paramagnetic oral contrast agent for MR imaging of the upper abdomen. Material and methods: Ninety-nine adult patients referred for MR imaging for a known or suspected upper abdominal pathology were included in this randomized multicenter double-blind clinical trial. Imaging was performed with spin-echo (T1- and T2-weighted) and gradient-echo (T1-weighted) techniques before and after administration of either 1200 mg or 2400 mg of ferric ammonium citrate dissolved in 600 ml of water. Safety analysis included monitoring of vital signs, assessment of adverse events, and laboratory testing. Efficacy with regard to organ distension, contrast distribution, bowel enhancement and delineation of adjacent structures was graded qualitatively. Results: No serious adverse events were reported for either of the two concentrations. A total of 31 minor side effects were noted, of which significantly more occurred in the higher dose group (p<0.01). The diagnostic confidence in defining or excluding disease was graded as better after contrast administration for 48% of all images. Marked or moderate enhancement of the upper gastrointestinal tract was achieved at both doses in 69.5% of cases with no evident difference between the two doses. The higher dose tended to show better results in terms of the contrast assessment parameters. Conclusion: Ferric ammonium citrate is a safe and effective oral contrast agent for MR imaging of the upper abdomen at two different dose levels. The higher dose showed a tendency toward better imaging results while the lower dose caused significantly fewer side effects. Therefore, the 1200 mg dose can be recommended in view of the risk-to-benefit ratio. (orig.)

  10. Nutraceuticals as therapeutic agents for atherosclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, Joe W E; Williams, Jessica O; Ramji, Dipak P

    2018-05-01

    Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disorder of medium and large arteries and an underlying cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), is responsible for a third of all global deaths. Current treatments for CVD, such as optimized statin therapy, are associated with considerable residual risk and several side effects in some patients. The outcome of research on the identification of alternative pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of CVD has been relatively disappointing with many promising leads failing at the clinical level. Nutraceuticals, products from food sources with health benefits beyond their nutritional value, represent promising agents in the prevention of CVD or as an add-on therapy with current treatments. This review will highlight the potential of several nutraceuticals, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids and other polyphenols, as anti-CVD therapies based on clinical and pre-clinical mechanism-based studies. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Matching Supernovae to Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-12-01

    One of the major challenges for modern supernova surveys is identifying the galaxy that hosted each explosion. Is there an accurate and efficient way to do this that avoids investing significant human resources?Why Identify Hosts?One problem in host galaxy identification. Here, the supernova lies between two galaxies but though the centroid of the galaxy on the right is closer in angular separation, this may be a distant background galaxy that is not actually near the supernova. [Gupta et al. 2016]Supernovae are a critical tool for making cosmological predictions that help us to understand our universe. But supernova cosmology relies on accurately identifying the properties of the supernovae including their redshifts. Since spectroscopic followup of supernova detections often isnt possible, we rely on observations of the supernova host galaxies to obtain redshifts.But how do we identify which galaxy hosted a supernova? This seems like a simple problem, but there are many complicating factors a seemingly nearby galaxy could be a distant background galaxy, for instance, or a supernovas host could be too faint to spot.The authors algorithm takes into account confusion, a measure of how likely the supernova is to be mismatched. In these illustrations of low (left) and high (right) confusion, the supernova is represented by a blue star, and the green circles represent possible host galaxies. [Gupta et al. 2016]Turning to AutomationBefore the era of large supernovae surveys, searching for host galaxies was done primarily by visual inspection. But current projects like the Dark Energy Surveys Supernova Program is finding supernovae by the thousands, and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will likely discover hundreds of thousands. Visual inspection will not be possible in the face of this volume of data so an accurate and efficient automated method is clearly needed!To this end, a team of scientists led by Ravi Gupta (Argonne National Laboratory) has recently

  12. Decentralized trade with bargaining and voluntary matching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tranæs, Torben; Sloth, Birgitte; Hendon, Ebbe

    1994-01-01

    Rubinstein and Wolinsky (1990) study a market with one seller, two buyers, and voluntary matching. Both the competitive outcomepc and the bilateral bargaining outcomepb are possible in subgame perfect equilibrium. We consider two variations. First, if there is a cost larger thanpc−pc to the seller...

  13. Geomagnetic matching navigation algorithm based on robust estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Weinan; Huang, Liping; Qu, Zhenshen; Wang, Zhenhuan

    2017-08-01

    The outliers in the geomagnetic survey data seriously affect the precision of the geomagnetic matching navigation and badly disrupt its reliability. A novel algorithm which can eliminate the outliers influence is investigated in this paper. First, the weight function is designed and its principle of the robust estimation is introduced. By combining the relation equation between the matching trajectory and the reference trajectory with the Taylor series expansion for geomagnetic information, a mathematical expression of the longitude, latitude and heading errors is acquired. The robust target function is obtained by the weight function and the mathematical expression. Then the geomagnetic matching problem is converted to the solutions of nonlinear equations. Finally, Newton iteration is applied to implement the novel algorithm. Simulation results show that the matching error of the novel algorithm is decreased to 7.75% compared to the conventional mean square difference (MSD) algorithm, and is decreased to 18.39% to the conventional iterative contour matching algorithm when the outlier is 40nT. Meanwhile, the position error of the novel algorithm is 0.017° while the other two algorithms fail to match when the outlier is 400nT.

  14. A Condition Number for Non-Rigid Shape Matching

    KAUST Repository

    Ovsjanikov, Maks

    2011-08-01

    © 2011 The Author(s). Despite the large amount of work devoted in recent years to the problem of non-rigid shape matching, practical methods that can successfully be used for arbitrary pairs of shapes remain elusive. In this paper, we study the hardness of the problem of shape matching, and introduce the notion of the shape condition number, which captures the intuition that some shapes are inherently more difficult to match against than others. In particular, we make a connection between the symmetry of a given shape and the stability of any method used to match it while optimizing a given distortion measure. We analyze two commonly used classes of methods in deformable shape matching, and show that the stability of both types of techniques can be captured by the appropriate notion of a condition number. We also provide a practical way to estimate the shape condition number and show how it can be used to guide the selection of landmark correspondences between shapes. Thus we shed some light on the reasons why general shape matching remains difficult and provide a way to detect and mitigate such difficulties in practice.

  15. Dense Matching Comparison Between Census and a Convolutional Neural Network Algorithm for Plant Reconstruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Y.; Tian, J.; d'Angelo, P.; Reinartz, P.

    2018-05-01

    3D reconstruction of plants is hard to implement, as the complex leaf distribution highly increases the difficulty level in dense matching. Semi-Global Matching has been successfully applied to recover the depth information of a scene, but may perform variably when different matching cost algorithms are used. In this paper two matching cost computation algorithms, Census transform and an algorithm using a convolutional neural network, are tested for plant reconstruction based on Semi-Global Matching. High resolution close-range photogrammetric images from a handheld camera are used for the experiment. The disparity maps generated based on the two selected matching cost methods are comparable with acceptable quality, which shows the good performance of Census and the potential of neural networks to improve the dense matching.

  16. Two-Sided Estimates of Thermo-elastic Characteristics of Dispersed Inclusion Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. S. Zarubin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The composites, dispersion-reinforced with inclusions from high-strength and high-modulus materials are widely used in technology. Nanostructure elements can perform the role of such inclusions as well. Possible applications of such composites in heat-stressed structures under heavy mechanical and thermal influences significantly depend on a complex of thermo-mechanical characteristics including the values of the moduli of elasticity and coefficient of linear thermal expansion. There are different approaches to construction of mathematical models that allow calculating dependences to estimate elastic characteristics of composites. Relation between thermoelastic properties of matrix and inclusions of the composite with its temperature coefficient of linear expansion is studied in less detail. Thus, attention has been insufficient in estimating a degree of reliability and a possible error of derived dependencies.A dual variation formulation of the problem of thermo-elasticity in a non-uniform solids simulating the properties and structure of the composite with dispersed inclusions, makes it possible to define two-sided limits of possible values of the volume elasticity modulus, shear modulus, and coefficient of linear thermal expansion of such composite. These limits allow us to estimate the maximum possible error, if to take a half-sum of the limit values of these parameters as the thermoelastic characteristics of the composite. Implementing this approach to find possible errors, arising when using one or another calculating dependency, improves reliability of predicted thermo-elastic characteristics as applied to existing and promising composites.

  17. Elements of decisional dynamics: An agent-based approach applied to artificial financial market

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas, Iris; Cotsaftis, Michel; Bertelle, Cyrille

    2018-02-01

    This paper introduces an original mathematical description for describing agents' decision-making process in the case of problems affected by both individual and collective behaviors in systems characterized by nonlinear, path dependent, and self-organizing interactions. An application to artificial financial markets is proposed by designing a multi-agent system based on the proposed formalization. In this application, agents' decision-making process is based on fuzzy logic rules and the price dynamics is purely deterministic according to the basic matching rules of a central order book. Finally, while putting most parameters under evolutionary control, the computational agent-based system is able to replicate several stylized facts of financial time series (distributions of stock returns showing a heavy tail with positive excess kurtosis, absence of autocorrelations in stock returns, and volatility clustering phenomenon).

  18. A systematic review of the psychiatric side-effects of efavirenz.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenedi, Christopher A; Goforth, Harold W

    2011-11-01

    Concerns regarding the use of efavirenz in patients with a history of mental illness may predispose clinicians to not offer this agent to psychiatrically ill populations in spite of the convenience of once daily dosing, which can result in improved adherence in these at-risk populations. This systematic review examines the current data regarding the neuropsychiatric effects of efavirenz, and also attempts to provide guidance to clinicians using efavirenz to treat patients with mental illness. The review identified high rates of neuropsychiatric side effects including vivid dreams, insomnia and mood changes in approximately 50% of patients who initiate efavirenz. The effects begin quickly, commonly peak in the first 2 weeks, and are generally mild and transient in nature. Isolated case reports and uncontrolled data suggest higher rates of severe side effects; however, there is no clear evidence of a broadly increased risk of suicide or dangerous behavior for patients taking efavirenz as part of their antiretroviral regimen.

  19. DarkSide search for dark matter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, T.; Alton, D.; Arisaka, K.; Back, H. O.; Beltrame, P.; Benziger, J.; Bonfini, G.; Brigatti, A.; Brodsky, J.; Bussino, S.; Cadonati, L.; Calaprice, F.; Candela, A.; Cao, H.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; Chidzik, S.; Cocco, A. G.; Condon, C.; D' Angelo, D.; Davini, S.; Vincenzi, M. De; Haas, E. De; Derbin, A.; Pietro, G. Di; Dratchnev, I.; Durben, D.; Empl, A.; Etenko, A.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; Franco, D.; Fomenko, K.; Forster, G.; Gabriele, F.; Galbiati, C.; Gazzana, S.; Ghiano, C.; Goretti, A.; Grandi, L.; Gromov, M.; Guan, M.; Guo, C.; Guray, G.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, Al; Ianni, An; Joliet, C.; Kayunov, A.; Keeter, K.; Kendziora, C.; Kidner, S.; Klemmer, R.; Kobychev, V.; Koh, G.; Komor, M.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Li, P.; Loer, B.; Lombardi, P.; Love, C.; Ludhova, L.; Luitz, S.; Lukyanchenko, L.; Lund, A.; Lung, K.; Ma, Y.; Machulin, I.; Mari, S.; Maricic, J.; Martoff, C. J.; Meregaglia, A.; Meroni, E.; Meyers, P.; Mohayai, T.; Montanari, D.; Montuschi, M.; Monzani, M. E.; Mosteiro, P.; Mount, B.; Muratova, V.; Nelson, A.; Nemtzow, A.; Nurakhov, N.; Orsini, M.; Ortica, F.; Pallavicini, M.; Pantic, E.; Parmeggiano, S.; Parsells, R.; Pelliccia, N.; Perasso, L.; Perasso, S.; Perfetto, F.; Pinsky, L.; Pocar, A.; Pordes, S.; Randle, K.; Ranucci, G.; Razeto, A.; Romani, A.; Rossi, B.; Rossi, N.; Rountree, S. D.; Saggese, P.; Saldanha, R.; Salvo, C.; Sands, W.; Seigar, M.; Semenov, D.; Shields, E.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Sukhotin, S.; Suvarov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Tatarowicz, J.; Testera, G.; Thompson, J.; Tonazzo, A.; Unzhakov, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; Wang, H.; Westerdale, S.; Wojcik, M.; Wright, A.; Xu, J.; Yang, C.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zehfus, M.; Zhong, W.; Zuzel, G.

    2013-11-22

    The DarkSide staged program utilizes a two-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with liquid argon as the target material for the scattering of dark matter particles. Efficient background reduction is achieved using low radioactivity underground argon as well as several experimental handles such as pulse shape, ratio of ionization over scintillation signal, 3D event reconstruction, and active neutron and muon vetos. The DarkSide-10 prototype detector has proven high scintillation light yield, which is a particularly important parameter as it sets the energy threshold for the pulse shape discrimination technique. The DarkSide-50 detector system, currently in commissioning phase at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory, will reach a sensitivity to dark matter spin-independent scattering cross section of 10-45 cm2 within 3 years of operation.

  20. A Quick and Affine Invariance Matching Method for Oblique Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XIAO Xiongwu

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposed a quick, affine invariance matching method for oblique images. It calculated the initial affine matrix by making full use of the two estimated camera axis orientation parameters of an oblique image, then recovered the oblique image to a rectified image by doing the inverse affine transform, and left over by the SIFT method. We used the nearest neighbor distance ratio(NNDR, normalized cross correlation(NCC measure constraints and consistency check to get the coarse matches, then used RANSAC method to calculate the fundamental matrix and the homography matrix. And we got the matches that they were interior points when calculating the homography matrix, then calculated the average value of the matches' principal direction differences. During the matching process, we got the initial matching features by the nearest neighbor(NN matching strategy, then used the epipolar constrains, homography constrains, NCC measure constrains and consistency check of the initial matches' principal direction differences with the calculated average value of the interior matches' principal direction differences to eliminate false matches. Experiments conducted on three pairs of typical oblique images demonstrate that our method takes about the same time as SIFT to match a pair of oblique images with a plenty of corresponding points distributed evenly and an extremely low mismatching rate.

  1. A Critical Interpersonal Distance Switches between Two Coordination Modes in Kendo Matches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okumura, Motoki; Kijima, Akifumi; Kadota, Koji; Yokoyama, Keiko; Suzuki, Hiroo; Yamamoto, Yuji

    2012-01-01

    In many competitive sports, players need to quickly and continuously execute movements that co-adapt to various movements executed by their opponents and physical objects. In a martial art such as kendo, players must be able to skillfully change interpersonal distance in order to win. However, very little information about the task and expertise properties of the maneuvers affecting interpersonal distance is available. This study investigated behavioral dynamics underlying opponent tasks by analyzing changes in interpersonal distance made by expert players in kendo matches. Analysis of preferred interpersonal distances indicated that players tended to step toward and away from their opponents based on two distances. The most preferred distance enabled the players to execute both striking and defensive movements immediately. The relative phase analysis of the velocities at which players executed steps toward and away revealed that players developed anti-phase synchronizations at near distances to maintain safe distances from their opponents. Alternatively, players shifted to in-phase synchronization to approach their opponents from far distances. This abrupt phase-transition phenomenon constitutes a characteristic bifurcation dynamics that regularly and instantaneously occurs between in- and anti-phase synchronizations at a critical interpersonal distance. These dynamics are profoundly affected by the task constraints of kendo and the physical constraints of the players. Thus, the current study identifies the clear behavioral dynamics that emerge in a sport setting. PMID:23284799

  2. [Propensity score matching in SPSS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Fuqiang; DU, Chunlin; Sun, Menghui; Ning, Bing; Luo, Ying; An, Shengli

    2015-11-01

    To realize propensity score matching in PS Matching module of SPSS and interpret the analysis results. The R software and plug-in that could link with the corresponding versions of SPSS and propensity score matching package were installed. A PS matching module was added in the SPSS interface, and its use was demonstrated with test data. Score estimation and nearest neighbor matching was achieved with the PS matching module, and the results of qualitative and quantitative statistical description and evaluation were presented in the form of a graph matching. Propensity score matching can be accomplished conveniently using SPSS software.

  3. Two sides of a fault: Grain-scale analysis of pore pressure control on fault slip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhibing; Juanes, Ruben

    2018-02-01

    Pore fluid pressure in a fault zone can be altered by natural processes (e.g., mineral dehydration and thermal pressurization) and industrial operations involving subsurface fluid injection and extraction for the development of energy and water resources. However, the effect of pore pressure change on the stability and slip motion of a preexisting geologic fault remains poorly understood; yet, it is critical for the assessment of seismic hazard. Here, we develop a micromechanical model to investigate the effect of pore pressure on fault slip behavior. The model couples fluid flow on the network of pores with mechanical deformation of the skeleton of solid grains. Pore fluid exerts pressure force onto the grains, the motion of which is solved using the discrete element method. We conceptualize the fault zone as a gouge layer sandwiched between two blocks. We study fault stability in the presence of a pressure discontinuity across the gouge layer and compare it with the case of continuous (homogeneous) pore pressure. We focus on the onset of shear failure in the gouge layer and reproduce conditions where the failure plane is parallel to the fault. We show that when the pressure is discontinuous across the fault, the onset of slip occurs on the side with the higher pore pressure, and that this onset is controlled by the maximum pressure on both sides of the fault. The results shed new light on the use of the effective stress principle and the Coulomb failure criterion in evaluating the stability of a complex fault zone.

  4. Two sides of a fault: Grain-scale analysis of pore pressure control on fault slip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhibing; Juanes, Ruben

    2018-02-01

    Pore fluid pressure in a fault zone can be altered by natural processes (e.g., mineral dehydration and thermal pressurization) and industrial operations involving subsurface fluid injection and extraction for the development of energy and water resources. However, the effect of pore pressure change on the stability and slip motion of a preexisting geologic fault remains poorly understood; yet, it is critical for the assessment of seismic hazard. Here, we develop a micromechanical model to investigate the effect of pore pressure on fault slip behavior. The model couples fluid flow on the network of pores with mechanical deformation of the skeleton of solid grains. Pore fluid exerts pressure force onto the grains, the motion of which is solved using the discrete element method. We conceptualize the fault zone as a gouge layer sandwiched between two blocks. We study fault stability in the presence of a pressure discontinuity across the gouge layer and compare it with the case of continuous (homogeneous) pore pressure. We focus on the onset of shear failure in the gouge layer and reproduce conditions where the failure plane is parallel to the fault. We show that when the pressure is discontinuous across the fault, the onset of slip occurs on the side with the higher pore pressure, and that this onset is controlled by the maximum pressure on both sides of the fault. The results shed new light on the use of the effective stress principle and the Coulomb failure criterion in evaluating the stability of a complex fault zone.

  5. Matching Students to Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dejan Trifunovic

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present the problem of matching students to schools by using different matching mechanisms. This market is specific since public schools are free and the price mechanism cannot be used to determine the optimal allocation of children in schools. Therefore, it is necessary to use different matching algorithms that mimic the market mechanism and enable us to determine the core of the cooperative game. In this paper, we will determine that it is possible to apply cooperative game theory in matching problems. This review paper is based on illustrative examples aiming to compare matching algorithms in terms of the incentive compatibility, stability and efficiency of the matching. In this paper we will present some specific problems that may occur in matching, such as improving the quality of schools, favoring minority students, the limited length of the list of preferences and generating strict priorities from weak priorities.

  6. Oral anticancer agent medication adherence by outpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Michio; Usami, Eiseki; Iwai, Mina; Nakao, Toshiya; Yoshimura, Tomoaki; Mori, Hiromi; Sugiyama, Tadashi; Teramachi, Hitomi

    2014-11-01

    In the present study, medication adherence and factors affecting adherence were examined in patients taking oral anticancer agents. In June 2013, 172 outpatients who had been prescribed oral anticancer agents by Ogaki Municipal Hospital (Ogaki, Gifu, Japan) completed a questionnaire survey, with answers rated on a five-point Likert scale. The factors that affect medication adherence were evaluated using a customer satisfaction (CS) analysis. For patients with good and insufficient adherence to medication, the median ages were 66 years (range, 21-85 years) and 73 years (range, 30-90 years), respectively (P=0.0004), while the median dosing time was 131 days (range, 3-3,585 days) and 219 days (24-3,465 days), respectively (P=0.0447). In 36.0% (62 out of 172) of the cases, there was insufficient medication adherence; 64.5% of those cases (40 out of 62) showed good medication compliance (4-5 point rating score). However, these patients did not fully understand the effects or side-effects of the drugs, giving a score of three points or less. The percentage of patients with good medication compliance was 87.2% (150 out of 172). Through the CS analysis, three items, the interest in the drug, the desire to consult about the drug and the condition of the patient, were extracted as items for improvement. Overall, the medication compliance of the patients taking the oral anticancer agents was good, but the medication adherence was insufficient. To improve medication adherence, a better understanding of the effectiveness and necessity of drugs and their side-effects is required. In addition, the interest of patients in their medication should be encouraged and intervention should be tailored to the condition of the patient. These steps should lead to improved medication adherence.

  7. Two Sides of the Same Coin? Analysis of the Web-Based Social Media with Regard to the Image of the Agri-Food Sector in Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justus Boehm

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available  Never before has food been as safe and secure as it is today, but simultaneously, society has become increasingly critical towards agricultural and food related issues. This two-sided development between society and agribusiness will be analyzed using Framing Theory. A quantitative semantic analysis was applied to evaluate the web-based social media in Germany. 50,931 web posts were collected covering 21 issues identified as relevant for the agri-food sector. The results show that all contentious issues are mainly framed in a two-sided way. The modern productivity-driven industry is judged as a negative development, trends returning to a more natural food production are seen as positive.

  8. The side-to-side fashion for individual distal coronary anastomosis using venous conduit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Takayoshi; Tsunekawa, Tomohiro; Motoji, Yusuke; Hirakawa, Akihiro; Okawa, Yasuhide; Tomita, Shinji

    2017-04-01

    Regarding to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the end-to-side anastomosis (ESA) has been performed as a gold standard. Recently, the effectiveness of the distal side-to-side anastomosis (SSA) in CABG using internal mammary artery has been reported. The benefit of SSA comparing to ESA also has been disclosed by computing simulation. However, use of SSA by venous conduit for individual CABG has not been reported. In this study, we investigated feasibility of SSA. From January 2013 to October 2014, we conducted 114 CABGs. There were 92 venous distal anastomoses without sequential anastomotic site (61 SSA and 31 ESA). The anastomosis was evaluated before discharge and at 1 year after the procedure by angiography or multi-detector row computed tomographic coronary angiography. The median values for time to anastomosis were 13 min in the two group (p = 0.89). There was no revision of anastomosis in both groups. Additional stitches for hemostasis were required significantly less in SSA than ESA (18.0 vs 45.2 %, respectively, p fashion is easy to perform and maybe beneficial in blood flow pattern.

  9. The Social Side Effects of Acetaminophen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mischkowski, Dominik

    About 23% of all adults in the US take acetaminophen during an average week (Kaufman, Kelly, Rosenberg, Anderson, & Mitchell, 2002) because acetaminophen is an effective physical painkiller and easily accessible over the counter. The physiological side effects of acetaminophen are well documented and generally mild when acetaminophen is consumed in the appropriate dosage. In contrast, the psychological and social side effects of acetaminophen are largely unknown. Recent functional neuroimaging research suggests that the experience of physical pain is fundamentally related to the experience of empathy for the pain of other people, indicating that pharmacologically reducing responsiveness to physical pain also reduces cognitive, affective, and behavioral responsiveness to the pain of others. I tested this hypothesis across three double-blind between-subjects drug intervention studies. Two experiments showed that acetaminophen had moderate effects on empathic affect, specifically personal distress and empathic concern, and a small effect on empathic cognition, specifically perceived pain, when facing physical and social pain of others. The same two experiments and a third experiment also showed that acetaminophen can increase the willingness to inflict pain on other people, i.e., actual aggressive behavior. This effect was especially pronounced among people low in dispositional empathic concern. Together, these findings suggest that the physical pain system is more involved in the regulation of social cognition, affect, and behavior than previously assumed and that the experience of physical pain and responsiveness to the pain of others share a common neurochemical basis. Furthermore, these findings suggest that acetaminophen has unappreciated but serious social side effects, and that these side effects may depend on psychological characteristics of the drug consumer. This idea is consistent with recent theory and research on the context-dependency of neurochemical

  10. Current progress and future perspectives in the development of anti-polo-like kinase 1 therapeutic agents [version 1; referees: 4 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung-Eun Park

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Although significant levels of side effects are often associated with their use, microtubule-directed agents that primarily target fast-growing mitotic cells have been considered to be some of the most effective anti-cancer therapeutics. With the hope of developing new-generation anti-mitotic agents with reduced side effects and enhanced tumor specificity, researchers have targeted various proteins whose functions are critically required for mitotic progression. As one of the highly attractive mitotic targets, polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1 has been the subject of an extensive effort for anti-cancer drug discovery. To date, a variety of anti-Plk1 agents have been developed, and several of them are presently in clinical trials. Here, we will discuss the current status of generating anti-Plk1 agents as well as future strategies for designing and developing more efficacious anti-Plk1 therapeutics.

  11. Matching strategies for a plasma booster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomassini, P; Rossi, A R

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a theoretical study of a matching strategy for the laser-plasma wakefield accelerator where the injected electron beam is produced by an external source. The matching is achieved after an initial focusing using conventional beam optics, combining a linear tapering of plasma density and the increasing non linearity of the plasma wake due to the focusing of the laser driver. Both effects contribute in increasing the focusing strength from an initial relatively low value, to the considerably higher value present in the flat top plasma profile, where acceleration takes place. The same procedure is exploited to match the beam from plasma to vacuum once acceleration has occurred. Beam loading plays a crucial role both at the very beginning and end of the whole process. In the last stage, two more effects take place: a partial emittance compensation, reducing emittance value by a sizable amount, and a reduction of the energy spread, due to the relevant beam loading operating when the laser is defocused. (paper)

  12. The timeliness of patients reporting the side effects of chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olver, Ian; Carey, Mariko; Boyes, Allison; Hall, Alix; Noble, Natasha; Bryant, Jamie; Walsh, Justin; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

    2018-05-03

    To explore the actions cancer patients reported they would take in response to a range of common side effects of chemotherapy and whether these were considered appropriate based on current guidelines and evidence; and to explore the sociodemographic and cancer-related variables associated with patients selecting the appropriate action (immediate medical attention or reporting) for two potentially life-threatening side effects: fever, and unusual bleeding and bruising. Four hundred thirty-six medical oncology and haematology patients receiving chemotherapy completed two surveys to provide demographic, disease and treatment characteristics, and details on how they would respond if they experienced a range of specified side effects of chemotherapy (for example, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and skin rash or nail changes). The proportion of patients reporting the appropriate action for each side effect was calculated. Multiple logistic regressions examined the patient demographic and cancer characteristics associated with selecting the appropriate action (seeking immediate medical attention) for two potentially life-threatening side effects of chemotherapy: high fever of 38 °C or more, and unusual bleeding or bruising. Two thirds of patients indicated that they would seek immediate medical attention for high fever (67%), but only 41% would seek immediate attention for bleeding or bruising. Cancer type and time since diagnosis were significantly associated with patients indicating that they would seek immediate medical attention for high fever; while time since diagnosis was the only variable significantly associated with patients reporting that they would seek immediate medical attention for unusual bleeding or bruising. For chronic side effects, like skin rash or nail changes, and tingling or numbness, which usually do not require urgent reporting, only between 12 and 16% would report them immediately. A significant proportion of patients reported that they would

  13. A two-dimensional, transient, compressible isothermal and two-phase model for the air-side electrode of PEM fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khakbaz Baboli, M.; Kermani, M.J.

    2008-01-01

    A two-dimensional, transient, compressible, isothermal and two-phase flow of reactant-product mixture in the air-side electrode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are numerically studied in the present paper. The mixture is composed of four species: oxygen, nitrogen, liquid water and water vapor. The governing PDE's are conservation of the water vapor and oxygen species, momentum equation of the mixture (gas+liquid), mass conservation of the liquid phase, and mass conservation of the mixture. In this study, a separate PDE for the mass conservation of the liquid water is solved to calculate the saturation levels. The capillary pressure was used to determine the slip velocity between the phases. A full compressible form of the momentum equation was used, with the ∇.V preserved in the equation. The Maxwell-Stefan equation was used to model the diffusive fluxes of the multi-component gas mixture. The strongly coupled equations are solved based on a recently developed finite volume SIMPLER scheme of S.V. Patankar, Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, Hemisphere Publishing Corp., McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1984. The computational domain consists of two regions; an open area (gas delivery channel) linked to a porous gas diffusion layer (GDL). A single (unified) set of the PDE's are used for the whole domain with the corresponding properties of each sub-domain. A polarization curve for the whole spectrum of the dry and wet regions were obtained. The results were compared with the experiments of E.A. Ticianelli, C.R. Derouin, A. Redondo, S. Srinivasan, J. Electrochem. Soc. 135 (1988) 2209, and good agreements were achieved

  14. DENSE MATCHING COMPARISON BETWEEN CENSUS AND A CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK ALGORITHM FOR PLANT RECONSTRUCTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Xia

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available 3D reconstruction of plants is hard to implement, as the complex leaf distribution highly increases the difficulty level in dense matching. Semi-Global Matching has been successfully applied to recover the depth information of a scene, but may perform variably when different matching cost algorithms are used. In this paper two matching cost computation algorithms, Census transform and an algorithm using a convolutional neural network, are tested for plant reconstruction based on Semi-Global Matching. High resolution close-range photogrammetric images from a handheld camera are used for the experiment. The disparity maps generated based on the two selected matching cost methods are comparable with acceptable quality, which shows the good performance of Census and the potential of neural networks to improve the dense matching.

  15. Analysis and improvement of the quantum image matching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dang, Yijie; Jiang, Nan; Hu, Hao; Zhang, Wenyin

    2017-11-01

    We investigate the quantum image matching algorithm proposed by Jiang et al. (Quantum Inf Process 15(9):3543-3572, 2016). Although the complexity of this algorithm is much better than the classical exhaustive algorithm, there may be an error in it: After matching the area between two images, only the pixel at the upper left corner of the matched area played part in following steps. That is to say, the paper only matched one pixel, instead of an area. If more than one pixels in the big image are the same as the one at the upper left corner of the small image, the algorithm will randomly measure one of them, which causes the error. In this paper, an improved version is presented which takes full advantage of the whole matched area to locate a small image in a big image. The theoretical analysis indicates that the network complexity is higher than the previous algorithm, but it is still far lower than the classical algorithm. Hence, this algorithm is still efficient.

  16. Human Toddlers’ Attempts to Match Two Simple Behaviors Provide No Evidence for an Inherited, Dedicated Imitation Mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Susan S.

    2012-01-01

    Influential theories of imitation have proposed that humans inherit a neural mechanism – an “active intermodal matching “ (AIM) mechanism or a mirror neuron system - that functions from birth to automatically match sensory input from others’ actions to motor programs for performing those same actions, and thus produces imitation. To test these proposals, 160 1- to 2½-year-old toddlers were asked to imitate two simple movements– bending the arm to make an elbow, and moving the bent elbow laterally. Both behaviors were almost certain to be in each child’s repertoire, and the lateral movement was goal-directed (used to hit a plastic cup). Thus, one or both behaviors should have been imitable by toddlers with a functioning AIM or mirror neuron system. Each child saw the two behaviors repeated 18 times, and was encouraged to imitate. Children were also asked to locate their own elbows. Almost no children below age 2 imitated either behavior. Instead, younger children gave clear evidence of a developmental progression, from reproducing only the outcome of the models’ movements (hitting the object), through trying (but failing) to reproduce the model’s arm posture and/or the arm-cup relations they had seen, to accurate imitation of arm bending by age 2 and of both movements by age 2½. Across age levels, almost all children who knew the word ‘elbow’ imitated both behaviors: very few who did not know the word imitated either behavior. The evidence is most consistent with a view of early imitation as the product of a complex system of language, cognitive, social, and motor competencies that develop in infancy. The findings do not rule out a role for an inherited neural mechanism, but they suggest that such a system would not by itself be sufficient to explain imitation at any age. PMID:23251500

  17. Human toddlers' attempts to match two simple behaviors provide no evidence for an inherited, dedicated imitation mechanism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan S Jones

    Full Text Available Influential theories of imitation have proposed that humans inherit a neural mechanism - an "active intermodal matching " (AIM mechanism or a mirror neuron system - that functions from birth to automatically match sensory input from others' actions to motor programs for performing those same actions, and thus produces imitation. To test these proposals, 160 1- to 2½-year-old toddlers were asked to imitate two simple movements- bending the arm to make an elbow, and moving the bent elbow laterally. Both behaviors were almost certain to be in each child's repertoire, and the lateral movement was goal-directed (used to hit a plastic cup. Thus, one or both behaviors should have been imitable by toddlers with a functioning AIM or mirror neuron system. Each child saw the two behaviors repeated 18 times, and was encouraged to imitate. Children were also asked to locate their own elbows. Almost no children below age 2 imitated either behavior. Instead, younger children gave clear evidence of a developmental progression, from reproducing only the outcome of the models' movements (hitting the object, through trying (but failing to reproduce the model's arm posture and/or the arm-cup relations they had seen, to accurate imitation of arm bending by age 2 and of both movements by age 2½. Across age levels, almost all children who knew the word 'elbow' imitated both behaviors: very few who did not know the word imitated either behavior. The evidence is most consistent with a view of early imitation as the product of a complex system of language, cognitive, social, and motor competencies that develop in infancy. The findings do not rule out a role for an inherited neural mechanism, but they suggest that such a system would not by itself be sufficient to explain imitation at any age.

  18. Selective suppression of high-order harmonics within phase-matched spectral regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerner, Gavriel; Diskin, Tzvi; Neufeld, Ofer; Kfir, Ofer; Cohen, Oren

    2017-04-01

    Phase matching in high-harmonic generation leads to enhancement of multiple harmonics. It is sometimes desired to control the spectral structure within the phase-matched spectral region. We propose a scheme for selective suppression of high-order harmonics within the phase-matched spectral region while weakly influencing the other harmonics. The method is based on addition of phase-mismatched segments within a phase-matched medium. We demonstrate the method numerically in two examples. First, we show that one phase-mismatched segment can significantly suppress harmonic orders 9, 15, and 21. Second, we show that two phase-mismatched segments can efficiently suppress circularly polarized harmonics with one helicity over the other when driven by a bi-circular field. The new method may be useful for various applications, including the generation of highly helical bright attosecond pulses.

  19. Convergent and divergent functional connectivity patterns in patients with long-term left-sided and right-sided deafness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanyang; Mao, Zhiqi; Feng, Shiyu; Wang, Wenxin; Zhang, Jun; Yu, Xinguang

    2018-02-05

    Cortical reorganization may be induced in long-term single-sided deafness (SD); however, the influence of the deafness side on the functional changes remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated whole-brain functional connectivity patterns in long-term SD patients. The normalized voxel-based functional connectivity strength (FCS) was determined using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) in 17 left-sided deafness (LD) patients, 21 right-sided deafness (RD) patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs). Relative to the HCs, both the LD and RD patients exhibited a reduction in the FCS in the ipsilateral visual cortex. However, compared to that in the HCs, a significantly higher FCS was observed in some regions in the salience and default-mode networks in the RD patients, but this FCS alternation pattern was not observed in the LD patients. A direct comparison of the two patient groups revealed a significantly increased FCS in the supplemental motor area in the LD group. Altogether, the long-term SD groups with LD and RD exhibited convergent and divergent functional connectivity patterns in whole-brain networks, providing promising evidence that the functional changes in long-term SD are highly deafness-side-dependent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Accuracy of Cup Positioning With the Computed Tomography-Based Two-dimensional to Three-Dimensional Matched Navigation System: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Kazuki; Endo, Hirosuke; Tetsunaga, Tomonori; Miyake, Takamasa; Sanki, Tomoaki; Ozaki, Toshifumi

    2018-01-01

    The accuracy of various navigation systems used for total hip arthroplasty has been described, but no publications reported the accuracy of cup orientation in computed tomography (CT)-based 2D-3D (two-dimensional to three-dimensional) matched navigation. In a prospective, randomized controlled study, 80 hips including 44 with developmental dysplasia of the hips were divided into a CT-based 2D-3D matched navigation group (2D-3D group) and a paired-point matched navigation group (PPM group). The accuracy of cup orientation (absolute difference between the intraoperative record and the postoperative measurement) was compared between groups. Additionally, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate patient factors affecting the accuracy of cup orientation in each navigation. The accuracy of cup inclination was 2.5° ± 2.2° in the 2D-3D group and 4.6° ± 3.3° in the PPM group (P = .0016). The accuracy of cup anteversion was 2.3° ± 1.7° in the 2D-3D group and 4.4° ± 3.3° in the PPM group (P = .0009). In the PPM group, the presence of roof osteophytes decreased the accuracy of cup inclination (odds ratio 8.27, P = .0140) and the absolute value of pelvic tilt had a negative influence on the accuracy of cup anteversion (odds ratio 1.27, P = .0222). In the 2D-3D group, patient factors had no effect on the accuracy of cup orientation. The accuracy of cup positioning in CT-based 2D-3D matched navigation was better than in paired-point matched navigation, and was not affected by patient factors. It is a useful system for even severely deformed pelvises such as developmental dysplasia of the hips. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A comfort-based, energy-aware HVAC agent and its applications in the smart grid

    OpenAIRE

    Auffenberg, Frederik

    2017-01-01

    In this thesis, we introduce a novel heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) agent that maintains a comfortable thermal environmant for its users while minimising energy consumption of the HVAC system and incorporating demand side management (DSM) signals to shift HVAC loads towards achieving more desirable overall load profiles. To do so, the agent needs to be able to accurately predict user comfort, for example by using a thermal comfort model. Existing thermal comfort models are u...

  2. A functional analysis of photo-object matching skills of severely retarded adolescents.

    OpenAIRE

    Dixon, L S

    1981-01-01

    Matching-to-sample procedures were used to assess picture representation skills of severely retarded, nonverbal adolescents. Identity matching within the classes of objects and life-size, full-color photos of the objects was first used to assess visual discrimination, a necessary condition for picture representation. Picture representation was then assessed through photo-object matching tasks. Five students demonstrated visual discrimination (identity matching) within the two classes of photo...

  3. 雙邊/多邊市場之競爭與創新──論競爭法的因應 Innovation and Competition of Two/Multi-Sided Market: Response from Competition Law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    顏雅倫 Ya-Lun Yen

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available 隨著科技、網路的進步,以及資訊的高速生產與散布,各類降低交易成本的平台及新應用不斷推陳出新,其多具有雙邊/多邊市場的特性,各國競爭法主管機關遂日趨重視既有的分析工具能否與如何因應雙邊/多邊市場所帶來的競爭法議題。我國公平交易委員會亦開始在結合案與處分案中嘗試使用雙邊/多邊市場理論。本文先分析雙邊/多邊市場的市場特性與雙邊/多邊平台的相應競爭策略,次則探討雙邊/多邊市場對競爭主管機關帶來的挑戰與相關競爭政策爭議。最後經評析公平交易委員會歷年來涉及雙邊/多邊市場的相關決定與處分案例後,本文建議未來公平交易委員會在執法上,宜繼續關注特定雙邊/多邊平台因所處雙邊/多邊市場特性,而採取的排他性行為對市場創新的可能不利影響,以及大型企業集團多角化結合設立之雙邊/多邊平台的市場力量,與以整體營業額分析本身即跨領域經營諸多不同事業之雙邊/多邊平台業者的市場占有率,可能衍生之盲點等特殊問題,同時應審慎評估套用10%市場占有率門檻評估雙邊/多邊平台,所為之獨家交易、搭售或其他交易限制,是否會過度干預雙邊/多邊市場的創新行為與市場競爭機制。 Burgeoning two-sided/multi-sided platforms have brought about new antitrust issues concerning whether the traditional analytical tools for antitrust review shall be directly applied to two-sided/multi-sided markets. This article explores the characteristics of two-sided/multi-sided markets, the competitive strategies of twosided/ multi-sided platforms, and the challenge to and issues of antitrust enforcement and competition policy arising from two-sided/multi-sided markets. Then in light of decisions of Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (“Taiwan FTC” concerning two-sided/multi-sided

  4. A Multi-Scale Settlement Matching Algorithm Based on ARG

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Han; Zhu, Xinyan; Chen, Di; Liu, Lingjia

    2016-06-01

    Homonymous entity matching is an important part of multi-source spatial data integration, automatic updating and change detection. Considering the low accuracy of existing matching methods in dealing with matching multi-scale settlement data, an algorithm based on Attributed Relational Graph (ARG) is proposed. The algorithm firstly divides two settlement scenes at different scales into blocks by small-scale road network and constructs local ARGs in each block. Then, ascertains candidate sets by merging procedures and obtains the optimal matching pairs by comparing the similarity of ARGs iteratively. Finally, the corresponding relations between settlements at large and small scales are identified. At the end of this article, a demonstration is presented and the results indicate that the proposed algorithm is capable of handling sophisticated cases.

  5. Matching therapists' predicates: an in vivo test of effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowd, E T; Hingst, A G

    1983-08-01

    The theory of neurolinguistic programming predicts that a therapist's matching of a client's primary representational system, as expressed in the client's predicates, should result in increased therapist's rapport and social influence. This hypothesis was tested in an actual interview situation. Six relatively inexperienced therapists, two each in predicate matching, predicate mismatching, and predicate no-matching conditions, conducted a 30-min. interview with nine undergraduate student volunteers each, for a total of 54 subjects. After the appropriate interview condition was completed, subjects rated ther therapists on the Counselor Rating Form and the Counseling Evaluation Inventory. No significant differences among the three conditions on any of the measures were found. Results are compared with those of previous research on assessment and primary representational matching in analogue situations.

  6. Clozapine-Induced Cardiovascular Side Effects and Autonomic Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica W. Y. Yuen

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Clozapine is the antipsychotic of choice for treatment-resistant schizophrenia and has minimal risk for extrapyramidal symptoms. Therapeutic benefits, however, are accompanied by a myriad of cardiometabolic side-effects. The specific reasons for clozapine's high propensity to cause adverse cardiometabolic events remain unknown, but it is believed that autonomic dysfunction may play a role in many of these.Objective: This systematic review summarizes the literature on autonomic dysfunction and related cardiovascular side effects associated with clozapine treatment.Method: A search of the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and EBM Cochrane databases was conducted using the search terms antipsychotic agents, antipsychotic drug*, antipsychotic*, schizophrenia, schizophren*, psychos*, psychotic*, mental ill*, mental disorder*, neuroleptic*, cardiovascular*, cardiovascular diseases, clozapine*, clozaril*, autonomic*, sympathetic*, catecholamine*, norepinephrine, noradrenaline, epinephrine, adrenaline.Results: The search yielded 37 studies that were reviewed, of which only 16 studies have used interventions to manage cardiovascular side effects. Side effects reported in the studies include myocarditis, orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia. These were attributed to sympathetic hyperactivity, decreased vagal contribution, blockade of cholinergic and adrenergic receptors, reduced heart rate variability and elevated catecholamines with clozapine use. Autonomic neuropathy was identified by monitoring blood pressure and heart rate changes in response to stimuli and by spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Metoprolol, lorazepam, atenolol, propranolol, amlodipine, vasopressin and norepinephrine infusion were used to treat tachycardia and fluctuations in blood pressure, yet results were limited to case reports.Conclusion: The results indicate there is a lack of clinical studies investigating autonomic dysfunction and a limited use of interventions to manage

  7. Automated main-chain model building by template matching and iterative fragment extension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C

    2003-01-01

    An algorithm for the automated macromolecular model building of polypeptide backbones is described. The procedure is hierarchical. In the initial stages, many overlapping polypeptide fragments are built. In subsequent stages, the fragments are extended and then connected. Identification of the locations of helical and beta-strand regions is carried out by FFT-based template matching. Fragment libraries of helices and beta-strands from refined protein structures are then positioned at the potential locations of helices and strands and the longest segments that fit the electron-density map are chosen. The helices and strands are then extended using fragment libraries consisting of sequences three amino acids long derived from refined protein structures. The resulting segments of polypeptide chain are then connected by choosing those which overlap at two or more C(alpha) positions. The fully automated procedure has been implemented in RESOLVE and is capable of model building at resolutions as low as 3.5 A. The algorithm is useful for building a preliminary main-chain model that can serve as a basis for refinement and side-chain addition.

  8. Sediment sorting at a side channel bifurcation

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Denderen, Pepijn; Schielen, Ralph; Hulscher, Suzanne

    2017-04-01

    Side channels have been constructed to reduce the flood risk and to increase the ecological value of the river. In various Dutch side channels large aggradation in these channels occurred after construction. Measurements show that the grain size of the deposited sediment in the side channel is smaller than the grain size found on the bed of the main channel. This suggest that sorting occurs at the bifurcation of the side channel. The objective is to reproduce with a 2D morphological model the fining of the bed in the side channel and to study the effect of the sediment sorting on morphodynamic development of the side channel. We use a 2D Delft3D model with two sediment fractions. The first fraction corresponds with the grain size that can be found on the bed of the main channel and the second fraction corresponds with the grain size found in the side channel. With the numerical model we compute several side channel configurations in which we vary the length and the width of the side channel, and the curvature of the upstream channel. From these computations we can derive the equilibrium state and the time scale of the morphodynamic development of the side channel. Preliminary results show that even when a simple sediment transport relation is used, like Engelund & Hansen, more fine sediment enters the side channel than coarse sediment. This is as expected, and is probably related to the bed slope effects which are a function of the Shields parameter. It is expected that by adding a sill at the entrance of the side channel the slope effect increases. This might reduce the amount of coarse sediment which enters the side channel even more. It is unclear whether the model used is able to reproduce the effect of such a sill correctly as modelling a sill and reproducing the correct hydrodynamic and morphodynamic behaviour is not straightforward in a 2D model. Acknowledgements: This research is funded by STW, part of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research under

  9. A CSP-Based Agent Modeling Framework for the Cougaar Agent-Based Architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracanin, Denis; Singh, H. Lally; Eltoweissy, Mohamed; Hinchey, Michael G.; Bohner, Shawn A.

    2005-01-01

    Cognitive Agent Architecture (Cougaar) is a Java-based architecture for large-scale distributed agent-based applications. A Cougaar agent is an autonomous software entity with behaviors that represent a real-world entity (e.g., a business process). A Cougaar-based Model Driven Architecture approach, currently under development, uses a description of system's functionality (requirements) to automatically implement the system in Cougaar. The Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) formalism is used for the formal validation of the generated system. Two main agent components, a blackboard and a plugin, are modeled as CSP processes. A set of channels represents communications between the blackboard and individual plugins. The blackboard is represented as a CSP process that communicates with every agent in the collection. The developed CSP-based Cougaar modeling framework provides a starting point for a more complete formal verification of the automatically generated Cougaar code. Currently it is used to verify the behavior of an individual agent in terms of CSP properties and to analyze the corresponding Cougaar society.

  10. Sidescan Sonar Image Matching Using Cross Correlation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thisen, Erik; Sørensen, Helge Bjarup Dissing; Stage, Bjarne

    2003-01-01

    When surveying an area for sea mines with a sidescan sonar, the ability to find the same object in two different sonar images is helpful to determine the nature of the object. The main problem with matching two sidescan sonar images is that a scene changes appearance when viewed from different vi...

  11. Track Detection in Railway Sidings Based on MEMS Gyroscope Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broquetas, Antoni; Comerón, Adolf; Gelonch, Antoni; Fuertes, Josep M.; Castro, J. Antonio; Felip, Damià; López, Miguel A.; Pulido, José A.

    2012-01-01

    The paper presents a two-step technique for real-time track detection in single-track railway sidings using low-cost MEMS gyroscopes. The objective is to reliably know the path the train has taken in a switch, diverted or main road, immediately after the train head leaves the switch. The signal delivered by the gyroscope is first processed by an adaptive low-pass filter that rejects noise and converts the temporal turn rate data in degree/second units into spatial turn rate data in degree/meter. The conversion is based on the travelled distance taken from odometer data. The filter is implemented to achieve a speed-dependent cut-off frequency to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Although direct comparison of the filtered turn rate signal with a predetermined threshold is possible, the paper shows that better detection performance can be achieved by processing the turn rate signal with a filter matched to the rail switch curvature parameters. Implementation aspects of the track detector have been optimized for real-time operation. The detector has been tested with both simulated data and real data acquired in railway campaigns. PMID:23443376

  12. Concurrent identity training is not necessary for associative symmetry in successive matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, Heloísa Cursi; Urcuioli, Peter J; Swisher, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Pigeons demonstrate associative symmetry after successive matching training on one arbitrary and two identity relations (e.g., Urcuioli, 2008). Here, we tested whether identity matching training is necessary for this emergent effect. In Experiment 1, one group of pigeons (Dual Oddity) learned hue-form arbitrary matching and two oddity relations which shared sample and comparison elements with the arbitrary relations. A second (Control) group learned the same hue-form matching task and a second (form-hue) arbitrary task which, together with hue oddity, shared only the samples with the hue-form relations. On subsequent symmetry probe trials, four Dual Oddity pigeons exhibited higher probe-trial response rates on the reverse of the positive than negative hue-form baseline trials, demonstrating associative symmetry. None of the Control pigeons, on the other hand, exhibited associative symmetry. Experiment 2 showed that subsequently changing one of the two oddity baseline relations to identity matching in the Dual Oddity group yielded antisymmetry in three of five pigeons. These results are consistent with predictions derived from Urcuioli's (Urcuioli, 2008) theory of pigeons' stimulus class formation and demonstrate that identity training is not necessary for associative symmetry to emerge after arbitrary matching training in pigeons. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  13. Price Wars in Two-Sided Markets : The Case of the UK Quality Newspapers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Behringer, S.; Filistrucchi, L.

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates the price war in the UK quality newspaper industry in the 1990s. We build a model of the newspaper market which encompasses demand for differentiated products on both, the readers and advertisers side of the market, and profi…t maximization by four competing oligopolistic

  14. Interactions of ionic and nonionic contrast agents with thrombolytic agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fareed, J.; Moncada, R.; Scanlon, P.; Hoppensteadt, D.; Huan, X.; Walenga, J.M.

    1987-01-01

    Both the ionic and nonionic intravascular contrast media have been used before and after the administration of thrombolytic agents to evaluate clot lysis during angioplasty and the treatment of myocardial infarction. In experimental animal models, the authors found that the clot lytic efficacy of streptokinase, streptokinase-plasminogen complex, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is markedly augmented if these agents are administered within 1 hour after the angiographic producers. Furthermore, contrast agents injected after the administration of t-Pa exhibit a synergistic action. In stimulated models administration of one ionic contrast medium (Angiovist, Berlex, Wayne, NJ) and two nonionic contrast agents (Isovue-370, Squibb Diagnostics, New Brunswick, NJ; Omnipaque-350, Winthrop, NY) 15 minutes before the administration of t-PA resulted in marked enhancement of the lytic activity. Although the mechanism of this interaction is unknown at this time, it should be taken into consideration in the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction, in whom contrast agents are continually used to evaluate the therapeutic lysis. Furthermore, this interaction may be partly related to the therapeutic efficacy and/or hemorrhagic actions observed

  15. Improved SURF Algorithm and Its Application in Seabed Relief Image Matching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Hong-Mei

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The matching based on seabed relief image is widely used in underwater relief matching navigation and target recognition, etc. However, being influenced by various factors, some conventional matching algorithms are difficult to obtain an ideal result in the matching of seabed relief image. SURF(Speeded Up Robust Features algorithm is based on feature points pair to achieve matching, and can get good results in the seabed relief image matching. However, in practical applications, the traditional SURF algorithm is easy to get false matching, especially when the area’s features are similar or not obvious, the problem is more seriously. In order to improve the robustness of the algorithm, this paper proposes an improved matching algorithm, which combines the SURF, and RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus algorithms. The new algorithm integrates the two algorithms advantages, firstly, the SURF algorithm is applied to detect and extract the feature points then to pre-match. Secondly, RANSAC algorithm is utilized to eliminate mismatching points, and then the accurate matching is accomplished with the correct matching points. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm overcomes the mismatching problem effectively and have better precision and faster speed than the traditional SURF algorithm.

  16. Physiological characteristics of badminton match play.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faude, Oliver; Meyer, Tim; Rosenberger, Friederike; Fries, Markus; Huber, Günther; Kindermann, Wilfried

    2007-07-01

    The present study aimed at examining the physiological characteristics and metabolic demands of badminton single match play. Twelve internationally ranked badminton players (eight women and four men) performed an incremental treadmill test [VO(2peak = )50.3 +/- 4.1 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (women) and 61.8 +/- 5.9 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (men), respectively]. On a separate day, they played a simulated badminton match of two 15 min with simultaneous gas exchange (breath-by-breath) and heart rate measurements. Additionally, blood lactate concentrations were determined before, after 15 min and at the end of the match. Furthermore, the duration of rallies and rests in between, the score as well as the number of shots per rally were recorded. A total of 630 rallies was analysed. Mean rally and rest duration were 5.5 +/- 4.4 s and 11.4 +/- 6.0 s, respectively, with an average 5.1 +/- 3.9 shots played per rally. Mean oxygen uptake (VO(2)), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate concentrations during badminton matches were 39.6 +/- 5.7 ml min(-1) kg(-1) (73.3% VO(2peak)), 169 +/- 9 min(-1) (89.0% HR(peak)) and 1.9 +/- 0.7 mmol l(-1), respectively. For a single subject 95% confidence intervals for VO(2) and HR during match play were on average 45.7-100.9% VO(2peak) and 78.3-99.8% HR(peak). High average intensity of badminton match play and considerable variability of several physiological variables demonstrate the importance of anaerobic alactacid and aerobic energy production in competitive badminton. A well-developed aerobic endurance capacity seems necessary for fast recovery between rallies or intensive training workouts.

  17. Conversational Agents in E-Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerry, Alice; Ellis, Richard; Bull, Susan

    This paper discusses the use of natural language or 'conversational' agents in e-learning environments. We describe and contrast the various applications of conversational agent technology represented in the e-learning literature, including tutors, learning companions, language practice and systems to encourage reflection. We offer two more detailed examples of conversational agents, one which provides learning support, and the other support for self-assessment. Issues and challenges for developers of conversational agent systems for e-learning are identified and discussed.

  18. Design Multi-Sides System Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Rocket

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syam, Rafiudin; Sutresman, Onny; Mappaita, Abdullah; Amiruddin; Wiranata, Ardi

    2018-02-01

    This study aims to design and test USV multislide forms. This system is excellent for maneuvering on the x-y-z coordinates. The disadvantage of a single side USV is that it is very difficult to maneuver to achieve very dynamic targets. While for multi sides system easily maneuvered though x-y-z coordinates. In addition to security defense purposes, multi-side system is also good for maritime intelligence, surveillance. In this case, electric deducted fan with Multi-Side system so that the vehicle can still operate even in reverse condition. Multipleside USV experiments have done with good results. In a USV study designed to use two propulsions.

  19. Agent-Based Negotiation in Uncertain Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debenham, John; Sierra, Carles

    An agent aims to secure his projected needs by attempting to build a set of (business) relationships with other agents. A relationship is built by exchanging private information, and is characterised by its intimacy — degree of closeness — and balance — degree of fairness. Each argumentative interaction between two agents then has two goals: to satisfy some immediate need, and to do so in a way that develops the relationship in a desired direction. An agent's desire to develop each relationship in a particular way then places constraints on the argumentative utterances. The form of negotiation described is argumentative interaction constrained by a desire to develop such relationships.

  20. Gastric stromal tumor: two-phase dynamic CT findings with water as oral contrast agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Se Hyo; Cho, June Sik; Shin, Kyung Sook; Jeong, Ki Ho; Park, Jin Yong; Yu, Ho Jun; Kim, Young Min; Jeon, Kwang Jin

    2000-01-01

    To evaluate two-phase dynamic CT with water as oral contrast agents in the CT diagnosis of gastric stromal tumors. We retrospectively reviewed the CT findings in 21 patients with pathologically proven gastric stromal tumors. Six were found to be benign, twelve were malignant, and there were three cases of STUMP (stromal tumor uncertain malignant potential). Two-phase dynamic CT scans with water as oral contrast agents were obtained 60-70 secs (portal phase) and 3 mins (equilibrium phase) after the start of IV contrast administration. We determined the size, growth pattern, and enhancement pattern of the tumors and overlying mucosa, the presence or absence of ulceration and necrosis, tumor extent, and lymph nod and distant metastasis. The CT and pathologic findings were correlated. All six benign tumors and three STUMP were less than 5.5 cm in size, and during the portal phase showed round endogastric masses with highly enhanced, intact overlying mucosa. Twelve malignant tumors were 4.5-15.5 cm in size (mean, 11.5 cm); an endogastric mass was seen in three cases, an exogastric mass in one, and a mixed pattern in eight. On portal phase images the tumors were not significantly enhanced, but highly enhanced feeding vessels were noted in five larger tumors (greater than 10 cm). All 12 malignant tumors showed ulceration and necrosis, and interruption of overlying mucosa was clearly seen during the portal phase. We were readily able to evaluate tumor extent during this phase, and in ten malignant tumors there was no invasion of adjacent organs. Seven malignant tumors showed air density within their necrotic portion (p less than 0.05). On equilibrium phase images, all malignant tumors showed heterogeneous enhancement due to necrosis, and poorly enhanced overlying mucosa. Dynamic CT during the portal phase with water as oral contrast agents was useful for depicting the submucosal origin of gastric stromal tumors and for evaluating the extent of malignant stromal tumors. Our