What are the underlying units of perceived animacy? Chasing detection is intrinsically object-based.

Science.gov (United States)

van Buren, Benjamin; Gao, Tao; Scholl, Brian J

2017-10-01

One of the most foundational questions that can be asked about any visual process is the nature of the underlying 'units' over which it operates (e.g., features, objects, or spatial regions). Here we address this question-for the first time, to our knowledge-in the context of the perception of animacy. Even simple geometric shapes appear animate when they move in certain ways. Do such percepts arise whenever any visual feature moves appropriately, or do they require that the relevant features first be individuated as discrete objects? Observers viewed displays in which one disc (the "wolf") chased another (the "sheep") among several moving distractor discs. Critically, two pairs of discs were also connected by visible lines. In the Unconnected condition, both lines connected pairs of distractors; but in the Connected condition, one connected the wolf to a distractor, and the other connected the sheep to a different distractor. Observers in the Connected condition were much less likely to describe such displays using mental state terms. Furthermore, signal detection analyses were used to explore the objective ability to discriminate chasing displays from inanimate control displays in which the wolf moved toward the sheep's mirror-image. Chasing detection was severely impaired on Connected trials: observers could readily detect an object chasing another object, but not a line-end chasing another line-end, a line-end chasing an object, or an object chasing a line-end. We conclude that the underlying units of perceived animacy are discrete visual objects.

Experimental studies of radioactive new formations of object 'Shelter'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vishnevskij, A.S.; Kuz'mina, I.E.; Tkach, V.N.; Tokarevskij, V.V.

1996-01-01

Chemical and phase composition of radioactive new-formations of object 'Shelter ' have been experimentally studied by the X-ray and local electronic probe methods of the substance analysis. Leaching of uranium is shown to be a result of attack by alkali-carbonate solutions, migration of uranium take place in the form of double alkali-carbonate system Na 4 [U O 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ]. Carbonates, sulphates, halite and probably sulphates-carbonates were found in the mineral association of new-formations. A hypothesis of formation of sodium uranyltetracarbonate Na 6 (U O 2 )(CO 3 ) 4 , under conditions of object 'Shelter' which was not described in scientific literature before has been advanced

The effects of changes in object location on object identity detection: A simultaneous EEG-fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ping; Fan, Chenggui; Wang, Min; Fogelson, Noa; Li, Ling

2017-08-15

Object identity and location are bound together to form a unique integration that is maintained and processed in visual working memory (VWM). Changes in task-irrelevant object location have been shown to impair the retrieval of memorial representations and the detection of object identity changes. However, the neural correlates of this cognitive process remain largely unknown. In the present study, we aim to investigate the underlying brain activation during object color change detection and the modulatory effects of changes in object location and VWM load. To this end we used simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings, which can reveal the neural activity with both high temporal and high spatial resolution. Subjects responded faster and with greater accuracy in the repeated compared to the changed object location condition, when a higher VWM load was utilized. These results support the spatial congruency advantage theory and suggest that it is more pronounced with higher VWM load. Furthermore, the spatial congruency effect was associated with larger posterior N1 activity, greater activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and less suppression of the right supramarginal gyrus (SMG), when object location was repeated compared to when it was changed. The ERP-fMRI integrative analysis demonstrated that the object location discrimination-related N1 component is generated in the right SMG. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NEMD study for supercavitation mechanism with underwater object

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong Bozhi [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); Zhang Bingjian [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China)], E-mail: zbj@mail.ha.zj.cn; Zhang Hui [Department of Chemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2008-11-24

An open system model was introduced for Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) simulation for studying flow phenomenon surrounding different underwater object. Cavitation number {sigma} criterion was proved to be applicable in predicting local cavitation mechanism. An interesting phenomenon was found that low {sigma} areas and actual cavities were spatially separated in molecular scale, and stable supercavitation would require a large enough low {sigma} area to sustain. Effects of cavitator shape and flow velocity were compared with macro scale flow under similar {sigma}, providing a new computational method to study the molecular scale mechanism of this phenomenon.

NEMD study for supercavitation mechanism with underwater object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Bozhi; Zhang Bingjian; Zhang Hui

2008-01-01

An open system model was introduced for Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) simulation for studying flow phenomenon surrounding different underwater object. Cavitation number σ criterion was proved to be applicable in predicting local cavitation mechanism. An interesting phenomenon was found that low σ areas and actual cavities were spatially separated in molecular scale, and stable supercavitation would require a large enough low σ area to sustain. Effects of cavitator shape and flow velocity were compared with macro scale flow under similar σ, providing a new computational method to study the molecular scale mechanism of this phenomenon

Real-Time Attitude Control Algorithm for Fast Tumbling Objects under Torque Constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuda, Yuichi; Nakasuka, Shinichi

This paper describes a new control algorithm for achieving any arbitrary attitude and angular velocity states of a rigid body, even fast and complicated tumbling rotations, under some practical constraints. This technique is expected to be applied for the attitude motion synchronization to capture a non-cooperative, tumbling object in such missions as removal of debris from orbit, servicing broken-down satellites for repairing or inspection, rescue of manned vehicles, etc. For this objective, we have introduced a novel control algorithm called Free Motion Path Method (FMPM) in the previous paper, which was formulated as an open-loop controller. The next step of this consecutive work is to derive a closed-loop FMPM controller, and as the preliminary step toward the objective, this paper attempts to derive a conservative state variables representation of a rigid body dynamics. 6-Dimensional conservative state variables are introduced in place of general angular velocity-attitude angle representation, and how to convert between both representations are shown in this paper.

Face and object encoding under perceptual load: ERP evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Markus F; Mohamed, Tarik N; Schweinberger, Stefan R

2011-02-14

According to the perceptual load theory, processing of a task-irrelevant distractor is abolished when attentional resources are fully consumed by task-relevant material. As an exception, however, famous faces have been shown to elicit repetition modulations in event-related potentials - an N250r - despite high load at initial presentation, suggesting preserved face-encoding. Here, we recorded N250r repetition modulations by unfamiliar faces, hands, and houses, and tested face specificity of preserved encoding under high load. In an immediate (S1-S2) repetition priming paradigm, participants performed a letter identification task on S1 by indicating whether an "X" vs. "N" was among 6 different (high load condition) or 6 identical (low load condition) letters. Letter strings were superimposed on distractor faces, hands, or houses. Subsequent S2 probes were either identical repetitions of S1 distractors, non-repeated exemplars from the same category, or infrequent butterflies, to which participants responded. Independent of attentional load at S1, an occipito-temporal N250r was found for unfamiliar faces. In contrast, no repetition-related neural modulation emerged for houses or hands. This strongly suggests that a putative face-selective attention module supports encoding under high load, and that similar mechanisms are unavailable for other natural or artificial objects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multiple ship routing and speed optimization problem under time, cost and environmental objectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wen, M.; Pacino, Dario; Kontovas, C.A.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a multiple ship routing and speed optimization problem under time, cost and environmental objectives. A branch and price algorithm as well as a constraint programming model are developed that consider (a) fuel consumption as a function of payload, (b......) fuel price as an explicit input, (c) freight rate as an input, and (d) in-transit cargo inventory costs. The alternative objective functions are minimum total trip duration, minimum total cost and minimum emissions. Computational experience with the algorithm is reported on a variety of scenarios....

Motion makes sense: an adaptive motor-sensory strategy underlies the perception of object location in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraf-Sinik, Inbar; Assa, Eldad; Ahissar, Ehud

2015-06-10

Tactile perception is obtained by coordinated motor-sensory processes. We studied the processes underlying the perception of object location in freely moving rats. We trained rats to identify the relative location of two vertical poles placed in front of them and measured at high resolution the motor and sensory variables (19 and 2 variables, respectively) associated with this whiskers-based perceptual process. We found that the rats developed stereotypic head and whisker movements to solve this task, in a manner that can be described by several distinct behavioral phases. During two of these phases, the rats' whiskers coded object position by first temporal and then angular coding schemes. We then introduced wind (in two opposite directions) and remeasured their perceptual performance and motor-sensory variables. Our rats continued to perceive object location in a consistent manner under wind perturbations while maintaining all behavioral phases and relatively constant sensory coding. Constant sensory coding was achieved by keeping one group of motor variables (the "controlled variables") constant, despite the perturbing wind, at the cost of strongly modulating another group of motor variables (the "modulated variables"). The controlled variables included coding-relevant variables, such as head azimuth and whisker velocity. These results indicate that consistent perception of location in the rat is obtained actively, via a selective control of perception-relevant motor variables. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/358777-13$15.00/0.

3D Imaging of Dielectric Objects Buried under a Rough Surface by Using CSI

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Evrim Tetik

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A 3D scalar electromagnetic imaging of dielectric objects buried under a rough surface is presented. The problem has been treated as a 3D scalar problem for computational simplicity as a first step to the 3D vector problem. The complexity of the background in which the object is buried is simplified by obtaining Green’s function of its background, which consists of two homogeneous half-spaces, and a rough interface between them, by using Buried Object Approach (BOA. Green’s function of the two-part space with planar interface is obtained to be used in the process. Reconstruction of the location, shape, and constitutive parameters of the objects is achieved by Contrast Source Inversion (CSI method with conjugate gradient. The scattered field data that is used in the inverse problem is obtained via both Method of Moments (MoM and Comsol Multiphysics pressure acoustics model.

Application of multi-objective optimization based on genetic algorithm for sustainable strategic supplier selection under fuzzy environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashim, M.; Nazam, M.; Yao, L.; Baig, S.A.; Abrar, M.; Zia-ur-Rehman, M.

2017-07-01

The incorporation of environmental objective into the conventional supplier selection practices is crucial for corporations seeking to promote green supply chain management (GSCM). Challenges and risks associated with green supplier selection have been broadly recognized by procurement and supplier management professionals. This paper aims to solve a Tetra “S” (SSSS) problem based on a fuzzy multi-objective optimization with genetic algorithm in a holistic supply chain environment. In this empirical study, a mathematical model with fuzzy coefficients is considered for sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) problem and a corresponding model is developed to tackle this problem. Design/methodology/approach: Sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) decisions are typically multi-objectives in nature and it is an important part of green production and supply chain management for many firms. The proposed uncertain model is transferred into deterministic model by applying the expected value mesurement (EVM) and genetic algorithm with weighted sum approach for solving the multi-objective problem. This research focus on a multi-objective optimization model for minimizing lean cost, maximizing sustainable service and greener product quality level. Finally, a mathematical case of textile sector is presented to exemplify the effectiveness of the proposed model with a sensitivity analysis. Findings: This study makes a certain contribution by introducing the Tetra ‘S’ concept in both the theoretical and practical research related to multi-objective optimization as well as in the study of sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) under uncertain environment. Our results suggest that decision makers tend to select strategic supplier first then enhance the sustainability. Research limitations/implications: Although the fuzzy expected value model (EVM) with fuzzy coefficients constructed in present research should be helpful for solving real world

Application of multi-objective optimization based on genetic algorithm for sustainable strategic supplier selection under fuzzy environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Hashim

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose:  The incorporation of environmental objective into the conventional supplier selection practices is crucial for corporations seeking to promote green supply chain management (GSCM. Challenges and risks associated with green supplier selection have been broadly recognized by procurement and supplier management professionals. This paper aims to solve a Tetra “S” (SSSS problem based on a fuzzy multi-objective optimization with genetic algorithm in a holistic supply chain environment. In this empirical study, a mathematical model with fuzzy coefficients is considered for sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS problem and a corresponding model is developed to tackle this problem. Design/methodology/approach: Sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS decisions are typically multi-objectives in nature and it is an important part of green production and supply chain management for many firms. The proposed uncertain model is transferred into deterministic model by applying the expected value mesurement (EVM and genetic algorithm with weighted sum approach for solving the multi-objective problem. This research focus on a multi-objective optimization model for minimizing lean cost, maximizing sustainable service and greener product quality level. Finally, a mathematical case of textile sector is presented to exemplify the effectiveness of the proposed model with a sensitivity analysis. Findings: This study makes a certain contribution by introducing the Tetra ‘S’ concept in both the theoretical and practical research related to multi-objective optimization as well as in the study of sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS under uncertain environment. Our results suggest that decision makers tend to select strategic supplier first then enhance the sustainability. Research limitations/implications: Although the fuzzy expected value model (EVM with fuzzy coefficients constructed in present research should be helpful for

Application of multi-objective optimization based on genetic algorithm for sustainable strategic supplier selection under fuzzy environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, M.; Nazam, M.; Yao, L.; Baig, S.A.; Abrar, M.; Zia-ur-Rehman, M.

2017-01-01

The incorporation of environmental objective into the conventional supplier selection practices is crucial for corporations seeking to promote green supply chain management (GSCM). Challenges and risks associated with green supplier selection have been broadly recognized by procurement and supplier management professionals. This paper aims to solve a Tetra “S” (SSSS) problem based on a fuzzy multi-objective optimization with genetic algorithm in a holistic supply chain environment. In this empirical study, a mathematical model with fuzzy coefficients is considered for sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) problem and a corresponding model is developed to tackle this problem. Design/methodology/approach: Sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) decisions are typically multi-objectives in nature and it is an important part of green production and supply chain management for many firms. The proposed uncertain model is transferred into deterministic model by applying the expected value mesurement (EVM) and genetic algorithm with weighted sum approach for solving the multi-objective problem. This research focus on a multi-objective optimization model for minimizing lean cost, maximizing sustainable service and greener product quality level. Finally, a mathematical case of textile sector is presented to exemplify the effectiveness of the proposed model with a sensitivity analysis. Findings: This study makes a certain contribution by introducing the Tetra ‘S’ concept in both the theoretical and practical research related to multi-objective optimization as well as in the study of sustainable strategic supplier selection (SSSS) under uncertain environment. Our results suggest that decision makers tend to select strategic supplier first then enhance the sustainability. Research limitations/implications: Although the fuzzy expected value model (EVM) with fuzzy coefficients constructed in present research should be helpful for solving real world

Numerical simulation of deformation and failure processes of a complex technical object under impact loading

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, E. I.; Shabalin, I. I.; Shabalin, T. I.

2018-04-01

The main points of development of numerical tools for simulation of deformation and failure of complex technical objects under nonstationary conditions of extreme loading are presented. The possibility of extending the dynamic method for construction of difference grids to the 3D case is shown. A 3D realization of discrete-continuum approach to the deformation and failure of complex technical objects is carried out. The efficiency of the existing software package for 3D modelling is shown.

Decision Making under Ambiguity and Objective Risk in Higher Age - A Review on Cognitive and Emotional Contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias

2017-01-01

The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors - responsible for age-related differences in decision making - are additionally pointed out.

Bandwidth trading under misaligned objectives: decentralized measurement-based control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.R.H. Mandjes (Michel); M. Ramakrishnan

2006-01-01

htmlabstractThis paper studies the interplay between a profit-maximizing network and a number of users competing for the finite bandwidth on each link. In our setting, the objectives of the network and the users are ‘misaligned’, in that the prices that optimize the network’s profit do not maximize

Bandwidth trading under misaligned objectives: decentralized measurement-based control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mandjes, M.R.H.; Ramakrishnan, M.

2008-01-01

This paper studies the interplay between a profit-maximizing network and a number of users competing for the finite bandwidth on each link. In our setting, the objectives of the network and the users are ‘misaligned’, in that the prices that optimize the network’s profit do not maximize the

Hippocampal NMDA receptors are involved in rats' spontaneous object recognition only under high memory load condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugita, Manami; Yamada, Kazuo; Iguchi, Natsumi; Ichitani, Yukio

2015-10-22

The possible involvement of hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in spontaneous object recognition was investigated in rats under different memory load conditions. We first estimated rats' object memory span using 3-5 objects in "Different Objects Task (DOT)" in order to confirm the highest memory load condition in object recognition memory. Rats were allowed to explore a field in which 3 (3-DOT), 4 (4-DOT), or 5 (5-DOT) different objects were presented. After a delay period, they were placed again in the same field in which one of the sample objects was replaced by another object, and their object exploration behavior was analyzed. Rats could differentiate the novel object from the familiar ones in 3-DOT and 4-DOT but not in 5-DOT, suggesting that rats' object memory span was about 4. Then, we examined the effects of hippocampal AP5 infusion on performance in both 2-DOT (2 different objects were used) and 4-DOT. The drug treatment before the sample phase impaired performance only in 4-DOT. These results suggest that hippocampal NMDA receptors play a critical role in spontaneous object recognition only when the memory load is high. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal Use of Agricultural Water and Land Resources through Reconfiguring Crop Planting Structure under Socioeconomic and Ecological Objectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Tan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Many economic, social and ecological problems can be attributed to the scarcity and mismanagement of water and land resources. In this study, a multi-objective fuzzy–robust programming (MOFRP method was developed for supporting the optimal use of land and water resources in agriculture. MOFRP improved existing methods through taking ecological services of crop cultivation into account. It was also capable of reflecting fuzziness in preferences, priorities and parameters that were largely neglected in previous agricultural decision making. This method was applied to address a case in arid northwestern China. Optimal plans of crop cultivation reconfiguration were generated for sustaining local development under economic, ecological and social objectives as well as physical restraints in water and land resources. Compared to the status quo, the optimized plan would increase economic and ecological benefits by 12.2% and 18.8%, respectively. The efficiency of irrigation water could also be enhanced with the economic and ecological benefits per unit water being raised and the water consumption per unit land being reduced. The comparisons of the MOFRP model to four alternatives validated that it was capable of achieving satisfactory benefits and reducing system-violation risks without neglecting valuable uncertain information and ecological services of crops. The proposed method was also applicable to other multi-objective management problems under uncertainty without loss of generality.

An efficient algorithm for bi-objective combined heat and power production planning under the emission trading scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rong, Aiying; Figueira, José Rui; Lahdelma, Risto

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Define fuel mix setting for the bi-objective CHP environmental/economic dispatch. • Develop an efficient algorithm for constructing the Pareto frontier for the problem. • Time complexity analysis is conducted for the proposed algorithm. • The algorithm is theoretically compared against a traditional algorithm. • The efficiency of the algorithm is justified by numerical results. - Abstract: The growing environmental awareness and the apparent conflicts between economic and environmental objectives turn energy planning problems naturally into multi-objective optimization problems. In the current study, mixed fuel combustion is considered as an option to achieve tradeoff between economic objective (associated with fuel cost) and emission objective (measured in CO 2 emission cost according to fuels and emission allowance price) because a fuel with higher emissions is usually cheaper than one with lower emissions. Combined heat and power (CHP) production is an important high-efficiency technology to promote under the emission trading scheme. In CHP production, the production planning of both commodities must be done in coordination. A long-term planning problem decomposes into thousands of hourly subproblems. In this paper, a bi-objective multi-period linear programming CHP planning model is presented first. Then, an efficient specialized merging algorithm for constructing the exact Pareto frontier (PF) of the problem is presented. The algorithm is theoretically and empirically compared against a modified dichotomic search algorithm. The efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithm is justified

Decision Making under Ambiguity and Objective Risk in Higher Age – A Review on Cognitive and Emotional Contributions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magnus Liebherr

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors – responsible for age-related differences in decision making – are additionally pointed out.

Decision Making under Ambiguity and Objective Risk in Higher Age – A Review on Cognitive and Emotional Contributions

Science.gov (United States)

Liebherr, Magnus; Schiebener, Johannes; Averbeck, Heike; Brand, Matthias

2017-01-01

The ability of decision making plays a highly relevant role in our survival, but is adversely affected during the process of aging. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of age-related differences in decision making and the role of cognitive and emotional factors in this context. We reviewed the literature about age-effects on decision-making performance, focusing on decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In decisions under ambiguous risks, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task, decisions are based on the experiences with consequences. In this case, many articles have attributed age-related impairments in decision making to changes in emotional and somatic reward- and punishment processing. In decisions under objective risks, as measured for example by the Game of Dice Task, decisions can be based on explicit information about risks and consequences. In this case, age-related changes have been attributed mainly to a cognitive decline, particularly impaired executive functions. However, recent findings challenge these conclusions. The present review summarizes neuropsychological and neurophysiological findings of age-related differences in decision making under ambiguous and objective risk. In this context, the relevance of learning, but also of cognitive and emotional contributors – responsible for age-related differences in decision making – are additionally pointed out. PMID:29270145

Connection-based and object-based grouping in multiple-object tracking: A developmental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Hallen, Ruth; Reusens, Julie; Evers, Kris; de-Wit, Lee; Wagemans, Johan

2018-03-30

Developmental research on Gestalt laws has previously revealed that, even as young as infancy, we are bound to group visual elements into unitary structures in accordance with a variety of organizational principles. Here, we focus on the developmental trajectory of both connection-based and object-based grouping, and investigate their impact on object formation in participants, aged 9-21 years old (N = 113), using a multiple-object tracking paradigm. Results reveal a main effect of both age and grouping type, indicating that 9- to 21-year-olds are sensitive to both connection-based and object-based grouping interference, and tracking ability increases with age. In addition to its importance for typical development, these results provide an informative baseline to understand clinical aberrations in this regard. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The origin of the Gestalt principles is still an ongoing debate: Are they innate, learned over time, or both? Developmental research has revealed how each Gestalt principle has its own trajectory and unique relationship to visual experience. Both connectedness and object-based grouping play an important role in object formation during childhood. What does this study add? The study identifies how sensitivity to connectedness and object-based grouping evolves in individuals, aged 9-21 years old. Using multiple-object tracking, results reveal that the ability to track multiple objects increases with age. These results provide an informative baseline to understand clinical aberrations in different types of grouping. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Developmental Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Irradiation as a Method of Salvation of Cultural Heritage Objects Under Massive Jeopardy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katusin-Razem, B.; Braun, M.; Jagic, R.

2013-01-01

Cultural heritage artefacts made of organic materials are susceptible to deterioration caused by the action of insects, moulds, fungi and bacteria. The problem of biodeterioration becomes especially acute after natural catastrophes and weather inclemencies, or after human activities conducive to an abrupt development of pests. Usually a large number of objects are imperilled at the same time and their sheer number aggravates any organized preservation effort. Irradiation has proven an effective method of preservation under the circumstances, e.g. for the prevention of massive proliferation of fungal infestation of books wetted by flood. War destructions in Croatia 1991 - 1995 seriously jeopardized many cultural objects. Their treatment by 60Co gamma rays in the Radiation Chemistry and Dosimetry Laboratory of the Ruðer Boškoviæ Institute played a significant role in the prevention of massive biodeterioration. In co-operation with the Croatian Conservation Institute, one third of 5000 evacuated objects, mostly polychromic wooden sculptures, were irradiated for desinsection and disinfection, enabling their joint accommodation in depots until restoration. This contribution to the preservation of jeopardized cultural heritage objects has been recognized internationally as a specially significant and successful case of the application of irradiation to cultural heritage. The presentation describes in more detail the preservation and restoration of the altar of the Holy Cross from the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Snow in Kamensko.(author)

A Mathematical and Numerically Integrable Modeling of 3D Object Grasping under Rolling Contacts between Smooth Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suguru Arimoto

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A computable model of grasping and manipulation of a 3D rigid object with arbitrary smooth surfaces by multiple robot fingers with smooth fingertip surfaces is derived under rolling contact constraints between surfaces. Geometrical conditions of pure rolling contacts are described through the moving-frame coordinates at each rolling contact point under the postulates: (1 two surfaces share a common single contact point without any mutual penetration and a common tangent plane at the contact point and (2 each path length of running of the contact point on the robot fingertip surface and the object surface is equal. It is shown that a set of Euler-Lagrange equations of motion of the fingers-object system can be derived by introducing Lagrange multipliers corresponding to geometric conditions of contacts. A set of 1st-order differential equations governing rotational motions of each fingertip and the object and updating arc-length parameters should be accompanied with the Euler-Lagrange equations. Further more, nonholonomic constraints arising from twisting between the two normal axes to each tangent plane are rewritten into a set of Frenet-Serre equations with a geometrically given normal curvature and a motion-induced geodesic curvature.

An ERP Study on Self-Relevant Object Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Miyakoshi, Makoto; Nomura, Michio; Ohira, Hideki

2007-01-01

We performed an event-related potential study to investigate the self-relevance effect in object recognition. Three stimulus categories were prepared: SELF (participant's own objects), FAMILIAR (disposable and public objects, defined as objects with less-self-relevant familiarity), and UNFAMILIAR (others' objects). The participants' task was to…

Object-Image Correspondence for Algebraic Curves under Projections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph M. Burdis

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We present a novel algorithm for deciding whether a given planar curve is an image of a given spatial curve, obtained by a central or a parallel projection with unknown parameters. The motivation comes from the problem of establishing a correspondence between an object and an image, taken by a camera with unknown position and parameters. A straightforward approach to this problem consists of setting up a system of conditions on the projection parameters and then checking whether or not this system has a solution. The computational advantage of the algorithm presented here, in comparison to algorithms based on the straightforward approach, lies in a significant reduction of a number of real parameters that need to be eliminated in order to establish existence or non-existence of a projection that maps a given spatial curve to a given planar curve. Our algorithm is based on projection criteria that reduce the projection problem to a certain modification of the equivalence problem of planar curves under affine and projective transformations. To solve the latter problem we make an algebraic adaptation of signature construction that has been used to solve the equivalence problems for smooth curves. We introduce a notion of a classifying set of rational differential invariants and produce explicit formulas for such invariants for the actions of the projective and the affine groups on the plane.

Large-Scale Laboratory Experiments of Initiation of Motion and Burial of Objects under Currents and Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, B. J.; Wu, H.; Wenzel, S. P.; Gates, S. J.; Fytanidis, D. K.; Garcia, M. H.

2017-12-01

Unexploded ordnances (UXOs) can be found at the bottom of coastal areas as the residue of military wartime activities, training or accidents. These underwater objects are hazards for humans and the coastal environment increasing the need for addressing the knowledge gaps regarding the initiation of motion, fate and transport of UXOs under currents and wave conditions. Extensive experimental analysis was conducted for the initiation of motion of UXOs under various rigid bed roughness conditions (smooth PVC, pitted steel, marbles, gravels and bed of spherical particles) for both unidirectional and oscillatory flows. Particle image velocimetry measurements were conducted under both flow conditions to resolve the flow structure estimate the critical flow conditions for initiation of motion of UXOs. Analysis of the experimental observations shows that the geometrical characteristics of the UXOs, their properties (i.e. volume, mass) and their orientation with respect to the mean flow play an important role on the reorientation and mobility of the examined objects. A novel unified initiation of motion diagram is proposed using an effective/unified hydrodynamic roughness and a new length scale which includes the effect of the projected area and the bed-UXO contact area. Both unidirectional and oscillatory critical flow conditions collapsed into a single dimensionless diagram highlighting the importance and practical applicability of the proposed work. In addition to the rigid bed experiments, the burial dynamics of proud UXOs on a mobile sand bed were also examined. The complex flow-bedform-UXOs interactions were evaluated which highlighted the effect of munition density on burial rate and final burial depth. Burial dynamics and mechanisms for motion were examined for various UXOs types, and results show that, for the case of the low density UXOs under energetic conditions, lateral transport coexists with burial. Prior to burial, UXO re-orientation was also observed

Patterns of muscle activity underlying object-specific grasp by the macaque monkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Brochier, T; Spinks, R L; Umilta, M A; Lemon, R N

2004-09-01

During object grasp, a coordinated activation of distal muscles is required to shape the hand in relation to the physical properties of the object. Despite the fundamental importance of the grasping action, little is known of the muscular activation patterns that allow objects of different sizes and shapes to be grasped. In a study of two adult macaque monkeys, we investigated whether we could distinguish between EMG activation patterns associated with grasp of 12 differently shaped objects, chosen to evoke a wide range of grasping postures. Each object was mounted on a horizontal shuttle held by a weak spring (load force 1-2 N). Objects were located in separate sectors of a "carousel," and inter-trial rotation of the carousel allowed sequential presentation of the objects in pseudorandom order. EMG activity from 10 to 12 digit, hand, and arm muscles was recorded using chronically implanted electrodes. We show that the grasp of different objects was characterized by complex but distinctive patterns of EMG activation. Cluster analysis shows that these object-related EMG patterns were specific and consistent enough to identify the object unequivocally from the EMG recordings alone. EMG-based object identification required a minimum of six EMGs from simultaneously recorded muscles. EMG patterns were consistent across recording sessions in a given monkey but showed some differences between animals. These results identify the specific patterns of activity required to achieve distinct hand postures for grasping, and they open the way to our understanding of how these patterns are generated by the central motor network.

Gender Differences in Memory for Objects and Their Locations: A Study on Automatic versus Controlled Encoding and Retrieval Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

De Goede, Maartje; Postma, Albert

2008-01-01

Object-location memory is the only spatial task where female subjects have been shown to outperform males. This result is not consistent across all studies, and may be due to the combination of the multi-component structure of object location memory with the conditions under which different studies were done. Possible gender differences in object…

Object Persistence Enhances Spatial Navigation: A Case Study in Smartphone Vision Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Liverence, Brandon M; Scholl, Brian J

2015-07-01

Violations of spatiotemporal continuity disrupt performance in many tasks involving attention and working memory, but experiments on this topic have been limited to the study of moment-by-moment on-line perception, typically assessed by passive monitoring tasks. We tested whether persisting object representations also serve as underlying units of longer-term memory and active spatial navigation, using a novel paradigm inspired by the visual interfaces common to many smartphones. Participants used key presses to navigate through simple visual environments consisting of grids of icons (depicting real-world objects), only one of which was visible at a time through a static virtual window. Participants found target icons faster when navigation involved persistence cues (via sliding animations) than when persistence was disrupted (e.g., via temporally matched fading animations), with all transitions inspired by smartphone interfaces. Moreover, this difference occurred even after explicit memorization of the relevant information, which demonstrates that object persistence enhances spatial navigation in an automatic and irresistible fashion. © The Author(s) 2015.

Self-assembly and transformation of hybrid nano-objects and nanostructures under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions

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Mann, Stephen

2009-10-01

Understanding how chemically derived processes control the construction and organization of matter across extended and multiple length scales is of growing interest in many areas of materials research. Here we review present equilibrium and non-equilibrium self-assembly approaches to the synthetic construction of discrete hybrid (inorganic-organic) nano-objects and higher-level nanostructured networks. We examine a range of synthetic modalities under equilibrium conditions that give rise to integrative self-assembly (supramolecular wrapping, nanoscale incarceration and nanostructure templating) or higher-order self-assembly (programmed/directed aggregation). We contrast these strategies with processes of transformative self-assembly that use self-organizing media, reaction-diffusion systems and coupled mesophases to produce higher-level hybrid structures under non-equilibrium conditions. Key elements of the constructional codes associated with these processes are identified with regard to existing theoretical knowledge, and presented as a heuristic guideline for the rational design of hybrid nano-objects and nanomaterials.

[Depressive realism: happiness or objectivity].

Science.gov (United States)

Birinci, Fatih; Dirik, Gülay

2010-01-01

Realism is described as objective evaluations and judgments about the world; however, some research indicates that judgments made by "normal" people include a self-favored, positive bias in the perception of reality. Additionally, some studies report that compared to normal people, such cognitive distortions are less likely among depressive people. These findings gave rise to the depressive realism hypothesis. While results of several studies verify the notion that depressive people evaluate reality more objectively, other studies fail to support this hypothesis. Several causes for these inconsistent findings have been proposed, which can be characterized under 3 headings. One proposed explanation suggests that what is accepted as "realistic" in these studies is not quite objective and is in fact ambiguous. According to another perspective, the term "depressive" used in these studies is inconsistent with the criteria of scientific diagnostic methods. Another suggests that the research results can only be obtained under the specific experimental conditions. General negativity and limited processing are popular approaches used for explaining the depressive realism hypothesis. Nowadays, the debate over this hypothesis continues. The present review focuses on frequently cited research related to depressive realism and discusses the findings.

Subjective experience of architectural objects: A cross-cultural study

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Marković Slobodan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to compare Serbian and Japanese participants in their subjective experience of Serbian and Japanese architectural objects. Subjective experience was operationalized through the ratings on the bipolar scales (e.g. pleasant-unpleasant. In the Preliminary study 1, a set of twelve rating scales was generated. In the Preliminary study 2 twelve Serbian and twelve Japanese architectural objects were specified. In the main experiment two groups of participants, twenty-one Serbian and twenty Japanese, rated twelve Serbian and twelve Japanese objects. A factor analysis extracted three dimensions of subjective experience: Beauty, Firmness and Fullness. Analysis of variance have shown that both Serbian and Japanese participants agreed that Japanese architectural objects looked more beautiful and firmer than Serbian objects. These finding is generally in line with perceptualist hypothesis that stimulus constraints are more effective than culture. However, interactions revealed some cultural differences that are consistent with culturalist hypothesis: compared to Serbian participants, Japanese participants rated Japanese architectural objects as more beautiful, whereas, compared to Japanese, Serbian participants rated Serbian objects as less fragile and emptier than Japanese objects. Generaly, our study have shown that Serbian (Western and Japanese (Eastern participants show general similarity in their subjective experience of architectural objects. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179033

Art, historical and cultural heritage objects studied with different non-destructive analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizzutto, Marcia A.; Tabacniks, Manfredo H.; Added, Nemitala; Campos, Pedro H.O.V.; Curado, Jessica F.; Kajiya, Elizabeth A.M.

2012-01-01

Full text: Since 2003, the analysis of art, historical and cultural heritage objects has being performed at the Laboratorio de Analise de Materiais of the Instituto de Fisica of the Universidade de Sao Paulo (LAMFI-USP). Initially the studies were restricted to non-destructive methods using ion beams to characterize the chemical elements present in the objects. Recently, new analytical techniques and procedures have been incorporated to the better characterization of the objects and the examinations were expanded to other non-destructive analytical techniques such as portable X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), digitalized radiography, high resolution photography with visible, UV (ultraviolet) light and reflectography in the infrared region. These non-destructive analytical techniques systematically applied to the objects are helping the better understanding of these objects and allow studying them by examining their main components; their conservation status and also the creative process of the artist, particularly in easel paintings allow making new discoveries. The setup of the external beam in the LAMFI laboratory is configured to allow different simultaneous analysis by PIXE / PIGE (Particle Induced X-ray emission / Particle Induced gamma rays emission), RBS (Rutherford Backscattering) and IBL (Ion Beam Luminescence) and to expand the archaeometric results using ion beams. PIXE and XRF analysis are important to characterize the elements presents in the objects, pigments and others materials. The digitized radiography has provided important information about the internal structure of the objects, the manufacturing process, the internal particles existing and in case of easel paintings it can reveal features of the artist's creative process showing hidden images and the first paintings done by the artist in the background. Some Brazilian paintings studied by IR imaging revealed underlying drawings, which allowed us to discover the process of creation and also some

Art, historical and cultural heritage objects studied with different non-destructive analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzutto, Marcia A.; Tabacniks, Manfredo H.; Added, Nemitala; Campos, Pedro H.O.V.; Curado, Jessica F.; Kajiya, Elizabeth A.M. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IF/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

2012-07-01

Full text: Since 2003, the analysis of art, historical and cultural heritage objects has being performed at the Laboratorio de Analise de Materiais of the Instituto de Fisica of the Universidade de Sao Paulo (LAMFI-USP). Initially the studies were restricted to non-destructive methods using ion beams to characterize the chemical elements present in the objects. Recently, new analytical techniques and procedures have been incorporated to the better characterization of the objects and the examinations were expanded to other non-destructive analytical techniques such as portable X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), digitalized radiography, high resolution photography with visible, UV (ultraviolet) light and reflectography in the infrared region. These non-destructive analytical techniques systematically applied to the objects are helping the better understanding of these objects and allow studying them by examining their main components; their conservation status and also the creative process of the artist, particularly in easel paintings allow making new discoveries. The setup of the external beam in the LAMFI laboratory is configured to allow different simultaneous analysis by PIXE / PIGE (Particle Induced X-ray emission / Particle Induced gamma rays emission), RBS (Rutherford Backscattering) and IBL (Ion Beam Luminescence) and to expand the archaeometric results using ion beams. PIXE and XRF analysis are important to characterize the elements presents in the objects, pigments and others materials. The digitized radiography has provided important information about the internal structure of the objects, the manufacturing process, the internal particles existing and in case of easel paintings it can reveal features of the artist's creative process showing hidden images and the first paintings done by the artist in the background. Some Brazilian paintings studied by IR imaging revealed underlying drawings, which allowed us to discover the process of creation and also some

Scalable multi-objective control for large scale water resources systems under uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Giuliani, Matteo; Quinn, Julianne; Herman, Jonathan; Castelletti, Andrea; Reed, Patrick

2016-04-01

The use of mathematical models to support the optimal management of environmental systems is rapidly expanding over the last years due to advances in scientific knowledge of the natural processes, efficiency of the optimization techniques, and availability of computational resources. However, undergoing changes in climate and society introduce additional challenges for controlling these systems, ultimately motivating the emergence of complex models to explore key causal relationships and dependencies on uncontrolled sources of variability. In this work, we contribute a novel implementation of the evolutionary multi-objective direct policy search (EMODPS) method for controlling environmental systems under uncertainty. The proposed approach combines direct policy search (DPS) with hierarchical parallelization of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) and offers a threefold advantage: the DPS simulation-based optimization can be combined with any simulation model and does not add any constraint on modeled information, allowing the use of exogenous information in conditioning the decisions. Moreover, the combination of DPS and MOEAs prompts the generation or Pareto approximate set of solutions for up to 10 objectives, thus overcoming the decision biases produced by cognitive myopia, where narrow or restrictive definitions of optimality strongly limit the discovery of decision relevant alternatives. Finally, the use of large-scale MOEAs parallelization improves the ability of the designed solutions in handling the uncertainty due to severe natural variability. The proposed approach is demonstrated on a challenging water resources management problem represented by the optimal control of a network of four multipurpose water reservoirs in the Red River basin (Vietnam). As part of the medium-long term energy and food security national strategy, four large reservoirs have been constructed on the Red River tributaries, which are mainly operated for hydropower

Object-based attention: strength of object representation and attentional guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Shomstein, Sarah; Behrmann, Marlene

2008-01-01

Two or more features belonging to a single object are identified more quickly and more accurately than are features belonging to different objects--a finding attributed to sensory enhancement of all features belonging to an attended or selected object. However, several recent studies have suggested that this "single-object advantage" may be a product of probabilistic and configural strategic prioritizations rather than of object-based perceptual enhancement per se, challenging the underlying mechanism that is thought to give rise to object-based attention. In the present article, we further explore constraints on the mechanisms of object-based selection by examining the contribution of the strength of object representations to the single-object advantage. We manipulated factors such as exposure duration (i.e., preview time) and salience of configuration (i.e., objects). Varying preview time changes the magnitude of the object-based effect, so that if there is ample time to establish an object representation (i.e., preview time of 1,000 msec), then both probability and configuration (i.e., objects) guide attentional selection. If, however, insufficient time is provided to establish a robust object-based representation, then only probabilities guide attentional selection. Interestingly, at a short preview time of 200 msec, when the two objects were sufficiently different from each other (i.e., different colors), both configuration and probability guided attention selection. These results suggest that object-based effects can be explained both in terms of strength of object representations (established at longer exposure durations and by pictorial cues) and probabilistic contingencies in the visual environment.

Object size effects on initial lifting forces under microgravity conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kingma, I.; Savelsbergh, G.J.P.; Toussaint, H.M.

1999-01-01

Individuals usually report for two objects of equal mass but different volume that the larger object feels lighter. This so-called size-weight illusion has been investigated for more than a century. The illusion is accompanied by increased forces, used to lift the larger object, resulting in a

Automatic Railway Traffic Object Detection System Using Feature Fusion Refine Neural Network under Shunting Mode

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Tao Ye

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Many accidents happen under shunting mode when the speed of a train is below 45 km/h. In this mode, train attendants observe the railway condition ahead using the traditional manual method and tell the observation results to the driver in order to avoid danger. To address this problem, an automatic object detection system based on convolutional neural network (CNN is proposed to detect objects ahead in shunting mode, which is called Feature Fusion Refine neural network (FR-Net. It consists of three connected modules, i.e., the depthwise-pointwise convolution, the coarse detection module, and the object detection module. Depth-wise-pointwise convolutions are used to improve the detection in real time. The coarse detection module coarsely refine the locations and sizes of prior anchors to provide better initialization for the subsequent module and also reduces search space for the classification, whereas the object detection module aims to regress accurate object locations and predict the class labels for the prior anchors. The experimental results on the railway traffic dataset show that FR-Net achieves 0.8953 mAP with 72.3 FPS performance on a machine with a GeForce GTX1080Ti with the input size of 320 × 320 pixels. The results imply that FR-Net takes a good tradeoff both on effectiveness and real time performance. The proposed method can meet the needs of practical application in shunting mode.

A Practical Study of Control in Objected-Oriented–Functional–Logic Programming with Paisley

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Baltasar Trancón y Widemann

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Paisley is an extensible lightweight embedded domain-specific language for nondeterministic pattern matching in Java. Using simple APIs and programming idioms, it brings the power of functional-logic processing of arbitrary data objects to the Java platform, without constraining the underlying object-oriented semantics. Here we present an extension to the Paisley framework that adds pattern-based control flow. It exploits recent additions to the Java language, namely functional interfaces and lambda expressions, for an explicit and transparent continuation-passing style approach to control. We evaluate the practical impact of the novel features on a real-world case study that reengineers a third-party open-source project to use Paisley in place of conventional object-oriented data query idioms. We find the approach viable for incremental refactoring of legacy code, with significant qualitative improvements regarding separation of concerns, clarity and intentionality, thus making for easier code understanding, testing and debugging.

Multi-objective decision-making under uncertainty: Fuzzy logic methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Terry L.

1995-01-01

Fuzzy logic allows for quantitative representation of vague or fuzzy objectives, and therefore is well-suited for multi-objective decision-making. This paper presents methods employing fuzzy logic concepts to assist in the decision-making process. In addition, this paper describes software developed at NASA Lewis Research Center for assisting in the decision-making process. Two diverse examples are used to illustrate the use of fuzzy logic in choosing an alternative among many options and objectives. One example is the selection of a lunar lander ascent propulsion system, and the other example is the selection of an aeration system for improving the water quality of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. The fuzzy logic techniques provided here are powerful tools which complement existing approaches, and therefore should be considered in future decision-making activities.

Subsurface classification of objects under turbid waters by means of regularization techniques applied to real hyperspectral data

Science.gov (United States)

Carpena, Emmanuel; Jiménez, Luis O.; Arzuaga, Emmanuel; Fonseca, Sujeily; Reyes, Ernesto; Figueroa, Juan

2017-05-01

Improved benthic habitat mapping is needed to monitor coral reefs around the world and to assist coastal zones management programs. A fundamental challenge to remotely sensed mapping of coastal shallow waters is due to the significant disparity in the optical properties of the water column caused by the interaction between the coast and the sea. The objects to be classified have weak signals that interact with turbid waters that include sediments. In real scenarios, the absorption and backscattering coefficients are unknown with different sources of variability (river discharges and coastal interactions). Under normal circumstances, another unknown variable is the depth of shallow waters. This paper presents the development of algorithms for retrieving information and its application to the classification and mapping of objects under coastal shallow waters with different unknown concentrations of sediments. A mathematical model that simplifies the radiative transfer equation was used to quantify the interaction between the object of interest, the medium and the sensor. The retrieval of information requires the development of mathematical models and processing tools in the area of inversion, image reconstruction and classification of hyperspectral data. The algorithms developed were applied to one set of real hyperspectral imagery taken in a tank filled with water and TiO2 that emulates turbid coastal shallow waters. Tikhonov method of regularization was used in the inversion process to estimate the bottom albedo of the water tank using a priori information in the form of stored spectral signatures, previously measured, of objects of interest.

What are the visual features underlying rapid object recognition?

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Sébastien M Crouzet

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Research progress in machine vision has been very significant in recent years. Robust face detection and identification algorithms are already readily available to consumers, and modern computer vision algorithms for generic object recognition are now coping with the richness and complexity of natural visual scenes. Unlike early vision models of object recognition that emphasized the role of figure-ground segmentation and spatial information between parts, recent successful approaches are based on the computation of loose collections of image features without prior segmentation or any explicit encoding of spatial relations. While these models remain simplistic models of visual processing, they suggest that, in principle, bottom-up activation of a loose collection of image features could support the rapid recognition of natural object categories and provide an initial coarse visual representation before more complex visual routines and attentional mechanisms take place. Focusing on biologically-plausible computational models of (bottom-up pre-attentive visual recognition, we review some of the key visual features that have been described in the literature. We discuss the consistency of these feature-based representations with classical theories from visual psychology and test their ability to account for human performance on a rapid object categorization task.

A multi-objective location-inventory model for 3PL providers with sustainable considerations under uncertainty

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R. Daghigh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In recent years, logistics development is considered as an important aspect of any country’s development. Outsourcing logistics activities to third party logistics (3PL providers is a common way to achieve logistics development. On the other hand, globalization and increasing customers’ concern about the environmental impact of activities as well as the appearance of the issue of social responsibility have led companies employ sustainable supply chain management, which considers economic, environmental and social benefits, simultaneously. This paper proposes a multi-objective model to design logistics network for 3PL providers by considering sustainable objectives under uncertainty. Objective functions include minimizing the total cost, minimizing greenhouse gas emission and maximizing social responsibility subject to fair access to products, number of created job opportunities and local community development. It is worth mentioning that in the present paper the perishability of products is also considered. A numerical example is provided to solve and validate model using augmented Epsilon-Constraint method. The results show that three sustainable objectives were in conflict and as the one receives more desirable values, the others fall into more undesirable values. In addition, by increasing maximum perishable time periods and by considering lateral transshipment among facilities of a level one can improve sustainability indices of the problem, which indicates the necessity of such policy in improving network sustainability.

Social goal-objective formation, democracy and national interest a theory of political economy under fuzzy rationality

CERN Document Server

Dompere, Kofi Kissi

2014-01-01

This book presents the development of a theory of social goal-objective formation and its relationship to national interest and social vision under a democratic decision-choice system with imperfect information structure. It provides a framework for the application of fuzzy logic and its mathematics to the analysis in resolving conflicts in individual preferences in the collective decision-choice space without violence. The book demonstrates how to use fuzzy logic and its mathematics in the study of economics, social sciences and other complex systems. It also presents the use of collaborative tools of opposites, duality, polarity, continuum in fuzzy paradigm with its logic, laws of thought and mathematics in developing a new approach to the theory of political economy in order to enhance the constructs of social decision-choice theory.

Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS): A Database of >800 Objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Schomaker, Judith; Rau, Elias M; Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Wittmann, Bianca C

2017-01-01

In daily life, we are surrounded by objects with pre-existing motivational associations. However, these are rarely controlled for in experiments with natural stimuli. Research on natural stimuli would therefore benefit from stimuli with well-defined motivational properties; in turn, such stimuli also open new paths in research on motivation. Here we introduce a database of Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS). The database consists of 107 scenes. Each scene contains 2 to 7 objects placed at approximately equal distance from the scene center. Each scene was photographed creating 3 versions, with one object ("critical object") being replaced to vary the overall motivational value of the scene (appetitive, aversive, and neutral), while maintaining high visual similarity between the three versions. Ratings on motivation, valence, arousal and recognizability were obtained using internet-based questionnaires. Since the main objective was to provide stimuli of well-defined motivational value, three motivation scales were used: (1) Desire to own the object; (2) Approach/Avoid; (3) Desire to interact with the object. Three sets of ratings were obtained in independent sets of observers: for all 805 objects presented on a neutral background, for 321 critical objects presented in their scene context, and for the entire scenes. On the basis of the motivational ratings, objects were subdivided into aversive, neutral, and appetitive categories. The MONS database will provide a standardized basis for future studies on motivational value under realistic conditions.

[Recognition of visual objects under forward masking. Effects of cathegorial similarity of test and masking stimuli].

Science.gov (United States)

Gerasimenko, N Iu; Slavutskaia, A V; Kalinin, S A; Kulikov, M A; Mikhaĭlova, E S

2013-01-01

In 38 healthy subjects accuracy and response time were examined during recognition of two categories of images--animals andnonliving objects--under forward masking. We revealed new data that masking effects depended of categorical similarity of target and masking stimuli. The recognition accuracy was the lowest and the response time was the most slow, when the target and masking stimuli belongs to the same category, that was combined with high dispersion of response times. The revealed effects were more clear in the task of animal recognition in comparison with the recognition of nonliving objects. We supposed that the revealed effects connected with interference between cortical representations of the target and masking stimuli and discussed our results in context of cortical interference and negative priming.

On the slow dynamics of near-field acoustically levitated objects under High excitation frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Ilssar, Dotan; Bucher, Izhak

2015-10-01

This paper introduces a simplified analytical model describing the governing dynamics of near-field acoustically levitated objects. The simplification converts the equation of motion coupled with the partial differential equation of a compressible fluid, into a compact, second order ordinary differential equation, where the local stiffness and damping are transparent. The simplified model allows one to more easily analyse and design near-field acoustic levitation based systems, and it also helps to devise closed-loop controller algorithms for such systems. Near-field acoustic levitation employs fast ultrasonic vibrations of a driving surface and exploits the viscosity and the compressibility of a gaseous medium to achieve average, load carrying pressure. It is demonstrated that the slow dynamics dominates the transient behaviour, while the time-scale associated with the fast, ultrasonic excitation has a small presence in the oscillations of the levitated object. Indeed, the present paper formulates the slow dynamics under an ultrasonic excitation without the need to explicitly consider the latter. The simplified model is compared with a numerical scheme based on Reynolds equation and with experiments, both showing reasonably good results.

A hybrid solution approach for a multi-objective closed-loop logistics network under uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrbod, Mehrdad; Tu, Nan; Miao, Lixin

2015-06-01

The design of closed-loop logistics (forward and reverse logistics) has attracted growing attention with the stringent pressures of customer expectations, environmental concerns and economic factors. This paper considers a multi-product, multi-period and multi-objective closed-loop logistics network model with regard to facility expansion as a facility location-allocation problem, which more closely approximates real-world conditions. A multi-objective mixed integer nonlinear programming formulation is linearized by defining new variables and adding new constraints to the model. By considering the aforementioned model under uncertainty, this paper develops a hybrid solution approach by combining an interactive fuzzy goal programming approach and robust counterpart optimization based on three well-known robust counterpart optimization formulations. Finally, this paper compares the results of the three formulations using different test scenarios and parameter-sensitive analysis in terms of the quality of the final solution, CPU time, the level of conservatism, the degree of closeness to the ideal solution, the degree of balance involved in developing a compromise solution, and satisfaction degree.

Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS: A Database of >800 Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Schomaker

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In daily life, we are surrounded by objects with pre-existing motivational associations. However, these are rarely controlled for in experiments with natural stimuli. Research on natural stimuli would therefore benefit from stimuli with well-defined motivational properties; in turn, such stimuli also open new paths in research on motivation. Here we introduce a database of Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS. The database consists of 107 scenes. Each scene contains 2 to 7 objects placed at approximately equal distance from the scene center. Each scene was photographed creating 3 versions, with one object (“critical object” being replaced to vary the overall motivational value of the scene (appetitive, aversive, and neutral, while maintaining high visual similarity between the three versions. Ratings on motivation, valence, arousal and recognizability were obtained using internet-based questionnaires. Since the main objective was to provide stimuli of well-defined motivational value, three motivation scales were used: (1 Desire to own the object; (2 Approach/Avoid; (3 Desire to interact with the object. Three sets of ratings were obtained in independent sets of observers: for all 805 objects presented on a neutral background, for 321 critical objects presented in their scene context, and for the entire scenes. On the basis of the motivational ratings, objects were subdivided into aversive, neutral, and appetitive categories. The MONS database will provide a standardized basis for future studies on motivational value under realistic conditions.

Lightness constancy: Object identity and temporal integration

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Zdravković Sunčica

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Studies of lightness constancy typically involve the comparison of two objects of the same shade that have been placed under different illuminations. In this study, we introduce factors such as object identity and immediate prior experience to measure the effect of these manipulations on constancy. In the first experiment, conditions sufficient to reproduce classical constancy failure (illumination difference, target values, articulation level were determined. In the second experiment a lightness judgment was made for a gray target that was then seen to move into another illumination level for the second match. Motion was used in an attempt to stress the target’s identity. The shade was still judged significantly lighter when placed under the higher than under the lower illumination. Failure of constancy thus occurred even when object identity was not in question. In the third experiment a priming paradigm was used, to assess the strength of constancy: one shade would appear in one illumination level and another shade in the other illumination level. Motion was used to trick observers into thinking that only a single object was presented. The estimated shade varied as a function of the shade of the prime. In the last experiment, observers were asked to make another match when the object was removed from view: the match of its true color independent of illumination. The value of this match-from-memory was based on the value obtained in the higher illumination level. Taken together, the experiments show that through object identity, immediate prior experience can influence lightness in systematic fashion.

Color appearance of familiar objects: effects of object shape, texture, and illumination changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Olkkonen, Maria; Hansen, Thorsten; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2008-05-26

People perceive roughly constant surface colors despite large changes in illumination. The familiarity of colors of some natural objects might help achieve this feat through direct modulation of the objects' color appearance. Research on memory colors and color appearance has yielded controversial results and due to the employed methods has often confounded perceptual with semantic effects. We studied the effect of memory colors on color appearance by presenting photographs of fruit on a monitor under various simulated illuminations and by asking observers to make either achromatic or typical color settings without placing demands on short-term memory or semantic processing. In a control condition, we presented photographs of 3D fruit shapes without texture and 2D outline shapes. We found that (1) achromatic settings for fruit were systematically biased away from the gray point toward the opposite direction of a fruit's memory color; (2) the strength of the effect depended on the degree of naturalness of the stimuli; and (3) the effect was evident under all tested illuminations, being strongest for illuminations whose chromaticity was closest to the stimulus chromaticity. We conclude that the visual identity of an object has a measurable effect on color perception, and that this effect is robust under illuminant changes, indicating its potential significance as an additional mechanism for color constancy.

A single-rate context-dependent learning process underlies rapid adaptation to familiar object dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, James N; Howard, Ian S; Flanagan, J Randall; Wolpert, Daniel M

2011-09-01

Motor learning has been extensively studied using dynamic (force-field) perturbations. These induce movement errors that result in adaptive changes to the motor commands. Several state-space models have been developed to explain how trial-by-trial errors drive the progressive adaptation observed in such studies. These models have been applied to adaptation involving novel dynamics, which typically occurs over tens to hundreds of trials, and which appears to be mediated by a dual-rate adaptation process. In contrast, when manipulating objects with familiar dynamics, subjects adapt rapidly within a few trials. Here, we apply state-space models to familiar dynamics, asking whether adaptation is mediated by a single-rate or dual-rate process. Previously, we reported a task in which subjects rotate an object with known dynamics. By presenting the object at different visual orientations, adaptation was shown to be context-specific, with limited generalization to novel orientations. Here we show that a multiple-context state-space model, with a generalization function tuned to visual object orientation, can reproduce the time-course of adaptation and de-adaptation as well as the observed context-dependent behavior. In contrast to the dual-rate process associated with novel dynamics, we show that a single-rate process mediates adaptation to familiar object dynamics. The model predicts that during exposure to the object across multiple orientations, there will be a degree of independence for adaptation and de-adaptation within each context, and that the states associated with all contexts will slowly de-adapt during exposure in one particular context. We confirm these predictions in two new experiments. Results of the current study thus highlight similarities and differences in the processes engaged during exposure to novel versus familiar dynamics. In both cases, adaptation is mediated by multiple context-specific representations. In the case of familiar object dynamics

A single-rate context-dependent learning process underlies rapid adaptation to familiar object dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James N Ingram

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Motor learning has been extensively studied using dynamic (force-field perturbations. These induce movement errors that result in adaptive changes to the motor commands. Several state-space models have been developed to explain how trial-by-trial errors drive the progressive adaptation observed in such studies. These models have been applied to adaptation involving novel dynamics, which typically occurs over tens to hundreds of trials, and which appears to be mediated by a dual-rate adaptation process. In contrast, when manipulating objects with familiar dynamics, subjects adapt rapidly within a few trials. Here, we apply state-space models to familiar dynamics, asking whether adaptation is mediated by a single-rate or dual-rate process. Previously, we reported a task in which subjects rotate an object with known dynamics. By presenting the object at different visual orientations, adaptation was shown to be context-specific, with limited generalization to novel orientations. Here we show that a multiple-context state-space model, with a generalization function tuned to visual object orientation, can reproduce the time-course of adaptation and de-adaptation as well as the observed context-dependent behavior. In contrast to the dual-rate process associated with novel dynamics, we show that a single-rate process mediates adaptation to familiar object dynamics. The model predicts that during exposure to the object across multiple orientations, there will be a degree of independence for adaptation and de-adaptation within each context, and that the states associated with all contexts will slowly de-adapt during exposure in one particular context. We confirm these predictions in two new experiments. Results of the current study thus highlight similarities and differences in the processes engaged during exposure to novel versus familiar dynamics. In both cases, adaptation is mediated by multiple context-specific representations. In the case of familiar

Quantum objective realism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bednorz, Adam

2015-01-01

The question of whether quantum measurements reflect some underlying objective reality has no generally accepted answer. We show that a description of such reality is possible under natural conditions such as linearity and causality, although in terms of moments and cumulants of finite order and without relativistic invariance. The proposed construction of observations’ probability distribution originates from weak, noninvasive measurements, with detection error replaced by some external finite noise. The noise allows us to construct microscopic objective reality, but remains dynamically decoupled and hence unobservable at the macroscopic level. (paper)

An experimental and multi-objective optimization study of a forced draft cooling tower with different fills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Kuljeet; Das, Ranjan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Experimental and optimization study on forced draft cooling tower is done. • New correlations for splash, trickle and film type fills are proposed. • Multi-objective performance optimization study has been done using NSGA-II. • Weighted decision making criterion is proposed depending upon user priority. • Proposed generalized methodology can be implemented in industrial cooling towers. - Abstract: In the present study, a forced draft mechanical cooling tower has been experimentally investigated using trickle, film and splash fills. Various performance parameters such as range, tower characteristic ratio, effectiveness and water evaporation rate are first analyzed for each fill. Thereafter, based upon the experimental data, pertinent correlations have been developed for performance parameters by considering mass flow rates of water and air as design variables. Each of the performance parameters is considered to be an individual objective function and all objectives are then simultaneously optimized for maximizing the performance of the cooling tower using elitist Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II). The multi-objective optimization algorithm gives a set of possible combinations of design variables, which is referred as the optimal Pareto-front, out of which a unique combination is selected based upon a decision making criterion. The proposed decision making procedure evaluates a Decision Making Score (DMS) based on assigned performance priorities for each point of the Pareto-front. Depending on DMS a unique combination of design variables is then selected for each type of fill that maximizes the tower’s performance. These optimal points and the corresponding objective function are finally compared and based upon the highest DMS value, the wire-mesh (trickle) fill is found to be the most efficient fill under the present experimental conditions. The methodology presented in this work has been made more generalized, so that it

Does long-term object priming depend on the explicit detection of object identity at encoding?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alexandre Gomes

2015-03-01

Full Text Available It is currently unclear whether objects have to be explicitly identified at encoding for reliable behavioural long-term object priming to occur. We conducted two experiments that investigated long-term object and non-object priming using a selective-attention encoding manipulation that reduces explicit object identification. In Experiment 1, participants either counted dots flashed within an object picture (shallow encoding or engaged in an animacy task (deep encoding at study, whereas, at test, they performed an object-decision task. Priming, as measured by reaction times, was observed for both types of encoding, and was of equivalent magnitude. In Experiment 2, non-object priming (faster reaction times for studied relative to unstudied non-objects was also obtained under the same selective-attention encoding manipulation as in Experiment 1, and the magnitude of the priming effect was equivalent between experiments. In contrast, we observed a linear decrement in recognition memory accuracy across conditions (deep encoding of Experiment 1 > shallow encoding Experiment 1 > shallow encoding of Experiment 2, suggesting that priming was not contaminated by explicit memory strategies. We argue that our results are more consistent with the identification/production framework than the perceptual/conceptual distinction, and we conclude that priming of pictures largely ignored at encoding can be subserved by the automatic retrieval of two types of instances: one at the motor-level and another at an object-decision level.

Quasi-objects, Cult Objects and Fashion Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Bjørn Schiermer

2011-01-01

This article attempts to rehabilitate the concept of fetishism and to contribute to the debate on the social role of objects as well as to fashion theory. Extrapolating from Michel Serres’ theory of the quasi-objects, I distinguish two phenomenologies possessing almost opposite characteristics. T...... as a unique opportunity for studying the interchange between these two forms of fetishism and their respective phenomenologies. Finally, returning to Serres, I briefly consider the theoretical consequences of introducing the fashion object as a quasi-object.......This article attempts to rehabilitate the concept of fetishism and to contribute to the debate on the social role of objects as well as to fashion theory. Extrapolating from Michel Serres’ theory of the quasi-objects, I distinguish two phenomenologies possessing almost opposite characteristics....... These two phenomenologies are, so I argue, essential to quasi-object theory, yet largely ignored by Serres’ sociological interpreters. They correspond with the two different theories of fetishism found in Marx and Durkheim, respectively. In the second half of the article, I introduce the fashion object...

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. J; Park, S. W.; Jung, K. S.; Cho, S. H.; Seo, H. S.

2001-12-01

The object of this project is to improve the stability and the economics by reducing the radiation-induced oxidation as a factor of degradation of polymer materials used under the radiation environment. In order to attain the objective of this study and to check the effect of diamond-like carbon(DLC) coating on the anti-oxidation reaction, polymer specimens such as ABS, Acryl, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, PVC coating DLC thin layer were exposed to high-level gamma radiation, and their irradiation effects were investigated. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method was adopted in fabricating a DLC thin film on the polymer specimens, which were irradiated with the non-DLC film deposited specimens under the gamma radiation emitted from Co-60 source from 1x10 5 to 1x10 8 rads exposure. According to the characterization of irradiated specimens from the elapsed time of minimum 4 hours to a maximum of 105 days after the irradiation, the DLC deposition on the polymer surface was revealed to contribute to the improvement on the resistance of the radiation-induced oxidation in this study

Objectives of the symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborne, R.V.

1992-01-01

The author defined the objectives of the symposium as follows: to present and examine the recent evidence associating clusters of leukemia with sources of ionizing radiation; to examine the statistical basis for the analysis of clustering; to examine the underlying assumptions in epidemiological studies that clusters must have an environmental cause; to examine the extent to which we can take into account the biological causes of non-randomness in populations, particularly those of geographic and genetic origin; to evaluate the relative merits of different kinds of epidemiological studies for yielding significant information concerning clustering; to consider the potential utility of combining the results from existing studies, and whether new epidemiological studies might be helpful; to consider what other directions, including application of the technologies of molecular biology, are likely to help clarify the underlying mechanisms or causes

Rough multiple objective decision making

CERN Document Server

Xu, Jiuping

2011-01-01

Rough Set TheoryBasic concepts and properties of rough sets Rough Membership Rough Intervals Rough FunctionApplications of Rough SetsMultiple Objective Rough Decision Making Reverse Logistics Problem with Rough Interval Parameters MODM based Rough Approximation for Feasible RegionEVRMCCRMDCRM Reverse Logistics Network Design Problem of Suji Renewable Resource MarketBilevel Multiple Objective Rough Decision Making Hierarchical Supply Chain Planning Problem with Rough Interval Parameters Bilevel Decision Making ModelBL-EVRM BL-CCRMBL-DCRMApplication to Supply Chain Planning of Mianyang Co., LtdStochastic Multiple Objective Rough Decision Multi-Objective Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling UnderRough Random EnvironmentRandom Variable Stochastic EVRM Stochastic CCRM Stochastic DCRM Multi-Objective rc-PSP/mM/Ro-Ra for Longtan Hydropower StationFuzzy Multiple Objective Rough Decision Making Allocation Problem under Fuzzy Environment Fuzzy Variable Fu-EVRM Fu-CCRM Fu-DCRM Earth-Rock Work Allocation Problem.

Sales with Privately Made Deed Over The Object Under Hak Tanggungan Based on The Authorization to Sell in Banking Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Budi Purwaningsih

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The extension of credit contain a risk that must be covered by the bank, because the credit is given now and pay later. To minimize the risk of loans, the bank will ask the debtor to provide collateral as a source of repayment of the debt if the debtor default or breach of the contract. According to Article 1131 Civil Code (KUH Perdata, all assets of a debtor, either moving or fixed objects, both existing and new will exist in the future, a guarantee for all debts of the engagement. This means that by itself or in order to pass laws providing collateral by a debtor to any creditor for all debtor's property. Sales with Privately Made Deed over the object in the hak tanggungan banking practices may be more effective and efficient both in terms of time and costs for the settlement of non-performing loans. But in practice, occurs some offense prescribed procedure leading to doubts about the legality aspect of sales with privately made deed over the object under hak tanggungan based on the authorization to sell in banking practice. How To Cite: Purwaningsih, S. (2014. Sales with Privately Made Deed Over The Object Under Hak Tanggungan Based on The Authorization to Sell in Banking Practice. Rechtsidee, 1(2, 191-204. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.21070/jihr.v1i2.100

Optimizing an objective function under a bivariate probability model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

X. Brusset; N.M. Temme (Nico)

2007-01-01

htmlabstractThe motivation of this paper is to obtain an analytical closed form of a quadratic objective function arising from a stochastic decision process with bivariate exponential probability distribution functions that may be dependent. This method is applicable when results need to be

Multi-objective optimization of an arch dam shape under static loads using an evolutionary game method

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Rui; Cheong, Kang Hao; Bao, Wei; Wong, Kelvin Kian Loong; Wang, Lu; Xie, Neng-gang

2018-06-01

This article attempts to evaluate the safety and economic performance of an arch dam under the action of static loads. The geometric description of a crown cantilever section and the horizontal arch ring is presented. A three-objective optimization model of arch dam shape is established based on the arch dam volume, maximum principal tensile stress and total strain energy. The evolutionary game method is then applied to obtain the optimal solution. In the evolutionary game technique, a novel and more efficient exploration method of the game players' strategy space, named the 'sorting partition method under the threshold limit', is presented, with the game profit functions constructed according to both competitive and cooperative behaviour. By way of example, three optimization goals have all shown improvements over the initial solutions. In particular, the evolutionary game method has potentially faster convergence. This demonstrates the preliminary proof of principle of the evolutionary game method.

Empirical study on mutual fund objective classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xue-jun; Yang, Xiao-lan

2004-05-01

Mutual funds are usually classified on the basis of their objectives. If the activities of mutual funds are consistent with their stated objectives, investors may look at the latter as signals of their risks and incomes. This work analyzes mutual fund objective classification in China by statistical methods of distance analysis and discriminant analysis; and examines whether the stated investment objectives of mutual funds adequately represent their attributes to investors. That is, if mutual funds adhere to their stated objectives, attributes must be heterogeneous between investment objective groups and homogeneous within them. Our conclusion is to some degree, the group of optimized exponential funds is heterogeneous to other groups. As a whole, there exist no significant differences between different objective groups; and 50% of mutual funds are not consistent with their objective groups.

Sinking/floatation of pipelines and other objects in liquefied soil under waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sumer, B. Mutlu; Fredsøe, Jørgen; Christensen, S.

1999-01-01

, and the experiments with the structure model (a pipeline, a sphere, and a cube). In the former experiments, the pore-water pressure was measured across the soil depth. The pore-water pressure built up, as the waves progressed. The soil was liquefied for wave heights larger than a critical value. Regarding......This paper presents the results of an experimental study where the sinking and floatation of a pipeline and other objects (namely, a sphere and a cube) in a silt bed was investigated. The bed was exposed to progressive waves. Two kinds of experiments were made: The undisturbed-flow experiments...... the experiments with the structure model, the displacement of the structure (sinking or floatation) was measured simultaneously with the pore-water pressure. The influence of various parameters (such as the initial position of the object, the specific gravity, the soil layer thickness, and the wave height...

A comparative study of pain following endodontic treatment under general anesthesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feizi Ghader

2015-01-01

Full Text Available   Background and Aims: Postoperativee endodontic pain is an outstanding problem for dental patients. Therefore, a successful management of endodontic pain has become as one of the main dental objectives. The aim of the present study was to compare the postoperative endodontic pain in patients under general anesthesia versus local anesthesia.   Materials and Methods: For conducting this clinical trial study, 50 patients having mandibular molars candidate for root canal therapy were selected. Twenty-five patients treated under general anesthesia because of their fear, anxiety or gag reflex. Other 25 patients treated under local anesthesia. All teeth were prepared using engine-driven rotary system in a crown-down technique and filled using lateral condensation technique. Heft- parker visual analog scale was used to measure the degree of pain at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the treatment. Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and T-tests were used to compare the intensity of postoperative pain between the groups.   Results: The mean intensity of postoperative pain in local and general anesthesia groups at 6, 12 and 24 hours had statistically significant difference (P<0.05.   Conclusion: Postoperative pain in patients who treated under general anesthesia was significantly less than the patients who treated under local anesthesia.

Teaching Object Permanence: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Susan M.; Vargas, Claudia

2013-01-01

"Object permanence," also known as "object concept" in the field of visual impairment, is one of the most important early developmental milestones. The achievement of object permanence is associated with the onset of representational thought and language. Object permanence is important to orientation, including the recognition of landmarks.…

Micromechanical Study of Interface Stress in a Fiber-Reinforced Composite under Transverse Loading Using Boundary Element Method

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Eren, Hakan

2000-01-01

.... The objective of this study is, by using Boundary Element Method, to examine different shapes of reinforcement elements under unit traction and unit displacement boundary conditions in transversal...

Bats and Academics: How Do Scientists Perceive Their Object of Study?

Science.gov (United States)

Boëte, Christophe; Morand, Serge

2016-01-01

Bats are associated with conflicting perceptions among humans, ranging from affection to disgust. If these attitudes can be associated with various factors among the general public (e.g. social norms, lack of knowledge), it is also important to understand the attitude of scientists who study bats. Such reflexive information on the researchers community itself could indeed help designing adequate mixed communication tools aimed at protecting bats and their ecosystems, as well as humans living in their vicinity that could be exposed to their pathogens. Thus, we conducted an online survey targeting researchers who spend a part of their research activity studying bats. Our aim was to determine (1) how they perceive their object of study, (2) how they perceive the representation of bats in the media and by the general population, (3) how they protect themselves against pathogen infections during their research practices, and (4) their perceptions of the causes underlying the decline in bat populations worldwide. From the 587 completed responses (response rate of 28%) having a worldwide distribution, the heterogeneity of the scientists' perception of their own object of study was highlighted. In the majority of cases, this depended on the type of research they conducted (i.e. laboratory versus field studies) as well as their research speciality. Our study revealed a high level of personal protection equipment being utilised against pathogens during scientific practices, although the role bats play as reservoirs for a number of emerging pathogens remains poorly known. Our results also disclosed the unanimity among specialists in attributing a direct role for humans in the global decline of bat populations, mainly via environmental change, deforestation, and agriculture intensification. Overall, the present study suggests the need for better communication regarding bats and their biology, their role within the scientific community, as well as in the general public

Bats and Academics: How Do Scientists Perceive Their Object of Study?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Boëte

Full Text Available Bats are associated with conflicting perceptions among humans, ranging from affection to disgust. If these attitudes can be associated with various factors among the general public (e.g. social norms, lack of knowledge, it is also important to understand the attitude of scientists who study bats. Such reflexive information on the researchers community itself could indeed help designing adequate mixed communication tools aimed at protecting bats and their ecosystems, as well as humans living in their vicinity that could be exposed to their pathogens. Thus, we conducted an online survey targeting researchers who spend a part of their research activity studying bats. Our aim was to determine (1 how they perceive their object of study, (2 how they perceive the representation of bats in the media and by the general population, (3 how they protect themselves against pathogen infections during their research practices, and (4 their perceptions of the causes underlying the decline in bat populations worldwide. From the 587 completed responses (response rate of 28% having a worldwide distribution, the heterogeneity of the scientists' perception of their own object of study was highlighted. In the majority of cases, this depended on the type of research they conducted (i.e. laboratory versus field studies as well as their research speciality. Our study revealed a high level of personal protection equipment being utilised against pathogens during scientific practices, although the role bats play as reservoirs for a number of emerging pathogens remains poorly known. Our results also disclosed the unanimity among specialists in attributing a direct role for humans in the global decline of bat populations, mainly via environmental change, deforestation, and agriculture intensification. Overall, the present study suggests the need for better communication regarding bats and their biology, their role within the scientific community, as well as in the general

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Visual Short-Term Memory Gain for Temporally Distinct Objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ihssen, Niklas; Linden, David E J; Miller, Claire E; Shapiro, Kimron L

2015-08-01

Recent research has shown that visual short-term memory (VSTM) can substantially be improved when the to-be-remembered objects are split in 2 half-arrays (i.e., sequenced) or the entire array is shown twice (i.e., repeated), rather than presented simultaneously. Here we investigate the hypothesis that sequencing and repeating displays overcomes attentional "bottlenecks" during simultaneous encoding. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that sequencing and repeating displays increased brain activation in extrastriate and primary visual areas, relative to simultaneous displays (Study 1). Passively viewing identical stimuli did not increase visual activation (Study 2), ruling out a physical confound. Importantly, areas of the frontoparietal attention network showed increased activation in repetition but not in sequential trials. This dissociation suggests that repeating a display increases attentional control by allowing attention to be reallocated in a second encoding episode. In contrast, sequencing the array poses fewer demands on control, with competition from nonattended objects being reduced by the half-arrays. This idea was corroborated by a third study in which we found optimal VSTM for sequential displays minimizing attentional demands. Importantly these results provide support within the same experimental paradigm for the role of stimulus-driven and top-down attentional control aspects of biased competition theory in setting constraints on VSTM. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Study of Neutron Leakage in Finite Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, John W.; Slaba, Tony C.; Badavi, Francis F.; Reddell, Brandon D.; Bahadori, Amir A.

2015-01-01

A computationally efficient 3DHZETRN code capable of simulating High charge (Z) and Energy (HZE) and light ions (including neutrons) under space-like boundary conditions with enhanced neutron and light ion propagation was recently developed for simple shielded objects. Monte Carlo (MC) benchmarks were used to verify the 3DHZETRN methodology in slab and spherical geometry, and it was shown that 3DHZETRN agrees with MC codes to the degree that various MC codes agree among themselves. One limitation in the verification process is that all of the codes (3DHZETRN and three MC codes) utilize different nuclear models/databases. In the present report, the new algorithm, with well-defined convergence criteria, is used to quantify the neutron leakage from simple geometries to provide means of verifying 3D effects and to provide guidance for further code development.

On the relation between object manipulation and stereotypic self-injurious behavior.

OpenAIRE

Lindberg, J S; Iwata, B A; Kahng, S W

1999-01-01

Results from a number of studies have shown an inverse relationship between stereotypic behavior and object manipulation. The purposes of this study were to determine whether techniques similar to those used previously (prompting and reinforcement) would be effective in increasing object manipulation under both prompted and unprompted conditions, and to ascertain whether increases in object manipulation would result in decreases in stereotypic self-injurious behavior (SIB). Two individuals wi...

Study on safety subsidiary objective of nuclear power plant in USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yan; Zhang Chunming; Fu Zhiwei; Song Wei; Li Chaojun; Wang Zhe; Zuo Jiaxu

2013-01-01

This paper reviewed the development of the quantitative safety objective and subsidiary objective in USA. The expressions of CDF and LERF were obtained according to NUREG-1150. The relationship between the subsidiary objective and the quantitative safety objective was derived. The method was compared with that used in NUREG-1860. The requirements of safety objective for the future nuclear power plant and the development of probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) technology in USA were studied and can be used as reference in China. (authors)

Study on multimodal transport route under low carbon background

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lele; Liu, Jie

2018-06-01

Low-carbon environmental protection is the focus of attention around the world, scientists are constantly researching on production of carbon emissions and living carbon emissions. However, there is little literature about multimodal transportation based on carbon emission at home and abroad. Firstly, this paper introduces the theory of multimodal transportation, the multimodal transport models that didn't consider carbon emissions and consider carbon emissions are analyzed. On this basis, a multi-objective programming 0-1 programming model with minimum total transportation cost and minimum total carbon emission is proposed. The idea of weight is applied to Ideal point method for solving problem, multi-objective programming is transformed into a single objective function. The optimal solution of carbon emission to transportation cost under different weights is determined by a single objective function with variable weights. Based on the model and algorithm, an example is given and the results are analyzed.

Municipal Energy Planning under Conditions of Globalization: Imperatives and Objectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horban Vasylyna B.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the importance of energy planning for local authorities in the path of achieving the goals of sustainable development. The quintessence of energy planning in territorial communities of Ukraine and Europe has been outlined from the perspective of analyzing the infrastructure sectors of the municipal economy. The article is based on observing certain international methodologies related to local energy and climate planning. The evolution of Covenant of Mayors initiative is briefly described with a focus on its intensive expanding in terms of energy and climate issues. The experience in the development of municipal sustainable energy and climate action plans in European countries and Ukraine is studied. A survey of empirical data on the consumption of fuel and energy resources and greenhouse gas emissions in territorial communities of Ukraine and European countries is conducted. The European methodological guidelines on the subject under study are highlighted based on the key policy documents. A few practical examples of Ukrainian and European cities are presented in order to illustrate possible actions corresponding to the defined problem. A systematic framework is proposed to describe the various and complex aspects of energy planning in cities with regard to rational implementation of energy efficient measures. The innovative mechanisms, main barriers and opportunities for the effective implementation of energy efficient projects in territorial communities of Ukraine and European countries are revealed. It is substantiated that under the current conditions of globalization, using project-oriented paradigm, municipal energy planning instruments become key motivational factors for development sustainable energy policy.

Decision Making Under Objective Risk Conditions-a Review of Cognitive and Emotional Correlates, Strategies, Feedback Processing, and External Influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiebener, Johannes; Brand, Matthias

2015-06-01

While making decisions under objective risk conditions, the probabilities of the consequences of the available options are either provided or calculable. Brand et al. (Neural Networks 19:1266-1276, 2006) introduced a model describing the neuro-cognitive processes involved in such decisions. In this model, executive functions associated with activity in the fronto-striatal loop are important for developing and applying decision-making strategies, and for verifying, adapting, or revising strategies according to feedback. Emotional rewards and punishments learned from such feedback accompany these processes. In this literature review, we found support for the role of executive functions, but also found evidence for the importance of further cognitive abilities in decision making. Moreover, in addition to reflective processing (driven by cognition), decisions can be guided by impulsive processing (driven by anticipation of emotional reward and punishment). Reflective and impulsive processing may interact during decision making, affecting the evaluation of available options, as both processes are affected by feedback. Decision-making processes are furthermore modulated by individual attributes (e.g., age), and external influences (e.g., stressors). Accordingly, we suggest a revised model of decision making under objective risk conditions.

Eye-tracking study of inanimate objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ković Vanja

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Unlike the animate objects, where participants were consistent in their looking patterns, for inanimates it was difficult to identify both consistent areas of fixations and a consistent order of fixations. Furthermore, in comparison to animate objects, in animates received significantly shorter total looking time, shorter longest looks and a smaller number of overall fixations. However, as with animates, looking patterns did not systematically differ between the naming and non-naming conditions. These results suggested that animacy, but not labelling, impacts on looking behavior in this paradigm. In the light of feature-based accounts of semantic memory organization, one could interpret these findings as suggesting that processing of the animate objects is based on the saliency/diagnosticity of their visual features (which is then reflected through participants eye-movements towards those features, whereas processing of the inanimate objects is based more on functional features (which cannot be easily captured by looking behavior in such a paradigm.

Localization of Human Cortical Areas Underlying Glossiness Perception: An fMRI Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuichi Sakano

2011-05-01

Full Text Available We conducted two fMRI experiments to clarify what cortical areas are involved in perception of surface glossiness. To dissociate activations caused by glossiness from those caused by low-level features such as luminance and luminance contrast of the stimulus, we utilized the perceptual glossiness constancy (Experiment 1 and the selective attention technique (Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, subjects viewed glossy or matte objects under bright or dim illumination. The mean luminance and luminance RMS contrast of glossy objects under dim illumination were lower than those of matte objects under bright illumination. Thus, if certain areas are more activated by the former stimulus than the latter, the activation differences can be explained by the differences in surface glossiness but not by the differences in mean luminance or luminance RMS contrast of the stimulus. In Experiment 2, subjects judged whether the paired objects were the same or different in terms of glossiness, 3D form, or 3D orientation. If certain areas are more activated during the glossiness discrimination task than the other two tasks, it is suggested that the areas are involved in glossiness perception. Common areas identified as those involved in glossiness perception in both experiments are bilateral ventral occipital areas.

Sustainable and Resilient Garment Supply Chain Network Design with Fuzzy Multi-Objectives under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Irshad Mari

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Researchers and practitioners are taking more interest in developing sustainable garment supply chains in recent times. On the other hand, the supply chain manager drops sustainability objectives while coping with unexpected natural and man-made disruption risks. Hence, supply chain managers are now trying to develop sustainable supply chains that are simultaneously resilient enough to cope with disruption risks. Owing to the importance of the considered issue, this study proposed a network optimization model for a sustainable and resilient supply chain network by considering sustainability via embodied carbon footprints and carbon emissions and resilience by considering resilience index. In this paper, initially, a possibilistic fuzzy multi-objective sustainable and resilient supply chain network model is developed for the garment industry considering economic, sustainable, and resilience objectives. Secondly, a possibilistic fuzzy linguistic weight-based interactive solution method is proposed. Finally, a numerical case example is presented to show the applicability of the proposed model and solution methodology.

Do Short-Term Managerial Objectives Lead to Under- or Over-Investment in Long-Term Projects

OpenAIRE

Lucian Arye Bebchuk; Lars A. Stole

1994-01-01

This paper studies managerial decisions about investment in long-run projects in the presence of imperfect information (the market knows less about such investments than the firm's managers) and short-term managerial objectives (the managers are concerned about the short-term stock price as well as the long-term stock price). Prior work has suggested that imperfect information and short-term managerial objectives induce managers to underinvest in long-run projects. We show that either underin...

Modulation of the Object/Background Interaction by Spatial Frequency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanju Ren

2011-05-01

Full Text Available With regard to the relationship between object and background perception in the natural scene images, functional isolation hypothesis and interactive hypothesis were proposed. Based on previous studies, the present study investigated the role of spatial frequency in the relationship between object and background perception in the natural scene images. In three experiments, participants reported the object, background, or both after seeing each picture for 500 ms followed by a mask. The authors found that (a backgrounds were identified more accurately when they contained a consistent rather than an inconsistent object, independently of spatial frequency; (b objects were identified more accurately in a consistent than an inconsistent background under the condition of low spatial frequencies but not high spatial frequencies; (c spatial frequency modulation remained when both objects and backgrounds were reported simultaneously. The authors conclude that object/background interaction is partially dependent on spatial frequency.

Non-invasive studies of objects from cultural heritage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmann, Eberhard H.; Vontobel, Peter; Deschler-Erb, Eckhard; Soares, Marie

2005-01-01

In order to preserve the objects from European cultural heritage in its structure and shape for our future generations, there is a need to perform all investigations on important samples non-destructively or with very limited amounts of material. Among the non-destructive testing (NDT) methods available for this purpose there are those that need large installations such as accelerators and reactors to provide different kinds of radiation (X-ray, protons, neutrons, gamma, etc.). Therefore, a link between the specialists working at such facilities with scientists from museums and archaeological institutes is necessary. This paper describes the status of a European network dedicated to the NDT of museum objects (COST-G8) as an overview. In more detail, the activities in Switzerland will be presented where PSI plays a role for the study with neutrons and X-rays. Most of the investigated samples of Swiss collections are from Celtic or Roman origin. The superposition of both applied methods gives the opportunity to decide about the structure of objects and artefacts from restoration work applied later to the virgin excavation status. The presented examples will give an overview about opportunities of the applied methods and their limitations in some cases. This should be motivating to adapt the demonstrated methods to other similar objects of historical relevance

Connection-based and object-based grouping in multiple-object tracking: A developmental study

OpenAIRE

Hallen, Ruth; Reusens, J. (Julie); Evers, K. (Kris); de-Wit, Lee; Wagemans, Johan

2018-01-01

textabstractDevelopmental research on Gestalt laws has previously revealed that, even as young as infancy, we are bound to group visual elements into unitary structures in accordance with a variety of organizational principles. Here, we focus on the developmental trajectory of both connection-based and object-based grouping, and investigate their impact on object formation in participants, aged 9-21 years old (N = 113), using a multiple-object tracking paradigm. Results reveal a main effect o...

Mental rotation versus invariant features in object perception from different viewpoints: An fMRI study

OpenAIRE

Vanrie, Jan; Béatse, Erik; Wagemans, Johan; Sunaert, Stefan; Van Hecke, Paul

2002-01-01

It has been proposed that object perception can proceed through different routes, which can be situated on a continuum ranging from complete viewpoint-dependency to complete viewpoint-independency, depending on the objects and the task at hand. Although these different routes have been extensively demonstrated on the behavioral level, the corresponding distinction in the underlying neural substrate has not received the same attention. Our goal was to disentangle, on the behavioral and the neu...

Eye movements during object recognition in visual agnosia.

Science.gov (United States)

Charles Leek, E; Patterson, Candy; Paul, Matthew A; Rafal, Robert; Cristino, Filipe

2012-07-01

This paper reports the first ever detailed study about eye movement patterns during single object recognition in visual agnosia. Eye movements were recorded in a patient with an integrative agnosic deficit during two recognition tasks: common object naming and novel object recognition memory. The patient showed normal directional biases in saccades and fixation dwell times in both tasks and was as likely as controls to fixate within object bounding contour regardless of recognition accuracy. In contrast, following initial saccades of similar amplitude to controls, the patient showed a bias for short saccades. In object naming, but not in recognition memory, the similarity of the spatial distributions of patient and control fixations was modulated by recognition accuracy. The study provides new evidence about how eye movements can be used to elucidate the functional impairments underlying object recognition deficits. We argue that the results reflect a breakdown in normal functional processes involved in the integration of shape information across object structure during the visual perception of shape. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Object oriented distributed programming: studies and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerraoui, Rachid

1992-01-01

This thesis contributes to the investigation of the object concept in distributed programming. Henceforth, this programming style has become a reality in the computer science world, since it allows to increase of the availability of applications and to decrease their execution time. Nevertheless, designing a distributed application is a hard task: the various abstraction levels that must be considered hinder the software reusability and maintenance, while errors and concurrent accesses are often sources of executions incoherence. The object concept improves the software modularity, and raises the computing abstraction level. Integrating distribution related aspects into the object model brings up the issues of expressing the concurrency and maintaining the coherency. The investigation of these problems in this thesis has been guided by a major concern for the preservation of the intrinsic properties of object-orientation, and the orthogonality of the solutions given. The main contributions of the thesis are: (i) the classification, regarding modularity, of the different design alternatives for object-oriented concurrent languages; (ii) the evaluation of various transactional mechanisms in object-based concurrent languages, and the design of an atomic asynchronous communication protocol named ACS; (iii) the definition of a transaction-based object-oriented concurrent language called KAROS; (iv) the implementation of a modular framework which allows to combine in a same application, various concurrency control and error recovery mechanisms; (v) the identification of a formal property, named general atomicity, which constitutes a correctness criteria for atomic objects specifications. (author) [fr

Multi-objective unit commitment with wind penetration and emission concerns under stochastic and fuzzy uncertainties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Bo; Wang, Shuming; Zhou, Xianzhong; Watada, Junzo

2016-01-01

Recent years have witnessed the ever increasing renewable penetration in power generation systems, which entails modern unit commitment problems with modelling and computation burdens. This study aims to simulate the impacts of manifold uncertainties on system operation with emission concerns. First, probability theory and fuzzy set theory are applied to jointly represent the uncertainties such as wind generation, load fluctuation and unit outage that interleaved in unit commitment problems. Second, a Value-at-Risk-based multi-objective approach is developed as a bridge of existing stochastic and robust unit commitment optimizations, which not only captures the inherent conflict between operation cost and supply reliability, but also provides easy-to-adjust robustness against worst-case scenarios. Third, a multi-objective algorithm that integrates fuzzy simulation and particle swarm optimization is developed to achieve approximate Pareto-optimal solutions. The research effectiveness is exemplified by two case studies: The comparison between test systems with and without generation uncertainty demonstrates that this study is practicable and can suggest operational insights of generation mix systems. The sensitivity analysis on Value-at-Risk proves that our method can achieve adequate tradeoff between performance optimality and robustness, thus help system operators in making informed decisions. Finally, the model and algorithm comparisons also justify the superiority of this research. - Highlights: • Probability theory and fuzzy set theory are used to describe different uncertainties. • A Value-at-Risk-based multi-objective unit commitment model is proposed. • An improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm is developed. • The model achieves adequate trade-off between performance optimality and robustness. • The algorithm can obtain convergent and diversified Pareto fronts.

Object and Action Naming: A Study on Persian-Speaking Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Nilipour

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Nouns and verbs are the central conceptual linguistic units of language acquisition in all human languages. While the noun-bias hypothesis claims that nouns have a privilege in children’s lexical development across languages, studies on Mandarin and Korean and other languages have challenged this view. More recent cross-linguistic naming studies on children in German, Turkish, English and Korean demonstrate that all languages, including Korean show a noun advantage however the degree of this discrepancy differs between languages. The aim of this study wasto look at object and action naming in normal Persian children as a measure of conceptual developmentin preschool children and its possible use for screening and therapeutic procedures. Methods: In this analytical study, noun bias and processing dissociation of object and action naming in 64 three to six year old healthy monolingual Persian-speaking children was investigated. A black and white picture naming task, consisting of 36 nouns (natural and man-made, and 36 verbs (transitive and intransitive was designed using DMDX software to measure response accuracy and reaction time of the subjects. Results: The results indicate a significant noun advantage with regard to accuracy and naming latencies. The results also reveal that transitive verbs are named more accurately than intransitive ones in Persianspeaking children. Also,the data indicate that accuracy of object and action namingimprove with age (P=0.000. Discussion: Based on the resultswe recommended that a standardized Persian object and action naming battery be used. Such a tool would have the potential of screening lexical development delay and possible noun-verb performance gap in preschool children.

Moving eyes and naming objects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, F.F. van der

2001-01-01

The coordination between eye movements and speech was examined while speakers were naming objects. Earlier research has shown that eye movements reflect on the underlying visual attention. Also, eye movements were found to reflect upon not only the visual and conceptual processing of an object, but

Recognition of Simple 3D Geometrical Objects under Partial Occlusion

Science.gov (United States)

Barchunova, Alexandra; Sommer, Gerald

In this paper we present a novel procedure for contour-based recognition of partially occluded three-dimensional objects. In our approach we use images of real and rendered objects whose contours have been deformed by a restricted change of the viewpoint. The preparatory part consists of contour extraction, preprocessing, local structure analysis and feature extraction. The main part deals with an extended construction and functionality of the classifier ensemble Adaptive Occlusion Classifier (AOC). It relies on a hierarchical fragmenting algorithm to perform a local structure analysis which is essential when dealing with occlusions. In the experimental part of this paper we present classification results for five classes of simple geometrical figures: prism, cylinder, half cylinder, a cube, and a bridge. We compare classification results for three classical feature extractors: Fourier descriptors, pseudo Zernike and Zernike moments.

A Multi-Objective Trade-Off Model in Sustainable Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangdong Wu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Based on the consideration of the relative importance of sustainability-related objectives and the inherent nature of sustainable construction projects, this study proposes that the contractor can balance the levels of efforts and resources used to improve the overall project sustainability. A multi-objective trade-off model using game theory was established and verified through simulation and numerical example under a moral hazard situation. Results indicate that effort levels of the contractor on sustainability-related objectives are positively related to the outcome coefficient while negatively to the coefficients of effort cost of the relevant objectives. High levels of the relative importance of sustainability-related objectives contribute to high levels of effort of the contractor. With the variation in effort levels and the coefficient of benefit allocation, the project net benefit increases before declining. The function of project benefit has a marked peak value, with an inverted “U” shape. An equilibrium always exists as for the given relative importance and coefficients of the effort costs of sustainability-related objectives. Under this condition, the owner may offer the contractor a less intense incentive and motivate the contractor reasonably arranging input resources. The coefficient of benefit allocation is affected by the contractor characteristic factors and the project characteristic factors. The owner should balance these two types of factors and select the most appropriate incentive mechanism to improve the project benefit. Meanwhile, the contractor can balance the relative importance of the objectives and arrange the appropriate levels of effort and resources to achieve a sustainability-related objective. Very few studies have emphasized the effects of the relative importance of sustainability-related objectives on the benefits of sustainable construction projects. This study therefore builds a multi-objective trade

Tracking moving objects with megavoltage portal imaging: A feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Juergen; Richter, Anne; Baier, Kurt; Wilbert, Juergen; Guckenberger, Matthias; Flentje, Michael

2006-01-01

Four different algorithms were investigated with the aim to determine their suitability to track an object in conventional megavoltage portal images. The algorithms considered were the mean of the sum of squared differences (MSSD), mutual information (MI), the correlation ratio (CR), and the correlation coefficient (CC). Simulation studies were carried out with various image series containing a rigid object of interest that was moved along a predefined trajectory. For each of the series the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was varied to compare the performance of the algorithms under noisy conditions. For a poor SNR of -6 dB the mean tracking error was 2.4, 6.5, 39.0, and 17.2 pixels for MSSD, CC, CR and MI, respectively, with a standard deviation of 1.9, 12.9, 19.5, and 7.5 pixels, respectively. The size of a pixel was 0.5 mm. These results improved to 1.1, 1.3, 1.3, and 2.0 pixels, respectively, with a standard deviation of 0.6, 0.8, 0.8, and 2.1 pixels, respectively, when a mean filter was applied to the images prior to tracking. The implementation of MSSD into existing in-house software demonstrated that, depending on the search range, it was possible to process between 2 and 15 images/s, making this approach capable of real-time applications. In conclusion, the best geometric tracking accuracy overall was obtained with MSSD, followed by CC, CR, and MI. The simplest and best algorithm, both in terms of geometric accuracy as well as computational cost, was the MSSD algorithm and was therefore the method of choice

Data analysis in an Object Request Broker environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malon, D.M.; May, E.N.; Grossman, R.L.; Day, C.T.; Quarrie, D.R.

1995-01-01

Computing for the Next Millenium will require software interoperability in heterogeneous, increasingly object-oriented environments. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is a software industry effort, under the aegis of the Object Management Group (OMG), to standardize mechanisms for software interaction among disparate applications written in a variety of languages and running on a variety of distributed platforms. In this paper, we describe some of the design and performance implications for software that must function in such a brokered environment in a standards-compliant way. We illustrate these implications with a physics data analysis example as a case study

Analytical techniques applied to study cultural heritage objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzutto, M.A.; Curado, J.F.; Bernardes, S.; Campos, P.H.O.V.; Kajiya, E.A.M.; Silva, T.F.; Rodrigues, C.L.; Moro, M.; Tabacniks, M.; Added, N., E-mail: rizzutto@if.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica

2015-07-01

The scientific study of artistic and cultural heritage objects have been routinely performed in Europe and the United States for decades. In Brazil this research area is growing, mainly through the use of physical and chemical characterization methods. Since 2003 the Group of Applied Physics with Particle Accelerators of the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo (GFAA-IF) has been working with various methodologies for material characterization and analysis of cultural objects. Initially using ion beam analysis performed with Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) and recently Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL), for the determination of the elements and chemical compounds in the surface layers. These techniques are widely used in the Laboratory of Materials Analysis with Ion Beams (LAMFI-USP). Recently, the GFAA expanded the studies to other possibilities of analysis enabled by imaging techniques that coupled with elemental and compositional characterization provide a better understanding on the materials and techniques used in the creative process in the manufacture of objects. The imaging analysis, mainly used to examine and document artistic and cultural heritage objects, are performed through images with visible light, infrared reflectography (IR), fluorescence with ultraviolet radiation (UV), tangential light and digital radiography. Expanding more the possibilities of analysis, new capabilities were added using portable equipment such as Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) and Raman Spectroscopy that can be used for analysis 'in situ' at the museums. The results of these analyzes are providing valuable information on the manufacturing process and have provided new information on objects of different University of Sao Paulo museums. Improving the arsenal of cultural heritage analysis it was recently constructed an 3D robotic stage for the precise positioning of samples in the external beam setup

Analytical techniques applied to study cultural heritage objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizzutto, M.A.; Curado, J.F.; Bernardes, S.; Campos, P.H.O.V.; Kajiya, E.A.M.; Silva, T.F.; Rodrigues, C.L.; Moro, M.; Tabacniks, M.; Added, N.

2015-01-01

The scientific study of artistic and cultural heritage objects have been routinely performed in Europe and the United States for decades. In Brazil this research area is growing, mainly through the use of physical and chemical characterization methods. Since 2003 the Group of Applied Physics with Particle Accelerators of the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo (GFAA-IF) has been working with various methodologies for material characterization and analysis of cultural objects. Initially using ion beam analysis performed with Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) and recently Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL), for the determination of the elements and chemical compounds in the surface layers. These techniques are widely used in the Laboratory of Materials Analysis with Ion Beams (LAMFI-USP). Recently, the GFAA expanded the studies to other possibilities of analysis enabled by imaging techniques that coupled with elemental and compositional characterization provide a better understanding on the materials and techniques used in the creative process in the manufacture of objects. The imaging analysis, mainly used to examine and document artistic and cultural heritage objects, are performed through images with visible light, infrared reflectography (IR), fluorescence with ultraviolet radiation (UV), tangential light and digital radiography. Expanding more the possibilities of analysis, new capabilities were added using portable equipment such as Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) and Raman Spectroscopy that can be used for analysis 'in situ' at the museums. The results of these analyzes are providing valuable information on the manufacturing process and have provided new information on objects of different University of Sao Paulo museums. Improving the arsenal of cultural heritage analysis it was recently constructed an 3D robotic stage for the precise positioning of samples in the external beam setup

Studies of Ancient Russian Cultural Objects Using the Neutron Tomography Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey Kichanov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Neutron radiography and tomography is a non-destructive method that provides detailed information about the internal structure of cultural heritage objects. The differences in the neutron attenuation coefficients of constituent elements of the studied objects, as well as the application of modern mathematical algorithms to carry out three-dimensional imaging data analysis, allow one to obtain unique information about the spatial distribution of different phases, the presence of internal defects, or the degree of structural degradation inside valuable cultural objects. The results of the neutron studies of several archaeological objects related to different epochs of the Russian history are reported in order to demonstrate the opportunities provided by the neutron tomography method. The obtained 3D structural volume data, as well as the results of the corresponding data analysis, are presented.

Planning and setting objectives in field studies: Chapter 2

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Robert N.; Dodd, C. Kenneth

2016-01-01

This chapter enumerates the steps required in designing and planning field studies on the ecology and conservation of reptiles, as these involve a high level of uncertainty and risk. To this end, the chapter differentiates between goals (descriptions of what one intends to accomplish) and objectives (the measurable steps required to achieve the established goals). Thus, meeting a specific goal may require many objectives. It may not be possible to define some of them until certain experiments have been conducted; often evaluations of sampling protocols are needed to increase certainty in the biological results. And if sampling locations are fixed and sampling events are repeated over time, then both study-specific covariates and sampling-specific covariates should exist. Additionally, other critical design considerations for field study include obtaining permits, as well as researching ethics and biosecurity issues.

Fuzzy Multi-objective Linear Programming Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amna Rehmat

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Traveling salesman problem (TSP is one of the challenging real-life problems, attracting researchers of many fields including Artificial Intelligence, Operations Research, and Algorithm Design and Analysis. The problem has been well studied till now under different headings and has been solved with different approaches including genetic algorithms and linear programming. Conventional linear programming is designed to deal with crisp parameters, but information about real life systems is often available in the form of vague descriptions. Fuzzy methods are designed to handle vague terms, and are most suited to finding optimal solutions to problems with vague parameters. Fuzzy multi-objective linear programming, an amalgamation of fuzzy logic and multi-objective linear programming, deals with flexible aspiration levels or goals and fuzzy constraints with acceptable deviations. In this paper, a methodology, for solving a TSP with imprecise parameters, is deployed using fuzzy multi-objective linear programming. An example of TSP with multiple objectives and vague parameters is discussed.

Thing theory & urban objects at EXPO '58

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wallis De Vries, J.G.

2012-01-01

This issue of Seminarch us devoted to the seminar Urban Objects at the Expo '58, a Thing Theory for Urbanism, initiated by Karel Wuytack, from Ghent, who is pursuing his PhD at our faculty under the supervision of prof. B. Colenbrander. The 15 participants in this Master's seminar studied the thing

Attachment to Inanimate Objects and Early Childcare: A Twin Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keren eFortuna

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Extensive nonmaternal childcare plays an important role in children's development. This study examined a potential coping mechanism for dealing with daily separation from caregivers involved in childcare experience—children's development of attachments toward inanimate objects. We employed the twin design to estimate relative environmental and genetic contributions to the presence of object attachment, and assess whether childcare explains some of the environmental variation in this developmental phenomenon. Mothers reported about 1122 3-year-old twin pairs. Variation in object attachment was accounted for by heritability (48% and shared environment (48%, with childcare quantity accounting for 2.2% of the shared environment effect. Children who spent half-days in childcare were significantly less likely to attach to objects relative to children who attended full-day childcare.

Short Daytime Naps Briefly Attenuate Objectively Measured Sleepiness Under Chronic Sleep Restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Saletin, Jared M; Hilditch, Cassie J; Dement, William C; Carskadon, Mary A

2017-09-01

Napping is a useful countermeasure to the negative effects of acute sleep loss on alertness. The efficacy of naps to recover from chronic sleep loss is less well understood. Following 2 baseline nights (10 hours' time-in-bed), participants were restricted to 7 nights of 5-hour sleep opportunity. Ten adults participated in the No-Nap condition, and a further 9 were assigned to a Nap condition with a daily 45-minute nap opportunity at 1300 h. Sleepiness was assessed using the multiple sleep latency test and a visual analogue scale at 2-hour intervals. Both objective and subjective indexes of sleepiness were normalized within subject as a difference from those at baseline prior to sleep restriction. Mixed-effects models examined how the daytime nap opportunity altered sleepiness across the day and across the protocol. Short daytime naps attenuated sleepiness due to chronic sleep restriction for up to 6-8 hours after the nap. Benefits of the nap did not extend late into evening. Subjective sleepiness demonstrated a similar short-lived benefit that emerged later in the day when objective sleepiness already returned to pre-nap levels. Neither measure showed a benefit of the nap the following morning after the subsequent restriction night. These data indicate a short daytime nap may attenuate sleepiness in chronic sleep restriction, yet subjective and objective benefits emerge at different time scales. Because neither measure showed a benefit the next day, the current study underscores the need for careful consideration before naps are used as routine countermeasures to chronic sleep loss. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gaming Change: A Many-objective Analysis of Water Supply Portfolios under Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, P. M.; Kasprzyk, J.; Characklis, G.; Kirsch, B.

2008-12-01

This study explores the uncertainty and tradeoffs associated with up to six conflicting water supply portfolio planning objectives. A ten-year Monte Carlo simulation model is used to evaluate water supply portfolios blending permanent rights, adaptive options contracts, and spot leases for a single city in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Historical records of reservoir mass balance, lease pricing, and demand serve as the source data for the Monte Carlo simulation. Portfolio planning decisions include the initial volume and annual increases of permanent rights, thresholds for an adaptive options contract, and anticipatory decision rules for purchasing leases and exercising options. Our work distinguishes three cases: (1) permanent rights as the sole source of supply, (2) permanent rights and adaptive options, and (3) a combination of permanent rights, adaptive options, and leases. The problems have been formulated such that cases 1 and 2 are sub-spaces of the six objective formulation used for case 3. Our solution sets provide the tradeoff surfaces between portfolios' expected values for cost, cost variability, reliability, frequency of purchasing permanent rights increases, frequency of using leases, and dropped (or unused) transfers of water. The tradeoff surfaces for the three cases show that options and leases have a dramatic impact on the marginal costs associated with improving the efficiency and reliability of urban water supplies. Moreover, our many-objective analysis permits the discovery of a broad range of high quality portfolio strategies. We differentiate the value of adaptive options versus leases by testing a representative subset of optimal portfolios' abilities to effectively address regional increases in demand during drought periods. These results provide insights into the tradeoffs inherent to a more flexible, portfolio-style approach to urban water resources management, an approach that should become increasingly attractive in an environment of

Technical study on semi-object emulation of structural statics problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo Jun; Shi Pingan; Liu Xingfu; Liu Zhiyong; Fu Chunyu

2002-01-01

Structural strength analysis depends mainly on finite element method and experiments. For complex structural system, a rather large error can be caused by some uncertain factors, such as load distributions, boundary conditions and constitutive relations in numerical analysis. At the same time, owing to the limitation of measuring and testing techniques, the strength and stiffness of key components can not be estimated by using the limited test data. To simulate stresses accurately under complex static environment, improve man-machine interactive system, and make the best use of fore- and post-processing function in graphic data processing, the authors combine numerical analysis with experimental technique and have developed the semi-object emulation technique to analyze the nonlinear problem of structure statics. The modern optical measuring techniques and image processing techniques are firstly used for the method to acquire displacement data of the vessel surface, and the data are used for the boundary condition to determine the geometrical size of disfigurement in the wall of vessel and the stress level. The experimental verification of a given test model show that these adverse problem can be solved by using semi-object emulation technology

The Study of Object-Oriented Motor Imagery Based on EEG Suppression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Li

Full Text Available Motor imagery is a conventional method for brain computer interface and motor learning. To avoid the great individual difference of the motor imagery ability, object-oriented motor imagery was applied, and the effects were studied. Kinesthetic motor imagery and visual observation were administered to 15 healthy volunteers. The EEG during cue-based simple imagery (SI, object-oriented motor imagery (OI, non-object-oriented motor imagery (NI and visual observation (VO was recorded. Study results showed that OI and NI presented significant contralateral suppression in mu rhythm (p 0.05. Compared with NI, OI showed significant difference (p < 0.05 in mu rhythm and weak significant difference (p = 0.0612 in beta rhythm over the contralateral hemisphere. The ability of motor imagery can be reflected by the suppression degree of mu and beta frequencies which are the motor related rhythms. Thus, greater enhancement of activation in mirror neuron system is involved in response to object-oriented motor imagery. The object-oriented motor imagery is favorable for improvement of motor imagery ability.

X-ray studies of BL Lacertae objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madejski, G.M.

1986-01-01

This thesis presents spectral x-ray data for BL Lac objects observed by the IPC and MPC aboard the Einstein Observatory and interprets that data in a context of their overall radiation spectra using synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton models. The objects considered are: OJ 287, PKS 0735 + 178, I Zw 186, PKS 0548-322, Mkn 180, BL Lacertae, PKS 2155-304, H 0414-009 and H 0323 + 022. X-ray spectra of BL Lac objects are well described by a power law model with a low energy cutoff due to absorption within the own Galaxy. The best fit values of the energy spectral index α in the IPC (0.2-4.0 keV) band range from 0.73 to 2.35, with a mean of 1.2 and rms spread of 0.51. No single, universal index can fit the spectra of all objects. For all objects except PKS 0735 + 178, the x-ray spectrum is an extrapolation of the infrared/optical UV spectrum; in PKS 0735 + 178, the x-ray spectrum lies significantly below such an extrapolation. The overall electromagnetic distribution in those objects is interpreted as arising due to the synchrotron process in at least two spatial regions, with sizes respectively ∼10 18 cm for the radio component and ∼10 16 cm for the optical component. In objects where the x-ray spectrum lies on the extrapolation of the infrared-optical-ultraviolet spectrum, the x-ray emission is interpreted also to be due to the synchrotron process

Multi-objective optimization under uncertainty for sheet metal forming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lafon Pascal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aleatory uncertainties in material properties, blank thickness and friction condition are inherent and irreducible variabilities in sheet metal forming. Optimal design configurations, which are obtained by conventional design optimization methods, are not always able to meet the desired targets due to the effect of uncertainties. This paper proposes a multi-objective robust design optimization that aims to tackle this problem. Results obtained on a U shape draw bending benchmark show that spring-back effect can be controlled by optimizing process parameters.

Publicly Available Geosynchronous (GEO) Space Object Catalog for Future Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Koblick, D. C.; Shankar, P.; Xu, S.

Previously, there have been many commercial proposals and extensive academic studies regarding ground and space based sensors to assist a space surveillance network in obtaining metric observations of satellites and debris near Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). Most use physics based models for geometric constraints, lighting, and tasker/scheduler operations of sensor architectures. Under similar physics modeling assumptions, the space object catalog is often different due to proprietary standards and datasets. Lack of catalog commonality between studies creates barriers and difficulty comparing performance benefits of sensor trades. To solve this problem, we have constructed a future GEO space catalog from publicly available datasets and literature. The annual number of new payloads and rocket bodies is drawn from a Poisson distribution while the growth of the current GEO catalog is bootstrapped from the historical payload, upper stage, and debris data. We adopt a spherically symmetric explosion model and couple it with the NASA standard breakup model to simulate explosions of payloads and rocket bodies as they are the primary drivers of the debris population growth. The cumulative number of fragments follow a power-law distribution. Result from 1,000 random catalog growth simulations indicates that the GEO space object population in the year 2050 will include over 3,600 objects, nearly half of which are debris greater than 10 cm spherical diameter. The number of rocket bodies and dead payloads is projected to nearly double over the next 33 years. For comparison, the current Air Force Space Command catalog snapshot contains fewer than 50 pieces of debris and coarse Radar Cross Section (RCS) estimates which include: small, medium, and large. The current catalog may be sufficient for conjunction studies, but not for analyzing future sensor system performance. The 2050 GEO projected catalog will be available online for commercial/academic research and development.

Investigation of nuclear power safety objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-09-01

It is a report of ground and concept of nuclear safety objects and future issues in Japan, which has investigated by the Committee of Experts on Investigation of Nuclear Safety Objects in the Nuclear Safety Research Association. The report consisted of member of committee, main conclusions and five chapters. The first chapter contains construction of safety objects and range of object, the second chapter qualitative safety objects, the third chapter quantitative safety objects, the forth subsiding objects and the fifth other items under consideration. The qualitative safety objects on individual and society, the quantitative one on effects on health and social cost, aspect of safety objects, relation between radiation protection and safety objects, practical objective values and earthquake are stated. (S.Y.)

50 CFR 270.21 - Petition of objection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Petition of objection. 270.21 Section 270... § 270.21 Petition of objection. (a) Filing a petition. Any person issued a notice of assessment under... promotion plan by filing a written petition of objection with NMFS. Petitions of objection may be filed: (1...

A Psychoacoustic-Based Multiple Audio Object Coding Approach via Intra-Object Sparsity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maoshen Jia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Rendering spatial sound scenes via audio objects has become popular in recent years, since it can provide more flexibility for different auditory scenarios, such as 3D movies, spatial audio communication and virtual classrooms. To facilitate high-quality bitrate-efficient distribution for spatial audio objects, an encoding scheme based on intra-object sparsity (approximate k-sparsity of the audio object itself is proposed in this paper. The statistical analysis is presented to validate the notion that the audio object has a stronger sparseness in the Modified Discrete Cosine Transform (MDCT domain than in the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT domain. By exploiting intra-object sparsity in the MDCT domain, multiple simultaneously occurring audio objects are compressed into a mono downmix signal with side information. To ensure a balanced perception quality of audio objects, a Psychoacoustic-based time-frequency instants sorting algorithm and an energy equalized Number of Preserved Time-Frequency Bins (NPTF allocation strategy are proposed, which are employed in the underlying compression framework. The downmix signal can be further encoded via Scalar Quantized Vector Huffman Coding (SQVH technique at a desirable bitrate, and the side information is transmitted in a lossless manner. Both objective and subjective evaluations show that the proposed encoding scheme outperforms the Sparsity Analysis (SPA approach and Spatial Audio Object Coding (SAOC in cases where eight objects were jointly encoded.

Object Recognition via Information-Theoretic Measures/Metrics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Repperger, Daniel W; Pinkus, Alan R; Skipper, Julie A; Schrider, Christian D

2006-01-01

.... In aerial military images, objects with different orientation can be reasonably approximated by a single identification signature consisting of the average histogram of the object under rotations...

Effective permittivity of finite inhomogeneous objects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raghunathan, S.B.; Budko, N.V.

2010-01-01

A generalization of the S-parameter retrieval method for finite three-dimensional inhomogeneous objects under arbitrary illumination and observation conditions is presented. The effective permittivity of such objects may be rigorously defined as a solution of a nonlinear inverse scattering problem.

In vitro toxicological nanoparticle studies under flow exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sambale, Franziska; Stahl, Frank; Bahnemann, Detlef; Scheper, Thomas

2015-01-01

The use of nanoparticles is becoming increasingly common in industry and everyday objects. Thus, extensive risk management concerning the potential health risk of nanoparticles is important. Currently, in vitro nanoparticle testing is mainly performed under static culture conditions without any shear stress. However, shear stress is an important biomechanical parameter. Therefore, in this study, a defined physiological flow to different mammalian cell lines such as A549 cells and NIH-3T3 cells has been applied. The effects of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NP), respectively, were investigated under both static and dynamic conditions. Cell viability, cell morphology, and adhesion were proven and compared to the static cell culture. Flow exposure had an impact on the cellular morphology of the cells. NIH-3T3 cells were elongated in the direction of flow and A549 cells exhibited vesicles inside the cells. Zinc oxide nanoparticles reduced the cell viability in the static and in the dynamic culture; however, the dynamic cultures were more sensitive. In the static culture and in the dynamic culture, TiO 2 -NP did not affect cell viability. In conclusion, dynamic culture conditions are important for further in vitro investigations and provide more relevant results than static culture conditions

In vitro toxicological nanoparticle studies under flow exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sambale, Franziska, E-mail: sambale@iftc.uni-hannover.de; Stahl, Frank; Bahnemann, Detlef; Scheper, Thomas [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hanover, Institute for Technical Chemistry (Germany)

2015-07-15

The use of nanoparticles is becoming increasingly common in industry and everyday objects. Thus, extensive risk management concerning the potential health risk of nanoparticles is important. Currently, in vitro nanoparticle testing is mainly performed under static culture conditions without any shear stress. However, shear stress is an important biomechanical parameter. Therefore, in this study, a defined physiological flow to different mammalian cell lines such as A549 cells and NIH-3T3 cells has been applied. The effects of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO{sub 2}-NP), respectively, were investigated under both static and dynamic conditions. Cell viability, cell morphology, and adhesion were proven and compared to the static cell culture. Flow exposure had an impact on the cellular morphology of the cells. NIH-3T3 cells were elongated in the direction of flow and A549 cells exhibited vesicles inside the cells. Zinc oxide nanoparticles reduced the cell viability in the static and in the dynamic culture; however, the dynamic cultures were more sensitive. In the static culture and in the dynamic culture, TiO{sub 2}-NP did not affect cell viability. In conclusion, dynamic culture conditions are important for further in vitro investigations and provide more relevant results than static culture conditions.

Object-Based Greenhouse Horticultural Crop Identification from Multi-Temporal Satellite Imagery: A Case Study in Almeria, Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel A. Aguilar

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Greenhouse detection and mapping via remote sensing is a complex task, which has already been addressed in numerous studies. In this research, the innovative goal relies on the identification of greenhouse horticultural crops that were growing under plastic coverings on 30 September 2013. To this end, object-based image analysis (OBIA and a decision tree classifier (DT were applied to a set consisting of eight Landsat 8 OLI images collected from May to November 2013. Moreover, a single WorldView-2 satellite image acquired on 30 September 2013, was also used as a data source. In this approach, basic spectral information, textural features and several vegetation indices (VIs derived from Landsat 8 and WorldView-2 multi-temporal satellite data were computed on previously segmented image objects in order to identify four of the most popular autumn crops cultivated under greenhouse in Almería, Spain (i.e., tomato, pepper, cucumber and aubergine. The best classification accuracy (81.3% overall accuracy was achieved by using the full set of Landsat 8 time series. These results were considered good in the case of tomato and pepper crops, being significantly worse for cucumber and aubergine. These results were hardly improved by adding the information of the WorldView-2 image. The most important information for correct classification of different crops under greenhouses was related to the greenhouse management practices and not the spectral properties of the crops themselves.

Object manipulation facilitates kind-based object individuation of shape-similar objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kingo, Osman Skjold; Krøjgaard, Peter

2011-01-01

Five experiments investigated the importance of shape and object manipulation when 12-month-olds were given the task of individuating objects representing exemplars of kinds in an event-mapping design. In Experiments 1 and 2, results of the study from Xu, Carey, and Quint (2004, Experiment 4) wer...

Simulation of nanostructural evolution under irradiation in Fe-9%CrC alloys: An object kinetic Monte Carlo study of the effect of temperature and dose-rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Chiapetto

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This work explores the effects of both temperature and dose-rate on the nanostructural evolution under irradiation of the Fe-9%CrC alloy, model material for high-Cr ferritic/martensitic steels. Starting from an object kinetic Monte Carlo model validated at 563K, we investigate here the accumulation of radiation damage as a function of temperature and dose-rate, attempting to highlight its connection with low-temperature radiation-induced hardening. The results show that the defect cluster mobility becomes high enough to partially counteract the material hardening process only above ∼290°C, while high fluxes are responsible for higher densities of defects, so that an increase of the hardening process with increasing dose-rates may be expected.

Epistemological tensions in prospective history teachers’ beliefs about the objectives of secondary education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wansink, B.G.J.; Akkerman, S.F.; Haenen, J.P.P.; Vermunt, Jan; Wubbels, T.

2017-01-01

In recent decades we witnessed ongoing debates about the objectives of history education, with different underlying epistemological perspectives. This qualitative study explored prospective history teachers’ beliefs about these objectives of history education. Prospective history teachers of six

Processing Technology Selection for Municipal Sewage Treatment Based on a Multi-Objective Decision Model under Uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xudong; Xu, Zhongwen; Yao, Liming; Ma, Ning

2018-03-05

This study considers the two factors of environmental protection and economic benefits to address municipal sewage treatment. Based on considerations regarding the sewage treatment plant construction site, processing technology, capital investment, operation costs, water pollutant emissions, water quality and other indicators, we establish a general multi-objective decision model for optimizing municipal sewage treatment plant construction. Using the construction of a sewage treatment plant in a suburb of Chengdu as an example, this paper tests the general model of multi-objective decision-making for the sewage treatment plant construction by implementing a genetic algorithm. The results show the applicability and effectiveness of the multi-objective decision model for the sewage treatment plant. This paper provides decision and technical support for the optimization of municipal sewage treatment.

Brain-computer interfacing under distraction: an evaluation study

Science.gov (United States)

Brandl, Stephanie; Frølich, Laura; Höhne, Johannes; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Samek, Wojciech

2016-10-01

Objective. While motor-imagery based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been studied over many years by now, most of these studies have taken place in controlled lab settings. Bringing BCI technology into everyday life is still one of the main challenges in this field of research. Approach. This paper systematically investigates BCI performance under 6 types of distractions that mimic out-of-lab environments. Main results. We report results of 16 participants and show that the performance of the standard common spatial patterns (CSP) + regularized linear discriminant analysis classification pipeline drops significantly in this ‘simulated’ out-of-lab setting. We then investigate three methods for improving the performance: (1) artifact removal, (2) ensemble classification, and (3) a 2-step classification approach. While artifact removal does not enhance the BCI performance significantly, both ensemble classification and the 2-step classification combined with CSP significantly improve the performance compared to the standard procedure. Significance. Systematically analyzing out-of-lab scenarios is crucial when bringing BCI into everyday life. Algorithms must be adapted to overcome nonstationary environments in order to tackle real-world challenges.

Object-Location Memory: A Lesion-Behavior Mapping Study in Stroke Patients

Science.gov (United States)

van Asselen, Marieke; Kessels, Roy P. C.; Frijns, Catharina J. M.; Kappelle, L. Jaap; Neggers, Sebastiaan F. W.; Postma, Albert

2009-01-01

Object-location memory is an important form of spatial memory, comprising different subcomponents that each process specific types of information within memory, i.e. remembering objects, remembering positions and binding these features in memory. In the current study we investigated the neural correlates of binding categorical (relative) or…

Abstract Object Creation in Dynamic Logic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

I. Grabe (Immo); F.S. de Boer (Frank); W. Ahrendt (Wolfgang); A. Cavalcanti; D.R. Dams

2009-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we give a representation of a weakest precondition calculus for abstract object creation in dynamic logic, the logic underlying the KeY theorem prover. This representation allows to both specify and verify properties of objects at the abstraction level of the

A Qualitative Study of US Clinical Ethics Services: Objectives and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

McClimans, Leah; Pressgrove, Geah; Rhea, James

2016-01-01

The quality of clinical ethics services in health care organizations is increasingly seen as an important aspect of the overall quality of care. But measuring this quality is difficult because there is a lack of clarity and consensus regarding the objectives of clinical ethics and the best outcome domains to measure. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the views of experts about the objectives and outcomes of clinical ethics services in the US. We interviewed 19 experts in clinical ethics, focusing on the appropriate objectives and outcomes of a clinical ethics service (CES). Participants were selected using a purposive snowball sampling strategy. The development of the interview protocol was informed by the clinical ethics literature as well as by research and theories that inform clinical ethics practice. Interviews were conducted by phone, recorded, and transcribed for individual analysis. Analysis proceeded through the development of a codebook of categories using QDA Miner software. Our experts identified 12 objectives and nine outcomes. Some of these identifications were familiar (e.g., mediation and satisfaction) and some were novel (e.g., be of service and transformation). We found that experts are divided in their emphasis on the kinds of objectives that are most important. In terms of outcomes, our experts were concerned with the appropriateness of different proxy and direct measures. This study provides the perspectives of a select group of experts on the objectives and outcomes appropriate for a CES in the United States. The themes identified will be used in future research to inform a Delphi study to refine and obtain expert consensus.

Processing Technology Selection for Municipal Sewage Treatment Based on a Multi-Objective Decision Model under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xudong Chen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study considers the two factors of environmental protection and economic benefits to address municipal sewage treatment. Based on considerations regarding the sewage treatment plant construction site, processing technology, capital investment, operation costs, water pollutant emissions, water quality and other indicators, we establish a general multi-objective decision model for optimizing municipal sewage treatment plant construction. Using the construction of a sewage treatment plant in a suburb of Chengdu as an example, this paper tests the general model of multi-objective decision-making for the sewage treatment plant construction by implementing a genetic algorithm. The results show the applicability and effectiveness of the multi-objective decision model for the sewage treatment plant. This paper provides decision and technical support for the optimization of municipal sewage treatment.

Left posterior BA37 is involved in object recognition: a TMS study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stewart, Lauren; Meyer, Bernd-Ulrich; Frith, Uta

2001-01-01

Functional imaging studies have proposed a role for left BA37 in phonological retrieval, semantic processing, face processing and object recognition. The present study targeted the posterior aspect of BA37 to see whether a deficit, specific to one of the above types of processing could be induced...... to name pictures when TMS was given over lBA37 compared to vertex or rBA37. rTMS over lBA37 had no significant effect on word reading, nonword reading or colour naming. The picture naming deficit is suggested to result from a disruption to object recognition processes. This study corroborates the finding...... from a recent imaging study, that the most posterior part of left hemispheric BA37 has a necessary role in object recognition....

The influence of object relative size on priming and explicit memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Uttl, Bob; Graf, Peter; Siegenthaler, Amy L

2008-09-01

We investigated the effects of object relative size on priming and explicit memory for color photos of common objects. Participants were presented with color photos of pairs of objects displayed in either appropriate or inappropriate relative sizes. Implicit memory was assessed by speed of object size ratings whereas explicit memory was assessed by an old/new recognition test. Study-to-test changes in relative size reduced both priming and explicit memory and had large effects for objects displayed in large vs. small size at test. Our findings of substantial size-specific influences on priming with common objects under some but not other conditions are consistent with instance views of object perception and priming but inconsistent with structural description views.

Real-world objects are more memorable than photographs of objects

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Jacqueline C Snow

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Research studies in psychology typically use two-dimensional (2D images of objects as proxies for real-world three-dimensional (3D stimuli. There are, however, a number of important differences between real objects and images that could influence cognition and behavior. Although human memory has been studied extensively, only a handful of studies have used real objects in the context of memory and virtually none have directly compared memory for real objects versus their 2D counterparts. Here we examined whether or not episodic memory is influenced by the format in which objects are displayed. We conducted two experiments asking participants to freely recall, and to recognize, a set of 44 common household objects. Critically, the exemplars were displayed to observers in one of three viewing conditions: real-world objects, colored photographs, or black and white line drawings. Stimuli were closely matched across conditions for size, orientation, and illumination. Surprisingly, recall and recognition performance was significantly better for real objects compared to colored photographs or line drawings (for which memory performance was equivalent. We replicated this pattern in a second experiment comparing memory for real objects versus color photos, when the stimuli were matched for viewing angle across conditions. Again, recall and recognition performance was significantly better for the real objects than matched color photos of the same items. Taken together, our data suggest that real objects are more memorable than pictorial stimuli. Our results highlight the importance of studying real-world object cognition and raise the potential for applied use in developing effective strategies for education, marketing, and further research on object-related cognition.

Hardware Objects for Java

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schoeberl, Martin; Thalinger, Christian; Korsholm, Stephan

2008-01-01

Java, as a safe and platform independent language, avoids access to low-level I/O devices or direct memory access. In standard Java, low-level I/O it not a concern; it is handled by the operating system. However, in the embedded domain resources are scarce and a Java virtual machine (JVM) without...... an underlying middleware is an attractive architecture. When running the JVM on bare metal, we need access to I/O devices from Java; therefore we investigate a safe and efficient mechanism to represent I/O devices as first class Java objects, where device registers are represented by object fields. Access...... to those registers is safe as Java’s type system regulates it. The access is also fast as it is directly performed by the bytecodes getfield and putfield. Hardware objects thus provide an object-oriented abstraction of low-level hardware devices. As a proof of concept, we have implemented hardware objects...

Experimental Study of Multi-Walled Composite Shell Fragments under Thermal Force Effects

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L. P. Tairova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Multi-walled composite shells are a relatively new prospective type of load carrying structures for rocket and space engineering. These CFRP structures are produced by injection and infusion methods and have several advantages in comparison with common structures such as stringer-frame, grid and sandwich structures with a light core. In particular, those have more structural parameters, which enable one to control mechanical properties of the structure, and this is important in designing the load carrying structures of different purpose.Presently, there are few national and foreign publications on experimental investigations of mechanical properties of multi-walled shells. That is why the objective of the paper is to conduct the experimental study of deformation and failure processes of a multi-walled panel both under steady-state heating and under unsteady-state one.The paper presents the results of two tests: (1 the study of deformation and failure modes under compression and complete heating up to a specified temperature and (2 validation of working capability of multi-walled samples under single-side heating and compression simulating a start and flight version of the “ Proton” launch vehicle.Experimental results have shown that average elastic properties of multi-walled samples slightly depend on temperature for the studied range (from room temperature up to 195C while strength properties considerably decrease with increasing temperature, and this is typical for CFRP structures under compression. However, under unsteady-state short-term heating the structure has a strength that exceeds the minimal necessary strength of load carrying structures of the “Proton” launch vehicle (the samples satisfy simulated start conditions of the “Proton” launch vehicle. This is because of a low heat conductivity of the multi-walled core: an unheated sheet holds a low temperature and high load carrying capacity.Obtained results can be used in

The shouted voice: A pilot study of laryngeal physiology under extreme aerodynamic pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagier, Aude; Legou, Thierry; Galant, Camille; Amy de La Bretèque, Benoit; Meynadier, Yohann; Giovanni, Antoine

2017-12-01

The objective was to study the behavior of the larynx during shouted voice production, when the larynx is exposed to extremely high subglottic pressure. The study involved electroglottographic, acoustic, and aerodynamic analyses of shouts produced at maximum effort by three male participants. Under a normal speaking voice, the voice sound pressure level (SPL) is proportional to the subglottic pressure. However, when the subglottic pressure reached high levels, the voice SPL reached a maximum value and then decreased as subglottic pressure increased further. Furthermore, the electroglottographic signal sometimes lost its periodicity during the shout, suggesting irregular vocal fold vibration.

Employing Machine-Learning Methods to Study Young Stellar Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Nicholas

2018-01-01

Vast amounts of data exist in the astronomical data archives, and yet a large number of sources remain unclassified. We developed a multi-wavelength pipeline to classify infrared sources. The pipeline uses supervised machine learning methods to classify objects into the appropriate categories. The program is fed data that is already classified to train it, and is then applied to unknown catalogues. The primary use for such a pipeline is the rapid classification and cataloging of data that would take a much longer time to classify otherwise. While our primary goal is to study young stellar objects (YSOs), the applications extend beyond the scope of this project. We present preliminary results from our analysis and discuss future applications.

Objectively determined habitual physical activity in South African adolescents: the PAHL study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background There is limited data on objectively determined habitual physical activity (PA) in 16-year old South African adolescents. The purpose of this study was to objectively determine the habitual PA of adolescents from the North West Province of South Africa by race and gender. Methods Adolescents (137 girls, 89 boys) from the ongoing Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PAHL study), participated in the present study. Habitual PA was objectively recorded by means of the Actiheart® over a period of 7 days. Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed. Results Average MVPA for the study sample was 50.9 ± 40.3 minutes/day. Girls were significantly more active than boys expending more time in MVPA (61.13 ± 52.2 minutes/day; p Physical activity varies by both gender and race in adolescents from the North West Province of South Africa. Objectively determined data from our study indicates that girls habitually spend more time in MVPA per day than boys, and that white adolescents habitually engage in more MVPA than black adolescents. Seeing as the average MVPA per day for the entire study sample falls below the recommended daily average of 60minutes/day, adolescents should be the foremost targets of interventions aimed at enhancing habitual PA. PMID:24885503

Herbig-Haro objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, R.D.

1983-01-01

Progress in the understanding of Herbig-Haro (HH) objects is reviewed. The results of optical studies of the proper motions and alignments, variability, and polarization of HH objects and the results of spectroscopic studies are discussed. Ground-based infrared studies and far-infrared observations are reviewed. Findings on the properties of molecular clouds associated with HH objects, on gas flows associated with HH IR stars, on maser emission, and on radio continuum observations are considered. A history of proposed excitation mechanisms for HH objects is briefly presented, and the salient shock-wave calculations aimed at synthesizing the spectra of HH objects are summarized along with hypotheses that have been advanced about the origin of the objects. 141 references

Many-objective robust decision making for water allocation under climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yan, Dan; Ludwig, Fulco; Huang, He Qing; Werners, Saskia E.

2017-01-01

Water allocation is facing profound challenges due to climate change uncertainties. To identify adaptive water allocation strategies that are robust to climate change uncertainties, a model framework combining many-objective robust decision making and biophysical modeling is developed for large

The influence of object relative size on priming and explicit memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bob Uttl

Full Text Available We investigated the effects of object relative size on priming and explicit memory for color photos of common objects. Participants were presented with color photos of pairs of objects displayed in either appropriate or inappropriate relative sizes. Implicit memory was assessed by speed of object size ratings whereas explicit memory was assessed by an old/new recognition test. Study-to-test changes in relative size reduced both priming and explicit memory and had large effects for objects displayed in large vs. small size at test. Our findings of substantial size-specific influences on priming with common objects under some but not other conditions are consistent with instance views of object perception and priming but inconsistent with structural description views.

Neural-Network Object-Recognition Program

Science.gov (United States)

Spirkovska, L.; Reid, M. B.

1993-01-01

HONTIOR computer program implements third-order neural network exhibiting invariance under translation, change of scale, and in-plane rotation. Invariance incorporated directly into architecture of network. Only one view of each object needed to train network for two-dimensional-translation-invariant recognition of object. Also used for three-dimensional-transformation-invariant recognition by training network on only set of out-of-plane rotated views. Written in C language.

Sensitivity-Informed De Novo Programming for Many-Objective Water Portfolio Planning Under Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Kasprzyk, J. R.; Reed, P. M.; Kirsch, B. R.; Characklis, G. W.

2009-12-01

Risk-based water supply management presents severe cognitive, computational, and social challenges to planning in a changing world. Decision aiding frameworks must confront the cognitive biases implicit to risk, the severe uncertainties associated with long term planning horizons, and the consequent ambiguities that shape how we define and solve water resources planning and management problems. This paper proposes and demonstrates a new interactive framework for sensitivity informed de novo programming. The theoretical focus of our many-objective de novo programming is to promote learning and evolving problem formulations to enhance risk-based decision making. We have demonstrated our proposed de novo programming framework using a case study for a single city’s water supply in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) in Texas. Key decisions in this case study include the purchase of permanent rights to reservoir inflows and anticipatory thresholds for acquiring transfers of water through optioning and spot leases. A 10-year Monte Carlo simulation driven by historical data is used to provide performance metrics for the supply portfolios. The three major components of our methodology include Sobol globoal sensitivity analysis, many-objective evolutionary optimization and interactive tradeoff visualization. The interplay between these components allows us to evaluate alternative design metrics, their decision variable controls and the consequent system vulnerabilities. Our LRGV case study measures water supply portfolios’ efficiency, reliability, and utilization of transfers in the water supply market. The sensitivity analysis is used interactively over interannual, annual, and monthly time scales to indicate how the problem controls change as a function of the timescale of interest. These results have been used then to improve our exploration and understanding of LRGV costs, vulnerabilities, and the water portfolios’ critical reliability constraints. These results

Real-time object-oriented programming: studies and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouquier, Gilles

1996-01-01

This thesis contributes to the introduction of real-time features in object-oriented programming. Object-oriented programming favours modularity and reusability. Therefore, its application to real-time introduces many theoretical and conceptual problems. To deal with these problems, a new real-time object-oriented programming model is presented. This model is based on the active object model which allows concurrence and maintains the encapsulation property. The real-time aspect is treated by replacing the concept of task by the concept of method processing and by associating a real-time constraint to each message (priority or deadline). The set of all the running methods is scheduled. This model, called ATOME, contains several sub-models to deal with the usual concurrence control integrating their priority and deadline processing. The classical HPF and EDF scheduling avoid priority or deadline inversion. This model and its variants are new proposals to program real-time applications in the object-oriented way, therefore easing reusability and code writing. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by extending and existing active object-based language to real-time, in using the rules defined in the ATOME model. (author) [fr

The representational dynamics of task and object processing in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Bankson, Brett B; Harel, Assaf

2018-01-01

Despite the importance of an observer’s goals in determining how a visual object is categorized, surprisingly little is known about how humans process the task context in which objects occur and how it may interact with the processing of objects. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivariate techniques, we studied the spatial and temporal dynamics of task and object processing. Our results reveal a sequence of separate but overlapping task-related processes spread across frontoparietal and occipitotemporal cortex. Task exhibited late effects on object processing by selectively enhancing task-relevant object features, with limited impact on the overall pattern of object representations. Combining MEG and fMRI data, we reveal a parallel rise in task-related signals throughout the cerebral cortex, with an increasing dominance of task over object representations from early to higher visual areas. Collectively, our results reveal the complex dynamics underlying task and object representations throughout human cortex. PMID:29384473

Studying visual attention using the multiple object tracking paradigm: A tutorial review.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyerhoff, Hauke S; Papenmeier, Frank; Huff, Markus

2017-07-01

Human observers are capable of tracking multiple objects among identical distractors based only on their spatiotemporal information. Since the first report of this ability in the seminal work of Pylyshyn and Storm (1988, Spatial Vision, 3, 179-197), multiple object tracking has attracted many researchers. A reason for this is that it is commonly argued that the attentional processes studied with the multiple object paradigm apparently match the attentional processing during real-world tasks such as driving or team sports. We argue that multiple object tracking provides a good mean to study the broader topic of continuous and dynamic visual attention. Indeed, several (partially contradicting) theories of attentive tracking have been proposed within the almost 30 years since its first report, and a large body of research has been conducted to test these theories. With regard to the richness and diversity of this literature, the aim of this tutorial review is to provide researchers who are new in the field of multiple object tracking with an overview over the multiple object tracking paradigm, its basic manipulations, as well as links to other paradigms investigating visual attention and working memory. Further, we aim at reviewing current theories of tracking as well as their empirical evidence. Finally, we review the state of the art in the most prominent research fields of multiple object tracking and how this research has helped to understand visual attention in dynamic settings.

Data analysis in an object request broker environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malon, David M.; May, Edward N.; Grossman, Robert L.; Day, Christopher T.; Quarrie, David R.

1996-01-01

Computing for the Next Millennium will require software interoperability in heterogeneous, increasingly object-oriented environments. The Common Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is a software industry effort, under the aegis of the Object Management Group (OMG), to standardize mechanism for software interaction among disparate applications written in a variety of languages and running on a variety of distributed platforms. In this paper, we describe some of the design and performance implications for software that must function is such a brokered environment in a standards-compliant way. We illustrate these implications with a physics data analysis example as a case study. (author)

Objectively measured physical activity in Finnish employees: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutikainen, Sara; Helander, Elina; Pietilä, Julia; Korhonen, Ilkka; Kujala, Urho M

2014-12-10

To objectively measure the amount of intensity-specific physical activity by gender and age with respect to body mass index (BMI) during workdays and days off among Finnish employees. A cross-sectional study. Primary care occupational healthcare units. A sample of 9554 Finnish employees (4221 men and 5333 women; age range 18-65 years; BMI range 18.5-40 kg/m(2)) who participated in health assessments related to occupational health promotion. The amount of moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) and vigorous (VPA) physical activity (≥3 and ≥6 metabolic equivalents, respectively) was assessed by estimating the minute-to-minute oxygen consumption from the recorded beat-to-beat R-R interval data. The estimation method used heart rate, respiration rate and on/off response information from R-R interval data calibrated by age, gender, height, weight and self-reported physical activity class. The proportion of participants fulfilling the aerobic physical activity recommendation of ≥150 min/week was calculated on the basis of ≥10 min bouts, by multiplying the VPA minutes by 2. Both MVPA and VPA were higher among men and during days off, and decreased with increasing age and BMI (pphysical activity recommendation was highest for normal weight men (65%; 95% CI 62% to 67%) and lowest for obese women (10%; 95% CI 8% to 12%). Objectively measured physical activity is higher among men and during days off, and decreases with increasing age and BMI. The amount of VPA is very low among obese, overweight and older women. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Qualitative and quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of bronze objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tankova, V; Blagoev, K; Grozeva, M; Malcheva, G; Penkova, P

2016-01-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of solids, liquids and gases. In this work, the method was applied for investigation of archaeological bronze objects. The analytical information obtained by LIBS was used for qualitative determination of the elements in the material used for manufacturing of the objects under study. Quantitative chemical analysis was also performed after generating calibration curves with standard samples of similar matrix composition. Quantitative estimation of the elemental concentration of the bulk of the samples was performed, together with investigation of the surface layer of the objects. The results of the quantitative analyses gave indications about the manufacturing process of the investigated objects. (paper)

THE OBJECTIVE OF ISLAMIC BANK: A CASE STUDY IN SURAKARTA REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Fatwa Wijaya

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this research were for exploring the perception of the Islamic Banking stakeholders relatedwith the objective of Islamic Banking that operated in the dual banking system, Indonesia and for measuringthe gap between the perception and expectation of the stakeholders toward the objective of Islamic bank. Theprimary data was collected by questionnaires. The Respondents were limited only in the Surakarta region.They were customers, lecturers, students, employees, bank managers, regulators, and ulama (Moslem religiousteachers. Factor analysis was conducted for grouping or classifying the variables into the same group whichhad the same characters while Kruskall Wallis test was used for examining the different perception among thestakeholders. At last, paired sample t-test was used to measure the gap between perception and expectationamong the stakeholders. The findings of this study were first, stakeholders concluded that social objective ofIslamic was more important than the commercial one; second, there was a significant different perception on theIslamic Banking objective among the stakeholders; and third, there was a gap between the perception andexpectation of the stakeholders about Islamic Banking objectives.

Experimental study of the permeability of concrete under variable thermal and hydric conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.

2011-01-01

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the variable thermal and hydric effect, with fissuration effect on the hydraulic behaviour of two concretes. Many experimental tests (saturation and permeability measurements, uniaxial and triaxial compressions tests) were carried out in order to investigate the temperature and saturation influence on the behaviour hydraulic on sound and micro-cracked concrete. Moreover, an experimental device for permeability measurement on macro-cracked concrete was realized, it allows to study the behaviour of macro-cracked of concrete confined and subjected to dry gas flow or very moist air at different temperatures. Multiaxial mechanical tests are coupled to the permeability measurements of sound concrete and micro-cracked by freezing and thawing, which allow to measuring the permeability under deviatoric load-unload with the effect of pre-cracking under stress. We also effectuated a test of relative permeability of concrete as a function of water saturation, subjected to drying and re-saturation, conditioning by the different relative humidity imposed. (author)

Object recognition memory: neurobiological mechanisms of encoding, consolidation and retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Boyer D; Saksida, Lisa M; Bussey, Timothy J

2008-07-01

Tests of object recognition memory, or the judgment of the prior occurrence of an object, have made substantial contributions to our understanding of the nature and neurobiological underpinnings of mammalian memory. Only in recent years, however, have researchers begun to elucidate the specific brain areas and neural processes involved in object recognition memory. The present review considers some of this recent research, with an emphasis on studies addressing the neural bases of perirhinal cortex-dependent object recognition memory processes. We first briefly discuss operational definitions of object recognition and the common behavioural tests used to measure it in non-human primates and rodents. We then consider research from the non-human primate and rat literature examining the anatomical basis of object recognition memory in the delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMS) and spontaneous object recognition (SOR) tasks, respectively. The results of these studies overwhelmingly favor the view that perirhinal cortex (PRh) is a critical region for object recognition memory. We then discuss the involvement of PRh in the different stages--encoding, consolidation, and retrieval--of object recognition memory. Specifically, recent work in rats has indicated that neural activity in PRh contributes to object memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval processes. Finally, we consider the pharmacological, cellular, and molecular factors that might play a part in PRh-mediated object recognition memory. Recent studies in rodents have begun to indicate the remarkable complexity of the neural substrates underlying this seemingly simple aspect of declarative memory.

Multi-wavelength studies of TeV γ-ray emitting BL Lac objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, Sarah Sabine

2012-01-01

The discovery of TeV γ-ray emission of BL Lac objects gave new insights in the particle acceleration and the emission processes of the highly relativistic jets. To shed light on the conditions in the high energetic jets of the TeV γ-ray emitting BL Lac objects, I have studied in great detail the spectral energy distribution (SED) of sources with different characteristics. BL Lac objects with exceptional very high energy spectra (soft and hard spectra) and with large differences in the emission peak frequencies, to cover the different classes of BL Lac objects, have been chosen. The basic aim of this thesis was, to study with new, simultaneous multi- avelength (MWL) observations, if the emission processes of these extreme cases of TeV BL Lac objects can be explained by the synchrotron Self-Compton (SSC) model which is well established for the class of BL Lac objects at lower energies. We proposed MWL observations in the optical, UV and X-ray regime, to be conducted simultaneous to very high energy observations with the H.E.S.S. experiment, to study the emission processes. Simultaneous observations are crucial, since BL Lac objects are variable at all wavebands. I have analysed the MWL observations and conducted detailed variability and spectral studies in each wavelength range. The different kind of absorption at each wavelength as well as the influence of the host galaxy of the AGN has been considered to obtain the intrinsic jet spectrum. I have then applied the commonly used theoretical jet model, the SSC model, to the SED. I conducted a MWL campaign on a BL Lac object with the softest TeV spectrum, PKS 2005-489, during which it was observed in a very bright X-ray state. The good spectral coverage of the emission peaks allowed a detailed study of the SSC model. The extreme BL Lac object 1ES 0229+200 exhibits a hard intrinsic TeV spectrum. With my MWL campaign I found a clear cut-off in the optical range and therefore a high minimum Lorentz factor is needed to

Multi-wavelength studies of TeV γ-ray emitting BL Lac objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaufmann, Sarah Sabine

2012-12-21

The discovery of TeV γ-ray emission of BL Lac objects gave new insights in the particle acceleration and the emission processes of the highly relativistic jets. To shed light on the conditions in the high energetic jets of the TeV γ-ray emitting BL Lac objects, I have studied in great detail the spectral energy distribution (SED) of sources with different characteristics. BL Lac objects with exceptional very high energy spectra (soft and hard spectra) and with large differences in the emission peak frequencies, to cover the different classes of BL Lac objects, have been chosen. The basic aim of this thesis was, to study with new, simultaneous multi- avelength (MWL) observations, if the emission processes of these extreme cases of TeV BL Lac objects can be explained by the synchrotron Self-Compton (SSC) model which is well established for the class of BL Lac objects at lower energies. We proposed MWL observations in the optical, UV and X-ray regime, to be conducted simultaneous to very high energy observations with the H.E.S.S. experiment, to study the emission processes. Simultaneous observations are crucial, since BL Lac objects are variable at all wavebands. I have analysed the MWL observations and conducted detailed variability and spectral studies in each wavelength range. The different kind of absorption at each wavelength as well as the influence of the host galaxy of the AGN has been considered to obtain the intrinsic jet spectrum. I have then applied the commonly used theoretical jet model, the SSC model, to the SED. I conducted a MWL campaign on a BL Lac object with the softest TeV spectrum, PKS 2005-489, during which it was observed in a very bright X-ray state. The good spectral coverage of the emission peaks allowed a detailed study of the SSC model. The extreme BL Lac object 1ES 0229+200 exhibits a hard intrinsic TeV spectrum. With my MWL campaign I found a clear cut-off in the optical range and therefore a high minimum Lorentz factor is needed to

Feedforward Object-Vision Models Only Tolerate Small Image Variations Compared to Human

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Masoud eGhodrati

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Invariant object recognition is a remarkable ability of primates' visual system that its underlying mechanism has constantly been under intense investigations. Computational modelling is a valuable tool toward understanding the processes involved in invariant object recognition. Although recent computational models have shown outstanding performances on challenging image databases, they fail to perform well when images with more complex variations of the same object are applied to them. Studies have shown that making sparse representation of objects by extracting more informative visual features through a feedforward sweep can lead to higher recognition performances. Here, however, we show that when the complexity of image variations is high, even this approach results in poor performance compared to humans. To assess the performance of models and humans in invariant object recognition tasks, we built a parametrically controlled image database consisting of several object categories varied in different dimensions and levels, rendered from 3D planes. Comparing the performance of several object recognition models with human observers shows that only in low-level image variations the models perform similar to humans in categorization tasks. Furthermore, the results of our behavioral experiments demonstrate that, even under difficult experimental conditions (i.e. briefly presented masked stimuli with complex image variations, human observers performed outstandingly well, suggesting that the models are still far from resembling humans in invariant object recognition. Taken together, we suggest that learning sparse informative visual features, although desirable, is not a complete solution for future progresses in object-vision modelling. We show that this approach is not of significant help in solving the computational crux of object recognition (that is invariant object recognition when the identity-preserving image variations become more complex.

Study of protein calorie malnutrition amongst under six children In a slum area of kanpur

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S C Saxena

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Rresearch Problem: What is the prevalence of PCM amongst under six children in slum area of Kanpur? Objectives: 1 To study the prevalence of PCM.2 To apply health educational interventions. Study Design: Cross - sectional study. Setting: All the households in the study area having under six children. Participants: Under - six children showing signs of PCM. Sample Size: 1260 children in the age group ofO - 6 years. Study Variables: Age - group, sex, education of mother, occupation of father, social class, type of family. Outcome Variables: Children with signs of PCM. Statistical Analysis: By chi - square test. Result: The occurrence of PCM was the highest in the 0 - 1 year age group. Boys suffered from overall PCM and grade I PCM more than the girls in whom grade III PCM was more common. Overall as well as grade I and II PCM was seen more in children of illiterate mothers and unemployed fathers. Majority of the children belonged to social class IV and were from unitary families. Conclusion: Mother's education plays an important role in the health and nutrition of children.

The probability of object-scene co-occurrence influences object identification processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauvé, Geneviève; Harmand, Mariane; Vanni, Léa; Brodeur, Mathieu B

2017-07-01

Contextual information allows the human brain to make predictions about the identity of objects that might be seen and irregularities between an object and its background slow down perception and identification processes. Bar and colleagues modeled the mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect suggesting that the brain stocks information about the statistical regularities of object and scene co-occurrence. Their model suggests that these recurring regularities could be conceptualized along a continuum in which the probability of seeing an object within a given scene can be high (probable condition), moderate (improbable condition) or null (impossible condition). In the present experiment, we propose to disentangle the electrophysiological correlates of these context effects by directly comparing object-scene pairs found along this continuum. We recorded the event-related potentials of 30 healthy participants (18-34 years old) and analyzed their brain activity in three time windows associated with context effects. We observed anterior negativities between 250 and 500 ms after object onset for the improbable and impossible conditions (improbable more negative than impossible) compared to the probable condition as well as a parieto-occipital positivity (improbable more positive than impossible). The brain may use different processing pathways to identify objects depending on whether the probability of co-occurrence with the scene is moderate (rely more on top-down effects) or null (rely more on bottom-up influences). The posterior positivity could index error monitoring aimed to ensure that no false information is integrated into mental representations of the world.

DDeveloping and solving a bi-objective joint replenishment problem under storing space constraint

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ommolbanin yousefi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In this research, a bi-objective joint replenishment problem has been developed and solved with the assumption of one restricted resource. The proposed model has a storing space constraint and tries to optimize two objective functions simultaneously. They include minimizing annual holding and setup costs and minimizing annual inventory investment. Then, for solving this problem, a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA has been developed. In order to analyze the algorithm efficiency, its performance has been examined in solving 1600 randomly produced problems using parameters extracted from literature. The findings imply that the proposed algorithm is capable of producing a good set of Pareto optimal solutions. Finally, the application of the problem solving approach and the findings of the proposed algorithm have been illustrated for a special problem, which has been randomly produced.

Effects of Selected Object Characteristics on Object Permanence Test Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lingle, Kathleen M.; Lingle, John H.

A study was conducted to investigate the degree to which both object familiarity and motivational factors influence infants' search behavior in an object permanence test. Infants' search behavior for an unfamiliar test object was compared with search behavior for (a) an experientially familiar object that each infant had played with daily for a…

Objectives of Financial Statements. Report of the Study Group on the Objectives of Financial Statements.

Science.gov (United States)

American Inst. of Certified Public Accountants, New York, NY.

This report discusses the objectives of financial statements. Emphasis is placed on the function of objectives; users, their goals, and their information needs; the primary enterprise goal and earning power; accountability and financial statements; financial statements--reporting on the goal attainment of business enterprises; financial…

Divided attention limits perception of 3-D object shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Scharff, Alec; Palmer, John; Moore, Cathleen M.

2013-01-01

Can one perceive multiple object shapes at once? We tested two benchmark models of object shape perception under divided attention: an unlimited-capacity and a fixed-capacity model. Under unlimited-capacity models, shapes are analyzed independently and in parallel. Under fixed-capacity models, shapes are processed at a fixed rate (as in a serial model). To distinguish these models, we compared conditions in which observers were presented with simultaneous or sequential presentations of a fixed number of objects (The extended simultaneous-sequential method: Scharff, Palmer, & Moore, 2011a, 2011b). We used novel physical objects as stimuli, minimizing the role of semantic categorization in the task. Observers searched for a specific object among similar objects. We ensured that non-shape stimulus properties such as color and texture could not be used to complete the task. Unpredictable viewing angles were used to preclude image-matching strategies. The results rejected unlimited-capacity models for object shape perception and were consistent with the predictions of a fixed-capacity model. In contrast, a task that required observers to recognize 2-D shapes with predictable viewing angles yielded an unlimited capacity result. Further experiments ruled out alternative explanations for the capacity limit, leading us to conclude that there is a fixed-capacity limit on the ability to perceive 3-D object shapes. PMID:23404158

A deformation model of flexible, HAMR objects for accurate propagation under perturbations and the self-shadowing effects

Science.gov (United States)

Channumsin, Sittiporn; Ceriotti, Matteo; Radice, Gianmarco

2018-02-01

A new type of space debris in near geosynchronous orbit (GEO) was recently discovered and later identified as exhibiting unique characteristics associated with high area-to-mass ratio (HAMR) objects, such as high rotation rates and high reflection properties. Observations have shown that this debris type is very sensitive to environmental disturbances, particularly solar radiation pressure, due to the fact that its motion depends on the actual effective area, orientation of that effective area, reflection properties and the area-to-mass ratio of the object is not stable over time. Previous investigations have modelled this type of debris as rigid bodies (constant area-to-mass ratios) or discrete deformed body; however, these simplifications will lead to inaccurate long term orbital predictions. This paper proposes a simple yet reliable model of a thin, deformable membrane based on multibody dynamics. The membrane is modelled as a series of flat plates, connected through joints, representing the flexibility of the membrane itself. The mass of the membrane, albeit low, is taken into account through lump masses at the joints. The attitude and orbital motion of this flexible membrane model is then propagated near GEO to predict its orbital evolution under the perturbations of solar radiation pressure, Earth's gravity field (J2), third body gravitational fields (the Sun and Moon) and self-shadowing. These results are then compared to those obtained for two rigid body models (cannonball and flat rigid plate). In addition, Monte Carlo simulations of the flexible model by varying initial attitude and deformation angle (different shape) are investigated and compared with the two rigid models (cannonball and flat rigid plate) over a period of 100 days. The numerical results demonstrate that cannonball and rigid flat plate are not appropriate to capture the true dynamical evolution of these objects, at the cost of increased computational time.

Earthquake Damage Assessment Using Objective Image Segmentation: A Case Study of 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Oommen, Thomas; Rebbapragada, Umaa; Cerminaro, Daniel

2012-01-01

In this study, we perform a case study on imagery from the Haiti earthquake that evaluates a novel object-based approach for characterizing earthquake induced surface effects of liquefaction against a traditional pixel based change technique. Our technique, which combines object-oriented change detection with discriminant/categorical functions, shows the power of distinguishing earthquake-induced surface effects from changes in buildings using the object properties concavity, convexity, orthogonality and rectangularity. Our results suggest that object-based analysis holds promise in automatically extracting earthquake-induced damages from high-resolution aerial/satellite imagery.

An Exploratory Study into the Efficacy of Learning Objects

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Nicholas W. Farha, Ph.D.

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Learning objects have quickly become a widely accepted approach to instructional technology, particularly in on-line and computer-based learning environments. While there is a substantial body of literature concerning learning objects, very little of it verifies their efficacy. This research investigated the effectiveness of learning objects by comparing learning outcomes using a learning object with outcomes using a traditional textbook-based method of instruction. Participants were 327 undergraduate college students at a traditional public four-year coed institution, a private four-year women’s college, a private four-year engineering institution, and a public two-year community college. Through a series of independent samples t-tests and Analyses of Variance, results revealed mean scores for the learning object group that were nearly three times higher than the mean scores for the textbook-taught group. Gaming experience, age, gender, and learner preference were evaluated for their potential influence on the results; no statistically significant differences were found, implying that the learning object itself was central to the outcomes achieved. The future of learning objects is bright, and more empirical research is called for in the area of learning object effectiveness.

Actions Objected at Employees in CSR - Report from the Study

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Szelągowska-Rudzka Katarzyna

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The study analyzed the essence of the social responsibility of organizations and indicated the areas of actions to which this concept applies in the organizations. Particular attention has been paid to CSR practices objected at employees as key stakeholders of the organization. The purpose of the study was achieved in the form of analysis of CSR practices addressed to employees of the selected organizations in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has been confirmed that the study subjects undertake socially responsible actions addressed to their employees. These actions are compliant with the guidelines of ISO 26000 standard in the area of practice in workplace. However, it has been shown that socially responsible objectives are not commonly present in the strategies of these organizations. Personal strategies and the knowledge of the concept of CSR among employees also occur not frequently enough. The presented study is a pilot study. The reached conclusions apply only to the participating organizations. However, it should be noted that the concept of CSR is not yet widely and successfully implemented in organizations within the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It requires further popularizing and intensifying. Also, the practices of CSR addressed to employees should be further improved.

An intuitionistic fuzzy multi-objective non-linear programming model for sustainable irrigation water allocation under the combination of dry and wet conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mo; Fu, Qiang; Singh, Vijay P.; Ma, Mingwei; Liu, Xiao

2017-12-01

Water scarcity causes conflicts among natural resources, society and economy and reinforces the need for optimal allocation of irrigation water resources in a sustainable way. Uncertainties caused by natural conditions and human activities make optimal allocation more complex. An intuitionistic fuzzy multi-objective non-linear programming (IFMONLP) model for irrigation water allocation under the combination of dry and wet conditions is developed to help decision makers mitigate water scarcity. The model is capable of quantitatively solving multiple problems including crop yield increase, blue water saving, and water supply cost reduction to obtain a balanced water allocation scheme using a multi-objective non-linear programming technique. Moreover, it can deal with uncertainty as well as hesitation based on the introduction of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Consideration of the combination of dry and wet conditions for water availability and precipitation makes it possible to gain insights into the various irrigation water allocations, and joint probabilities based on copula functions provide decision makers an average standard for irrigation. A case study on optimally allocating both surface water and groundwater to different growth periods of rice in different subareas in Heping irrigation area, Qing'an County, northeast China shows the potential and applicability of the developed model. Results show that the crop yield increase target especially in tillering and elongation stages is a prevailing concern when more water is available, and trading schemes can mitigate water supply cost and save water with an increased grain output. Results also reveal that the water allocation schemes are sensitive to the variation of water availability and precipitation with uncertain characteristics. The IFMONLP model is applicable for most irrigation areas with limited water supplies to determine irrigation water strategies under a fuzzy environment.

Multi-objective optimization of a continuous thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle for waste heat recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Rui; Li, Baode; Liu, Zhichun; Liu, Wei

2015-01-01

An optimization analysis of a continuous TREC (thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle) was conducted with maximum power output and exergy efficiency as the objective functions simultaneously. For comparison, the power output, exergy efficiency, and thermal efficiency under the corresponding single-objective optimization schematics were also calculated. Under different optimization methods it was observed that the power output and the thermal efficiency increase with increasing inlet temperature of the heat source, whereas the exergy efficiency increases with increasing inlet temperature, reaches a maximum value, and then decreases. Results revealed that the optimal power output under the multi-objective optimization turned out to be slightly less than that obtained under the single-objective optimization for power output. However, the exergy and thermal efficiencies were much greater. Furthermore, the thermal exergy and exergy efficiency by single-objective optimization for energy efficiency shows no dominant advantage than that obtained under multi-objective optimization, comparing with the increase amplitude of the power output. This suggests that the multi-objective optimization could coordinate well both the power output and the exergy efficiency of the TREC system, and may serve as a more promising guide for operating and designing TREC systems. - Highlights: • An optimal analysis of a continuous TREC is conducted based on multi-objective optimization. • Performance under corresponding single-objective optimizations has also been calculated and compared. • Power under multi-objective optimization is slightly less than the maximum power. • Exergy and thermal efficiencies are much larger than that under the single-objective optimization.

Cognitive object recognition system (CORS)

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, Chaitanya; Varadarajan, Karthik Mahesh; Krishnamurthi, Niyant; Xu, Shuli; Biederman, Irving; Kelley, Troy

2010-04-01

We have developed a framework, Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), inspired by current neurocomputational models and psychophysical research in which multiple recognition algorithms (shape based geometric primitives, 'geons,' and non-geometric feature-based algorithms) are integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to object recognition and landmarking. Objects are defined as a combination of geons, corresponding to their simple parts, and the relations among the parts. However, those objects that are not easily decomposable into geons, such as bushes and trees, are recognized by CORS using "feature-based" algorithms. The unique interaction between these algorithms is a novel approach that combines the effectiveness of both algorithms and takes us closer to a generalized approach to object recognition. CORS allows recognition of objects through a larger range of poses using geometric primitives and performs well under heavy occlusion - about 35% of object surface is sufficient. Furthermore, geon composition of an object allows image understanding and reasoning even with novel objects. With reliable landmarking capability, the system improves vision-based robot navigation in GPS-denied environments. Feasibility of the CORS system was demonstrated with real stereo images captured from a Pioneer robot. The system can currently identify doors, door handles, staircases, trashcans and other relevant landmarks in the indoor environment.

A study of objective functions for organs with parallel and serial architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stavrev, P.V.; Stavreva, N.A.; Round, W.H.

1997-01-01

An objective function analysis when target volumes are deliberately enlarged to account for tumour mobility and consecutive uncertainty in the tumour position in external beam radiotherapy has been carried out. The dose distribution inside the tumour is assumed to have logarithmic dependence on the tumour cell density which assures an iso-local tumour control probability. The normal tissue immediately surrounding the tumour is irradiated homogeneously at a dose level equal to the dose D(R)) delivered at the edge of the tumour The normal tissue in the high dose field is modelled as being organized in identical functional subunits (FSUs) composed of a relatively large number of cells. Two types of organs - having serial and parallel architecture are considered. Implicit averaging over intrapatient normal tissue radiosensitivity variations is done. A function describing the normal tissue survival probability S 0 is constructed. The objective function is given as a product of the total tumour control probability (TCP) and the normal tissue survival probability S 0 . The values of the dose D(R)) which result in a maximum of the objective function are obtained for different combinations of tumour and normal tissue parameters, such as tumour and normal tissue radiosensitivities, number of cells constituting a normal tissue functional unit, total number of normal cells under high dose (D(R)) exposure and functional reserve for organs having parallel architecture. The corresponding TCP and S 0 values are computed and discussed. (authors)

Spontaneous object recognition: a promising approach to the comparative study of memory

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Rachel eBlaser

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Spontaneous recognition of a novel object is a popular measure of exploratory behavior, perception and recognition memory in rodent models. Because of its relative simplicity and speed of testing, the variety of stimuli that can be used, and its ecological validity across species, it is also an attractive task for comparative research. To date, variants of this test have been used with vertebrate and invertebrate species, but the methods have seldom been sufficiently standardized to allow cross-species comparison. Here, we review the methods necessary for the study of novel object recognition in mammalian and non-mammalian models, as well as the results of these experiments. Critical to the use of this test is an understanding of the organism’s initial response to a novel object, the modulation of exploration by context, and species differences in object perception and exploratory behaviors. We argue that with appropriate consideration of species differences in perception, object affordances, and natural exploratory behaviors, the spontaneous object recognition test can be a valid and versatile tool for translational research with non-mammalian models.

What and Where in auditory sensory processing: A high-density electrical mapping study of distinct neural processes underlying sound object recognition and sound localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria M Leavitt

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Functionally distinct dorsal and ventral auditory pathways for sound localization (where and sound object recognition (what have been described in non-human primates. A handful of studies have explored differential processing within these streams in humans, with highly inconsistent findings. Stimuli employed have included simple tones, noise bursts and speech sounds, with simulated left-right spatial manipulations, and in some cases participants were not required to actively discriminate the stimuli. Our contention is that these paradigms were not well suited to dissociating processing within the two streams. Our aim here was to determine how early in processing we could find evidence for dissociable pathways using better titrated what and where task conditions. The use of more compelling tasks should allow us to amplify differential processing within the dorsal and ventral pathways. We employed high-density electrical mapping using a relatively large and environmentally realistic stimulus set (seven animal calls delivered from seven free-field spatial locations; with stimulus configuration identical across the where and what tasks. Topographic analysis revealed distinct dorsal and ventral auditory processing networks during the where and what tasks with the earliest point of divergence seen during the N1 component of the auditory evoked response, beginning at approximately 100 ms. While this difference occurred during the N1 timeframe, it was not a simple modulation of N1 amplitude as it displayed a wholly different topographic distribution to that of the N1. Global dissimilarity measures using topographic modulation analysis confirmed that this difference between tasks was driven by a shift in the underlying generator configuration. Minimum norm source reconstruction revealed distinct activations that corresponded well with activity within putative dorsal and ventral auditory structures.

Sensorimotor memory of object weight distribution during multidigit grasp.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Frederic; Santello, Marco; Gordon, Andrew M

2009-10-09

We studied the ability to transfer three-digit force sharing patterns learned through consecutive lifts of an object with an asymmetric center of mass (CM). After several object lifts, we asked subjects to rotate and translate the object to the contralateral hand and perform one additional lift. This task was performed under two weight conditions (550 and 950 g) to determine the extent to which subjects would be able to transfer weight and CM information. Learning transfer was quantified by measuring the extent to which force sharing patterns and peak object roll on the first post-translation trial resembled those measured on the pre-translation trial with the same CM. We found that the overall gain of fingertip forces was transferred following object rotation, but that the scaling of individual digit forces was specific to the learned digit-object configuration, and thus was not transferred following rotation. As a result, on the first post-translation trial there was a significantly larger object roll following object lift-off than on the pre-translation trial. This suggests that sensorimotor memories for weight, requiring scaling of fingertip force gain, may differ from memories for mass distribution.

Risk perception, experience, and objective risk: a cross-national study with European emergency survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Knuth, Daniela; Kehl, Doris; Hulse, Lynn; Schmidt, Silke

2014-07-01

Understanding public risk perceptions and their underlying processes is important in order to learn more about the way people interpret and respond to hazardous emergency events. Direct experience with an involuntary hazard has been found to heighten the perceived risk of experiencing the same hazard and its consequences in the future, but it remains unclear if cross-over effects are possible (i.e., experience with one hazard influencing perceived risk for other hazards also). Furthermore, the impact of objective risk and country of residence on perceived risk is not well understood. As part of the BeSeCu (Behavior, Security, and Culture) Project, a sample of 1,045 survivors of emergencies from seven European countries (i.e., Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, and Italy) was drawn. Results revealed heightened perceived risk for emergency events (i.e., domestic and public fires, earthquakes, floods, and terrorist attacks) when the event had been experienced previously plus some evidence of cross-over effects, although these effects were not so strong. The largest country differences in perceived risk were observed for earthquakes, but this effect was significantly reduced by taking into account the objective earthquake risk. For fires, floods, terrorist attacks, and traffic accidents, only small country differences in perceived risk were found. Further studies including a larger number of countries are welcomed. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Multi-Objective Stochastic Optimization Programs for a Non-Life Insurance Company under Solvency Constraints

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Massimiliano Kaucic

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the paper, we introduce a multi-objective scenario-based optimization approach for chance-constrained portfolio selection problems. More specifically, a modified version of the normal constraint method is implemented with a global solver in order to generate a dotted approximation of the Pareto frontier for bi- and tri-objective programming problems. Numerical experiments are carried out on a set of portfolios to be optimized for an EU-based non-life insurance company. Both performance indicators and risk measures are managed as objectives. Results show that this procedure is effective and readily applicable to achieve suitable risk-reward tradeoff analysis.

The Functional Architecture of Visual Object Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

1991-07-01

different forms of agnosia can provide clues to the representations underlying normal object recognition (Farah, 1990). For example, the pair-wise...patterns of deficit and sparing occur. In a review of 99 published cases of agnosia , the observed patterns of co- occurrence implicated two underlying

Solving a bi-objective vehicle routing problem under uncertainty by a revised multi-choice goal programming approach

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Hossein Yousefi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW is an important problem with many real applications in a transportation problem. The optimum set of routes with the minimum distance and vehicles used is determined to deliver goods from a central depot, using a vehicle with capacity constraint. In the real cases, there are other objective functions that should be considered. This paper considers not only the minimum distance and the number of vehicles used as the objective function, the customer’s satisfaction with the priority of customers is also considered. Additionally, it presents a new model for a bi-objective VRPTW solved by a revised multi-choice goal programming approach, in which the decision maker determines optimistic aspiration levels for each objective function. Two meta-heuristic methods, namely simulated annealing (SA and genetic algorithm (GA, are proposed to solve large-sized problems. Moreover, the experimental design is used to tune the parameters of the proposed algorithms. The presented model is verified by a real-world case study and a number of test problems. The computational results verify the efficiency of the proposed SA and GA.

Object recognition with video-theodolites and without targeting the object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahmen, H.; Seixas, A. de

1999-01-01

At the Department of Applied Geodesy and Engineering Geodesy (TU Vienna) an new kind of theodolite measurement system is under development, enabling measurements with an accuracy of 1:30.000 with and without targeting the object. The main goal is, to develop an intelligent multi-sensor system. Thus an operator is only needed to supervise the system. Results are gained on-sine and can be stored in a CAD system. If no artificial targets are used identification of points has to be performed by the Master-Theodolite. The method, used in our project, is based on interest operators. The Slave-Theodolite has to track the master by searching for homologous regions. The before described method can only be used, if there is some texture on the surface of the object. If that is not fulfilled, a 'grid-line-method' can be used, to get informations about the surface of the object. In the case of a cartesian co-ordinate system, for instance, the grid-lines can be chosen by the operator before the measurement process is started. The theodolite-measurement system is then able to detect the grid-lines and to find the positions where the grid-lines intersect the surface of the object. This system could be used for positioning the different components of a particle accelerator. (author)

Object recognition with video-theodolites and without targeting the object

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahmen, H.; Seixas, A. de [University of Technology Vienna, Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Vienna (Austria)

1999-07-01

At the Department of Applied Geodesy and Engineering Geodesy (TU Vienna) an new kind of theodolite measurement system is under development, enabling measurements with an accuracy of 1:30.000 with and without targeting the object. The main goal is, to develop an intelligent multi-sensor system. Thus an operator is only needed to supervise the system. Results are gained on-sine and can be stored in a CAD system. If no artificial targets are used identification of points has to be performed by the Master-Theodolite. The method, used in our project, is based on interest operators. The Slave-Theodolite has to track the master by searching for homologous regions. The before described method can only be used, if there is some texture on the surface of the object. If that is not fulfilled, a 'grid-line-method' can be used, to get informations about the surface of the object. In the case of a cartesian co-ordinate system, for instance, the grid-lines can be chosen by the operator before the measurement process is started. The theodolite-measurement system is then able to detect the grid-lines and to find the positions where the grid-lines intersect the surface of the object. This system could be used for positioning the different components of a particle accelerator. (author)

Auditory memory can be object based.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyson, Benjamin J; Ishfaq, Feraz

2008-04-01

Identifying how memories are organized remains a fundamental issue in psychology. Previous work has shown that visual short-term memory is organized according to the object of origin, with participants being better at retrieving multiple pieces of information from the same object than from different objects. However, it is not yet clear whether similar memory structures are employed for other modalities, such as audition. Under analogous conditions in the auditory domain, we found that short-term memories for sound can also be organized according to object, with a same-object advantage being demonstrated for the retrieval of information in an auditory scene defined by two complex sounds overlapping in both space and time. Our results provide support for the notion of an auditory object, in addition to the continued identification of similar processing constraints across visual and auditory domains. The identification of modality-independent organizational principles of memory, such as object-based coding, suggests possible mechanisms by which the human processing system remembers multimodal experiences.

Reasons and remedies for under-representation of women in medical leadership roles: a qualitative study from Australia

OpenAIRE

Bismark, Marie; Morris, Jennifer; Thomas, Laura; Loh, Erwin; Phelps, Grant; Dickinson, Helen

2015-01-01

Objective To elicit medical leaders? views on reasons and remedies for the under-representation of women in medical leadership roles. Design Qualitative study using semistructured interviews with medical practitioners who work in medical leadership roles. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting Public hospitals, private healthcare providers, professional colleges and associations and government organisations in Australia. Participant...

Say it with flowers! An fMRI study of object mediated communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tylén, Kristian; Wallentin, Mikkel; Roepstorff, Andreas

2009-01-01

Human communicational interaction can be mediated by a host of expressive means from words in a natural language to gestures and material symbols. Given the proper contextual setting even an everyday object can gain a mediating function in a communicational situation. In this study we used event......-related fMRI to study the brain activity caused by everyday material objects when they are perceived as signals. We found that comprehension of material signals activates bilaterally areas of the ventral stream and pars triangularis of the inferior frontal cortex, that is, areas traditionally associated...

Object-based spatial attention when objects have sufficient depth cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeya, Ryuji; Kasai, Tetsuko

2015-01-01

Attention directed to a part of an object tends to obligatorily spread over all of the spatial regions that belong to the object, which may be critical for rapid object-recognition in cluttered visual scenes. Previous studies have generally used simple rectangles as objects and have shown that attention spreading is reflected by amplitude modulation in the posterior N1 component (150-200 ms poststimulus) of event-related potentials, while other interpretations (i.e., rectangular holes) may arise implicitly in early visual processing stages. By using modified Kanizsa-type stimuli that provided less ambiguity of depth ordering, the present study examined early event-related potential spatial-attention effects for connected and separated objects, both of which were perceived in front of (Experiment 1) and in back of (Experiment 2) the surroundings. Typical P1 (100-140 ms) and N1 (150-220 ms) attention effects of ERP in response to unilateral probes were observed in both experiments. Importantly, the P1 attention effect was decreased for connected objects compared to separated objects only in Experiment 1, and the typical object-based modulations of N1 were not observed in either experiment. These results suggest that spatial attention spreads over a figural object at earlier stages of processing than previously indicated, in three-dimensional visual scenes with multiple depth cues.

Developing Canadian oncology education goals and objectives for medical students: a national modified Delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Vincent C; Ingledew, Paris-Ann; Berry, Scott; Verma, Sunil; Giuliani, Meredith E

2016-01-01

Studies have shown that there is a deficiency in focused oncology teaching during medical school in Canada. This study aimed to develop oncology education goals and objectives for medical students through consensus of oncology educators from across Canada. In 2014 we created a comprehensive list of oncology education objectives using existing resources. Experts in oncology education and undergraduate medical education from all 17 Canadian medical schools were invited to participate in a 3-round modified Delphi process. In round 1, the participants scored the objectives on a 9-point Likert scale according to the degree to which they agreed an objective should be taught to medical students. Objectives with a mean score of 7.0 or greater were retained, those with a mean score of 1.0-3.9 were excluded, and those with a mean score of 4.0-6.9 were discussed at a round 2 Web meeting. In round 3, the participants voted on inclusion and exclusion of the round 2 objectives. Thirty-four (92%) of the 37 invited oncology educators, representing 14 medical schools, participated in the study. They included oncologists, family physicians, members of undergraduate medical education curriculum committees and a psychologist. Of the 214 objectives reviewed in round 1, 146 received a mean score of 7.0 or greater, and 68 were scored 4.0-6.9; no objective received a mean score below 4.0. Nine new objectives were suggested. The main themes of participants' comments were to minimize the number of objectives and to aim objectives at the knowledge level required for family physicians. In round 2, the participants were able to combine 28 of the objectives with other existing objectives. In round 3, 7 of the 49 objectives received consensus of at least 75% for inclusion. The final Canadian Oncology Goals and Objectives for Medical Students contained 10 goals and 153 objectives. Through a systematic process, we created a comprehensive, consensus-based set of oncology goals and objectives to

Towards C++ object libraries for accelerator physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelotti, L.

1992-01-01

This paper concerns creation of libraries of reusable objects in the language C ++ for doing accelerator design and analysis. The C ++ language possesses features which lend themselves to writing portable, scientific solftware. The two libraries of C ++ classes (objects) which have been under development are (1) MXYZPTLK, which implements automatic differentiation and (2) BEAMLINE, which provides objects for modeling beam line and accelerator components. A description of the principle classes in these two libraries is presented

Study on the Advertising Management of Fashion Magazines Under the Media Environment. A Case Study of＂ViVi＂

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Linghu Kerui

2015-01-01

Magazine advertising as a major source of income, the quality of its operations is critical to the development and survival of the magazine. However, under the new media environment, traditional advertising management is no longer adapted to the times, media operators must find their own inadequacies of advertising business, through business innovation to gain a firm foothold in the competition torrent. This paper as the research object of ＂ViVi＇＂ , analyzes the advertising management and the problem under the new media environment. Finally, offer the suggestion for fashion magazines to better development advertising under the new media environment.

Decision making under risk : a study of models and measurement procedures with special reference to the farmer's marketing behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smidts, A.

1990-01-01

The objectives of the study were: a) to review, discuss and test a number of theories on individual decision making under risk; much attention is specifically given to the definition and empirical testing of the concept of relative risk attitude, b) to investigate in a large scale survey

Decision making under risk. A study of models and measurement procedures with special reference to the farmers' marketing behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Smidts (Ale)

1990-01-01

textabstractThe objectives of the study were: a) to review, discuss and test a number of theories on individual decision making under risk; much attention is specifically given to the definition and empirical testing of the concept of relative risk attitude, b) to investigate in a large scale survey

Technical study on semi-object emulation of structural statics problem

CERN Document Server

MoJun; LiuXingFu; LiuZhiYong; Shi Pin Gan

2002-01-01

Structural strength analysis depends mainly on finite element method and experiments. For complex structural system, a rather large error can be caused by some uncertain factors, such as load distributions, boundary conditions and constitutive relations in numerical analysis. At the same time, owing to the limitation of measuring and testing techniques, the strength and stiffness of key components can not be estimated by using the limited test data. To simulate stresses accurately under complex static environment, improve man-machine interactive system, and make the best use of fore- and post-processing function in graphic data processing, the combine numerical analysis with experimental technique and have developed the semi-object emulation technique to analyze the nonlinear problem of structure statics. The modern optical measuring techniques and image processing techniques are firstly used for the method to acquire displacement data of the vessel surface, and the data are used for the boundary condition to...

Occlusion Handling in Videos Object Tracking: A Survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, B Y; Liew, L H; Cheah, W S; Wang, Y C

2014-01-01

Object tracking in video has been an active research since for decades. This interest is motivated by numerous applications, such as surveillance, human-computer interaction, and sports event monitoring. Many challenges related to tracking objects still remain, this can arise due to abrupt object motion, changing appearance patterns of objects and the scene, non-rigid object structures and most significant are occlusion of tracked object be it object-to-object or object-to-scene occlusions. Generally, occlusion in object tracking occur under three situations: self-occlusion, inter-object occlusion by background scene structure. Self-occlusion occurs most frequently while tracking articulated objects when one part of the object occludes another. Inter-object occlusion occurs when two objects being tracked occlude each other whereas occlusion by the background occurs when a structure in the background occludes the tracked objects. Typically, tracking methods handle occlusion by modelling the object motion using linear and non-linear dynamic models. The derived models will be used to continuously predicting the object location when a tracked object is occluded until the object reappears. Example of these method are Kalman filtering and Particle filtering trackers. Researchers have also utilised other features to resolved occlusion, for example, silhouette projections, colour histogram and optical flow. We will present some result from a previously conducted experiment when tracking single object using Kalman filter, Particle filter and Mean Shift trackers under various occlusion situation in this paper. We will also review various other occlusion handling methods that involved using multiple cameras. In a nutshell, the goal of this paper is to discuss in detail the problem of occlusion in object tracking and review the state of the art occlusion handling methods, classify them into different categories, and identify new trends. Moreover, we discuss the important

Occlusion Handling in Videos Object Tracking: A Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, B. Y.; Liew, L. H.; Cheah, W. S.; Wang, Y. C.

2014-02-01

Object tracking in video has been an active research since for decades. This interest is motivated by numerous applications, such as surveillance, human-computer interaction, and sports event monitoring. Many challenges related to tracking objects still remain, this can arise due to abrupt object motion, changing appearance patterns of objects and the scene, non-rigid object structures and most significant are occlusion of tracked object be it object-to-object or object-to-scene occlusions. Generally, occlusion in object tracking occur under three situations: self-occlusion, inter-object occlusion by background scene structure. Self-occlusion occurs most frequently while tracking articulated objects when one part of the object occludes another. Inter-object occlusion occurs when two objects being tracked occlude each other whereas occlusion by the background occurs when a structure in the background occludes the tracked objects. Typically, tracking methods handle occlusion by modelling the object motion using linear and non-linear dynamic models. The derived models will be used to continuously predicting the object location when a tracked object is occluded until the object reappears. Example of these method are Kalman filtering and Particle filtering trackers. Researchers have also utilised other features to resolved occlusion, for example, silhouette projections, colour histogram and optical flow. We will present some result from a previously conducted experiment when tracking single object using Kalman filter, Particle filter and Mean Shift trackers under various occlusion situation in this paper. We will also review various other occlusion handling methods that involved using multiple cameras. In a nutshell, the goal of this paper is to discuss in detail the problem of occlusion in object tracking and review the state of the art occlusion handling methods, classify them into different categories, and identify new trends. Moreover, we discuss the important

Multi objective multi refinery optimization with environmental and catastrophic failure effects objectives

Science.gov (United States)

Khogeer, Ahmed Sirag

2005-11-01

Petroleum refining is a capital-intensive business. With stringent environmental regulations on the processing industry and declining refining margins, political instability, increased risk of war and terrorist attacks in which refineries and fuel transportation grids may be targeted, higher pressures are exerted on refiners to optimize performance and find the best combination of feed and processes to produce salable products that meet stricter product specifications, while at the same time meeting refinery supply commitments and of course making profit. This is done through multi objective optimization. For corporate refining companies and at the national level, Intea-Refinery and Inter-Refinery optimization is the second step in optimizing the operation of the whole refining chain as a single system. Most refinery-wide optimization methods do not cover multiple objectives such as minimizing environmental impact, avoiding catastrophic failures, or enhancing product spec upgrade effects. This work starts by carrying out a refinery-wide, single objective optimization, and then moves to multi objective-single refinery optimization. The last step is multi objective-multi refinery optimization, the objectives of which are analysis of the effects of economic, environmental, product spec, strategic, and catastrophic failure. Simulation runs were carried out using both MATLAB and ASPEN PIMS utilizing nonlinear techniques to solve the optimization problem. The results addressed the need to debottleneck some refineries or transportation media in order to meet the demand for essential products under partial or total failure scenarios. They also addressed how importing some high spec products can help recover some of the losses and what is needed in order to accomplish this. In addition, the results showed nonlinear relations among local and global objectives for some refineries. The results demonstrate that refineries can have a local multi objective optimum that does not

Effects of attention during encoding on sex differences in object location memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Barel, Efrat

2018-04-16

Attention plays a key role in memory processes and has been widely studied in various memory tasks. The role of attention in sex differences in object location memory is not clearly understood. In the present study, two experiments involving 186 participants and using an object array presented on paper were conducted to examine two encoding conditions: incidental and intentional. In each experiment, the participants were randomly assigned to divided versus full attention conditions. In the first experiment, which involved incidental encoding, women outperformed men in memorising location-exchanged objects in both the full and in the divided attention condition. In the second experiment, which involved intentional encoding, women outperformed men in memorising location-exchanged objects in the full attention condition, but not the divided attention condition. These findings deepen our knowledge regarding the role of attention in object location memory, specifically in terms of the conditions under which females have an advantage for detecting changes in an array of objects. © 2018 International Union of Psychological Science.

A study on gap heat transfer of LWR fuel rods under reactivity initiated accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujishiro, Toshio

1984-03-01

Gap heat transfer between fuel pellet and cladding have a large influence on the LWR fuel behaviors under reactivity initiated accident (RIA) conditions. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of gap heat transfer on RIA fuel behaviors based on the results of the gap-gas parameter tests in NSRR and on their analysis with NSR-77 code. Through this study, transient variations of gap heat transfer, the effects of the gap heat transfer on fuel thermal behaviors and on fuel failure, effects of pellet-cladding sticking by eutectic formation, and the effects of cladding collapse under high external pressure have been clearified. The studies have also been performed on the applicability and its limit of modified Ross and Stoute equation which is extensively utilized to evaluate the gap heat transfer coefficient in the present fuel behavior codes. The method to evaluate the gap conductance to the conditions beyond the applicability limit of the Ross and Stoute equation has also been proposed. (author)

Object Permanence and Relational Words: A Lexical Training Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomasello, Michael; Farrar, Michael Jeffrey

1986-01-01

Describes a lexical training program developed to teach object, visible movement, and invisible movement words to children at stage 5 (N=7) and stage 6 (N=16) object permanence development. Stage 6 children learned all three types of words equally well, while stage 5 children learned object and visible movement but not invisible movement words.…

Website history and the website as an object of study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brügger, Niels

2009-01-01

This article puts on the agenda one of the fundamental theoretical questions within the emerging field of website history: how can the object of historical study — the website — be delimited? Its focus is on the 'website' artefact as a medium and a text. After elaborating a definition...

Ecological validity and infant research: An example from an experimental study on object individuation with familiar objects in 8-month-old infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krøjgaard, Peter

shall attempt to apply an analysis based on the concept of ecological validity on a specific experimental study within the field of infant cognition. I will attempt to show that such an analysis can be worthwhile.The presentation falls in three sections. The first section is a presentation...... might make a difference when infants reason about the physical world. For example, it might be argued that infants would probably pay more attention to ‘disappearing' familiar objects compared to novel ones. Using the so-called "violation-of-expectation" method, the study employed a design that recently...... on the infants' ability to individuate objects in the present design.In the third and final section the results obtained in the experiment are discussed, not only in relation to the existing litterature within the field of research of object individuation, but also by specificly applying the concept...

Evaluating Robotic Surgical Skills Performance Under Distractive Environment Using Objective and Subjective Measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Irene H; LaGrange, Chad A; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Siu, Ka-Chun

2016-02-01

Distractions are recognized as a significant factor affecting performance in safety critical domains. Although operating rooms are generally full of distractions, the effect of distractions on robot-assisted surgical (RAS) performance is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the effect of distractions on RAS performance using both objective and subjective measures. Fifteen participants performed a knot-tying task using the da Vinci Surgical System and were exposed to 3 distractions: (1) passive distraction entailed listening to noise with a constant heart rate, (2) active distraction included listening to noise and acknowledging a change of random heart rate from 60 to 120 bpm, and (3) interactive distraction consisted of answering math questions. The objective kinematics of the surgical instrument tips were used to evaluate performance. Electromyography (EMG) of the forearm and hand muscles of the participants were collected. The median EMG frequency (EMG(fmed)) and the EMG envelope (EMG(env)) were analyzed. NASA Task Load Index and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery score were used to evaluate the subjective performance. One-way repeated analysis of variance was applied to examine the effects of distraction on skills performance. Spearman's correlations were conducted to compare objective and subjective measures. Significant distraction effect was found for all objective kinematics measures (P < .05). There were significant distraction effects for EMG measures (EMG(env), P < .004; EMG(fmed), P = .031). Significant distraction effects were also found for subjective measurements. Distraction impairs surgical skills performance and increases muscle work. Understanding how the surgeons cope with distractions is important in developing surgical education. © The Author(s) 2015.

Characteristics of women who frequently under report their energy intake: a doubly labelled water study

OpenAIRE

Scagliusi, Fernanda Baeza [UNIFESP; Ferriolli, E.; Pfrimer, K.; Laureano, C.; Cunha, C. S. F.; Gualano, B.; Lourenco, B. H.; Lancha, A. H.

2009-01-01

Background/Objectives: We applied three dietary assessment methods and aimed at obtaining a set of physical, social and psychological variables that can discriminate those individuals who did not underreport ('never under-reporters'), those who underreported in one dietary assessment method ('occasional under-reporters') and those who underreported in two or three dietary assessment methods ('frequent under-reporters').Participants/Methods: Sixty-five women aged 18-57 years were recruited for...

Objectively measured physical activity of hospital shift workers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loef, Bette; van der Beek, Allard J; Holtermann, Andreas; Hulsegge, Gerben; van Baarle, Debbie; Proper, Karin I

2018-01-01

Objectives Shift work may alter workers' leisure-time and occupational physical activity (PA) levels, which might be one of the potential underlying mechanisms of the negative health effects of shift work. Therefore, we compared objectively measured PA levels between hospital shift and non-shift

A Benchmark for Evaluating Moving Object Indexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Su; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Lin, Dan

2008-01-01

that targets techniques for the indexing of the current and near-future positions of moving objects. This benchmark enables the comparison of existing and future indexing techniques. It covers important aspects of such indexes that have not previously been covered by any benchmark. Notable aspects covered......Progress in science and engineering relies on the ability to measure, reliably and in detail, pertinent properties of artifacts under design. Progress in the area of database-index design thus relies on empirical studies based on prototype implementations of indexes. This paper proposes a benchmark...... include update efficiency, query efficiency, concurrency control, and storage requirements. Next, the paper applies the benchmark to half a dozen notable moving-object indexes, thus demonstrating the viability of the benchmark and offering new insight into the performance properties of the indexes....

Multi-objective portfolio optimization of mutual funds under downside risk measure using fuzzy theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Amiri

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Mutual fund is one of the most popular techniques for many people to invest their funds where a professional fund manager invests people's funds based on some special predefined objectives; therefore, performance evaluation of mutual funds is an important problem. This paper proposes a multi-objective portfolio optimization to offer asset allocation. The proposed model clusters mutual funds with two methods based on six characteristics including rate of return, variance, semivariance, turnover rate, Treynor index and Sharpe index. Semivariance is used as a downside risk measure. The proposed model of this paper uses fuzzy variables for return rate and semivariance. A multi-objective fuzzy mean-semivariance portfolio optimization model is implemented and fuzzy programming technique is adopted to solve the resulted problem. The proposed model of this paper has gathered the information of mutual fund traded on Nasdaq from 2007 to 2009 and Pareto optimal solutions are obtained considering different weights for objective functions. The results of asset allocation, rate of return and risk of each cluster are also determined and they are compared with the results of two clustering methods.

A study of earthquake-induced building detection by object oriented classification approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sabuncu, Asli; Damla Uca Avci, Zehra; Sunar, Filiz

2017-04-01

Among the natural hazards, earthquakes are the most destructive disasters and cause huge loss of lives, heavily infrastructure damages and great financial losses every year all around the world. According to the statistics about the earthquakes, more than a million earthquakes occur which is equal to two earthquakes per minute in the world. Natural disasters have brought more than 780.000 deaths approximately % 60 of all mortality is due to the earthquakes after 2001. A great earthquake took place at 38.75 N 43.36 E in the eastern part of Turkey in Van Province on On October 23th, 2011. 604 people died and about 4000 buildings seriously damaged and collapsed after this earthquake. In recent years, the use of object oriented classification approach based on different object features, such as spectral, textural, shape and spatial information, has gained importance and became widespread for the classification of high-resolution satellite images and orthophotos. The motivation of this study is to detect the collapsed buildings and debris areas after the earthquake by using very high-resolution satellite images and orthophotos with the object oriented classification and also see how well remote sensing technology was carried out in determining the collapsed buildings. In this study, two different land surfaces were selected as homogenous and heterogeneous case study areas. In the first step of application, multi-resolution segmentation was applied and optimum parameters were selected to obtain the objects in each area after testing different color/shape and compactness/smoothness values. In the next step, two different classification approaches, namely "supervised" and "unsupervised" approaches were applied and their classification performances were compared. Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA) was performed using e-Cognition software.

Study on Transient Properties of Levitated Object in Near-Field Acoustic Levitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Bing; Chen Chao; Zhao Chunsheng

2011-01-01

A new approach to the study on the transient properties of the levitated object in near-field acoustic levitation (NFAL) is presented. In this article, the transient response characteristics, including the levitated height of an object with radius of 24 mm and thickness of 5 mm, the radial velocity and pressure difference of gas at the boundary of clearance between the levitated object and radiating surface (squeeze film), is calculated according to several velocity amplitudes of radiating surface. First, the basic equations in fluid areas on Arbitrary Lagrange-Euler (ALE) form are numerically solved by using streamline upwind petrov galerkin (SUPG) finite elements method. Second, the formed algebraic equations and solid control equations are solved by using synchronous alternating method to gain the transient messages of the levitated object and gas in the squeeze film. Through theoretical and numerical analyses, it is found that there is a oscillation time in the transient process and that the response time does not simply increase with the increasing of velocity amplitudes of radiating surface. More investigations in this paper are helpful for the understanding of the transient properties of levitated object in NFAL, which are in favor of enhancing stabilities and responsiveness of levitated object. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Study on Transient Properties of Levitated Object in Near-Field Acoustic Levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Bing; Chen, Chao; Zhao, Chun-Sheng

2011-12-01

A new approach to the study on the transient properties of the levitated object in near-field acoustic levitation (NFAL) is presented. In this article, the transient response characteristics, including the levitated height of an object with radius of 24 mm and thickness of 5 mm, the radial velocity and pressure difference of gas at the boundary of clearance between the levitated object and radiating surface (squeeze film), is calculated according to several velocity amplitudes of radiating surface. First, the basic equations in fluid areas on Arbitrary Lagrange—Euler (ALE) form are numerically solved by using streamline upwind petrov galerkin (SUPG) finite elements method. Second, the formed algebraic equations and solid control equations are solved by using synchronous alternating method to gain the transient messages of the levitated object and gas in the squeeze film. Through theoretical and numerical analyses, it is found that there is a oscillation time in the transient process and that the response time does not simply increase with the increasing of velocity amplitudes of radiating surface. More investigations in this paper are helpful for the understanding of the transient properties of levitated object in NFAL, which are in favor of enhancing stabilities and responsiveness of levitated object.

Multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithms: A tutorial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konak, Abdullah; Coit, David W.; Smith, Alice E.

2006-01-01

Multi-objective formulations are realistic models for many complex engineering optimization problems. In many real-life problems, objectives under consideration conflict with each other, and optimizing a particular solution with respect to a single objective can result in unacceptable results with respect to the other objectives. A reasonable solution to a multi-objective problem is to investigate a set of solutions, each of which satisfies the objectives at an acceptable level without being dominated by any other solution. In this paper, an overview and tutorial is presented describing genetic algorithms (GA) developed specifically for problems with multiple objectives. They differ primarily from traditional GA by using specialized fitness functions and introducing methods to promote solution diversity

30 CFR 874.13 - Reclamation objectives and priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reclamation objectives and priorities. 874.13... INTERIOR ABANDONED MINE LAND RECLAMATION GENERAL RECLAMATION REQUIREMENTS § 874.13 Reclamation objectives...)(2)(ii) of this section. (b) This paragraph applies to State or Tribal share funds available under...

Infant manual performance during reaching and grasping for objects moving in depth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik eDomellöf

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Few studies have observed investigated manual asymmetries performance in infants when reaching and grasping for objects moving in directions other than across the fronto-parallel plane. The present preliminary study explored manual object-oriented behavioral strategies and hand side preference in 8- and 10-month-old infants during reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth from three positions (midline, and 27° diagonally from the left, and right, midline. Effects of task constraint by using objects of three different types and two sizes were further examined for behavioral strategies and . The study also involved measurements of hand position opening prior to grasping., and Additionally, assessments of general hand preference by a dedicated handedness test were performed. Regardless of object starting position, the 8-month-old infants predominantly displayed right-handed reaches for objects approaching in depth. In contrast, the older infants showed more varied strategies and performed more ipsilateral reaches in correspondence with the side of the approaching object. Conversely, 10-month-old infants were more successful than the younger infants in grasping the objects, independent of object starting position. The findings support the possibility of a shared underlying mechanism regarding for infant hand use strategies when reaching and grasping for horizontally objects moving in depth are similar to those from earlier studies using objects moving along a horizontal pathand vertically moving objects. Still, initiation times of reaching onset were generally long in the present study, indicating that the object motion paths seemingly affected how the infants perceived the intrinsic properties and spatial locations of the objects, possibly with an effect on motor planning. Findings are further discussed in relation to future investigations of infant reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth.

Is oxygen supplementation necessary for patients under spinal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Oxygen supplementation is given routinely to patients undergoing surgery under spinal anaesthesia, the basic aim being to prevent oxygen desaturation and hypoxemia. Objective: This study aimed to find out the incidence of hypoxemia under spinal anaesthesia and determine if oxygen supplementation is ...

Exploring the relationship between object realism and object-based attention effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Roque, Nelson; Boot, Walter R

2015-09-01

Visual attention prioritizes processing of locations in space, and evidence also suggests that the benefits of attention can be shaped by the presence of objects (object-based attention). However, the prevalence of object-based attention effects has been called into question recently by evidence from a large-sampled study employing classic attention paradigms (Pilz et al., 2012). We conducted two experiments to explore factors that might determine when and if object-based attention effects are observed, focusing on the degree to which the concreteness and realism of objects might contribute to these effects. We adapted the classic attention paradigm first reported by Egly, Driver, and Rafal (1994) by replacing abstract bar stimuli in some conditions with objects that were more concrete and familiar to participants: items of silverware. Furthermore, we varied the realism of these items of silverware, presenting either cartoon versions or photo-realistic versions. Contrary to predictions, increased realism did not increase the size of object-based effects. In fact, no clear object-based effects were observed in either experiment, consistent with previous failures to replicate these effects in similar paradigms. While object-based attention may exist, and may have important influences on how we parse the visual world, these and other findings suggest that the two-object paradigm typically relied upon to study object-based effects may not be the best paradigm to investigate these issues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transformation-tolerant object recognition in rats revealed by visual priming.

Science.gov (United States)

Tafazoli, Sina; Di Filippo, Alessandro; Zoccolan, Davide

2012-01-04

Successful use of rodents as models for studying object vision crucially depends on the ability of their visual system to construct representations of visual objects that tolerate (i.e., remain relatively unchanged with respect to) the tremendous changes in object appearance produced, for instance, by size and viewpoint variation. Whether this is the case is still controversial, despite some recent demonstration of transformation-tolerant object recognition in rats. In fact, it remains unknown to what extent such a tolerant recognition has a spontaneous, perceptual basis, or, alternatively, mainly reflects learning of arbitrary associative relations among trained object appearances. In this study, we addressed this question by training rats to categorize a continuum of morph objects resulting from blending two object prototypes. The resulting psychometric curve (reporting the proportion of responses to one prototype along the morph line) served as a reference when, in a second phase of the experiment, either prototype was briefly presented as a prime, immediately before a test morph object. The resulting shift of the psychometric curve showed that recognition became biased toward the identity of the prime. Critically, this bias was observed also when the primes were transformed along a variety of dimensions (i.e., size, position, viewpoint, and their combination) that the animals had never experienced before. These results indicate that rats spontaneously perceive different views/appearances of an object as similar (i.e., as instances of the same object) and argue for the existence of neuronal substrates underlying formation of transformation-tolerant object representations in rats.

A Survey of Multi-Objective Sequential Decision-Making

OpenAIRE

Roijers, D.M.; Vamplew, P.; Whiteson, S.; Dazeley, R.

2013-01-01

Sequential decision-making problems with multiple objectives arise naturally in practice and pose unique challenges for research in decision-theoretic planning and learning, which has largely focused on single-objective settings. This article surveys algorithms designed for sequential decision-making problems with multiple objectives. Though there is a growing body of literature on this subject, little of it makes explicit under what circumstances special methods are needed to solve multi-obj...

Studies on combined model based on functional objectives of large scale complex engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Yuting, Wang; Jingchun, Feng; Jiabao, Sun

2018-03-01

As various functions were included in large scale complex engineering, and each function would be conducted with completion of one or more projects, combined projects affecting their functions should be located. Based on the types of project portfolio, the relationship of projects and their functional objectives were analyzed. On that premise, portfolio projects-technics based on their functional objectives were introduced, then we studied and raised the principles of portfolio projects-technics based on the functional objectives of projects. In addition, The processes of combined projects were also constructed. With the help of portfolio projects-technics based on the functional objectives of projects, our research findings laid a good foundation for management of large scale complex engineering portfolio management.

MULTIPLE OBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Bosov

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The development of complicated techniques of production and management processes, information systems, computer science, applied objects of systems theory and others requires improvement of mathematical methods, new approaches for researches of application systems. And the variety and diversity of subject systems makes necessary the development of a model that generalizes the classical sets and their development – sets of sets. Multiple objects unlike sets are constructed by multiple structures and represented by the structure and content. The aim of the work is the analysis of multiple structures, generating multiple objects, the further development of operations on these objects in application systems. Methodology. To achieve the objectives of the researches, the structure of multiple objects represents as constructive trio, consisting of media, signatures and axiomatic. Multiple object is determined by the structure and content, as well as represented by hybrid superposition, composed of sets, multi-sets, ordered sets (lists and heterogeneous sets (sequences, corteges. Findings. In this paper we study the properties and characteristics of the components of hybrid multiple objects of complex systems, proposed assessments of their complexity, shown the rules of internal and external operations on objects of implementation. We introduce the relation of arbitrary order over multiple objects, we define the description of functions and display on objects of multiple structures. Originality.In this paper we consider the development of multiple structures, generating multiple objects.Practical value. The transition from the abstract to the subject of multiple structures requires the transformation of the system and multiple objects. Transformation involves three successive stages: specification (binding to the domain, interpretation (multiple sites and particularization (goals. The proposed describe systems approach based on hybrid sets

Layout design of user interface components with multiple objectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peer S.K.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A multi-goal layout problem may be formulated as a Quadratic Assignment model, considering multiple goals (or factors, both qualitative and quantitative in the objective function. The facilities layout problem, in general, varies from the location and layout of facilities in manufacturing plant to the location and layout of textual and graphical user interface components in the human–computer interface. In this paper, we propose two alternate mathematical approaches to the single-objective layout model. The first one presents a multi-goal user interface component layout problem, considering the distance-weighted sum of congruent objectives of closeness relationships and the interactions. The second one considers the distance-weighted sum of congruent objectives of normalized weighted closeness relationships and normalized weighted interactions. The results of first approach are compared with that of an existing single objective model for example task under consideration. Then, the results of first approach and second approach of the proposed model are compared for the example task under consideration.

Study on hybrid multi-objective optimization algorithm for inverse treatment planning of radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Guoli; Song Gang; Wu Yican

2007-01-01

Inverse treatment planning for radiation therapy is a multi-objective optimization process. The hybrid multi-objective optimization algorithm is studied by combining the simulated annealing(SA) and genetic algorithm(GA). Test functions are used to analyze the efficiency of algorithms. The hybrid multi-objective optimization SA algorithm, which displacement is based on the evolutionary strategy of GA: crossover and mutation, is implemented in inverse planning of external beam radiation therapy by using two kinds of objective functions, namely the average dose distribution based and the hybrid dose-volume constraints based objective functions. The test calculations demonstrate that excellent converge speed can be achieved. (authors)

Study of Under-ice Blooms In the Chukchi Ecosystem (SUBICE) (HLY1401, EM122)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The primary objectives of SUBICE were to determine the spatial distribution of large under-ice phytoplankton blooms on the Chukchi Shelf and the physical mechanisms...

Bite Mark Analysis in Foodstuffs and Inanimate Objects and the Underlying Proofs for Validity and Judicial Acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Mendoza, Fernando; Martín-de-Las-Heras, Stella; Navarro-Cáceres, Pablo; Fonseca, Gabriel M

2018-03-01

Even though one of the first bite mark cases was Doyle v. State in 1954 (a bitten cheese case), the research has focused on bite marks inflicted in human skin. As published Papers, Case Reports, or Technical Notes can constitute precedents which are relied upon in making the legal arguments and a considerable amount of case law exists in this area, we present a systematic review on bite mark analysis in foodstuffs and inanimate objects and their underlying proofs for validity and judicial acceptance according to Daubert rulings. Results showed that there is vulnerability in these procedures, and it is essential to demand for focus scrutiny on the known error rates when such evidence is presented in trials. These kinds of bite marks are well documented; however, there has been little research in this field knowing that the protocols of analysis and comparison are the responsibility of the forensic odontologists. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Optical processing of holographic lateral shear interferograms recorded by displacing an object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyalikov, A M

2008-01-01

A new approach is considered which is used in holographic lateral shear interferometry and allows the combination of the displacement of a phase object under study during the recording of holographic interferograms with the optical processing of displaced and optically conjugate holographic interferograms. Depending on the method of optical processing of such a pair of holographic interferograms, several aberration-free interference patterns are observed, which reflect with different sensitivities variations in the light wave phase caused by the phase object. Due to the lateral shear, which is equal to or exceeds the linear size of the object, the interference patterns of the object are identical to interference patterns obtained in a two-beam, reference-wave interferometer. The possibility of using this method to control optical inhomogeneities in active crystals in solid-state lasers is studied experimentally. (interferometry)

Multi-objective portfolio optimization of mutual funds under downside risk measure using fuzzy theory

OpenAIRE

M. Amiri; M. Zandieh; A. Alimi

2012-01-01

Mutual fund is one of the most popular techniques for many people to invest their funds where a professional fund manager invests people's funds based on some special predefined objectives; therefore, performance evaluation of mutual funds is an important problem. This paper proposes a multi-objective portfolio optimization to offer asset allocation. The proposed model clusters mutual funds with two methods based on six characteristics including rate of return, variance, semivariance, turnove...

Notes on English used as a lingua franca as an object of study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Janus

2013-01-01

This article discusses how English used as a lingua franca (ELF) can be defined as an object of study. It offers a critical appraisal of a high-profile definition of ELF (the VOICE/Seidlhofer definition), and argues that definitions of this kind, whether purposely or not, in effect invite...... approach to the conceptualization of ELF where ELF is defined in straightforward functional terms as the use of English in a lingua franca language scenario. This definition underscores the complexity and breadth of ELF as an object of study, and highlights that researchers in the field of ELF studies need...

Objectives and Outcomes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segalman, D.J.

1998-11-30

I have recently become involved in the ABET certification process under the new system - ABET 2000. This system relies heavily on concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM). It encourages each institution to define its objectives in terms of its own mission and then create a coherent program based on it. The prescribed steps in setting up the new system at an engineering institution are: o identification of constituencies G definition of mission. It is expected that the department's mission will be consistent with that of the overall institution, but containing some higher resolution language appropriate to that particular discipline of the engineering profession. o statement of objectives consistent with the mission 3G~~\\vED " enumeration of desired, and preferably measurable, outcomes of the process that would ~ `=. verify satisfaction of the objectives. ~~~ 07 !398 o establish performance standards for each outcome. o creation of appropriate feedback loops to assure that the objectives are still consistent with Q$YT1 the mission, that the outcomes remain consistent with the objectives, and that the curriculum and the teaching result in those outcomes. It is my assertion that once the institution verbalizes a mission, enumerated objectives naturally flow from that mission. (We shall try to demonstrate by example.) Further, if the mission uses the word "engineer", one would expect that word also to appear in at least one of the objectives. The objective of producing engineers of any sort must -by decree - involve the presence of the ABET criteria in the outcomes list. In other words, successful satisfaction of the ABET items a-k are a necessary subset of the measure of success in producing engineers. o We shall produce bachelor level engineers whose training in the core topics of chemical (or electrical, or mechanical) engineering is recognized to be among the best in the nation. o We shall provide an opportunity for our students to gain

Objective Cognitive Impairment and Progression to Dementia in Women: The Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Jesper; Dragsbæk, K.; Christiansen, C.

2017-01-01

Background: Identification of subjects with a progressive disease phenotype is an urgent need in the pharmaceutical industry where most of the recent clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease have failed. Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify subgroups of individuals with objective...

Real Objects Can Impede Conditional Reasoning but Augmented Objects Do Not.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Yuri; Sugimoto, Yutaro; Ueda, Kazuhiro

2018-03-01

In this study, Knauff and Johnson-Laird's (2002) visual impedance hypothesis (i.e., mental representations with irrelevant visual detail can impede reasoning) is applied to the domain of external representations and diagrammatic reasoning. We show that the use of real objects and augmented real (AR) objects can control human interpretation and reasoning about conditionals. As participants made inferences (e.g., an invalid one from "if P then Q" to "P"), they also moved objects corresponding to premises. Participants who moved real objects made more invalid inferences than those who moved AR objects and those who did not manipulate objects (there was no significant difference between the last two groups). Our results showed that real objects impeded conditional reasoning, but AR objects did not. These findings are explained by the fact that real objects may over-specify a single state that exists, while AR objects suggest multiple possibilities. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Mapping objects through a data motor NoSQL case study: framework for web applications development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger Calderón-Moreno

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article emerged as an academic initiative in which it is observed that the areas of knowledge in software develop- ment under the paradigm of Object-oriented programming (OOP is confronted by a model data storage relational raising two scenarios different developers try to mitigate through conversions between types or using intermediate tools such as mapping relational objects that bring certain advantages and disadvantages, and therefore, was raised within the project the possibility of using a storage engine type non-relational or NoSQL.With the design and development of the framework for generating Web applications, the user can define objects to consider including in the application, which will be stored in MongoDB engine, which arranges the data in the form of documents. The dynamic structure of these documents can be used in many projects, including many who traditionally would work on relational databases.Aiming to socialize and evaluate the work done, some instruments were designed to collect information from users with experience in the field of databases and software development. As a result highlights that software developers have clear concepts of object persistence through object-relational mapping (ORM, that learning these techniques software development through implementing own code or using APIs have a high degree of complexity and mostly (60% they are aware that these implementations generate low performance in applications. In addition, the opening of these highlights to choose alternative to organize and store information, different to the relational approach used for several years.

AMPA Receptor Endocytosis in Rat Perirhinal Cortex Underlies Retrieval of Object Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Cazakoff, Brittany N.; Howland, John G.

2011-01-01

Mechanisms consistent with long-term depression in the perirhinal cortex (PRh) play a fundamental role in object recognition memory; however, whether AMPA receptor endocytosis is involved in distinct phases of recognition memory is not known. To address this question, we used local PRh infusions of the cell membrane-permeable Tat-GluA2[subscript…

Sub-Hour X-Ray Variability of High-Energy Peaked BL Lacertae Objects

OpenAIRE

Bidzina Kapanadze

2018-01-01

The study of multi-wavelength flux variability in BL Lacertae objects is very important to discern unstable processes and emission mechanisms underlying their extreme observational features. While the innermost regions of these objects are not accessible from direct observations, we may draw conclusions about their internal structure via the detection of flux variations on various timescales, based on the light-travel argument. In this paper, we review the sub-hour X-ray variability in high-e...

A dualism in entanglement and testing quantum identicity of macroscopic objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, S.; Home, D.

2005-01-01

Full text: Identical quantum objects are known to behave very differently from their classical counterparts by exhibiting bosonic/fermionic statistics. We present another consequence of the impossibility of distinguishing identical quantum objects through their superselected innate attributes. If two quantum objects distinguished through a dynamical variable A are entangled in another dynamical variable B, then (under certain conditions) they are also entangled in variable A when distinguished from each other by variable B. This dualism is independent of and more general than quantum statistics. We formulate a general scheme to test this dualism through polarization entangled photons. The dualism enables one to use prior entanglement to avoid scattering while probing the identicity of two mutually interacting, even macroscopic objects. It thus opens the way for studying the quantum to classical transition of identicity. (author)

16 CFR 307.9 - Requirements for disclosure on utilitarian objects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... utilitarian object with a permanence and durability that is comparable to the permanence and durability of the... objects. 307.9 Section 307.9 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION REGULATIONS UNDER SPECIFIC ACTS... Advertising Disclosures § 307.9 Requirements for disclosure on utilitarian objects. (a) In the case of...

Objects in Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Damonte, Kathleen

2004-01-01

One thing scientists study is how objects move. A famous scientist named Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) spent a lot of time observing objects in motion and came up with three laws that describe how things move. This explanation only deals with the first of his three laws of motion. Newton's First Law of Motion says that moving objects will continue…

Processing ser and estar to locate objects and events: An ERP study with L2 speakers of Spanish.

Science.gov (United States)

Dussias, Paola E; Contemori, Carla; Román, Patricia

2014-01-01

In Spanish locative constructions, a different form of the copula is selected in relation to the semantic properties of the grammatical subject: sentences that locate objects require estar while those that locate events require ser (both translated in English as 'to be'). In an ERP study, we examined whether second language (L2) speakers of Spanish are sensitive to the selectional restrictions that the different types of subjects impose on the choice of the two copulas. Twenty-four native speakers of Spanish and two groups of L2 Spanish speakers (24 beginners and 18 advanced speakers) were recruited to investigate the processing of 'object/event + estar/ser ' permutations. Participants provided grammaticality judgments on correct (object + estar ; event + ser ) and incorrect (object + ser ; event + estar ) sentences while their brain activity was recorded. In line with previous studies (Leone-Fernández, Molinaro, Carreiras, & Barber, 2012; Sera, Gathje, & Pintado, 1999), the results of the grammaticality judgment for the native speakers showed that participants correctly accepted object + estar and event + ser constructions. In addition, while 'object + ser ' constructions were considered grossly ungrammatical, 'event + estar ' combinations were perceived as unacceptable to a lesser degree. For these same participants, ERP recording time-locked to the onset of the critical word ' en ' showed a larger P600 for the ser predicates when the subject was an object than when it was an event (*La silla es en la cocina vs. La fiesta es en la cocina). This P600 effect is consistent with syntactic repair of the defining predicate when it does not fit with the adequate semantic properties of the subject. For estar predicates (La silla está en la cocina vs. *La fiesta está en la cocina), the findings showed a central-frontal negativity between 500-700 ms. Grammaticality judgment data for the L2 speakers of Spanish showed that beginners were significantly less accurate than

Surface Area Distribution Descriptor for object matching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed F. Gafar

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Matching 3D objects by their similarity is a fundamental problem in computer vision, computer graphics and many other fields. The main challenge in object matching is to find a suitable shape representation that can be used to accurately and quickly discriminate between similar and dissimilar shapes. In this paper we present a new volumetric descriptor to represent 3D objects. The proposed descriptor is used to match objects under rigid transformations including uniform scaling. The descriptor represents the object by dividing it into shells, acquiring the area distribution of the object through those shells. The computed areas are normalised to make the descriptor scale-invariant in addition to rotation and translation invariant. The effectiveness and stability of the proposed descriptor to noise and variant sampling density as well as the effectiveness of the similarity measures are analysed and demonstrated through experimental results.

Multi-Objective Optimization for Energy Performance Improvement of Residential Buildings: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kangji Li

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Numerous conflicting criteria exist in building design optimization, such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission and indoor thermal performance. Different simulation-based optimization strategies and various optimization algorithms have been developed. A few of them are analyzed and compared in solving building design problems. This paper presents an efficient optimization framework to facilitate optimization designs with the aid of commercial simulation software and MATLAB. The performances of three optimization strategies, including the proposed approach, GenOpt method and artificial neural network (ANN method, are investigated using a case study of a simple building energy model. Results show that the proposed optimization framework has competitive performances compared with the GenOpt method. Further, in another practical case, four popular multi-objective algorithms, e.g., the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II, multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO, the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA and multi-objective differential evolution (MODE, are realized using the propose optimization framework and compared with three criteria. Results indicate that MODE achieves close-to-optimal solutions with the best diversity and execution time. An uncompetitive result is achieved by the MOPSO in this case study.

Reducing regional drought vulnerabilities and multi-city robustness conflicts using many-objective optimization under deep uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Trindade, B. C.; Reed, P. M.; Herman, J. D.; Zeff, H. B.; Characklis, G. W.

2017-06-01

Emerging water scarcity concerns in many urban regions are associated with several deeply uncertain factors, including rapid population growth, limited coordination across adjacent municipalities and the increasing risks for sustained regional droughts. Managing these uncertainties will require that regional water utilities identify coordinated, scarcity-mitigating strategies that trigger the appropriate actions needed to avoid water shortages and financial instabilities. This research focuses on the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, seeking to engage the water utilities within Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill in cooperative and robust regional water portfolio planning. Prior analysis of this region through the year 2025 has identified significant regional vulnerabilities to volumetric shortfalls and financial losses. Moreover, efforts to maximize the individual robustness of any of the mentioned utilities also have the potential to strongly degrade the robustness of the others. This research advances a multi-stakeholder Many-Objective Robust Decision Making (MORDM) framework to better account for deeply uncertain factors when identifying cooperative drought management strategies. Our results show that appropriately designing adaptive risk-of-failure action triggers required stressing them with a comprehensive sample of deeply uncertain factors in the computational search phase of MORDM. Search under the new ensemble of states-of-the-world is shown to fundamentally change perceived performance tradeoffs and substantially improve the robustness of individual utilities as well as the overall region to water scarcity. Search under deep uncertainty enhanced the discovery of how cooperative water transfers, financial risk mitigation tools, and coordinated regional demand management must be employed jointly to improve regional robustness and decrease robustness conflicts between the utilities. Insights from this work have general merit for regions where

Variability of Massive Young Stellar Objects in Cygnus-X

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Nancy H.; Hora, J. L.; Smith, H. A.

2013-01-01

Young stellar objects (YSOs) are stars in the process of formation. Several recent investigations have shown a high rate of photometric variability in YSOs at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. Theoretical models for the formation of massive stars (1-10 solar masses) remain highly idealized, and little is known about the mechanisms that produce the variability. An ongoing Spitzer Space Telescope program is studying massive star formation in the Cygnus-X region. In conjunction with the Spitzer observations, we have conducted a ground-based near-infrared observing program of the Cygnus-X DR21 field using PAIRITEL, the automated infrared telescope at Whipple Observatory. Using the Stetson index for variability, we identified variable objects and a number of variable YSOs in our time-series PAIRITEL data of DR21. We have searched for periodicity among our variable objects using the Lomb-Scargle algorithm, and identified periodic variable objects with an average period of 8.07 days. Characterization of these variable and periodic objects will help constrain models of star formation present. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 0754568 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

A robust multi-objective global supplier selection model under currency fluctuation and price discount

Science.gov (United States)

Zarindast, Atousa; Seyed Hosseini, Seyed Mohamad; Pishvaee, Mir Saman

2017-06-01

Robust supplier selection problem, in a scenario-based approach has been proposed, when the demand and exchange rates are subject to uncertainties. First, a deterministic multi-objective mixed integer linear programming is developed; then, the robust counterpart of the proposed mixed integer linear programming is presented using the recent extension in robust optimization theory. We discuss decision variables, respectively, by a two-stage stochastic planning model, a robust stochastic optimization planning model which integrates worst case scenario in modeling approach and finally by equivalent deterministic planning model. The experimental study is carried out to compare the performances of the three models. Robust model resulted in remarkable cost saving and it illustrated that to cope with such uncertainties, we should consider them in advance in our planning. In our case study different supplier were selected due to this uncertainties and since supplier selection is a strategic decision, it is crucial to consider these uncertainties in planning approach.

Establishing Visual Category Boundaries between Objects: A PET Study

Science.gov (United States)

Saumier, Daniel; Chertkow, Howard; Arguin, Martin; Whatmough, Cristine

2005-01-01

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often have problems in recognizing common objects. This visual agnosia may stem from difficulties in establishing appropriate visual boundaries between visually similar objects. In support of this hypothesis, Saumier, Arguin, Chertkow, and Renfrew (2001) showed that AD subjects have difficulties in…

The functional neuroanatomy of object agnosia: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Konen, Christina S; Behrmann, Marlene; Nishimura, Mayu; Kastner, Sabine

2011-07-14

Cortical reorganization of visual and object representations following neural injury was examined using fMRI and behavioral investigations. We probed the visual responsivity of the ventral visual cortex of an agnosic patient who was impaired at object recognition following a lesion to the right lateral fusiform gyrus. In both hemispheres, retinotopic mapping revealed typical topographic organization and visual activation of early visual cortex. However, visual responses, object-related, and -selective responses were reduced in regions immediately surrounding the lesion in the right hemisphere, and also, surprisingly, in corresponding locations in the structurally intact left hemisphere. In contrast, hV4 of the right hemisphere showed expanded response properties. These findings indicate that the right lateral fusiform gyrus is critically involved in object recognition and that an impairment to this region has widespread consequences for remote parts of cortex. Finally, functional neural plasticity is possible even when a cortical lesion is sustained in adulthood. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental measurements and technology for non-proliferation objectives. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadway, J.A.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify multi-disciplinary and single focus laboratories from the environmental and public health communities that can serve as technical center of opportunity for nuclear, inorganic and organic analyses. The objectives of the Office of Research and Development effort are twofold: (1) to identify the technology shortcomings and technologies gaps (thus requirements) within these communities that could benefit from state-of-the-art infield analysis technologies currently under development and (2) to promote scientist-to-scientist dialog and technical exchange under such existing US government internship programs (eg SABIT/USDOC) to improve skills and work relationships. Although the data analysis will focus on environmentally sensitive signatures and materials, the office of Research and Development wishes to further its nuclear non-proliferation objectives by assessing the current technical skill and ingenious analytical tools in less-developed countries so as to broaden the base of capability for multi-species measurement technology development

Comparing objective and subjective error measures for color constancy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lucassen, M.P.; Gijsenij, A.; Gevers, T.

2008-01-01

We compare an objective and a subjective performance measure for color constancy algorithms. Eight hyper-spectral images were rendered under a neutral reference illuminant and four chromatic illuminants (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue). The scenes rendered under the chromatic illuminants were color

QUALITY OF NURSING DOCUMENTATION AND NURSE’S OBJECTIVE WORKLOAD BASED ON TIME AND MOTION STUDY (TMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mira Amelynda Prakosa

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The quality of documentation can decrease because of bad admission filling of documentation. Workload is one of the factor that can influence admission filling of documentation. This study was aimed to analyze the correlation between nurse’s objective workload and the quality of nursing documentation in RSU Haji. Method. The design of this study was descriptive correlation with cross-sectional approach. The population on this study was the nurse that works in Marwah 3 and 4 inpatient care in RSU Haji Surabaya. The number of the sample was 14 respondents were selected by simple random sampling. The independent variable was nurse’s objective workload and the dependent variable was quality of nursing documentation. The data were analyzed by using regression logistic. Result. Nurse’s objective workload in RSU Haji was 72%. There was no correlational between nurse’s objective workload with the completeness of nursing documentation (P= 0,999, also nurse’s objective workload with accurate of nursing documentation (P= 0,999. Discussion. This study concluded that nurse’s objective workload was low and quality of nursing documentation was accurate enough and complete enough. Next researcher should provide precise operational so the factors that affected the quality of documentation can be reached and the workload of the nurses in RSU Haji become ideal. Keyword:  nurses, quality of nursing documentation, objective workload

Preserving urban objects of historicaland architectural heritage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bal'zannikova Ekaterina Mikhailovna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Large cities of central Russia were built under the influence of the factors that played an important role in protecting their population; natural resources and opportunities for trading were also essential. The industrial development and construction of large industrial facilities were significant for the formation of urban environment. As a result architectural monuments of great historical value that have a significant influence on the formation of the modern city image were preserved.Nowadays, a great number of buildings of historical and architectural heritage turned out to be in poor condition. Funding and its efficient use are rational means of saving the most valuable objects of historical and cultural heritage. In order to do this it is necessary to solve the problems of developing complex and effective measures for preserving these objectsThe existing method of preserving urban objects does not focus on urban architectural objects of historical and architectural value. It does not cover the study of urban development features in architectural and town-planning environment surrounding this object, it does not determine the historical and architectural value of the object and it does not identify the relationship of the object and the surrounding objects as well as architectural frame of the total area. That is why the existing method cannot be considered an appropriate system for preserving the objects of historical and architectural heritage.In order to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above and to increase tourist interest to the architecturally valuable buildings in urban areas, the author has proposed a complex approach to improve the method of reconstructing urban objects of great historical and architectural significance.The existing method of preserving historical objects includes the preparatory period of studying the degree of historical and architectural heritage wear and decay, developing the techniques for strengthening

Underlying Event Studies for LHC Energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnafoeldi, Gergely Gabor; Levai, Peter; Agocs, Andras G.

2011-01-01

Underlying event was originally defined by the CDF collaboration decades ago. Here we improve the original definition to extend our analysis for events with multiple-jets. We introduce a definition for surrounding rings/belts and based on this definition the jet- and surrounding-belt-excluded areas will provide a good underlying event definition. We inverstigate our definition via the multiplicity in the defined geometry. In parallel, mean transverse momenta of these areas also studied in proton-proton collisions at √(s) = 7 TeV LHC energy.

The development of object function and manipulation knowledge: evidence from a semantic priming study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia Collette

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Object semantics include object function and manipulation knowledge. Function knowledge refers to the goal attainable by using an object (e.g. the function of a key is to open or close a door while manipulation knowledge refers to gestures one has to execute to use an object appropriately (e.g. a key is held between the thumb and the index, inserted into the door lock and then turned.To date, several studies have assessed function and manipulation knowledge in brain lesion patients as well as in healthy adult populations. In patients with left brain damage, a double dissociation between these two types of knowledge has been reported; on the other hand, behavioral studies in healthy adults show that function knowledge is processed faster than manipulation knowledge. Empirical evidence has shown that object interaction in children differs from that in adults, suggesting that the access to function and manipulation knowledge in children might also differ.To investigate the development of object function and manipulation knowledge, 51 typically developing 8-9-10 year-old children and 17 healthy young adults were tested on a naming task associated with a semantic priming paradigm (190-ms SOA; prime duration: 90 ms in which a series of line drawings of manipulable objects were used. Target objects could be preceded by three priming contexts: related (e.g. knife-scissors for function; key-screwdriver for manipulation, unrelated but visually similar (e.g. glasses-scissors; baseball bat-screwdriver, and purely unrelated (e.g. die-scissors; tissue-screwdriver.Results showed a different developmental pattern of function and manipulation priming effects. Function priming effects were not present in children and emerged only in adults, with faster naming responses for targets preceded by objects sharing the same function. In contrast, manipulation priming effects were already present in 8-year-olds with faster naming responses for targets preceded by objects

Greenhouse cooling using a rainwater basin under the greenhouse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Campen, J.B.

2006-01-01

The objective of the study was to determine the technical and economical aspects of additional applications for a rainwater basin installed under a greenhouse. The installation for cooling the greenhouse can be placed under the greenhouse. Part of the installation consists of a short-term heat store

Landscape heritage objects' effect on driving: a combined driving simulator and questionnaire study.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonson, Hans; Ahlström, Christer; Mårdh, Selina; Blomqvist, Göran; Wiklund, Mats

2014-01-01

According to the literature, landscape (panoramas, heritage objects e.g. landmarks) affects people in various ways. Data are primarily developed by asking people (interviews, photo sessions, focus groups) about their preferences, but to a lesser degree by measuring how the body reacts to such objects. Personal experience while driving a car through a landscape is even more rare. In this paper we study how different types of objects in the landscape affect drivers during their drive. A high-fidelity moving-base driving simulator was used to measure choice of speed and lateral position in combination with stress (heart rate measure) and eye tracking. The data were supplemented with questionnaires. Eighteen test drivers (8 men and 10 women) with a mean age of 37 were recruited. The test drivers were exposed to different new and old types of landscape objects such as 19th century church, wind turbine, 17th century milestone and bus stop, placed at different distances from the road driven. The findings are in some respect contradictory, but it was concluded that that 33% of the test drivers felt stressed during the drive. All test drivers said that they had felt calm at times during the drive but the reason for this was only to a minor degree connected with old and modern objects. The open landscape was experienced as conducive to acceleration. Most objects were, to a small degree, experienced (subjective data) as having a speed-reducing effect, much in line with the simulator data (objective data). Objects close to the road affected the drivers' choice of' lateral position. No significant differences could be observed concerning the test drivers' gaze between old or modern objects, but a significant difference was observed between the test drivers' gaze between road stretches with faraway objects and stretches without objects. No meaningful, significant differences were found for the drivers' stress levels as measured by heart rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All

Analysis of micro computed tomography images; a look inside historic enamelled metal objects

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, Veerle; van de Casteele, Elke; Thomas, Mienke Simon; de Vos, Annemie; Janssen, Elsje; Janssens, Koen

2010-02-01

In this study the usefulness of micro-Computed Tomography (µ-CT) for the in-depth analysis of enamelled metal objects was tested. Usually investigations of enamelled metal artefacts are restricted to non-destructive surface analysis or analysis of cross sections after destructive sampling. Radiography, a commonly used technique in the field of cultural heritage studies, is limited to providing two-dimensional information about a three-dimensional object (Lang and Middleton, Radiography of Cultural Material, pp. 60-61, Elsevier-Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam-Stoneham-London, 2005). Obtaining virtual slices and information about the internal structure of these objects was made possible by CT analysis. With this technique the underlying metal work was studied without removing the decorative enamel layer. Moreover visible defects such as cracks were measured in both width and depth and as of yet invisible defects and weaker areas are visualised. All these features are of great interest to restorers and conservators as they allow a view inside these objects without so much as touching them.

Thoughts on Improvable Objects, Contradiction and Object/Tool Reciprocity in a Study of Zoo Educator Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Ash, Doris B.; Kelly, Lisa-Anne DeGregoria

2013-01-01

In this forum we discuss three aspects designed to clarify and extend Kelly and Kassing's paper. These are the roles of improvable objects, contradiction and object/tool reciprocity. In each case we cite relevant literature and pose questions to the field. Our goal is to seed ideas for future discussions concerning the role of activity theory…

Stochastic multi-objective model for optimal energy exchange optimization of networked microgrids with presence of renewable generation under risk-based strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazijahani, Farhad Samadi; Ravadanegh, Sajad Najafi; Salehi, Javad

2018-02-01

The inherent volatility and unpredictable nature of renewable generations and load demand pose considerable challenges for energy exchange optimization of microgrids (MG). To address these challenges, this paper proposes a new risk-based multi-objective energy exchange optimization for networked MGs from economic and reliability standpoints under load consumption and renewable power generation uncertainties. In so doing, three various risk-based strategies are distinguished by using conditional value at risk (CVaR) approach. The proposed model is specified as a two-distinct objective function. The first function minimizes the operation and maintenance costs, cost of power transaction between upstream network and MGs as well as power loss cost, whereas the second function minimizes the energy not supplied (ENS) value. Furthermore, the stochastic scenario-based approach is incorporated into the approach in order to handle the uncertainty. Also, Kantorovich distance scenario reduction method has been implemented to reduce the computational burden. Finally, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGAII) is applied to minimize the objective functions simultaneously and the best solution is extracted by fuzzy satisfying method with respect to risk-based strategies. To indicate the performance of the proposed model, it is performed on the modified IEEE 33-bus distribution system and the obtained results show that the presented approach can be considered as an efficient tool for optimal energy exchange optimization of MGs. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VIDEO GAMES ARE AN INTERESTING OBJECT TO THE COGNITION STUDIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cleci Maraschin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Video games create a virtual space that can be inhabited in various ways by the players. Despite the controversies in which they are constantly included, electronic games bear witness to the modus operandi in our contemporary cognition permeated by technical objects. By focusing the know-how instead of a declarative experience the games open questions in the field of new literacies and problematize the use of technology in teaching practices. From the development of a locative game at the Botanical Garden of Porto Alegre, this article discussed some, methodological, political and theoretical implications arising from the research with video games in the field of cognitive studies. We discuss, finally, three theoretical / methodological implications the practice with video games forces us to think: research the video game through the process of its operation, questioning cognitive policies that organize our everyday and map the complex web of practices that supports the use of technical objects.

20 CFR 628.515 - Objective assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... individual service strategy and employment goal. Such assessment is customer-centered and a diagnostic... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Objective assessment. 628.515 Section 628.515 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE II OF...

An external proton beam at VERA to study objects of art by proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroepfl, P.; Forstner, O.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P.; Wallner, A.; Wuenschek, B.; Golser, R.

2006-01-01

Full text: PIXE is a very sensitive analytical method to determine the chemical composition of art objects, e.g. drawings, handwritings etc. A particular advantage is the possibility to analyze objects non-destructively under atmospheric pressure. Such an external beam PIXE facility is currently implemented at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA). The set-up allows to extract a 3 MeV proton beam of approximately 100 μm in diameter and currents in the range of a few nA's through an ultra-thin (0.1 μm) Silicon Nitride window. The characteristic x-rays emitted from the specimen are recorded with a Si(Li) and a Silicon Drift detector simultaneously to cover the widest possible Z-range of the detected elements. We have just completed an extensive period of studying beam effects on ancient paper to exclude possible damage to art objects, in particular drawings of the Renaissance that are among the most precious and rarest treasuries of graphical collections. They were created with different materials such as inks, chalks and metal points. A large collection of these fine arts objects is situated at the Albertina in Vienna. Together with scientists from the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France (C2RMF) in Paris, I. Reiche, A. Duval, H. Guicharnaud, from the CEREGE UMR CNRS 6635 in Aix-en-Provence, S. Merchel, from the Albertina in Vienna, E. Thobois, H. Singer, and from the Akademie der bildenden Kuenste in Vienna, M. Schreiner, we want then to analyze a few selected silverpoint drawings by Albrecht Duerer (1471-1528). (author)

Brain-computer interfacing under distraction: an evaluation study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandl, Stephanie; Frølich, Laura; Höhne, Johannes

2016-01-01

Objective. While motor-imagery based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been studied over many years by now, most of these studies have taken place in controlled lab settings. Bringing BCI technology into everyday life is still one of the main challenges in this field of research. Approach...

Inside the black box: Starting to uncover the underlying decision rules used in a one-by-one expert assessment of occupational exposure in case-control studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wheeler, D.C.; Burstyn, I.; Vermeulen, R.; Yu, K.; Shortreed, S.M.; Pronk, A.; Stewart, P.A.; Colt, J.S.; Baris, D.; Karagas, M.R.; Schwenn, M.; Johnson, A.; Silverman, D.T.; Friesen, M.C.

2013-01-01

Objectives Evaluating occupational exposures in population-based case-control studies often requires exposure assessors to review each study participant's reported occupational information job-by-job to derive exposure estimates. Although such assessments likely have underlying decision rules, they

Object permanence in lemurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Deppe, Anja M; Wright, Patricia C; Szelistowski, William A

2009-03-01

Object permanence, the ability to mentally represent objects that have disappeared from view, should be advantageous to animals in their interaction with the natural world. The objective of this study was to examine whether lemurs possess object permanence. Thirteen adult subjects representing four species of diurnal lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus, Eulemur mongoz, Lemur catta and Hapalemur griseus) were presented with seven standard Piagetian visible and invisible object displacement tests, plus one single visible test where the subject had to wait predetermined times before allowed to search, and two invisible tests where each hiding place was made visually unique. In all visible tests lemurs were able to find an object that had been in clear view before being hidden. However, when lemurs were not allowed to search for up to 25-s, performance declined with increasing time-delay. Subjects did not outperform chance on any invisible displacements regardless of whether hiding places were visually uniform or unique, therefore the upper limit of object permanence observed was Stage 5b. Lemur species in this study eat stationary foods and are not subject to stalking predators, thus Stage 5 object permanence is probably sufficient to solve most problems encountered in the wild.

Seeing Objects as Faces Enhances Object Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kohske; Watanabe, Katsumi

2015-10-01

The face is a special visual stimulus. Both bottom-up processes for low-level facial features and top-down modulation by face expectations contribute to the advantages of face perception. However, it is hard to dissociate the top-down factors from the bottom-up processes, since facial stimuli mandatorily lead to face awareness. In the present study, using the face pareidolia phenomenon, we demonstrated that face awareness, namely seeing an object as a face, enhances object detection performance. In face pareidolia, some people see a visual stimulus, for example, three dots arranged in V shape, as a face, while others do not. This phenomenon allows us to investigate the effect of face awareness leaving the stimulus per se unchanged. Participants were asked to detect a face target or a triangle target. While target per se was identical between the two tasks, the detection sensitivity was higher when the participants recognized the target as a face. This was the case irrespective of the stimulus eccentricity or the vertical orientation of the stimulus. These results demonstrate that seeing an object as a face facilitates object detection via top-down modulation. The advantages of face perception are, therefore, at least partly, due to face awareness.

Seeing Objects as Faces Enhances Object Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohske Takahashi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The face is a special visual stimulus. Both bottom-up processes for low-level facial features and top-down modulation by face expectations contribute to the advantages of face perception. However, it is hard to dissociate the top-down factors from the bottom-up processes, since facial stimuli mandatorily lead to face awareness. In the present study, using the face pareidolia phenomenon, we demonstrated that face awareness, namely seeing an object as a face, enhances object detection performance. In face pareidolia, some people see a visual stimulus, for example, three dots arranged in V shape, as a face, while others do not. This phenomenon allows us to investigate the effect of face awareness leaving the stimulus per se unchanged. Participants were asked to detect a face target or a triangle target. While target per se was identical between the two tasks, the detection sensitivity was higher when the participants recognized the target as a face. This was the case irrespective of the stimulus eccentricity or the vertical orientation of the stimulus. These results demonstrate that seeing an object as a face facilitates object detection via top-down modulation. The advantages of face perception are, therefore, at least partly, due to face awareness.

Birth of the Object: Detection of Objectness and Extraction of Object Shape through Object Action Complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Dirk; Pugeault, Nicolas; Baseski, Emre

2008-01-01

We describe a process in which the segmentation of objects as well as the extraction of the object shape becomes realized through active exploration of a robot vision system. In the exploration process, two behavioral modules that link robot actions to the visual and haptic perception of objects...... interact. First, by making use of an object independent grasping mechanism, physical control over potential objects can be gained. Having evaluated the initial grasping mechanism as being successful, a second behavior extracts the object shape by making use of prediction based on the motion induced...... system, knowledge about its own embodiment as well as knowledge about geometric relationships such as rigid body motion. This prior knowledge allows the extraction of representations that are semantically richer compared to many other approaches....

Repetition Blindness Reveals Differences between the Representations of Manipulable and Nonmanipulable Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Irina M.; Murray, Alexandra M.; Hayward, William G.; O'Callaghan, Claire; Andrews, Sally

2012-01-01

We used repetition blindness to investigate the nature of the representations underlying identification of manipulable objects. Observers named objects presented in rapid serial visual presentation streams containing either manipulable or nonmanipulable objects. In half the streams, 1 object was repeated. Overall accuracy was lower when streams…

Values Education as Perceived by Social Studies Teachers in Objective and Practice Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Katilmis, Ahmet

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to reveal the objectives of values education in Turkey, values education-related activities performed in schools, and preferred approaches to values education according to the opinions of social studies teachers. This qualitative study used a phenomenological pattern. The participants of the study were selected from…

Comparison of Object Recognition Behavior in Human and Monkey

Science.gov (United States)

Rajalingham, Rishi; Schmidt, Kailyn

2015-01-01

Although the rhesus monkey is used widely as an animal model of human visual processing, it is not known whether invariant visual object recognition behavior is quantitatively comparable across monkeys and humans. To address this question, we systematically compared the core object recognition behavior of two monkeys with that of human subjects. To test true object recognition behavior (rather than image matching), we generated several thousand naturalistic synthetic images of 24 basic-level objects with high variation in viewing parameters and image background. Monkeys were trained to perform binary object recognition tasks on a match-to-sample paradigm. Data from 605 human subjects performing the same tasks on Mechanical Turk were aggregated to characterize “pooled human” object recognition behavior, as well as 33 separate Mechanical Turk subjects to characterize individual human subject behavior. Our results show that monkeys learn each new object in a few days, after which they not only match mean human performance but show a pattern of object confusion that is highly correlated with pooled human confusion patterns and is statistically indistinguishable from individual human subjects. Importantly, this shared human and monkey pattern of 3D object confusion is not shared with low-level visual representations (pixels, V1+; models of the retina and primary visual cortex) but is shared with a state-of-the-art computer vision feature representation. Together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that rhesus monkeys and humans share a common neural shape representation that directly supports object perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To date, several mammalian species have shown promise as animal models for studying the neural mechanisms underlying high-level visual processing in humans. In light of this diversity, making tight comparisons between nonhuman and human primates is particularly critical in determining the best use of nonhuman primates to

Development of novel tasks for studying view-invariant object recognition in rodents: Sensitivity to scopolamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchnick, Krista A; Wideman, Cassidy E; Huff, Andrew E; Palmer, Daniel; McNaughton, Bruce L; Winters, Boyer D

2018-05-15

The capacity to recognize objects from different view-points or angles, referred to as view-invariance, is an essential process that humans engage in daily. Currently, the ability to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of this phenomenon is limited, as few ethologically valid view-invariant object recognition tasks exist for rodents. Here, we report two complementary, novel view-invariant object recognition tasks in which rodents physically interact with three-dimensional objects. Prior to experimentation, rats and mice were given extensive experience with a set of 'pre-exposure' objects. In a variant of the spontaneous object recognition task, novelty preference for pre-exposed or new objects was assessed at various angles of rotation (45°, 90° or 180°); unlike control rodents, for whom the objects were novel, rats and mice tested with pre-exposed objects did not discriminate between rotated and un-rotated objects in the choice phase, indicating substantial view-invariant object recognition. Secondly, using automated operant touchscreen chambers, rats were tested on pre-exposed or novel objects in a pairwise discrimination task, where the rewarded stimulus (S+) was rotated (180°) once rats had reached acquisition criterion; rats tested with pre-exposed objects re-acquired the pairwise discrimination following S+ rotation more effectively than those tested with new objects. Systemic scopolamine impaired performance on both tasks, suggesting involvement of acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors in view-invariant object processing. These tasks present novel means of studying the behavioral and neural bases of view-invariant object recognition in rodents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating Music Information Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Weissenberger, Lynnsey K.

2016-01-01

This dissertation, titled "Investigating Music Information Objects," is a study of the nature, description, representations, and ideas related to music information objects (MIOs). This research study investigates how music practitioners from various traditions describe and conceptualize MIOs, using a theoretical framework to classify…

Using standardized video cases for assessment of medical communication skills: reliability of an objective structured video examination by computer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hulsman, R. L.; Mollema, E. D.; Oort, F. J.; Hoos, A. M.; de Haes, J. C. J. M.

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Using standardized video cases in a computerized objective structured video examination (OSVE) aims to measure cognitive scripts underlying overt communication behavior by questions on knowledge, understanding and performance. In this study the reliability of the OSVE assessment is

Relativistic rotation and the anholonomic object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corum, J.F.

1977-01-01

The purpose of this communication is to call attention to the conceptual economy provided by the object of anholonomity for the theory of relativity. This geometric object expresses certain consequences of relativity theory and provides a single, simple framework for discussing a variety of phenomena. It particularly clarifies the description of relativistic rotation. The relativistic rotational transformation of the four coordinate differentials of flat space--time generates a set of anholonomic, or inexact differentials, whose duals are an orthogonal set of basis vectors. How should a rotating observer interpret physical events referred to such orthogonal, but anholonomic frames The answer to this question rests upon the origin and physical significance of the object of anholonomity. It is demonstrated that not only is the rotational Lorentz transformation an anholonomic transformation, but that the intrinsic anholonomic effects are essential to interpreting rotational phenomena. In particular, the Sagnac effect may be interpreted as the physical manifestation of temporal anholonomity under rotation. The Thomas precession of a reference axis may be interpreted as a consequence of the spatial anholonomity of the rotating frame. Further, the full four-dimensional covariance of Maxwellian electrodynamics, under a relativistic Lorentz rotation, is possible only with the inclusion of anholonomic effects. The anholonomic approach clarifies the distinction between the physically different operations of source rotation and observer rotation in a flat space--time. It is finally concluded that a consistant theory of relativistic rotation, satisfying the principle of general covariance, inherently requires the presence of the object of anholonomity

Object-Based Benefits without Object-Based Representations

OpenAIRE

Alvarez, George Angelo; Fougnie, Daryl; Cormiea, Sarah M

2012-01-01

The organization of visual information into objects strongly influences visual memory: Displays with objects defined by two features (e.g. color, orientation) are easier to remember than displays with twice as many objects defined by one feature (Olson & Jiang, 2002). Existing theories suggest that this ‘object-benefit’ is based on object-based limitations in working memory: because a limited number of objects can be stored, packaging features together so that fewer objects have to be remembe...

Neural network application for thermal image recognition of low-resolution objects

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yi-Chin; Wu, Bo-Wen

2007-02-01

In the ever-changing situation on a battle field, accurate recognition of a distant object is critical to a commander's decision-making and the general public's safety. Efficiently distinguishing between an enemy's armoured vehicles and ordinary civilian houses under all weather conditions has become an important research topic. This study presents a system for recognizing an armoured vehicle by distinguishing marks and contours. The characteristics of 12 different shapes and 12 characters are used to explore thermal image recognition under the circumstance of long distance and low resolution. Although the recognition capability of human eyes is superior to that of artificial intelligence under normal conditions, it tends to deteriorate substantially under long-distance and low-resolution scenarios. This study presents an effective method for choosing features and processing images. The artificial neural network technique is applied to further improve the probability of accurate recognition well beyond the limit of the recognition capability of human eyes.

Challenges in Physical Characterization of Dim Space Objects: What Can We Learn from NEOs

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, V.; Sanchez, J.; Thirouin, A.; Rivera-Valentin, E.; Ryan, W.; Ryan, E.; Mokovitz, N.; Tegler, S.

2016-09-01

Physical characterization of dim space objects in cis-lunar space can be a challenging task. Of particular interest to both natural and artificial space object behavior scientists are the properties beyond orbital parameters that can uniquely identify them. These properties include rotational state, size, shape, density and composition. A wide range of observational and non-observational factors affect our ability to characterize dim objects in cis-lunar space. For example, phase angle (angle between Sun-Target-Observer), temperature, rotational variations, temperature, and particle size (for natural dim objects). Over the last two decades, space object behavior scientists studying natural dim objects have attempted to quantify and correct for a majority of these factors to enhance our situational awareness. These efforts have been primarily focused on developing laboratory spectral calibrations in a space-like environment. Calibrations developed correcting spectral observations of natural dim objects could be applied to characterizing artificial objects, as the underlying physics is the same. The paper will summarize our current understanding of these observational and non-observational factors and present a case study showcasing the state of the art in characterization of natural dim objects.

Object width modulates object-based attentional selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Nah, Joseph C; Neppi-Modona, Marco; Strother, Lars; Behrmann, Marlene; Shomstein, Sarah

2018-04-24

Visual input typically includes a myriad of objects, some of which are selected for further processing. While these objects vary in shape and size, most evidence supporting object-based guidance of attention is drawn from paradigms employing two identical objects. Importantly, object size is a readily perceived stimulus dimension, and whether it modulates the distribution of attention remains an open question. Across four experiments, the size of the objects in the display was manipulated in a modified version of the two-rectangle paradigm. In Experiment 1, two identical parallel rectangles of two sizes (thin or thick) were presented. Experiments 2-4 employed identical trapezoids (each having a thin and thick end), inverted in orientation. In the experiments, one end of an object was cued and participants performed either a T/L discrimination or a simple target-detection task. Combined results show that, in addition to the standard object-based attentional advantage, there was a further attentional benefit for processing information contained in the thick versus thin end of objects. Additionally, eye-tracking measures demonstrated increased saccade precision towards thick object ends, suggesting that Fitts's Law may play a role in object-based attentional shifts. Taken together, these results suggest that object-based attentional selection is modulated by object width.

Multi-objective optimization in systematic conservation planning and the representation of genetic variability among populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlottfeldt, S; Walter, M E M T; Carvalho, A C P L F; Soares, T N; Telles, M P C; Loyola, R D; Diniz-Filho, J A F

2015-06-18

Biodiversity crises have led scientists to develop strategies for achieving conservation goals. The underlying principle of these strategies lies in systematic conservation planning (SCP), in which there are at least 2 conflicting objectives, making it a good candidate for multi-objective optimization. Although SCP is typically applied at the species level (or hierarchically higher), it can be used at lower hierarchical levels, such as using alleles as basic units for analysis, for conservation genetics. Here, we propose a method of SCP using a multi-objective approach. We used non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II in order to identify the smallest set of local populations of Dipteryx alata (baru) (a Brazilian Cerrado species) for conservation, representing the known genetic diversity and using allele frequency information associated with heterozygosity and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We worked in 3 variations for the problem. First, we reproduced a previous experiment, but using a multi-objective approach. We found that the smallest set of populations needed to represent all alleles under study was 7, corroborating the results of the previous study, but with more distinct solutions. In the 2nd and 3rd variations, we performed simultaneous optimization of 4 and 5 objectives, respectively. We found similar but refined results for 7 populations, and a larger portfolio considering intra-specific diversity and persistence with populations ranging from 8-22. This is the first study to apply multi-objective algorithms to an SCP problem using alleles at the population level as basic units for analysis.

Conscientious objection: a call to nursing leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Natalie J; Fraser, Kimberly D; Marck, Patricia B

2010-09-01

In this paper we argue that nurse leaders need to work actively to create morally supportive environments for nurses in Canada that provide adequate room to exercise conscientious objection. Morally supportive environments engender a safe atmosphere to engage in open dialogue and action regarding conflict of conscience. The CNA's 2008 Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses has recognized the importance of conscientious objection in nursing and has created key guidelines for the registered nurse to follow when a conflict in conscience is being considered or declared. Nurse leaders need to further develop the understanding of conflicts of conscience through education, well-written guidelines for conscientious objection in workplaces and engagement in research to uncover underlying barriers to the enactment of conscientious objections. With advancements in technology, changing healthcare policies and increasing scope of practice, both reflection and dialogue on conscientious objection are critical for the continuing moral development of nurses in Canada.

Radiation danger of exclusion zone objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholosha, V.I.; Proskura, N.I.; Ivanov, Yu.A.; Kazakov, S.V.; Arkhipov, A.N.

2001-01-01

The analysis of radiation danger of the Exclusion Zone objects was made. Here, the Zone is defined as the territory from which the population has been evacuated in 1986 owing to the Chernobyl accident and possible outflow of the contaminated substances out of the borders is potentially dangerous to the Ukraine. In the present work were analyzed such problems as sources of radiation danger in the Zone, ways of radionuclide migration out of the borders of the Zone in normal and emergency situations, the non-radiation (ecological) danger factors of the Zone objects, doses (individual and collective) from various sources and on separate ways of their formation, and the characteristics of radiation danger of the Zone objects. The conclusions are: (1) Radionuclide flows both from technologic and natural sources exceed those from Shelter objects, (2) Under emergency conditions, radionuclide flows and doze loading remain comparable with those from emergency sources, (3) To solve some management tasks in radiation situation, the basic works on the Shelter objects should be oriented to decrease probability of emergency occurrence and to reduce radiation influence (prevention wash-outs during high waters, fire-prevention measures in forests and strengthening of the control behind non-authorized use of objects in the Zone). (S. Ohno)

A new multi objective optimization model for designing a green supply chain network under uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mahdi Saffar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, researchers have focused on how to minimize the negative effects of industrial activities on environment. Consequently, they work on mathematical models, which minimize the environmental issues as well as optimizing the costs. In the field of supply chain network design, most managers consider economic and environmental issues, simultaneously. This paper introduces a bi-objective supply chain network design, which uses fuzzy programming to obtain the capability of resisting uncertain conditions. The design considers production, recovery, and distribution centers. The advantage of using this model includes the optimal facilities, locating them and assigning the optimal facilities to them. It also chooses the type and the number of technologies, which must be bought. The fuzzy programming converts the multi objective model to an auxiliary crisp model by Jimenez approach and solves it with ε-constraint. For solving large size problems, the Multi Objective Differential Evolutionary algorithm (MODE is applied.

Teaching Object-Oriented Programming is more than teaching Object-Oriented Programming Languages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Jørgen Lindskov; Madsen, Ole Lehrmann

1988-01-01

the research area gives additional insight into the research area and its underlying theoretical foundation. In this paper we will report on our approach to teaching programming languages as a whole and especially teaching object-oriented programming. The prime message to be told is that working from...... a theoretical foundation pays off. Without a theoretical foundation, the discussions are often centered around features of different languages. With a foundation, discussions may be conducted on solid pound. Furthermore, the students have significantly fewer difficulties in grasping the concrete programming...

How healthcare professionals respond to parents with religious objections to vaccination: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruijs, Wilhelmina L M; Hautvast, Jeannine L A; van IJzendoorn, Giovanna; van Ansem, Wilke J C; Elwyn, Glyn; van der Velden, Koos; Hulscher, Marlies E J L

2012-08-01

In recent years healthcare professionals have faced increasing concerns about the value of childhood vaccination and many find it difficult to deal with parents who object to vaccination. In general, healthcare professionals are advised to listen respectfully to the objections of parents, provide honest information, and attempt to correct any misperceptions regarding vaccination. Religious objections are one of the possible reasons for refusing vaccination. Although religious objections have a long history, little is known about the way healthcare professionals deal with these specific objections. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the responding of healthcare professionals to parents with religious objections to the vaccination of their children. A qualitative interview study was conducted with health care professionals (HCPs) in the Netherlands who had ample experience with religious objections to vaccination. Purposeful sampling was applied in order to include HCPs with different professional and religious backgrounds. Data saturation was reached after 22 interviews, with 7 child health clinic doctors, 5 child health clinic nurses and 10 general practitioners. The interviews were thematically analyzed. Two analysts coded, reviewed, discussed, and refined the coding of the transcripts until consensus was reached. Emerging concepts were assessed using the constant comparative method from grounded theory. Three manners of responding to religious objections to vaccination were identified: providing medical information, discussion of the decision-making process, and adoption of an authoritarian stance. All of the HCPs provided the parents with medical information. In addition, some HCPs discussed the decision-making process. They verified how the decision was made and if possible consequences were realized. Sometimes they also discussed religious considerations. Whether the decision-making process was discussed depended on the willingness of the parents to

How healthcare professionals respond to parents with religious objections to vaccination: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruijs Wilhelmina LM

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years healthcare professionals have faced increasing concerns about the value of childhood vaccination and many find it difficult to deal with parents who object to vaccination. In general, healthcare professionals are advised to listen respectfully to the objections of parents, provide honest information, and attempt to correct any misperceptions regarding vaccination. Religious objections are one of the possible reasons for refusing vaccination. Although religious objections have a long history, little is known about the way healthcare professionals deal with these specific objections. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the responding of healthcare professionals to parents with religious objections to the vaccination of their children. Methods A qualitative interview study was conducted with health care professionals (HCPs in the Netherlands who had ample experience with religious objections to vaccination. Purposeful sampling was applied in order to include HCPs with different professional and religious backgrounds. Data saturation was reached after 22 interviews, with 7 child health clinic doctors, 5 child health clinic nurses and 10 general practitioners. The interviews were thematically analyzed. Two analysts coded, reviewed, discussed, and refined the coding of the transcripts until consensus was reached. Emerging concepts were assessed using the constant comparative method from grounded theory. Results Three manners of responding to religious objections to vaccination were identified: providing medical information, discussion of the decision-making process, and adoption of an authoritarian stance. All of the HCPs provided the parents with medical information. In addition, some HCPs discussed the decision-making process. They verified how the decision was made and if possible consequences were realized. Sometimes they also discussed religious considerations. Whether the decision-making process was

Attention to memory: orienting attention to sound object representations.

Science.gov (United States)

Backer, Kristina C; Alain, Claude

2014-01-01

Despite a growing acceptance that attention and memory interact, and that attention can be focused on an active internal mental representation (i.e., reflective attention), there has been a paucity of work focusing on reflective attention to 'sound objects' (i.e., mental representations of actual sound sources in the environment). Further research on the dynamic interactions between auditory attention and memory, as well as its degree of neuroplasticity, is important for understanding how sound objects are represented, maintained, and accessed in the brain. This knowledge can then guide the development of training programs to help individuals with attention and memory problems. This review article focuses on attention to memory with an emphasis on behavioral and neuroimaging studies that have begun to explore the mechanisms that mediate reflective attentional orienting in vision and more recently, in audition. Reflective attention refers to situations in which attention is oriented toward internal representations rather than focused on external stimuli. We propose four general principles underlying attention to short-term memory. Furthermore, we suggest that mechanisms involved in orienting attention to visual object representations may also apply for orienting attention to sound object representations.

Embodying the institution - Object manipulation in developing interaction in study counselling meetings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hazel, Spencer; Mortensen, Kristian

2014-01-01

on how objects in the material surround are used in conjunction with talk, gaze and postural orientation to construct local social order in study guidance counselling meetings at a university. We explore here how co-participants utilize aggregates of interactional components to construct...

The effect of memory and context changes on color matches to real objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Allred, Sarah R; Olkkonen, Maria

2015-07-01

Real-world color identification tasks often require matching the color of objects between contexts and after a temporal delay, thus placing demands on both perceptual and memory processes. Although the mechanisms of matching colors between different contexts have been widely studied under the rubric of color constancy, little research has investigated the role of long-term memory in such tasks or how memory interacts with color constancy. To investigate this relationship, observers made color matches to real study objects that spanned color space, and we independently manipulated the illumination impinging on the objects, the surfaces in which objects were embedded, and the delay between seeing the study object and selecting its color match. Adding a 10-min delay increased both the bias and variability of color matches compared to a baseline condition. These memory errors were well accounted for by modeling memory as a noisy but unbiased version of perception constrained by the matching methods. Surprisingly, we did not observe significant increases in errors when illumination and surround changes were added to the 10-minute delay, although the context changes alone did elicit significant errors.

Associative recognition and the hippocampus: differential effects of hippocampal lesions on object-place, object-context and object-place-context memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Langston, Rosamund F; Wood, Emma R

2010-10-01

The hippocampus is thought to be required for the associative recognition of objects together with the spatial or temporal contexts in which they occur. However, recent data showing that rats with fornix lesions perform as well as controls in an object-place task, while being impaired on an object-place-context task (Eacott and Norman (2004) J Neurosci 24:1948-1953), suggest that not all forms of context-dependent associative recognition depend on the integrity of the hippocampus. To examine the role of the hippocampus in context-dependent recognition directly, the present study tested the effects of large, selective, bilateral hippocampus lesions in rats on performance of a series of spontaneous recognition memory tasks: object recognition, object-place recognition, object-context recognition and object-place-context recognition. Consistent with the effects of fornix lesions, animals with hippocampus lesions were impaired only on the object-place-context task. These data confirm that not all forms of context-dependent associative recognition are mediated by the hippocampus. Subsequent experiments suggested that the object-place task does not require an allocentric representation of space, which could account for the lack of impairment following hippocampus lesions. Importantly, as the object-place-context task has similar spatial requirements, the selective deficit in object-place-context recognition suggests that this task requires hippocampus-dependent neural processes distinct from those required for allocentric spatial memory, or for object memory, object-place memory or object-context memory. Two possibilities are that object, place, and context information converge only in the hippocampus, or that recognition of integrated object-place-context information requires a hippocampus-dependent mode of retrieval, such as recollection. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

X-ray topographic method of investigation of phase objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levonyan, L.V.

2001-01-01

The intensity distribution of the monochromatized synchrotron radiation transmitting through the phase object and crystal-analyzer in Laue geometry is considered. It is shown that the local angular deviation of the incident radiation caused by the refraction on structural inhomogeneities of the object under investigation is directly transferred to the X-ray topographic image. In the absence of the phase object the latter consists of parallel straight fringes with a slowly decreasing period. The presence of the phase object changes the shape and period of fringes. The influence of the spatial and temporal coherence on the image is discussed. 5 refs

Temporal Limitations in the Effective Binding of Attended Target Attributes in the Mutual Masking of Visual Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Hommuk, Karita; Bachmann, Talis

2009-01-01

The problem of feature binding has been examined under conditions of distributed attention or with spatially dispersed stimuli. We studied binding by asking whether selective attention to a feature of a masked object enables perceptual access to the other features of that object using conditions in which spatial attention was directed at a single…

New approach for solving intuitionistic fuzzy multi-objective ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SANKAR KUMAR ROY

2018-02-07

Feb 7, 2018 ... Transportation problem; multi-objective decision making; intuitionistic fuzzy programming; interval programming ... MOTP under multi-choice environment using utility func- ... theory is an intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS), which was.

Objects of consciousness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donald David Hoffman

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Current models of visual perception typically assume that human vision estimates true properties of physical objects, properties that exist even if unperceived. However, recent studies of perceptual evolution, using evolutionary games and genetic algorithms, reveal that natural selection often drives true perceptions to extinction when they compete with perceptions tuned to fitness rather than truth: Perception guides adaptive behavior; it does not estimate a preexisting physical truth. Moreover, shifting from evolutionary biology to quantum physics, there is reason to disbelieve in preexist-ing physical truths: Certain interpretations of quantum theory deny that dynamical properties of physical objects have defi-nite values when unobserved. In some of these interpretations the observer is fundamental, and wave functions are com-pendia of subjective probabilities, not preexisting elements of physical reality. These two considerations, from evolutionary biology and quantum physics, suggest that current models of object perception require fundamental reformulation. Here we begin such a reformulation, starting with a formal model of consciousness that we call a conscious agent. We develop the dynamics of interacting conscious agents, and study how the perception of objects and space-time can emerge from such dynamics. We show that one particular object, the quantum free particle, has a wave function that is identical in form to the harmonic functions that characterize the asymptotic dynamics of conscious agents; particles are vibrations not of strings but of interacting conscious agents. This allows us to reinterpret physical properties such as position, momentum, and energy as properties of interacting conscious agents, rather than as preexisting physical truths. We sketch how this approach might extend to the perception of relativistic quantum objects, and to classical objects of macroscopic scale.

Extending OLAP Querying to External Object

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Torben Bach; Shoshani, Arie; Gu, Junmin

On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems based on a dimensional view of data have found widespread use in business applications and are being used increasingly in non-standard applications. These systems provide good performance and ease-of-use. However, the complex structures and relationships...... inherent in data in nonstandard applications are not accommodated well by OLAP systems. In contrast, object database systems are built to handle such complexity, but do not support OLAP-type querying well. This paper presents the concepts and techniques underlying a flexible, multi-model federated system...... that enables OLAP users to exploit simultaneously the features of OLAP and object systems. The system allows data to be handled using the most appropriate data model and technology: OLAP systems for dimensional data and object database systems for more complex, general data. Additionally, physical data...

Field on Poincare group and quantum description of orientable objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gitman, D.M. [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Fisica, Caixa Postal 66318-CEP, Sao Paulo, S.P. (Brazil); Shelepin, A.L. [Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2009-05-15

We propose an approach to the quantum-mechanical description of relativistic orientable objects. It generalizes Wigner's ideas concerning the treatment of nonrelativistic orientable objects (in particular, a nonrelativistic rotator) with the help of two reference frames (space-fixed and body-fixed). A technical realization of this generalization (for instance, in 3+1 dimensions) amounts to introducing wave functions that depend on elements of the Poincare group G. A complete set of transformations that test the symmetries of an orientable object and of the embedding space belongs to the group {pi}=G x G. All such transformations can be studied by considering a generalized regular representation of G in the space of scalar functions on the group, f(x,z), that depend on the Minkowski space points x element of G/Spin(3,1) as well as on the orientation variables given by the elements z of a matrix Z element of Spin(3,1). In particular, the field f(x,z) is a generating function of the usual spin-tensor multi-component fields. In the theory under consideration, there are four different types of spinors, and an orientable object is characterized by ten quantum numbers. We study the corresponding relativistic wave equations and their symmetry properties. (orig.)

Evaluation of progress under the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive. Progress towards EU air quality objectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-10-15

The objective of this report was to assess to what extent the NEC Directive's environmental and health objectives concerning acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone exposure for the year 2010 have been achieved. The main basis for the assessment is the emission inventory data officially reported by Member States. The analysis was conducted by using the same scientific methods of 2001 (original knowledge) and 2010 (present knowledge) that support European air pollution abatement policies. The original knowledge consisted of modelling concentrations and exposure using the older Lagrangian EMEP model (utilising a 150 x 150 km{sup 2} grid for the computation of grid-average S and N depositions and ground-level ozone concentrations, together with the 1998 European critical load database for assessing the risk of acidification and eutrophication). The assessment performed on the basis of present knowledge used the current Eulerian EMEP model on a 50 x 50 km{sup 2} grid for the computation of ecosystem-specific depositions and ground-level ozone concentrations, in combination with the 2008 European critical loads database. When assessing progress using original knowledge, the NEC Directive's interim environmental acidification objective has been met in almost all grid cells, while the eutrophication objective - provided in a footnote within the NEC Directive and which was formulated on the European Union area as a whole - has been met both for the EU-15 and the EU-27 regions as a whole. If, in contrast, the eutrophication objective had been required to be met in individual grid cells (as for acidification) or in individual Member States, it would be exceeded in many grid cells and in 11 Member States. While acidification has been markedly reduced, eutrophication is now recognised as a major environmental problem in Europe, especially in the context of its potential adverse impacts on biodiversity. An assessment using present knowledge indicates that

Reliability-oriented multi-objective optimal decision-making approach for uncertainty-based watershed load reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Feifei; Liu, Yong; Su, Han; Zou, Rui; Guo, Huaicheng

2015-01-01

Water quality management and load reduction are subject to inherent uncertainties in watershed systems and competing decision objectives. Therefore, optimal decision-making modeling in watershed load reduction is suffering due to the following challenges: (a) it is difficult to obtain absolutely “optimal” solutions, and (b) decision schemes may be vulnerable to failure. The probability that solutions are feasible under uncertainties is defined as reliability. A reliability-oriented multi-objective (ROMO) decision-making approach was proposed in this study for optimal decision making with stochastic parameters and multiple decision reliability objectives. Lake Dianchi, one of the three most eutrophic lakes in China, was examined as a case study for optimal watershed nutrient load reduction to restore lake water quality. This study aimed to maximize reliability levels from considerations of cost and load reductions. The Pareto solutions of the ROMO optimization model were generated with the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, demonstrating schemes representing different biases towards reliability. The Pareto fronts of six maximum allowable emission (MAE) scenarios were obtained, which indicated that decisions may be unreliable under unpractical load reduction requirements. A decision scheme identification process was conducted using the back propagation neural network (BPNN) method to provide a shortcut for identifying schemes at specific reliability levels for decision makers. The model results indicated that the ROMO approach can offer decision makers great insights into reliability tradeoffs and can thus help them to avoid ineffective decisions. - Highlights: • Reliability-oriented multi-objective (ROMO) optimal decision approach was proposed. • The approach can avoid specifying reliability levels prior to optimization modeling. • Multiple reliability objectives can be systematically balanced using Pareto fronts. • Neural network model was used to

Reliability-oriented multi-objective optimal decision-making approach for uncertainty-based watershed load reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Feifei [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (MOE), Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Liu, Yong, E-mail: yongliu@pku.edu.cn [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (MOE), Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Institute of Water Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Su, Han [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (MOE), Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Zou, Rui [Tetra Tech, Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Ste 340, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Management of Plateau Lake-Watershed, Kunming 650034 (China); Guo, Huaicheng [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (MOE), Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2015-05-15

Water quality management and load reduction are subject to inherent uncertainties in watershed systems and competing decision objectives. Therefore, optimal decision-making modeling in watershed load reduction is suffering due to the following challenges: (a) it is difficult to obtain absolutely “optimal” solutions, and (b) decision schemes may be vulnerable to failure. The probability that solutions are feasible under uncertainties is defined as reliability. A reliability-oriented multi-objective (ROMO) decision-making approach was proposed in this study for optimal decision making with stochastic parameters and multiple decision reliability objectives. Lake Dianchi, one of the three most eutrophic lakes in China, was examined as a case study for optimal watershed nutrient load reduction to restore lake water quality. This study aimed to maximize reliability levels from considerations of cost and load reductions. The Pareto solutions of the ROMO optimization model were generated with the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, demonstrating schemes representing different biases towards reliability. The Pareto fronts of six maximum allowable emission (MAE) scenarios were obtained, which indicated that decisions may be unreliable under unpractical load reduction requirements. A decision scheme identification process was conducted using the back propagation neural network (BPNN) method to provide a shortcut for identifying schemes at specific reliability levels for decision makers. The model results indicated that the ROMO approach can offer decision makers great insights into reliability tradeoffs and can thus help them to avoid ineffective decisions. - Highlights: • Reliability-oriented multi-objective (ROMO) optimal decision approach was proposed. • The approach can avoid specifying reliability levels prior to optimization modeling. • Multiple reliability objectives can be systematically balanced using Pareto fronts. • Neural network model was used to

Parachuting from fixed objects: descriptive study of 106 fatal events in BASE jumping 1981-2006.

Science.gov (United States)

Westman, A; Rosén, M; Berggren, P; Björnstig, U

2008-06-01

To analyse the characteristics of fatal incidents in fixed object sport parachuting (building, antenna, span, earth (BASE) jumping) and create a basis for prevention. Descriptive epidemiological study. Data on reported fatal injury events (n = 106) worldwide in 1981-2006 retrieved from the BASE fatality list. Human, equipment and environmental factors. Identification of typical fatal incident and injury mechanisms for each of the four fixed object types of BASE jumping (building, antenna, span, earth). Human factors included parachutist free fall instability (loss of body control before parachute deployment), free fall acrobatics and deployment failure by the parachutist. Equipment factors included pilot chute malfunction and parachute malfunction. In cliff jumping (BASE object type E), parachute opening towards the object jumped was the most frequent equipment factor. Environmental factors included poor visibility, strong or turbulent winds, cold and water. The overall annual fatality risk for all object types during the year 2002 was estimated at about one fatality per 60 participants. Participants in BASE jumping should target risk factors with training and technical interventions. The mechanisms described in this study should be used by rescue units to improve the management of incidents.

Experimental Study on Properties of Methane Diffusion of Coal Block under Triaxial Compressive Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hong-Bao

2014-01-01

Taking the standard size coal block samples defined by ISRM as research objects, both properties of methane diffusion of coal block under triaxial compressive stress and characteristic influences caused by methane pressure were systematically studied with thermo-fluid-solid coupling with triaxial servocontrolled seepage equipment of methane-containing coal. The result shows the methane diffusion property of coal block under triaxial compressive stress was shown in four-stage as follow, first is sharply reduce stage, second is hyperbolic reduce stage, third is close to a fixed value stage, fourth stage is 0. There is a special point making the reduced rate of characteristic curve of methane diffusion speed become sharply small; the influences of shape of methane diffusion speed characteristic curve caused by methane pressure are not obvious, which only is shown in numerical size of methane diffusion speed. Test time was extended required by appear of the special point makes the reduce rate of methane diffusion speed become sharply small. The fitting four-phase relation of methane diffusion of coal block under triaxial compressive stress was obtained, and the idea is proposed that influences of the fitting four-phase relation caused by methane pressure were only shown in value of fitting parameters. PMID:25531000

A study on software-based sensing technology for multiple object control in AR video.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Sungmo; Song, Jae-Gu; Hwang, Dae-Joon; Ahn, Jae Young; Kim, Seoksoo

2010-01-01

Researches on Augmented Reality (AR) have recently received attention. With these, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) market has started to be active and there are numerous efforts to apply this to real life in all sectors of society. To date, the M2M market has applied the existing marker-based AR technology in entertainment, business and other industries. With the existing marker-based AR technology, a designated object can only be loaded on the screen from one marker and a marker has to be added to load on the screen the same object again. This situation creates a problem where the relevant marker'should be extracted and printed in screen so that loading of the multiple objects is enabled. However, since the distance between markers will not be measured in the process of detecting and copying markers, the markers can be overlapped and thus the objects would not be augmented. To solve this problem, a circle having the longest radius needs to be created from a focal point of a marker to be copied, so that no object is copied within the confines of the circle. In this paper, software-based sensing technology for multiple object detection and loading using PPHT has been developed and overlapping marker control according to multiple object control has been studied using the Bresenham and Mean Shift algorithms.

A Study on Software-based Sensing Technology for Multiple Object Control in AR Video

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seoksoo Kim

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Researches on Augmented Reality (AR have recently received attention. With these, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M market has started to be active and there are numerous efforts to apply this to real life in all sectors of society. To date, the M2M market has applied the existing marker-based AR technology in entertainment, business and other industries. With the existing marker-based AR technology, a designated object can only be loaded on the screen from one marker and a marker has to be added to load on the screen the same object again. This situation creates a problem where the relevant marker should be extracted and printed in screen so that loading of the multiple objects is enabled. However, since the distance between markers will not be measured in the process of detecting and copying markers, the markers can be overlapped and thus the objects would not be augmented. To solve this problem, a circle having the longest radius needs to be created from a focal point of a marker to be copied, so that no object is copied within the confines of the circle. In this paper, software-based sensing technology for multiple object detection and loading using PPHT has been developed and overlapping marker control according to multiple object control has been studied using the Bresenham and Mean Shift algorithms.

Object Extraction in Cluttered Environments via a P300-Based IFCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoqian Mao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available One of the fundamental issues for robot navigation is to extract an object of interest from an image. The biggest challenges for extracting objects of interest are how to use a machine to model the objects in which a human is interested and extract them quickly and reliably under varying illumination conditions. This article develops a novel method for segmenting an object of interest in a cluttered environment by combining a P300-based brain computer interface (BCI and an improved fuzzy color extractor (IFCE. The induced P300 potential identifies the corresponding region of interest and obtains the target of interest for the IFCE. The classification results not only represent the human mind but also deliver the associated seed pixel and fuzzy parameters to extract the specific objects in which the human is interested. Then, the IFCE is used to extract the corresponding objects. The results show that the IFCE delivers better performance than the BP network or the traditional FCE. The use of a P300-based IFCE provides a reliable solution for assisting a computer in identifying an object of interest within images taken under varying illumination intensities.

Tackle-related injury rates and nature of injuries in South African Youth Week tournament rugby union players (under-13 to under-18): an observational cohort study

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Nicholas; Lambert, Mike I; Viljoen, Wayne; Brown, James C; Readhead, Clint; Hendricks, Sharief

2014-01-01

Objectives The tackle situation is most often associated with the high injury rates in rugby union. Tackle injury epidemiology in rugby union has previously been focused on senior cohorts but less is known about younger cohorts. The aim of this study was to report on the nature and rates of tackle-related injuries in South African youth rugby union players representing their provinces at national tournaments. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Four South African Youth Week tournaments (under-13 Craven Week, under-16 Grant Khomo Week, under-18 Academy Week, under-18 Craven Week). Participants Injury data were collected from 3652 youth rugby union players (population at risk) in 2011 and 2012. Outcome measures Tackle-related injury severity (‘time-loss’ and ‘medical attention’), type and location, injury rate per 1000 h (including 95% CIs). Injury rate ratios (IRR) were calculated and modelled using a Poisson regression. A χ2 analysis was used to detect linear trends between injuries and increasing match quarters. Results The 2012 under-13 Craven Week had a significantly greater ‘time-loss’ injury rate when compared with the 2012 under-18 Academy Week (IRR=4.43; 95% CI 2.13 to 9.21, p<0.05) and under-18 Craven Week (IRR=3.52; 95% CI 1.54 to 8.00, p<0.05). The Poisson regression also revealed a higher probability of ‘overall’ (‘time-loss’ and ‘medical attention’ combined) and ‘time-loss’ tackle-related injuries occurring at the under-13 Craven Week. The proportion of ‘overall’ and ‘time-loss’ injuries increased significantly with each quarter of the match when all four tournaments were combined (p<0.05). Conclusions There was a difference in the tackle-related injury rate between the under-13 tournament and the two under-18 tournaments, and the tackle-related injury rate was higher in the final quarter of matches. Ongoing injury surveillance is required to better interpret these findings. Injury prevention strategies

Portraits of PBL: Course Objectives and Students' Study Strategies in Computer Engineering, Psychology and Physiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlgren, Madeleine Abrandt

2000-01-01

Compares the role of course objectives in relation to students' study strategies in problem-based learning (PBL). Results comprise data from three PBL programs at Linkopings University (Sweden), in physiotherapy, psychology, and computer engineering. Faculty provided course objectives to function as supportive structures and guides for students'…

DEVELOPING VALUES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH THE STUDY OF ART OBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Eliza Dulamă

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The paper begins with some issues related to aesthetics, aesthetic education, art and axiological education. The empirical research has the general assumption that secondary school students and youth have difficulties in selecting values. The objective of the research was three fold: to design, to organize and to carry learning activities from which students shall acquire educational values through the study of art objects. The exploratory research was conducted on a sample of 50 students (25 in experimental group and 25 in control group. The content sample included fairy-tales and short stories (Beauty and the Beast; The money earned by Alexandru Mitru and artistic topics on several well-known art objects (The Endless Column, Table of Silence, The Gate of Kiss, Peleş castle, Voroneţ monastery, and St. Michael’s Cathedral from Cluj-Napoca. The tested hypothesis stated that if secondary school students are involved in learning contexts where they perceive, analyze and explain artistic objects then they develop aesthetic and ethic values. The learning context students were exposed to represents the independent variable and the outputs – the educational values themselves – represent the dependent variable. In order to test for the hypothesis we planned a formative didactic experiment. In order to test the hypothesis the pre-test/post-test design was used.

Humanoid infers Archimedes' principle: understanding physical relations and object affordances through cumulative learning experiences

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Emerging studies indicate that several species such as corvids, apes and children solve ‘The Crow and the Pitcher’ task (from Aesop's Fables) in diverse conditions. Hidden beneath this fascinating paradigm is a fundamental question: by cumulatively interacting with different objects, how can an agent abstract the underlying cause–effect relations to predict and creatively exploit potential affordances of novel objects in the context of sought goals? Re-enacting this Aesop's Fable task on a humanoid within an open-ended ‘learning–prediction–abstraction’ loop, we address this problem and (i) present a brain-guided neural framework that emulates rapid one-shot encoding of ongoing experiences into a long-term memory and (ii) propose four task-agnostic learning rules (elimination, growth, uncertainty and status quo) that correlate predictions from remembered past experiences with the unfolding present situation to gradually abstract the underlying causal relations. Driven by the proposed architecture, the ensuing robot behaviours illustrated causal learning and anticipation similar to natural agents. Results further demonstrate that by cumulatively interacting with few objects, the predictions of the robot in case of novel objects converge close to the physical law, i.e. the Archimedes principle: this being independent of both the objects explored during learning and the order of their cumulative exploration. PMID:27466440

Humanoid infers Archimedes' principle: understanding physical relations and object affordances through cumulative learning experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Ajaz Ahmad; Mohan, Vishwanathan; Sandini, Giulio; Morasso, Pietro

2016-07-01

Emerging studies indicate that several species such as corvids, apes and children solve 'The Crow and the Pitcher' task (from Aesop's Fables) in diverse conditions. Hidden beneath this fascinating paradigm is a fundamental question: by cumulatively interacting with different objects, how can an agent abstract the underlying cause-effect relations to predict and creatively exploit potential affordances of novel objects in the context of sought goals? Re-enacting this Aesop's Fable task on a humanoid within an open-ended 'learning-prediction-abstraction' loop, we address this problem and (i) present a brain-guided neural framework that emulates rapid one-shot encoding of ongoing experiences into a long-term memory and (ii) propose four task-agnostic learning rules (elimination, growth, uncertainty and status quo) that correlate predictions from remembered past experiences with the unfolding present situation to gradually abstract the underlying causal relations. Driven by the proposed architecture, the ensuing robot behaviours illustrated causal learning and anticipation similar to natural agents. Results further demonstrate that by cumulatively interacting with few objects, the predictions of the robot in case of novel objects converge close to the physical law, i.e. the Archimedes principle: this being independent of both the objects explored during learning and the order of their cumulative exploration. © 2016 The Author(s).

Say it with flowers! An fMRI study of object mediated communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tylén, Kristian; Wallentin, Mikkel; Roepstorff, Andreas

2009-01-01

Human communicational interaction can be mediated by a host of expressive means from words in a natural language to gestures and material symbols. Given the proper contextual setting even an everyday object can gain a mediating function in a communicational situation. In this study we used event...

An interval-parameter mixed integer multi-objective programming for environment-oriented evacuation management

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, C. Z.; Huang, G. H.; Yan, X. P.; Cai, Y. P.; Li, Y. P.

2010-05-01

Large crowds are increasingly common at political, social, economic, cultural and sports events in urban areas. This has led to attention on the management of evacuations under such situations. In this study, we optimise an approximation method for vehicle allocation and route planning in case of an evacuation. This method, based on an interval-parameter multi-objective optimisation model, has potential for use in a flexible decision support system for evacuation management. The modeling solutions are obtained by sequentially solving two sub-models corresponding to lower- and upper-bounds for the desired objective function value. The interval solutions are feasible and stable in the given decision space, and this may reduce the negative effects of uncertainty, thereby improving decision makers' estimates under different conditions. The resulting model can be used for a systematic analysis of the complex relationships among evacuation time, cost and environmental considerations. The results of a case study used to validate the proposed model show that the model does generate useful solutions for planning evacuation management and practices. Furthermore, these results are useful for evacuation planners, not only in making vehicle allocation decisions but also for providing insight into the tradeoffs among evacuation time, environmental considerations and economic objectives.

MDSplus objects-Python implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fredian, T., E-mail: twf@psfc.mit.ed [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, NW17-268, 175 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Stillerman, J. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, NW17-268, 175 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Manduchi, G. [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova 35127 (Italy)

2010-07-15

MDSplus is a data acquisition and analysis software package used widely throughout the international fusion research community. During the past year, an important set of enhancements were designed under the project name of 'MDSobjects' which would provide a common, powerful application programming interface (API) to MDSplus in programming languages with object-oriented capabilities. This paper will discuss the Python language implementation of this API and some of the capabilities that this implementation provides for data storage and retrieval using the MDSplus system. We have implemented a new MDSplus Python module which exposes the MDSplus objects features to the language. The internal MDSplus programming language, TDI, has also been enhanced to be able to invoke Python commands from the TDI language. Now that Python is aware of the complex data structures in MDSplus such as Signals, the language becomes a very good candidate for applications ranging from data acquisition device support to analysis and visualization.

MDSplus objects-Python implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fredian, T.; Stillerman, J.; Manduchi, G.

2010-01-01

MDSplus is a data acquisition and analysis software package used widely throughout the international fusion research community. During the past year, an important set of enhancements were designed under the project name of 'MDSobjects' which would provide a common, powerful application programming interface (API) to MDSplus in programming languages with object-oriented capabilities. This paper will discuss the Python language implementation of this API and some of the capabilities that this implementation provides for data storage and retrieval using the MDSplus system. We have implemented a new MDSplus Python module which exposes the MDSplus objects features to the language. The internal MDSplus programming language, TDI, has also been enhanced to be able to invoke Python commands from the TDI language. Now that Python is aware of the complex data structures in MDSplus such as Signals, the language becomes a very good candidate for applications ranging from data acquisition device support to analysis and visualization.

GPR Imaging for Deeply Buried Objects: A Comparative Study Based on FDTD Models and Field Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Tilley, roger; Dowla, Farid; Nekoogar, Faranak; Sadjadpour, Hamid

2012-01-01

Conventional use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is hampered by variations in background environmental conditions, such as water content in soil, resulting in poor repeatability of results over long periods of time when the radar pulse characteristics are kept the same. Target objects types might include voids, tunnels, unexploded ordinance, etc. The long-term objective of this work is to develop methods that would extend the use of GPR under various environmental and soil conditions provided an optimal set of radar parameters (such as frequency, bandwidth, and sensor configuration) are adaptively employed based on the ground conditions. Towards that objective, developing Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) GPR models, verified by experimental results, would allow us to develop analytical and experimental techniques to control radar parameters to obtain consistent GPR images with changing ground conditions. Reported here is an attempt at developing 20 and 3D FDTD models of buried targets verified by two different radar systems capable of operating over different soil conditions. Experimental radar data employed were from a custom designed high-frequency (200 MHz) multi-static sensor platform capable of producing 3-D images, and longer wavelength (25 MHz) COTS radar (Pulse EKKO 100) capable of producing 2-D images. Our results indicate different types of radar can produce consistent images.

Development of a Wrapper Object for MARS TH Systems Code and Its Applications in Object Oriented Programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sun Byung; Lee, Young Jin; Kim, Hyong Chol; Han, Sam Hee; Kim, Hyun Jik

2013-01-01

TMARS is written for the object pascal program language, and 'wraps' the Dynamic Link Library (DLL) manifestation of the MARS-KS code written in Fortran 90. TMARS behaves as a true object and it can be instantiated, inherited, and its methods overloaded. The functionality of TMARS was verified and demonstrated using two programs built under object oriented program environment. One is a text based program for reviewing the data interface of TMARS, and the other is a graphic intensive prototype NPA program for testing the overall performance of TMARS. The prototype NPA was also used to assess the real-time capability of TMARS. The demonstration programs show that application of TMARS is straight forward and that its functions facilitate easy application developments. TMARS, a wrapper object class encapsulating the calculation functions of MARS-KS code, was successfully developed and verification of its functionality was carried out using custom made programs. The verification results show that TMARS is capable of providing reliable TH calculation results and sufficient performance to realize real time calculations

A fuzzy multi-objective linear programming approach for integrated sheep farming and wildlife in land management decisions: a case study in the Patagonian rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Metternicht, Graciela; Blanco, Paula; del Valle, Hector; Laterra, Pedro; Hardtke, Leonardo; Bouza, Pablo

2015-04-01

the decision maker towards the respective objective. Fuzzy logic is closer to intuitive thinking used by decision makers, making it a user-friendly approach for them to select alternatives. The proposed approach was applied in a study area of approximately 40,000 hectares in semiarid Patagonian rangelands where extensive, continuous sheep grazing for wool production is the main land use. Multi- and hyper-spectral data were combined with ancillary data within a GIS environment, and used to derive maps of forage production, guanacos density, soil organic carbon and soil erosion. Different scenarios, with different objectives weights were evaluated. Results showed that under scenario 1, where livestock production is predicted to have the highest values, guanaco numbers decrease substantially as well as soil carbon sequestration, and soil erosion exhibit the highest values. On the other hand, when guanaco population is prioritized, livestock production has the lowest value. A compromise alternative resulted from a scenario where variables are assigned same weight; under this condition, high livestock production is predicted, while conservation of guanaco population is sustainable, carbon sequestration is maximized and soil erosion minimized.

Study of archaeological objects by neutron imaging, xrd and xrf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinca, M.; Dinu, A. D.; Stanciulescu, M. G.; Mandescu, D.

2015-01-01

Archaeological objects were borrowed from Arges County History Museum (ACHM) and investigated at the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR). Metallic objects made in iron, copper alloys and silver discovered in southern part of Romania, mostly Dacian and Roman origin, were investigated. For imaging was used the neutron and gamma imaging facility from tangential channel of the TRIGA ACPR to put in evidence the internal structure of the objects. For elemental and chemical composition, concentration levels in objects were performed investigations by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These investigations offer valuable information in archaeological research about composition, structure of the bulk, presence of alteration, inclusions, typology of the location of material extraction, manufacturing techniques etc. This work is an example of application of neutron imaging and other radiation-based analytical methods for cultural heritage research that had the aim to involve some of the non-destructive investigation methods available at INR. (authors)

Geometrical accuracy of metallic objects produced with additive or subtractive manufacturing: A comparative in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Braian, Michael; Jönsson, David; Kevci, Mir; Wennerberg, Ann

2018-04-06

To evaluate the accuracy and precision of objects produced by additive manufacturing systems (AM) for use in dentistry and to compare with subtractive manufacturing systems (SM). Ten specimens of two geometrical objects were produced by five different AM machines and one SM machine. Object A mimics an inlay-shaped object, while object B imitates a four-unit bridge model. All the objects were sorted into different measurement dimensions (x, y, z), linear distances, angles and corner radius. None of the additive manufacturing or subtractive manufacturing groups presented a perfect match to the CAD file with regard to all parameters included in the present study. Considering linear measurements, the precision for subtractive manufacturing group was consistent in all axes for object A, presenting results of additive manufacturing groups had consistent precision in the x-axis and y-axis but not in the z-axis. With regard to corner radius measurements, the SM group had the best overall accuracy and precision for both objects A and B when compared to the AM groups. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the conclusion can be made that subtractive manufacturing presented overall precision on all measurements below 0.050mm. The AM machines also presented fairly good precision, additive techniques are now being implemented. Thus all these production techniques need to be tested, compared and validated. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

31 OBJECTIVE ORIENTED PROBLEM SOLVING A Case Study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

succeed but which are not Wlder the direct control of the activities ..... Frequent failure of electrical machines due to intenuption .... suffers high attribution rate of skilled personnel and as a result is .... Management and Objective Oriented Project.

The association between self-perceived proficiency of personal protective equipment and objective performance: An observational study during a bioterrorism simulation drill.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Itay; David, Osant; Balik, Chaya H; Eisenkraft, Arik; Poles, Lion; Shental, Omri; Kassirer, Michael; Brosh-Nissimov, Tal

2017-11-01

The recent Ebola virus disease outbreak emphasized the potential misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) by health care workers (HCWs) during such an event. We aimed to compare self-perceived proficiency of PPE use and objective performance, and identify predictors of low compliance and PPE misuse. An observational study combined with subjective questionnaires were carried out during a bioterror simulation drill. Forty-two observers evaluated performance under PPE. Mistakes were recorded and graded using a structured observational format and were correlated with the subjective questionnaires and with demographic parameters. One hundred seventy-eight HCWs from community clinics and hospitals were included. The mean self-perceived proficiency was high (6.1 out of 7), mean level of comfort was moderate (4.0 out of 7), and mean objective performance was intermediate (9.5 out of 13). There was no correlation between comfort and objective performance scores. Self-perceived proficiency was in correlation with donning and continuous performance with PPE but not with doffing. Clinic personnel performed better than personnel in hospitals (40.3% vs 67.8% with 3 or more mistakes, respectively; P = .001). Demographic characteristics had no correlation with objective or self-perceived performance. Self-perceived proficiency is a poor predictor of appropriate PPE use. The results suggest poor awareness of the possibility of PPE misuse. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Objective Bayesianism and the Maximum Entropy Principle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Williamson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective Bayesian epistemology invokes three norms: the strengths of our beliefs should be probabilities; they should be calibrated to our evidence of physical probabilities; and they should otherwise equivocate sufficiently between the basic propositions that we can express. The three norms are sometimes explicated by appealing to the maximum entropy principle, which says that a belief function should be a probability function, from all those that are calibrated to evidence, that has maximum entropy. However, the three norms of objective Bayesianism are usually justified in different ways. In this paper, we show that the three norms can all be subsumed under a single justification in terms of minimising worst-case expected loss. This, in turn, is equivalent to maximising a generalised notion of entropy. We suggest that requiring language invariance, in addition to minimising worst-case expected loss, motivates maximisation of standard entropy as opposed to maximisation of other instances of generalised entropy. Our argument also provides a qualified justification for updating degrees of belief by Bayesian conditionalisation. However, conditional probabilities play a less central part in the objective Bayesian account than they do under the subjective view of Bayesianism, leading to a reduced role for Bayes’ Theorem.

A Study on Re-entry Predictions of Uncontrolled Space Objects for Space Situational Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eun-Jung; Cho, Sungki; Lee, Deok-Jin; Kim, Siwoo; Jo, Jung Hyun

2017-12-01

The key risk analysis technologies for the re-entry of space objects into Earth’s atmosphere are divided into four categories: cataloguing and databases of the re-entry of space objects, lifetime and re-entry trajectory predictions, break-up models after re-entry and multiple debris distribution predictions, and ground impact probability models. In this study, we focused on re- entry prediction, including orbital lifetime assessments, for space situational awareness systems. Re-entry predictions are very difficult and are affected by various sources of uncertainty. In particular, during uncontrolled re-entry, large spacecraft may break into several pieces of debris, and the surviving fragments can be a significant hazard for persons and properties on the ground. In recent years, specific methods and procedures have been developed to provide clear information for predicting and analyzing the re-entry of space objects and for ground-risk assessments. Representative tools include object reentry survival analysis tool (ORSAT) and debris assessment software (DAS) developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), spacecraft atmospheric re-entry and aerothermal break-up (SCARAB) and debris risk assessment and mitigation analysis (DRAMA) developed by European Space Agency (ESA), and semi-analytic tool for end of life analysis (STELA) developed by Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES). In this study, various surveys of existing re-entry space objects are reviewed, and an efficient re-entry prediction technique is suggested based on STELA, the life-cycle analysis tool for satellites, and DRAMA, a re-entry analysis tool. To verify the proposed method, the re-entry of the Tiangong-1 Space Lab, which is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere shortly, was simulated. Eventually, these results will provide a basis for space situational awareness risk analyses of the re-entry of space objects.

What Makes an Object Memorable?

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit

2016-02-19

Recent studies on image memorability have shed light on what distinguishes the memorability of different images and the intrinsic and extrinsic properties that make those images memorable. However, a clear understanding of the memorability of specific objects inside an image remains elusive. In this paper, we provide the first attempt to answer the question: what exactly is remembered about an image? We augment both the images and object segmentations from the PASCAL-S dataset with ground truth memorability scores and shed light on the various factors and properties that make an object memorable (or forgettable) to humans. We analyze various visual factors that may influence object memorability (e.g. color, visual saliency, and object categories). We also study the correlation between object and image memorability and find that image memorability is greatly affected by the memorability of its most memorable object. Lastly, we explore the effectiveness of deep learning and other computational approaches in predicting object memorability in images. Our efforts offer a deeper understanding of memorability in general thereby opening up avenues for a wide variety of applications. © 2015 IEEE.

What Makes an Object Memorable?

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit; Peterson, Joshua; Khosla, Aditya; Yang, Ming-Hsuan; Ghanem, Bernard

2016-01-01

Recent studies on image memorability have shed light on what distinguishes the memorability of different images and the intrinsic and extrinsic properties that make those images memorable. However, a clear understanding of the memorability of specific objects inside an image remains elusive. In this paper, we provide the first attempt to answer the question: what exactly is remembered about an image? We augment both the images and object segmentations from the PASCAL-S dataset with ground truth memorability scores and shed light on the various factors and properties that make an object memorable (or forgettable) to humans. We analyze various visual factors that may influence object memorability (e.g. color, visual saliency, and object categories). We also study the correlation between object and image memorability and find that image memorability is greatly affected by the memorability of its most memorable object. Lastly, we explore the effectiveness of deep learning and other computational approaches in predicting object memorability in images. Our efforts offer a deeper understanding of memorability in general thereby opening up avenues for a wide variety of applications. © 2015 IEEE.

Object-Oriented Control System Design Using On-Line Training of Artificial Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Rubaai, Ahmed

1997-01-01

This report deals with the object-oriented model development of a neuro-controller design for permanent magnet (PM) dc motor drives. The system under study is described as a collection of interacting objects. Each object module describes the object behaviors, called methods. The characteristics of the object are included in its variables. The knowledge of the object exists within its variables, and the performance is determined by its methods. This structure maps well to the real world objects that comprise the system being modeled. A dynamic learning architecture that possesses the capabilities of simultaneous on-line identification and control is incorporated to enforce constraints on connections and control the dynamics of the motor. The control action is implemented "on-line", in "real time" in such a way that the predicted trajectory follows a specified reference model. A design example of controlling a PM dc motor drive on-line shows the effectiveness of the design tool. This will therefore be very useful in aerospace applications. It is expected to provide an innovative and noval software model for the rocket engine numerical simulator executive.

Objective-guided image annotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Qi; Tsang, Ivor Wai-Hung; Gao, Shenghua

2013-04-01

Automatic image annotation, which is usually formulated as a multi-label classification problem, is one of the major tools used to enhance the semantic understanding of web images. Many multimedia applications (e.g., tag-based image retrieval) can greatly benefit from image annotation. However, the insufficient performance of image annotation methods prevents these applications from being practical. On the other hand, specific measures are usually designed to evaluate how well one annotation method performs for a specific objective or application, but most image annotation methods do not consider optimization of these measures, so that they are inevitably trapped into suboptimal performance of these objective-specific measures. To address this issue, we first summarize a variety of objective-guided performance measures under a unified representation. Our analysis reveals that macro-averaging measures are very sensitive to infrequent keywords, and hamming measure is easily affected by skewed distributions. We then propose a unified multi-label learning framework, which directly optimizes a variety of objective-specific measures of multi-label learning tasks. Specifically, we first present a multilayer hierarchical structure of learning hypotheses for multi-label problems based on which a variety of loss functions with respect to objective-guided measures are defined. And then, we formulate these loss functions as relaxed surrogate functions and optimize them by structural SVMs. According to the analysis of various measures and the high time complexity of optimizing micro-averaging measures, in this paper, we focus on example-based measures that are tailor-made for image annotation tasks but are seldom explored in the literature. Experiments show consistency with the formal analysis on two widely used multi-label datasets, and demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed method over state-of-the-art baseline methods in terms of example-based measures on four

Visual awareness of objects and their colour.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilling, Michael; Gellatly, Angus

2011-10-01

At any given moment, our awareness of what we 'see' before us seems to be rather limited. If, for instance, a display containing multiple objects is shown (red or green disks), when one object is suddenly covered at random, observers are often little better than chance in reporting about its colour (Wolfe, Reinecke, & Brawn, Visual Cognition, 14, 749-780, 2006). We tested whether, when object attributes (such as colour) are unknown, observers still retain any knowledge of the presence of that object at a display location. Experiments 1-3 involved a task requiring two-alternative (yes/no) responses about the presence or absence of a colour-defined object at a probed location. On this task, if participants knew about the presence of an object at a location, responses indicated that they also knew about its colour. A fourth experiment presented the same displays but required a three-alternative response. This task did result in a data pattern consistent with participants' knowing more about the locations of objects within a display than about their individual colours. However, this location advantage, while highly significant, was rather small in magnitude. Results are compared with those of Huang (Journal of Vision, 10(10, Art. 24), 1-17, 2010), who also reported an advantage for object locations, but under quite different task conditions.

A Patient with Difficulty of Object Recognition: Semantic Amnesia for Manipulable Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Yamadori

1992-01-01

Full Text Available We studied a patient who had recognition difficulty for manipulable objects. MRI showed a lesion in the left occipito-parietotemporal area. Differential diagnosis of agnosia, aphasia and apraxia is discussed. We believe this “object meaning amnesia” constitutes a distinct subtype of semantic amnesia.

The Role of Shape in Semantic Memory Organization of Objects: An Experimental Study Using PI-Release.

Science.gov (United States)

van Weelden, Lisanne; Schilperoord, Joost; Swerts, Marc; Pecher, Diane

2015-01-01

Visual information contributes fundamentally to the process of object categorization. The present study investigated whether the degree of activation of visual information in this process is dependent on the contextual relevance of this information. We used the Proactive Interference (PI-release) paradigm. In four experiments, we manipulated the information by which objects could be categorized and subsequently be retrieved from memory. The pattern of PI-release showed that if objects could be stored and retrieved both by (non-perceptual) semantic and (perceptual) shape information, then shape information was overruled by semantic information. If, however, semantic information could not be (satisfactorily) used to store and retrieve objects, then objects were stored in memory in terms of their shape. The latter effect was found to be strongest for objects from identical semantic categories.

Comparing infants' use of featural and spatiotemporal information when individuating objects in an event monitoring design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krøjgaard, Peter

. The results obtained using this design reveal that infants are more successful using spatiotemporal object information than when using featural information. However, recent studies using the less cognitively demanding event monitoring design have revealed that even younger infants are capable of object...... in the present series of experiments in which infants' use of spatiotemporal and featural information is compared directly using the less demanding event monitoring design. The results are discussed in relation to existing empirical evidence......., to what extent infants rely on spatiotemporal or featural object information when individuating objects is currently under debate. Hitherto, infants' use of spatiotemporal and featural object information has only been compared directly using the rather cognitively demanding event mapping design...

Object-Oriented Approach to Manipulating Acoustic and Seismic Spectra

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wilson, D. K; Torrey, Jacob I

2006-01-01

The software design and underlying mathematics for an object-oriented, Java-based approach to creating and manipulating frequency-dependent functions, such as power spectral densities, is described...

A multi-objective set covering problem: A case study of warehouse allocation in truck industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atefeh Malekinezhad

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Designing distribution centers is normally formulated in a form of set covering where is primary objective is to minimize the number of connected facilities. However, there are other issues affecting our decision on selecting suitable distribution centers such as weather conditions, temperature, infrastructure facilities, etc. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective set covering techniques where different objectives are considered in an integrated model. The proposed model of this paper is implemented for a real-world case study of truck-industry and the results are analyzed.

[The harm to health of the under-age individuals as an objective criterion for the differentiation of criminal responsibilities for committing non-violent sexual offence against them].

Science.gov (United States)

Bimbinov, A A

2016-01-01

The present publication is devoted to the search for the objective criterion for the differentiation of criminal responsibilities for committing non-violent sexual offence against the juveniles under the age of 16 years. It has been shown that the current version of articles 134 and 135 of the criminal code of the Russian Federation does not adequately reflect the true character and the social danger of such actions. The formal methods of the legal, logical, and concrete sociological analysis were employed to substantiate the necessity of differentiation of criminal liability for the non-violent sexual abuse depending on the degree of potential harm to the health of the under-age individuals.

OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING IN SCHOOL COURSE OF INFORMATICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Хамид Абдулович Гербеков

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In article approaches to training of student in object-oriented programming in the environment of the Windows operating system are considered. The analysis of the literature on the programming and the modern school textbook on informatics, and also theoretical material on object-oriented programming within the informative line “Algorithmization and programming” of school course of informatics is for this purpose carried out. The object-oriented approached essentially differs from structured programming in fact that the object-oriented programming paradigm is more open and scalable. It doesn’t mean that transition to the object-oriented approach to programming demands a failure from all algorithm applied in case of structural pro-applications of all earlier found and tested method and receptions. On the contrary new elements are always based on prior experience. Object approach creates a set of essential convenience which under other conditions can’t provide. Object-oriented programming in the environment of the Windows operating system to interest student from the first lesson and to do training fascinating and interesting because student can control object which the modern students face since the childhood on the personal computers, pads and phones.

A Study Of Protein Calorie Malnutrition Amongst Under Six Children In Slum Area Of Kanpur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S C Saxena

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Objective To assess the nutritional profile amongst under six children in slum area of Kanpur. Study Design Door to door survey by collecting relevent information from head of household on a pretested questionaire. Study UnitEach of household having any child in the age group less than 6 years. Study Area The study was conducted in Katari slum area of Kalyanpur, Kanpur. Study Variable Grades of PCM as per recommendation of nutrition sub-committee of paediatrics (ICMR-1972 Statistical analysis:- By chi-square test of significance. Results The highest percentage of PCM was observed amongst 0-1 year and boys of single families whose parents were illiterate and unemployed or labourers belonging mainly to lower socio-economic class. Conclusions:- To reduce childhood mortality with reference to PCM, die literacy status of parents especially of mothers should be increased and social reform measures to be taken for engaging them in some income generating jobs/business, agriculture etc.

A Study Of Protein Calorie Malnutrition Amongst Under Six Children In Slum Area Of Kanpur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S C Saxena

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Objective To assess the nutritional profile amongst under six children in slum area of Kanpur.Study Design Door to door survey by collecting relevent information from head of household on a pretested questionaire. Study UnitEach of household having any child in the age group less than 6 years.Study Area The study was conducted in Katari slum area of Kalyanpur, Kanpur.Study Variable Grades of PCM as per recommendation of nutrition sub-committee of paediatrics (ICMR-1972 Statistical analysis:- By chi-square test of significance.Results The highest percentage of PCM was observed amongst 0-1 year and boys of single families whose parents were illiterate and unemployed or labourers belonging mainly to lower socio-economic class.Conclusions:- To reduce childhood mortality with reference to PCM, die literacy status of parents especially of mothers should be increased and social reform measures to be taken for engaging them in some income generating jobs/business, agriculture etc.

Database Independent Migration of Objects into an Object-Relational Database

CERN Document Server

Ali, A; Munir, K; Waseem-Hassan, M; Willers, I

2002-01-01

CERN's (European Organization for Nuclear Research) WISDOM project [1] deals with the replication of data between homogeneous sources in a Wide Area Network (WAN) using the extensible Markup Language (XML). The last phase of the WISDOM (Wide-area, database Independent Serialization of Distributed Objects for data Migration) project [2], indicates the future directions for this work to be to incorporate heterogeneous sources as compared to homogeneous sources as described by [3]. This work will become essential for the CERN community once the need to transfer their legacy data to some other source, other then Objectivity [4], arises. Oracle 9i - an Object-Relational Database (including support for abstract data types, ADTs) appears to be a potential candidate for the physics event store in the CERN CMS experiment as suggested by [4] & [5]. Consequently this database has been selected for study. As a result of this work the HEP community will get a tool for migrating their data from Objectivity to Oracle9i.

Study on multi-objective flexible job-shop scheduling problem considering energy consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zengqiang Jiang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Build a multi-objective Flexible Job-shop Scheduling Problem(FJSP optimization model, in which the makespan, processing cost, energy consumption and cost-weighted processing quality are considered, then Design a Modified Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II based on blood variation for above scheduling model.Design/methodology/approach: A multi-objective optimization theory based on Pareto optimal method is used in carrying out the optimization model. NSGA-II is used to solve the model.Findings: By analyzing the research status and insufficiency of multi-objective FJSP, Find that the difference in scheduling will also have an effect on energy consumption in machining process and environmental emissions. Therefore, job-shop scheduling requires not only guaranteeing the processing quality, time and cost, but also optimizing operation plan of machines and minimizing energy consumption.Originality/value: A multi-objective FJSP optimization model is put forward, in which the makespan, processing cost, energy consumption and cost-weighted processing quality are considered. According to above model, Blood-Variation-based NSGA-II (BVNSGA-II is designed. In which, the chromosome mutation rate is determined after calculating the blood relationship between two cross chromosomes, crossover and mutation strategy of NSGA-II is optimized and the prematurity of population is overcome. Finally, the performance of the proposed model and algorithm is evaluated through a case study, and the results proved the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed model and algorithm.

Adobe Boxes: Locating Object Proposals Using Object Adobes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Zhiwen; Cao, Zhiguo; Xiao, Yang; Zhu, Lei; Yuan, Junsong

2016-09-01

Despite the previous efforts of object proposals, the detection rates of the existing approaches are still not satisfactory enough. To address this, we propose Adobe Boxes to efficiently locate the potential objects with fewer proposals, in terms of searching the object adobes that are the salient object parts easy to be perceived. Because of the visual difference between the object and its surroundings, an object adobe obtained from the local region has a high probability to be a part of an object, which is capable of depicting the locative information of the proto-object. Our approach comprises of three main procedures. First, the coarse object proposals are acquired by employing randomly sampled windows. Then, based on local-contrast analysis, the object adobes are identified within the enlarged bounding boxes that correspond to the coarse proposals. The final object proposals are obtained by converging the bounding boxes to tightly surround the object adobes. Meanwhile, our object adobes can also refine the detection rate of most state-of-the-art methods as a refinement approach. The extensive experiments on four challenging datasets (PASCAL VOC2007, VOC2010, VOC2012, and ILSVRC2014) demonstrate that the detection rate of our approach generally outperforms the state-of-the-art methods, especially with relatively small number of proposals. The average time consumed on one image is about 48 ms, which nearly meets the real-time requirement.

Toward Imaging of Small Objects with XUV Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Sayrac, Muhammed; Kolomenski, Alexandre A.; Boran, Yakup; Schuessler, Hans

The coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) technique has the potential to capture high resolution images of nano- or micron-sized structures when using XUV radiation obtained by high harmonic radiation (HHG) process. When a small object is exposed to XUV radiation, a diffraction pattern of the object is created. The advances in the coherent HHG enable obtaining photon flux sufficient for XUV imaging. The diffractive imaging technique from coherent table top XUV beams have made possible nanometer-scale resolution imaging by replacing the imaging optics with a computer reconstruction algorithm. In this study, we present our initial work on diffractive imaging using a tabletop XUV source. The initial investigation of imaging of a micron-sized mesh with an optimized HHG source is demonstrated. This work was supported in part by the Robert A. Welch Foundation Grant No. A1546 and the Qatar Foundation under the grant NPRP 8-735-1-154. M. Sayrac acknowledges support from the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey.

Object color affects identification and repetition priming.

Science.gov (United States)

Uttl, Bob; Graf, Peter; Santacruz, Pilar

2006-10-01

We investigated the influence of color on the identification of both non-studied and studied objects. Participants studied black and white and color photos of common objects and memory was assessed with an identification test. Consistent with our meta-analysis of prior research, we found that objects were easier to identify from color than from black and white photos. We also found substantial priming in all conditions, and study-to-test changes in an object's color reduced the magnitude of priming. Color-specific priming effects were large for color-complex objects, but minimal for color-simple objects. The pattern and magnitude of priming effects was not influenced either by the extent to which an object always appears in the same color (i.e., whether a color is symptomatic of an object) or by the object's origin (natural versus fabricated). We discuss the implications of our findings for theoretical accounts of object perception and repetition priming.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2004-01-01

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

Method for producing three-dimensional real image using radiographic perspective views of an object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellingson, W.A.; Read, A.A.

1976-01-01

A sequence of separate radiographs may be made by indexing a radiation source along a known path relative to the object under study. Thus, each radiograph contains information from a different perspective. A holographically-recorded image is then made from each radiographic perspective by exact re-tracing of the rays through each radiographic perspective such that the re-tracing duplicates the geometry under which it was originally prepared. The holographically-stored images are simultaneously illuminated with the conjugate of the reference beam used in the original recordings. The result is the generation of a three-dimensional real image of the object such that a light-sensitive device can be moved to veiw the real image along any desired surface with the optical information in all other surfaces greatly suppressed. 4 claims, 5 drawing figures

Forest management under uncertainty for multiple bird population objectives

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, C.T.; Plummer, W.T.; Conroy, M.J.; Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D.

2005-01-01

We advocate adaptive programs of decision making and monitoring for the management of forest birds when responses by populations to management, and particularly management trade-offs among populations, are uncertain. Models are necessary components of adaptive management. Under this approach, uncertainty about the behavior of a managed system is explicitly captured in a set of alternative models. The models generate testable predictions about the response of populations to management, and monitoring data provide the basis for assessing these predictions and informing future management decisions. To illustrate these principles, we examine forest management at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, where management attention is focused on the recovery of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) population. However, managers are also sensitive to the habitat needs of many non-target organisms, including Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) and other forest interior Neotropical migratory birds. By simulating several management policies on a set of-alternative forest and bird models, we found a decision policy that maximized a composite response by woodpeckers and Wood Thrushes despite our complete uncertainty regarding system behavior. Furthermore, we used monitoring data to update our measure of belief in each alternative model following one cycle of forest management. This reduction of uncertainty translates into a reallocation of model influence on the choice of optimal decision action at the next decision opportunity.

Applying of component system development in object methodology, case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Mišovič

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To create computarization target software as a component system has been a very strong requirement for the last 20 years of software developing. Finally, the architectural components are self-contained units, presenting not only partial and overall system behavior, but also cooperating with each other on the basis of their interfaces. Among others, components have allowed flexible modification of processes the behavior of which is the foundation of components behavior without changing the life of the component system. On the other hand, the component system makes it possible, at design time, to create numerous new connections between components and thus creating modified system behaviors. This all enables the company management to perform, at design time, required behavioral changes of processes in accordance with the requirements of changing production and market.The development of software which is generally referred to as SDP (Software Development Process contains two directions. The first one, called CBD (Component–Based Development, is dedicated to the development of component–based systems CBS (Component–based System, the second target is the development of software under the influence of SOA (Service–Oriented Architecture. Both directions are equipped with their different development methodologies. The subject of this paper is only the first direction and application of development of component–based systems in its object–oriented methodologies. The requirement of today is to carry out the development of component-based systems in the framework of developed object–oriented methodologies precisely in the way of a dominant style. In some of the known methodologies, however, this development is not completely transparent and is not even recognized as dominant. In some cases, it is corrected by the special meta–integration models of component system development into an object methodology.This paper presents a case study

Does the sensorimotor system minimize prediction error or select the most likely prediction during object lifting?

Science.gov (United States)

McGregor, Heather R.; Pun, Henry C. H.; Buckingham, Gavin; Gribble, Paul L.

2016-01-01

The human sensorimotor system is routinely capable of making accurate predictions about an object's weight, which allows for energetically efficient lifts and prevents objects from being dropped. Often, however, poor predictions arise when the weight of an object can vary and sensory cues about object weight are sparse (e.g., picking up an opaque water bottle). The question arises, what strategies does the sensorimotor system use to make weight predictions when one is dealing with an object whose weight may vary? For example, does the sensorimotor system use a strategy that minimizes prediction error (minimal squared error) or one that selects the weight that is most likely to be correct (maximum a posteriori)? In this study we dissociated the predictions of these two strategies by having participants lift an object whose weight varied according to a skewed probability distribution. We found, using a small range of weight uncertainty, that four indexes of sensorimotor prediction (grip force rate, grip force, load force rate, and load force) were consistent with a feedforward strategy that minimizes the square of prediction errors. These findings match research in the visuomotor system, suggesting parallels in underlying processes. We interpret our findings within a Bayesian framework and discuss the potential benefits of using a minimal squared error strategy. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using a novel experimental model of object lifting, we tested whether the sensorimotor system models the weight of objects by minimizing lifting errors or by selecting the statistically most likely weight. We found that the sensorimotor system minimizes the square of prediction errors for object lifting. This parallels the results of studies that investigated visually guided reaching, suggesting an overlap in the underlying mechanisms between tasks that involve different sensory systems. PMID:27760821

Hamiltonian dynamics of extended objects

Science.gov (United States)

Capovilla, R.; Guven, J.; Rojas, E.

2004-12-01

We consider relativistic extended objects described by a reparametrization-invariant local action that depends on the extrinsic curvature of the worldvolume swept out by the object as it evolves. We provide a Hamiltonian formulation of the dynamics of such higher derivative models which is motivated by the ADM formulation of general relativity. The canonical momenta are identified by looking at boundary behaviour under small deformations of the action; the relationship between the momentum conjugate to the embedding functions and the conserved momentum density is established. The canonical Hamiltonian is constructed explicitly; the constraints on the phase space, both primary and secondary, are identified and the role they play in the theory is described. The multipliers implementing the primary constraints are identified in terms of the ADM lapse and shift variables and Hamilton's equations are shown to be consistent with the Euler Lagrange equations.

Hamiltonian dynamics of extended objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capovilla, R; Guven, J; Rojas, E

2004-01-01

We consider relativistic extended objects described by a reparametrization-invariant local action that depends on the extrinsic curvature of the worldvolume swept out by the object as it evolves. We provide a Hamiltonian formulation of the dynamics of such higher derivative models which is motivated by the ADM formulation of general relativity. The canonical momenta are identified by looking at boundary behaviour under small deformations of the action; the relationship between the momentum conjugate to the embedding functions and the conserved momentum density is established. The canonical Hamiltonian is constructed explicitly; the constraints on the phase space, both primary and secondary, are identified and the role they play in the theory is described. The multipliers implementing the primary constraints are identified in terms of the ADM lapse and shift variables and Hamilton's equations are shown to be consistent with the Euler-Lagrange equations

Motives underlying food consumption in the Western Balkans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mardon, Julie; Thiel, Elise; Laniau, Martine; Sijtsema, Siet; Zimmermann, Karin; Barjolle, Dominique

2015-01-01

Objectives: This study aims to identify subgroups of consumers based on the health motives underlying their food choice in Western Balkan Countries. Methods: The survey (n = 2943) was based on the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) and elicited information on socio-demographic characteristics,

Segmentation precedes face categorization under suboptimal conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlijn eVan Den Boomen

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Both categorization and segmentation processes play a crucial role in face perception. However, the functional relation between these subprocesses is currently unclear. The present study investigates the temporal relation between segmentation-related and category-selective responses in the brain, using electroencephalography (EEG. Surface segmentation and category content were both manipulated using texture-defined objects, including faces. This allowed us to study brain activity related to segmentation and to categorization. In the main experiment, participants viewed texture-defined objects for a duration of 800 ms. EEG results revealed that segmentation-related responses precede category-selective responses. Three additional experiments revealed that the presence and timing of categorization depends on stimulus properties and presentation duration. Photographic objects were presented for a long and short (92 ms duration and evoked fast category-selective responses in both cases. On the other hand, presentation of texture-defined objects for a short duration only evoked segmentation-related but no category-selective responses. Category-selective responses were much slower when evoked by texture-defined than by photographic objects. We suggest that in case of categorization of objects under suboptimal conditions, such as when low-level stimulus properties are not sufficient for fast object categorization, segmentation facilitates the slower categorization process.

Segmentation precedes face categorization under suboptimal conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Den Boomen, Carlijn; Fahrenfort, Johannes J; Snijders, Tineke M; Kemner, Chantal

2015-01-01

Both categorization and segmentation processes play a crucial role in face perception. However, the functional relation between these subprocesses is currently unclear. The present study investigates the temporal relation between segmentation-related and category-selective responses in the brain, using electroencephalography (EEG). Surface segmentation and category content were both manipulated using texture-defined objects, including faces. This allowed us to study brain activity related to segmentation and to categorization. In the main experiment, participants viewed texture-defined objects for a duration of 800 ms. EEG results revealed that segmentation-related responses precede category-selective responses. Three additional experiments revealed that the presence and timing of categorization depends on stimulus properties and presentation duration. Photographic objects were presented for a long and short (92 ms) duration and evoked fast category-selective responses in both cases. On the other hand, presentation of texture-defined objects for a short duration only evoked segmentation-related but no category-selective responses. Category-selective responses were much slower when evoked by texture-defined than by photographic objects. We suggest that in case of categorization of objects under suboptimal conditions, such as when low-level stimulus properties are not sufficient for fast object categorization, segmentation facilitates the slower categorization process.

DOLCLAN – Middleware Support for Peer-to-Peer Distributed Shared Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bardram, Jakob; Mogensen, Martin

2007-01-01

Contemporary object-oriented programming seeks to enable distributed computing by accessing remote objects using blocking remote procedure calls. This technique, however, suffers from several drawbacks because it relies on the assumption of stable network connections and synchronous method...... invocations. In this paper we present an approach to support distributed programming, which rely on local object replicas keeping themselves synchronized using an underlying peer-to-peer infrastructure. We have termed our approach Peer-to-peer Distributed Shared Objects (PDSO). This PDSO approach has been...

Common and differential electrophysiological mechanisms underlying semantic object memory retrieval probed by features presented in different stimulus types.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Hsueh-Sheng; Eroh, Justin; Spence, Jeffrey S; Motes, Michael A; Maguire, Mandy J; Krawczyk, Daniel C; Brier, Matthew R; Hart, John; Kraut, Michael A

2016-08-01

How the brain combines the neural representations of features that comprise an object in order to activate a coherent object memory is poorly understood, especially when the features are presented in different modalities (visual vs. auditory) and domains (verbal vs. nonverbal). We examined this question using three versions of a modified Semantic Object Retrieval Test, where object memory was probed by a feature presented as a written word, a spoken word, or a picture, followed by a second feature always presented as a visual word. Participants indicated whether each feature pair elicited retrieval of the memory of a particular object. Sixteen subjects completed one of the three versions (N=48 in total) while their EEG were recorded simultaneously. We analyzed EEG data in four separate frequency bands (delta: 1-4Hz, theta: 4-7Hz; alpha: 8-12Hz; beta: 13-19Hz) using a multivariate data-driven approach. We found that alpha power time-locked to response was modulated by both cross-modality (visual vs. auditory) and cross-domain (verbal vs. nonverbal) probing of semantic object memory. In addition, retrieval trials showed greater changes in all frequency bands compared to non-retrieval trials across all stimulus types in both response-locked and stimulus-locked analyses, suggesting dissociable neural subcomponents involved in binding object features to retrieve a memory. We conclude that these findings support both modality/domain-dependent and modality/domain-independent mechanisms during semantic object memory retrieval. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resource-Use Efficiency in Rice Production Under Small Scale ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

acer

specific objectives of the study were to determine resource use efficiency, describe ... economic level. ... this key variable with a view to stepping ... focused on small-scale irrigation systems for ... farmers were assumed to be operating under.

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, K. J.; Park, S. W.; Cho, S. H.; Hong, S. S

2000-12-01

The object of this study is to improve the stability and the economic profit by reducing the radiation-induced degradation rate of polymer material used under the radiation environment. So far, the resistance to radiation-induced oxidation of a polymer has been improved by the stabilizers. They can play an important role in the anti-oxidants that interrupt the radical-mediated oxidation chain reaction. The stabilization effect could be larger than that achieved in an inert-atmosphere irradiation. Stabilization is a function of stabilizer concentration up to a certain threshold, but it is not further improved above this concentration. Beyond the threshold, the rate of radiation-induced oxidation goes up to the rate that is characteristic for the unstabilized polymer. To make up for this weakness, a technique depositing a thin layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the polymer surface was developed for protecting the radiation-induced oxidation in the air.

A study on the life extension of polymer materials under radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. J.; Park, S. W.; Cho, S. H.; Hong, S. S.

2000-12-01

The object of this study is to improve the stability and the economic profit by reducing the radiation-induced degradation rate of polymer material used under the radiation environment. So far, the resistance to radiation-induced oxidation of a polymer has been improved by the stabilizers. They can play an important role in the anti-oxidants that interrupt the radical-mediated oxidation chain reaction. The stabilization effect could be larger than that achieved in an inert-atmosphere irradiation. Stabilization is a function of stabilizer concentration up to a certain threshold, but it is not further improved above this concentration. Beyond the threshold, the rate of radiation-induced oxidation goes up to the rate that is characteristic for the unstabilized polymer. To make up for this weakness, a technique depositing a thin layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the polymer surface was developed for protecting the radiation-induced oxidation in the air

Differential cortical c-Fos and Zif-268 expression after object and spatial memory processing in a standard or episodic-like object recognition task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávio F Barbosa

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Episodic memory reflects the capacity to recollect what, where and when a specific event happened in an integrative manner. Animal studies have suggested that the medial temporal lobe and the medial pre-frontal cortex are important for episodic-like memory formation. The goal of present study was to evaluate whether there are different patterns of expression of the immediate early genes c-Fos and Zif-268 in these cortical areas after rats are exposed to object recognition tasks with different cognitive demands. Male rats were randomly assigned to five groups: home cage control (CTR-HC, empty open field (CTR-OF, open field with one object (CTR-OF + Obj, novel object recognition task (OR and episodic-like memory task (ELM and were killed one hour after the last behavioral procedure. Rats were able to discriminate the objects in the OR task. In the ELM task, rats showed spatial (but not temporal discrimination of the objects. We found an increase in the c-Fos expression in the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG and in the perirhinal cortex (PRh in the OR and ELM groups. The OR group also presented an increase of c-Fos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC. Additionally, the OR and ELM groups had increased expression of Zif-268 in the mPFC. Moreover, Zif-268 was increased in the dorsal CA1 and perirhinal cortex only in the ELM group. In conclusion, the pattern of activation was different in tasks with different cognitive demands. Accordingly, correlation tests suggest the engagement of different neural networks in the object recognition tasks used. Specifically, perirhinal-dentate gyrus co-activation was detected after the what-where memory retrieval, but not after the novel object recognition task. Both regions correlated with the respective behavioral outcome. These findings can be helpful in the understanding of the neural networks underlying memory tasks with different cognitive demands.

An investigation of clinical studies suggests those with multiple objectives should have at least 90% power for each endpoint.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borm, G.F.; Houben, R.; Welsing, P.M.J.; Zielhuis, G.A.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many clinical studies have more than one objective, either formally or informally, but this is not usually taken into account in the determination of the sample size. We investigated the overall power of a study, that is, the probability that all the objectives will be

Voting based object boundary reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Qi; Zhang, Like; Ma, Jingsheng

2005-07-01

A voting-based object boundary reconstruction approach is proposed in this paper. Morphological technique was adopted in many applications for video object extraction to reconstruct the missing pixels. However, when the missing areas become large, the morphological processing cannot bring us good results. Recently, Tensor voting has attracted people"s attention, and it can be used for boundary estimation on curves or irregular trajectories. However, the complexity of saliency tensor creation limits its applications in real-time systems. An alternative approach based on tensor voting is introduced in this paper. Rather than creating saliency tensors, we use a "2-pass" method for orientation estimation. For the first pass, Sobel d*etector is applied on a coarse boundary image to get the gradient map. In the second pass, each pixel puts decreasing weights based on its gradient information, and the direction with maximum weights sum is selected as the correct orientation of the pixel. After the orientation map is obtained, pixels begin linking edges or intersections along their direction. The approach is applied to various video surveillance clips under different conditions, and the experimental results demonstrate significant improvement on the final extracted objects accuracy.

Mathematical Modeling of Wastewater Oxidation under Microgravity Conditions

OpenAIRE

Boyun Guo; Donald W. Holder; David S. Schechter

2005-01-01

Volatile removal assembly (VRA) is a module installed in the International Space Station for removing contaminants (volatile organics) in the wastewater produced by the crew. The VRA contains a slim pack bed reactor to perform catalyst oxidation of the wastewater at elevated pressure and temperature under microgravity conditions. Optimal design of the reactor requires a thorough understanding about how the reactor performs under microgravity conditions. The objective of this study was to theo...

Objectives for the development of advanced nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The scope of this report is to reiterate the broad objectives for the development of advanced nuclear plants, to set forth some related subobjectives and to propose some universal goals for the development programmes. The majority of these can be categorized under the headings of enhancing safety, improving reliability and gaining better economics. These categories are used in the report followed by additional categories considered to be important within the global framework intended. Additional broad objectives appear unlikely but more subobjectives may become evident as time progresses and the need arises to express them in the intended more global framework. The goals also may change. The scope is therefore a set of objectives for development of advanced nuclear plants. The objectives are believed to be universally acceptable; they have been reviewed on that basis. 13 refs

Human listening studies reveal insights into object features extracted by echolocating dolphins

Science.gov (United States)

Delong, Caroline M.; Au, Whitlow W. L.; Roitblat, Herbert L.

2004-05-01

Echolocating dolphins extract object feature information from the acoustic parameters of object echoes. However, little is known about which object features are salient to dolphins or how they extract those features. To gain insight into how dolphins might be extracting feature information, human listeners were presented with echoes from objects used in a dolphin echoic-visual cross-modal matching task. Human participants performed a task similar to the one the dolphin had performed; however, echoic samples consisting of 23-echo trains were presented via headphones. The participants listened to the echoic sample and then visually selected the correct object from among three alternatives. The participants performed as well as or better than the dolphin (M=88.0% correct), and reported using a combination of acoustic cues to extract object features (e.g., loudness, pitch, timbre). Participants frequently reported using the pattern of aural changes in the echoes across the echo train to identify the shape and structure of the objects (e.g., peaks in loudness or pitch). It is likely that dolphins also attend to the pattern of changes across echoes as objects are echolocated from different angles.

Estimation of Remnant Dentin Thickness under Proximal Caries Using Digital Bitewing Radiography: An In-Vitro Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoomeh Afsa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: In restorative dentistry, it is essential to estimate the amount of remnant tooth structure after caries removal to make the best treatment plan. The present study was aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between the real thickness of remnant dentin under carious lesion and the radiographical measurement from photostimulable phosphor plates (PSPs. Methods: a whole number of 68 unrestored permanent human molar and premolar teeth with 82 proximal carious surfaces were mounted in an artificial arch. Digital bitewing radiographs with PSPs were taken, carious lesions were removed and radiographic imaging was repeated. Teeth were sectioned mesiodistally in two parts and thickness of remnant tooth structure to pulp was measured. Measurements of remnant dentin under caries from radiographic images and teeth structures were compared. Result: The mean measurements of remnant dentin on primary radiographs were statistically different from the measurements on teeth structures. The mean thickness of remnant dentin on tooth structure was around 30% less than what measured on radiographic image. Conclusion: The real thickness of remnant dentin under caries is about 70% of its thickness measured on digital bitewing radiographs prepared by PSPs as image receptor.

Studies of the underlying-event properties and of hard double parton scattering with the ATLAS detector

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00173407; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

A correct modelling of the underlying event in proton-proton collisions at Large Hadron Collider is important for the proper simulation of kinematic distributions of final state objects. The ATLAS collaboration performed a study at 13 TeV, measuring the number and transverse-momentum sum of charged particles in different regions with respect to the direction of the reconstructed leading track. These measurements are sensitive to the underlying-event activity. The results are compared to predictions of several Monte Carlo generators. Inclusive four-jet events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV in the ATLAS detector have been analysed for the presence of hard double parton scattering. The fraction of events originating from hard double parton scattering has been extracted, and used to measure the effective proton cross section. Distributions sensitive to the presence of double parton scattering were unfolded to the parton level and compared to various tunes of a selected Mo...

The Netherlands XTC Toxicity (NeXT) study: objectives and methods of a study investigating causality, course, and clinical relevance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Win, Maartje M. L.; Jager, Gerry; Vervaeke, Hylke K. E.; Schilt, Thelma; Reneman, Liesbeth; Booij, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C.; den Heeten, Gerard J.; Ramsey, Nick F.; Korf, Dirk J.; van den Brink, Wim

2005-01-01

This paper describes the objectives and methods of The Netherlands XTC Toxicity (NeXT) study focussing on the causality, course, and clinical relevance of ecstasy neurotoxicity. Previous studies suggest that ecstasy (3,4 methylene-dioxymethamphetamine, MDMA, XTC) is toxic toward brain serotonin

A prospective randomized study comparing percutaneous nephrolithotomy under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia with percutaneous nephrolithotomy under general anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vishwajeet; Sinha, Rahul Janak; Sankhwar, S N; Malik, Anita

2011-01-01

A prospective randomized study was executed to compare the surgical parameters and stone clearance in patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) versus those who underwent PNL under general anesthesia (GA). Between January 2008 to December 2009, 64 patients with renal calculi were randomized into 2 groups and evaluated for the purpose of this study. Group 1 consisted of patients who underwent PNL under CSEA and Group 2 consisted of patients who underwent PNL under GA. The operative time, stone clearance rate, visual pain analog score, mean analgesic dose and mean hospital stay were compared amongst other parameters. The difference between visual pain analog score after the operation and the dose of analgesic requirement was significant on statistical analysis between both groups. PNL under CSEA is as effective and safe as PNL under GA. Patients who undergo PNL under CESA require lesser analgesic dose and have a shorter hospital stay. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Determination of the object surface function by structured light: application to the study of spinal deformities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buendia, M.; Salvador, R.; Cibrian, R.; Sotoca, J.M.; Laguia, M.

1999-01-01

The projection of structured light is a technique frequently used to determine the surface shape of an object. In this paper, a new procedure is described that efficiently resolves the correspondence between the knots of the projected grid and those obtained on the object when the projection is made. The method is based on the use of three images of the projected grid. In two of them the grid is projected over a flat surface placed, respectively, before and behind the object; both images are used for calibration. In the third image the grid is projected over the object. It is not reliant on accurate determination of the camera and projector pair relative to the grid and object. Once the method is calibrated, we can obtain the surface function by just analysing the projected grid on the object. The procedure is especially suitable for the study of objects without discontinuities or large depth gradients. It can be employed for determining, in a non-invasive way, the patient's back surface function. Symmetry differences permit a quantitative diagnosis of spinal deformities such as scoliosis. (author)

Spatialization of social process vs singular object of architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lujak Mihailo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The fundamental subject of this research is spatialization of social process in the period of modernism manifested through transformation and/or change in meaning of space under a variety of social processes without changing the physical structure of space. These changes in meaning represent the specificity of development in space under the influence of the said social processes, which in this case is Yugoslav modernism, resulting in the creation of a singular object of architecture specific of a certain environment. These processes have been researched in the residential complex of Block 19a in New Belgrade, designed by architects Milan Lojanica, Predrag Cagić, and Borivoje Jovanović, and constructed between 1975 and 1982. The basic objective of this paper is to establish crucial causes for this complex to be considered the landmark in the designing practice of the time in Yugoslavia through research and critical analysis of the residential complex of Block 19a, and to try and determine the importance and potential influence in further architectural development in the period following its construction. In other words, the basic objective of this paper is to establish whether residential complex Block 19a represents a singular object of architecture in Yugoslavia/Serbia.

Uncertain and multi-objective programming models for crop planting structure optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mo LI,Ping GUO,Liudong ZHANG,Chenglong ZHANG

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Crop planting structure optimization is a significant way to increase agricultural economic benefits and improve agricultural water management. The complexities of fluctuating stream conditions, varying economic profits, and uncertainties and errors in estimated modeling parameters, as well as the complexities among economic, social, natural resources and environmental aspects, have led to the necessity of developing optimization models for crop planting structure which consider uncertainty and multi-objectives elements. In this study, three single-objective programming models under uncertainty for crop planting structure optimization were developed, including an interval linear programming model, an inexact fuzzy chance-constrained programming (IFCCP model and an inexact fuzzy linear programming (IFLP model. Each of the three models takes grayness into account. Moreover, the IFCCP model considers fuzzy uncertainty of parameters/variables and stochastic characteristics of constraints, while the IFLP model takes into account the fuzzy uncertainty of both constraints and objective functions. To satisfy the sustainable development of crop planting structure planning, a fuzzy-optimization-theory-based fuzzy linear multi-objective programming model was developed, which is capable of reflecting both uncertainties and multi-objective. In addition, a multi-objective fractional programming model for crop structure optimization was also developed to quantitatively express the multi-objective in one optimization model with the numerator representing maximum economic benefits and the denominator representing minimum crop planting area allocation. These models better reflect actual situations, considering the uncertainties and multi-objectives of crop planting structure optimization systems. The five models developed were then applied to a real case study in Minqin County, north-west China. The advantages, the applicable conditions and the solution methods

[Object-oriented remote sensing image classification in epidemiological studies of visceral leishmaniasis in urban areas].

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Andréa Sobral de; Werneck, Guilherme Loureiro; Resendes, Ana Paula da Costa

2014-08-01

This study explored the use of object-oriented classification of remote sensing imagery in epidemiological studies of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in urban areas. To obtain temperature and environmental information, an object-oriented classification approach was applied to Landsat 5 TM scenes from the city of Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil. For 1993-1996, VL incidence rates correlated positively with census tracts covered by dense vegetation, grass/pasture, and bare soil and negatively with areas covered by water and densely populated areas. In 2001-2006, positive correlations were found with dense vegetation, grass/pasture, bare soil, and densely populated areas and negative correlations with occupied urban areas with some vegetation. Land surface temperature correlated negatively with VL incidence in both periods. Object-oriented classification can be useful to characterize landscape features associated with VL in urban areas and to help identify risk areas in order to prioritize interventions.

General object recognition is specific: Evidence from novel and familiar objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Richler, Jennifer J; Wilmer, Jeremy B; Gauthier, Isabel

2017-09-01

In tests of object recognition, individual differences typically correlate modestly but nontrivially across familiar categories (e.g. cars, faces, shoes, birds, mushrooms). In theory, these correlations could reflect either global, non-specific mechanisms, such as general intelligence (IQ), or more specific mechanisms. Here, we introduce two separate methods for effectively capturing category-general performance variation, one that uses novel objects and one that uses familiar objects. In each case, we show that category-general performance variance is unrelated to IQ, thereby implicating more specific mechanisms. The first approach examines three newly developed novel object memory tests (NOMTs). We predicted that NOMTs would exhibit more shared, category-general variance than familiar object memory tests (FOMTs) because novel objects, unlike familiar objects, lack category-specific environmental influences (e.g. exposure to car magazines or botany classes). This prediction held, and remarkably, virtually none of the substantial shared variance among NOMTs was explained by IQ. Also, while NOMTs correlated nontrivially with two FOMTs (faces, cars), these correlations were smaller than among NOMTs and no larger than between the face and car tests themselves, suggesting that the category-general variance captured by NOMTs is specific not only relative to IQ, but also, to some degree, relative to both face and car recognition. The second approach averaged performance across multiple FOMTs, which we predicted would increase category-general variance by averaging out category-specific factors. This prediction held, and as with NOMTs, virtually none of the shared variance among FOMTs was explained by IQ. Overall, these results support the existence of object recognition mechanisms that, though category-general, are specific relative to IQ and substantially separable from face and car recognition. They also add sensitive, well-normed NOMTs to the tools available to study

Object relations, reality testing, and social withdrawal in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Charlotte Fredslund; Torgalsbøen, Anne-Kari; Røssberg, Jan Ivar; Romm, Kristin Lie; Andreassen, Ole Andreas; Bell, Morris D; Melle, Ingrid

2013-03-01

In this study, we investigated the relationships between observed social withdrawal (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] Passive Social Withdrawal and PANSS Active Social Avoidance), subjectively experienced social withdrawal (Social Functioning Scale [SFS] Withdrawal and SFS Interpersonal Behavior), and their associations to the underlying psychological patterns of Object Relations and Reality Testing. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 55) and bipolar disorder (n = 51) from the ongoing Thematically Organized Psychosis project, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, were evaluated using the Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory, the PANSS, and the SFS. Object relations and reality testing subscales related differentially to PANSS Passive Social Withdrawal and PANSS Active Social Avoidance. These two measures, together with the level of alienation, explained a significant amount of variance in self-experienced social dysfunction. Findings reveal the multidimensional nature of social dysfunction in severe mental disorders.

Comparative study of nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of cotton grown under conventional and fertigation practices using 15N methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janat, M.; Somi, G.

2002-01-01

Nitrogen fertilization and irrigation methods are the key factors of yield increase. With proper management of these two factors a good production and protection of the environment could be attained at the same time. Field experiments were carried out at Hama (Tezeen's Agricultural Research Station) for four consecutive years 1995=1998. The objectives of this study were: Assessment of nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency (NFUE) under conventional and fertigation practices; Nitrogen requirements of cotton crop grown under fertigation practices: Comparative study of water use efficiency (WUE), and seed cotton yield of cotton crop grown under conventional and drip irrigation. Treatments consisted of five nitrogen rates for the fertigated cotton crop (0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 kg N ha -1 ). While of the surface irrigated cotton treatment only one recommended rate by MAAR was applied (180 kg N ha -1 ). Irrigation methods and N treatments were arranged in RBD. The soil water content and available soil nitrogen were monitored according to the standard procedures. The results revealed that fertigation of cotton under the given circumstances improved water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, seed cotton yield, dry matter production, earliness and in some cases lint properties. Under fertigation practices 35-55% of the irrigation water was saved in comparison with surface irrigated cotton grown under the same condition. The seed cotton yield was increased by more than 50% relatively to the surface irrigated cotton. Furthermore, water use efficiency of the fertigated cotton was increased by almost 90 %. (author)

Selection of Objective Function For Imbalanced Classification: An Industrial Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Abdul Rauf; Schiøler, Henrik; Kulahci, Murat

2017-01-01

In this article we discuss the issue of selecting suitable objective function for Genetic Algorithm to solve an imbalanced classification problem. More precisely, first we discuss the need of specialized objective function to solve a real classification problem from our industrial partner and the...... and then we compare the results of our proposed objective function with commonly used candidates to serve this purpose. Our comparison is based on the analysis of real data collected during the quality control stages of the manufacturing process....

Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS): objectives, design, methodology and implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hazzaa, Hazzaa M; Musaiger, Abdulrahman O

2011-01-01

There is a lack of comparable data on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary habits among Arab adolescents, which limits our understanding and interpretation of the relationship between obesity and lifestyle parameters. Therefore, we initiated the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS). The ATLS is a multicenter collaborative project for assessing lifestyle habits of Arab adolescents. The objectives of the ATLS project were to investigate the prevalence rates for overweight and obesity, physical activity, sedentary activity and dietary habits among Arab adolescents, and to examine the interrelationships between these lifestyle variables. This paper reports on the objectives, design, methodology, and implications of the ATLS. The ATLS is a school-based cross-sectional study involving 9182 randomly selected secondary-school students (14-19 years) from major Arab cities, using a multistage stratified sampling technique. The participating Arab cities included Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar (Saudi Arabia), Bahrain, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait, Amman (Jordan), Mosel (Iraq), Muscat (Oman), Tunisia (Tunisia) and Kenitra (Morocco). Measured variables included anthropometric measurements, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep duration, and dietary habits. The ATLS project will provide a unique opportunity to collect and analyze important lifestyle information from Arab adolescents using standardized procedures. This is the first time a collaborative Arab project will simultaneously assess broad lifestyle variables in a large sample of adolescents from numerous urbanized Arab regions. This joint research project will supply us with comprehensive and recent data on physical activity/inactivity and eating habits of Arab adolescents relative to obesity. Such invaluable lifestyle-related data are crucial for developing public health policies and regional strategies for health promotion and disease prevention.

An object-oriented computational model to study cardiopulmonary hemodynamic interactions in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Chuong; Dahlmanns, Stephan; Vollmer, Thomas; Misgeld, Berno; Leonhardt, Steffen

2018-06-01

This work introduces an object-oriented computational model to study cardiopulmonary interactions in humans. Modeling was performed in object-oriented programing language Matlab Simscape, where model components are connected with each other through physical connections. Constitutive and phenomenological equations of model elements are implemented based on their non-linear pressure-volume or pressure-flow relationship. The model includes more than 30 physiological compartments, which belong either to the cardiovascular or respiratory system. The model considers non-linear behaviors of veins, pulmonary capillaries, collapsible airways, alveoli, and the chest wall. Model parameters were derisved based on literature values. Model validation was performed by comparing simulation results with clinical and animal data reported in literature. The model is able to provide quantitative values of alveolar, pleural, interstitial, aortic and ventricular pressures, as well as heart and lung volumes during spontaneous breathing and mechanical ventilation. Results of baseline simulation demonstrate the consistency of the assigned parameters. Simulation results during mechanical ventilation with PEEP trials can be directly compared with animal and clinical data given in literature. Object-oriented programming languages can be used to model interconnected systems including model non-linearities. The model provides a useful tool to investigate cardiopulmonary activity during spontaneous breathing and mechanical ventilation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determining the object structure of ecological and economic research and knowledge base for decision support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozulia, T.V.; Kozulia, M.M.

2017-01-01

The mathematical model of natural-technogenic objects is substantiated in the article. Natural-technogenic object of research is defined in form of a system model, which includes the economic, ecological and social components and processes system occurring in the selected systems and in their interaction. Basis for introduction systematic analysis methods for consistent problematic environmental safety tasks solution under conditions of uncertainty has been formed. The complex methods system includes entropy theory provisions on the objects state evaluation, the comparator identification method, substantively substantiated for solving complex environment quality assessment problems. An example of ecological state technogenically loaded landscape-geochemical complexes on the proposed methodological support studied in the work.

Multi-objective compared to single-objective optimization with application to model validation and uncertainty quantification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulze-Riegert, R.; Krosche, M.; Stekolschikov, K. [Scandpower Petroleum Technology GmbH, Hamburg (Germany); Fahimuddin, A. [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany)

2007-09-13

History Matching in Reservoir Simulation, well location and production optimization etc. is generally a multi-objective optimization problem. The problem statement of history matching for a realistic field case includes many field and well measurements in time and type, e.g. pressure measurements, fluid rates, events such as water and gas break-throughs, etc. Uncertainty parameters modified as part of the history matching process have varying impact on the improvement of the match criteria. Competing match criteria often reduce the likelihood of finding an acceptable history match. It is an engineering challenge in manual history matching processes to identify competing objectives and to implement the changes required in the simulation model. In production optimization or scenario optimization the focus on one key optimization criterion such as NPV limits the identification of alternatives and potential opportunities, since multiple objectives are summarized in a predefined global objective formulation. Previous works primarily focus on a specific optimization method. Few works actually concentrate on the objective formulation and multi-objective optimization schemes have not yet been applied to reservoir simulations. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization approach applicable to reservoir simulation. It addresses the problem of multi-objective criteria in a history matching study and presents analysis techniques identifying competing match criteria. A Pareto-Optimizer is discussed and the implementation of that multi-objective optimization scheme is applied to a case study. Results are compared to a single-objective optimization method. (orig.)

Convergent and invariant object representations for sight, sound, and touch.

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Kingson; Damasio, Antonio; Meyer, Kaspar; Kaplan, Jonas T

2015-09-01

We continuously perceive objects in the world through multiple sensory channels. In this study, we investigated the convergence of information from different sensory streams within the cerebral cortex. We presented volunteers with three common objects via three different modalities-sight, sound, and touch-and used multivariate pattern analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data to map the cortical regions containing information about the identity of the objects. We could reliably predict which of the three stimuli a subject had seen, heard, or touched from the pattern of neural activity in the corresponding early sensory cortices. Intramodal classification was also successful in large portions of the cerebral cortex beyond the primary areas, with multiple regions showing convergence of information from two or all three modalities. Using crossmodal classification, we also searched for brain regions that would represent objects in a similar fashion across different modalities of presentation. We trained a classifier to distinguish objects presented in one modality and then tested it on the same objects presented in a different modality. We detected audiovisual invariance in the right temporo-occipital junction, audiotactile invariance in the left postcentral gyrus and parietal operculum, and visuotactile invariance in the right postcentral and supramarginal gyri. Our maps of multisensory convergence and crossmodal generalization reveal the underlying organization of the association cortices, and may be related to the neural basis for mental concepts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Colour expectations during object perception are associated with early and late modulations of electrophysiological activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojanoski, Bobby Boge; Niemeier, Matthias

2015-10-01

It is well known that visual expectation and attention modulate object perception. Yet, the mechanisms underlying these top-down influences are not completely understood. Event-related potentials (ERPs) indicate late contributions of expectations to object processing around the P2 or N2. This is true independent of whether people expect objects (vs. no objects) or specific shapes, hence when expectations pertain to complex visual features. However, object perception can also benefit from expecting colour information, which can facilitate figure/ground segregation. Studies on attention to colour show attention-sensitive modulations of the P1, but are limited to simple transient detection paradigms. The aim of the current study was to examine whether expecting simple features (colour information) during challenging object perception tasks produce early or late ERP modulations. We told participants to expect an object defined by predominantly black or white lines that were embedded in random arrays of distractor lines and then asked them to report the object's shape. Performance was better when colour expectations were met. ERPs revealed early and late phases of modulation. An early modulation at the P1/N1 transition arguably reflected earlier stages of object processing. Later modulations, at the P3, could be consistent with decisional processes. These results provide novel insights into feature-specific contributions of visual expectations to object perception.

Hamiltonian dynamics of extended objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capovilla, R [Departamento de FIsica, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo Postal 14-740, 07000 Mexico, DF (Mexico); Guven, J [School of Theoretical Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 10 Burlington Road, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Rojas, E [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apdo Postal 70-543, 04510 Mexico, DF (Mexico)

2004-12-07

We consider relativistic extended objects described by a reparametrization-invariant local action that depends on the extrinsic curvature of the worldvolume swept out by the object as it evolves. We provide a Hamiltonian formulation of the dynamics of such higher derivative models which is motivated by the ADM formulation of general relativity. The canonical momenta are identified by looking at boundary behaviour under small deformations of the action; the relationship between the momentum conjugate to the embedding functions and the conserved momentum density is established. The canonical Hamiltonian is constructed explicitly; the constraints on the phase space, both primary and secondary, are identified and the role they play in the theory is described. The multipliers implementing the primary constraints are identified in terms of the ADM lapse and shift variables and Hamilton's equations are shown to be consistent with the Euler-Lagrange equations.

Stability of multihypernuclear objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikram, M.; Rather, Asloob A.; Usmani, A.A.; Patra, S.K.

2016-01-01

In present work, we analyze the stability of multi-hypernuclear objects having higher content of strangeness. The aim of this work is to test the stability of such objects which might be produced in heavy-ion reactions. Studies of such type of systems might have great implication to nuclear-astrophysics

Intestinal parasitic infections among under-five children and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bernt Lindtjorn

Moreover, there is little information on maternal awareness about intestinal parasitosis. Objective: To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among under-five children, and assess maternal awareness about it in Shesha .... local language using open-ended questions by data the collectors selected from the study ...

The subjective experience of object recognition: comparing metacognition for object detection and object categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Meuwese, Julia D I; van Loon, Anouk M; Lamme, Victor A F; Fahrenfort, Johannes J

2014-05-01

Perceptual decisions seem to be made automatically and almost instantly. Constructing a unitary subjective conscious experience takes more time. For example, when trying to avoid a collision with a car on a foggy road you brake or steer away in a reflex, before realizing you were in a near accident. This subjective aspect of object recognition has been given little attention. We used metacognition (assessed with confidence ratings) to measure subjective experience during object detection and object categorization for degraded and masked objects, while objective performance was matched. Metacognition was equal for degraded and masked objects, but categorization led to higher metacognition than did detection. This effect turned out to be driven by a difference in metacognition for correct rejection trials, which seemed to be caused by an asymmetry of the distractor stimulus: It does not contain object-related information in the detection task, whereas it does contain such information in the categorization task. Strikingly, this asymmetry selectively impacted metacognitive ability when objective performance was matched. This finding reveals a fundamental difference in how humans reflect versus act on information: When matching the amount of information required to perform two tasks at some objective level of accuracy (acting), metacognitive ability (reflecting) is still better in tasks that rely on positive evidence (categorization) than in tasks that rely more strongly on an absence of evidence (detection).

[A study on the diagnostic value of tear film objective scatter index in dry eye].

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Y D; Liang, Q F; Wang, N L; Antoine, Labbè

2017-09-11

Objective: To study the sensitivity and specificity of tear film objective scatter index to the diagnosis dry eye disease (DED). Methods: A prospective case-controlled study. Fifty-three patients with DED and 32 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects were included from July to October 2016. All subjects underwent the examinations sequentially as follows: evaluation of ocular surface disease symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index, optical quality detection, lipid layer thickness, tear film breakup time and SchirmerⅠtest. With Optical Quality Analysis SystemⅡ, the values of modulation transfer function cut off, basic objective scatter index (OSI) and total OSI were measured. To eliminate the influence of other refractive media, the tear film OSI (TF-OSI) was calculated, and the difference in TF-OSI between two groups was analyzed with the independent-samples t test. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to detect the correlation of each parameter in the DED group. With the receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve (AUC), the specificity and sensitivity of TF-OSI and other parameters were described to differentiate DED from normal eyes. Results: In the dry eye group, the value of modulation transfer function cut off (32.07±11.95) was significantly lower than the normal group (39.38±9.44, t=- 3.096, P= 0.003) , and the mean value and dispersion of TF-OSI (0.50±0.43, 0.52±0.81) were higher than the normal group (0.21±0.16, 0.12±0.01) ( t= 4.300, P= 0.000, t= 3.546, P= 0.001) . The mean value of TF-OSI had a positive correlation with lipid layer thickness ( r= 0.365, P= 0.007) and dispersion of TF-OSI ( r= 0.581, P= 0.000), and a negative correlation with MTF cut off ( r=- 0.368, P= 0.007). To the diagnostic value of DED, the mean value of TF-OSI had a sensitivity of 0.736, a specificity of 0.762, and the AUC was 0.764. The dispersion of TF-OSI had a sensitivity of 0.811 and a specificity of 0.810, and the AUC was 0

It's all relative: The role of object weight in toddlers' gravity bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Hast, Michael

2018-02-01

Work over the past 20 years has demonstrated a gravity bias in toddlers; when an object is dropped into a curved tube, they will frequently search at a point immediately beneath the entry of the tube rather than in the object's actual location. The current study tested 2- to 3½-year-olds' (N = 88) gravity bias under consideration of object weight. They were tested with either a heavy or light ball, and they had information about either one of the balls only or both balls. Evaluating their first search behavior showed that participants generally displayed the same age trends as other studies had demonstrated, with older toddlers passing more advanced task levels by being able to locate objects in the correct location. Object weight appeared to have no particular impact on the direction of these trends. However, where weight was accessible as relative information, toddlers were younger at passing levels and older at failing levels, although significantly so only from around 3 years of age onward. When they failed levels, toddlers made significantly more gravity errors with the heavy ball when they had information about both balls and made more correct choices with the light ball. As a whole, the findings suggest that nonvisual object variables, such as weight, affect young children's search behaviors in the gravity task, but only if these variables are presented in relation to other objects. This relational information has the potential to enhance or diminish the gravity bias. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying objective criterion to determine a complicated task – A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Reliable estimation on the likelihood of human error is very critical. • Still there is no clear and objective criterion on a complicated task. • Subjective difficulty scores rated by 75 high speed train drivers are collected. • Collected difficulty scores are compared with the associated TACOM scores. • Criteria for task complexity level seem to be determined by the TACOM measure. - Abstract: A reliable estimation on the likelihood of human error is very critical for evaluating the safety of a large process control system such as NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants). In this regard, one of the determinants is to decide the level of an important PSF (Performance Shaping Factor) through a clear and objective manner along with the context of a given task. Unfortunately, it seems that there are no such decision criteria for certain PSFs including the complexity of a task. Therefore, the feasibility of the TACOM (Task Complexity) measure in providing objective criteria that are helpful for distinguishing the level of a task complexity is investigated in this study. To this end, subjective difficulty scores rated by 75 high-speed train drivers are collected for 38 tasks. After that, subjective difficulty scores are compared with the associated TACOM scores being quantified based on these tasks. As a result, it is observed that there is a significant correlation between subjective difficulty scores rated by high-speed train drivers and the associated TACOM scores. Accordingly, it is promising to expect that the TACOM measure can be used as an objective tool to identify the level of a task complexity in terms of an HRA (Human Reliability Analysis)

A comparison of subjective and objective measures of physical activity from the Newcastle 85+ study.

Science.gov (United States)

Innerd, Paul; Catt, Michael; Collerton, Joanna; Davies, Karen; Trenell, Michael; Kirkwood, Thomas B L; Jagger, Carol

2015-07-01

Little is known about physical activity (PA) in the very old, the fastest growing age group in the population. We aimed to examine the convergent validity of subjective and objective measures of PA in adults aged over 85 years. A total of 484 participants aged 87-89 years recruited to the Newcastle 85+ study completed a purpose-designed physical activity questionnaire (PAQ), which categorised participants as mildly active, moderately active and very active. Out of them, 337 participants wore a triaxial, raw accelerometer on the right wrist over a 5-7-day period to obtain objective measures of rest/activity, PA intensity and PA type. Data from subjective and objective measurement methods were compared. Self-reported PA was significantly associated with objective measures of the daily sedentary time, low-intensity PA and activity type classified as sedentary, activities of daily living and walking. Objective measures of PA were significantly different when low, moderate and high self-reported PA categories were compared (all P PAQ demonstrated convergent validity with objective measures of PA. Our findings suggest that this PAQ can be used in the very old to rank individuals according to their level of total PA. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

An Objective Approach to Select Climate Scenarios when Projecting Species Distribution under Climate Change.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Casajus

Full Text Available An impressive number of new climate change scenarios have recently become available to assess the ecological impacts of climate change. Among these impacts, shifts in species range analyzed with species distribution models are the most widely studied. Whereas it is widely recognized that the uncertainty in future climatic conditions must be taken into account in impact studies, many assessments of species range shifts still rely on just a few climate change scenarios, often selected arbitrarily. We describe a method to select objectively a subset of climate change scenarios among a large ensemble of available ones. Our k-means clustering approach reduces the number of climate change scenarios needed to project species distributions, while retaining the coverage of uncertainty in future climate conditions. We first show, for three biologically-relevant climatic variables, that a reduced number of six climate change scenarios generates average climatic conditions very close to those obtained from a set of 27 scenarios available before reduction. A case study on potential gains and losses of habitat by three northeastern American tree species shows that potential future species distributions projected from the selected six climate change scenarios are very similar to those obtained from the full set of 27, although with some spatial discrepancies at the edges of species distributions. In contrast, projections based on just a few climate models vary strongly according to the initial choice of climate models. We give clear guidance on how to reduce the number of climate change scenarios while retaining the central tendencies and coverage of uncertainty in future climatic conditions. This should be particularly useful during future climate change impact studies as more than twice as many climate models were reported in the fifth assessment report of IPCC compared to the previous one.

An Objective Approach to Select Climate Scenarios when Projecting Species Distribution under Climate Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Casajus, Nicolas; Périé, Catherine; Logan, Travis; Lambert, Marie-Claude; de Blois, Sylvie; Berteaux, Dominique

2016-01-01

An impressive number of new climate change scenarios have recently become available to assess the ecological impacts of climate change. Among these impacts, shifts in species range analyzed with species distribution models are the most widely studied. Whereas it is widely recognized that the uncertainty in future climatic conditions must be taken into account in impact studies, many assessments of species range shifts still rely on just a few climate change scenarios, often selected arbitrarily. We describe a method to select objectively a subset of climate change scenarios among a large ensemble of available ones. Our k-means clustering approach reduces the number of climate change scenarios needed to project species distributions, while retaining the coverage of uncertainty in future climate conditions. We first show, for three biologically-relevant climatic variables, that a reduced number of six climate change scenarios generates average climatic conditions very close to those obtained from a set of 27 scenarios available before reduction. A case study on potential gains and losses of habitat by three northeastern American tree species shows that potential future species distributions projected from the selected six climate change scenarios are very similar to those obtained from the full set of 27, although with some spatial discrepancies at the edges of species distributions. In contrast, projections based on just a few climate models vary strongly according to the initial choice of climate models. We give clear guidance on how to reduce the number of climate change scenarios while retaining the central tendencies and coverage of uncertainty in future climatic conditions. This should be particularly useful during future climate change impact studies as more than twice as many climate models were reported in the fifth assessment report of IPCC compared to the previous one.

An efficient direct method for image registration of flat objects

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaev, Dmitry; Tihonkih, Dmitrii; Makovetskii, Artyom; Voronin, Sergei

2017-09-01

Image alignment of rigid surfaces is a rapidly developing area of research and has many practical applications. Alignment methods can be roughly divided into two types: feature-based methods and direct methods. Known SURF and SIFT algorithms are examples of the feature-based methods. Direct methods refer to those that exploit the pixel intensities without resorting to image features and image-based deformations are general direct method to align images of deformable objects in 3D space. Nevertheless, it is not good for the registration of images of 3D rigid objects since the underlying structure cannot be directly evaluated. In the article, we propose a model that is suitable for image alignment of rigid flat objects under various illumination models. The brightness consistency assumptions used for reconstruction of optimal geometrical transformation. Computer simulation results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm for computing of an accordance between pixels of two images.

From Procedural to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP- Performance in OOP: An empirical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Govender

2011-02-01

Full Text Available This exploratory study of introductory pre- and in-service teachers’ performance in object-oriented programming (OOP assessments reveals important issues with regard to learning and teaching OOP, using java. The study is set against the backdrop of the country’s transition of its national IT curriculum from a procedural to an object-oriented programming language. The effect of prior programming experience and performances in different types of questions are examined. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is used to analyse the data. The effect of prior programming experience of a procedural kind and the type of assessments given is shown to have a marked influence on the performance in programming assessments and teaching of OOP. Many introductory OOP courses are in effect taught procedurally as courses in the small. Therefore educating teachers how to teach programming is a significant educational challenge. Some implications for teaching are therefore suggested

Taxonomies of Educational Objective Domain

OpenAIRE

Eman Ghanem Nayef; Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob; Hairul Nizam Ismail

2013-01-01

This paper highlights an effort to study the educational objective domain taxonomies including Bloom’s taxonomy, Lorin Anderson’s taxonomy, and Wilson’s taxonomy. In this study a comparison among these three taxonomies have been done. Results show that Bloom’s taxonomy is more suitable as an analysis tool to Educational Objective domain.

Credit assignment between body and object probed by an object transportation task.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Gaiqing; Zhou, Zhihao; Wang, Qining; Kording, Konrad; Wei, Kunlin

2017-10-17

It has been proposed that learning from movement errors involves a credit assignment problem: did I misestimate properties of the object or those of my body? For example, an overestimate of arm strength and an underestimate of the weight of a coffee cup can both lead to coffee spills. Though previous studies have found signs of simultaneous learning of the object and of the body during object manipulation, there is little behavioral evidence about their quantitative relation. Here we employed a novel weight-transportation task, in which participants lift the first cup filled with liquid while assessing their learning from errors. Specifically, we examined their transfer of learning when switching to a contralateral hand, the second identical cup, or switching both hands and cups. By comparing these transfer behaviors, we found that 25% of the learning was attributed to the object (simply because of the use of the same cup) and 58% of the learning was attributed to the body (simply because of the use of the same hand). The nervous system thus seems to partition the learning of object manipulation between the object and the body.

Concealed object segmentation and three-dimensional localization with passive millimeter-wave imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Yeom, Seokwon

2013-05-01

Millimeter waves imaging draws increasing attention in security applications for weapon detection under clothing. In this paper, concealed object segmentation and three-dimensional localization schemes are reviewed. A concealed object is segmented by the k-means algorithm. A feature-based stereo-matching method estimates the longitudinal distance of the concealed object. The distance is estimated by the discrepancy between the corresponding centers of the segmented objects. Experimental results are provided with the analysis of the depth resolution.

Breaking object correspondence across saccadic eye movements deteriorates object recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian H. Poth

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Visual perception is based on information processing during periods of eye fixations that are interrupted by fast saccadic eye movements. The ability to sample and relate information on task-relevant objects across fixations implies that correspondence between presaccadic and postsaccadic objects is established. Postsaccadic object information usually updates and overwrites information on the corresponding presaccadic object. The presaccadic object representation is then lost. In contrast, the presaccadic object is conserved when object correspondence is broken. This helps transsaccadic memory but it may impose attentional costs on object recognition. Therefore, we investigated how breaking object correspondence across the saccade affects postsaccadic object recognition. In Experiment 1, object correspondence was broken by a brief postsaccadic blank screen. Observers made a saccade to a peripheral object which was displaced during the saccade. This object reappeared either immediately after the saccade or after the blank screen. Within the postsaccadic object, a letter was briefly presented (terminated by a mask. Observers reported displacement direction and letter identity in different blocks. Breaking object correspondence by blanking improved displacement identification but deteriorated postsaccadic letter recognition. In Experiment 2, object correspondence was broken by changing the object’s contrast-polarity. There were no object displacements and observers only reported letter identity. Again, breaking object correspondence deteriorated postsaccadic letter recognition. These findings identify transsaccadic object correspondence as a key determinant of object recognition across the saccade. This is in line with the recent hypothesis that breaking object correspondence results in separate representations of presaccadic and postsaccadic objects which then compete for limited attentional processing resources (Schneider, 2013. Postsaccadic

Giving cognition a helping hand: the effect of congruent gestures on object name retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Pine, Karen J; Reeves, Lindsey; Howlett, Neil; Fletcher, Ben C

2013-02-01

The gestures that accompany speech are more than just arbitrary hand movements or communicative devices. They are simulated actions that can both prime and facilitate speech and cognition. This study measured participants' reaction times for naming degraded images of objects when simultaneously adopting a gesture that was either congruent with the target object, incongruent with it, and when not making any hand gesture. A within-subjects design was used, with participants (N= 122) naming 10 objects under each condition. Participants named the objects significantly faster when adopting a congruent gesture than when not gesturing at all. Adopting an incongruent gesture resulted in significantly slower naming times. The findings are discussed in the context of the intrapersonal cognitive and facilitatory effects of gestures and underline the relatedness between language, action, and cognition. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Faint Object Detection in Multi-Epoch Observations via Catalog Data Fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Budavári, Tamás; Szalay, Alexander S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Loredo, Thomas J. [Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2017-03-20

Astronomy in the time-domain era faces several new challenges. One of them is the efficient use of observations obtained at multiple epochs. The work presented here addresses faint object detection and describes an incremental strategy for separating real objects from artifacts in ongoing surveys. The idea is to produce low-threshold single-epoch catalogs and to accumulate information across epochs. This is in contrast to more conventional strategies based on co-added or stacked images. We adopt a Bayesian approach, addressing object detection by calculating the marginal likelihoods for hypotheses asserting that there is no object or one object in a small image patch containing at most one cataloged source at each epoch. The object-present hypothesis interprets the sources in a patch at different epochs as arising from a genuine object; the no-object hypothesis interprets candidate sources as spurious, arising from noise peaks. We study the detection probability for constant-flux objects in a Gaussian noise setting, comparing results based on single and stacked exposures to results based on a series of single-epoch catalog summaries. Our procedure amounts to generalized cross-matching: it is the product of a factor accounting for the matching of the estimated fluxes of the candidate sources and a factor accounting for the matching of their estimated directions. We find that probabilistic fusion of multi-epoch catalogs can detect sources with similar sensitivity and selectivity compared to stacking. The probabilistic cross-matching framework underlying our approach plays an important role in maintaining detection sensitivity and points toward generalizations that could accommodate variability and complex object structure.

Faint Object Detection in Multi-Epoch Observations via Catalog Data Fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budavári, Tamás; Szalay, Alexander S.; Loredo, Thomas J.

2017-01-01

Astronomy in the time-domain era faces several new challenges. One of them is the efficient use of observations obtained at multiple epochs. The work presented here addresses faint object detection and describes an incremental strategy for separating real objects from artifacts in ongoing surveys. The idea is to produce low-threshold single-epoch catalogs and to accumulate information across epochs. This is in contrast to more conventional strategies based on co-added or stacked images. We adopt a Bayesian approach, addressing object detection by calculating the marginal likelihoods for hypotheses asserting that there is no object or one object in a small image patch containing at most one cataloged source at each epoch. The object-present hypothesis interprets the sources in a patch at different epochs as arising from a genuine object; the no-object hypothesis interprets candidate sources as spurious, arising from noise peaks. We study the detection probability for constant-flux objects in a Gaussian noise setting, comparing results based on single and stacked exposures to results based on a series of single-epoch catalog summaries. Our procedure amounts to generalized cross-matching: it is the product of a factor accounting for the matching of the estimated fluxes of the candidate sources and a factor accounting for the matching of their estimated directions. We find that probabilistic fusion of multi-epoch catalogs can detect sources with similar sensitivity and selectivity compared to stacking. The probabilistic cross-matching framework underlying our approach plays an important role in maintaining detection sensitivity and points toward generalizations that could accommodate variability and complex object structure.

Objectivity

CERN Document Server

Daston, Lorraine

2010-01-01

Objectivity has a history, and it is full of surprises. In Objectivity, Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison chart the emergence of objectivity in the mid-nineteenth-century sciences--and show how the concept differs from its alternatives, truth-to-nature and trained judgment. This is a story of lofty epistemic ideals fused with workaday practices in the making of scientific images. From the eighteenth through the early twenty-first centuries, the images that reveal the deepest commitments of the empirical sciences--from anatomy to crystallography--are those featured in scientific atlases, the compendia that teach practitioners what is worth looking at and how to look at it. Galison and Daston use atlas images to uncover a hidden history of scientific objectivity and its rivals. Whether an atlas maker idealizes an image to capture the essentials in the name of truth-to-nature or refuses to erase even the most incidental detail in the name of objectivity or highlights patterns in the name of trained judgment is a...

Fixed-focus camera objective for small remote sensing satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Topaz, Jeremy M.; Braun, Ofer; Freiman, Dov

1993-09-01

An athermalized objective has been designed for a compact, lightweight push-broom camera which is under development at El-Op Ltd. for use in small remote-sensing satellites. The high performance objective has a fixed focus setting, but maintains focus passively over the full range of temperatures encountered in small satellites. The lens is an F/5.0, 320 mm focal length Tessar type, operating over the range 0.5 - 0.9 micrometers . It has a 16 degree(s) field of view and accommodates various state-of-the-art silicon detector arrays. The design and performance of the objective is described in this paper.

Radar Cross Section measurements on the stealth metamaterial objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Fan, Kim; Strikwerda, Andrew C.

have been realized in the form of thin, flexible metallized films of polyimide [1]. Here we apply a near-unity absorbing MM as a way to reduce the radar cross section of an object, and consider the real-life situation where the probe beam is significantly larger than the MM film and the object under...... investigation. We use a terahertz radar cross section (RCS) setup [2] for the characterization of the RCS of a real object covered with an absorbing MM film designed for high absorption in the THz frequency range, specifically at 0.8 THz. The results are in a form of 2D maps (sinograms), from which the RCS...

Object-based warping: an illusory distortion of space within objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickery, Timothy J; Chun, Marvin M

2010-12-01

Visual objects are high-level primitives that are fundamental to numerous perceptual functions, such as guidance of attention. We report that objects warp visual perception of space in such a way that spatial distances within objects appear to be larger than spatial distances in ground regions. When two dots were placed inside a rectangular object, they appeared farther apart from one another than two dots with identical spacing outside of the object. To investigate whether this effect was object based, we measured the distortion while manipulating the structure surrounding the dots. Object displays were constructed with a single object, multiple objects, a partially occluded object, and an illusory object. Nonobject displays were constructed to be comparable to object displays in low-level visual attributes. In all cases, the object displays resulted in a more powerful distortion of spatial perception than comparable non-object-based displays. These results suggest that perception of space within objects is warped.

A multi-objective approach for optimal prioritization of energy efficiency measures in buildings: Model, software and case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karmellos, M.; Kiprakis, A.; Mavrotas, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We provide a model for prioritization of energy efficiency measures in buildings. • We examine the case of a new building and one under renovation. • Objective functions are total primary energy consumption and total investment cost. • We provide a software tool that solves this multi-objective optimization problem. • Primary energy consumption and investment cost are inversely proportional. - Abstract: Buildings are responsible for some 40% of the total final energy consumption in the European Union and about 40% of the world’s primary energy consumption. Hence, the reduction of primary energy consumption is important for the overall energy chain. The scope of the current work is to assess the energy efficiency measures in the residential and small commercial sector and to develop a methodology and a software tool for their optimal prioritization. The criteria used for the prioritization of energy efficiency measures in this article are the primary energy consumption and the initial investment cost. The developed methodology used is generic and could be implemented in the case of a new building or retrofitting an existing building. A multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear problem (MINLP) needs to be solved and the weighted sum method is used. Moreover, the novelty of this work is that a software tool has been developed using ‘Matlab®’ which is generic, very simple and time efficient and can be used by a Decision Maker (DM). Two case studies have been developed, one for a new building and one for retrofitting an existing one, in two cities with different climate characteristics. The building was placed in Edinburgh in the UK and Athens in Greece and the analysis showed that the primary energy consumption and the initial investment cost are inversely proportional

Mechanical Objects and the Engineering Learner: An Experimental Study of How the Presence of Objects Affects Students' Performance on Engineering Related Tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Bairaktarova, Diana N.

2013-01-01

People display varying levels of interaction with the mechanical objects in their environment; engineers in particular as makers and users of these objects display a higher level of interaction with them. Investigating the educational potential of mechanical objects in stimulating and supporting learning in engineering is warranted by the fact…

Resilient control under Denial-of-Service: Robust design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, Shuai; Tesi, Pietro

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study networked control systems in the presence of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, namely attacks that prevent transmissions over the communication network. The control objective is to maximize frequency and duration of the DoS attacks under which closed-loop stability is not

Resilient Control under Denial-of-Service:Robust Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, Shuai; Tesi, Pietro

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study networked control systems in the presence of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, namely attacks that prevent transmissions over the communication network. The control objective is to maximize frequency and duration of the DoS attacks under which closed-loop stability is not

Ground Penetrating Radar Imaging of Buried Metallic Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Polat, A. Burak; Meincke, Peter

2001-01-01

During the past decade there has been considerable research on ground penetrating radar (GPR) tomography for detecting objects such as pipes, cables, mines and barrels buried under the surface of the Earth. While the earlier researches were all based on the assumption of a homogeneous background...

Comparative Study of Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization Algorithms for a Non-linear Greenhouse Climate Control Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghoreishi, Newsha; Sørensen, Jan Corfixen; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

2015-01-01

Non-trivial real world decision-making processes usually involve multiple parties having potentially conflicting interests over a set of issues. State-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEA) are well known to solve this class of complex real-world problems. In this paper, we...... compare the performance of state-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithms to solve a non-linear multi-objective multi-issue optimisation problem found in Greenhouse climate control. The chosen algorithms in the study includes NSGAII, eNSGAII, eMOEA, PAES, PESAII and SPEAII. The performance...... of all aforementioned algorithms is assessed and compared using performance indicators to evaluate proximity, diversity and consistency. Our insights to this comparative study enhanced our understanding of MOEAs performance in order to solve a non-linear complex climate control problem. The empirical...

Study of boron carbide evolution under neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simeone, D.

1999-01-01

Owing to its high neutron efficiency, boron carbide (B 4 C) is used as a neutron absorber in control rods of nuclear plants. Its behaviour under irradiation has been extensively studied for many years. It now seems clear that brittleness of the material induced by the 10 B(n,α) 7 Li capture reaction is due to penny shaped helium bubbles associated to a high strain field around them. However, no model explains the behaviour of the material under neutron irradiation. In order to build such a model, this work uses different techniques: nuclear microprobe X-ray diffraction profile analysis and Raman and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to present an evolution model of B 4 C under neutron irradiation. The use of nuclear reactions produced by a nuclear microprobe such as the 7 Li(p,p'γ) 7 Li reaction, allows to measure lithium profile in B 4 C pellets irradiated either in Pressurised Water Reactors or in Fast Breeder Reactors. Examining such profiles enables us to describe the migration of lithium atoms out of B 4 C materials under neutron irradiation. The analysis of X-ray diffraction profiles of irradiated B 4 C samples allows us to quantify the concentrations of helium bubbles as well as the strain fields around such bubbles.Furthermore Raman spectroscopy studies of different B 4 C samples lead us to propose that under neutron irradiation. the CBC linear chain disappears. Such a vanishing of this CBC chain. validated by NMR analysis, may explain the penny shaped of helium bubbles inside irradiated B 4 C. (author)

Underlying Event Studies and Forward Physics at CMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krammer, Manfred; Bartalini, Paolo