Variable length adjacent partitioning for PTS based PAPR reduction of OFDM signal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibraheem, Zeyid T.; Rahman, Md. Mijanur; Yaakob, S. N.; Razalli, Mohammad Shahrazel; Kadhim, Rasim A.

2015-01-01

Peak-to-Average power ratio (PAPR) is a major drawback in OFDM communication. It leads the power amplifier into nonlinear region operation resulting into loss of data integrity. As such, there is a strong motivation to find techniques to reduce PAPR. Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS) is an attractive scheme for this purpose. Judicious partitioning the OFDM data frame into disjoint subsets is a pivotal component of any PTS scheme. Out of the existing partitioning techniques, adjacent partitioning is characterized by an attractive trade-off between cost and performance. With an aim of determining effects of length variability of adjacent partitions, we performed an investigation into the performances of a variable length adjacent partitioning (VL-AP) and fixed length adjacent partitioning in comparison with other partitioning schemes such as pseudorandom partitioning. Simulation results with different modulation and partitioning scenarios showed that fixed length adjacent partition had better performance compared to variable length adjacent partitioning. As expected, simulation results showed a slightly better performance of pseudorandom partitioning technique compared to fixed and variable adjacent partitioning schemes. However, as the pseudorandom technique incurs high computational complexities, adjacent partitioning schemes were still seen as favorable candidates for PAPR reduction

Variable length adjacent partitioning for PTS based PAPR reduction of OFDM signal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibraheem, Zeyid T.; Rahman, Md. Mijanur; Yaakob, S. N.; Razalli, Mohammad Shahrazel; Kadhim, Rasim A. [School of Computer and Communication Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02600 Arau, Perlis (Malaysia)

2015-05-15

Peak-to-Average power ratio (PAPR) is a major drawback in OFDM communication. It leads the power amplifier into nonlinear region operation resulting into loss of data integrity. As such, there is a strong motivation to find techniques to reduce PAPR. Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS) is an attractive scheme for this purpose. Judicious partitioning the OFDM data frame into disjoint subsets is a pivotal component of any PTS scheme. Out of the existing partitioning techniques, adjacent partitioning is characterized by an attractive trade-off between cost and performance. With an aim of determining effects of length variability of adjacent partitions, we performed an investigation into the performances of a variable length adjacent partitioning (VL-AP) and fixed length adjacent partitioning in comparison with other partitioning schemes such as pseudorandom partitioning. Simulation results with different modulation and partitioning scenarios showed that fixed length adjacent partition had better performance compared to variable length adjacent partitioning. As expected, simulation results showed a slightly better performance of pseudorandom partitioning technique compared to fixed and variable adjacent partitioning schemes. However, as the pseudorandom technique incurs high computational complexities, adjacent partitioning schemes were still seen as favorable candidates for PAPR reduction.

Reduction of variable-truncation artifacts from beam occlusion during in situ x-ray tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob Sauer; Frikel, Jürgen

2017-01-01

Many in situ x-ray tomography studies require experimental rigs which may partially occlude the beam and cause parts of the projection data to be missing. In a study of fluid flow in porous chalk using a percolation cell with four metal bars drastic streak artifacts arise in the filtered...... and artifact-reduction methods are designed in context of FBP reconstruction motivated by computational efficiency practical for large, real synchrotron data. While a specific variable-truncation case is considered, the proposed methods can be applied to general data cut-offs arising in different in situ x-ray...... backprojection (FBP) reconstruction at certain orientations. Projections with non-trivial variable truncation caused by the metal bars are the source of these variable-truncation artifacts. To understand the artifacts a mathematical model of variable-truncation data as a function of metal bar radius and distance...

The quest for process operations variability reduction in manufacturing firms in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madi Katombe

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In an era characterised by a volatile economy, intense competition, and rising energy and material costs, improving operational efficiency has become a necessity for margin purposes and long-term business success. This research study attempts to develop a model for process operations variability reduction that integrates the fundamental drivers, the intermediate measures and the four traditional competitive capabilities: quality, cost, delivery reliability and speed of delivery. In addition, it highlights the precise mechanisms in plants that lead to multiple competitive capabilities development. The concept of a routine-based approach to capabilities development provides a nexus between the earlier actions by the organisation and competitive advantage. Using longitudinal data from the Manufacturing Circle of South Africa, a statistical analysis was conducted to support the model, and path analysis models were developed which confirmed that the performance frontier is really a surface that spans many different dimensions. It is observed that the model clearly outlines pathways to process operations variability reduction through better execution of the routines concerned with maintaining the performance by current processes, improving existing processes, and transforming or changing to new processes.

HYPERDIRE. HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. MATEMATICA based packages for differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions. FD and FS Horn-type hypergeometric functions of three variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bytev, Vladimir V.; Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu.; Moch, Sven-Olaf; Hamburg Univ.

2013-12-01

HYPERDIRE is a project devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica based programs for the differential reduction of hypergeometric functions. The current version includes two parts: the first one, FdFunction, for manipulations with Appell hypergeometric functions F D of r variables; and the second one, FsFunction, for manipulations with Lauricella-Saran hypergeometric functions F S of three variables. Both functions are related with one-loop Feynman diagrams.

HYPERDIRE HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. Mathematica-based packages for the differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions. Lauricella function FC of three variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bytev, Vladimir V.; Kniehl, Bernd A.

2016-12-01

We present a further extension of the HYPERDIRE project, which is devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica-based program packages for manipulations with Horn-type hypergeometric functions on the basis of differential equations. Specifically, we present the implementation of the differential reduction for the Lauricella function F C of three variables.

Antiproliferative potential of aqueous leaf extract of Mucuna pruriens ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

J.B. Minari

2016-02-01

Feb 1, 2016 ... of Mucuna pruriens on DMBA-induced breast cancer in female ... DNA smears obtained from single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) suggested ..... sign ifican t reduction. (p. <. 0.01). Valu es carrying superscript. (c) sho wed.

Omitted variable bias in crash reduction factors.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

Transportation planners and traffic engineers are increasingly turning to crash reduction factors to evaluate changes in road : geometric and design features in order to reduce crashes. Crash reduction factors are typically estimated based on segment...

HYPERDIRE HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. Mathematica-based packages for the differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions. Lauricella function F{sub C} of three variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bytev, Vladimir V. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Kniehl, Bernd A. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2016-12-15

We present a further extension of the HYPERDIRE project, which is devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica-based program packages for manipulations with Horn-type hypergeometric functions on the basis of differential equations. Specifically, we present the implementation of the differential reduction for the Lauricella function F{sub C} of three variables.

Prolonged non-metabolic heart rate variability reduction as a physiological marker of psychological stress in daily life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verkuil, B.; Brosschot, J.F.; Tollenaar, M.S.; Lane, R.D.; Thayer, J.F.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Prolonged cardiac activity that exceeds metabolic needs can be detrimental for somatic health. Psychological stress could result in such "additional cardiac activity." PURPOSE In this study, we examined whether prolonged additional reductions in heart rate variability (AddHRVr) can be

Protease-resistant prions selectively decrease Shadoo protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel C Watts

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The central event in prion diseases is the conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C into PrP(Sc, a partially protease-resistant and infectious conformer. However, the mechanism by which PrP(Sc causes neuronal dysfunction remains poorly understood. Levels of Shadoo (Sho, a protein that resembles the flexibly disordered N-terminal domain of PrP(C, were found to be reduced in the brains of mice infected with the RML strain of prions [1], implying that Sho levels may reflect the presence of PrP(Sc in the brain. To test this hypothesis, we examined levels of Sho during prion infection using a variety of experimental systems. Sho protein levels were decreased in the brains of mice, hamsters, voles, and sheep infected with different natural and experimental prion strains. Furthermore, Sho levels were decreased in the brains of prion-infected, transgenic mice overexpressing Sho and in infected neuroblastoma cells. Time-course experiments revealed that Sho levels were inversely proportional to levels of protease-resistant PrP(Sc. Membrane anchoring and the N-terminal domain of PrP both influenced the inverse relationship between Sho and PrP(Sc. Although increased Sho levels had no discernible effect on prion replication in mice, we conclude that Sho is the first non-PrP marker specific for prion disease. Additional studies using this paradigm may provide insight into the cellular pathways and systems subverted by PrP(Sc during prion disease.

HYPERDIRE. HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. MATEMATICA based packages for differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions. F{sub D} and F{sub S} Horn-type hypergeometric functions of three variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bytev, Vladimir V. [Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Moch, Sven-Olaf [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2013-12-15

HYPERDIRE is a project devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica based programs for the differential reduction of hypergeometric functions. The current version includes two parts: the first one, FdFunction, for manipulations with Appell hypergeometric functions F{sub D} of r variables; and the second one, FsFunction, for manipulations with Lauricella-Saran hypergeometric functions F{sub S} of three variables. Both functions are related with one-loop Feynman diagrams.

Increasing Parents' Awareness of Social Host Laws: A Pilot Study of Coalition Efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Paschall, Mallie J; Friese, Bettina; Law, Kristen; Lebedeff, Anna

2018-02-01

States and municipalities across the U.S. are adopting social host ordinances (SHOs) to reduce alcohol use by underage youth in private settings. SHOs are most likely to be effective if parents and other adults are aware of them and they are enforced. We examined the association between a multi-media SHO awareness campaign in northern California municipalities and parents' awareness of SHOs and SHO enforcement. We collected survey data from 1798 parents in a northern California county in fall 2014; all municipalities within the county had SHOs. We conducted descriptive and logistic regression analyses to determine whether parents living in municipalities with a SHO awareness campaign were more likely to be aware of SHOs and SHO enforcement than parents in municipalities without such a campaign. Findings showed that 55.6% of parents in municipalities with a SHO awareness campaign were aware of SHOs compared to 35.7% in municipalities without a campaign. Parents in municipalities with a SHO awareness campaign were also more likely to be aware of SHO enforcement activities (16.3 vs. 8.7%). Regression analyses indicated significant positive associations between the SHO awareness campaign and parental awareness of SHOs and SHO enforcement when controlling for parents' attitudes related to youth drinking, parenting characteristics, normative beliefs regarding other parents' awareness and youth drinking, and demographic characteristics. These findings suggest that a multi-media awareness campaign implemented by coalitions was positively associated with parental awareness of SHOs and perceived SHO enforcement, which may help to prevent or reduce underage drinking.

Interaction between Shadoo and PrP Affects the PrP-Folding Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciric, Danica; Richard, Charles-Adrien; Moudjou, Mohammed; Chapuis, Jérôme; Sibille, Pierre; Daude, Nathalie; Westaway, David; Adrover, Miguel; Béringue, Vincent; Martin, Davy; Rezaei, Human

2015-06-01

Prion diseases are characterized by conformational changes of a cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into a β-sheet-enriched and aggregated conformer (PrP(Sc)). Shadoo (Sho), a member of the prion protein family, is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and is highly conserved among vertebrates. On the basis of histoanatomical colocalization and sequence similarities, it is suspected that Sho and PrP may be functionally related. The downregulation of Sho expression during prion pathology and the direct interaction between Sho and PrP, as revealed by two-hybrid analysis, suggest a relationship between Sho and prion replication. Using biochemical and biophysical approaches, we demonstrate that Sho forms a 1:1 complex with full-length PrP with a dissociation constant in the micromolar range, and this interaction consequently modifies the PrP-folding pathway. Using a truncated PrP that mimics the C-terminal C1 fragment, an allosteric binding behavior with a Hill number of 4 was observed, suggesting that at least a tetramerization state occurs. A cell-based prion titration assay performed with different concentrations of Sho revealed an increase in the PrP(Sc) conversion rate in the presence of Sho. Collectively, our observations suggest that Sho can affect the prion replication process by (i) acting as a holdase and (ii) interfering with the dominant-negative inhibitor effect of the C1 fragment. Since the inception of the prion theory, the search for a cofactor involved in the conversion process has been an active field of research. Although the PrP interactome presents a broad landscape, candidates corresponding to specific criteria for cofactors are currently missing. Here, we describe for the first time that Sho can affect PrP structural dynamics and therefore increase the prion conversion rate. A biochemical characterization of Sho-PrP indicates that Sho acts as an ATP-independent holdase. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights

Variability and dilemmas in harm reduction for anabolic steroid users in the UK: a multi-area interview study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The UK continues to experience a rise in the number of anabolic steroid-using clients attending harm reduction services such as needle and syringe programmes. Methods The present study uses interviews conducted with harm reduction service providers as well as illicit users of anabolic steroids from different areas of England and Wales to explore harm reduction for this group of drug users, focussing on needle distribution policies and harm reduction interventions developed specifically for this population of drug users. Results The article addresses the complexity of harm reduction service delivery, highlighting different models of needle distribution, such as peer-led distribution networks, as well as interventions available in steroid clinics, including liver function testing of anabolic steroid users. Aside from providing insights into the function of interventions available to steroid users, along with principles adopted by service providers, the study found significant tensions and dilemmas in policy implementation due to differing perspectives between service providers and service users relating to practices, risks and effective interventions. Conclusion The overarching finding of the study was the tremendous variability across harm reduction delivery sites in terms of available measures and mode of operation. Further research into the effectiveness of different policies directed towards people who use anabolic steroids is critical to the development of harm reduction. PMID:24986546

Effect of a weight reduction program on baseline and stress-induced heart rate variability in children with obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazurak, Nazar; Sauer, Helene; Weimer, Katja; Dammann, Dirk; Zipfel, Stephan; Horing, Björn; Muth, Eric R; Teufel, Martin; Enck, Paul; Mack, Isabelle

2016-02-01

Autonomic dysregulation is a well-established feature in adults with obesity but not in children. Since this dysregulation could contribute to weight dynamics, this study aimed to compare autonomic regulation in children with obesity and normal-weight peers and to track autonomic status during weight reduction. Sixty children with obesity and 27 age- and sex-matched normal-weight healthy participants were included. Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed at baseline and during a mental stress test and a subsequent recovery period. Children with obesity were investigated both upon admission and discharge. Upon admission, no significant differences in HRV parameters were found for normal-weight participants and those with obesity. Inpatient treatment led to significant changes in HRV with increase in general variability (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN), P Children with obesity had sympathetic activation similar to normal-weight controls during mental stress with subsequent return to baseline values, and weight loss did not affect this profile. A weight reduction program induced a change in autonomic activity in children with obesity toward parasympathetic dominance but had no influence on autonomic nervous system reactivity during stress conditions. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

Inhibitory effects of Japanese herbal medicines sho-saiko-to and juzen-taiho-to on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihisa Takahashi

Full Text Available Although Japanese herbal medicines (JHMs are widely used in Japan, only a few studies have investigated their effects on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH. In the present study, we examined the effect of 4 kinds of JHMs [sho-saiko-to (TJ-9, inchin-ko-to (TJ-135, juzen-taiho-to (TJ-48, and keishi-bukuryo-gan (TJ-25] on a mouse model of NASH. Db/db mice were divided into 6 groups: control diet (control, methionine- and choline-deficient diet (MCD, and MCD diet supplemented with TJ-9, TJ-135, TJ-48, and TJ-25 (TJ-9, TJ-135, TJ-48, and TJ-25, respectively. All mice were sacrificed after 4 weeks of treatment, and biochemical, pathological, and molecular analyses were performed. Serum alanine aminotransferase levels and liver histology, including necroinflammation and fibrosis, were significantly alleviated in the TJ-9 and TJ-48 groups compared with the MCD group. The expression level of transforming growth factor (TGF-β1 mRNA in the liver was significantly suppressed by TJ-48. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α and interleukin (IL-6 were lower, and those of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPARγ were higher in the TJ-9 and/or TJ-48 groups than in the MCD group. Similarly, even though the results were not statistically significant, malondialdehyde levels in liver tissues were lower in the TJ-9 and TJ-48 groups than in the MCD group. We showed that JHMs, especially TJ-9 and TJ-48, inhibited the necroinflammation and fibrosis in the liver of a mouse model of NASH, even though the mechanisms were not fully elucidated. Further studies are needed in the future to investigate the possibility of clinical application of these medicines in the treatment for NASH.

Parallel accelerated cyclic reduction preconditioner for three-dimensional elliptic PDEs with variable coefficients

KAUST Repository

Chavez Chavez, Gustavo Ivan

2017-12-07

We present a robust and scalable preconditioner for the solution of large-scale linear systems that arise from the discretization of elliptic PDEs amenable to rank compression. The preconditioner is based on hierarchical low-rank approximations and the cyclic reduction method. The setup and application phases of the preconditioner achieve log-linear complexity in memory footprint and number of operations, and numerical experiments exhibit good weak and strong scalability at large processor counts in a distributed memory environment. Numerical experiments with linear systems that feature symmetry and nonsymmetry, definiteness and indefiniteness, constant and variable coefficients demonstrate the preconditioner applicability and robustness. Furthermore, it is possible to control the number of iterations via the accuracy threshold of the hierarchical matrix approximations and their arithmetic operations, and the tuning of the admissibility condition parameter. Together, these parameters allow for optimization of the memory requirements and performance of the preconditioner.

The Impact of Variable Wind Shear Coefficients on Risk Reduction of Wind Energy Projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Corscadden, Kenneth W; Thomson, Allan; Yoonesi, Behrang; McNutt, Josiah

2016-01-01

Estimation of wind speed at proposed hub heights is typically achieved using a wind shear exponent or wind shear coefficient (WSC), variation in wind speed as a function of height. The WSC is subject to temporal variation at low and high frequencies, ranging from diurnal and seasonal variations to disturbance caused by weather patterns; however, in many cases, it is assumed that the WSC remains constant. This assumption creates significant error in resource assessment, increasing uncertainty in projects and potentially significantly impacting the ability to control gird connected wind generators. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge relating to the evaluation and assessment of wind speed, with particular emphasis on the development of techniques to improve the accuracy of estimated wind speed above measurement height. It presents an evaluation of the use of a variable wind shear coefficient methodology based on a distribution of wind shear coefficients which have been implemented in real time. The results indicate that a VWSC provides a more accurate estimate of wind at hub height, ranging from 41% to 4% reduction in root mean squared error (RMSE) between predicted and actual wind speeds when using a variable wind shear coefficient at heights ranging from 33% to 100% above the highest actual wind measurement.

Climate variability and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rind, D.

1990-01-01

Changes of variability with climate change are likely to have a substantial impact on vegetation and society, rivaling the importance of changes in the mean values themselves. A variety of paleoclimate and future climate simulations performed with the GISS global climate model is used to assess how the variabilities of temperature and precipitation are altered as climate warms or cools. In general, as climate warms, temperature variability decreases due to reductions in the latitudinal temperature gradient and precipitation variability increases together with the intensity of the hydrologic cycle. If future climate projections are accurate, the reduction in temperature variability will be minimized by the rapid change in mean temperatures, but the hydrologic variability will be amplified by increased evapotranspiration. Greater hydrologic variability would appear to pose a potentially severe problem for the next century

Climate variability and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rind, D.

1991-01-01

Changes of variability with climate change are likely to have a substantial impact on vegetation and society, rivaling the importance of changes in the mean values themselves. A variety of paleoclimate and future climate simulations performed with the GISS global climate model is used to assess how the variabilities of temperature and precipitation are altered as climate warms or cools. In general, as climate warms, temperature variability decreases due to reductions in the latitudinal temperature gradient and precipitation variability increases together with the intensity of the hydrologic cycle. If future climate projections are accurate, the reduction in temperature variability will be minimized by the rapid change in mean temperatures, but the hydrologic variability will be amplified by increased evapotranspiration. Greater hydrologic variability would appear to pose a potentially severe problem for the next century. 19 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tabs

Dietary 2-oxoglutarate mitigates gastrectomy-evoked structural changes in cartilage of female rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrowolski, Piotr; Tomaszewska, Ewa; Kurlak, Paulina; Pierzynowski, Stefan G

2016-01-01

Gastrectomy (Gx) leads to osteopenia/osteoporosis in humans and animals. However, little is known about the influence of Gx on the cartilage in this regard. Recent studies have demonstrated a protective effect of 2-oxoglutaric acid (2-Ox) on bone and cartilage. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether 2-Ox can mitigate eventual Gx-induced cartilage impairment. Twenty female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to Gx and randomly divided into two groups: Gx + 2-Ox and Gx. Another 20 rats were sham-operated (ShO) and randomly divided into two groups: ShO + 2-Ox and ShO. The daily dose of 2-Ox administered to the rats in the drinking water was 0.43 g per 100 g rat. After eight weeks, rats were euthanized and femora and tibiae were collected. Histology and histomorphometry analyses of the articular cartilage and the growth plate were done. Gx resulted in a 32% (±44.5 femur, ±35.8 tibia) decrease in overall thickness of articular cartilage in both bones (femur: ShO 279.1 ± 48.5 vs. Gx 190.2 ± 38.4 µm, tibia: ShO 222.9 ± 50.3 µm vs. Gx 151.3 ± 52.6 µm) (in some zones up to 58 ± 28.0%), and in the growth plate up to 20% (±22.4) (femur: ShO 243.0 ± 34.0 vs. Gx 207.0 ± 33.7 µm, tibia: ShO 220.0 ± 24.6 µm vs. Gx 171.1 ± 16.1 µm). Gx altered the spatial distribution of thick and thin collagen fibers, and chondrocyte shape and size. 2-Ox administration prevented the reduction in both cartilages thickness (Gx + 2-Ox: articular cartilage 265.2 ± 53.8 µm, 235.6 ± 42.7 µm, growth plate 236.7 ± 39.2 µm, 191.3 ± 16.5 µm in femur and tibia, respectively), and abolished the spatial changes in collagen distribution and structure induced by Gx. Gx affects cartilage structure and thickness, however, 2-Ox administration mitigates these effects and showed protective and stimulatory properties. Our observations suggest that dietary 2-Ox can be used to offset

Reduction of the Random Variables of the Turbulent Wind Field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sichani, Mahdi Teimouri; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

2012-01-01

.e. Importance Sampling (IS) or Subset Simulation (SS), will be deteriorated on problems with many random variables. The problem with PDEM is that a multidimensional integral has to be carried out over the space defined by the random variables of the system. The numerical procedure requires discretization......Applicability of the Probability Density Evolution Method (PDEM) for realizing evolution of the probability density for the wind turbines has rather strict bounds on the basic number of the random variables involved in the model. The efficiency of most of the Advanced Monte Carlo (AMC) methods, i...... of the integral domain; this becomes increasingly difficult as the dimensions of the integral domain increase. On the other hand efficiency of the AMC methods is closely dependent on the design points of the problem. Presence of many random variables may increase the number of the design points, hence affects...

Sparse Reduced-Rank Regression for Simultaneous Dimension Reduction and Variable Selection

KAUST Repository

Chen, Lisha

2012-12-01

The reduced-rank regression is an effective method in predicting multiple response variables from the same set of predictor variables. It reduces the number of model parameters and takes advantage of interrelations between the response variables and hence improves predictive accuracy. We propose to select relevant variables for reduced-rank regression by using a sparsity-inducing penalty. We apply a group-lasso type penalty that treats each row of the matrix of the regression coefficients as a group and show that this penalty satisfies certain desirable invariance properties. We develop two numerical algorithms to solve the penalized regression problem and establish the asymptotic consistency of the proposed method. In particular, the manifold structure of the reduced-rank regression coefficient matrix is considered and studied in our theoretical analysis. In our simulation study and real data analysis, the new method is compared with several existing variable selection methods for multivariate regression and exhibits competitive performance in prediction and variable selection. © 2012 American Statistical Association.

LB01.06: VISIT-TO-VISIT BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES IN FELODIPINE EVENT REDUCTION STUDY.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y; Zhang, X; Liu, L; Zanchetti, A

2015-06-01

Many antihypertensive outcome trials have shown that visit-to-visit blood pressure variability is correlated closely with clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients. The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) and the major cardiovascular outcomes in the Chinese hypertensive patients. Felodipine Event Reduction (FEVER) study was a double-blind, randomized trial on 9711 Chinese hypertensive patients, in whom cardiovascular outcomes were significantly reduced by more intense therapy achieving a mean of 138 mmHg SBP compared with less-intense therapy achieving a mean of 142 mmHg. Visit-to-visit BPV during the follow-up period [defined as standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability(ARV)] was derived from casual cuff BP measures after six months follow-up until the end of the study. Hazard ratios (HRs), for the incidence of CVD associated with SD, CV, and ARV of SBP and DBP were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. Overall predictive power [area under receiver operating characteristic (AUC ROC) curve] of the level of blood pressure, blood pressure variability and other baseline characteristics was calculated. In FEVER study, visit-to-visit variability in SBP were significant predictors of subsequent stroke [eg, hazard ratios [HR] for ARV, SD and CV was 1.071 (95% CI: 1.025-1.118), 1.373 (95% CI: 1.159-1.626) and 0.572 (95% CI: 0.451-0,726)]. Visit-to-visit variability in DBP were also showed similar trend [eg, HR for ARV, SD and CV was 1.066 (95% CI: 0.992-1.145), 1.931 (95% CI: 1.435-2.598) and 0.558 (95% CI: 0.438-0,710)]. However, using the analysis of AUC ROC analysis, the risk importance sequence of the stroke events in this cohort was level of SBP, age, level of DBP ARV, SD, sex, CV and treatment. Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability has some effects on the cardiovascular outcomes in the Chinese hypertensive patents in the cohort in

Recursions of Symmetry Orbits and Reduction without Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei A. Malykh

2011-04-01

Full Text Available We consider a four-dimensional PDE possessing partner symmetries mainly on the example of complex Monge-Ampère equation (CMA. We use simultaneously two pairs of symmetries related by a recursion relation, which are mutually complex conjugate for CMA. For both pairs of partner symmetries, using Lie equations, we introduce explicitly group parameters as additional variables, replacing symmetry characteristics and their complex conjugates by derivatives of the unknown with respect to group parameters. We study the resulting system of six equations in the eight-dimensional space, that includes CMA, four equations of the recursion between partner symmetries and one integrability condition of this system. We use point symmetries of this extended system for performing its symmetry reduction with respect to group parameters that facilitates solving the extended system. This procedure does not imply a reduction in the number of physical variables and hence we end up with orbits of non-invariant solutions of CMA, generated by one partner symmetry, not used in the reduction. These solutions are determined by six linear equations with constant coefficients in the five-dimensional space which are obtained by a three-dimensional Legendre transformation of the reduced extended system. We present algebraic and exponential examples of such solutions that govern Legendre-transformed Ricci-flat Kähler metrics with no Killing vectors. A similar procedure is briefly outlined for Husain equation.

Independent SU(2)-loop variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loll, R.

1991-04-01

We give a reduction procedure for SU(2)-trace variables and introduce a complete set of indepentent, gauge-invariant and almost local loop variables for the configuration space of SU(2)-lattice gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions. (orig.)

Joint action coordination through strategic reduction in variability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vesper, Cordula; Schmitz, Laura; Sebanz, Natalie

2013-01-01

How do people coordinate actions with others? We tested the hypothesis that pairs of participants strategically reduce the variability of their action performance to achieve synchronicity in the absence of visual feedback about each other’s actions. Consistent with this prediction, participants...... strategic adaptation in the service of real-time action coordination when only minimal perceptual information is available....

The variability of interconnected wind plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katzenstein, Warren; Fertig, Emily; Apt, Jay

2010-01-01

We present the first frequency-dependent analyses of the geographic smoothing of wind power's variability, analyzing the interconnected measured output of 20 wind plants in Texas. Reductions in variability occur at frequencies corresponding to times shorter than ∼24 h and are quantified by measuring the departure from a Kolmogorov spectrum. At a frequency of 2.8x10 -4 Hz (corresponding to 1 h), an 87% reduction of the variability of a single wind plant is obtained by interconnecting 4 wind plants. Interconnecting the remaining 16 wind plants produces only an additional 8% reduction. We use step change analyses and correlation coefficients to compare our results with previous studies, finding that wind power ramps up faster than it ramps down for each of the step change intervals analyzed and that correlation between the power output of wind plants 200 km away is half that of co-located wind plants. To examine variability at very low frequencies, we estimate yearly wind energy production in the Great Plains region of the United States from automated wind observations at airports covering 36 years. The estimated wind power has significant inter-annual variability and the severity of wind drought years is estimated to be about half that observed nationally for hydroelectric power.

Engineering IT-enabled sustainable electricity services the tale of two low-cost green Azores Islands

CERN Document Server

Xie, Le; Liu, Qixing

2013-01-01

Engineering IT-Enabled Electricity Services: The Tale of Two Low-Cost Green Azores Islands covers sustainable energy services to customers - a balanced choice and coordination of energy generated by traditional and alternative sources. The “Green Islands” project represents a decade of work by over a dozen researchers who have developed a model designed to utilize the potential of distributed clean resources. The key is the proper use of Information Technology (IT).  Sited on two islands in the Azores, the project developed the model of careful forecasting of demand and supply, down to the minute, coordinating the output of conventional power plants, wind energy, fly wheels, hydroelectricity, demand reduction, and even plug-in electric vehicles to take full advantage of the clean resources available. This contributed volume presents methods for predicting variable resources, such as wind power generation, and analyzes the achievable accuracy of these predictions. Throughout this book, contributors sho...

Inter-Trial Gait Variability Reduction Using Continous Curve Registration

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sadeghi, H

2001-01-01

Timing in peak gait values shifts slightly between gait trials. When gait data are averaged, some of the standard deviation can be associated to this inter-trial variability unless normalization is carried out beforehand...

UTERINE PROLAPSE IN QUEEN AND UTERINE PROLAPSO UTERINO EM GATA E RETROFLEXÃO UTERINA EM CADELA

OpenAIRE

Giuliano Queiroz Mostachio; Wilter Ricardo Russiano Vicente; Diogo José Cardilli; Tathiana Ferguson Motheo; Gilson Hélio Toniollo

2008-01-01

Obstetrical emergencies are problem in veterinary clinics and hospital. So, the aim of this report is to describe the clinical-surgical aspect of one of them, the uterine prolapse. Complete protrusion and retroflexion of uterus had been diagnosed in a queen and female dog, respectively. After the stabilization of the animals and reduction of the prolapses followed by ovary-hysterectomy, one of the animals came to death due to septicemia and hypovolemic sho...

Ultradeep Pyrosequencing of Hepatitis C Virus Hypervariable Region 1 in Quasispecies Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamila Caraballo Cortés

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Genetic variability of hepatitis C virus (HCV determines pathogenesis of infection, including viral persistence and resistance to treatment. The aim of the present study was to characterize HCV genetic heterogeneity within a hypervariable region 1 (HVR1 of a chronically infected patient by ultradeep 454 sequencing strategy. Three independent sequencing error correction methods were applied. First correction method (Method I implemented cut-off for genetic variants present in less than 1%. In the second method (Method II, a condition to call a variant was bidirectional coverage of sequencing reads. Third method (Method III used Short Read Assembly into Haplotypes (ShoRAH program. After the application of these three different algorithms, HVR1 population consisted of 8, 40, and 186 genetic haplotypes. The most sensitive method was ShoRAH, allowing to reconstruct haplotypes constituting as little as 0.013% of the population. The most abundant genetic variant constituted only 10.5%. Seventeen haplotypes were present in a frequency above 1%, and there was wide dispersion of the population into very sparse haplotypes. Our results indicate that HCV HVR1 heterogeneity and quasispecies population structure may be reconstructed by ultradeep sequencing. However, credible analysis requires proper reconstruction methods, which would distinguish sequencing error from real variability in vivo.

Optimization of Variable-Depth Liner Configurations for Increased Broadband Noise Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. G.; Watson, W. R.; Nark, D. M.; Schiller, N. H.; Born, J. C.

2016-01-01

This paper employs three acoustic propagation codes to explore variable-depth liner configurations for the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube (GFIT). The initial study demonstrates that a variable impedance can acceptably be treated as a uniform impedance if the spatial extent over which this variable impedance occurs is less than one-third of a wavelength of the incident sound. A constrained optimization study is used to design a variable-depth liner and to select an optimization metric. It also provides insight regarding how much attenuation can be achieved with variable-depth liners. Another optimization study is used to design a liner with much finer chamber depth resolution for the Mach 0.0 and 0.3 test conditions. Two liners are designed based on spatial rearrangement of chambers from this liner to determine whether the order is critical. Propagation code predictions suggest this is not the case. Both liners are fabricated via additive manufacturing and tested in the GFIT for the Mach 0.0 condition. Predicted and measured attenuations compare favorably across the full frequency range. These results clearly suggest that the chambers can be arranged in any order, thus offering the potential for innovative liner designs to minimize depth and weight.

Model reduction method using variable-separation for stochastic saddle point problems

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Lijian; Li, Qiuqi

2018-02-01

In this paper, we consider a variable-separation (VS) method to solve the stochastic saddle point (SSP) problems. The VS method is applied to obtain the solution in tensor product structure for stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) in a mixed formulation. The aim of such a technique is to construct a reduced basis approximation of the solution of the SSP problems. The VS method attempts to get a low rank separated representation of the solution for SSP in a systematic enrichment manner. No iteration is performed at each enrichment step. In order to satisfy the inf-sup condition in the mixed formulation, we enrich the separated terms for the primal system variable at each enrichment step. For the SSP problems by regularization or penalty, we propose a more efficient variable-separation (VS) method, i.e., the variable-separation by penalty method. This can avoid further enrichment of the separated terms in the original mixed formulation. The computation of the variable-separation method decomposes into offline phase and online phase. Sparse low rank tensor approximation method is used to significantly improve the online computation efficiency when the number of separated terms is large. For the applications of SSP problems, we present three numerical examples to illustrate the performance of the proposed methods.

Metal Artifacts Reduction of Pedicle Screws on Spine Computed Tomography Images Using Variable Thresholding Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaewlek, T.; Koolpiruck, D.; Thongvigitmanee, S.; Mongkolsuk, M.; Chiewvit, P.; Thammakittiphan, S.

2012-01-01

Metal artifacts are one of significant problems in computed tomography (CT). The streak lines and air gaps arise from metal implants of orthopedic patients, such as prosthesis, dental bucket, and pedicle screws that cause incorrect diagnosis and local treatment planning. A common technique to suppressed artifacts is by adjusting windows, but those artifacts still remain on the images. To improve the detail of spine CT images, the variable thresholding technique is proposed in this paper. Three medical cases of spine CT images categorized by the severity of artifacts (screws head, one full screw, and two full screws) were investigated. Metal regions were segmented by k-mean clustering, then transformed into a sinogram domain. The metal sinogram was identified by the variable thresholding method, and then replaced the new estimated values by linear interpolation. The modified sinogram was reconstructed by the filtered back- projection algorithm, and added the metal region back to the modified reconstructed image in order to reproduce the final image. The image quality of the proposed technique, the automatic thresholding (Kalender) technique, and window adjustment technique was compared in term of noise and signal to noise ratio (SNR). The propose method can reduce metal artifacts between pedicle screws. After processing by our proposed technique, noise in the modified images is reduced (screws head 121.15 to73.83, one full screw 160.88 to 94.04, and two full screws 199.73 to 110.05 from the initial image) and SNR is increased (screws head 0.87 to 1.88, one full screw 1.54 to 2.82, and two full screws 0.32 to 0.41 from the initial image). The variable thresholding technique can identify the suitable boundary for restoring the missing data. The efficiency of the metal artifacts reduction is indicated on the case of partial and full pedicle screws. Our technique can improve the detail of spine CT images better than automatic thresholding (Kalender) technique, and

Case report

African Journals Online (AJOL)

abp

12 oct. 2015 ... traitements par les œstrogènes ou à la grossesse participent aussi à une augmentation du risque. Les études relatives à l'hémostase en cours de PMA sont pour la plupart anciennes, avec des méthodologies peu détaillées et la définition de SHO sévère est parfois peu précise et variable selon les auteurs.

Entanglement enhancement through multirail noise reduction for continuous-variable measurement-based quantum-information processing

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yung-Chao; Wu, Shin-Tza

2017-09-01

We study theoretically the teleportation of a controlled-phase (cz) gate through measurement-based quantum-information processing for continuous-variable systems. We examine the degree of entanglement in the output modes of the teleported cz-gate for two classes of resource states: the canonical cluster states that are constructed via direct implementations of two-mode squeezing operations and the linear-optical version of cluster states which are built from linear-optical networks of beam splitters and phase shifters. In order to reduce the excess noise arising from finite-squeezed resource states, teleportation through resource states with different multirail designs will be considered and the enhancement of entanglement in the teleported cz gates will be analyzed. For multirail cluster with an arbitrary number of rails, we obtain analytical expressions for the entanglement in the output modes and analyze in detail the results for both classes of resource states. At the same time, we also show that for uniformly squeezed clusters the multirail noise reduction can be optimized when the excess noise is allocated uniformly to the rails. To facilitate the analysis, we develop a trick with manipulations of quadrature operators that can reveal rather efficiently the measurement sequence and corrective operations needed for the measurement-based gate teleportation, which will also be explained in detail.

Cytochrome b5 and NADH cytochrome b5 reductase: genotype-phenotype correlations for hydroxylamine reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacco, James C; Trepanier, Lauren A

2010-01-01

NADH cytochrome b5 reductase (b5R) and cytochrome b5 (b5) catalyze the reduction of sulfamethoxazole hydroxylamine (SMX-HA), which can contribute to sulfonamide hypersensitivity, to the parent drug sulfamethoxazole. Variability in hydroxylamine reduction could thus play a role in adverse drug reactions. The aim of this study was to characterize variability in SMX-HA reduction in 111 human livers, and investigate its association with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in b5 and b5R cDNA. Liver microsomes were assayed for SMX-HA reduction activity, and b5 and b5R expression was semiquantified by immunoblotting. The coding regions of the b5 (CYB5A) and b5R (CYB5R3) genes were resequenced. Hepatic SMX-HA reduction displayed a 19-fold range of individual variability (0.06-1.11 nmol/min/mg protein), and a 17-fold range in efficiency (Vmax/Km) among outliers. SMX-HA reduction was positively correlated with b5 and b5R protein content (Phydroxylamine reduction activities, these low-frequency cSNPs seem to only minimally impact overall observed phenotypic variability. Work is underway to characterize polymorphisms in other regions of these genes to further account for individual variability in hydroxylamine reduction.

A global optimization algorithm inspired in the behavior of selfish herds.

Science.gov (United States)

Fausto, Fernando; Cuevas, Erik; Valdivia, Arturo; González, Adrián

2017-10-01

In this paper, a novel swarm optimization algorithm called the Selfish Herd Optimizer (SHO) is proposed for solving global optimization problems. SHO is based on the simulation of the widely observed selfish herd behavior manifested by individuals within a herd of animals subjected to some form of predation risk. In SHO, individuals emulate the predatory interactions between groups of prey and predators by two types of search agents: the members of a selfish herd (the prey) and a pack of hungry predators. Depending on their classification as either a prey or a predator, each individual is conducted by a set of unique evolutionary operators inspired by such prey-predator relationship. These unique traits allow SHO to improve the balance between exploration and exploitation without altering the population size. To illustrate the proficiency and robustness of the proposed method, it is compared to other well-known evolutionary optimization approaches such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), Firefly Algorithm (FA), Differential Evolution (DE), Genetic Algorithms (GA), Crow Search Algorithm (CSA), Dragonfly Algorithm (DA), Moth-flame Optimization Algorithm (MOA) and Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA). The comparison examines several standard benchmark functions, commonly considered within the literature of evolutionary algorithms. The experimental results show the remarkable performance of our proposed approach against those of the other compared methods, and as such SHO is proven to be an excellent alternative to solve global optimization problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Software analyzes feasibility of saw kerf reduction for hardwood mills

Science.gov (United States)

Philip H. Steele

2005-01-01

Reductions in saw kerf on head rigs and resaws can dramatically increase lumber recovery in hardwood sawmills. Research has shown that lumber sawing variation reduction will increase lumber recovery above that obtained solely from kerf reduction. Reductions in sawing machine kerf or variation always come at some cost in both capital and variable costs. Determining...

Heart rate variability biofeedback intervention for reduction of psychological stress during the early postpartum period.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Naoko; Shinohara, Hitomi; Kodama, Hideya

2014-12-01

This study examined the effectiveness of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback intervention for reduction of psychological stress in women in the early postpartum period. On postpartum day 4, 55 healthy subjects received a brief explanation about HRV biofeedback using a portable device. Among them, 25 mothers who agreed to implement HRV biofeedback at home were grouped as the biofeedback group, and other 30 mothers were grouped as the control group. At 1 month postpartum, there was a significant decrease in total Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score (P biofeedback group; this change was brought about mainly by decreases in items related to anxiety or difficulty sleeping. There was also a significant increase in standard deviation of the normal heartbeat interval (P biofeedback group after adjusting for potential covariates. In conclusion, postpartum women who implemented HRV biofeedback after delivery were relatively free from anxiety and complained less of difficulties sleeping at 1 month postpartum. Although the positive effects of HRV biofeedback may be partly attributable to intervention effects, due to its clinical outcome, HRV biofeedback appears to be recommendable for many postpartum women as a feasible health-promoting measure after childbirth.

On the functional aspects of variability in postural control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Emmerik, Richard E.A.; Van Wegen, Erwin E.H.

2002-01-01

Current research in nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory has challenged traditional perspectives that associate high variability with performance decrement and pathology. It is argued that variability can play a functional role in postural control and that reduction of variability is associated with

The Impact of Inpatient Boarding on ED Efficiency: A Discrete-Event Simulation Study

OpenAIRE

Bair, Aaron E.; Song, Wheyming T.; Chen, Yi-Chun; Morris, Beth A.

2009-01-01

In this study, a discrete-event simulation approach was used to model Emergency Department’s (ED) patient flow to investigate the effect of inpatient boarding on the ED efficiency in terms of the National Emergency Department Crowding Scale (NEDOCS) score and the rate of patients who leave without being seen (LWBS). The decision variable in this model was the boarder-released-ratio defined as the ratio of admitted patients whose boarding time is zero to all admitted patients. Our analysis sho...

Differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions from Feynman diagrams. One-variable case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bytev, Vladimir V.; Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu.; Kniehl, Bernd A. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). II. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2010-03-15

The differential-reduction algorithm, which allows one to express generalized hypergeometric functions with parameters of arbitrary values in terms of such functions with parameters whose values differ from the original ones by integers, is discussed in the context of evaluating Feynman diagrams. Where this is possible, we compare our results with those obtained using standard techniques. It is shown that the criterion of reducibility of multiloop Feynman integrals can be reformulated in terms of the criterion of reducibility of hypergeometric functions. The relation between the numbers of master integrals obtained by differential reduction and integration by parts is discussed. (orig.)

Simulation of multivariate stationary stochastic processes using dimension-reduction representation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhangjun; Liu, Zenghui; Peng, Yongbo

2018-03-01

In view of the Fourier-Stieltjes integral formula of multivariate stationary stochastic processes, a unified formulation accommodating spectral representation method (SRM) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is deduced. By introducing random functions as constraints correlating the orthogonal random variables involved in the unified formulation, the dimension-reduction spectral representation method (DR-SRM) and the dimension-reduction proper orthogonal decomposition (DR-POD) are addressed. The proposed schemes are capable of representing the multivariate stationary stochastic process with a few elementary random variables, bypassing the challenges of high-dimensional random variables inherent in the conventional Monte Carlo methods. In order to accelerate the numerical simulation, the technique of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is integrated with the proposed schemes. For illustrative purposes, the simulation of horizontal wind velocity field along the deck of a large-span bridge is proceeded using the proposed methods containing 2 and 3 elementary random variables. Numerical simulation reveals the usefulness of the dimension-reduction representation methods.

The Effect of Tariff Reduction in Agricultural Sector on Macroeconomic Variables: Using Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Heidari

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Economic effects of membership in the WTO in recent years, has been one of the most important issues for Iranian economy. If Iran joins the WTO, in this process, tariff reduction in agricultural sector will be one of the policies which has to be employed. Therefore, investigating economic effects of tariff reduction or even its elimination in this sector will be necessary in running effective policies to minimize the probabilistic losses of accession. Tariffs on agricultural products in Iran are determined merely on the basis of annual country economy, and have no long term strategy. Government is just obliged to impose effective tariffs on agricultural products imports, in order to protect local productions. On the other hand, according to the census of population and housing, the share of agricultural sector in employment has reduced during the past decade. Moreover, Iran central bank information indicated the reduction in the share of agricultural sector in GDP for the past decade. Declining the share of agriculture in production and employment, considering the high number of university graduates in the field of agriculture along with rising unemployment rate of this group, motivated this study to investigate the effect of tariff reduction in this sector on macroeconomic variables. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed the welfare effects of import tariffs reduction in agricultural sector from Iran most important commercial partners and vice versa, using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP, based on computable general equilibrium (CGE model. Moreover, the effects of tariffs reduction, is investigated on output, price level and transfer of production factors between different economic sectors. In order to simulate the above model, we used GTAP version 8 which covers 57 commodities and 113 regions with economic information of these regions. This model uses Social Accounting Matrix of countries as data information. Our

Variability in CT lung-nodule volumetry: Effects of dose reduction and reconstruction methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Stefano; Kim, Hyun J Grace; Ko, Moe Moe; Ko, War War; Flores, Carlos; McNitt-Gray, Michael F

2015-05-01

Measuring the size of nodules on chest CT is important for lung cancer staging and measuring therapy response. 3D volumetry has been proposed as a more robust alternative to 1D and 2D sizing methods. There have also been substantial advances in methods to reduce radiation dose in CT. The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of dose reduction and reconstruction methods on variability in 3D lung-nodule volumetry. Reduced-dose CT scans were simulated by applying a noise-addition tool to the raw (sinogram) data from clinically indicated patient scans acquired on a multidetector-row CT scanner (Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare). Scans were simulated at 25%, 10%, and 3% of the dose of their clinical protocol (CTDIvol of 20.9 mGy), corresponding to CTDIvol values of 5.2, 2.1, and 0.6 mGy. Simulated reduced-dose data were reconstructed with both conventional filtered backprojection (B45 kernel) and iterative reconstruction methods (SAFIRE: I44 strength 3 and I50 strength 3). Three lab technologist readers contoured "measurable" nodules in 33 patients under each of the different acquisition/reconstruction conditions in a blinded study design. Of the 33 measurable nodules, 17 were used to estimate repeatability with their clinical reference protocol, as well as interdose and inter-reconstruction-method reproducibilities. The authors compared the resulting distributions of proportional differences across dose and reconstruction methods by analyzing their means, standard deviations (SDs), and t-test and F-test results. The clinical-dose repeatability experiment yielded a mean proportional difference of 1.1% and SD of 5.5%. The interdose reproducibility experiments gave mean differences ranging from -5.6% to -1.7% and SDs ranging from 6.3% to 9.9%. The inter-reconstruction-method reproducibility experiments gave mean differences of 2.0% (I44 strength 3) and -0.3% (I50 strength 3), and SDs were identical at 7.3%. For the subset of repeatability cases, inter

Model reduction in integrated controls-structures design

Science.gov (United States)

Maghami, Peiman G.

1993-01-01

It is the objective of this paper to present a model reduction technique developed for the integrated controls-structures design of flexible structures. Integrated controls-structures design problems are typically posed as nonlinear mathematical programming problems, where the design variables consist of both structural and control parameters. In the solution process, both structural and control design variables are constantly changing; therefore, the dynamic characteristics of the structure are also changing. This presents a problem in obtaining a reduced-order model for active control design and analysis which will be valid for all design points within the design space. In other words, the frequency and number of the significant modes of the structure (modes that should be included) may vary considerably throughout the design process. This is also true as the locations and/or masses of the sensors and actuators change. Moreover, since the number of design evaluations in the integrated design process could easily run into thousands, any feasible order-reduction method should not require model reduction analysis at every design iteration. In this paper a novel and efficient technique for model reduction in the integrated controls-structures design process, which addresses these issues, is presented.

Morphologisation or Reduction by Context?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heegård Petersen, Jan

2013-01-01

of regression analysis which shows that also a following sound or pause, word form frequency and social class are factors that contribute significantly to the reduction pattern of the variable (te). The study cannot find any effects of clitizisation or n-gram based contextual predictability, factors...

Chemical model reduction under uncertainty

KAUST Repository

Malpica Galassi, Riccardo

2017-03-06

A general strategy for analysis and reduction of uncertain chemical kinetic models is presented, and its utility is illustrated in the context of ignition of hydrocarbon fuel–air mixtures. The strategy is based on a deterministic analysis and reduction method which employs computational singular perturbation analysis to generate simplified kinetic mechanisms, starting from a detailed reference mechanism. We model uncertain quantities in the reference mechanism, namely the Arrhenius rate parameters, as random variables with prescribed uncertainty factors. We propagate this uncertainty to obtain the probability of inclusion of each reaction in the simplified mechanism. We propose probabilistic error measures to compare predictions from the uncertain reference and simplified models, based on the comparison of the uncertain dynamics of the state variables, where the mixture entropy is chosen as progress variable. We employ the construction for the simplification of an uncertain mechanism in an n-butane–air mixture homogeneous ignition case, where a 176-species, 1111-reactions detailed kinetic model for the oxidation of n-butane is used with uncertainty factors assigned to each Arrhenius rate pre-exponential coefficient. This illustration is employed to highlight the utility of the construction, and the performance of a family of simplified models produced depending on chosen thresholds on importance and marginal probabilities of the reactions.

Sexual health clinics for women led by specialist nurses or senior house officers in a central London GUM service: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, K; Penny, N; Mercey, D; Power, R

2002-04-01

To assess the care process and clinical outcomes for two different models of GUM clinic for women: one led by specialist nurses and the other by senior house officers (SHOs). An open randomised controlled trial was carried out in a central London genitourinary medicine (GUM) women's clinic. Of 1172 women telephoning for an appointment, 880 were randomised to provide 169 eligible patients in the specialist nurse arm and 178 in the SHO arm. Of the eligible patients a total of 224 attended their appointment. The clinical records of the randomised women were audited for adequacy of care according to local guidelines. 30 key variables were objectively assessed and recorded on a standard audit form. An overall unitary index score (%) was calculated for each patient. The main variables associated with the outcome of specialist nurse and SHO decision making (diagnostic test request, preliminary diagnosis, and treatment provided) were then analysed independently. The median documentation audit scores for specialist nurses (n=103) and SHOs (n=121) were 92% and 85% respectively (pnurses' documentation was significantly (pnurses performed equally to the SHOs with regard to requesting the correct diagnostic tests, providing the correct preliminary diagnosis, and providing the correct treatment. A model of care using trained GUM nurses working within agreed protocols can provide comprehensive patient care for female patients that is equal to care provided by SHOs. Our results raise important issues regarding advanced GUM nursing education and training, protocol development, and accountability.

Reduction of Double Clausenian Hypergeometric Functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsson, Per W.

1996-01-01

The reduction formulas under consideration are those for which the conditions upon the variables are other than 'fixed values'. Known results are discussed, and some new formulas are derived by series manipulations from various known summation and transformation theorems. The ten functions in thi...

Sparse Reduced-Rank Regression for Simultaneous Dimension Reduction and Variable Selection

KAUST Repository

Chen, Lisha; Huang, Jianhua Z.

2012-01-01

and hence improves predictive accuracy. We propose to select relevant variables for reduced-rank regression by using a sparsity-inducing penalty. We apply a group-lasso type penalty that treats each row of the matrix of the regression coefficients as a group

Contribution of solar radiation to decadal temperature variability over land.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kaicun; Dickinson, Robert E

2013-09-10

Global air temperature has become the primary metric for judging global climate change. The variability of global temperature on a decadal timescale is still poorly understood. This paper examines further one suggested hypothesis, that variations in solar radiation reaching the surface (Rs) have caused much of the observed decadal temperature variability. Because Rs only heats air during the day, its variability is plausibly related to the variability of diurnal temperature range (daily maximum temperature minus its minimum). We show that the variability of diurnal temperature range is consistent with the variability of Rs at timescales from monthly to decadal. This paper uses long comprehensive datasets for diurnal temperature range to establish what has been the contribution of Rs to decadal temperature variability. It shows that Rs over land globally peaked in the 1930s, substantially decreased from the 1940s to the 1970s, and changed little after that. Reduction of Rs caused a reduction of more than 0.2 °C in mean temperature during May to October from the 1940s through the 1970s, and a reduction of nearly 0.2 °C in mean air temperature during November to April from the 1960s through the 1970s. This cooling accounts in part for the near-constant temperature from the 1930s into the 1970s. Since then, neither the rapid increase in temperature from the 1970s through the 1990s nor the slowdown of warming in the early twenty-first century appear to be significantly related to changes of Rs.

Miocene shoshonite volcanism in Sardinia: Implications for magma sources and geodynamic evolution of the central-western Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Beccaluva, Luigi; Bianchini, Gianluca; Mameli, Paola; Natali, Claudio

2013-11-01

In this paper we document the existence of a Miocene shoshonite (SHO) volcanism in Northern Sardinia (Anglona). This occurrence completes the spectrum of orogenic magmas related to the subduction process which developed from the Eocene along the Palaeo-European continental margin, in concert with the opening of the Ligurian-Balearic back-arc basin and southeastward drift/rotation of the Sardinia-Corsica continental block. K-Ar ages show that the oldest volcanics of the area are calcalkaline (CA) basalts and andesites (~ 21 Ma), overlain by 19.7-18.4 Ma-old more potassic products such as high-potassium calcalkaline (HK-CA) and SHO lavas. CA, HK-CA and SHO suites include basalts and differentiated lavas of andesite and latite composition, respectively, that (according to the PELE software modelling) represent ~ 40-45% residual liquid fraction after shallow fractional crystallization. Application of the "Arc Magma Simulator" software suggests that the generation of primary melts of the distinct suites may occur at similar degrees of partial melting (5-8%) and melting pressures (2-2.2 GPa, ~ 60-70 km depth) in the mantle wedge. By contrast, the potassic character of parental melts of CA, HK-CA and SHO suites is controlled by 1) the amount of subducted continental components (possibly terrigenous sediments) and 2) the pressure (depth) at which these metasomatic agents are released from the slab. Results suggest that the slab depth beneath the volcanic district increased from ~ 80-100 to 100-120 km for CA and SHO magmas, respectively. Accordingly, the evolution from CA to SHO magmatism in the same plumbing system could be related to slab deepening and increase of the subduction angle of ~ 5-10° in the time span of 2-3 Ma. This tectono-magmatic scenario conforms to the major anticlockwise rotation (~ 30°) event of the Sardinia block (between 20.5 and 18 Ma). This geodynamic evolution preludes the development of the volcanism in the Apennine-Tyrrhenian domains, where the

H∞ /H2 model reduction through dilated linear matrix inequalities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adegas, Fabiano Daher; Stoustrup, Jakob

2012-01-01

This paper presents sufficient dilated linear matrix inequalities (LMI) conditions to the $H_{infty}$ and $H_{2}$ model reduction problem. A special structure of the auxiliary (slack) variables allows the original model of order $n$ to be reduced to an order $r=n/s$ where $n,r,s in field{N}$. Arb......This paper presents sufficient dilated linear matrix inequalities (LMI) conditions to the $H_{infty}$ and $H_{2}$ model reduction problem. A special structure of the auxiliary (slack) variables allows the original model of order $n$ to be reduced to an order $r=n/s$ where $n,r,s in field...

Seed-specific RNAi in safflower generates a superhigh oleic oil with extended oxidative stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Craig C; Okada, Shoko; Taylor, Matthew C; Menon, Amratha; Mathew, Anu; Cullerne, Darren; Stephen, Stuart J; Allen, Robert S; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Liu, Qing; Oakeshott, John G; Singh, Surinder P; Green, Allan G

2018-03-06

Vegetable oils extracted from oilseeds are an important component of foods, but are also used in a range of high value oleochemical applications. Despite being biodegradable, nontoxic and renewable current plant oils suffer from the presence of residual polyunsaturated fatty acids that are prone to free radical formation that limit their oxidative stability, and consequently shelf life and functionality. Many decades of plant breeding have been successful in raising the oleic content to ~90%, but have come at the expense of overall field performance, including poor yields. Here, we engineer superhigh oleic (SHO) safflower producing a seed oil with 93% oleic generated from seed produced in multisite field trials spanning five generations. SHO safflower oil is the result of seed-specific hairpin-based RNA interference of two safflower lipid biosynthetic genes, FAD2.2 and FATB, producing seed oil containing less than 1.5% polyunsaturates and only 4% saturates but with no impact on lipid profiles of leaves and roots. Transgenic SHO events were compared to non-GM safflower in multisite trial plots with a wide range of growing season conditions, which showed no evidence of impact on seed yield. The oxidative stability of the field-grown SHO oil produced from various sites was 50 h at 110°C compared to 13 h for conventional ~80% oleic safflower oils. SHO safflower produces a uniquely stable vegetable oil across different field conditions that can provide the scale of production that is required for meeting the global demands for high stability oils in food and the oleochemical industry. © 2018 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Problems of variance reduction in the simulation of random variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lessi, O.

1987-01-01

The definition of the uniform linear generator is given and some of the mostly used tests to evaluate the uniformity and the independence of the obtained determinations are listed. The problem of calculating, through simulation, some moment W of a random variable function is taken into account. The Monte Carlo method enables the moment W to be estimated and the estimator variance to be obtained. Some techniques for the construction of other estimators of W with a reduced variance are introduced

Spillover effects of Medicare fee reductions: evidence from ophthalmology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jean M; Hadley, Jack; Gaskin, Darrell J

2002-09-01

Relatively little research has examined physicians' supply responses to Medicare fee cuts especially whether fee reductions for specific procedures have "spillover" effects that cause physicians to increase the supply of other services they provide. In this study we investigate whether ophthalmologist changed their provision of non-cataract services to Medicare patients over the time period 1992-1994, when the Medicare Fee Schedule (MFS) resulted in a 17.4% reduction in the average fee paid for a cataract extraction. Following the McGuire-Pauly model of physician behavior (McGuire and Pauly, 1991), we estimated a supply function for non-cataract procedures that included three price variables (own-price, a Medicare cross-price and a private cross-price) and an income effect. The Medicare cross-price and income variables capture spillover effects. Consistent with the model's predictions, we found that the Medicare cross-price is significant and negative, implying that a 10% reduction in the fee for a cataract extraction will cause ophthalmologists to supply about 5% more non-cataract services. Second, the income variable is highly significant, but its impact on the supply of non-cataract services is trivial. The suggests that physicians behave more like profit maximizing firms than target income seekers. We also found that the own-price and the private cross-price variables are highly significant and have the expected positive and negative effects on the volume of non-cataract services respectively. Our results demonstrate the importance of evaluating volume responses to fee changes for the array of services the physician performs, not just the procedure whose fee has been reduced. Focusing only on the procedure whose fee has been cut will yield an incomplete picture of how fee reductions for specific procedures affect physician supply decisions.

QUEST1 Variability Survey. II. Variability Determination Criteria and 200k Light Curve Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

Rengstorf, A. W.; Mufson, S. L.; Andrews, P.; Honeycutt, R. K.; Vivas, A. K.; Abad, C.; Adams, B.; Bailyn, C.; Baltay, C.; Bongiovanni, A.; Briceño, C.; Bruzual, G.; Coppi, P.; Della Prugna, F.; Emmet, W.; Ferrín, I.; Fuenmayor, F.; Gebhard, M.; Hernández, J.; Magris, G.; Musser, J.; Naranjo, O.; Oemler, A.; Rosenzweig, P.; Sabbey, C. N.; Sánchez, Ge.; Sánchez, Gu.; Schaefer, B.; Schenner, H.; Sinnott, J.; Snyder, J. A.; Sofia, S.; Stock, J.; van Altena, W.

2004-12-01

The QUEST (QUasar Equatorial Survey Team) Phase 1 camera has collected multibandpass photometry on a large strip of high Galactic latitude sky over a period of 26 months. This robust data set has been reduced and nightly catalogs compared to determine the photometric variability of the ensemble objects. Subsequent spectroscopic observations have confirmed a subset of the photometric variables as quasars, as previously reported. This paper reports on the details of the data reduction and analysis pipeline and presents multiple bandpass light curves for 198,213 QUEST1 objects, along with global variability information and matched Sloan photometry. Based on observations obtained at the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory, operated by the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía for the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Venezuela.

Sulfate reduction and carbon removal during kraft char burning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waag, K.J.; Frederick, W.J.; Sricharoenchaikul, V [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Grace, T.M. [T.M. Grace Company, Appleton, WI (United States); Kymalainen, M. [Tampella Power, Tampere (Finland)

1995-12-31

An improved mathematical model of char burning during black liquor combustion was described. Enhancements include a proper treatment of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O gasification, reactions between oxygen and combustibles in the boundary layer, and integration of sulfate reduction and sulfide reoxidation into the char burning process. Gasification of char carbon by reaction with H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} proved to be the most important means of carbon release under typical recovery furnace conditions. Sulfate reduction was shown to be responsible for only a minor part of the carbon release. Simulations showed that for typical recovery boiler conditions, char burning behavior is independent of oxygen concentration up to the point of carbon depletion. After carbon depletion, sulfide reoxidation occurs at a rate determined by oxygen mass transfer. Process variables that had the biggest effect on char burning behavior were initial black liquor drop diameter and temperature; also there was a direct link between char burnout times and the amount of sulfate reduction. At a given temperature, any variable that shortened the char burnout time resulted in proportionately less reduction. 22 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.

TPSLVM: a dimensionality reduction algorithm based on thin plate splines.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xinwei; Gao, Junbin; Wang, Tianjiang; Shi, Daming

2014-10-01

Dimensionality reduction (DR) has been considered as one of the most significant tools for data analysis. One type of DR algorithms is based on latent variable models (LVM). LVM-based models can handle the preimage problem easily. In this paper we propose a new LVM-based DR model, named thin plate spline latent variable model (TPSLVM). Compared to the well-known Gaussian process latent variable model (GPLVM), our proposed TPSLVM is more powerful especially when the dimensionality of the latent space is low. Also, TPSLVM is robust to shift and rotation. This paper investigates two extensions of TPSLVM, i.e., the back-constrained TPSLVM (BC-TPSLVM) and TPSLVM with dynamics (TPSLVM-DM) as well as their combination BC-TPSLVM-DM. Experimental results show that TPSLVM and its extensions provide better data visualization and more efficient dimensionality reduction compared to PCA, GPLVM, ISOMAP, etc.

Random walks on reductive groups

CERN Document Server

Benoist, Yves

2016-01-01

The classical theory of Random Walks describes the asymptotic behavior of sums of independent identically distributed random real variables. This book explains the generalization of this theory to products of independent identically distributed random matrices with real coefficients. Under the assumption that the action of the matrices is semisimple – or, equivalently, that the Zariski closure of the group generated by these matrices is reductive - and under suitable moment assumptions, it is shown that the norm of the products of such random matrices satisfies a number of classical probabilistic laws. This book includes necessary background on the theory of reductive algebraic groups, probability theory and operator theory, thereby providing a modern introduction to the topic.

Decision making regarding multifetal reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Maifeld, Michelle; Hahn, Sandra; Titler, Marita G; Mullen, Meredithe

2003-01-01

To identify salient variables that influence decision making regarding multifetal reduction (MFR) and describe their effect on individuals over time. Prospective, exploratory, descriptive design, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Midwestern tertiary care center. A convenience sample of 11 consecutive consenting couples with triplet or higher-order pregnancies who elected to undergo MFR. Semistructured audiotaped telephone interviews at three points: (a) 2 weeks postreduction, (b) 6 weeks postpartum, and (c) 6 months postpartum; a demographic and marital adjustment questionnaire. Themes identified by content analysis and compared via matrix analysis between males and females and at three points in time; trends in marital adjustment. Dominant variables influencing MFR decision making were risks associated with higher-order pregnancies and preservation of infants' and mothers' health. Most participants identified emotional issues, including moral and ethical dilemmas, as the most difficult aspect of reduction. Over time, participants reported feeling more positive about their decision; nonetheless, negative feelings emerged progressively. Risk aversion favored MFR decision making. Yet, both making and living with the decision were emotionally difficult for this sample. Interventions are needed to assist couples with this decision and its consequences.

Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease Variability of Emergency Physician Opioid Analgesic Prescribing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John H. Burton

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Addressing pain is a crucial aspect of emergency medicine. Prescription opioids are commonly prescribed for moderate to severe pain in the emergency department (ED; unfortunately, prescribing practices are variable. High variability of opioid prescribing decisions suggests a lack of consensus and an opportunity to improve care. This quality improvement (QI initiative aimed to reduce variability in ED opioid analgesic prescribing. Methods: We evaluated the impact of a three-part QI initiative on ED opioid prescribing by physicians at seven sites. Stage 1: Retrospective baseline period (nine months. Stage 2: Physicians were informed that opioid prescribing information would be prospectively collected and feedback on their prescribing and that of the group would be shared at the end of the stage (three months. Stage 3: After physicians received their individual opioid prescribing data with blinded comparison to the group means (from Stage 2 they were informed that individual prescribing data would be unblinded and shared with the group after three months. The primary outcome was variability of the standard error of the mean and standard deviation of the opioid prescribing rate (defined as number of patients discharged with an opioid divided by total number of discharges for each provider. Secondary observations included mean quantity of pills per opioid prescription, and overall frequency of opioid prescribing. Results: The study group included 47 physicians with 149,884 ED patient encounters. The variability in prescribing decreased through each stage of the initiative as represented by the distributions for the opioid prescribing rate: Stage 1 mean 20%; Stage 2 mean 13% (46% reduction, p<0.01, and Stage 3 mean 8% (60% reduction, p<0.01. The mean quantity of pills prescribed per prescription was 16 pills in Stage 1, 14 pills in Stage 2 (18% reduction, p<0.01, and 13 pills in Stage 3 (18% reduction, p<0.01. The group mean

State-space dimensionality in short-memory hidden-variable theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montina, Alberto

2011-01-01

Recently we have presented a hidden-variable model of measurements for a qubit where the hidden-variable state-space dimension is one-half the quantum-state manifold dimension. The absence of a short memory (Markov) dynamics is the price paid for this dimensional reduction. The conflict between having the Markov property and achieving the dimensional reduction was proved by Montina [A. Montina, Phys. Rev. A 77, 022104 (2008)] using an additional hypothesis of trajectory relaxation. Here we analyze in more detail this hypothesis introducing the concept of invertible process and report a proof that makes clearer the role played by the topology of the hidden-variable space. This is accomplished by requiring suitable properties of regularity of the conditional probability governing the dynamics. In the case of minimal dimension the set of continuous hidden variables is identified with an object living an N-dimensional Hilbert space whose dynamics is described by the Schroedinger equation. A method for generating the economical non-Markovian model for the qubit is also presented.

Frequency spectrum analysis of finger photoplethysmographic waveform variability during haemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Javed, Faizan; Middleton, Paul M; Malouf, Philip; Chan, Gregory S H; Savkin, Andrey V; Lovell, Nigel H; Steel, Elizabeth; Mackie, James

2010-09-01

This study investigates the peripheral circulatory and autonomic response to volume withdrawal in haemodialysis based on spectral analysis of photoplethysmographic waveform variability (PPGV). Frequency spectrum analysis was performed on the baseline and pulse amplitude variabilities of the finger infrared photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform and on heart rate variability extracted from the ECG signal collected from 18 kidney failure patients undergoing haemodialysis. Spectral powers were calculated from the low frequency (LF, 0.04-0.145 Hz) and high frequency (HF, 0.145-0.45 Hz) bands. In eight stable fluid overloaded patients (fluid removal of >2 L) not on alpha blockers, progressive reduction in relative blood volume during haemodialysis resulted in significant increase in LF and HF powers of PPG baseline and amplitude variability (P analysis of finger PPGV may provide valuable information on the autonomic vascular response to blood volume reduction in haemodialysis, and can be potentially utilized as a non-invasive tool for assessing peripheral circulatory control during routine dialysis procedure.

Scaffold Protein Ahk1, Which Associates with Hkr1, Sho1, Ste11, and Pbs2, Inhibits Cross Talk Signaling from the Hkr1 Osmosensor to the Kss1 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Akiko; Yamamoto, Katsuyoshi; Oyama, Masaaki; Kozuka-Hata, Hiroko

2016-01-01

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, osmostress activates the Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which regulates diverse osmoadaptive responses. Hkr1 is a large, highly glycosylated, single-path transmembrane protein that is a putative osmosensor in one of the Hog1 upstream pathways termed the HKR1 subbranch. The extracellular region of Hkr1 contains both a positive and a negative regulatory domain. However, the function of the cytoplasmic domain of Hkr1 (Hkr1-cyto) is unknown. Here, using a mass spectrometric method, we identified a protein, termed Ahk1 (Associated with Hkr1), that binds to Hkr1-cyto. Deletion of the AHK1 gene (in the absence of other Hog1 upstream branches) only partially inhibited osmostress-induced Hog1 activation. In contrast, Hog1 could not be activated by constitutively active mutants of the Hog1 pathway signaling molecules Opy2 or Ste50 in ahk1Δ cells, whereas robust Hog1 activation occurred in AHK1+ cells. In addition to Hkr1-cyto binding, Ahk1 also bound to other signaling molecules in the HKR1 subbranch, including Sho1, Ste11, and Pbs2. Although osmotic stimulation of Hkr1 does not activate the Kss1 MAPK, deletion of AHK1 allowed Hkr1 to activate Kss1 by cross talk. Thus, Ahk1 is a scaffold protein in the HKR1 subbranch and prevents incorrect signal flow from Hkr1 to Kss1. PMID:26787842

Parallel accelerated cyclic reduction preconditioner for three-dimensional elliptic PDEs with variable coefficients

KAUST Repository

Chavez Chavez, Gustavo Ivan; Turkiyyah, George; Zampini, Stefano; Keyes, David E.

2017-01-01

and the cyclic reduction method. The setup and application phases of the preconditioner achieve log-linear complexity in memory footprint and number of operations, and numerical experiments exhibit good weak and strong scalability at large processor counts in a

A single-institution experience with hydrostatic reduction for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background/purpose Hydrostatic reduction for intussusception has the benefit ... The v2-test was used to compare categorical variables, and a P value of 0.05 was ... Conclusion Although less than half of the patients presenting with childhood ...

Variable Work Hours--The MONY Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Fields, Cynthia J.

1974-01-01

An experiment with variable work hours in one department of a large company was so successful that it has become standard procedure in various corporate areas, both staff and line. The result? Increased production, fewer errors, improved employee morale, and a significant reduction in lateness and absenteeism. (Author)

Application of lithium in molten-salt reduction processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gourishankar, K. V.

1998-01-01

Metallothermic reductions have been extensively studied in the field of extractive metallurgy. At Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), we have developed a molten-salt based reduction process using lithium. This process was originally developed to reduce actinide oxides present in spent nuclear fuel. Preliminary thermodynamic considerations indicate that this process has the potential to be adapted for the extraction of other metals. The reduction is carried out at 650 C in a molten-salt (LiCl) medium. Lithium oxide (Li 2 O), produced during the reduction of the actinide oxides, dissolves in the molten salt. At the end of the reduction step, the lithium is regenerated from the salt by an electrowinning process. The lithium and the salt from the electrowinning are then reused for reduction of the next batch of oxide fuel. The process cycle has been successfully demonstrated on an engineering scale in a specially designed pyroprocessing facility. This paper discusses the applicability of lithium in molten-salt reduction processes with specific reference to our process. Results are presented from our work on actinide oxides to highlight the role of lithium and its effect on process variables in these molten-salt based reduction processes

Atomic layer deposition of crystalline SrHfO{sub 3} directly on Ge (001) for high-k dielectric applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@utexas.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Hu, Chengqing; Jiang, Aiting; Yu, Edward T. [Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States); Lu, Sirong; Smith, David J. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A. [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)

2015-02-07

The current work explores the crystalline perovskite oxide, strontium hafnate, as a potential high-k gate dielectric for Ge-based transistors. SrHfO{sub 3} (SHO) is grown directly on Ge by atomic layer deposition and becomes crystalline with epitaxial registry after post-deposition vacuum annealing at ∼700 °C for 5 min. The 2 × 1 reconstructed, clean Ge (001) surface is a necessary template to achieve crystalline films upon annealing. The SHO films exhibit excellent crystallinity, as shown by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The SHO films have favorable electronic properties for consideration as a high-k gate dielectric on Ge, with satisfactory band offsets (>2 eV), low leakage current (<10{sup −5} A/cm{sup 2} at an applied field of 1 MV/cm) at an equivalent oxide thickness of 1 nm, and a reasonable dielectric constant (k ∼ 18). The interface trap density (D{sub it}) is estimated to be as low as ∼2 × 10{sup 12 }cm{sup −2 }eV{sup −1} under the current growth and anneal conditions. Some interfacial reaction is observed between SHO and Ge at temperatures above ∼650 °C, which may contribute to increased D{sub it} value. This study confirms the potential for crystalline oxides grown directly on Ge by atomic layer deposition for advanced electronic applications.

Atomic layer deposition of crystalline SrHfO3 directly on Ge (001) for high-k dielectric applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Ekerdt, John G.; Hu, Chengqing; Jiang, Aiting; Yu, Edward T.; Lu, Sirong; Smith, David J.; Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A.

2015-01-01

The current work explores the crystalline perovskite oxide, strontium hafnate, as a potential high-k gate dielectric for Ge-based transistors. SrHfO 3 (SHO) is grown directly on Ge by atomic layer deposition and becomes crystalline with epitaxial registry after post-deposition vacuum annealing at ∼700 °C for 5 min. The 2 × 1 reconstructed, clean Ge (001) surface is a necessary template to achieve crystalline films upon annealing. The SHO films exhibit excellent crystallinity, as shown by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The SHO films have favorable electronic properties for consideration as a high-k gate dielectric on Ge, with satisfactory band offsets (>2 eV), low leakage current (<10 −5 A/cm 2 at an applied field of 1 MV/cm) at an equivalent oxide thickness of 1 nm, and a reasonable dielectric constant (k ∼ 18). The interface trap density (D it ) is estimated to be as low as ∼2 × 10 12  cm −2  eV −1 under the current growth and anneal conditions. Some interfacial reaction is observed between SHO and Ge at temperatures above ∼650 °C, which may contribute to increased D it value. This study confirms the potential for crystalline oxides grown directly on Ge by atomic layer deposition for advanced electronic applications

Index Reduction and Discontinuity Handling Using Substitute Equations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabian, G.; Beek, van D.A.; Rooda, J.E.

2001-01-01

Download at: http://se.wtb.tue.nl/~vanbeek/. Several techniques exist for index reduction and consistent initialization of higher index DAEs. Many such techniques change the original set of equations by differentiation, substitution, and/or introduction of new variables. This paper introduces

Substitute equations for index reduction and discontinuity handling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabian, G.; Beek, van D.A.; Rooda, J.E.

2000-01-01

Several techniques exist for index reduction and consistent initialization of higher index DAEs. Many such techniques change the original set of equations by differentiation, substitution, and/or introduction of new variables. This paper introduces substitute equations as a new language element. By

Museo del Holocausto: estudo de uma expografia crítica dos reflexos do regime nazista em Buenos Aires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janaina Cardoso de Mello

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents a critical analysis of expography integrating the Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires, this being divided into three parts: “Eichmann. Él vivió entre nosotros” ; “Imágenes de la Shoá, el Holocausto y sus resonancias en la argentina” and “Identidad: Retratos de testigos de la Shoá”. We discuss categories that comprise museography and historical context, during Nazism period in Germany, which promoted the exodus of Jews and Germans criminals to Argentina between 1933 and 1960.

Changes in heart rate variability and QT variability during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, R E; D'Silva, L A; Emery, S J; Uzun, O; Rassi, D; Lewis, M J

2015-03-01

The risk of new-onset arrhythmia during pregnancy is high, presumably relating to changes in both haemodynamic and cardiac autonomic function. The ability to non-invasively assess an individual's risk of developing arrhythmia during pregnancy would therefore be clinically significant. We aimed to quantify electrocardiographic temporal characteristics during the first trimester of pregnancy and to compare these with non-pregnant controls. Ninety-nine pregnant women and sixty-three non-pregnant women underwent non-invasive cardiovascular and haemodynamic assessment during a protocol consisting of various physiological states (postural manoeurvres, light exercise and metronomic breathing). Variables measured included stroke volume, cardiac output, heart rate, heart rate variability, QT and QT variability and QTVI (a measure of the variability of QT relative to that of RR). Heart rate (p pregnancy only during the supine position (p pregnancy in all physiological states (p pregnancy in all states (p pregnancy is associated with substantial changes in heart rate variability, reflecting a reduction in parasympathetic tone and an increase in sympathetic activity. QTVI shifted to a less favourable value, reflecting a greater than normal amount of QT variability. QTVI appears to be a useful method for quantifying changes in QT variability relative to RR (or heart rate) variability, being sensitive not only to physiological state but also to gestational age. We support the use of non-invasive markers of cardiac electrical variability to evaluate the risk of arrhythmic events in pregnancy, and we recommend the use of multiple physiological states during the assessment protocol.

Reduction in spread of excitation from current focusing at multiple cochlear locations in cochlear implant users.

Science.gov (United States)

Padilla, Monica; Landsberger, David M

2016-03-01

Channel interaction from a broad spread of excitation is likely to be a limiting factor in performance by cochlear implant users. Although partial tripolar stimulation has been shown to reduce spread of excitation, the magnitude of the reduction is highly variable across subjects. Because the reduction in spread of excitation is typically only measured at one electrode for a given subject, the degree of variability across cochlear locations is unknown. The first goal of the present study was to determine if the reduction in spread of excitation observed from partial tripolar current focusing systematically varies across the cochlea. The second goal was to measure the variability in reduction of spread of excitation relative to monopolar stimulation across the cochlea. The third goal was to expand upon previous results that suggest that scaling of verbal descriptors can be used to predict the reduction in spread of excitation, by increasing the limited number of sites previously evaluated and verify the relationships remain with the larger dataset. The spread of excitation for monopolar and partial tripolar stimulation was measured at 5 cochlear locations using a psychophysical forward masking task. Results of the present study suggest that although partial tripolar stimulation typically reduces spread of excitation, the degree of reduction in spread of excitation was found to be highly variable and no effect of cochlear location was found. Additionally, subjective scaling of certain verbal descriptors (Clean/Dirty, Pure/Noisy) correlated with the reduction in spread of excitation suggesting sound quality scaling might be used as a quick clinical estimate of channels providing a reduction in spread of excitation. This quick scaling technique might help clinicians determine which patients would be most likely to benefit from a focused strategy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Casual Nexus of Banking Sector Development and Poverty Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gazi Salah Uddin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to investigate the inter-temporal causal relationship between banking sector development and poverty reduction in Bangladesh from 1976 to 2010. We have applied new methods using modern time series econometrics techniques based on simulations that are robust to the violation of statistical assumptions, especially when the sample size is small, as is the case in this paper. The results reveal that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between banking sector development and poverty reduction in the case of Bangladesh. Surprisingly, poverty reduction appears to be a long-term forcing variable to the explanation of Bangladesh’s banking sector development. There is bidirectional causality between these variables. The diagnostic tests show that the underlying desirable assumptions are fulfilled. Time series data on poverty in many developing countries, particularly in Bangladesh, is scant and inadequate. The empirical results of this study will help policy makers determine whether poverty reduction in Bangladesh is a spur to financial sector development. This implies that, in the long term, Bangladeshi policy makers can influence the reduction of poverty through financial sector development. Although several attempts have been made to investigate the relationship between financial development and growth, this paper is the first of its kind to empirically examine the causal relationship between poverty and the development of the banking sector in Bangladesh.

Binomial Distribution Sample Confidence Intervals Estimation 7. Absolute Risk Reduction and ARR-like Expressions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei ACHIMAŞ CADARIU

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Assessments of a controlled clinical trial suppose to interpret some key parameters as the controlled event rate, experimental event date, relative risk, absolute risk reduction, relative risk reduction, number needed to treat when the effect of the treatment are dichotomous variables. Defined as the difference in the event rate between treatment and control groups, the absolute risk reduction is the parameter that allowed computing the number needed to treat. The absolute risk reduction is compute when the experimental treatment reduces the risk for an undesirable outcome/event. In medical literature when the absolute risk reduction is report with its confidence intervals, the method used is the asymptotic one, even if it is well know that may be inadequate. The aim of this paper is to introduce and assess nine methods of computing confidence intervals for absolute risk reduction and absolute risk reduction – like function.Computer implementations of the methods use the PHP language. Methods comparison uses the experimental errors, the standard deviations, and the deviation relative to the imposed significance level for specified sample sizes. Six methods of computing confidence intervals for absolute risk reduction and absolute risk reduction-like functions were assessed using random binomial variables and random sample sizes.The experiments shows that the ADAC, and ADAC1 methods obtains the best overall performance of computing confidence intervals for absolute risk reduction.

Results Evaluation in Reduction Rhinoplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arima, Lisandra Megumi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Final results evaluation after rhinoplasty is a not a topic widely studied from the patient's viewpoint. Objective:Evaluate the satisfaction of the patients submitted to reduction rhinoplasty, from the questionnaire Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE. Method: Longitudinal study, retrospective cut type, of the preoperative and postoperative satisfaction. The sample was composed by 28 patients who were submitted to rhinoplasty and answered the ROE questionnaire. Three variables were obtained: satisfaction note that the patient had with his/her image before the surgery; note of satisfaction with the current appearance; the difference of the average satisfaction notes between postoperative and preoperative approaches. Results: The postoperative note was higher than the preoperative in all patients. We noticed a difference between the average of the postoperative and preoperative of 48.3 (p75 considered to be an excellent outcome (67.9%. Conclusions: The ROE questionnaire is a helpful tool to show the satisfaction of the patient submitted to reduction rhinoplasty. About 92% of the patients submitted to reduction rhinoplasty consider the postoperative result to be good or excellent.

Reduction of hexavalent chromium by fasted and fed human gastric fluid. II. Ex vivo gastric reduction modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirman, Christopher R., E-mail: ckirman@summittoxicology.com [Summit Toxicology, Orange Village, OH, 44022 (United States); Suh, Mina, E-mail: msuh@toxstrategies.com [ToxStrategies, Inc., Mission Viejo, CA, 92692 (United States); Hays, Sean M., E-mail: shays@summittoxicology.com [Summit Toxicology, Allenspark, CO, 8040 (United States); Gürleyük, Hakan, E-mail: hakan@brooksrand.com [Brooks Applied Labs, Bothell, WA, 98011 (United States); Gerads, Russ, E-mail: russ@brooksrand.com [Brooks Applied Labs, Bothell, WA, 98011 (United States); De Flora, Silvio, E-mail: sdf@unige.it [Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa (Italy); Parker, William, E-mail: william.parker@duke.edu [Duke University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Durham, NC, 27710 (United States); Lin, Shu, E-mail: shu.lin@duke.edu [Duke University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Durham, NC, 27710 (United States); Haws, Laurie C., E-mail: lhaws@toxstrategies.com [ToxStrategies, Inc., Katy, TX, 77494 (United States); Harris, Mark A., E-mail: mharris@toxstrategies.com [ToxStrategies, Inc., Austin, TX, 78751 (United States); Proctor, Deborah M., E-mail: dproctor@toxstrategies.com [ToxStrategies, Inc., Mission Viejo, CA, 92692 (United States)

2016-09-01

model is used to characterize inter-individual variability in Cr(VI) gastric reduction capacity.

Early Life Stress-Related Elevations in Reaction Time Variability Are Associated with Brain Volume Reductions in HIV+ Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uraina S. Clark

2018-01-01

Full Text Available There is burgeoning evidence that, among HIV+ adults, exposure to high levels of early life stress (ELS is associated with increased cognitive impairment as well as brain volume abnormalities and elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms. Currently, we have a limited understanding of the degree to which cognitive difficulties observed in HIV+ High-ELS samples reflect underlying neural abnormalities rather than increases in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Here, we utilized a behavioral marker of cognitive function, reaction time intra-individual variability (RT-IIV, which is sensitive to both brain volume reductions and neuropsychiatric symptoms, to elucidate the unique contributions of brain volume abnormalities and neuropsychiatric symptoms to cognitive difficulties in HIV+ High-ELS adults. We assessed the relation of RT-IIV to neuropsychiatric symptom levels and total gray and white matter volumes in 44 HIV+ adults (26 with high ELS. RT-IIV was examined during a working memory task. Self-report measures assessed current neuropsychiatric symptoms (depression, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify total gray and white matter volumes. Compared to Low-ELS participants, High-ELS participants exhibited elevated RT-IIV, elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms, and reduced gray and white matter volumes. Across the entire sample, RT-IIV was significantly associated with gray and white matter volumes, whereas significant associations with neuropsychiatric symptoms were not observed. In the High-ELS group, despite the presence of elevated neuropsychiatric symptom levels, brain volume reductions explained more than 13% of the variance in RT-IIV, whereas neuropsychiatric symptoms explained less than 1%. Collectively, these data provide evidence that, in HIV+ High-ELS adults, ELS-related cognitive difficulties (as indexed by RT-IIV exhibit strong associations with global brain volumes, whereas ELS-related elevations in

High-performance control of continuously variable transmissions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, van der S.H.

2010-01-01

Nowadays, developments with respect to the pushbelt continuously variable transmission (CVT) are mainly directed towards a reduction of the fuel consumption of a vehicle. The fuel consumption of a vehicle is affected by the variator of the CVT, which transfers the torque and varies the transmission

Current Concepts in the Mandibular Condyle Fracture Management Part II: Open Reduction Versus Closed Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jung-Dug; Chung, Ho-Yun; Cho, Byung-Chae

2012-01-01

In the treatment of mandibular condyle fracture, conservative treatment using closed reduction or surgical treatment using open reduction can be used. Management of mandibular condylar fractures remains a source of ongoing controversy in oral and maxillofacial trauma. For each type of condylar fracture,the treatment method must be chosen taking into consideration the presence of teeth, fracture height, patient'sadaptation, patient's masticatory system, disturbance of occlusal function, and deviation of the mandible. In the past, closed reduction with concomitant active physical therapy conducted after intermaxillary fixation during the recovery period had been mainly used, but in recent years, open treatment of condylar fractures with rigid internal fixation has become more common. The objective of this review was to evaluate the main variables that determine the choice of an open or closed method for treatment of condylar fractures, identifying their indications, advantages, and disadvantages, and to appraise the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions that are used in the management of fractures of the mandibular condyle. PMID:22872831

Current Concepts in the Mandibular Condyle Fracture Management Part II: Open Reduction Versus Closed Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang-Young Choi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In the treatment of mandibular condyle fracture, conservative treatment using closed reduction or surgical treatment using open reduction can be used. Management of mandibular condylar fractures remains a source of ongoing controversy in oral and maxillofacial trauma. For each type of condylar fracture,the treatment method must be chosen taking into consideration the presence of teeth, fracture height, patient'sadaptation, patient's masticatory system, disturbance of occlusal function, and deviation of the mandible. In the past, closed reduction with concomitant active physical therapy conducted after intermaxillary fixation during the recovery period had been mainly used, but in recent years, open treatment of condylar fractures with rigid internal fixation has become more common. The objective of this review was to evaluate the main variables that determine the choice of an open or closed method for treatment of condylar fractures, identifying their indications, advantages, and disadvantages, and to appraise the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions that are used in the management of fractures of the mandibular condyle.

Time varying, multivariate volume data reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahrens, James P [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Fout, Nathaniel [UC DAVIS; Ma, Kwan - Liu [UC DAVIS

2010-01-01

Large-scale supercomputing is revolutionizing the way science is conducted. A growing challenge, however, is understanding the massive quantities of data produced by large-scale simulations. The data, typically time-varying, multivariate, and volumetric, can occupy from hundreds of gigabytes to several terabytes of storage space. Transferring and processing volume data of such sizes is prohibitively expensive and resource intensive. Although it may not be possible to entirely alleviate these problems, data compression should be considered as part of a viable solution, especially when the primary means of data analysis is volume rendering. In this paper we present our study of multivariate compression, which exploits correlations among related variables, for volume rendering. Two configurations for multidimensional compression based on vector quantization are examined. We emphasize quality reconstruction and interactive rendering, which leads us to a solution using graphics hardware to perform on-the-fly decompression during rendering. In this paper we present a solution which addresses the need for data reduction in large supercomputing environments where data resulting from simulations occupies tremendous amounts of storage. Our solution employs a lossy encoding scheme to acrueve data reduction with several options in terms of rate-distortion behavior. We focus on encoding of multiple variables together, with optional compression in space and time. The compressed volumes can be rendered directly with commodity graphics cards at interactive frame rates and rendering quality similar to that of static volume renderers. Compression results using a multivariate time-varying data set indicate that encoding multiple variables results in acceptable performance in the case of spatial and temporal encoding as compared to independent compression of variables. The relative performance of spatial vs. temporal compression is data dependent, although temporal compression has the

Reduction of hexavalent chromium in water samples acidified for preservation

Science.gov (United States)

Stollenwerk, K.G.; Grove, D.B.

1985-01-01

Reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in water samples, preserved by standard techniques, was investigated. The standard preservation technique for water samples that are to be analyzed for Cr(VI) consists of filtration through a 0.45-??m membrane, acidification to a pH plastic bottles. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of H+ concentration, NO2, temperature, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The rate of reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) increased with increasing NO2, DOC, H+, and temperature. Reduction of Cr(VI) by organic matter occurred in some samples even though the samples were unacidified. Reduction of Cr(VI) is inhibited to an extent by storing the sample at 4??C. Stability of Cr(VI) in water is variable and depends on the other constituents present in the sample. Water samples collected for the determination of Cr(VI) should be filtered (0.45-??m membrane), refrigerated, and analyzed as quickly as possible. Water samples should not be acidified. Measurement of total Cr in addition to Cr(VI) can serve as a check for Cr(VI) reduction. If total Cr is greater than Cr(VI), the possibility that Cr(VI) reduction has occurred needs to be considered.The rate of reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) increased with increasing NO//2, DOC, H** plus , and temperature. Reduction of Cr(VI) by organic matter occurred in some samples even though the samples were unacidified. Reduction of Cr(VI) is inhibited to an extent by storing the sample at 4 degree C. Stability of Cr(VI) in water is variable and depends on the other constituents present in the sample. Water samples collected for the determination of Cr(VI) should be filtered (0. 45- mu m membrane), refrigerated, and analyzed as quickly as possible. Water samples should not be acidified. Measurement of total Cr in addition to Cr(VI) can serve as a check for Cr(VI) reduction. If total Cr is greater than Cr(VI), the possibility that Cr(VI) reduction has occurred needs

Signal Enhancement with Variable Span Linear Filters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benesty, Jacob; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Jesper Rindom

This book introduces readers to the novel concept of variable span speech enhancement filters, and demonstrates how it can be used for effective noise reduction in various ways. Further, the book provides the accompanying Matlab code, allowing readers to easily implement the main ideas discussed....... Variable span filters combine the ideas of optimal linear filters with those of subspace methods, as they involve the joint diagonalization of the correlation matrices of the desired signal and the noise. The book shows how some well-known filter designs, e.g. the minimum distortion, maximum signal......-to-noise ratio, Wiener, and tradeoff filters (including their new generalizations) can be obtained using the variable span filter framework. It then illustrates how the variable span filters can be applied in various contexts, namely in single-channel STFT-based enhancement, in multichannel enhancement in both...

Spontaneous reduction of prolactinoma post cabergoline withdrawal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sampath Kumar Venkatesh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Prolactinomas are common pituitary tumors usually highly responsive to dopamine agonists. Around 70-90% of the prolactinomas exhibit decrease in tumor size, though variably with these agents. Uncommonly, there may be little or no shrinkage in pituitary tumor. In the absence of medical therapy, pituitary apoplexy may also result in tumor shrinkage, albeit rarely. We report here a case showing only modest reduction in prolactinoma with cabergoline given for a period of one and a half years. Surprisingly, this tumor showed a 40% reduction in the tumor size 3 months after cabergoline withdrawal in the absence of clinical or radiological evidence of apoplexy.

Why do we choose rheumatology? Implications for future recruitment--results of the 2006 UK Trainee Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunkley, L; Filer, A; Speden, D; Bax, D; Crisp, A

2008-06-01

Against changes to junior doctor career structure under MMC (Modernizing Medical Careers), and uncertainty about the future place of rheumatology, we explored critical factors in choice of rheumatology as a speciality, and asked what factors might govern choices of prospective trainees. Using these data, we developed suggestions to enhance future recruitment. A postal survey was sent to rheumatology specialist registrars (SpRs) on the Joint Committee for Higher Medical Training (JCHMT) database between December 2005 and January 2006, and concurrently by e-mail to the Rheumatologists at Training e-mail list. Seventy-three percent (165/227) of trainees responded. Of them, 89.1% had previous senior house officer (SHO) experience in rheumatology and 81.8% made a career decision in favour of rheumatology during their SHO post. The top four ranked factors influencing choice of rheumatology were SHO experience, subject matter, inspirational consultants and lifestyle aspects; 89.1% would still choose rheumatology now. Factors felt to be negatively influencing future trainees came under three key themes: poor student or postgraduate exposure, employment and service delivery issues (including concern over the future place of rheumatology in primary vs secondary care), and perceived poor profile of rheumatology. Factors positively influencing future candidates were subject matter, work/life balance and prior exposure to the speciality. Early postgraduate experience is key to choice of speciality. An overwhelming majority of trainees decide speciality during SHO experience. With ongoing changes in career structure, it is critical that rheumatology is incorporated into foundation and speciality training programmes and essential that continued measures are taken to improve the image of rheumatology.

Aspects of reduction clorination of pyrochlore concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gameiro, D.H.; Brocchi, E.A.

1985-01-01

Reduction chlorination experiments were carried out with two different Brazilian pyrochlore concentrates in order to evaluate the effects of some variables on the extent of niobium pentoxide gaseification as well as to compare the behavior of concentrate under the same chlorination conditions. The pyrochlore concentrates from Araxa (MG) and Catalao (GO), Brazil, were submitted to X ray diffraction and X ray fluorescence analysis for determining their chemical compositions. Kinetic curves were obtained with the main variables being temperature and percentage of reducing agent. Analysis of the condensed material in terms of Nb 2 O 5 indicated that chlorination can be used to produce niobium pentoxide. (Author) [pt

Alpha-contingent EEG feedback reduces SPECT rCBF variability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McLaughlin, Thomas; Steinberg, Bruce; Mulholland, Thomas

2005-01-01

EEG feedback methods, which link the occurrence of alpha to the presentation of repeated visual stimuli, reduce the relative variability of subsequent, alpha-blocking event durations. The temporal association between electro-cortical field activation and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) led us...... to investigate whether the reduced variability of alpha-blocking durations with feedback is associated with a reduction in rCBF variability. Reduced variability in the rCBF response domain under EEG feedback control might have methodological implications for future brain-imaging studies. Visual stimuli were...... to quantify the variance-reducing effects of ACS across multiple, distributed areas of the brain. Both EEG and rCBF measures demonstrated decreased variability under ACS. This improved control was seen for localized as well as anatomically distributed rCBF measures....

Big Data, Biostatistics and Complexity Reduction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kalina, Jan

2018-01-01

Roč. 14, č. 2 (2018), s. 24-32 ISSN 1801-5603 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NV15-29835A Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : Biostatistics * Big data * Multivariate statistics * Dimensionality * Variable selection Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science OBOR OECD: Computer sciences, information science, bioinformathics (hardware development to be 2.2, social aspect to be 5.8) https://www.ejbi.org/scholarly-articles/big-data-biostatistics-and-complexity-reduction.pdf

LASR-Guided Variability Subtraction: The Linear Algorithm for Significance Reduction of Stellar Seismic Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Horvath, Sarah; Myers, Sam; Ahlers, Johnathon; Barnes, Jason W.

2017-10-01

Stellar seismic activity produces variations in brightness that introduce oscillations into transit light curves, which can create challenges for traditional fitting models. These oscillations disrupt baseline stellar flux values and potentially mask transits. We develop a model that removes these oscillations from transit light curves by minimizing the significance of each oscillation in frequency space. By removing stellar variability, we prepare each light curve for traditional fitting techniques. We apply our model to $\\delta$-Scuti KOI-976 and demonstrate that our variability subtraction routine successfully allows for measuring bulk system characteristics using traditional light curve fitting. These results open a new window for characterizing bulk system parameters of planets orbiting seismically active stars.

PROCESS VARIABILITY REDUCTION THROUGH STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.P. Mahesh

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Quality has become one of the most important customer decision factors in the selection among the competing product and services. Consequently, understanding and improving quality is a key factor leading to business success, growth and an enhanced competitive position. Hence quality improvement program should be an integral part of the overall business strategy. According to TQM, the effective way to improve the Quality of the product or service is to improve the process used to build the product. Hence, TQM focuses on process, rather than results as the results are driven by the processes. Many techniques are available for quality improvement. Statistical Process Control (SPC is one such TQM technique which is widely accepted for analyzing quality problems and improving the performance of the production process. This article illustrates the step by step procedure adopted at a soap manufacturing company to improve the Quality by reducing process variability using Statistical Process Control.

Fluoroscopic dose reduction by acquisition frame rate reduction and image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritz, S.L.; Mirvis, S.E.; Pals, S.O.

1986-01-01

A new design for fluoroscopic exposure reduction incorporates pulsed x-ray exposure, progressive scan video acquisition at frame rates below 30 Hz, interlaced video display at 30 Hz, and a video rate image processing. To evaluate this design, a variety of phantom systems have been developed to measure the impact of low frame rate pulsed digital fluoroscopy on the performance of several clinical tasks (e.g., catheter placement). The authors are currently using these phantoms with a digital fluoroscopy system using continuous x-ray, interlaced video acquisition and variable acquisition frame rate. The design of their target digital fluoroscopic system, sample image sequences, and the results of some preliminary phantom studies are reported

A comparative study of computed radiographic cephalometry and conventional cephalometry in reliability of head film measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung Done; Kim, Kee Deog; Park, Chang Seo

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare and to find out the variability of head film measurements (landmarks identification) between Fuji computed radiographic cephalometry and conventional cephalometry. 28 Korean adults were selected. Lateral cephalometric FCR film and conventional cephalometric film of each subject was taken. Four investigators identified 24 cephalometric landmarks on lateral cephalometric FCR film and conventional cephalometric film were statistically analysed. The results were as follows : 1. In FCR film and conventional film, coefficient of variation (C.V.) of 24 landmarks was taken horizontally and vertically. 2. In comparison of significant differences of landmarks variability between FCR film and conventional film, horizontal l value of coefficient of variation showed significant differences in four landmarks among twenty-four landmarks, but vertical a value of coefficient of variation showed significant differences in sixteen landmarks among twenty-four landmarks. FCR film showed significantly less variability than conventional film in 17 subjects among 20 (4+16) subjects that sho wed significant difference.

Recovery of Work-Related Stress: Complaint Reduction and Work-Resumption are Relatively Independent Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vente, Wieke; Kamphuis, Jan Henk; Blonk, Roland W B; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

2015-09-01

The process of recovery from work-related stress, consisting of complaint reduction and work-resumption, is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of complaint reduction and work-resumption, as well as testing complaint reduction as a mediator in the association between predictors and work-resumption. Seventy-one patients on sickness-leave because of work-related stress complaints were followed over a period of 13 months. Predictors comprised personal (demographics, coping, cognitions), work-related (job-characteristics, social support), and illness-related (complaint duration, absence duration) variables. Dependent variables were distress complaints, burnout complaints, and work-resumption. Complaints reduced considerably over time to borderline clinical levels and work-resumption increased to 68% at 13 months. Predictors of stronger reduction of distress complaints were male gender, less working hours, less decision authority, more co-worker support, and shorter absence duration. Predictors of stronger reduction of burnout complaints were male gender, lower age, high education, less avoidant coping, less decision authority, more job security, and more co-worker support. Predictors of work-resumption were lower age and stronger reduction of burnout complaints. No indication for a mediating role of burnout complaints between the predictor age and work-resumption was found. Complaint reduction and work-resumption are relatively independent processes. Symptom reduction is influenced by individual and work-related characteristics, which holds promise for a multidisciplinary treatment approach for work-related stress.

Signal enhancement with variable span linear filters

CERN Document Server

Benesty, Jacob; Jensen, Jesper R

2016-01-01

This book introduces readers to the novel concept of variable span speech enhancement filters, and demonstrates how it can be used for effective noise reduction in various ways. Further, the book provides the accompanying Matlab code, allowing readers to easily implement the main ideas discussed. Variable span filters combine the ideas of optimal linear filters with those of subspace methods, as they involve the joint diagonalization of the correlation matrices of the desired signal and the noise. The book shows how some well-known filter designs, e.g. the minimum distortion, maximum signal-to-noise ratio, Wiener, and tradeoff filters (including their new generalizations) can be obtained using the variable span filter framework. It then illustrates how the variable span filters can be applied in various contexts, namely in single-channel STFT-based enhancement, in multichannel enhancement in both the time and STFT domains, and, lastly, in time-domain binaural enhancement. In these contexts, the properties of ...

Maintenance of radiation protection at a drawing board stage of the "Shelter" Object transformation into environmentally safe system.

Science.gov (United States)

Nechaev, S Yu

2015-12-01

Special aspects of radiation protection maintenance at a drawing board stage of the "Shelter" Object transforma tion into environmentally safe system are shaped in the article. Information is provided on the basis of analysis of design plans and specifications both with project paperwork from activities at the ShO in 2002 2015 on accordance to requirements of the Ukrainian health legislation in the field of radiation hygiene regulations. Specific features of radiation factors at the ShO were identified accounting their emergency origination. Relevancy of assessment of a range of activity types and technologies impact on radiation situation in the operation environment was reviewed and substantiated. General characteristics of radiation exposure and resulting doses in personnel under the activi ty execution are provided followed by the requirements to estimates of anticipated radiation doses. Features and peculiarities of application of the Ukrainian health legislation in a field of radiation hygienic regulations are reviewed in a view of meeting the requirements of NRBU 97, NRBU 97/D 2000, OSPU 2005, SPORO 85, SP AES 88 and other health legislative regulatory documents under conditions of work at the ShO. By the virtue of analysis of radi ation hygienic factors at the ShO the special aspects of choice of individual and collective radiological protection arrangements for personnel were identified, namely the individual protective gear and respiratory protection equip ment, shielding, decontamination, dust suppression, ventilation, sanitary pass control, sanitary barriers, scope and types of radiological control, setting the design levels of radiological environment parameters, criteria for the most safe options (technologies) of work execution. S. Yu. Nechaev.

Cost analysis of soil-depressurization techniques for indoor radon reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henschel, D.B.

1991-01-01

The article discusses a parametric cost analysis to evaluate active soil depressurization (ASD) systems for indoor radon reduction in houses. The analysis determined the relative importance of 14 ASD design variables and 2 operating variables on the installation and operating costs of residential ASD systems in several types of houses. Knowledge of the most important variables would enable EPA's research and development efforts to be more effectively directed at ways to reduce ASD costs and thus to increase utilization of the technology. Parameters offering the greatest potential for reductions in installation costs included three dealing with houses with poor subslab communication: (1) reducing the number of subslab depressurization pipes; (2) eliminating excavation of large subslab pits beneath the suction pipes to improve suction field extension; and (3) improving the effectiveness of premitigation subslab communication diagnostic testing in achieving simpler, less expensive ASD system designs. In addition, determining acceptable conditions for discharging ASD exhaust at grade level would reduce installation costs. Better design guidance for crawl-space submembrane depressurization (SMD) systems could reduce installation costs, if difficult membrane sealing steps and complete coverage of the crawl-space floor by the membrane can be avoided

Reduction efficiency prediction of CENIBRA's recovery boiler by direct minimization of gibbs free energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. L. Silva

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The reduction efficiency is an important variable during the black liquor burning process in the Kraft recovery boiler. This variable value is obtained by slow experimental routines and the delay of this measure disturbs the pulp and paper industry customary control. This paper describes an optimization approach for the reduction efficiency determination in the furnace bottom of the recovery boiler based on the minimization of the Gibbs free energy. The industrial data used in this study were directly obtained from CENIBRA's data acquisition system. The resulting approach is able to predict the steady state behavior of the chemical composition of the furnace recovery boiler, - especially the reduction efficiency when different operational conditions are used. This result confirms the potential of this approach in the analysis of the daily operation of the recovery boiler.

Predictors of Smoking Reduction and Cessation in a Cohort of Danish Moderate and Heavy Smokers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godtfredsen, Nina; Prescott, E.; Osler, Merete

2001-01-01

daily tobacco consumption of 10 g or more. Using multivariate logistic regression, subjects who reported reduced smoking or who reported smoking cessation were compared with subjects who continued the habit unchanged. RESULTS: After 5 years 13% of the men and 9% of the women had reduced their tobacco...... function and a tobacco consumption of 15-24 g/day. Additional determinants of smoking reduction and cessation such as inhalation habits and sociodemographic variables differed by gender. CONCLUSIONS: Several predictors of smoking reduction and cessation were identified, indicating that these subgroups......BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the extent and gender distribution of unassisted tobacco reduction and cessation in a cohort of moderate and heavy smokers and to identify possible predictor variables associated with these changes in smoking behavior. METHODS: This was a prospective...

Joint models for noise annoyance and willingness to pay for road noise reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fosgerau, Mogens; Bue Bjørner, Thomas

2006-01-01

Recent contingent valuation (CV) studies of the willingness to pay (WTP) for road noise reduction have used stated annoyance as an independent variable. We argue that this may be inappropriate due to potential endogeneity bias. Instead, an alternative model is proposed that treats both WTP...... and annoyance as endogenous variables in a simultaneous equation model as a combination of a linear regression with an ordered probit with correlated error terms and possibly common parameters. Thus, information on stated annoyance is utilised to estimate WTP with increased efficiency. Application of the model...... to a dataset from Copenhagen indicates a potential for improving the precision of the estimate of WTP for noise reduction with CV data....

Decomposing global crop yield variability

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Ari, Tamara; Makowski, David

2014-11-01

Recent food crises have highlighted the need to better understand the between-year variability of agricultural production. Although increasing future production seems necessary, the globalization of commodity markets suggests that the food system would also benefit from enhanced supplies stability through a reduction in the year-to-year variability. Here, we develop an analytical expression decomposing global crop yield interannual variability into three informative components that quantify how evenly are croplands distributed in the world, the proportion of cultivated areas allocated to regions of above or below average variability and the covariation between yields in distinct world regions. This decomposition is used to identify drivers of interannual yield variations for four major crops (i.e., maize, rice, soybean and wheat) over the period 1961-2012. We show that maize production is fairly spread but marked by one prominent region with high levels of crop yield interannual variability (which encompasses the North American corn belt in the USA, and Canada). In contrast, global rice yields have a small variability because, although spatially concentrated, much of the production is located in regions of below-average variability (i.e., South, Eastern and South Eastern Asia). Because of these contrasted land use allocations, an even cultivated land distribution across regions would reduce global maize yield variance, but increase the variance of global yield rice. Intermediate results are obtained for soybean and wheat for which croplands are mainly located in regions with close-to-average variability. At the scale of large world regions, we find that covariances of regional yields have a negligible contribution to global yield variance. The proposed decomposition could be applied at any spatial and time scales, including the yearly time step. By addressing global crop production stability (or lack thereof) our results contribute to the understanding of a key

Electrolytic 99TcO4- reduction at inert electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kremer, C.; Gambino, D.; Leon, A.; Kremer, E.

1990-01-01

Electrolytic pertechnetate reduction at inert electrodes was studied as an alternative procedure for synthesizing Tc complexes. Pertechnetate reduction was carried out in aqueous media using different aminated ligands (en, dien, trien and 1,3-dap) forming [TcO 2 (amine) 2 ] + type complexes. Simultaneously with synthesis of the desired Tc complex, TcO 2 was electrodeposited onto the cathode. Conversion of TcO 4 - to Tc complex and TcO 2 was studied as a function of several variables (kind and concentration of supporting electrolyte, ligand concentration, pH, current and electrolysis time). (author) 9 refs.; 6 figs.; 1 tab

The variability of reported salt levels in fast foods across six countries: opportunities for salt reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunford, Elizabeth; Webster, Jacqueline; Woodward, Mark; Czernichow, Sebastien; Yuan, Wen Lun; Jenner, Katharine; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Jacobson, Michael; Campbell, Norm; Neal, Bruce

2012-06-12

Several fast food companies have made commitments to reduce the levels of salt in the foods they serve, but technical issues are often cited as a barrier to achieving substantial reductions. Our objective was to examine the reported salt levels for products offered by leading multinational fast food chains. Data on salt content for products served by six fast food chains operating in Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States were collected by survey in April 2010. Mean salt contents (and their ranges) were calculated and compared within and between countries and companies. We saw substantial variation in the mean salt content for different categories of products. For example, the salads we included in our survey contained 0.5 g of salt per 100 g, whereas the chicken products we included contained 1.6 g. We also saw variability between countries: chicken products from the UK contained 1.1 g of salt per 100 g, whereas chicken products from the US contained 1.8 g. Furthermore, the mean salt content of food categories varied between companies and between the same products in different countries (e.g., McDonald's Chicken McNuggets contain 0.6 g of salt per 100 g in the UK, but 1.6 g of salt per 100 g in the US). The salt content of fast foods varies substantially, not only by type of food, but by company and country in which the food is produced. Although the reasons for this variation are not clear, the marked differences in salt content of very similar products suggest that technical reasons are not a primary explanation. In the right regulatory environment, it is likely that fast food companies could substantially reduce the salt in their products, translating to large gains for population health.

Modelling of aflatoxin G1 reduction by kefir grain using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Farzaneh; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Rezaei, Karamatollah; Rahmani, Anosheh

2015-01-01

Aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) is one of the main toxic contaminants in pistachio nuts and causes potential health hazards. Hence, AFG1 reduction is one of the main concerns in food safety. Kefir-grains contain symbiotic association of microorganisms well known for their aflatoxin decontamination effects. In this study, a central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to develop a model in order to predict AFG1 reduction in pistachio nuts by kefir-grain (already heated at 70 and 110°C). The independent variables were: toxin concentration (X1: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ng/g), kefir-grain level (X2: 5, 10, 20, 10 and 25%), contact time (X3: 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h), and incubation temperature (X4: 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60°C). There was a significant reduction in AFG1 (p kefir-grain used. The variables including X1, X3 and the interactions between X2-X4 as well as X3-X4 have significant effects on AFG1 reduction. The model provided a good prediction of AFG1 reduction under the assay conditions. Optimization was used to enhance the efficiency of kefir-grain on AFG1 reduction. The optimum conditions for the highest AFG1 reduction (96.8%) were predicted by the model as follows: toxin concentration = 20 ng/g, kefir-grain level = 10%, contact time = 6 h, and incubation temperature = 30°C which validated practically in six replications.

Reduction of the beam pulse repetition rate of the Hamburg Isochronous Cyclotron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krause, H; Langkau, R; Schirm, N [Hamburg Univ. (F.R. Germany). 1. Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik

1976-04-01

A system for the reduction of the beam pulse repetition rate of the energy-variable Hamburg Isochronous Cyclotron comprising beam pulse supression in the cyclotron center and in the external beam is described.

ClustOfVar: An R Package for the Clustering of Variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Chavent

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Clustering of variables is as a way to arrange variables into homogeneous clusters, i.e., groups of variables which are strongly related to each other and thus bring the same information. These approaches can then be useful for dimension reduction and variable selection. Several specific methods have been developed for the clustering of numerical variables. However concerning qualitative variables or mixtures of quantitative and qualitative variables, far fewer methods have been proposed. The R package ClustOfVar was specifically developed for this purpose. The homogeneity criterion of a cluster is defined as the sum of correlation ratios (for qualitative variables and squared correlations (for quantitative variables to a synthetic quantitative variable, summarizing ``as good as possible'' the variables in the cluster. This synthetic variable is the first principal component obtained with the PCAMIX method. Two clustering algorithms are proposed to optimize the homogeneity criterion: iterative relocation algorithm and ascendant hierarchical clustering. We also propose a bootstrap approach in order to determine suitable numbers of clusters. We illustrate the methodologies and the associated package on small datasets.

Key factors influencing rates of heterotrophic sulfate reduction in active seafloor hydrothermal massive sulfide deposits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiana Laieikawai Frank

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrothermal vents are thermally and geochemically dynamic habitats, and the organisms therein are subject to steep gradients in temperature and chemistry. To date, the influence of these environmental dynamics on microbial sulfate reduction has not been well constrained. Here, via multivariate experiments, we evaluate the effects of key environmental variables (temperature, pH, H2S, SO42-, DOC on sulfate reduction rates and metabolic energy yields in material recovered from a hydrothermal flange from the Grotto edifice in the Main Endeavor Field, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Sulfate reduction was measured in batch reactions across a range of physico-chemical conditions. Temperature and pH were the strongest stimuli, and maximum sulfate reduction rates were observed at 50 °C and pH 6, suggesting that the in situ community of sulfate-reducing organisms in Grotto flanges may be most active in a slightly acidic and moderate thermal/chemical regime. At pH 4, sulfate reduction rates increased with sulfide concentrations most likely due to the mitigation of metal toxicity. While substrate concentrations also influenced sulfate reduction rates, energy-rich conditions muted the effect of metabolic energetics on sulfate reduction rates. We posit that variability in sulfate reduction rates reflect the response of the active microbial consortia to environmental constraints on in situ microbial physiology, toxicity, and the type and extent of energy limitation. These experiments help to constrain models of the spatial contribution of heterotrophic sulfate reduction within the complex gradients inherent to seafloor hydrothermal deposits.

Reduction of Non-stationary Noise using a Non-negative Latent Variable Decomposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Mikkel Nørgaard; Larsen, Jan

2008-01-01

We present a method for suppression of non-stationary noise in single channel recordings of speech. The method is based on a non-negative latent variable decomposition model for the speech and noise signals, learned directly from a noisy mixture. In non-speech regions an over complete basis...... is learned for the noise that is then used to jointly estimate the speech and the noise from the mixture. We compare the method to the classical spectral subtraction approach, where the noise spectrum is estimated as the average over non-speech frames. The proposed method significantly outperforms...

The Relationship of Cultural Similarity, Communication Effectiveness and Uncertainty Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Koester, Jolene; Olebe, Margaret

To investigate the relationship of cultural similarity/dissimilarity, communication effectiveness, and communication variables associated with uncertainty reduction theory, a study examined two groups of students--a multinational group living on an "international floor" in a dormitory at a state university and an unrelated group of U.S.…

Reconstruction of the High-Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) Signaling Pathway from the Halophilic Fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Konte, Tilen; Terpitz, Ulrich; Plemenitaš, Ana

2016-01-01

The basidiomycetous fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga grows between 1.7 and 5.1 M NaCl and is the most halophilic eukaryote described to date. Like other fungi, W. ichthyophaga detects changes in environmental salinity mainly by the evolutionarily conserved high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the HOG pathway has been extensively studied in connection to osmotic regulation, with a valuable knock-out strain collection established. In the present study, we reconstructed the architecture of the HOG pathway of W. ichthyophaga in suitable S. cerevisiae knock-out strains, through heterologous expression of the W. ichthyophaga HOG pathway proteins. Compared to S. cerevisiae, where the Pbs2 (ScPbs2) kinase of the HOG pathway is activated via the SHO1 and SLN1 branches, the interactions between the W. ichthyophaga Pbs2 (WiPbs2) kinase and the W. ichthyophaga SHO1 branch orthologs are not conserved: as well as evidence of poor interactions between the WiSho1 Src-homology 3 (SH3) domain and the WiPbs2 proline-rich motif, the absence of a considerable part of the osmosensing apparatus in the genome of W. ichthyophaga suggests that the SHO1 branch components are not involved in HOG signaling in this halophilic fungus. In contrast, the conserved activation of WiPbs2 by the S. cerevisiae ScSsk2/ScSsk22 kinase and the sensitivity of W. ichthyophaga cells to fludioxonil, emphasize the significance of two-component (SLN1-like) signaling via Group III histidine kinase. Combined with protein modeling data, our study reveals conserved and non-conserved protein interactions in the HOG signaling pathway of W. ichthyophaga and therefore significantly improves the knowledge of hyperosmotic signal processing in this halophilic fungus.

The Benefit of Variable-Speed Turbine Operation for Low Temperature Thermal Energy Power Recovery

OpenAIRE

Brasz, Joost J.

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes, given the large variation in turbine discharge pressure with changing ambient temperatures, whether variable-speed radial-inflow turbine operation has a similar benefit for Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power recovery systems as variable-speed centrifugal compression has for chiller applications. The benefit of variable-speed centrifugal compression over fixed-speed operation is a reduction in annual electricity consumption of almost 40 %. Air-conditioning systems are by ne...

A Robust Supervised Variable Selection for Noisy High-Dimensional Data

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kalina, Jan; Schlenker, Anna

2015-01-01

Roč. 2015, Article 320385 (2015), s. 1-10 ISSN 2314-6133 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-17187S Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : dimensionality reduction * variable selection * robustness Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.134, year: 2015

Increased heart rate variability during nondirective meditation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvold, Anders; Fagerland, Morten W; Davanger, Svend; Ellingsen, Øyvind; Solberg, Erik E; Holen, Are; Sevre, Knut; Atar, Dan

2012-08-01

Meditation practices are in use for relaxation and stress reduction. Some studies indicate beneficial cardiovascular health effects of meditation. The effects on the autonomous nervous system seem to vary among techniques. The purpose of the present study was to identify autonomic nerve activity changes during nondirective meditation. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were monitored in 27 middle-aged healthy participants of both genders, first during 20 min regular rest with eyes closed, thereafter practising Acem meditation for 20 min. Haemodynamic and autonomic data were collected continuously (beat-to-beat) and non-invasively. HRV and BPV parameters were estimated by power spectral analyses, computed by an autoregressive model. Spontaneous activity of baroreceptors were determined by the sequence method. Primary outcomes were changes in HRV, BPV, and BRS between rest and meditation. HRV increased in the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) bands during meditation, compared with rest (p = 0.014, 0.013, respectively). Power spectral density of the RR-intervals increased as well (p = 0.012). LF/HF ratio decreased non-significantly, and a reduction of LF-BPV power was observed during meditation (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in BRS. Respiration and heart rates remained unchanged. Blood pressure increased slightly during meditation. There is an increased parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic nerve activity and increased overall HRV, while practising the technique. Hence, nondirective meditation by the middle aged may contribute towards a reduction of cardiovascular risk.

Jet Noise Reduction by Microjets - A Parametric Study

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.

2010-01-01

The effect of injecting tiny secondary jets (microjets ) on the radiated noise from a subsonic primary jet is studied experimentally. The microjets are injected on to the primary jet near the nozzle exit with variable port geometry, working fluid and driving pressure. A clear noise reduction is observed that improves with increasing jet pressure. It is found that smaller diameter ports with higher driving pressure, but involving less thrust and mass fraction, can produce better noise reduction. A collection of data from the present as well as past experiments is examined in an attempt to correlate the noise reduction with the operating parameters. The results indicate that turbulent mixing noise reduction, as monitored by OASPL at a shallow angle, correlates with the ratio of jet to primary jet driving pressures normalized by the ratio of corresponding diameters (p d /pjD). With gaseous injection, the spectral amplitudes decrease at lower frequencies while an increase is noted at higher frequencies. It is apparent that this amplitude crossover is at least partly due to shock-associated noise from the underexpanded jets themselves. Such crossover is not seen with water injection since the flow in that case is incompressible and there is no shock-associated noise. Centerline velocity data show that larger noise reduction is accompanied by faster jet decay as well as significant reduction in turbulence intensities. While a physical understanding of the dependence of noise reduction on p d /pjD remains unclear, given this correlation, an analysis explains the observed dependence of the effect on various other parameters.

75 FR 37445 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-29

... Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of... HIV testing, socio-cultural norms, and perceived behavioral control factors that influence HIV testing... identify variables for a survey that will examine attitudes towards HIV testing, socio-cultural norms, and...

Discrete variable theory of triatomic photodissociation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heather, R.W.; Light, J.C.

1983-01-01

The coupled equations describing the photodissociation process are expressed in the discrete variable representation (DVR) in which the coupled equations are labeled by quadrature points rather than by internal basis functions. A large reduction in the dimensionality of the coupled equations can be realized since the spatially localized bound state nuclear wave function vanishes at most of the quadrature points, making only certain orientations of the fragments important in the region of strong interaction (small separation). The discrete variable theory of photodissociation is applied to the model dissociation of bent HCN in which the CN fragment is treated as a rigid rotor. The truncated DVR rotational distributions are compared with the exact close coupled rotational distributions, and excellent agreement with greatly reduced dimensionality of the equations is found

Investigation of Inter-Node B Macro Diversity for Single-Carrier Based Radio Access in Evolved UTRA Uplink

Science.gov (United States)

Kawai, Hiroyuki; Morimoto, Akihito; Higuchi, Kenichi; Sawahashi, Mamoru

This paper investigates the gain of inter-Node B macro diversity for a scheduled-based shared channel using single-carrier FDMA radio access in the Evolved UTRA (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) uplink based on system-level simulations. More specifically, we clarify the gain of inter-Node B soft handover (SHO) with selection combining at the radio frame length level (=10msec) compared to that for hard handover (HHO) for a scheduled-based shared data channel, considering the gains of key packet-specific techniques including channel-dependent scheduling, adaptive modulation and coding (AMC), hybrid automatic repeat request (ARQ) with packet combining, and slow transmission power control (TPC). Simulation results show that the inter-Node B SHO increases the user throughput at the cell edge by approximately 10% for a short cell radius such as 100-300m due to the diversity gain from a sudden change in other-cell interference, which is a feature specific to full scheduled-based packet access. However, it is also shown that the gain of inter-Node B SHO compared to that for HHO is small in a macrocell environment when the cell radius is longer than approximately 500m due to the gains from hybrid ARQ with packet combining, slow TPC, and proportional fairness based channel-dependent scheduling.

Experimental study on the alluminothermic reduction of vanadium pentoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mourao, M.B.; Capocchi, J.D.T.

1982-01-01

The investigation on the alluminothermic reduction of V 2 O 5 carried out in open refractory lined reaction vessels, is reported. The effects of process variables such as particle size of the reactants, size of the charge, excess of alluminium, flux addition to the reacting mixture and the ignition method are considered, regarding the metallic recovery of vanadium. (Author) [pt

Modeling the economics of LLW volume reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voth, M.H.; Witzig, W.F.

1986-01-01

Generators of low-level (radioactive) waste (LLW) are under pressure to implement volume reduction (VR) programs for political and economic reasons. Political reasons include the appearance of generating less waste or meeting quotas. Economic reasons include avoiding high disposal costs and associated surcharges. Volume reduction results in less total volume over which fixed disposal costs are allocated and therefore higher unit costs for disposal. As numerous small compacts are developed, this often overlooked effect becomes more pronounced. The described model presents two unique significant features. First, a feedback loop considers the impact of VR on disposal rates, and second, it appeals to logic without extensive knowledge of VR technology or computer modeling. The latter feature is especially useful in conveying information to students and nontechnical decision makers, demonstrating the impact of each of a complicated set of variables with reproducible results

Gene regulation and noise reduction by coupling of stochastic processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Alexandre F.; Hornos, José Eduardo M.; Reinitz, John

2015-02-01

Here we characterize the low-noise regime of a stochastic model for a negative self-regulating binary gene. The model has two stochastic variables, the protein number and the state of the gene. Each state of the gene behaves as a protein source governed by a Poisson process. The coupling between the two gene states depends on protein number. This fact has a very important implication: There exist protein production regimes characterized by sub-Poissonian noise because of negative covariance between the two stochastic variables of the model. Hence the protein numbers obey a probability distribution that has a peak that is sharper than those of the two coupled Poisson processes that are combined to produce it. Biochemically, the noise reduction in protein number occurs when the switching of the genetic state is more rapid than protein synthesis or degradation. We consider the chemical reaction rates necessary for Poisson and sub-Poisson processes in prokaryotes and eucaryotes. Our results suggest that the coupling of multiple stochastic processes in a negative covariance regime might be a widespread mechanism for noise reduction.

Gene regulation and noise reduction by coupling of stochastic processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Alexandre F; Hornos, José Eduardo M; Reinitz, John

2015-02-01

Here we characterize the low-noise regime of a stochastic model for a negative self-regulating binary gene. The model has two stochastic variables, the protein number and the state of the gene. Each state of the gene behaves as a protein source governed by a Poisson process. The coupling between the two gene states depends on protein number. This fact has a very important implication: There exist protein production regimes characterized by sub-Poissonian noise because of negative covariance between the two stochastic variables of the model. Hence the protein numbers obey a probability distribution that has a peak that is sharper than those of the two coupled Poisson processes that are combined to produce it. Biochemically, the noise reduction in protein number occurs when the switching of the genetic state is more rapid than protein synthesis or degradation. We consider the chemical reaction rates necessary for Poisson and sub-Poisson processes in prokaryotes and eucaryotes. Our results suggest that the coupling of multiple stochastic processes in a negative covariance regime might be a widespread mechanism for noise reduction.

Instrument Variables for Reducing Noise in Parallel MRI Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuchou Chang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA has been a widely used parallel MRI technique. However, noise deteriorates the reconstructed image when reduction factor increases or even at low reduction factor for some noisy datasets. Noise, initially generated from scanner, propagates noise-related errors during fitting and interpolation procedures of GRAPPA to distort the final reconstructed image quality. The basic idea we proposed to improve GRAPPA is to remove noise from a system identification perspective. In this paper, we first analyze the GRAPPA noise problem from a noisy input-output system perspective; then, a new framework based on errors-in-variables (EIV model is developed for analyzing noise generation mechanism in GRAPPA and designing a concrete method—instrument variables (IV GRAPPA to remove noise. The proposed EIV framework provides possibilities that noiseless GRAPPA reconstruction could be achieved by existing methods that solve EIV problem other than IV method. Experimental results show that the proposed reconstruction algorithm can better remove the noise compared to the conventional GRAPPA, as validated with both of phantom and in vivo brain data.

Factors related to reduction in the consumption of fast food: application of the theory-based approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeinab, Jalambadani; Gholamreza, Garmaroudi; Mehdi, Yaseri; Mahmood, Tavousi; Korush, Jafarian

2017-09-21

The Trans-Theoretical model (TTM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) may be promising models for understanding and predicting reduction in the consumption of fast food. The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of the Trans-Theoretical model (TTM) and the additional predictive role of the subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in predicting reduction consumption of fast food in obese Iranian adolescent girls. A cross sectional study design was conducted among twelve randomly selected schools in Sabzevar, Iran from 2015 to 2017. Four hundred eighty five randomly selected students consented to participate in the study. Hierarchical regression models used to predict the role of important variables that can influence the reduction in the consumption of fast food among students. using SPSS version 22. Variables Perceived behavioural control (r=0.58, Pbehavioural processes of change (r=0.09, P=0.145), were not significant. The study demonstrated that the TTM (except the experiential and behavioural processes of change) focusing on the perceived behavioural control and subjective norms are useful models for reduction in the consumption of fast food.

On the relation between reduced quantisation and quantum reduction for spherical symmetry in loop quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodendorfer, N; Zipfel, A

2016-01-01

Building on a recent proposal for a quantum reduction to spherical symmetry from full loop quantum gravity, we investigate the relation between a quantisation of spherically symmetric general relativity and a reduction at the quantum level. To this end, we generalise the previously proposed quantum reduction by dropping the gauge fixing condition on the radial diffeomorphisms, thus allowing us to make direct contact with previous work on reduced quantisation. A dictionary between spherically symmetric variables and observables with respect to the reduction constraints in the full theory is discussed, as well as an embedding of reduced quantum states to a subsector of the quantum symmetry reduced full theory states. On this full theory subsector, the quantum algebra of the mentioned observables is computed and shown to qualitatively reproduce the quantum algebra of the reduced variables in the large quantum number limit for a specific choice of regularisation. Insufficiencies in recovering the reduced algebra quantitatively from the full theory are attributed to the oversimplified full theory quantum states we use. (paper)

General anesthesia suppresses normal heart rate variability in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Matchett, Gerald; Wood, Philip

2014-06-01

The human heart normally exhibits robust beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV). The loss of this variability is associated with pathology, including disease states such as congestive heart failure (CHF). The effect of general anesthesia on intrinsic HRV is unknown. In this prospective, observational study we enrolled 100 human subjects having elective major surgical procedures under general anesthesia. We recorded continuous heart rate data via continuous electrocardiogram before, during, and after anesthesia, and we assessed HRV of the R-R intervals. We assessed HRV using several common metrics including Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA), Multifractal Analysis, and Multiscale Entropy Analysis. Each of these analyses was done in each of the four clinical phases for each study subject over the course of 24 h: Before anesthesia, during anesthesia, early recovery, and late recovery. On average, we observed a loss of variability on the aforementioned metrics that appeared to correspond to the state of general anesthesia. Following the conclusion of anesthesia, most study subjects appeared to regain their normal HRV, although this did not occur immediately. The resumption of normal HRV was especially delayed on DFA. Qualitatively, the reduction in HRV under anesthesia appears similar to the reduction in HRV observed in CHF. These observations will need to be validated in future studies, and the broader clinical implications of these observations, if any, are unknown.

Dynamic interactions between hydrogeological and exposure parameters in daily dose prediction under uncertainty and temporal variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Vikas, E-mail: vikas.kumar@urv.cat [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Barros, Felipe P.J. de [Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089, CA (United States); Schuhmacher, Marta [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Fernàndez-Garcia, Daniel; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier [Hydrogeology Group, Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, University Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona 08034 (Spain)

2013-12-15

Highlights: • Dynamic parametric interaction in daily dose prediction under uncertainty. • Importance of temporal dynamics associated with the dose. • Different dose experienced by different population cohorts as a function of time. • Relevance of uncertainty reduction in the input parameters shows temporal dynamism. -- Abstract: We study the time dependent interaction between hydrogeological and exposure parameters in daily dose predictions due to exposure of humans to groundwater contamination. Dose predictions are treated stochastically to account for an incomplete hydrogeological and geochemical field characterization, and an incomplete knowledge of the physiological response. We used a nested Monte Carlo framework to account for uncertainty and variability arising from both hydrogeological and exposure variables. Our interest is in the temporal dynamics of the total dose and their effects on parametric uncertainty reduction. We illustrate the approach to a HCH (lindane) pollution problem at the Ebro River, Spain. The temporal distribution of lindane in the river water can have a strong impact in the evaluation of risk. The total dose displays a non-linear effect on different population cohorts, indicating the need to account for population variability. We then expand the concept of Comparative Information Yield Curves developed earlier (see de Barros et al. [29]) to evaluate parametric uncertainty reduction under temporally variable exposure dose. Results show that the importance of parametric uncertainty reduction varies according to the temporal dynamics of the lindane plume. The approach could be used for any chemical to aid decision makers to better allocate resources towards reducing uncertainty.

Genetic Variability for Drought Adaptive Traits in A-511 Maize ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Drought causes considerable yield reduction in maize (Zea mays L.) grown in the moisture stressed areas of Ethiopia. Increased crop production through improvement is expected if the adapted local genotypes possess variability for drought adaptive traits. Randomly taken 196 S1 lines generated from Population A-511 ...

Model reduction for slow–fast stochastic systems with metastable behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruna, Maria; Chapman, S. Jonathan; Smith, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

The quasi-steady-state approximation (or stochastic averaging principle) is a useful tool in the study of multiscale stochastic systems, giving a practical method by which to reduce the number of degrees of freedom in a model. The method is extended here to slow–fast systems in which the fast variables exhibit metastable behaviour. The key parameter that determines the form of the reduced model is the ratio of the timescale for the switching of the fast variables between metastable states to the timescale for the evolution of the slow variables. The method is illustrated with two examples: one from biochemistry (a fast-species-mediated chemical switch coupled to a slower varying species), and one from ecology (a predator–prey system). Numerical simulations of each model reduction are compared with those of the full system

Nd Fe10 Mo2 alloys production through reduction-diffusion for nitrogenation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guilherme, Eneida da G.; Rechenberg, Hercilio R.

1996-01-01

In this work we have examined the effect of various processing variables on the Nd Fe 10 Mo 2 phase formation by reduction-diffusion calciothermic process (R D C). The best results were obtained for 4 hours treatment at 950 deg C with 40% excess content Nd Cl 3 and 50% excess content of Ca, for alloy Nd Fe 10.5 Mo 1.5 . Preliminary nitrogen absorption experiments have been done, without any further powder size reduction at temperatures between 300 and 350 deg C. (author)

Survey of variable speed operation of wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, Ola; Hylander, J.; Thorborg, K. [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Electric Power Engineering

1996-12-01

During the last five years the production and operation of variable-speed wind turbines have advanced from a few experimental machines to a serial production of at least 10 MW of installed capacity of variable speed machines per week. The rated power of serial wind turbines is today around 600 kW and for the prototypes up to 3000 kW. Variable speed operation of wind turbines can be obtained with several different types of electrical generating systems, such as synchronous generators with diode rectifiers and thyristor inverters or induction generators with IGBT-converters, for the wide speed range. For the narrow speed range the wound motor induction generator with a rotor cascade or a controlled rotor resistance is preferable. The development of permanent magnetic material and the reduction of costs of the power electronic components have opened a possibility of designing cost-effective wind turbines with a directly driven generator. Pitch control together with variable speed will make it possible to limit the power variation within a few percent, 2 to 5 %, of the rated power. 7 refs, 4 figs, 2 tabs

Influence of Flat-Panel Fluoroscopic Equipment Variables on Cardiac Radiation Doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickoloff, Edward L.; Lu Zhengfeng; Dutta, Ajoy; So, James; Balter, Stephen; Moses, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

Purpose. To assess the influence of physician-selectable equipment variables on the potential radiation dose reductions during cardiac catheterization examinations using modern imaging equipment. Materials. A modern bi-plane angiography unit with flat-panel image receptors was used. Patients were simulated with 15-30 cm of acrylic plastic. The variables studied were: patient thickness, fluoroscopy pulse rates, record mode frame rates, image receptor field-of-view (FoV), automatic dose control (ADC) mode, SID/SSD geometry setting, automatic collimation, automatic positioning, and others. Results. Patient radiation doses double for every additional 3.5-4.5 cm of soft tissue. The dose is directly related to the imaging frame rate; a decrease from 30 pps to 15 pps reduces the dose by about 50%. The dose is related to [(FoV) -N ] where 2.0 < N < 3.0. Suboptimal positioning of the patient can nearly double the dose. The ADC system provides three selections that can vary the radiation level by 50%. For pediatric studies (2-5 years old), the selection of equipment variables can result in entrance radiation doses that range between 6 and 60 cGy for diagnostic cases and between 15 and 140 cGy for interventional cases. For adult studies, the equipment variables can produce entrance radiation doses that range between 13 and 130 cGy for diagnostic cases and between 30 and 400 cGy for interventional cases. Conclusions. Overall dose reductions of 70-90% can be achieved with pediatric patients and about 90% with adult patients solely through optimal selection of equipment variables

Strategies for Mitigating the Reduction in Economic Value of Variable Generation with Increasing Penetration Levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mills, Andrew; Wiser, Ryan

2014-03-03

In this report, we evaluate individual options that have the potential to stem the decline in the marginal value of variable generation (VG) with increasing penetration levels. We focus only on the effectiveness of mitigation measures for wind and PV.

Variability of electricity load patterns and its effect on demand response: A critical peak pricing experiment on Korean commercial and industrial customers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Dongsik; Eom, Jiyong; Jae Park, Min; Jeung Rho, Jae

2016-01-01

To the extent that demand response represents an intentional electricity usage adjustment to price changes or incentive payments, consumers who exhibit more-variable load patterns on normal days may be capable of altering their loads more significantly in response to dynamic pricing plans. This study investigates the variation in the pre-enrollment load patterns of Korean commercial and industrial electricity customers and their impact on event-day loads during a critical peak pricing experiment in the winter of 2013. Contrary to conventional approaches to profiling electricity loads, this study proposes a new clustering technique based on variability indices that collectively represent the potential demand–response resource that these customers would supply. Our analysis reveals that variability in pre-enrollment load patterns does indeed have great predictive power for estimating their impact on demand–response loads. Customers in relatively low-variability clusters provided limited or no response, whereas customers in relatively high-variability clusters consistently presented large load impacts, accounting for most of the program-level peak reductions. This study suggests that dynamic pricing programs themselves may not offer adequate motivation for meaningful adjustments in load patterns, particularly for customers in low-variability clusters. - Highlights: • A method of clustering customers by variability indices is developed. • Customers in high-variability clusters provide substantial peak reductions. • Low-variability clusters exhibit limited reductions. • For low-variability customers, alternative policy instruments is well advised. • A model of discerning customer's demand response potential is suggested.

Variable separation solutions for the Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov equation via the extended tanh-function method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jiefang; Dai Chaoqing; Zong Fengde

2007-01-01

In this paper, with the variable separation approach and based on the general reduction theory, we successfully generalize this extended tanh-function method to obtain new types of variable separation solutions for the following Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov (NNV) equation. Among the solutions, two solutions are new types of variable separation solutions, while the last solution is similar to the solution given by Darboux transformation in Hu et al 2003 Chin. Phys. Lett. 20 1413

Study of the cycle variability at an automotive diesel engine fuelled with LPG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nemoianu Liviu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Liquid Petroleum Gas is a viable alternative fuel for diesel engines due to its ability of emissions and fuel consumption reduction. Combustion variability at LPG diesel engine is analysed for maximum pressure, maximum pressure angle and indicated mean effective pressure. Combustion variability is influenced by the increase of LPG cycle dose which lead to the increase of the cycle variability coefficients values, but without exceeding the admitted values that provide diesel engine reliability. Analysis of COV values establishes the maximum admitted values of LPG cycle.

Weight reduction is not a major reason for improvement in rheumatoid arthritis from lacto-vegetarian, vegan or Mediterranean diets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hagfors Linda

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives Several investigators have reported that clinical improvements of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, from participating in therapeutic diet intervention studies, have been accompanied by loss of body weight. This has raised the question whether weight reduction per se can improve RA. In order to test this hypothesis, three previously conducted diet intervention studies, comprising 95 patients with RA, were pooled. Together with Age, Gender, and Disease Duration, change during the test period in body weight, characterised dichotomously as reduction or no reduction (dichoΔBody Weight, as well as Diet (dichotomously as ordinary diet or test diet, were the independent variables. Dependent variables were the difference (Δ from baseline to conclusion of the study in five different disease outcome measures. ΔESR and ΔPain Score were both characterised numerically and dichotomously (improvement or no improvement. ΔAcute Phase Response, ΔPhysical Function, and ΔTender Joint Count were characterised dichotomously only. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse associations between the independent and the disease outcome variables. Results Statistically significant correlations were found between Diet and three disease outcome variables i.e. ΔAcute-Phase Response, ΔPain Score, and ΔPhysical Function. Δ Body Weight was univariately only correlated to ΔAcute-Phase Response but not significant when diet was taken into account. Conclusion Body weight reduction did not significantly contribute to the improvement in rheumatoid arthritis when eating lacto-vegetarian, vegan or Mediterranean diets.

Individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Trade Increased Hyperglycemia for Decreased Hypoglycemia When Glycemic Variability is not Improved.

Science.gov (United States)

Jangam, Sujit R; Hayter, Gary; Dunn, Timothy C

2018-02-01

Glycemic variability refers to oscillations in blood glucose within a day and differences in blood glucose at the same time on different days. Glycemic variability is linked to hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. The relationship among these three important metrics is examined here, specifically to show how reduction in both hypo- and hyperglycemia risk is dependent on changes in variability. To understand the importance of glycemic variability in the simultaneous reduction of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia risk, we introduce the glycemic risk plot-estimated HbA1c % (eA1c) vs. minutes below 70 mg/dl (MB70) with constant variability contours for predicting post-intervention risks in the absence of a change in glycemic variability. The glycemic risk plot illustrates that individuals who do not reduce glycemic variability improve one of the two metrics (hypoglycemia risk or hyperglycemia risk) at the cost of the other. It is important to reduce variability to improve both risks. These results were confirmed by data collected in a randomized controlled trial consisting of individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy. For type 1, a total of 28 individuals out of 35 (80%) showed improvement in at least one of the risks (hypo and/or hyper) during the 100-day course of the study. Seven individuals (20%) showed improvement in both. Similar data were observed for type 2 where a total of 36 individuals out of 43 (84%) showed improvement in at least one risk and 8 individuals (19%) showed improvement in both. All individuals in the study who showed improvement in both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia risk also showed a reduction in variability. Therapy changes intended to improve an individual's hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia risk often result in the reduction of one risk at the expense of another. It is important to improve glucose variability to reduce both risks or at least maintain one risk while reducing the other. Abbott Diabetes Care.

Natural and Anthropogenic Influences on Atmospheric Aerosol Variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asmi, A.

2012-07-01

Aerosol particles are everywhere in the atmosphere. They are a key factor in many important processes in the atmosphere, including cloud formation, scattering of incoming solar radiation and air chemistry. The aerosol particles have relatively short lifetimes in lower atmosphere, typically from days to weeks, and thus they have a high spatial and temporal variability. This thesis concentrates on the extent and reasons of sub-micron aerosol particle variability in the lower atmosphere, using both global atmospheric models and analysis of observational data. Aerosol number size distributions in the lower atmosphere are affected strongly by the new particle formation. Perhaps more importantly, a strong influence new particle formation is also evident in the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, suggesting a major role of the sulphuric acid driven new particle formation in the climate system. In this thesis, the sub-micron aerosol number size distributions in the European regional background air were characterized for the first time from consistent, homogenized and comparable datasets. Some recent studies have suggested that differences in aerosol emissions between weekdays could also affect the weather via aerosol-cloud interactions. In this thesis, the weekday-to-weekday variation of CCN sized aerosol number concentrations in Europe were found to be much smaller than expected from earlier studies, based on particle mass measurements. This result suggests that a lack of week-day variability in meteorology is not necessarily a sign of weak aerosol-cloud interactions. An analysis of statistically significant trends in past decades of measured aerosol number concentrations from Europe, North America, Pacific islands and Antarctica generally show decreases in concentrations. The analysis of these changes show that a potential explanation for the decreasing trends is the general reduction of anthropogenic emissions, especially SO{sub 2}, although a combination of

Indications for repeated enema reduction of intussusception in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vujović Dragana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Intussusception is a common abdominal emergency in early childhood. It is idiopathic in more than 90% of cases with incidence of 1.5-4 per 1,000 live births. The treatment of choice is nonoperative hydrostatic or air enema reduction. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of clinical presentation and symptom duration in non-operative treatment, considering the indications for delayed enema reduction and its efficacy. Methods. From the total number of 107 patients with intusussception, aged from 2 months to 14 years (median 9 months, 102 (95% patients with ileo-colic intussusceptions were treated initially by ultrasound guided saline enema. Records were reviewed for patients with failed initial treatment and delayed repeated enemas or operative procedure. The predictor variable included duration of presenting symptoms. Results. Successful treatment by hydrostatic saline enemas had 58/102 (57% patients. Success in reduction was greater if symptom duration was 24 hours, (4/45 cases; 9%. Despite failed initial attempts, enema reduction was reattempted in 12 patients, with success in 7/12 (60% patients. Children with symptom duration >24 hours had a greater risk of requiring surgery (41/45 cases; 91%, p<0.001, including 5 (5% patients with ileo-ileal intussusceptions. Conclusion. The accuracy of ultrasound guided saline enema in intussusception reduction is high. Delay in presentation decreases success of non-operative treatment. Delayed enema reduction is important therapeutic option for intussusceptions. Surgical treatment is indicated in cases of complications.

Quantum noise and stochastic reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brody, Dorje C; Hughston, Lane P

2006-01-01

In standard nonrelativistic quantum mechanics the expectation of the energy is a conserved quantity. It is possible to extend the dynamical law associated with the evolution of a quantum state consistently to include a nonlinear stochastic component, while respecting the conservation law. According to the dynamics thus obtained, referred to as the energy-based stochastic Schroedinger equation, an arbitrary initial state collapses spontaneously to one of the energy eigenstates, thus describing the phenomenon of quantum state reduction. In this paper, two such models are investigated: one that achieves state reduction in infinite time and the other in finite time. The properties of the associated energy expectation process and the energy variance process are worked out in detail. By use of a novel application of a nonlinear filtering method, closed-form solutions-algebraic in character and involving no integration-are obtained of both these models. In each case, the solution is expressed in terms of a random variable representing the terminal energy of the system and an independent noise process. With these solutions at hand it is possible to simulate explicitly the dynamics of the quantum states of complicated physical systems

Power Control in Wireless Sensor Networks with Variable Interference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Chincoli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Adaptive transmission power control schemes have been introduced in wireless sensor networks to adjust energy consumption under different network conditions. This is a crucial goal, given the constraints under which sensor communications operate. Power reduction may however have counterproductive effects to network performance. Yet, indiscriminate power boosting may detrimentally affect interference. We are interested in understanding the conditions under which coordinated power reduction may lead to better spectrum efficiency and interference mitigation and, thus, have beneficial effects on network performance. Through simulations, we analyze the performance of sensor nodes in an environment with variable interference. Then we study the relation between transmission power and communication efficiency, particularly in the context of Adaptive and Robust Topology (ART control, showing how appropriate power reduction can benefit both energy and spectrum efficiency. We also identify critical limitations in ART, discussing the potential of more cooperative power control approaches.

Induced variability for quantitative characters in Triticum aestivum L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khamankar, Y.G.

1989-01-01

Comparable doses of gamma rays, hydroxylamine, ethylmethane sulphonate and hydrazine have been compared for the magnitude of induced variability and their effects of mean. It was found that all the mutagenic treatments were effective in inducing variability for plant height, number of effective tillers/plant, 100-seed weight and single plant yield. Gamma rays were found to be most effective. While hydroxylamine and ethylmethane sulphonate were found to be equally effective, hydrazine was found to be least effective. Although, all the four characters showed increased variability, the mean for the characters of plant height and 100-grain weight remained unaltered. However, the mean for the characters number of effective tillers and single plant yield showed reduction. The greater effectiveness of gamma rays have been attributed to its characteristic mode of action and the polyploid nature of the wheat. (author). 9 refs., 2 tabs

Daily variability of strongyle fecal egg counts in horses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Helena; Larsen, Lene; Ritz, Christian

2013-01-01

Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses and constitute a potential threat to equine health. Feces were collected from six horses four times daily over a period of 5 days. Fecal egg counts (FECs) were performed to identify any diurnal rhythms in strongyle egg shedding and to quantify...... variability at the different levels: individual horses, repeated counts, repeated subsamples, different time points, and different days. No significant differences in FECs were found between the different time points (P = .11). The variables-horse, day, subsample, and egg count-accounted for a variance of 104...... subsamples and repeated egg counts on the same subsamples, whereas the variability of FECs between following days can be considered negligible. The findings of this study have implication for designing and performing field surveillance of strongyle FEC levels and applying the FEC reduction test...

Optimal dimensionality reduction of complex dynamics: the chess game as diffusion on a free-energy landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Krivov, Sergei V

2011-07-01

Dimensionality reduction is ubiquitous in the analysis of complex dynamics. The conventional dimensionality reduction techniques, however, focus on reproducing the underlying configuration space, rather than the dynamics itself. The constructed low-dimensional space does not provide a complete and accurate description of the dynamics. Here I describe how to perform dimensionality reduction while preserving the essential properties of the dynamics. The approach is illustrated by analyzing the chess game--the archetype of complex dynamics. A variable that provides complete and accurate description of chess dynamics is constructed. The winning probability is predicted by describing the game as a random walk on the free-energy landscape associated with the variable. The approach suggests a possible way of obtaining a simple yet accurate description of many important complex phenomena. The analysis of the chess game shows that the approach can quantitatively describe the dynamics of processes where human decision-making plays a central role, e.g., financial and social dynamics.

Reduced dose to urethra and rectum with the use of variable needle spacing in prostate brachytherapy: a potential role for robotic technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Shilpa; Le, Yi; Zhang, Zhe; Armour, Woody; Song, Daniel Y

2015-08-01

Several robotic delivery systems for prostate brachytherapy are under development or in pre-clinical testing. One of the features of robotic brachytherapy is the ability to vary spacing of needles at non-fixed intervals. This feature may play an important role in prostate brachytherapy, which is traditionally template-based with fixed needle spacing of 0.5 cm. We sought to quantify potential reductions in the dose to urethra and rectum by utilizing variable needle spacing, as compared to fixed needle spacing. Transrectal ultrasound images from 10 patients were used by 3 experienced planners to create 120 treatment plans. Each planner created 4 plan variations per patient with respect to needle positions: (125)I fixed spacing, (125)I variable spacing, (103)Pd fixed spacing, and (103)Pd variable spacing. The primary planning objective was to achieve a prostate V100 of 100% while minimizing dose to urethra and rectum. All plans met the objective of achieving prostate V100 of 100%. Combined results for all plans show statistically significant improvements in all assessed dosimetric variables for urethra (Umax, Umean, D30, D5) and rectum (Rmax, Rmean, RV100) when using variable spacing. The dose reductions for mean and maximum urethra dose using variable spacing had p values of 0.011 and 0.024 with (103)Pd, and 0.007 and 0.029 with (125)I plans. Similarly dose reductions for mean and maximum rectal dose using variable spacing had p values of 0.007 and 0.052 with (103)Pd, and 0.012 and 0.037 with (125)I plans. The variable needle spacing achievable by the use of robotics in prostate brachytherapy allows for reductions in both urethral and rectal planned doses while maintaining prostate dose coverage. Such dosimetric advantages have the potential in translating to significant clinical benefits with the use of robotic brachytherapy.

Productive variability, border use and plot size in trials with cherry tomato

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Santos

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Knowing the productive variability within protected environments is crucial for choosing the experimental design to be used in that conditions. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the variability of fruit production in protected environment cultivated with cherry tomatoes and to verify the border effect and plot size in reducing this variability. To this, data from an uniformity test carried out in a greenhouse with cherry tomato cv. ‘Lili’ were used. Total fresh mass of fruits per plant was considered being these plants arranged in cropping rows parallel to the lateral openings of the greenhouse and also the same plants arranged in columns perpendicular to these openings. To generate the borders, different scenarios were designed by excluding rows and columns and using different plot sizes. In each scenario, homogeneity of variances among the remaining rows and columns was tested. There is no variability of fruit production among rows or columns in trials with cherry tomatoes carried out in greenhouses and the use of border does not bring benefits in terms of reduction of coefficient of variation or reduction of cases of variance heterogeneity among rows or columns. Plots with a size equal to or greater than two plants make possible to use the completely randomized design in the cherry tomato trials in greenhouses.

Characterization of Nighttime Light Variability Over the Southeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Tony A.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Schultz, Lori A.

2016-01-01

City lights provide indications of human activity at night. Nighttime satellite imagery offers daily snapshots of this activity. With calibrated, science-quality imagery, long-term monitoring can also be achieved. The degree to which city lights fluctuate, however, is not well known. For the application of detecting power outages, this degree of variability is crucial for assessing reductions to city lights based on historical trends. Eight southeastern U.S. cities are analyzed to understand the relationship between emission variability and several population centers. A preliminary, example case power outage study is also discussed as a transition into future work.

Compensated reduction in Leydig cell function is associated with lower semen quality variables

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, N.; Joensen, U. N.; Toppari, J.

2016-01-01

STUDY QUESTION: Is the Leydig cell function of young European men associated with semen quality? SUMMARY ANSWER: Compensated reduction in Leydig cell function, defined as increased LH concentration combined with adequate testosterone production is associated with lower semen quality. WHAT...... IS ALREADY KNOWN: Semen quality of young European men shows a heterogeneous pattern. Many have sperm counts below and in the lower WHO reference where there nevertheless is a significant risk of subfecundity. Little is known about differences in Leydig cell function between men with semen quality below......, Lithuania, and Spain. The men originated from the general populations, all were young, almost all were unaware of their fecundity and each provided a semen and blood sample. Associations between semen parameters and serum levels of testosterone and luteinising hormone (LH), calculated free testosterone...

Dynamic resistance training decreases sympathetic tone in hypertensive ovariectomized rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimojo, G.L.; Palma, R.K.; Brito, J.O.; Sanches, I.C. [Laboratório de Fisiologia Translacional, Programa de Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Nove de Julho, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Irigoyen, M.C. [Instituto do Coração, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); De Angelis, K. [Laboratório de Fisiologia Translacional, Programa de Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Nove de Julho, São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-03-27

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training on hemodynamics and cardiac autonomic control in ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats. Female rats were divided into 4 groups: sedentary control (SC), sedentary hypertensive (SH), sedentary hypertensive ovariectomized (SHO), and resistance-trained hypertensive ovariectomized (RTHO). Resistance exercise training was performed on a vertical ladder (5 days/week, 8 weeks) at 40-60% maximal load. Direct arterial pressure was recorded. Vagal and sympathetic tones were measured by heart rate (HR) responses to methylatropine (3 mg/kg, iv) and propranolol (4 mg/kg, iv). Ovariectomy resulted in additional increases in blood pressure in hypertensive rats and was associated with decreased vagal tone. Resistance exercise trained rats had lower mean arterial pressure than untrained rats (RTHO: 159±2.2 vs SHO: 177±3.4 mmHg), as well as resting bradycardia (RTHO: 332±9.0 vs SHO: 356±5 bpm). Sympathetic tone was also lower in the trained group. Moreover, sympathetic tone was positively correlated with resting HR (r=0.7, P<0.05). The additional arterial pressure increase in hypertensive rats caused by ovarian hormone deprivation was attenuated by moderate-intensity dynamic resistance training. This benefit may be associated with resting bradycardia and reduced cardiac sympathetic tone after training, which suggests potential benefits of resistance exercise for the management of hypertension after ovarian hormone deprivation.

Dynamic resistance training decreases sympathetic tone in hypertensive ovariectomized rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimojo, G.L.; Palma, R.K.; Brito, J.O.; Sanches, I.C.; Irigoyen, M.C.; De Angelis, K.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training on hemodynamics and cardiac autonomic control in ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats. Female rats were divided into 4 groups: sedentary control (SC), sedentary hypertensive (SH), sedentary hypertensive ovariectomized (SHO), and resistance-trained hypertensive ovariectomized (RTHO). Resistance exercise training was performed on a vertical ladder (5 days/week, 8 weeks) at 40-60% maximal load. Direct arterial pressure was recorded. Vagal and sympathetic tones were measured by heart rate (HR) responses to methylatropine (3 mg/kg, iv) and propranolol (4 mg/kg, iv). Ovariectomy resulted in additional increases in blood pressure in hypertensive rats and was associated with decreased vagal tone. Resistance exercise trained rats had lower mean arterial pressure than untrained rats (RTHO: 159±2.2 vs SHO: 177±3.4 mmHg), as well as resting bradycardia (RTHO: 332±9.0 vs SHO: 356±5 bpm). Sympathetic tone was also lower in the trained group. Moreover, sympathetic tone was positively correlated with resting HR (r=0.7, P<0.05). The additional arterial pressure increase in hypertensive rats caused by ovarian hormone deprivation was attenuated by moderate-intensity dynamic resistance training. This benefit may be associated with resting bradycardia and reduced cardiac sympathetic tone after training, which suggests potential benefits of resistance exercise for the management of hypertension after ovarian hormone deprivation

Effects of renal sympathetic denervation on 24-hour blood pressure variability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Stefanie Zuern

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Background: In patients with arterial hypertension, increased blood pressure (BP variability contributes to end organ damage independently from mean levels of arterial BP. Increased BP variability has been linked to alterations in autonomic function including sympathetic overdrive. We hypothesized that catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN confers beneficial effects on BPV. Methods and Results: Eleven consecutive patients with therapy-refractory arterial hypertension (age 68.9±7.0 years; baseline systolic BP 189±23mmHg despite medication with 5.6±2.1 antihypertensive drugs underwent bilateral RDN. Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM was performed before RDN and six months thereafter. BPV was primarily assessed by means of standard deviation of 24-hour systolic arterial blood pressures (SDsys. Secondary measures of BPV were maximum systolic blood pressure (MAXsys and maximum difference between two consecutive readings of systolic BP (deltamaxsys over 24 hours. Six months after RDN, SDsys, MAXsys and deltamaxsys were significantly reduced from 16.9±4.6mmHg to 13.5±2.5mmHg (p=0.003, from 190±22mmHg to 172±20mmHg (p<0.001 and from 40±15mmHg to 28±7mmHg (p=0.006, respectively, without changes in concomitant antihypertensive therapy. Reductions of SDsys, MAXsys and deltamaxsys were observed in 10/11 (90.9%, 11/11 (100% and 9/11 (81.8% patients, respectively. Although we noted a significant reduction of systolic office blood pressure by 30.4±27.7mmHg (p=0.007, there was only a trend in reduction of average systolic BP assessed from ABPM (149±19mmHg to 142±18mmHg; p=0.086.Conclusions: In patients with therapy-refractory arterial hypertension, RDN leads to significant reductions of BP variability. Effects of RDN on BPV over 24 hours were more pronounced than on average levels of BP.

Changes in atmospheric variability in a glacial climate and the impacts on proxy data: a model intercomparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. S. R. Pausata

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Using four different climate models, we investigate sea level pressure variability in the extratropical North Atlantic in the preindustrial climate (1750 AD and at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 kyrs before present in order to understand how changes in atmospheric circulation can affect signals recorded in climate proxies.

In general, the models exhibit a significant reduction in interannual variance of sea level pressure at the LGM compared to pre-industrial simulations and this reduction is concentrated in winter. For the preindustrial climate, all models feature a similar leading mode of sea level pressure variability that resembles the leading mode of variability in the instrumental record: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO. In contrast, the leading mode of sea level pressure variability at the LGM is model dependent, but in each model different from that in the preindustrial climate. In each model, the leading (NAO-like mode of variability explains a smaller fraction of the variance and also less absolute variance at the LGM than in the preindustrial climate.

The models show that the relationship between atmospheric variability and surface climate (temperature and precipitation variability change in different climates. Results are model-specific, but indicate that proxy signals at the LGM may be misinterpreted if changes in the spatial pattern and seasonality of surface climate variability are not taken into account.

Load alleviation on wind turbine blades using variable airfoil geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basualdo, S.

2005-03-01

A two-dimensional theoretical study of the aeroelastic behaviour of an airfoil has been performed, whose geometry can be altered using a rear-mounted flap. This device is governed by a controller, whose objective is to reduce the airfoil displacements and, therefore, the stresses present in a real blade. The aerodynamic problem was solved numerically by a panel method using the potential theory, suitable for modelling attached flows. It is therefore mostly applicable for Pitch Regulated Variable Speed (PRVS) wind turbines, which mainly operate under this flow condition. The results show evident reductions in the airfoil displacements by using simple control strategies having the airfoil position and its first and second derivatives as input, especially at the system's eigenfrequency. The use of variable airfoil geometry is an effective means of reducing the vibration magnitudes of an airfoil that represents a section of a wind turbine blade, when subject to stochastic wind signals. The results of this investigation encourage further investigations with 3D aeroelastic models to predict the reduction in loads in real wind turbines. (author)

Oxidative shift in tissue redox potential increases beat-to-beat variability of action potential duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kistamás, Kornél; Hegyi, Bence; Váczi, Krisztina; Horváth, Balázs; Bányász, Tamás; Magyar, János; Szentandrássy, Norbert; Nánási, Péter P

2015-07-01

Profound changes in tissue redox potential occur in the heart under conditions of oxidative stress frequently associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Since beat-to-beat variability (short term variability, SV) of action potential duration (APD) is a good indicator of arrhythmia incidence, the aim of this work was to study the influence of redox changes on SV in isolated canine ventricular cardiomyocytes using a conventional microelectrode technique. The redox potential was shifted toward a reduced state using a reductive cocktail (containing dithiothreitol, glutathione, and ascorbic acid) while oxidative changes were initiated by superfusion with H2O2. Redox effects were evaluated as changes in "relative SV" determined by comparing SV changes with the concomitant APD changes. Exposure of myocytes to the reductive cocktail decreased SV significantly without any detectable effect on APD. Application of H2O2 increased both SV and APD, but the enhancement of SV was the greater, so relative SV increased. Longer exposure to H2O2 resulted in the development of early afterdepolarizations accompanied by tremendously increased SV. Pretreatment with the reductive cocktail prevented both elevation in relative SV and the development of afterdepolarizations. The results suggest that the increased beat-to-beat variability during an oxidative stress contributes to the generation of cardiac arrhythmias.

Climate Change and Variability in Ghana: Stocktaking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix A. Asante

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a holistic literature review of climate change and variability in Ghana by examining the impact and projections of climate change and variability in various sectors (agricultural, health and energy and its implication on ecology, land use, poverty and welfare. The findings suggest that there is a projected high temperature and low rainfall in the years 2020, 2050 and 2080, and desertification is estimated to be proceeding at a rate of 20,000 hectares per annum. Sea-surface temperatures will increase in Ghana’s waters and this will have drastic effects on fishery. There will be a reduction in the suitability of weather within the current cocoa-growing areas in Ghana by 2050 and an increase evapotranspiration of the cocoa trees. Furthermore, rice and rooted crops (especially cassava production are expected to be low. Hydropower generation is also at risk and there will be an increase in the incidence rate of measles, diarrheal cases, guinea worm infestation, malaria, cholera, cerebro-spinal meningitis and other water related diseases due to the current climate projections and variability. These negative impacts of climate change and variability worsens the plight of the poor, who are mostly women and children.

Suppression of threshold voltage variability in MOSFETs by adjustment of ion implantation parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae Hyun; Chang, Tae-sig; Kim, Minsuk; Woo, Sola; Kim, Sangsig

2018-01-01

In this study, we investigate threshold voltage (VTH) variability of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors induced by random dopant fluctuation (RDF). Our simulation work demonstrates not only the influence of the implantation parameters such as its dose, tilt angle, energy, and rotation angle on the RDF-induced VTH variability, but also the solution to reduce the effect of this variability. By adjusting the ion implantation parameters, the 3σ (VTH) is reduced from 43.8 mV to 28.9 mV. This 34% reduction is significant, considering that our technique is very cost effective and facilitates easy fabrication, increasing availability.

Reduced heart rate variability in social anxiety disorder: associations with gender and symptom severity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gail A Alvares

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Polyvagal theory emphasizes that autonomic nervous system functioning plays a key role in social behavior and emotion. The theory predicts that psychiatric disorders of social dysfunction are associated with reduced heart rate variability, an index of autonomic control, as well as social inhibition and avoidance. The purpose of this study was to examine whether heart rate variability was reduced in treatment-seeking patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a disorder characterized by social fear and avoidance. METHODS: Social anxiety patients (n = 53 were recruited prior to receiving psychological therapy. Healthy volunteers were recruited through the University of Sydney and the general community and were matched by gender and age (n = 53. Heart rate variability was assessed during a five-minute recording at rest, with participants completing a range of self-report clinical symptom measures. RESULTS: Compared to controls, participants with social anxiety exhibited significant reductions across a number of heart rate variability measures. Reductions in heart rate variability were observed in females with social anxiety, compared to female controls, and in patients taking psychotropic medication compared to non-medicated patients. Finally, within the clinical group, we observed significant associations between reduced heart rate variability and increased social interaction anxiety, psychological distress, and harmful alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that social anxiety disorder is associated with reduced heart rate variability. Resting state heart rate variability may therefore be considered a marker for social approach-related motivation and capacity for social engagement. Additionally, heart rate variability may provide a useful biomarker to explain underlying difficulties with social approach, impaired stress regulation, and behavioral inhibition, especially in disorders associated with

Reduction of phosphate ores by carbon: Part I. Process variables for design of rotary kiln system

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Jacob; Leder, Frederic; Park, Won C.; Hard, Robert A.; Megy, Joseph; Reiss, Howard

1986-12-01

Feasibility is established for the reduction of phosphate ores in a rotary kiln, avoiding electric submerged arc furnace technology. This represents a totally new approach to phosphoric acid. Reduction rates of phosphate ore-silica mixtures by carbon in the temperature range of 1100 to 1500 °C under several CO partial pressures in nitrogen were measured in thermogravimetric analyzers. Parameters such as carbon and silica contents, particle and pellet sizes, and gas flow rate were also evaluated with various domestic and foreign phosphate ores. Furthermore, a variety of carbon sources such as subbituminous coals, bituminous coals, anthracite, petroleum coke, and metallurgical coke were tested as reducing agents. Thermodynamic considerations elucidate the temperature dependence of overall conversion as well as the role of excess silica in establishing equilibrium pressure. These findings provide the background for analysis of the kinetics of conversion in Part II of this work. These studies, in conjunction with a previously published work, indicate the importance of intergranular melt phases in the kinetics of otherwise solid state reactions.

Effect of metallurgical variables on void swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnston, W.G.; Lauritzen, T.; Rosolowski, J.H.; Turkalo, A.M.

1976-01-01

The mechanism of void swelling is reviewed briefly and the anticipated effects of metallurgical variables are described. Experimental results showing the effects of metallurgical variables are reviewed, most of the work being done by simulation methods employing charged particle bombardments to simulate reactor damage. Although the early emphasis was on structural variables such as grain size, cold work and precipitates to control swelling, it now seems that the practical reduction of swelling will be achieved by modifying alloy composition. Void swelling is strongly influenced by the relative amounts of Fe, Cr, and Ni in an alloy; the amount of swelling can be varied by three orders of magnitude by changing the relative amounts of the three elements in an austenitic ternary alloy. The effect of composition on swelling of a simple ferritic alloy will also be described. The swelling of a simple austenitic alloy of Fe, Cr, and Ni can be reduced by certain minor element additions. The most effective swelling inhibitors are Si, Ti, Zr, and Nb, and combinations of Si and Ti are synergetic. Swelling reductions of two orders of magnitude have been achieved with combined additions. Predictions of swelling in commercial solid solution alloys are made on the basis of the present knowledge of the effects of major composition and minor element additions. The predictions agree with experimental results. For more complex commercial alloys, predictions are made for the effects on swelling of heat treatments that cause changes in matrix composition. In some cases, heat treatment is expected to change the peak swelling by more than a factor of ten, and to shift the peak swelling temperature by almost 100 0 C. Sensitivity of swelling to detailed matrix composition places emphasis on the need for developing understanding of the stability of structure and local composition in an irradiation environment

A welfare ranking of multilateral reductions in real and tariff trade barriers when firms are heterogenous

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schröder, Philipp; Sørensen, Allan

Trade liberalization comes about through reductions in various types of trade costs. This paper introduces, apart from real variable (i.e. iceberg) and fixed export costs, two partially redistributed tariffs into a Melitz (2003) model. We present comparable results for welfare effects and changes...... to the most preferred mode of liberalization as the fraction of tariffs wasted moves from zero to unity. Apart from a situation with no tariff redistribution, reductions in iceberg trade costs are preferred to reductions in real fixed trade costs which again are preferred to cuts in unit tariffs....

Spatiotemporal modes of climatic variability: building blocks of complex networks?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vejmelka, Martin; Hlinka, Jaroslav; Hartman, David; Paluš, Milan

2012-01-01

Roč. 14, - (2012), s. 14275 ISSN 1607-7962. [European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2012. 22.04.2012-27.04.2012, Vienna] R&D Projects: GA ČR GCP103/11/J068 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : climate variability * dimensionality reduction * principal component analysis * surrogate data * climate network Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research

Relativistic formulations with Blankenbecler-Sugar reduction technique for the three-particle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morioka, S.; Afnan, I.R.

1980-05-01

A critical comparison for two-types of three-dimensional covariant equations for the three-particle system obtained by the Blankenbecler-Sugar reduction technique with the Whitghtman-Garding momenta and the usual Jacobi variables is presented. The relations between the relativistic and non-relativistic equations in the low energy limit are discussed

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF VARIABLE COMPRESSION RATIO AT DIESEL ENGINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radivoje B Pešić

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The compression ratio strongly affects the working process and provides an exceptional degree of control over engine performance. In conventional internal combustion engines, the compression ratio is fixed and their performance is therefore a compromise between conflicting requirements. One fundamental problem is that drive units in the vehicles must successfully operate at variable speeds and loads and in different ambient conditions. If a diesel engine has a fixed compression ratio, a minimal value must be chosen that can achieve a reliable self-ignition when starting the engine in cold start conditions. In diesel engines, variable compression ratio provides control of peak cylinder pressure, improves cold start ability and low load operation, enabling the multi-fuel capability, increase of fuel economy and reduction of emissions. This paper contains both theoretical and experimental investigation of the impact that automatic variable compression ratios has on working process parameters in experimental diesel engine. Alternative methods of implementing variable compression ratio are illustrated and critically examined.

Animal Research on Nicotine Reduction: Current Evidence and Research Gaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Tracy T; Rupprecht, Laura E; Denlinger-Apte, Rachel L; Weeks, Jillian J; Panas, Rachel S; Donny, Eric C; Sved, Alan F

2017-09-01

A mandated reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes may improve public health by reducing the prevalence of smoking. Animal self-administration research is an important complement to clinical research on nicotine reduction. It can fill research gaps that may be difficult to address with clinical research, guide clinical researchers about variables that are likely to be important in their own research, and provide policy makers with converging evidence between clinical and preclinical studies about the potential impact of a nicotine reduction policy. Convergence between clinical and preclinical research is important, given the ease with which clinical trial participants can access nonstudy tobacco products in the current marketplace. Herein, we review contributions of preclinical animal research, with a focus on rodent self-administration, to the science of nicotine reduction. Throughout this review, we highlight areas where clinical and preclinical research converge and areas where the two differ. Preclinical research has provided data on many important topics such as the threshold for nicotine reinforcement, the likelihood of compensation, moderators of the impact of nicotine reduction, the impact of environmental stimuli on nicotine reduction, the impact of nonnicotine cigarette smoke constituents on nicotine reduction, and the impact of nicotine reduction on vulnerable populations. Special attention is paid to current research gaps including the dramatic rise in alternative tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ie, e-cigarettes). The evidence reviewed here will be critical for policy makers as well as clinical researchers interested in nicotine reduction. This review will provide policy makers and clinical researchers interested in nicotine reduction with an overview of the preclinical animal research conducted on nicotine reduction and the regulatory implications of that research. The review also highlights the utility of

(KP) equation in warm dusty plasma with variable dust charge, two ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this work, the propagation of nonlinear waves in warm dusty plasmas with variable dust charge, two-temperature ion and nonthermal electron is studied. By using the reductive perturbation theory, the Kadomstev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is derived. The energy of the soliton and the linear dispersion relation are obtained ...

Reduction of radiation exposure and image quality using dose reduction tool on computed tomography fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakabe, Daisuke; Tochihara, Syuichi; Ono, Michiaki; Tokuda, Masaki; Kai, Noriyuki; Nakato, Kengo; Hashida, Masahiro; Funama, Yoshinori; Murazaki, Hiroo

2012-01-01

The purpose of our study was to measure the reduction rate of radiation dose and variability of image noise using the angular beam modulation (ABM) on computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy. The Alderson-Rando phantom and the homemade phantom were used in our study. These phantoms were scanned at on-center and off-center positions at -12 cm along y-axis with and without ABM technique. Regarding the technique, the x-ray tube is turned off in a 100-degree angle sector at the center of 12 o'clock, 10 o'clock, and 2 o'clock positions during CT fluoroscopy. CT fluoroscopic images were obtained with tube voltages, 120 kV; tube current-time product per reconstructed image, 30 mAs; rotation time, 0.5 s/rot; slice thickness, 4.8 mm; and reconstruction kernel B30s in each scanning. After CT scanning, radiation exposure and image noise were measured and the image artifacts were evaluated with and without the technique. The reduction rate for radiation exposure was 75-80% with and without the technique at on-center position regardless of each angle position. In the case of the off-center position at -12 cm, the reduction rate was 50% with and without the technique. In contrast, image noise remained constant with and without the technique. Visual inspection for image artifacts almost have the same scores with and without the technique and no statistical significance was found in both techniques (p>0.05). ABM is an appropriate tool for reducing radiation exposure and maintaining image-noise and artifacts during CT fluoroscopy. (author)

A LATIN-based model reduction approach for the simulation of cycling damage

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Mainak; Fau, Amelie; Nackenhorst, Udo; Néron, David; Ladevèze, Pierre

2017-11-01

The objective of this article is to introduce a new method including model order reduction for the life prediction of structures subjected to cycling damage. Contrary to classical incremental schemes for damage computation, a non-incremental technique, the LATIN method, is used herein as a solution framework. This approach allows to introduce a PGD model reduction technique which leads to a drastic reduction of the computational cost. The proposed framework is exemplified for structures subjected to cyclic loading, where damage is considered to be isotropic and micro-defect closure effects are taken into account. A difficulty herein for the use of the LATIN method comes from the state laws which can not be transformed into linear relations through an internal variable transformation. A specific treatment of this issue is introduced in this work.

Investigation on the Effects of Internal EGR by Variable Exhaust Valve Actuation with Post Injection on Auto-ignited Combustion and Emission Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Insu Cho

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Variable valve mechanisms are usually applied to a gasoline combustion engine to improve its power performance by controlling the amount of intake air according to the operating load. These mechanisms offer one possibility of resolving the conflict of objectives between a further reduction of raw emissions and an improvement in fuel efficiency. In recent years, variable valve control systems have become extremely important in the diesel combustion engine. Importantly, it has been shown that there are several potential benefits of applying variable valve timing (VVT to a compression ignition engine. Valve train variability could offer one option to achieve the reduction goals of engine-out emissions and fuel consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on part load combustion and emission performance of internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR by variable exhaust valve lift actuation using a cam-in-cam system, which is an electronically variable valve device with a variable inside cam retarded to about 30 degrees. Numerical simulation based on GT-POWER has been performed to predict the NOx reduction strategy at the part load operating point of 1200 rpm in a four-valve diesel engine. A GT-POWER model of a common-rail direct injection engine with internal EGR was built and verified with experimental data. As a result, large potential for reducing NOx emissions through the use of exhaust valve control has been identified. Namely, it is possible to utilize heat efficiently as recompression of retarded post injection with downscaled specification of the exhaust valve rather than the intake valve, even if the CIC V1 condition with a reduction of the exhaust valve has a higher internal EGR rate of about 2% compared to that of the CIC V2 condition.

Interactions of Mean Climate Change and Climate Variability on Food Security Extremes

Science.gov (United States)

Ruane, Alexander C.; McDermid, Sonali; Mavromatis, Theodoros; Hudson, Nicholas; Morales, Monica; Simmons, John; Prabodha, Agalawatte; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Ahmad, Shakeel; Ahuja, Laj R.

2015-01-01

Recognizing that climate change will affect agricultural systems both through mean changes and through shifts in climate variability and associated extreme events, we present preliminary analyses of climate impacts from a network of 1137 crop modeling sites contributed to the AgMIP Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP). At each site sensitivity tests were run according to a common protocol, which enables the fitting of crop model emulators across a range of carbon dioxide, temperature, and water (CTW) changes. C3MP can elucidate several aspects of these changes and quantify crop responses across a wide diversity of farming systems. Here we test the hypothesis that climate change and variability interact in three main ways. First, mean climate changes can affect yields across an entire time period. Second, extreme events (when they do occur) may be more sensitive to climate changes than a year with normal climate. Third, mean climate changes can alter the likelihood of climate extremes, leading to more frequent seasons with anomalies outside of the expected conditions for which management was designed. In this way, shifts in climate variability can result in an increase or reduction of mean yield, as extreme climate events tend to have lower yield than years with normal climate.C3MP maize simulations across 126 farms reveal a clear indication and quantification (as response functions) of mean climate impacts on mean yield and clearly show that mean climate changes will directly affect the variability of yield. Yield reductions from increased climate variability are not as clear as crop models tend to be less sensitive to dangers on the cool and wet extremes of climate variability, likely underestimating losses from water-logging, floods, and frosts.

Analysis and Reduction of Complex Networks Under Uncertainty

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knio, Omar M

2014-04-09

This is a collaborative proposal that aims at developing new methods for the analysis and reduction of complex multiscale networks under uncertainty. The approach is based on combining methods of computational singular perturbation (CSP) and probabilistic uncertainty quantification. In deterministic settings, CSP yields asymptotic approximations of reduced-dimensionality “slow manifolds” on which a multiscale dynamical system evolves. Introducing uncertainty raises fundamentally new issues, particularly concerning its impact on the topology of slow manifolds, and means to represent and quantify associated variability. To address these challenges, this project uses polynomial chaos (PC) methods to reformulate uncertain network models, and to analyze them using CSP in probabilistic terms. Specific objectives include (1) developing effective algorithms that can be used to illuminate fundamental and unexplored connections among model reduction, multiscale behavior, and uncertainty, and (2) demonstrating the performance of these algorithms through applications to model problems.

Does industrial waste taxation contribute to reduction of landfilled waste? Dynamic panel analysis considering industrial waste category in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasao, Toshiaki

2014-11-01

Waste taxes, such as landfill and incineration taxes, have emerged as a popular option in developed countries to promote the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of waste taxes. In addition, quite a few studies have considered both dynamic relationships among dependent variables and unobserved individual heterogeneity among the jurisdictions. If dependent variables are persistent, omitted variables cause a bias, or common characteristics exist across the jurisdictions that have introduced waste taxes, the standard fixed effects model may lead to biased estimation results and misunderstood causal relationships. In addition, most existing studies have examined waste in terms of total amounts rather than by categories. Even if significant reductions in total waste amounts are not observed, some reduction within each category may, nevertheless, become evident. Therefore, this study analyzes the effects of industrial waste taxation on quantities of waste in landfill in Japan by applying the bias-corrected least-squares dummy variable (LSDVC) estimators; the general method of moments (difference GMM); and the system GMM. In addition, the study investigates effect differences attributable to industrial waste categories and taxation types. This paper shows that industrial waste taxes in Japan have minimal, significant effects on the reduction of final disposal amounts thus far, considering dynamic relationships and waste categories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precipitation of uranium oxide by reduction in alkaline solution; Precipitation d'oxyde d'uranium par reduction en milieu alcalin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pottier, P; Claus, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

In the first part of the report the authors study the reaction mechanism for this reduction which makes it possible to precipitate a hydrated uranium oxide from alkaline uranyl carbonate solutions. The research into the effects of different variables on numerous cycles are then summarized. Optical, X-ray and thermogravimetric examinations then make it possible to predict the properties of this oxide. In the second part the authors carry out calculations for the continuous operation of single cells and cells in series. These calculations give the data required for the construction of 2 cells having capacities of 0.3 and 10 litres. Results obtained from the continuous operation of this latter cell lead to certain conclusions concerning the applicability of this method to the hydrometallurgy of uranium. (authors) [French] Dans une premiere partie, les auteurs etudient le mecanisme de reaction de cette reduction qui permet la precipitation d'un oxyde d'uranium hydrate dans les solutions d'uranyle-carbonates alcalins. Les etudes de diverses variables sur de nombreux cycles sont ensuite resumees. Puis des examens optiques, aux rayons X et par thermogravimetrie, permettent de proposer une hypothese sur les proprietes de l'oxyde obtenu. Dans la deuxieme partie, les auteurs developpent un calcul prevoyant la marche continue de cellules uniques et en cascades. De ces calculs on tire les elements permettant la realisation de deux cellules de 0,3 et 10 litres. Des resultats de marche continue sur cette derniere cellule, on peut conclure a l'applicabilite de cette methode a l'hydrometallurgie de l'uranium. (auteurs)

Watershed Influences on Residence Time and Oxygen Reduction Rates in an Agricultural Landscape

Science.gov (United States)

Shope, C. L.; Tesoriero, A. J.

2015-12-01

Agricultural use of synthetic fertilizers and animal manure has led to increased crop production, but also elevated nitrogen concentrations in groundwater, resulting in impaired water quality. Groundwater oxygen concentrations are a key indicator of potential biogeochemical processes, which control water/aquifer interactions and contaminant transport. The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program has a long-history of studying nutrient transport and processing across the United States and the Glacial Aquifer system in particular. A series of groundwater well networks in Eastern Wisconsin is being used to evaluate the distribution of redox reaction rates over a range of scales with a focus on dissolved O2 reduction rates. An analysis of these multi-scale networks elucidates the influence of explanatory variables (i.e.: soil type, land use classification) on reduction rates and redox reactions throughout the Fox-Wolf-Peshtigo watersheds. Multiple tracers including dissolved gasses, tritium, helium, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and carbon-14 were used to estimate groundwater ages (0.8 to 61.2 yr) at over 300 locations. Our results indicate O2 reduction rates along a flowpath study area (1.2 km2) of 0.15 mg O2 L-1 yr-1 (0.12 to 0.18 mg O2 L-1 yr-1) up to 0.41 mg O2 L-1 yr-1 (0.23 to 0.89 mg O2 L-1 yr-1) for a larger scale land use study area (3,300 km2). Preliminary explanatory variables that can be used to describe the variability in reduction rates include soil type (hydrologic group, bulk density) and chemical concentrations (nitrite plus nitrate, silica). The median residence time expected to reach suboxic conditions (≤ 0.4 mg O2 L-1) for the flowpath and the land use study areas was 66 and 25 yr, respectively. These results can be used to elucidate and differentiate the impact of residence time on groundwater quality vulnerability and sustainability in agricultural regions without complex flow models.

STUDIES ON THYSANURA. UI. SOME FACTORS AFFECTING THE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fipre ) shoW& tile distribution of known spccia of Thysanura in southmt Africa .... have invaded the more arid regions of South America (Wygodzinsky 1955). ... Kuhnelt (1961) describes the Machilida as " ... found regularly in dry forests ...

Physical activity, mindfulness meditation, or heart rate variability biofeedback for stress reduction: a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Zwan, J.E.; de Vente, W.; Huizink, A.C.; Bögels, S.M.; de Bruin, E.I.

2015-01-01

In contemporary western societies stress is highly prevalent, therefore the need for stress-reducing methods is great. This randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of self-help physical activity (PA), mindfulness meditation (MM), and heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) in reducing

Entropy Analysis of RR and QT Interval Variability during Orthostatic and Mental Stress in Healthy Subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathias Baumert

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Autonomic activity affects beat-to-beat variability of heart rate and QT interval. The aim of this study was to explore whether entropy measures are suitable to detect changes in neural outflow to the heart elicited by two different stress paradigms. We recorded short-term ECG in 11 normal subjects during an experimental protocol that involved head-up tilt and mental arithmetic stress and computed sample entropy, cross-sample entropy and causal interactions based on conditional entropy from RR and QT interval time series. Head-up tilt resulted in a significant reduction in sample entropy of RR intervals and cross-sample entropy, while mental arithmetic stress resulted in a significant reduction in coupling directed from RR to QT. In conclusion, measures of entropy are suitable to detect changes in neural outflow to the heart and decoupling of repolarisation variability from heart rate variability elicited by orthostatic or mental arithmetic stress.

HYPERDIRE. HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. MATHEMATICA based packages for differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions pFp-1, F1, F2, F3, F4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bytev, Vladimir V.; Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu.; Kniehl, Bernd A.

2013-05-01

HYPERDIRE is a project devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica based programs for the differential reduction of hypergeometric functions. The current version includes two parts: one, pfq, is relevant for manipulations of hypergeometric functions p+1 F p , and the second one, AppellF1F4, for manipulations with Appell hypergeometric functions F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 of two variables.

Effectiveness of a smartphone-based worry-reduction training for stress reduction: A randomized-controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Versluis, Anke; Verkuil, Bart; Spinhoven, Philip; F Brosschot, Jos

2018-04-03

Perseverative cognition (e.g. worry) and unconscious stress are suggested to be important mediators in the relation between stressors and physiological health. We examined whether a smartphone-based worry-reduction training improved a physiological marker of stress (i.e. increased heart rate variability [HRV]) and unconscious stress. Randomised-controlled trial was conducted with individuals reporting work stress (n = 136). Participants were randomised to the experimental, control or waitlist condition (resp. EC, CC, WL). The EC and CC registered emotions five times daily for four weeks. The EC additionally received a worry-reduction training with mindfulness exercises. Primary outcome was 24-h assessments of HRV measured at pre-, mid- and post-intervention. Secondary outcomes were implicit affect and stress. Effects on heart rate and other psychological outcomes were explored. A total of 118 participants completed the study. No change from pre- to post-intervention was observed for the primary or secondary outcomes. The change over time was not different between conditions. Findings suggest that the training was ineffective for improving HRV or psychological stress. Future studies may focus on alternative smartphone-based stress interventions, as stress levels are high in society. There is need for easy interventions and smartphones offer possibilities for this.

Mediation Analysis of the Efficacy of the Eban HIV/STD Risk-Reduction Intervention for African American HIV Serodiscordant Couples.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Bassel, Nabila; Jemmott, John B; Bellamy, Scarlett L; Pequegnat, Willo; Wingood, Gina M; Wyatt, Gail E; Landis, J Richard; Remien, Robert H

2016-06-01

Targeting couples is a promising behavioral HIV risk-reduction strategy, but the mechanisms underlying the effects of such interventions are unknown. We report secondary analyses testing whether Social-Cognitive-Theory variables mediated the Eban HIV-risk-reduction intervention's effects on condom-use outcomes. In a multisite randomized controlled trial conducted in four US cities, 535 African American HIV-serodiscordant couples were randomized to the Eban HIV risk-reduction intervention or attention-matched control intervention. Outcomes were proportion condom-protected sex, consistent condom use, and frequency of unprotected sex measured pre-, immediately post-, and 6 and 12 months post-intervention. Potential mediators included Social-Cognitive-Theory variables: outcome expectancies and self-efficacy. Mediation analyses using the product-of-coefficients approach in a generalized-estimating-equations framework revealed that condom-use outcome expectancy, partner-reaction outcome expectancy, intention, self-efficacy, and safer-sex communication improved post-intervention and mediated intervention-induced improvements in condom-use outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of targeting outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and safer-sex communication in couples-level HIV risk-reduction interventions.

Three-dimensional assessment of unilateral subcondylar fracture using computed tomography after open reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sathya Kumar Devireddy

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim was to assess the accuracy of three-dimensional anatomical reductions achieved by open method of treatment in cases of displaced unilateral mandibular subcondylar fractures using preoperative (pre op and postoperative (post op computed tomography (CT scans. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 10 patients with unilateral sub condylar fractures confirmed by an orthopantomogram were included. A pre op and post op CT after 1 week of surgical procedure was taken in axial, coronal and sagittal plane along with three-dimensional reconstruction. Standard anatomical parameters, which undergo changes due to fractures of the mandibular condyle were measured in pre and post op CT scans in three planes and statistically analysed for the accuracy of the reduction comparing the following variables: (a Pre op fractured and nonfractured side (b post op fractured and nonfractured side (c pre op fractured and post op fractured side. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Three-dimensional anatomical reduction was possible in 9 out of 10 cases (90%. The statistical analysis of each parameter in three variables revealed (P < 0.05 that there was a gross change in the dimensions of the parameters obtained in pre op fractured and nonfractured side. When these parameters were assessed in post op CT for the three variables there was no statistical difference between the post op fractured side and non fractured side. The same parameters were analysed for the three variables in pre op fractured and post op fractured side and found significant statistical difference suggesting a considerable change in the dimensions of the fractured side post operatively. Conclusion: The statistical and clinical results in our study emphasised that it is possible to fix the condyle in three-dimensional anatomical positions with open method of treatment and avoid post op degenerative joint changes. CT is the ideal imaging tool and should be used on

Emphysema lung lobe volume reduction: effects on the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Matthew S.; Kim, Hyun J.; Abtin, Fereidoun G.; Galperin-Aizenberg, Maya; Pais, Richard; Da Costa, Irene G.; Ordookhani, Arash; Chong, Daniel; Ni, Chiayi; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.; Goldin, Jonathan G. [David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Center for Computer Vision and Imaging Biomarkers, Department of Radiological Sciences, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Strange, Charlie [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Columbia, SC (United States); Tashkin, Donald P. [David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2012-07-15

To investigate volumetric and density changes in the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes following volume reduction of an emphysematous target lobe. The study included 289 subjects with heterogeneous emphysema, who underwent bronchoscopic volume reduction of the most diseased lobe with endobronchial valves and 132 untreated controls. Lobar volume and low-attenuation relative area (RA) changes post-procedure were measured from computed tomography images. Regression analysis (Spearman's rho) was performed to test the association between change in the target lobe volume and changes in volume and density variables in the other lobes. The target lobe volume at full inspiration in the treatment group had a mean reduction of -0.45 L (SE = 0.034, P < 0.0001), and was associated with volume increases in the ipsilateral lobe (rho = -0.68, P < 0.0001) and contralateral lung (rho = -0.16, P = 0.006), and overall reductions in expiratory RA (rho = 0.31, P < 0.0001) and residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) (rho = 0.13, P = 0.03). When the volume of an emphysematous target lobe is reduced, the volume is redistributed primarily to the ipsilateral lobe, with an overall reduction. Image-based changes in lobar volumes and densities indicate that target lobe volume reduction is associated with statistically significant overall reductions in air trapping, consistent with expansion of the healthier lung. (orig.)

Emphysema lung lobe volume reduction: effects on the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Matthew S.; Kim, Hyun J.; Abtin, Fereidoun G.; Galperin-Aizenberg, Maya; Pais, Richard; Da Costa, Irene G.; Ordookhani, Arash; Chong, Daniel; Ni, Chiayi; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.; Goldin, Jonathan G.; Strange, Charlie; Tashkin, Donald P.

2012-01-01

To investigate volumetric and density changes in the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes following volume reduction of an emphysematous target lobe. The study included 289 subjects with heterogeneous emphysema, who underwent bronchoscopic volume reduction of the most diseased lobe with endobronchial valves and 132 untreated controls. Lobar volume and low-attenuation relative area (RA) changes post-procedure were measured from computed tomography images. Regression analysis (Spearman's rho) was performed to test the association between change in the target lobe volume and changes in volume and density variables in the other lobes. The target lobe volume at full inspiration in the treatment group had a mean reduction of -0.45 L (SE = 0.034, P < 0.0001), and was associated with volume increases in the ipsilateral lobe (rho = -0.68, P < 0.0001) and contralateral lung (rho = -0.16, P = 0.006), and overall reductions in expiratory RA (rho = 0.31, P < 0.0001) and residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) (rho = 0.13, P = 0.03). When the volume of an emphysematous target lobe is reduced, the volume is redistributed primarily to the ipsilateral lobe, with an overall reduction. Image-based changes in lobar volumes and densities indicate that target lobe volume reduction is associated with statistically significant overall reductions in air trapping, consistent with expansion of the healthier lung. (orig.)

The Effect of Carbonaceous Reductant Selection on Chromite Pre-reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Kleynhans, E. L. J.; Beukes, J. P.; Van Zyl, P. G.; Bunt, J. R.; Nkosi, N. S. B.; Venter, M.

2017-04-01

Ferrochrome (FeCr) production is an energy-intensive process. Currently, the pelletized chromite pre-reduction process, also referred to as solid-state reduction of chromite, is most likely the FeCr production process with the lowest specific electricity consumption, i.e., MWh/t FeCr produced. In this study, the effects of carbonaceous reductant selection on chromite pre-reduction and cured pellet strength were investigated. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the effect of reductant characteristics on the aforementioned two parameters. This yielded mathematical solutions that can be used by FeCr producers to select reductants more optimally in future. Additionally, the results indicated that hydrogen (H)- (24 pct) and volatile content (45.8 pct) were the most significant contributors for predicting variance in pre-reduction and compressive strength, respectively. The role of H within this context is postulated to be linked to the ability of a reductant to release H that can induce reduction. Therefore, contrary to the current operational selection criteria, the authors believe that thermally untreated reductants ( e.g., anthracite, as opposed to coke or char), with volatile contents close to the currently applied specification (to ensure pellet strength), would be optimal, since it would maximize H content that would enhance pre-reduction.

Reduced dose to urethra and rectum with the use of variable needle spacing in prostate brachytherapy: a potential role for robotic technology

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Shilpa; Le, Yi; Zhang, Zhe; Armour, Woody

2015-01-01

Purpose Several robotic delivery systems for prostate brachytherapy are under development or in pre-clinical testing. One of the features of robotic brachytherapy is the ability to vary spacing of needles at non-fixed intervals. This feature may play an important role in prostate brachytherapy, which is traditionally template-based with fixed needle spacing of 0.5 cm. We sought to quantify potential reductions in the dose to urethra and rectum by utilizing variable needle spacing, as compared to fixed needle spacing. Material and methods Transrectal ultrasound images from 10 patients were used by 3 experienced planners to create 120 treatment plans. Each planner created 4 plan variations per patient with respect to needle positions: 125I fixed spacing, 125I variable spacing, 103Pd fixed spacing, and 103Pd variable spacing. The primary planning objective was to achieve a prostate V100 of 100% while minimizing dose to urethra and rectum. Results All plans met the objective of achieving prostate V100 of 100%. Combined results for all plans show statistically significant improvements in all assessed dosimetric variables for urethra (Umax, Umean, D30, D5) and rectum (Rmax, Rmean, RV100) when using variable spacing. The dose reductions for mean and maximum urethra dose using variable spacing had p values of 0.011 and 0.024 with 103Pd, and 0.007 and 0.029 with 125I plans. Similarly dose reductions for mean and maximum rectal dose using variable spacing had p values of 0.007 and 0.052 with 103Pd, and 0.012 and 0.037 with 125I plans. Conclusions The variable needle spacing achievable by the use of robotics in prostate brachytherapy allows for reductions in both urethral and rectal planned doses while maintaining prostate dose coverage. Such dosimetric advantages have the potential in translating to significant clinical benefits with the use of robotic brachytherapy. PMID:26622227

SRAM Design for Wireless Sensor Networks Energy Efficient and Variability Resilient Techniques

CERN Document Server

Sharma, Vibhu; Dehaene, Wim

2013-01-01

This book features various, ultra low energy, variability resilient SRAM circuit design techniques for wireless sensor network applications. Conventional SRAM design targets area efficiency and high performance at the increased cost of energy consumption, making it unsuitable for computation-intensive sensor node applications.  This book, therefore, guides the reader through different techniques at the circuit level for reducing   energy consumption and increasing the variability resilience. It includes a detailed review of the most efficient circuit design techniques and trade-offs, introduces new memory architecture techniques, sense amplifier circuits and voltage optimization methods for reducing the impact of variability for the advanced technology nodes.    Discusses fundamentals of energy reduction for SRAM circuits and applies them to energy limitation challenges associated with wireless sensor  nodes; Explains impact of variability resilience in reducing the energy consumption; Describes various...

Signal Enhancement with Variable Span Linear Filters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benesty, Jacob; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Jesper Rindom

. Variable span filters combine the ideas of optimal linear filters with those of subspace methods, as they involve the joint diagonalization of the correlation matrices of the desired signal and the noise. The book shows how some well-known filter designs, e.g. the minimum distortion, maximum signal...... the time and STFT domains, and, lastly, in time-domain binaural enhancement. In these contexts, the properties of these filters are analyzed in terms of their noise reduction capabilities and desired signal distortion, and the analyses are validated and further explored in simulations....

Dimension reduction of Karhunen-Loeve expansion for simulation of stochastic processes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhangjun; Liu, Zixin; Peng, Yongbo

2017-11-01

Conventional Karhunen-Loeve expansions for simulation of stochastic processes often encounter the challenge of dealing with hundreds of random variables. For breaking through the barrier, a random function embedded Karhunen-Loeve expansion method is proposed in this paper. The updated scheme has a similar form to the conventional Karhunen-Loeve expansion, both involving a summation of a series of deterministic orthonormal basis and uncorrelated random variables. While the difference from the updated scheme lies in the dimension reduction of Karhunen-Loeve expansion through introducing random functions as a conditional constraint upon uncorrelated random variables. The random function is expressed as a single-elementary-random-variable orthogonal function in polynomial format (non-Gaussian variables) or trigonometric format (non-Gaussian and Gaussian variables). For illustrative purposes, the simulation of seismic ground motion is carried out using the updated scheme. Numerical investigations reveal that the Karhunen-Loeve expansion with random functions could gain desirable simulation results in case of a moderate sample number, except the Hermite polynomials and the Laguerre polynomials. It has the sound applicability and efficiency in simulation of stochastic processes. Besides, the updated scheme has the benefit of integrating with probability density evolution method, readily for the stochastic analysis of nonlinear structures.

DMPD: Heterogeneity of TLR-induced responses in dendritic cells: from innate toadaptive immunity. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available daptive immunity. Re F, Strominger JL. Immunobiology. 2004;209(1-2):191-8. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Sho...toadaptive immunity. Authors Re F, Strominger JL. Publication Immunobiology. 2004;209(1-2):191-8. Pathway -

Suboptimal control for drag reduction in turbulent pipe flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jung Il; Sung, Hyung Jin; Xu, Chun Xiao

2001-01-01

A suboptimal control law in turbulent pipe flow is derived and tested. Two sensing variables ∂ρ/∂θ / w and ∂ν θ /∂r / w are applied with two actuations φ θ and φ γ . To test the suboptimal control law, direct numerical simulations of turbulent pipe flow at Re τ =150 are performed. When the control law is applied, a 13∼23% drag reduction is achieved. The most effective drag reduction is made at the pair of ∂υ θ /∂r / w and φ γ . An impenetrable virtual wall concept is useful for analyzing the near-wall suction and blowing. The virtual wall concept is useful for analyzing the near-wall behavior of the controlled flow. Comparison of the present suboptimal control with that of turbulent channel flow reveals that the curvature effect is insignificant

29 CFR 778.323 - Effect if salary is for variable workweek.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Effect if salary is for variable workweek. 778.323 Section... Special Problems Reduction in Workweek Schedule with No Change in Pay § 778.323 Effect if salary is for... employees hired on a salary basis, the regular rate depends in part on the agreement of the parties as to...

Teaching the Basics: Development and Validation of a Distal Radius Reduction and Casting Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeley, Mark A; Fabricant, Peter D; Lawrence, J Todd R

2017-09-01

Approximately one-third of reduced pediatric distal radius fractures redisplace, resulting in further treatment. Two major modifiable risk factors for loss of reduction are reduction adequacy and cast quality. Closed reduction and immobilization of distal radius fractures is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residency milestone. Teaching and assessing competency could be improved with a life-like simulation training tool. Our goal was to develop and validate a realistic distal radius fracture reduction and casting simulator as determined by (1) a questionnaire regarding the "realism" of the model and (2) the quantitative assessments of reduction time, residual angulation, and displacement. A distal radius fracture model was created with radiopaque bony segments and articulating elbows and shoulders. Simulated periosteum and internal deforming forces required proper reduction and casting techniques to achieve and maintain reduction. The forces required were estimated through an iterative process through feedback from experienced clinicians. Embedded monofilaments allowed for quantitative assessment of residual displacement and angulation through the use of fluoroscopy. Subjects were asked to perform closed reduction and apply a long arm fiberglass cast. Primary performance variables assessed included reduction time, residual angulation, and displacement. Secondary performance variables consisted of number of fluoroscopic images, casting time, and cast index (defined as the ratio of the internal width of the forearm cast in the sagittal plane to the internal width in the coronal plane at the fracture site). Subject grading was performed by two blinded reviewers. Interrater reliability was nearly perfect across all measurements (intraclass correlation coefficient range, 0.94-0.99), thus disagreements in measurements were handled by averaging the assessed values. After completion the participants answered a Likert-based questionnaire regarding the

Variability of HOMA and QUICKI insulin sensitivity indices.

Science.gov (United States)

Žarković, Miloš; Ćirić, Jasmina; Beleslin, Biljana; Stojković, Mirjana; Savić, Slavica; Stojanović, Miloš; Lalić, Tijana

2017-07-01

Assessment of insulin sensitivity based on a single measurement of insulin and glucose, is both easy to understand and simple to perform. The tests most often used are HOMA and QUICKI. The aim of this study was to assess the biological variability of estimates of insulin sensitivity using HOMA and QUICKI indices. After a 12-h fast, blood was sampled for insulin and glucose determination. Sampling lasted for 90 min with an intersample interval of 2 min. A total of 56 subjects were included in the study, and in nine subjects sampling was done before and after weight reduction, so total number of analyzed series was 65. To compute the reference value of the insulin sensitivity index, averages of all 46 insulin and glucose samples were used. We also computed point estimates (single value estimates) of the insulin sensitivity index based on the different number of insulin/glucose samples (1-45 consecutive samples). To compute the variability of point estimates a bootstrapping procedure was used using 1000 resamples for each series and for each number of samples used to average insulin and glucose. Using a single insulin/glucose sample HOMA variability was 26.18 ± 4.31%, and QUICKI variability was 3.30 ± 0.54%. For 10 samples variability was 11.99 ± 2.22% and 1.62 ± 0.31% respectively. Biological variability of insulin sensitivity indices is significant, and it can be reduced by increasing the number of samples. Oscillations of insulin concentration in plasma are the major cause of variability of insulin sensitivity indices.

A Soft Computing Based Approach Using Modified Selection Strategy for Feature Reduction of Medical Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kursat Zuhtuogullari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The systems consisting high input spaces require high processing times and memory usage. Most of the attribute selection algorithms have the problems of input dimensions limits and information storage problems. These problems are eliminated by means of developed feature reduction software using new modified selection mechanism with middle region solution candidates adding. The hybrid system software is constructed for reducing the input attributes of the systems with large number of input variables. The designed software also supports the roulette wheel selection mechanism. Linear order crossover is used as the recombination operator. In the genetic algorithm based soft computing methods, locking to the local solutions is also a problem which is eliminated by using developed software. Faster and effective results are obtained in the test procedures. Twelve input variables of the urological system have been reduced to the reducts (reduced input attributes with seven, six, and five elements. It can be seen from the obtained results that the developed software with modified selection has the advantages in the fields of memory allocation, execution time, classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values when compared with the other reduction algorithms by using the urological test data.

A soft computing based approach using modified selection strategy for feature reduction of medical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuhtuogullari, Kursat; Allahverdi, Novruz; Arikan, Nihat

2013-01-01

The systems consisting high input spaces require high processing times and memory usage. Most of the attribute selection algorithms have the problems of input dimensions limits and information storage problems. These problems are eliminated by means of developed feature reduction software using new modified selection mechanism with middle region solution candidates adding. The hybrid system software is constructed for reducing the input attributes of the systems with large number of input variables. The designed software also supports the roulette wheel selection mechanism. Linear order crossover is used as the recombination operator. In the genetic algorithm based soft computing methods, locking to the local solutions is also a problem which is eliminated by using developed software. Faster and effective results are obtained in the test procedures. Twelve input variables of the urological system have been reduced to the reducts (reduced input attributes) with seven, six, and five elements. It can be seen from the obtained results that the developed software with modified selection has the advantages in the fields of memory allocation, execution time, classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values when compared with the other reduction algorithms by using the urological test data.

Chemical oxygen demand reduction in a whey fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moresi, M; Colicchio, A; Sansovini, F; Sebastiani, E

1980-01-01

The efficiency of COD reduction in the fermentation of whey by Kluyveromyces fragilis IMAT 1872 was studied at various temperatures, lactose concentrations, air dilution ratios, and stirring speeds. Two different optimal sets of these variables were found according to whether the objective was the production of cell mass or the reduction of COD. The 2 sets were then compared to establish a strategy for the industrial development of this fermentation process. The experimental efficiencies of COD removal were submitted to analysis in a composite design. Only the O2 transfer coefficient factor and the stripping factor were significant. Therefore, the observations were fitted with a quadratic expression by using only these factors: the mean std. error was <6%. The yield of cells varied in this fermentation, but this parameter may be particularly useful for analyzing and optimizing any fermentation process when the culture medium is a mixture of carbohydrates or the main substrate is fully utilized during the initial stages of fermentation.

Self-help organisations as patient representatives in health care and policy decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojatz, Daniela; Forster, Rudolf

2017-10-01

A crucial question about participation is who is legitimised, willing and capable of representing particular collectives. Social insurance health care systems tend to focus on representation by patient organisations. Self-help organisations (SHOs), as one type of 'health consumer and patient organisation', often take over this role. Research findings indicate that participation by SHOs is accompanied by high expectations, but also by concerns about the risks of instrumental abuse, overload and professionalisation. However, there is a dearth of in-depth knowledge about both potential and risks of participating for the SHO. To tackle this research gap, a qualitative study design was used to investigate fifteen SHOs in Austria. Data were generated by expert interviews with SHO representatives and documentary analysis of SHO websites. Content analysis was applied. SHOs in Austria advocate for patients' interests, participate in invited spaces and have various forms of cooperative relations with the health care system. Thereby, they draw on the experiential knowledge of their members without, however, systematising it. Experiences with professionalisation and instrumental use are ambiguous, whereas overload is prevalent. SHOs need resources for reflection in order to define their position visà- vis the health system and to realise their potential as patient representatives. Deepening co-operation with the health care system might lead to new participatory practices acknowledging differences in culture and the resources of both sides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Normalization reduces intersubject variability in cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilburg, Mark J; Herrmann, Barbara S; Guinan, John J; Rauch, Steven D

2014-09-01

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials are used to assess saccular and inferior vestibular nerve function. Normalization of the VEMP waveform has been proposed to reduce the variability in vestibular evoked myogenic potentials by correcting for muscle activation. In this study, we test the hypothesis that normalization of the raw cervical VEMP waveform causes a significant decrease in the intersubject variability. Prospective cohort study. Large specialty hospital, department of otolaryngology. Twenty healthy subjects were used in this study. All subjects underwent cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing using short tone bursts at 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 Hz. Both intersubject and intrasubject variability was assessed. Variability between raw and normalized peak-to-peak amplitudes was compared using the coefficient of variation. Intrasubject variability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and interaural asymmetry ratio. cVEMPs were present in most ears. Highest peak-to-peak amplitudes were recorded at 750 Hz. Normalization did not alter cVEMP tuning characteristics. Normalization of the cVEMP response caused a significant reduction in intersubject variability of the peak-to-peak amplitude. No significant change was seen in the intrasubject variability. Normalization significantly reduces cVEMP intersubject variability in healthy subjects without altering cVEMP characteristics. By reducing cVEMP amplitude variation due to nonsaccular, muscle-related factors, cVEMP normalization is expected to improve the ability to distinguish between healthy and pathologic responses in the clinical application of cVEMP testing.

Dimensional reduction in quantum gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hooft, G [Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (Netherlands). Inst. voor Theoretische Fysica

1994-12-31

The requirement that physical phenomena associated with gravitational collapse should be duly reconciled with the postulates of quantum mechanics implies that at a Planckian scale our world is not 3+1 dimensional. Rather, the observable degrees of freedom can best be described as if they were Boolean variables defined on a two- dimensional lattice, evolving with time. This observation, deduced from not much more than unitarity, entropy and counting arguments, implies severe restrictions on possible models of quantum gravity. Using cellular automata as an example it is argued that this dimensional reduction implies more constraints than the freedom we have in constructing models. This is the main reason why so-far no completely consistent mathematical models of quantum black holes have been found. (author). 13 refs, 2 figs.

STABILITY OF MFI ZEOLITE-FILLED PDMS MEMBRANES DURING PERVAPORATIVE ETHANOL RECOVERY FROM AQUEOUS MIXTURES CONTAINING ACETIC ACID

Science.gov (United States)

Pervaporation is potentially a cost-effective means of recovering biofuels, such as ethanol, from biomass fermentation broths for small- to medium-scale applications (~2 - 20 million liters per year). Hydrophobic zeolite-filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes have been sho...

Variable precision rough set for multiple decision attribute analysis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Lai; Kin; Keung

2008-01-01

A variable precision rough set (VPRS) model is used to solve the multi-attribute decision analysis (MADA) problem with multiple conflicting decision attributes and multiple condition attributes. By introducing confidence measures and a β-reduct, the VPRS model can rationally solve the conflicting decision analysis problem with multiple decision attributes and multiple condition attributes. For illustration, a medical diagnosis example is utilized to show the feasibility of the VPRS model in solving the MADA...

Can environmental innovation facilitate carbon emissions reduction? Evidence from China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yue-Jun; Peng, Yu-Lu; Ma, Chao-Qun; Shen, Bo

2017-01-01

Environmental innovation has been recognized as an efficient way of addressing environmental problems. However, how environmental innovation may affect carbon emissions in China and whether the effect may differ among various environmental innovation variables remain to be investigated. Therefore, based on the panel data of China’s 30 provinces during 2000–2013, we use a system generalized method of moments (SGMM) technique to estimate the effect of environmental innovation on carbon emissions in China. Also, we evaluate the effect on carbon emission reduction of China’s initial carbon emissions trading (CET) scheme. Empirical results indicate that, most environmental innovation measures in China reduce carbon emissions effectively. Among the various environmental innovation factors, energy efficiency exerts the most evident effect on carbon emissions abatement in China; meanwhile, resources for innovation and knowledge innovation also play prominent roles in this regard. However, the impact of governmental environmental policies on curbing carbon emissions reduction suffers from a lag effect, which mainly occurred during 2006–2013. Finally, despite the short time of operation and incomplete market mechanism, the pilot CET in China has appeared relatively promising with regard to carbon emissions reduction. - Highlights: • The SGMM is used for the effect of environmental innovation on carbon emissions. • Energy efficiency proves the most effective way to reduce China’s carbon emissions. • Innovation resources and knowledge innovation are conducive for carbon reduction. • The governmental environmental policies have lag effect on carbon reduction. • The effect of China’s initial CET on carbon emissions reduction has appeared.

Moderation and Mediation of an Efficacious Sexual Risk-Reduction Intervention for South African Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

O’Leary, Ann; Jemmott, John B.; Jemmott, Loretta Sweet; Bellamy, Scarlett; Ngwane, Zolani; Icard, Larry

2015-01-01

Background “Let Us Protect Our Future” is a sexual risk-reduction intervention for sixth-grade adolescents in South Africa. Tested in a cluster-randomized controlled trial, the intervention significantly reduced self-reported intercourse and unprotected intercourse during a 12-month follow-up period. Purpose The present analyses were conducted to identify moderators of the intervention’s efficacy as well as which theory-based variables mediated the intervention’s effects. Methods: Intervention efficacy over the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups was tested using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. Results Living with their father in the home, parental strictness, and religiosity moderated the efficacy of the intervention in reducing unprotected intercourse. Self-efficacy to avoid risky situations and expected parental disapproval of their having intercourse, derived from Social Cognitive Theory, significantly mediated the intervention’s effect on abstinence. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate that Social Cognitive variables mediate the efficacy of a sexual risk-reduction intervention among South African adolescents. PMID:22618963

Properties of materials

CERN Document Server

Kelly, P F

2014-01-01

Materials 'Tidings' of Rigidity's Breakdown Elastic Properties of Solids Elastic Solids in Series and Parallel Fluid Statics Eureka! Fluid Dynamics: Flux Bernoulli's Equation No Confusion, It's Just Diffusion Baby, It's Viscous Outside Gas Gas Gas Through the Earth and Back Introduction to Simple Harmonic Oscillation SHO-Time Springs in Series and Parallel SHO: Kinematics, Dynamics, and Energetics Damped Oscillation: Qualitative Damped Oscillation: Explicitly Forced Oscillations Impedance and Power Resonance The First Wave Wave Dynamics and Phenomenology Linear Superposition of Waves Linear Superposition of Rightmoving Harmonic Waves Standing Waves Transverse Waves: Speed and Energetics Speed of Longitudinal Waves Energy Content of Longitudinal Waves Inhomogeneous Media Doppler Shifts Huygens' Principle, Interference, and Diffraction Say Hello, Wave Goodbye Optics Mirror Mirror Refraction Through a Glass Darkly Temperature and Thermometry Heat Convective and Conductive Heat Flow Radiative Heat Flow More Radia...

Stable isotope study of ground water recharge and movement in the Shogawa Fan, Toyama

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizutani, Yoshihiko; Oda, Matsuhisa

1983-01-01

Deuterium and oxygen-18 measurements of ground and river waters of the Shogawa Fan, Toyama, have been used to identify sources of water in aquifers in the Fan. A significant difference exists in deltaD and delta 18 O values between two major rivers flowing onto the Fan. On the basis of this difference, it is indicated that aquifers in the eastern half of the Fan are recharged from the Sho River and those in the western half of the Fan are from the Oyabe River. Chloride measurements of the waters support this identification of water sources. Contributions of other water sources to the aquifers are also indicated. The flow rate of infiltration from the Sho River is estimated to be 10-13 m/day in the confined aquifers in the northern part of the Fan. (author)

Fast Multiscale Reservoir Simulations using POD-DEIM Model Reduction

KAUST Repository

Ghasemi, Mohammadreza

2015-02-23

In this paper, we present a global-local model reduction for fast multiscale reservoir simulations in highly heterogeneous porous media with applications to optimization and history matching. Our proposed approach identifies a low dimensional structure of the solution space. We introduce an auxiliary variable (the velocity field) in our model reduction that allows achieving a high degree of model reduction. The latter is due to the fact that the velocity field is conservative for any low-order reduced model in our framework. Because a typical global model reduction based on POD is a Galerkin finite element method, and thus it can not guarantee local mass conservation. This can be observed in numerical simulations that use finite volume based approaches. Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM) is used to approximate the nonlinear functions of fine-grid functions in Newton iterations. This approach allows achieving the computational cost that is independent of the fine grid dimension. POD snapshots are inexpensively computed using local model reduction techniques based on Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) which provides (1) a hierarchical approximation of snapshot vectors (2) adaptive computations by using coarse grids (3) inexpensive global POD operations in a small dimensional spaces on a coarse grid. By balancing the errors of the global and local reduced-order models, our new methodology can provide an error bound in simulations. Our numerical results, utilizing a two-phase immiscible flow, show a substantial speed-up and we compare our results to the standard POD-DEIM in finite volume setup.

Chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school and school achievement in preadolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Meijer, Anne Marie

2008-12-01

This study investigates the relationship between chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school and school achievement of boys and girls. To establish individual consequences of chronic sleep reduction (tiredness, sleepiness, loss of energy and emotional instability) the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire has been developed. A total of 436 children (219 boys, 216 girls, 1 [corrected] missing; mean age = 11 years and 5 months) from the seventh and eight grades of 12 elementary schools participated in this study. The inter-item reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.78) of the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire were satisfactory. The construct validity of the questionnaire as measured by a confirmative factor analysis was acceptable as well (CMIN/DF = 1.49; CFI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.034). Cronbach's alpha's of the scales measuring functioning at school (teacher's influence, self-image as pupil, and achievement motivation) were 0.69, 0.86 and 0.79. School achievement was based on self-reported marks concerning six school subjects. To test the models concerning the relations of chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school, and school achievement, the covariance matrix of these variables were analysed by means of structural equation modelling. To test for differences between boys and girls a multi-group model is used. The models representing the relations between chronic sleep reduction - school achievement and chronic sleep reduction - functioning at school - school achievement fitted the data quite well. The impact of chronic sleep reduction on school achievement and functioning at school appeared to be different for boys and girls. Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that chronic sleep reduction may affect school achievement directly and indirectly via functioning at school, with worse school marks as a consequence.

Scaling Properties of Dimensionality Reduction for Neural Populations and Network Models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan C Williamson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have applied dimensionality reduction methods to understand how the multi-dimensional structure of neural population activity gives rise to brain function. It is unclear, however, how the results obtained from dimensionality reduction generalize to recordings with larger numbers of neurons and trials or how these results relate to the underlying network structure. We address these questions by applying factor analysis to recordings in the visual cortex of non-human primates and to spiking network models that self-generate irregular activity through a balance of excitation and inhibition. We compared the scaling trends of two key outputs of dimensionality reduction-shared dimensionality and percent shared variance-with neuron and trial count. We found that the scaling properties of networks with non-clustered and clustered connectivity differed, and that the in vivo recordings were more consistent with the clustered network. Furthermore, recordings from tens of neurons were sufficient to identify the dominant modes of shared variability that generalize to larger portions of the network. These findings can help guide the interpretation of dimensionality reduction outputs in regimes of limited neuron and trial sampling and help relate these outputs to the underlying network structure.

The sequential pathway between trauma-related symptom severity and cognitive-based smoking processes through perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies among trauma exposed smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Garey, Lorra; Cheema, Mina K; Otal, Tanveer K; Schmidt, Norman B; Neighbors, Clayton; Zvolensky, Michael J

2016-10-01

Smoking rates are markedly higher among trauma-exposed individuals relative to non-trauma-exposed individuals. Extant work suggests that both perceived stress and negative affect reduction smoking expectancies are independent mechanisms that link trauma-related symptoms and smoking. Yet, no work has examined perceived stress and negative affect reduction smoking expectancies as potential explanatory variables for the relation between trauma-related symptom severity and smoking in a sequential pathway model. Methods The present study utilized a sample of treatment-seeking, trauma-exposed smokers (n = 363; 49.0% female) to examine perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies for smoking as potential sequential explanatory variables linking trauma-related symptom severity and nicotine dependence, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of withdrawal-related problems and symptoms during past quit attempts. As hypothesized, perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies had a significant sequential indirect effect on trauma-related symptom severity and criterion variables. Findings further elucidate the complex pathways through which trauma-related symptoms contribute to smoking behavior and cognitions, and highlight the importance of addressing perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies in smoking cessation programs among trauma-exposed individuals. (Am J Addict 2016;25:565-572). © 2016 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Further Cost Reduction of Battery Manufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir A. Asif

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The demand for batteries for energy storage is growing with the rapid increase in photovoltaics (PV and wind energy installation as well as electric vehicle (EV, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV. Electrochemical batteries have emerged as the preferred choice for most of the consumer product applications. Cost reduction of batteries will accelerate the growth in all of these sectors. Lithium-ion (Li-ion and solid-state batteries are showing promise through their downward price and upward performance trends. We may achieve further performance improvement and cost reduction for Li-ion and solid-state batteries through reduction of the variation in physical and electrical properties. These properties can be improved and made uniform by considering the electrical model of batteries and adopting novel manufacturing approaches. Using quantum-photo effect, the incorporation of ultra-violet (UV assisted photo-thermal processing can reduce metal surface roughness. Using in-situ measurements, advanced process control (APC can help ensure uniformity among the constituent electrochemical cells. Industrial internet of things (IIoT can streamline the production flow. In this article, we have examined the issue of electrochemical battery manufacturing of Li-ion and solid-state type from cell-level to battery-level process variability, and proposed potential areas where improvements in the manufacturing process can be made. By incorporating these practices in the manufacturing process we expect reduced cost of energy management system, improved reliability and yield gain with the net saving of manufacturing cost being at least 20%.

Aviation security : TSA is enhancing its oversight of air carrier efforts to identify passengers on the No Fly and Selectee lists, but expects ultimate solution to be implementation of Secure Flight : report to congressional committees

Science.gov (United States)

2008-09-01

Air carriers remain a front-line defense against acts of terrorism that target the nations civil aviation system. A key responsibility of air carriers is to check passengers names against terrorist watch-list records to identify persons who sho...

Bottom-up and Top-down Input Augment the Variability of Cortical Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Nassi, Jonathan J.; Kreiman, Gabriel; Born, Richard T.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY Neurons in the cerebral cortex respond inconsistently to a repeated sensory stimulus, yet they underlie our stable sensory experiences. Although the nature of this variability is unknown, its ubiquity has encouraged the general view that each cell produces random spike patterns that noisily represent its response rate. In contrast, here we show that reversibly inactivating distant sources of either bottom-up or top-down input to cortical visual areas in the alert primate reduces both the spike train irregularity and the trial-to-trial variability of single neurons. A simple model in which a fraction of the pre-synaptic input is silenced can reproduce this reduction in variability, provided that there exist temporal correlations primarily within, but not between, excitatory and inhibitory input pools. A large component of the variability of cortical neurons may therefore arise from synchronous input produced by signals arriving from multiple sources. PMID:27427459

Infinitary Combinatory Reduction Systems: Normalising Reduction Strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketema, J.; Simonsen, Jakob Grue

2010-01-01

We study normalising reduction strategies for infinitary Combinatory Reduction Systems (iCRSs). We prove that all fair, outermost-fair, and needed-fair strategies are normalising for orthogonal, fully-extended iCRSs. These facts properly generalise a number of results on normalising strategies in

Coupled Vortex-Lattice Flight Dynamic Model with Aeroelastic Finite-Element Model of Flexible Wing Transport Aircraft with Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap for Drag Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan; Ting, Eric; Nguyen, Daniel; Dao, Tung; Trinh, Khanh

2013-01-01

This paper presents a coupled vortex-lattice flight dynamic model with an aeroelastic finite-element model to predict dynamic characteristics of a flexible wing transport aircraft. The aircraft model is based on NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM) with representative mass and stiffness properties to achieve a wing tip deflection about twice that of a conventional transport aircraft (10% versus 5%). This flexible wing transport aircraft is referred to as an Elastically Shaped Aircraft Concept (ESAC) which is equipped with a Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap (VCCTEF) system for active wing shaping control for drag reduction. A vortex-lattice aerodynamic model of the ESAC is developed and is coupled with an aeroelastic finite-element model via an automated geometry modeler. This coupled model is used to compute static and dynamic aeroelastic solutions. The deflection information from the finite-element model and the vortex-lattice model is used to compute unsteady contributions to the aerodynamic force and moment coefficients. A coupled aeroelastic-longitudinal flight dynamic model is developed by coupling the finite-element model with the rigid-body flight dynamic model of the GTM.

Inhibition Mechanism of Uranyl Reduction Induced by Calcium-Carbonato Complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. E.; Bargar, J.; Fendorf, S. E.

2015-12-01

Uranium mobility in the subsurface is controlled by the redox state and chemical speciation, generally as minimally soluble U(IV) or soluble U(VI) species. In the presence of even low carbonate concentrations the uranyl-carbonato complex quickly becomes the dominant aqueous species; they are, in fact, the primary aqueous species in most groundwaters. Calcium in groundwater leads to ternary calcium-uranyl-carbonato complexes that limit the rate and extent of U(VI) reduction. This decrease in reduction rate has been attributed to surface processes, thermodynamic limitations, and kinetic factors. Here we present a new mechanism for the inhibition of ferrous iron reduction of uranyl-carbonato species in the presence of calcium. A series of experiments under variable Ca conditions were preformed to determine the role of Ca in the inhibition of U reduction by ferrous iron. Calcium ions in the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex sterically prevent the interaction of Fe(II) with U(VI), in turn preventing the Fe(II)-U(VI) distance required for electron transfer. The mechanism described here helps to predict U redox transformations in suboxic environments and clarifies the role of Ca in the fate and mobility of U. Electrochemical measurements further show the decrease of the U(VI) to U(V) redox potential of the uranyl-carbonato complex with decreasing pH suggesting the first electron transfer is critical determining the rate and extent of uranium reduction.

Brown-bowel syndrome. Review of the literature and presentation of cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horn, T; Svendsen, L B; Nielsen, R

1990-01-01

Four cases of brown-bowel syndrome (BBS) are presented. BBS is found in malabsorptive conditions secondary to diseases involving the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. Morphologically, BBS is characterized by deposition of lipofuscin in the tunica muscularis, and electron microscopy sho...

Predictors of the nicotine reinforcement threshold, compensation, and elasticity of demand in a rodent model of nicotine reduction policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenstein, Patricia E; Burroughs, Danielle; Roiko, Samuel A; Pentel, Paul R; LeSage, Mark G

2015-06-01

The FDA is considering reducing the nicotine content in tobacco products as a population-based strategy to reduce tobacco addiction. Research is needed to determine the threshold level of nicotine needed to maintain smoking and the extent of compensatory smoking that could occur during nicotine reduction. Sources of variability in these measures across sub-populations also need to be identified so that policies can take into account the risks and benefits of nicotine reduction in vulnerable populations. The present study examined these issues in a rodent nicotine self-administration model of nicotine reduction policy to characterize individual differences in nicotine reinforcement thresholds, degree of compensation, and elasticity of demand during progressive reduction of the unit nicotine dose. The ability of individual differences in baseline nicotine intake and nicotine pharmacokinetics to predict responses to dose reduction was also examined. Considerable variability in the reinforcement threshold, compensation, and elasticity of demand was evident. High baseline nicotine intake was not correlated with the reinforcement threshold, but predicted less compensation and less elastic demand. Higher nicotine clearance predicted low reinforcement thresholds, greater compensation, and less elastic demand. Less elastic demand also predicted lower reinforcement thresholds. These findings suggest that baseline nicotine intake, nicotine clearance, and the essential value of nicotine (i.e. elasticity of demand) moderate the effects of progressive nicotine reduction in rats and warrant further study in humans. They also suggest that smokers with fast nicotine metabolism may be more vulnerable to the risks of nicotine reduction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of the nicotine reinforcement threshold, compensation, and elasticity of demand in a rodent model of nicotine reduction policy*

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenstein, Patricia E.; Burroughs, Danielle; Roiko, Samuel A.; Pentel, Paul R.; LeSage, Mark G.

2015-01-01

Background The FDA is considering reducing the nicotine content in tobacco products as a population-based strategy to reduce tobacco addiction. Research is needed to determine the threshold level of nicotine needed to maintain smoking and the extent of compensatory smoking that could occur during nicotine reduction. Sources of variability in these measures across sub-populations also need to be identified so that policies can take into account the risks and benefits of nicotine reduction in vulnerable populations. Methods The present study examined these issues in a rodent nicotine self- administration model of nicotine reduction policy to characterize individual differences in nicotine reinforcement thresholds, degree of compensation, and elasticity of demand during progressive reduction of the unit nicotine dose. The ability of individual differences in baseline nicotine intake and nicotine pharmacokinetics to predict responses to dose reduction was also examined. Results Considerable variability in the reinforcement threshold, compensation, and elasticity of demand was evident. High baseline nicotine intake was not correlated with the reinforcement threshold, but predicted less compensation and less elastic demand. Higher nicotine clearance predicted low reinforcement thresholds, greater compensation, and less elastic demand. Less elastic demand also predicted lower reinforcement thresholds. Conclusions These findings suggest that baseline nicotine intake, nicotine clearance, and the essential value of nicotine (i.e. elasticity of demand) moderate the effects of progressive nicotine reduction in rats and warrant further study in humans. They also suggest that smokers with fast nicotine metabolism may be more vulnerable to the risks of nicotine reduction. PMID:25891231

Noise Reduction Evaluation of Multi-Layered Viscoelastic Infinite Cylinder under Acoustical Wave Excitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R. Mofakhami

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper sound transmission through the multilayered viscoelastic air filled cylinders subjected to the incident acoustic wave is studied using the technique of separation of variables on the basis of linear three dimensional theory of elasticity. The effect of interior acoustic medium on the mode maps (frequency vs geometry and noise reduction is investigated. The effects of internal absorption and external moving medium on noise reduction are also evaluated. The dynamic viscoelastic properties of the structure are rigorously taken into account with a power law technique that models the viscoelastic damping of the cylinder. A parametric study is also performed for the two layered infinite cylinders to obtain the effect of viscoelastic layer characteristics such as thickness, material type and frequency dependency of viscoelastic properties on the noise reduction. It is shown that using constant and frequency dependent viscoelastic material with high loss factor leads to the uniform noise reduction in the frequency domain. It is also shown that the noise reduction obtained for constant viscoelastic material property is subjected to some errors in the low frequency range with respect to those obtained for the frequency dependent viscoelastic material.

Harm reduction and women in the Canadian national prison system: policy or practice?

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Laurene; Gahagan, Jacqueline; DiCenso, Anne Marie; Dias, Giselle

2004-01-01

Applying the principles of harm reduction within the context of incarcerated populations raises a number of challenges. Although some access to harm reduction strategies has been promoted in general society, a divide between what is available and what is advocated continues to exist within the prison system. This paper explores the perceptions and lived experiences of a sample of nationally incarcerated women in Canada regarding their perceptions and experiences in accessing HIV and Hepatitis C prevention, care, treatment and support. In-depth interviews were conducted with 156 women in Canadian national prisons. Q.S.R. Nudist was used to assist with data management. A constant comparison method was used to derive categories, patterns, and themes. Emergent themes highlighted a gap between access to harm reduction in policy and in practice. Despite the implementation of some harm reduction techniques, women in Canadian prisons reported variable access to both education and methods of reducing HIV/HCV transmission. Concerns were also raised about pre-and post-test counseling for HIV/HCV testing. Best practices are suggested for implementing harm reduction strategies within prisons for women in Canada.

The impact of unit cost reductions on gross profit: Increasing or decreasing returns?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ely Dahan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We suggest that marketers actively participate in reducing unit costs during new product development, consistent with the theme of integrated marketing and manufacturing. Most marketing managers misjudge the impact on gross profit of reducing variable unit manufacturing costs, mistakenly believing that such cost reductions yield decreasing or linear returns while they actually generate increasing returns.

Sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandor, Abdullah; Kaltenthaler, Eva; Higgins, Agnes; Lorimer, Karen; Smith, Shubulade; Wylie, Kevan; Wong, Ruth

2015-02-12

Despite variability in sexual activity among people with severe mental illness, high-risk sexual behavior (e.g. unprotected intercourse, multiple partners, sex trade and illicit drug use) is common. Sexual health risk reduction interventions (such as educational and behavioral interventions, motivational exercises, counselling and service delivery), developed and implemented for people with severe mental illness, may improve participants' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs behaviors or practices (including assertiveness skills) and could lead to a reduction in risky sexual behavior. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness. Thirteen electronic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) were searched to August 2014, and supplemented by hand-searching relevant articles and contacting experts. All controlled trials (randomized or non-randomized) comparing the effectiveness of sexual health risk reduction interventions with usual care for individuals living in the community with severe mental illness were included. Outcomes included a range of biological, behavioral and proxy endpoints. Narrative synthesis was used to combine the evidence. Thirteen controlled trials (all from the USA) were included. Although there was no clear and consistent evidence that interventions reduce the total number of sex partners or improved behavioral intentions in sexual risk behavior, positive effects were generally observed in condom use, condom protected intercourse and on measures of HIV knowledge, attitudes to condom use and sexual behaviors and practices. However, the robustness of these findings is low due to the large between study variability, small sample sizes and low-to-moderate quality of included studies. There is insufficient evidence at present to fully support or reject the identified sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness. Given the

Reduction redux.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Lawrence

2018-04-01

Putnam's criticisms of the identity theory attack a straw man. Fodor's criticisms of reduction attack a straw man. Properly interpreted, Nagel offered a conception of reduction that captures everything a physicalist could want. I update Nagel, introducing the idea of overlap, and show why multiple realization poses no challenge to reduction so construed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heart period variability and psychopathology in urban boys at risk for delinquency.

Science.gov (United States)

Pine, D S; Wasserman, G A; Miller, L; Coplan, J D; Bagiella, E; Kovelenku, P; Myers, M M; Sloan, R P

1998-09-01

To examine associations between heart period variability (HPV) and psychopathology in young urban boys at risk for delinquency, a series of 697-11-year-old younger brothers of adjudicated delinquents received a standardized psychiatric evaluation and an assessment of heart period variability (HPV). Psychiatric symptoms were rated in two domains: externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. Continuous measures of both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology were associated with reductions in HPV components related to parasympathetic activity. These associations could not be explained by a number of potentially confounding variables, such as age, ethnicity, social class, body size, or family history of hypertension. Although familial hypertension predicted reduced HPV and externalizing psychopathology, associations between externalizing psychopathology and HPV were independent of familial hypertension. Psychiatric symptoms are associated with reduced HPV in young urban boys at risk for delinquency.

Basic investigation on promotion of joint implementation in fiscal 2000. Feasibility survey on conservation of energy and reduction of warming gas emission; 2000 nendo kyodo jisshi nado suishin kiso chosa hokokusho. Seitogyo no sho energy oyobi ondanka gas sakugen kanosei chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

Upon the request from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Polish Government, a survey has been performed on three sugar production factories (Lesmierz, Lapy and Werbkowice) in Poland in relation with conservation of energy and reduction of warming gas emission. The survey has been made from the following two aspects: improvement of energy utilization efficiency in the sugar production processes, and efficiency improvement and fuel conversion in the boilers being the energy supplying source. As a result of the discussions on the sugar production process improvement, annual fuel conservation of 304,495 GJ (or 12,688 tons as converted to coal) in total for the three factories, or the energy saving rate of 28% was obtained. Regarding the greenhouse gas emission, an effect of reducing 25,235 tons, or a reduction rate of 27% was achieved. In the combination of the sugar production process improvement and the boiler improvement, the fuel conservation will be 18,363 tons as converted into coal, and the reduction of the greenhouse gas emission will be 56,107 tons. However, when based on the present coal price and natural gas price, the improvement efforts will not be realizable economically for both of Lesmierz and Werbkowice factories, hence comprehensive judgment is required from the viewpoint of the fuel price and environment preservation expense in the future. (NEDO)

HIGHLY-ACCURATE MODEL ORDER REDUCTION TECHNIQUE ON A DISCRETE DOMAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. D. Ribeiro

2015-09-01

Full Text Available AbstractIn this work, we present a highly-accurate technique of model order reduction applied to staged processes. The proposed method reduces the dimension of the original system based on null values of moment-weighted sums of heat and mass balance residuals on real stages. To compute these sums of weighted residuals, a discrete form of Gauss-Lobatto quadrature was developed, allowing a high degree of accuracy in these calculations. The locations where the residuals are cancelled vary with time and operating conditions, characterizing a desirable adaptive nature of this technique. Balances related to upstream and downstream devices (such as condenser, reboiler, and feed tray of a distillation column are considered as boundary conditions of the corresponding difference-differential equations system. The chosen number of moments is the dimension of the reduced model being much lower than the dimension of the complete model and does not depend on the size of the original model. Scaling of the discrete independent variable related with the stages was crucial for the computational implementation of the proposed method, avoiding accumulation of round-off errors present even in low-degree polynomial approximations in the original discrete variable. Dynamical simulations of distillation columns were carried out to check the performance of the proposed model order reduction technique. The obtained results show the superiority of the proposed procedure in comparison with the orthogonal collocation method.

The market value of variable renewables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirth, Lion

2013-01-01

This paper provides a comprehensive discussion of the market value of variable renewable energy (VRE). The inherent variability of wind speeds and solar radiation affects the price that VRE generators receive on the market (market value). During windy and sunny times the additional electricity supply reduces the prices. Because the drop is larger with more installed capacity, the market value of VRE falls with higher penetration rate. This study aims to develop a better understanding on how the market value with penetration, and how policies and prices affect the market value. Quantitative evidence is derived from a review of published studies, regression analysis of market data, and the calibrated model of the European electricity market EMMA. We find the value of wind power to fall from 110% of the average power price to 50–80% as wind penetration increases from zero to 30% of total electricity consumption. For solar power, similarly low value levels are reached already at 15% penetration. Hence, competitive large-scale renewable deployment will be more difficult to accomplish than as many anticipate. - Graphical abstract: Wind value factor estimates from a literature review (a), the numerical model EMMA (b), and German historical market data (c). The value factor (wind revenue over base price) decreases with higher penetration rates. Highlights: ► The variability of solar and wind power affects their market value. ► The market value of variable renewables falls with higher penetration rates. ► We quantify the reduction with market data, numerical modeling, and a lit review. ► At 30% penetration, wind power is worth only 50–80% of a constant power source

Posterior dental size reduction in hominids: the Atapuerca evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bermúdez de Castro, J M; Nicolas, M E

1995-04-01

In order to reassess previous hypotheses concerning dental size reduction of the posterior teeth during Pleistocene human evolution, current fossil dental evidence is examined. This evidence includes the large sample of hominid teeth found in recent excavations (1984-1993) in the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene cave site of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). The lower fourth premolars and molars of the Atapuerca hominids, probably older than 300 Kyr, have dimensions similar to those of modern humans. Further, these hominids share the derived state of other features of the posterior teeth with modern humans, such as a similar relative molar size and frequent absence of the hypoconulid, thus suggesting a possible case of parallelism. We believe that dietary changes allowed size reduction of the posterior teeth during the Middle Pleistocene, and the present evidence suggests that the selective pressures that operated on the size variability of these teeth were less restrictive than what is assumed by previous models of dental reduction. Thus, the causal relationship between tooth size decrease and changes in food-preparation techniques during the Pleistocene should be reconsidered. Moreover, the present evidence indicates that the differential reduction of the molars cannot be explained in terms of restriction of available growth space. The molar crown area measurements of a modern human sample were also investigated. The results of this study, as well as previous similar analyses, suggest that a decrease of the rate of cell proliferation, which affected the later-forming crown regions to a greater extent, may be the biological process responsible for the general and differential dental size reduction that occurred during human evolution.

PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF BONE LESIONS AND CORRELATION OF CLINICAL, LABORATORY AND MORPHOMETRIC CRITERIA IN PATIENTS WITH LATENT SCLEROSING HEMATOGENOUS OSTEOMYELITIS (GARRÉ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Grigorovsky

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Sclerosing hematogenous osteomyelitis of Garré (SHO holds a significant place among cases of latent hematogenous osteomyelitis. Pathomorphological studies of sclerosing hematogenous osteomyelitis are needed to improve differentiated diagnostics, to prognosticate morphology specifics of nidus and to choose the optimal treatment tactics.Purpose of the study — to identify statistical differences between manifestation patterns of various disease types and correlation between clinical, laboratorial and morphometric criteria of bone lesions in patients with sclerosing hematogenous osteomyelitis.Material and methods. The authors studied tissue fragments of affected bones of 25 patients with SHO which was diagnosed by clinical, laboratorial, visualizing and morphological methods. Gradation morphometric criteria were used to reflect condition of nidus tissues. The authors made the analysis of qualitative characters and correlation analysis of dependencies between clinical and laboratorial criteria on the one hand, and with morphometric criteria — on the other, and identified association factor. Results. Pathomorphological study of SHO nidus demonstrated variances of bone lesions in separate disease cases despite the overall similarity of morphological manifestation. About 2/3 of all cases correspond to fibrosing type whereby even small exudative inflammation sites are absent. In about 1/3 of all cases apart from fibrosis, osteosclerosis and remodeling, the osteomyelitis niduses contain microabscesses indicative of suppurative inflammation as well as the authors observed small sequestration. The maximum differences in patients with various types of SHO were identified in such parameters as share of stab microphages and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR. In cases of long term morbidity the fibrosing disease type is prevailing, in cases of short term lesion (1–2 years — a fibrosing type with microabscesses formation.A series of

Bet-hedging response to environmental variability, an intraspecific comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevoux, Marie; Forcada, Jaume; Barbraud, Christophe; Croxall, John; Weimerskirchi, Henri

2010-08-01

A major challenge in ecology is to understand the impact of increased environmental variability on populations and ecosystems. To maximize their fitness in a variable environment, life history theory states that individuals should favor a bet-hedging strategy, involving a reduction of annual breeding performance and an increase in adult survival so that reproduction can be attempted over more years. As a result, evolution toward longer life span is expected to reduce the deleterious effects of extra variability on population growth, and consequently on the trait contributing the most to it (e.g., adult survival in long-lived species). To investigate this, we compared the life histories of two Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) populations breeding at South Georgia (Atlantic Ocean) and Kerguelen (Indian Ocean), the former in an environment nearly three times more variable climatically (e.g., in sea surface temperature) than the latter. As predicted, individuals from South Georgia (in the more variable environment) showed significantly higher annual adult survival (0.959, SE = 0.003) but lower annual reproductive success (0.285 chick per pair, SE = 0.039) than birds from Kerguelen (survival = 0.925, SE = 0.004; breeding success = 0.694, SE = 0.027). In both populations, climatic conditions affected the breeding success and the survival of inexperienced breeders, whereas the survival of experienced breeders was unaffected. The strength of the climatic impact on survival of inexperienced breeders was very similar between the two populations, but the effect on breeding success was positively related to environmental variability. These results provide rare and compelling evidence to support bet-hedging underlying changes in life history traits as an adaptive response to environmental variability.

Observing and Modelling the HighWater Level from Satellite Radar Altimetry During Tropical Cyclones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deng, Xiaoli; Gharineiat, Zahra; Andersen, Ole Baltazar

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the capability of observing tropical cyclones using satellite radar altimetry. Two representative cyclones Yasi (February 2011) and Larry (March 2006) in the northeast Australian coastal area are selected based also on available tide gauge sea level measurements. It is sho...

Human and equine cardiovascular endocrinology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vekens, Nicky Van Der; Hunter, Ingrid; Gøtze, Jens Peter

2013-01-01

Cardiac biomarkers such as troponins and natriuretic peptides are routinely used in human medicine for the evaluation of myocardial damage and heart failure. Recently, these markers have also been introduced in veterinary medicine. Comparison between human and equine cardiac biomarker studies sho...

Measuring the Bioenergetic Effects of 1,2-Naphthoquinone Exposure on Human Lung Macrophages Using Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in humans. Quinones are organic PM components that induce inflammatory responses through redox cycling and electrophilic attack. 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ) has previously been sho...

Efficacy of white mustard and soybean meal as a bioherbicide in organic broccoli and spinach production

Science.gov (United States)

Weed control in organic cropping systems generally rely on mechanical or physical methods because of the lack of reliable organically accepted herbicides. Among the several potential bioherbicides being explored, white mustard (Sinapis alba) seed meal is among those bioherbicides that have been sho...

Parvovirus associated cerebellar hypoplasia and hydrocephalus in day-old broiler chickens

Science.gov (United States)

Cerebellar hypoplasia and hydrocephalus were detected in day-old broiler chickens. Brains of chickens evaluated at necropsy appeared to be abnormal; some were disfigured and cerebellae appeared to be smaller than normal. Histopathologic examination of brains revealed cerebellar folia that were sho...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-MMUR-01-0169 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ck Protein 1a (Hsp70-1) Atpase Domain In Complex With Adp And Inorganic Phosphate 3JXU 0.0 91% ... ...CBRC-MMUR-01-0169 pdb|3JXU|A Chain A, Crystal Structure Of The Human 70kda Heat Sho

76 FR 51147 - Medicaid Program; Eligibility Changes Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-17

.../MedicaidEligibility/downloads/CMS-2349-P-PreliminaryRegulatoryImpactAnalysis.pdf . A summary of the... Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 QI Qualifying Individuals QMB Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries SHO... eligibility criteria, such as citizenship or satisfactory immigration status. Children and, in some States...

New SU(1,1) position-dependent effective mass coherent states for a generalized shifted harmonic oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahiaoui, Sid-Ahmed; Bentaiba, Mustapha

2014-01-01

A new SU(1,1) position-dependent effective mass coherent states (PDEM CS) related to the shifted harmonic oscillator (SHO) are deduced. This is accomplished by applying a similarity transformation to the generally deformed oscillator algebra (GDOA) generators for PDEM systems and a new set of operators that close the su(1,1) Lie algebra are constructed, being the PDEM CS of the basis for its unitary irreducible representation. From the Lie algebra generators, we evaluate the uncertainty relationship for a position and momentum-like operators in the PDEM CS and show that it is minimized in the sense of Barut–Girardello CS. We prove that the deduced PDEM CS preserve the same analytical form than those of Glauber states. As an illustration of our procedure, we depicted the 2D-probability density in the PDEM CS for SHO with the explicit form of the mass distribution with no singularities. (paper)

Effect of camelina oil on the structure of aortas in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pawlowska, Marta; Harrison, Adrian Paul; Piersiak, Tomasz

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether a disturbance of hormonal homeostasis caused by ovariectomy influences the elasticity and wall structure of the abdominal aorta and whether camelina oil administration has an effect on the properties of the abdominal aorta in rats after...... ovariectomy. Forty Wistar female rats (220-240 g) were used in the experiment: 10 animals underwent a sham ovary repositioning operation (SHO), and 30 were ovariectomized (OVX). After 7 days of convalescence, the SHO rats and OVX1 rats were given physiological saline intragastrically for 6 weeks, while......), and images were obtained by light and confocal microscopy. Ovariectomy caused a significant decrease in the elasticity of the aorta, as well as in the volume of collagen III and elastin in the tunica intima and media, but no changes in the volume of collagen I, the total wall thickness or the thickness...

On the variably-charged black holes in general relativity: Hawking's radiation and naked singularities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibohal, Ng

2002-01-01

In this paper variably-charged non-rotating Reissner-Nordstrom and rotating Kerr-Newman black holes are discussed. Such a variable charge e with respect to the polar coordinate r in the field equations is referred to as an electrical radiation of the black hole. It is shown that every electrical radiation e(r) of the non-rotating black hole leads to a reduction in its mass M by some quantity. If one considers such electrical radiation taking place continuously for a long time, then a continuous reduction of the mass may take place in the black-hole body and the original mass of the black hole may be evaporated completely. At that stage, the gravity of the object may depend only on the electromagnetic field, not on the mass. Immediately after the complete evaporation of the mass, if the next radiation continues, there may be creation of a new mass leading to the formation of a negative mass naked singularity. It appears that this new mass of the naked singularity would never decrease, but might increase gradually as the radiation continues forever. A similar investigation is also discussed in the case of a variably-charged rotating Kerr-Newman black hole. Thus, it has been shown by incorporating Hawking's evaporation of radiating black holes in the form of spacetime metrics, every electrical radiation of variably-charged rotating and non-rotating black holes may produce a change in the mass of the body without affecting the Maxwell scalar

A Different Perspective t o Fine Art High School Students i n Emotional Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Öznur TULUNAY ATEŞ

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the emot ional intelligence of different high school students . To this end; EQ - NED and personal information form developed by the researcher were used to collect information about the variable in order to determine the emotional intelligence of the participating st udents to the research. In this study data were collected from a total of 439, 246 female and 193 male students through these scales . T he data were analyzed by using SPSS Windows 17.0 program . To evaluate the data , descriptive statistical methods (frequenc y, percentage, mean, standard deviation were used. Kruskal - Wallis H - test and Mann - Whitney U analysis test were usedas non - parametric hypothesis testing procedures. According to the r esearch results, the mean of the total score of emotional intelligence sho wed a significant difference in terms of school variables where the students study . In the study, EQ T, EQ 1, EQ 2 and EQ 3 scores of the students studying Fine Arts and Sports High School are found higher than the students studying in other high schools.

Dimension reduction of frequency-based direct Granger causality measures on short time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Siggiridou, Elsa; Kimiskidis, Vasilios K; Kugiumtzis, Dimitris

2017-09-01

The mainstream in the estimation of effective brain connectivity relies on Granger causality measures in the frequency domain. If the measure is meant to capture direct causal effects accounting for the presence of other observed variables, as in multi-channel electroencephalograms (EEG), typically the fit of a vector autoregressive (VAR) model on the multivariate time series is required. For short time series of many variables, the estimation of VAR may not be stable requiring dimension reduction resulting in restricted or sparse VAR models. The restricted VAR obtained by the modified backward-in-time selection method (mBTS) is adapted to the generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC), termed restricted GPDC (RGPDC). Dimension reduction on other frequency based measures, such the direct directed transfer function (dDTF), is straightforward. First, a simulation study using linear stochastic multivariate systems is conducted and RGPDC is favorably compared to GPDC on short time series in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Then the two measures are tested for their ability to detect changes in brain connectivity during an epileptiform discharge (ED) from multi-channel scalp EEG. It is shown that RGPDC identifies better than GPDC the connectivity structure of the simulated systems, as well as changes in the brain connectivity, and is less dependent on the free parameter of VAR order. The proposed dimension reduction in frequency measures based on VAR constitutes an appropriate strategy to estimate reliably brain networks within short-time windows. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient dose measurement and dose reduction in chest radiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milatović Aleksandra A.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Investigations presented in this paper represent the first estimation of patient doses in chest radiography in Montenegro. In the initial stage of our study, we measured the entrance surface air kerma and kerma area product for chest radiography in five major health institutions in the country. A total of 214 patients were observed. We reported the mean value, minimum and third quartile values, as well as maximum values of surface air kerma and kerma area product of patient doses. In the second stage, the possibilities for dose reduction were investigated. Mean kerma area product values were 0.8 ± 0.5 Gycm2 for the posterior-anterior projection and 1.6 ± 0.9 Gycm2 for the lateral projection. The max/min ratio for the entrance surface air kerma was found to be 53 for the posterior-anterior projection and 88 for the lateral projection. Comparing the results obtained in Montenegro with results from other countries, we concluded that patient doses in our medical centres are significantly higher. Changes in exposure parameters and increased filtration contributed to a dose reduction of up to 36% for posterior-anterior chest examinations. The variability of the estimated dose values points to a significant space for dose reduction throughout the process of radiological practice optimisation.

Modeling the Response of Primary Production and Sedimentation to Variable Nitrate Loading in the Mississippi River Plume

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Green, Rebecca E; Breed, Greg A; Dagg, Michael J; Lohrenz, Steven E

2008-01-01

...% reduction in annual nitrogen discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. We developed an ecosystem model for the Mississippi River plume to investigate the response of organic matter production and sedimentation to variable nitrate loading...

THE REDUCTION OF CHOLESTEROL WITH CUPPING THERAPY ON CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahid Fikri

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor causes of death at younger ages. Hypercholesterolemia may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation in organs, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, liver disease and kidney disease. Many patients with hypercholesterolemia using cupping therapy. Cupping therapy is alternative treatment process of throwing dirty blood from the body through the skin surface. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of cupping therapy to decrease cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Method: Design used in this study was quasy experimental design. The population is all patients with hypercholesterolemia in the health center plaza Gresik. The total sample is 18 respondents, taken according to inclusion criteria. Independent variable is the cupping therapy. The dependent variable was the decrease in cholesterol levels. Data were collected using a questionnaire and observation of cholesterol. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and paired t tests with signi fi cance level α < 0.05. Result: The results show that cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia treated groups decreased majority. Independent statistical analysis using t-test showed p = 0.001 and with the Paired t-test p value = 0.003. Discussion: This result means that there are significant effects of cupping therapy on cholesterol reduction in patients with hypercholesterolemia aged 45 years and over. Further research needs to be done in control diet, lifestyle and daily activities for the success of cupping therapy.

The role of emotions in the reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma among physicians in training.

Science.gov (United States)

Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Neilands, Torsten B; Rodríguez-Madera, Sheilla L; Padilla, Mark

2016-01-01

Scientific literature has systematically documented the negative effects of social stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). HIV/AIDS stigma has the potential to negatively impact self-care strategies for those already affected, and simultaneously hinder prevention efforts to deter the emergence of new infections. When health professionals manifest these negative attitudes access to quality health-care and prevention strategies can be seriously affected. Scientifically tested interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma among health professionals are still scarce. Although the number of tested interventions has increased over the past decade, few of them target Latino health professionals or Spanish-speaking populations. Furthermore, although some of those interventions have been reported as effective for stigma reduction, more work is needed to better understand the underlying variables that account for the reduction of stigma attitudes in those efforts. The SPACES intervention has been documented as an effective HIV/AIDS stigma-reduction intervention focusing on health-care professionals in training. The intervention, which is delivered in Spanish, has been previously tested with medical students in Puerto Rico and shown significant results in addressing negative attitudes toward PLWHA. The main objective of this study was to document the underlying variables that fostered reduction of HIV/AIDS stigma due to participation in the SPACES intervention. Results evidence that health professionals in training who participated in the intervention (n = 507) had less stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA due to an increase in their positive emotions toward this population. In light of these results, we discuss the importance of engaging health professionals in HIV/AIDS stigma-reduction interventions that go beyond the provision of information and skills for interacting with PLWHA, and address the emotional component of HIV/AIDS stigma.

Neural Network Machine Learning and Dimension Reduction for Data Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Liles, Charles A.

2014-01-01

Neural network machine learning in computer science is a continuously developing field of study. Although neural network models have been developed which can accurately predict a numeric value or nominal classification, a general purpose method for constructing neural network architecture has yet to be developed. Computer scientists are often forced to rely on a trial-and-error process of developing and improving accurate neural network models. In many cases, models are constructed from a large number of input parameters. Understanding which input parameters have the greatest impact on the prediction of the model is often difficult to surmise, especially when the number of input variables is very high. This challenge is often labeled the "curse of dimensionality" in scientific fields. However, techniques exist for reducing the dimensionality of problems to just two dimensions. Once a problem's dimensions have been mapped to two dimensions, it can be easily plotted and understood by humans. The ability to visualize a multi-dimensional dataset can provide a means of identifying which input variables have the highest effect on determining a nominal or numeric output. Identifying these variables can provide a better means of training neural network models; models can be more easily and quickly trained using only input variables which appear to affect the outcome variable. The purpose of this project is to explore varying means of training neural networks and to utilize dimensional reduction for visualizing and understanding complex datasets.

World association for the advancement of veterinary parasitology (WAAVP): Second edition of guidelines for evaluating the efficacy of anthelmintics in swine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hennessy, D.R.; Bauer, C.; Boray, J.C.

2006-01-01

Guidelines are provided for evaluating the efficacy of anthelmintics in swine which, in conjunction with other sets of guidance such as those of the International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH GL7 and VICH GL16), sho...

Small Systems Use of a Solid Arsenic Oxidizing Media in Place of Chemical Oxidation to Enhance Arsenic Removal

Science.gov (United States)

Presentation provides information on the need to oxidize As III to As V to increase arsenic removal followed by information on the results of an arsenic demonstration project (Plainview CDS) using a solid oxidizing media (Filox) to oxidize As III. The presentation includes a sho...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-OPRI-01-1400 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ck Protein 1a (Hsp70-1) Atpase Domain In Complex With Adp And Inorganic Phosphate 3JXU 1e-171 94% ... ...CBRC-OPRI-01-1400 pdb|3JXU|A Chain A, Crystal Structure Of The Human 70kda Heat Sho

Under Construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and iconicity of the built environment in the Arab Gulf Region, its aesthetics, language and performative characteristics. It suggests that recent developments in this region of the world not only represent a sho...

Heart rate variability in newborns.

Science.gov (United States)

Javorka, K; Lehotska, Z; Kozar, M; Uhrikova, Z; Kolarovszki, B; Javorka, M; Zibolen, M

2017-09-22

Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in newborns is influenced by genetic determinants, gestational and postnatal age, and other variables. Premature infants have a reduced HRV. In neonatal HRV evaluated by spectral analysis, a dominant activity can be found in low frequency (LF) band (combined parasympathetic and sympathetic component). During the first postnatal days the activity in the high frequency (HF) band (parasympathetic component) rises, together with an increase in LF band and total HRV. Hypotrophy in newborn can cause less mature autonomic cardiac control with a higher contribution of sympathetic activity to HRV as demonstrated by sequence plot analysis. During quiet sleep (QS) in newborns HF oscillations increase - a phenomenon less expressed or missing in premature infants. In active sleep (AS), HRV is enhanced in contrast to reduced activity in HF band due to the rise of spectral activity in LF band. Comparison of the HR and HRV in newborns born by physiological vaginal delivery, without (VD) and with epidural anesthesia (EDA) and via sectio cesarea (SC) showed no significant differences in HR and in HRV time domain parameters. Analysis in the frequency domain revealed, that the lowest sympathetic activity in chronotropic cardiac chronotropic regulation is in the VD group. Different neonatal pathological states can be associated with a reduction of HRV and an improvement in the health conditions is followed by changes in HRV what can be use as a possible prognostic marker. Examination of heart rate variability in neonatology can provide information on the maturity of the cardiac chronotropic regulation in early postnatal life, on postnatal adaptation and in pathological conditions about the potential dysregulation of cardiac function in newborns, especially in preterm infants.

Anomalous Threshold Voltage Variability of Nitride Based Charge Storage Nonvolatile Memory Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Chuan Lee

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Conventional technology scaling is implemented to meet the insatiable demand of high memory density and low cost per bit of charge storage nonvolatile memory (NVM devices. In this study, effect of technology scaling to anomalous threshold voltage ( variability is investigated thoroughly on postcycled and baked nitride based charge storage NVM devices. After long annealing bake of high temperature, cell’s variability of each subsequent bake increases within stable distribution and found exacerbate by technology scaling. Apparent activation energy of this anomalous variability was derived through Arrhenius plots. Apparent activation energy (Eaa of this anomalous variability is 0.67 eV at sub-40 nm devices which is a reduction of approximately 2 times from 110 nm devices. Technology scaling clearly aggravates this anomalous variability, and this poses reliability challenges to applications that demand strict control, for example, reference cells that govern fundamental program, erase, and verify operations of NVM devices. Based on critical evidence, this anomalous variability is attributed to lateral displacement of trapped charges in nitride storage layer. Reliability implications of this study are elucidated. Moreover, potential mitigation methods are proposed to complement technology scaling to prolong the front-runner role of nitride based charge storage NVM in semiconductor flash memory market.

Multi-decadal scale variability in the eastern Baltic cod fishery 1550-1860 - Evidence and causes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

MacKenzie, Brian; Bager, M.; Ojaveer, H.

2007-01-01

in the Baltic as developed and implemented by organisations such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), the nine coastal countries and the European Union includes recovery of the cod population, a reduction in nutrient...... is unknown, as is the relative role of fishing, climate variability/regimes, eutrophication and reduction of marine mammal predator populations. We have begun to investigate whether historical fisheries information (landings, effort, distribution) from before the 1880s is available in Baltic archives...

Factors related to reduction in the consumption of fast food: application of the theory-based approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Zeinab, Jalambadani; Gholamreza, Garmaroudi; Mehdi, Yaseri; Mahmood, Tavousi; Korush, Jafarian

2017-01-01

Background The Trans-Theoretical model (TTM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) may be promising models for understanding and predicting reduction in the consumption of fast food. The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of the Trans-Theoretical model (TTM) and the additional predictive role of the subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in predicting reduction consumption of fast food in obese Iranian adolescent girls. Materials and Methods. A cross sectional study design was conducted among twelve randomly selected schools in Sabzevar, Iran from 2015 to 2017. Four hundred eighty five randomly selected students consented to participate in the study. Hierarchical regression models used to predict the role of important variables that can influence the reduction in the consumption of fast food among students. using SPSS version 22. Results Variables Perceived behavioural control (r=0.58, Pconsumption of fast food. Significance for public health The Ministries of Education and Public Health should cooperate in supporting the below-mentioned formal and non-formal school, family and community nutritional education and activities. Lastly, the Ministry of Public Health should conduct programmes with restaurant owners on healthy Iranian food and its hygienic presentation and promotion, to enhance their ability to compete with fast-food restaurants. PMID:29071252

Heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity in bilateral lung transplant recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontolliet, Timothée; Gianella, Pietro; Pichot, Vincent; Barthélémy, Jean-Claude; Gasche-Soccal, Paola; Ferretti, Guido; Lador, Frédéric

2018-01-09

The effects of lung afferents denervation on cardiovascular regulation can be assessed on bilateral lung transplantation patients. The high-frequency component of heart rate variability is known to be synchronous with breathing frequency. Then, if heart beat is neurally modulated by breathing frequency, we may expect disappearance of high frequency of heart rate variability in bilateral lung transplantation patients. On 11 patients and 11 matching healthy controls, we measured R-R interval (electrocardiography), blood pressure (Portapres ® ) and breathing frequency (ultrasonic device) in supine rest, during 10-min free breathing, 10-min cadenced breathing (0·25 Hz) and 5-min handgrip. We analysed heart rate variability and spontaneous variability of arterial blood pressure, by power spectral analysis, and baroreflex sensitivity, by the sequence method. Concerning heart rate variability, with respect to controls, transplant recipients had lower total power and lower low- and high-frequency power. The low-frequency/high-frequency ratio was higher. Concerning systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure variability, transplant recipients had lower total power (only for cadenced breathing), low frequency and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio during free and cadenced breathing. Baroreflex sensitivity was decreased. Denervated lungs induced strong heart rate variability reduction. The higher low-frequency/high-frequency ratio suggested that the total power drop was mostly due to high frequency. These results support the hypothesis that neural modulation from lung afferents contributes to the high frequency of heart rate variability. © 2018 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Amnioinfusion for relief of recurrent severe and moderate variable decelerations in labor.

Science.gov (United States)

Regi, Annie; Alexander, Nancy; Jose, Ruby; Lionel, Jessie; Varghese, Lilly; Peedicayil, Abraham

2009-05-01

To determine whether intrapartum amnioinfusion (AI) relieves recurrent moderate and severe variable decelerations in laboring women with clear or grade I meconium-stained amniotic fluid and reduces cesarean section rate for fetal distress. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in labor unit of Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India, between October 2003 and September 2004. Women were randomized to receive AI (group I) and not to receive it (group II). A total of 150 women (75 in each group) were included in the study. There was significant relief of variable decelerations in group I and no difference in overall cesarean section rate but significant reduction in cesarean section rate for fetal distress in group I, and significant reduction in cesarean section rate for fetal distress in nulliparous women of group I. Neonatal acidemia was also significantly reduced in the nulliparous women receiving AI. The duration of maternal postpartum hospital stay was significantly reduced in group I. There were no adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. AI was a beneficial therapeutic intervention in women patients showing fetal distress in first stage of labor, and it reduced cesarean section for fetal distress and neonatal acidemia.

Comparison of variable geometry turbocharging (VGT) over conventional wastegated machines to achieve lower emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawley, J.G.; Wallace, F.J.; Pease, A.C.; Cox, A. [University of Bath (United Kingdom). School of Mechanical Engineering; Horrocks, R.W.; Bird, G.L. [Ford Motor Co. Ltd., Basildon (United Kingdom)

1997-07-01

This paper represents the results of an extensive testing programme conducted at the University of Bath on behalf of the Ford Motor Company on a prototype 1.8 litre direct injection (DI) diesel engine. The testing compared the effects of a standard wastegate controlled fixed geometry turbocharger (FGT) with a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) at discrete part-load operating points. The object being to evaluate the NOx reduction potential at these points due to the VGT and varying exhaust gas recirculation schedules. A reduction in NOx of up to 45 percent was observed without compromising fuel consumption or smoke levels. (author)

Reflections from the interface between seismological research and earthquake risk reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Sargeant, S.

2012-04-01

Scientific understanding of earthquakes and their attendant hazards is vital for the development of effective earthquake risk reduction strategies. Within the global disaster reduction policy framework (the Hyogo Framework for Action, overseen by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction), the anticipated role of science and scientists is clear, with respect to risk assessment, loss estimation, space-based observation, early warning and forecasting. The importance of information sharing and cooperation, cross-disciplinary networks and developing technical and institutional capacity for effective disaster management is also highlighted. In practice, the degree to which seismological information is successfully delivered to and applied by individuals, groups or organisations working to manage or reduce the risk from earthquakes is variable. The challenge for scientists is to provide fit-for-purpose information that can be integrated simply into decision-making and risk reduction activities at all levels of governance and at different geographic scales, often by a non-technical audience (i.e. people without any seismological/earthquake engineering training). The interface between seismological research and earthquake risk reduction (defined here in terms of both the relationship between the science and its application, and the scientist and other risk stakeholders) is complex. This complexity is a function of a range issues that arise relating to communication, multidisciplinary working, politics, organisational practices, inter-organisational collaboration, working practices, sectoral cultures, individual and organisational values, worldviews and expectations. These factors can present significant obstacles to scientific information being incorporated into the decision-making process. The purpose of this paper is to present some personal reflections on the nature of the interface between the worlds of seismological research and risk reduction, and the

Variability Bugs:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melo, Jean

. Although many researchers suggest that preprocessor-based variability amplifies maintenance problems, there is little to no hard evidence on how actually variability affects programs and programmers. Specifically, how does variability affect programmers during maintenance tasks (bug finding in particular......)? How much harder is it to debug a program as variability increases? How do developers debug programs with variability? In what ways does variability affect bugs? In this Ph.D. thesis, I set off to address such issues through different perspectives using empirical research (based on controlled...... experiments) in order to understand quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of variability on programmers at bug finding and on buggy programs. From the program (and bug) perspective, the results show that variability is ubiquitous. There appears to be no specific nature of variability bugs that could...

Microbial reductive dehalogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohn, W W; Tiedje, J M

1992-01-01

A wide variety of compounds can be biodegraded via reductive removal of halogen substituents. This process can degrade toxic pollutants, some of which are not known to be biodegraded by any other means. Reductive dehalogenation of aromatic compounds has been found primarily in undefined, syntrophic anaerobic communities. We discuss ecological and physiological principles which appear to be important in these communities and evaluate how widely applicable these principles are. Anaerobic communities that catalyze reductive dehalogenation appear to differ in many respects. A large number of pure cultures which catalyze reductive dehalogenation of aliphatic compounds are known, in contrast to only a few organisms which catalyze reductive dehalogenation of aromatic compounds. Desulfomonile tiedjei DCB-1 is an anaerobe which dehalogenates aromatic compounds and is physiologically and morphologically unusual in a number of respects, including the ability to exploit reductive dehalogenation for energy metabolism. When possible, we use D. tiedjei as a model to understand dehalogenating organisms in the above-mentioned undefined systems. Aerobes use reductive dehalogenation for substrates which are resistant to known mechanisms of oxidative attack. Reductive dehalogenation, especially of aliphatic compounds, has recently been found in cell-free systems. These systems give us an insight into how and why microorganisms catalyze this activity. In some cases transition metal complexes serve as catalysts, whereas in other cases, particularly with aromatic substrates, the catalysts appear to be enzymes. Images PMID:1406492

Organising pneumonia in common variable immunodeficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Boujaoude, Ziad; Arya, Rohan; Rafferty, William; Dammert, Pedro

2013-06-07

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common of the primary immunodeficiency disorders. Pulmonary manifestations are characterised by recurrent rhinosinusitis, respiratory tract infections and bronchiectasis. Less commonly the lung may be affected by lymphoid disorders and sarcoid-like granulomas. Organising pneumonia (OP) is a rare pulmonary manifestation. We report the case of a 32-year-old woman with CVID who presented with fever, dyspnoea and persistent lung infiltrates despite antibiotic therapy. CT of the chest showed bilateral patchy alveolar infiltrates. Pulmonary function tests revealed moderate restriction and reduction in diffusion capacity. Initial bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies did not yield a diagnosis but surgical lung biopsies identified OP. Significant clinical, radiographic and physiological improvement was achieved after institution of corticosteroid therapy.

Iterative Strain-Gage Balance Calibration Data Analysis for Extended Independent Variable Sets

Science.gov (United States)

Ulbrich, Norbert Manfred

2011-01-01

A new method was developed that makes it possible to use an extended set of independent calibration variables for an iterative analysis of wind tunnel strain gage balance calibration data. The new method permits the application of the iterative analysis method whenever the total number of balance loads and other independent calibration variables is greater than the total number of measured strain gage outputs. Iteration equations used by the iterative analysis method have the limitation that the number of independent and dependent variables must match. The new method circumvents this limitation. It simply adds a missing dependent variable to the original data set by using an additional independent variable also as an additional dependent variable. Then, the desired solution of the regression analysis problem can be obtained that fits each gage output as a function of both the original and additional independent calibration variables. The final regression coefficients can be converted to data reduction matrix coefficients because the missing dependent variables were added to the data set without changing the regression analysis result for each gage output. Therefore, the new method still supports the application of the two load iteration equation choices that the iterative method traditionally uses for the prediction of balance loads during a wind tunnel test. An example is discussed in the paper that illustrates the application of the new method to a realistic simulation of temperature dependent calibration data set of a six component balance.

[Examination of patient dose reduction in cardiovasucular X-ray systems with a metal filter].

Science.gov (United States)

Yasuda, Mitsuyoshi; Kato, Kyouichi; Tanabe, Nobuaki; Sakiyama, Koushi; Uchiyama, Yushi; Suzuki, Yoshiaki; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Nakazawa, Yasuo

2012-01-01

In interventional X-ray for cardiology of flat panel digital detector (FPD), the phenomenon that exposure dose was suddenly increased when a subject thickness was thickened was recognized. At that time, variable metal built-in filters in FPD were all off. Therefore, we examined whether dose reduction was possible without affecting a clinical image using metal filter (filter) which we have been conventionally using for dose reduction. About 45% dose reduction was achieved when we measured an exposure dose at 30 cm of acrylic thickness in the presence of a filter. In addition, we measured signal to noise ratio/contrast to noise ratio/a resolution limit by the visual evaluation, and there was no influence by filter usage. In the clinical examination, visual evaluation of image quality of coronary angiography (40 cases) using a 5-point evaluation scale by a physician was performed. As a result, filter usage did not influence the image quality (p=NS). Therefore, reduction of sudden increase of exposure dose was achieved without influencing an image quality by adding filter to FPD.

Isoenzymatic variability in tropical maize populations under reciprocal recurrent selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinto Luciana Rossini

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Maize (Zea mays L. is one of the crops in which the genetic variability has been extensively studied at isoenzymatic loci. The genetic variability of the maize populations BR-105 and BR-106, and the synthetics IG-3 and IG-4, obtained after one cycle of a high-intensity reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS, was investigated at seven isoenzymatic loci. A total of twenty alleles were identified, and most of the private alleles were found in the BR-106 population. One cycle of reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS caused reductions of 12% in the number of alleles in both populations. Changes in allele frequencies were also observed between populations and synthetics, mainly for the Est 2 locus. Populations presented similar values for the number of alleles per locus, percentage of polymorphic loci, and observed and expected heterozygosities. A decrease of the genetic variation values was observed for the synthetics as a consequence of genetic drift effects and reduction of the effective population sizes. The distribution of the genetic diversity within and between populations revealed that most of the diversity was maintained within them, i.e. BR-105 x BR-106 (G ST = 3.5% and IG-3 x IG-4 (G ST = 4.0%. The genetic distances between populations and synthetics increased approximately 21%. An increase in the genetic divergence between the populations occurred without limiting new selection procedures.

Variability in impact of air pollution on subjective well-being

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Guodong; Shin, Kong Joo; Managi, Shunsuke

2018-06-01

This paper examines the impact of variability in impact of air pollution on life satisfaction (LS). Previous studies have shown robust negative impact of air pollution on subjective well-being (SWB). However, empirical studies that consider variability in air pollution effects through comparative city study are limited. This study provides comparative evaluation of two major Chinese cities: Beijing and Shanghai. We apply a geo-statistical spatial interpolation technique on pollution data from monitoring sites to estimate the Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), coarse particles with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 μm (PM10) and fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) pollution exposure of respondents of a survey conducted in 2016. The results show that all pollutants have robust negative impacts on LS for Beijing residents, whereas only SO2 and NO2 have significant negative impacts on LS for Shanghai residents; Per unit impact of SO2 is greater in Shanghai, and that of NO2 is greater in Beijing. Beijing and Shanghai residents have almost same monetary valuation for SO2 reduction but Beijing residents place approximately 1.5 times valuation on NO2 reduction compared to Shanghai residents. Moreover, the LS of Beijing residents is sensitive to temporal changes in the pollution level, whereas Shanghai residents are unaffected by such changes.

Behavior of cardiac variables in animals exposed to cigarette smoke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Alberto Rupp de Paiva

2003-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the behavior of cardiac variables in animals exposed to cigarette smoke. METHODS: Two groups of Wistar rats were studied as follows: control group (C, comprising 28 animals; and smoking group (S, comprising 23 animals exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 days. Left ventricular cardiac function was assessed in vivo with transthoracic echocardiography, and myocardial performance was analyzed in vitro in preparations of isolated left ventricular papillary muscle. The cardiac muscle was assessed in isometric contractions with an extracellular calcium concentration of 2.5 mmol/L. RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed in the values of the body variables of the rats and in the mechanical data obtained from the papillary muscle between the control and smoking groups. The values of left ventricular systolic diameter were significantly greater in the smoking animals than in the control animals (C= 3.39 ± 0.4 mm and S= 3.71 ± 0.51 mm, P=0.02. A significant reduction was observed in systolic shortening fraction (C= 56.7 ± 4.2% and S= 53.5 ± 5.3%, P=0.02 and in ejection fraction (C= 0.92 ± 0.02 and S= 0.89 ± 0.04, P=0.01. CONCLUSION: The rats exposed to cigarette smoke had a reduction in left ventricular systolic function, although their myocardial function was preserved.

Solar variability observed through changes in solar figure and mean diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, H.A.

1984-01-01

The objective of the project is to detect and monitor climatically significant solar variability by accurate monitoring of the associated variability in solar shape and diameter. The observing program for this project was initiated in 1981. Solar diameter measurements have been taken and data reduction programs for these measurements have been developed. Theoretical analysis of the expected change in the intensity from the solar atmosphere to a given mechanial driving has progressed to the extent that changes in the solar diameter can be related to the associated change in the solar luminosity. An absolute calibration system for the telescope has been constructed and is currently being tested. A proposal is made for the continuation of the work in each of these areas

Solar variability observed through changes in solar figure and mean diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, H.A.; Bos, R.J.

1982-01-01

The objective of the project is to detect and monitor climatically significant solar variability by studying the associated variability in solar shape and diameter. The observing program for this project was initiated in 1981, as was the requisite data reduction. These two activities are conducted simultaneously. Theoretical work has also progressed on matters relevant to the interpretation of observed changes in the indirect diagnostics in terms of changes in the solar luminosity. The success of the observing program over long time periods depends in part on the development of a technique to calibrate the scale in the telescope field, and work on this has progressed to the design and construction phase. A proposal is made for the continuation of the work in each of these areas

Enema reduction of intussusception: the success rate of hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Khorana, Jiraporn; Singhavejsakul, Jesda; Ukarapol, Nuthapong; Laohapensang, Mongkol; Wakhanrittee, Junsujee; Patumanond, Jayanton

2015-01-01

Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in infants and children. The incidence of intussusception is from one to four per 2,000 infants and children. If there is no peritonitis, perforation sign on abdominal radiographic studies, and nonresponsive shock, nonoperative reduction by pneumatic or hydrostatic enema can be performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the success rates of both the methods. Two institutional retrospective cohort studies were performed. All intussusception patients (ICD-10 code K56.1) who had visited Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital from January 2006 to December 2012 were included in the study. The data were obtained by chart reviews and electronic databases, which included demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The patients were grouped according to the method of reduction followed into pneumatic reduction and hydrostatic reduction groups with the outcome being the success of the reduction technique. One hundred and seventy episodes of intussusception occurring in the patients of Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital were included in this study. The success rate of pneumatic reduction was 61% and that of hydrostatic reduction was 44% (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis and adjusting of the factors by propensity scores were performed; the success rate of pneumatic reduction was 1.48 times more than that of hydrostatic reduction (P=0.036, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.03-2.13). Both pneumatic and hydrostatic reduction can be performed safely according to the experience of the radiologist or pediatric surgeon and hospital setting. This study showed that pneumatic reduction had a higher success rate than hydrostatic reduction.

A dynamic model for assessing the effects of management strategies on the reduction of construction and demolition waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Hongping; Chini, Abdol R.; Lu Yujie; Shen Liyin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We proposes a model for projecting C and D waste reduction of construction projects. ► The model can simulate effects of various management strategies on waste reduction. ► The model integrates all essential variables that affect C and D waste reduction. ► By using the model, best strategies could be identified before being implemented. - Abstract: During the past few decades, construction and demolition (C and D) waste has received increasing attention from construction practitioners and researchers worldwide. A plethora of research regarding C and D waste management has been published in various academic journals. However, it has been determined that existing studies with respect to C and D waste reduction are mainly carried out from a static perspective, without considering the dynamic and interdependent nature of the whole waste reduction system. This might lead to misunderstanding about the actual effect of implementing any waste reduction strategies. Therefore, this research proposes a model that can serve as a decision support tool for projecting C and D waste reduction in line with the waste management situation of a given construction project, and more importantly, as a platform for simulating effects of various management strategies on C and D waste reduction. The research is conducted using system dynamics methodology, which is a systematic approach that deals with the complexity – interrelationships and dynamics – of any social, economic and managerial system. The dynamic model integrates major variables that affect C and D waste reduction. In this paper, seven causal loop diagrams that can deepen understanding about the feedback relationships underlying C and D waste reduction system are firstly presented. Then a stock-flow diagram is formulated by using software for system dynamics modeling. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate the validation and application of the proposed model. Results of the case study not only

Mechanism of thioredoxin-catalyzed disulfide reduction. Activation of the buried thiol and role of the variable active-site residues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carvalho, A.P.; Swart, M.; van Stralen, J.N.P.; Fernandes, P.A.; Ramos, M.E.; Bickelhaupt, F.M.

2008-01-01

Thioredoxins (Trx) are enzymes with a characteristic CXYC active-site motif that catalyze the reduction of disulfide bonds in other proteins. We have theoretically explored this reaction mechanism, both in the gas phase and in water, using density functional theory. The mechanism of disulfide

Capturing the dynamics of response variability in the brain in ADHD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janna van Belle

2015-01-01

Full Text Available ADHD is characterized by increased intra-individual variability in response times during the performance of cognitive tasks. However, little is known about developmental changes in intra-individual variability, and how these changes relate to cognitive performance. Twenty subjects with ADHD aged 7–24 years and 20 age-matched, typically developing controls participated in an fMRI-scan while they performed a go-no-go task. We fit an ex-Gaussian distribution on the response distribution to objectively separate extremely slow responses, related to lapses of attention, from variability on fast responses. We assessed developmental changes in these intra-individual variability measures, and investigated their relation to no-go performance. Results show that the ex-Gaussian measures were better predictors of no-go performance than traditional measures of reaction time. Furthermore, we found between-group differences in the change in ex-Gaussian parameters with age, and their relation to task performance: subjects with ADHD showed age-related decreases in their variability on fast responses (sigma, but not in lapses of attention (tau, whereas control subjects showed a decrease in both measures of variability. For control subjects, but not subjects with ADHD, this age-related reduction in variability was predictive of task performance. This group difference was reflected in neural activation: for typically developing subjects, the age-related decrease in intra-individual variability on fast responses (sigma predicted activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (dACG, whereas for subjects with ADHD, activity in this region was related to improved no-go performance with age, but not to intra-individual variability. These data show that using more sophisticated measures of intra-individual variability allows the capturing of the dynamics of task performance and associated neural changes not permitted by more traditional measures.

Combat Ready Crew Performance Measurement System. Phase IIID. Specifications and Implementation Plan

Science.gov (United States)

1974-12-01

CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMSERf»; F41609-7 l-C-0008 10 PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT, TASK AREA a WORK UNIT NUMBERS 11230101 12. REPORT DATE...the alteratives should be reconsidered. Software, like Disneyland shoSd never be complete as long as there is creative imagination. Historically

17 CFR 242.404 - Type, form and use of margin.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... accordingly; (ii) The security futures intermediary (or clearing agency or derivatives clearing organization... value; (ii) Each net long or short position in a listed option on a contract for future delivery shall... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS M, SHO, ATS, AC, AND NMS AND CUSTOMER MARGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITY FUTURES...

Field performance and genetic makeup of RU1001161, a good quality selection from crosses between weed-suppressive indica rice and commercial U.S. southern long grains

Science.gov (United States)

Sustainable, economically viable weed control is an ongoing challenge in U.S. rice production, particularly in light of increased resistance to herbicides in populations of Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyardgrass) and other weed species. Indica rice lines such as PI 312777 and PI 338046 have been sho...

On the universality of the long-/short-range separation in multiconfigurational density-functional theory. II. Investigating f⁰ actinide species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fromager, Emmanuel; Réal, Florent; Wåhlin, Pernilla

2009-01-01

In a previous paper [Fromager , J. Chem. Phys. 126, 074111 (2007)], some of the authors proposed a recipe for choosing the optimal value of the mu parameter that controls the long-range/short-range separation of the two-electron interaction in hybrid multiconfigurational self-consistent field sho...

Central GLP-2 enhances hepatic insulin sensitivity via activating PI3K signaling in POMC neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Glucagon-like peptides (GLP-1/GLP-2) are coproduced and highlighted as key modulators to improve glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity after bariatric surgery. However, it is unknown if CNS GLP-2 plays any physiological role in the control of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. We sho...

Contributions of internal climate variability to mitigation of projected future regional sea level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, A.; Bates, S. C.

2017-12-01

Observations indicate that the global mean surface temperature is rising, so does the global mean sea level. Sea level rise (SLR) can impose significant impacts on island and coastal communities, especially when SLR is compounded with storm surges. Here, via analyzing results from two sets of ensemble simulations from the Community Earth System Model version 1, we investigate how the potential SLR benefits through mitigating the future emission scenarios from business as usual to a mild-mitigation over the 21st Century would be affected by internal climate variability. Results show that there is almost no SLR benefit in the near term due to the large SLR variability due to the internal ocean dynamics. However, toward the end of the 21st century, the SLR benefit can be as much as a 26±1% reduction of the global mean SLR due to seawater thermal expansion. Regionally, the benefits from this mitigation for both near and long terms are heterogeneous. They vary from just a 11±5% SLR reduction in Melbourne, Australia to a 35±6% reduction in London. The processes contributing to these regional differences are the coupling of the wind-driven ocean circulation with the decadal scale sea surface temperature mode in the Pacific and Southern Oceans, and the changes of the thermohaline circulation and the mid-latitude air-sea coupling in the Atlantic.

Performance and emission characteristics of LPG powered four stroke SI engine under variable stroke length and compression ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, Hakan; Yamin, Jehad A.A.

2008-01-01

A computer simulation of a variable stroke length, LPG fuelled, four stroke, single cylinder, water cooled spark ignition engine was done. The engine capacity was varied by varying the stroke length of the engine, which also changed its compression ratio. The simulation model developed was verified with experimental results from the literature for both constant and variable stroke engines. The performance of the engine was simulated at each stroke length/compression ratio combination. The simulation results clearly indicate the advantages and utility of variable stroke engines in fuel economy and power issues. Using the variable stroke technique has significantly improved the engine's performance and emission characteristics within the range studied. The brake torque and power have registered an increase of about 7-54% at low speed and 7-57% at high speed relative to the original engine design and for all stroke lengths and engine speeds studied. The brake specific fuel consumption has registered variations from a reduction of about 6% to an increase of about 3% at low speed and from a reduction of about 6% to an increase of about 8% at high speed relative to the original engine design and for all stroke lengths and engine speeds studied. On the other hand, an increase of pollutants of about 0.65-2% occurred at low speed. Larger stroke lengths resulted in a reduction of the pollutants level of about 1.5% at higher speeds. At lower stroke lengths, on the other hand, an increase of about 2% occurred. Larger stroke lengths resulted in increased exhaust temperature and, hence, make the exhaust valve work under high temperature

Principal Components as a Data Reduction and Noise Reduction Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Imhoff, M. L.; Campbell, W. J.

1982-01-01

The potential of principal components as a pipeline data reduction technique for thematic mapper data was assessed and principal components analysis and its transformation as a noise reduction technique was examined. Two primary factors were considered: (1) how might data reduction and noise reduction using the principal components transformation affect the extraction of accurate spectral classifications; and (2) what are the real savings in terms of computer processing and storage costs of using reduced data over the full 7-band TM complement. An area in central Pennsylvania was chosen for a study area. The image data for the project were collected using the Earth Resources Laboratory's thematic mapper simulator (TMS) instrument.

Improved flux calculations for viscous incompressible flow by the variable penalty method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kheshgi, H.; Luskin, M.

1985-01-01

The Navier-Stokes system for viscous, incompressible flow is considered, taking into account a replacement of the continuity equation by the perturbed continuity equation. The introduction of the approximation allows the pressure variable to be eliminated to obtain the system of equations for the approximate velocity. The penalty approximation is often applied to numerical discretizations since it provides a reduction in the size and band-width of the system of equations. Attention is given to error estimates, and to two numerical experiments which illustrate the error estimates considered. It is found that the variable penalty method provides an accurate solution for a much wider range of epsilon than the classical penalty method. 8 references

Sexual Homicide by Older Male Offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Wade C; Chan, Heng Choon Oliver; Mariano, Timothy Y; Safarik, Mark E; Geberth, Vernon J

2017-07-01

Recent research has expanded our understanding of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs). However, little exists beyond case reports for older SHOs. We characterized male SHOs ≥ 55 years, comparing them to typical adult male SHOs who are in their 20s. Analysis of 37 years (1976-2012) of US Supplementary Homicide Reports data provided a large SHO sample (N = 3453). Three case reports provide clinical context for the diverse nature and patterns of older SHOs. Only 32 older male SHOs and no older female SHOs were identified. Murders by older SHOs accounted for only 0.5% of US sexual homicides. Unlike typical SHOs that generally target young adult females, over two-thirds of older SHO victims were ≥40 years, and one-third were ≥55 years. Sexual homicides by older SHOs, like sexual homicide in general, decreased over the study period. These crimes, while exceedingly rare, do occur, warranting special consideration. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Quantification and scaling of multipartite entanglement in continuous variable systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Adesso, Gerardo; Serafini, Alessio; Illuminati, Fabrizio

2004-11-26

We present a theoretical method to determine the multipartite entanglement between different partitions of multimode, fully or partially symmetric Gaussian states of continuous variable systems. For such states, we determine the exact expression of the logarithmic negativity and show that it coincides with that of equivalent two-mode Gaussian states. Exploiting this reduction, we demonstrate the scaling of the multipartite entanglement with the number of modes and its reliable experimental estimate by direct measurements of the global and local purities.

The Importance of Conditioned Stimuli in Cigarette and E-Cigarette Craving Reduction by E-Cigarettes.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Heel, Martijn; Van Gucht, Dinska; Vanbrabant, Koen; Baeyens, Frank

2017-02-15

This study examined the impact of four variables pertaining to the use of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) on cravings for tobacco cigarettes and for e-cigs after an overnight abstinence period. The four variables were the nicotine level, the sensorimotor component, the visual aspect, and the aroma of the e-cig. In an experimental study, 81 participants without prior vaping experience first got acquainted with using e-cigs in a one-week tryout period, after which they participated in a lab session assessing the effect of five minutes of vaping following an abstinence period of 12 h. A mixed-effects model clearly showed the importance of nicotine in craving reduction. However, also non-nicotine factors, in particular the sensorimotor component, were shown to contribute to craving reduction. Handling cues interacted with the level (presence/absence) of nicotine: it was only when the standard hand-to-mouth action cues were omitted that the craving reducing effects of nicotine were observed. Effects of aroma or visual cues were not observed, or weak and difficult to interpret, respectively.

The Importance of Conditioned Stimuli in Cigarette and E-Cigarette Craving Reduction by E-Cigarettes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martijn Van Heel

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This study examined the impact of four variables pertaining to the use of e-cigarettes (e-cigs on cravings for tobacco cigarettes and for e-cigs after an overnight abstinence period. The four variables were the nicotine level, the sensorimotor component, the visual aspect, and the aroma of the e-cig. In an experimental study, 81 participants without prior vaping experience first got acquainted with using e-cigs in a one-week tryout period, after which they participated in a lab session assessing the effect of five minutes of vaping following an abstinence period of 12 h. A mixed-effects model clearly showed the importance of nicotine in craving reduction. However, also non-nicotine factors, in particular the sensorimotor component, were shown to contribute to craving reduction. Handling cues interacted with the level (presence/absence of nicotine: it was only when the standard hand-to-mouth action cues were omitted that the craving reducing effects of nicotine were observed. Effects of aroma or visual cues were not observed, or weak and difficult to interpret, respectively.

The Importance of Conditioned Stimuli in Cigarette and E-Cigarette Craving Reduction by E-Cigarettes

Science.gov (United States)

Van Heel, Martijn; Van Gucht, Dinska; Vanbrabant, Koen; Baeyens, Frank

2017-01-01

This study examined the impact of four variables pertaining to the use of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) on cravings for tobacco cigarettes and for e-cigs after an overnight abstinence period. The four variables were the nicotine level, the sensorimotor component, the visual aspect, and the aroma of the e-cig. In an experimental study, 81 participants without prior vaping experience first got acquainted with using e-cigs in a one-week tryout period, after which they participated in a lab session assessing the effect of five minutes of vaping following an abstinence period of 12 h. A mixed-effects model clearly showed the importance of nicotine in craving reduction. However, also non-nicotine factors, in particular the sensorimotor component, were shown to contribute to craving reduction. Handling cues interacted with the level (presence/absence) of nicotine: it was only when the standard hand-to-mouth action cues were omitted that the craving reducing effects of nicotine were observed. Effects of aroma or visual cues were not observed, or weak and difficult to interpret, respectively. PMID:28212302

Robustness of MEK-ERK Dynamics and Origins of Cell-to-Cell Variability in MAPK Signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Filippi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cellular signaling processes can exhibit pronounced cell-to-cell variability in genetically identical cells. This affects how individual cells respond differentially to the same environmental stimulus. However, the origins of cell-to-cell variability in cellular signaling systems remain poorly understood. Here, we measure the dynamics of phosphorylated MEK and ERK across cell populations and quantify the levels of population heterogeneity over time using high-throughput image cytometry. We use a statistical modeling framework to show that extrinsic noise, particularly that from upstream MEK, is the dominant factor causing cell-to-cell variability in ERK phosphorylation, rather than stochasticity in the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of ERK. We furthermore show that without extrinsic noise in the core module, variable (including noisy signals would be faithfully reproduced downstream, but the within-module extrinsic variability distorts these signals and leads to a drastic reduction in the mutual information between incoming signal and ERK activity.

ldr: An R Software Package for Likelihood-Based Su?cient Dimension Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kofi Placid Adragni

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In regression settings, a su?cient dimension reduction (SDR method seeks the core information in a p-vector predictor that completely captures its relationship with a response. The reduced predictor may reside in a lower dimension d < p, improving ability to visualize data and predict future observations, and mitigating dimensionality issues when carrying out further analysis. We introduce ldr, a new R software package that implements three recently proposed likelihood-based methods for SDR: covariance reduction, likelihood acquired directions, and principal fitted components. All three methods reduce the dimensionality of the data by pro jection into lower dimensional subspaces. The package also implements a variable screening method built upon principal ?tted components which makes use of ?exible basis functions to capture the dependencies between the predictors and the response. Examples are given to demonstrate likelihood-based SDR analyses using ldr, including estimation of the dimension of reduction subspaces and selection of basis functions. The ldr package provides a framework that we hope to grow into a comprehensive library of likelihood-based SDR methodologies.

The Differential Effects of Social Media Sites for Promoting Cancer Risk Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauckner, Carolyn; Whitten, Pamela

2016-09-01

Social media are potentially valuable tools for disseminating cancer education messages, but the differential effects of various sites on persuasive outcomes are unknown. In an effort to inform future health promotion, this research tested the effects of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs for delivering a cancer risk reduction message. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly placed in several conditions that delivered the same message but with different forms of social media. Effects on comprehension and attitudes were examined, as they are important variables in the behavior change process. YouTube led to higher comprehension and stronger attitudes toward cancer risk reduction than Twitter, but there were no differences between other sites. Additionally, YouTube led to stronger attitudes toward cancer risk reduction as compared to Facebook, but not any other sites. These results demonstrate that, even if the message is kept constant, the form of social media used to deliver content can have an effect on persuasive outcomes. More research is needed to determine the mechanisms behind the differences found, however. Altogether, this line of research is valuable for any individuals seeking to use social media for health promotion purposes and could have direct implications for the development of cancer risk reduction campaigns.

Reduction in language testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimova, Slobodanka; Jensen, Christian

2013-01-01

/video recorded speech samples and written reports produced by two experienced raters after testing. Our findings suggest that reduction or reduction-like pronunciation features are found in tested L2 speech, but whenever raters identify and comment on such reductions, they tend to assess reductions negatively......This study represents an initial exploration of raters' comments and actual realisations of form reductions in L2 test speech performances. Performances of three L2 speakers were selected as case studies and illustrations of how reductions are evaluated by the raters. The analysis is based on audio...

Effects of weight loss diet therapy on anthropometric measurements and biochemical variables in schizophrenic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Urhan, Murat; Ergün, Can; Aksoy, Meral; Ayer, Ahmet

2015-07-01

Prevalence of obesity in schizophrenic patients is two to three times higher than in the general population and unhealthy dietary patterns, a sedentary lifestyle and antipsychotic medication use may contribute to the higher levels of obesity among schizophrenic patients. We evaluated the effects of diet therapy on weight loss, anthropometric and biochemical variables in overweight or obese (body mass index, BMI ≥ 27 kg/m(2)) female schizophrenic patients who use antipsychotic medications and in healthy volunteers. Primary demographic variables were collected via questionnaire; blood samples and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Personalized diet recipes were prepared and nutritional education was shared. We logged the physical activity of the patients and maintained food consumption records at 3-day intervals. Participants were weighed every week; anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected at the end of the first and second months. At the end of the study, reductions in body weight and other anthropometric measurements were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Reductions in body weight and BMI values for patient group were - 4.05 ± 1.73 kg and - 1.62 ± 0.73 kg/m(2) and for the control group were - 6.79 ± 1.80 kg and - 2.55 ± 0.64 kg/m(2), respectively. When compared with the patient group, reductions in the anthropometric variables of the control group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Fasting glucose, blood lipids, albumin and leptin levels were decreased; insulin and homeostatic model assessment-measured insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were increased insignificantly. Increases in the blood ghrelin levels for both groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Improvements to the diets of schizophrenic patient led to improvements in anthropometric measurements and biochemical variables and reduced the health risks caused by antipsychotic medications. Furthermore, we hypothesize that antipsychotic medications do not

The estimated effect of mass or footprint reduction in recent light-duty vehicles on U.S. societal fatality risk per vehicle mile traveled.

Science.gov (United States)

Wenzel, Tom

2013-10-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently updated its 2003 and 2010 logistic regression analyses of the effect of a reduction in light-duty vehicle mass on US societal fatality risk per vehicle mile traveled (VMT; Kahane, 2012). Societal fatality risk includes the risk to both the occupants of the case vehicle as well as any crash partner or pedestrians. The current analysis is the most thorough investigation of this issue to date. This paper replicates the Kahane analysis and extends it by testing the sensitivity of his results to changes in the definition of risk, and the data and control variables used in the regression models. An assessment by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) indicates that the estimated effect of mass reduction on risk is smaller than in Kahane's previous studies, and is statistically non-significant for all but the lightest cars (Wenzel, 2012a). The estimated effects of a reduction in mass or footprint (i.e. wheelbase times track width) are small relative to other vehicle, driver, and crash variables used in the regression models. The recent historical correlation between mass and footprint is not so large to prohibit including both variables in the same regression model; excluding footprint from the model, i.e. allowing footprint to decrease with mass, increases the estimated detrimental effect of mass reduction on risk in cars and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs)/minivans, but has virtually no effect on light trucks. Analysis by footprint deciles indicates that risk does not consistently increase with reduced mass for vehicles of similar footprint. Finally, the estimated effects of mass and footprint reduction are sensitive to the measure of exposure used (fatalities per induced exposure crash, rather than per VMT), as well as other changes in the data or control variables used. It appears that the safety penalty from lower mass can be mitigated with careful vehicle design, and that manufacturers can

Factors related to reduction in the consumption of fast food: application of the theory-based approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeinab Jalambadani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background. The Trans-Theoretical model (TTM and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB may be promising models for understanding and predicting reduction in the consumption of fast food. The aim of this study was to examine the applicability of the Trans-Theoretical model (TTM and the additional predictive role of the subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in predicting reduction consumption of fast food in obese Iranian adolescent girls. Materials and methods. A cross sectional study design was conducted among twelve randomly selected schools in Sabzevar, Iran from 2015 to 2017. Four hundred eighty five randomly selected students consented to participate in the study. Hierarchical regression models used to predict the role of important variables that can influence the reduction in the consumption of fast food among students. using SPSS version 22. Results. Variables Perceived behavioural control (r=0.58, P<0.001, Subjective norms (r=0.51, P<0.001, self-efficacy (r=0.49, P<0.001, decisional balance (pros (r=0.29, P<0.001, decisional balance (cons (r=0.25, P<0.001, stage of change (r=0.38, P<0.001, were significantly and positively correlated while experiential processes of change (r=0.08, P=0.135 and behavioural processes of change (r=0.09, P=0.145, were not significant.Conclusions. The study demonstrated that the TTM (except the experiential and behavioural processes of change focusing on the perceived behavioural control and subjective norms are useful models for reduction in the consumption of fast food.

Process energy reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowthian, W.E.

1993-01-01

Process Energy Reduction (PER) is a demand-side energy reduction approach which complements and often supplants other traditional energy reduction methods such as conservation and heat recovery. Because the application of PER is less obvious than the traditional methods, it takes some time to learn the steps as well as practice to become proficient in its use. However, the benefit is significant, often far outweighing the traditional energy reduction approaches. Furthermore, the method usually results in a better process having less waste and pollution along with improved yields, increased capacity, and lower operating costs

Kinetics and Products of Chromium(VI) Reduction by Iron(II/III)-Bearing Clay Minerals.

Science.gov (United States)

Joe-Wong, Claresta; Brown, Gordon E; Maher, Kate

2017-09-05

Hexavalent chromium is a water-soluble pollutant, the mobility of which can be controlled by reduction of Cr(VI) to less soluble, environmentally benign Cr(III). Iron(II/III)-bearing clay minerals are widespread potential reductants of Cr(VI), but the kinetics and pathways of Cr(VI) reduction by such clay minerals are poorly understood. We reacted aqueous Cr(VI) with two abiotically reduced clay minerals: an Fe-poor montmorillonite and an Fe-rich nontronite. The effects of ionic strength, pH, total Fe content, and the fraction of reduced structural Fe(II) [Fe(II)/Fe(total)] were examined. The last variable had the largest effect on Cr(VI) reduction kinetics: for both clay minerals, the rate constant of Cr(VI) reduction varies by more than 3 orders of magnitude with Fe(II)/Fe(total) and is described by a linear free energy relationship. Under all conditions examined, Cr and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra show that the main Cr-bearing product is a Cr(III)-hydroxide and that Fe remains in the clay structure after reacting with Cr(VI). This study helps to quantify our understanding of the kinetics of Cr(VI) reduction by Fe(II/III)-bearing clay minerals and may improve predictions of Cr(VI) behavior in subsurface environments.

Variable valve trains for internal combustion engines to control the valve height and the opening time; Variable Ventiltriebe fuer Verbrennungsmotoren zur Veraenderung von Ventilhub und Oeffnungsdauer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Gunther [ThyssenKrupp Presta TecCenter AG, Eschen (Liechtenstein). R and D Projects

2009-11-15

The PDVC (Presta Delta Valve Control) continuously variable valve lift system is a mechanical system of valve control for achieving optimum performance and resulting in improved fuel consumption and reduced emissions across the entire operating range of the combustion engine. The continuous variability allows for engine load control by adjusting the valve height and therefore can also be used to replace the traditional throttle. The advantages are lower fuel consumption, reduction in emissions, quicker engine response, higher torque during the low speed range as well as more stable idling. The PSVC (Presta Shiftable Valve Control) is a 3 step shiftable valve lift system that offers the possibility to achieve a major part of these performance and associated consumption benefits with a simpler and therefore more cost-effective system. (orig.)

Thermodynamic analysis of the reduction process of Colombian lateritic nickel ore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, S. C.; Garces, A.; Restrepo, O. J.; Lara, M. A.; Camporredondo, J. E.

2015-01-01

The Colombian nickeliferous laterites are minerals used for the nickel extraction by hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. In this work the thermodynamic behaviour of three Colombian lateritic mineral samples are described, with contents of 1.42%, 1.78% y 2.04% of nickel, when they are subjected to the calcination and reduction processes. The mineral was characterized using X Rays Diffraction and X Rays Fluorescence, giving evidence of the presence of mineralogical species such as nepouite (Ni 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ), goethite (Fe 2 O 3 .H 2 O), silica (SiO 2 ), antigorite (Mg 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ) and fosferite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ). The thermodynamic analysis was conducted using the software HSC Chemistry for Windows 5.1 and was focused in the quantitative determination of the chemical evolution of the mixture of these minerals with variable quantities of coal, in function of temperature. The results produced by the program showed, in the equilibrium, the feasibility of complete reduction of the nickel, and additionally, a considerable high percentage of reduction of iron oxides (up to 99%) using ratio C/O .1 at temperatures close to 1100 degree centigrade. (Author)

Effect of dose reduction on the detection of mammographic lesions: A mathematical observer model analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chawla, Amarpreet S.; Samei, Ehsan; Saunders, Robert; Abbey, Craig; Delong, David

2007-01-01

The effect of reduction in dose levels normally used in mammographic screening procedures on the detection of breast lesions were analyzed. Four types of breast lesions were simulated and inserted into clinically-acquired digital mammograms. Dose reduction by 50% and 75% of the original clinically-relevant exposure levels were simulated by adding corresponding simulated noise into the original mammograms. The mammograms were converted into luminance values corresponding to those displayed on a clinical soft-copy display station and subsequently analyzed by Laguerre-Gauss and Gabor channelized Hotelling observer models for differences in detectability performance with reduction in radiation dose. Performance was measured under a signal known exactly but variable detection task paradigm in terms of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curves. The results suggested that luminance mapping of digital mammograms affects performance of model observers. Reduction in dose levels by 50% lowered the detectability of masses with borderline statistical significance. Dose reduction did not have a statistically significant effect on detection of microcalcifications. The model results indicate that there is room for optimization of dose level in mammographic screening procedures

The Impact of Accounting Methods on Cost Reduction Rates in Defense Aerospace Weapons System Programs

Science.gov (United States)

1988-12-01

and adhered to in U.S. industry, allow some flexibility in accounting. Under GAAP , accounting areas such as depreciation , inventory, investment tax... depreciation , inventory and investment tax credit) in predicting cost reduction rates are studied. Of the three accounting variables, only inventory...RATES .. ................. ........... 5 1. Depreciation ........ ............... 6 2. Capitalizing or Expensing of Costs . . .. 6 3. Material Costs

Current Concepts in the Mandibular Condyle Fracture Management Part II: Open Reduction Versus Closed Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang-Young Choi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In the treatment of mandibular condyle fracture, conservative treatment using closedreduction or surgical treatment using open reduction can be used. Management of mandibularcondylar fractures remains a source of ongoing controversy in oral and maxillofacial trauma.For each type of condylar fracture,the treatment method must be chosen taking intoconsideration the presence of teeth, fracture height, patient’sadaptation, patient’s masticatorysystem, disturbance of occlusal function, and deviation of the mandible. In the past, closedreduction with concomitant active physical therapy conducted after intermaxillary fixationduring the recovery period had been mainly used, but in recent years, open treatment ofcondylar fractures with rigid internal fixation has become more common. The objectiveof this review was to evaluate the main variables that determine the choice of an open orclosed method for treatment of condylar fractures, identifying their indications, advantages,and disadvantages, and to appraise the current evidence regarding the effectiveness ofinterventions that are used in the management of fractures of the mandibular condyle.

Studying radon exhalation rates variability from phosphogypsum piles in the SW of Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Coto, I., E-mail: israel.lopez@dfa.uhu.es [Dpto. Física Aplicada, Facultad CC. Experimentales, University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen s/n, 21007 Huelva (Spain); Mas, J.L. [Dpto. Física Aplicada I. Escuela Politécnica Superior, University of Sevilla, C/Virgen de Africa 7, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Vargas, A. [Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Instituto de Técnicas Energéticas, Campus Sud Edificio ETSEIB, Planta 0, Pabellón C, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Bolívar, J.P. [Dpto. Física Aplicada, Facultad CC. Experimentales, University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen s/n, 21007 Huelva (Spain)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • Variability of radon exhalation rates from PG piles has been studied using numerical simulation supported by experimental data. • Most relevant parameters controlling the exhalation rate are radon potential and moisture saturation. • Piling up the waste increasing the height instead of the surface allows the reduction of the exhalation rate. • A proposed cover here is expected to allow exhalation rates reductions up to 95%. - Abstract: Nearly 1.0 × 10{sup 8} tonnes of phosphogypsum were accumulated during last 50 years on a 1200 ha disposal site near Huelva town (SW of Spain). Previous measurements of exhalation rates offered very variable values, in such a way that a worst case scenario could not be established. Here, new experimental data coupled to numerical simulations show that increasing the moisture contents or the temperature reduces the exhalation rate whilst increasing the radon potential or porosity has the contrary effect. Once the relative effects are compared, it can be drawn that the most relevant parameters controlling the exhalation rate are radon potential (product of emanation factor by {sup 226}Ra concentration) and moisture saturation of PG. From wastes management point of view, it can be concluded that piling up the waste increasing the height instead of the surface allows the reduction of the exhalation rate. Furthermore, a proposed cover here is expected to allow exhalation rates reductions up to 95%. We established that the worst case scenario corresponds to a situation of extremely dry winter. Under these conditions, the radon exhalation rate (0.508 Bq m{sup −2} s{sup −1}) would be below though close to the upper limit established by U.S.E.P.A. for inactive phopsphogypsum piles (0.722 Bq m{sup −2} s{sup −1})

Determination of reduction yield of lithium metal reduction process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, In Kyu; Cho, Young Hwan; Kim, Taek Jin; Jee, Kwang Young

2004-01-01

Metal reduction of spent oxide fuel is the first step for the effective storage of spent fuel in Korea as well as transmutation purpose of long-lived radio-nuclides. During the reduction of uranium oxide by lithium metal to uranium metal, lithium oxide is stoichiometrically produced. By determining the concentration of lithium oxide in lithium chloride, we can estimate that how much uranium oxide is converted to uranium metal. Previous method to determine the lithium oxide concentration in lithium chloride is tedious and timing consuming. This paper describe the on-line monitoring method of lithium oxide during the reduction process

Independent SU(2)-loop variables and the reduced configuration space of SU(2)-lattice gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loll, R.

1992-01-01

We give a reduction procedure for SU(2)-trace variables and an explicit description of the reduced configuration sace of pure SU(2)-gauge theory on the hypercubic lattices in two, three and four dimensions, using an independent subset of the gauge-invariant Wilson loops. (orig.)

The odd side of torsion geometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conti, Diego; Madsen, Thomas Bruun

2014-01-01

We introduce and study a notion of `Sasaki with torsion structure' (ST) as an odd-dimensional analogue of Kähler with torsion geometry (KT). These are normal almost contact metric manifolds that admit a unique compatible connection with 3-form torsion. Any odd-dimensional compact Lie group is sho...

17 CFR 242.607 - Customer account statements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Customer account statements... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS M, SHO, ATS, AC, AND NMS AND CUSTOMER MARGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITY FUTURES Regulation Nms-Regulation of the National Market System § 242.607 Customer account statements. (a) No broker...

Optimal placement of MIMO antenna pairs with different quality factors in smart-phone platforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tatomirescu, Alexandru; Alrabadi, Osama; Pedersen, Gert Frølund

2013-01-01

In this contribution, an investigation on the use of tunable antennas for a compact implementation of multi input multi output (MIMO) phones has been done. The position of the exciting elements has been investigated as well as the antenna's bandwidth impact on the mutual coupling. It has been sho...

Population genomics reveal recent speciation and rapid evolutionary adaptation in polar bears

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Shiping; Lorenzen, Eline; Fumagalli, Matteo

2014-01-01

Polar bears are uniquely adapted to life in the High Arctic and have undergone drastic physiological changes in response to Arctic climates and a hyperlipid diet of primarily marine mammal prey. We analyzed 89 complete genomes of polar bear and brown bear using population genomic modeling and sho...

Operation REDWING. Technical Summary of Military Effects. Programs 1-9

Science.gov (United States)

1981-05-15

ablation of the above three metals. and plastic experienced substantially lese than any of the metals for the expoaure conditons on Shot Erie. It wras sho...34=ples showed no noteworthy change in strength caracteristics as a result of the radiant exposure. However, tests conducted on similar specimens

Concentration compared with total urinary excretion of 11,17-DOA in cynomolgus monkey urine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hau, Jann; Royo, F

2008-01-01

Strees sensitive molecules exhibit great variation in concentration in the circulation and it may often be advantageous to quantify these in urine or feces rather than in serum or plasma. We advocate that all urine-or feces-should be collected, and that excretion of stress sensitive molecules sho...

The effects of sleep extension on sleep and cognitive performance in adolescents with chronic sleep reduction: an experimental study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewald-Kaufmann, J.F.; Oort, F.J.; Meijer, A.M.

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effects of gradual sleep extension in adolescents with chronic sleep reduction. Outcome variables were objectively measured sleep and cognitive performance. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either a sleep extension group (gradual sleep extension by

Computational Performance Optimisation for Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Nano-CMOS Variability on Integrated Circuits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Xie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The intrinsic variability of nanoscale VLSI technology must be taken into account when analyzing circuit designs to predict likely yield. Monte-Carlo- (MC- and quasi-MC- (QMC- based statistical techniques do this by analysing many randomised or quasirandomised copies of circuits. The randomisation must model forms of variability that occur in nano-CMOS technology, including “atomistic” effects without intradie correlation and effects with intradie correlation between neighbouring devices. A major problem is the computational cost of carrying out sufficient analyses to produce statistically reliable results. The use of principal components analysis, behavioural modeling, and an implementation of “Statistical Blockade” (SB is shown to be capable of achieving significant reduction in the computational costs. A computation time reduction of 98.7% was achieved for a commonly used asynchronous circuit element. Replacing MC by QMC analysis can achieve further computation reduction, and this is illustrated for more complex circuits, with the results being compared with those of transistor-level simulations. The “yield prediction” analysis of SRAM arrays is taken as a case study, where the arrays contain up to 1536 transistors modelled using parameters appropriate to 35 nm technology. It is reported that savings of up to 99.85% in computation time were obtained.

Reduction of Working Time: Does It Lead to a Healthy Lifestyle?

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Taehyun

2016-08-01

I examine whether working hours have a causal effect on the health behaviors of workers. In assessing the causal relationship, I estimate fixed-effects instrumental variable models by using exogenous variation in adopting a reduced workweek in South Korea as an instrument for work hours. The estimation results reveal that shortening work hours induces individuals to exercise regularly and decreases the likelihood of smoking, with more pronounced effects for heavy smokers. While a work-hour reduction substantially increases the probability of drinking participation, it does not significantly affect the likelihood of frequent or daily drinking habits. In addition, the effect of a work-hour reduction on regular exercise is salient among women and older groups, and the effect on smoking behaviors is more pronounced among men and middle-aged groups. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modern Reduction Methods

CERN Document Server

Andersson, Pher G

2008-01-01

With its comprehensive overview of modern reduction methods, this book features high quality contributions allowing readers to find reliable solutions quickly and easily. The monograph treats the reduction of carbonyles, alkenes, imines and alkynes, as well as reductive aminations and cross and heck couplings, before finishing off with sections on kinetic resolutions and hydrogenolysis. An indispensable lab companion for every chemist.

Individual Movement Variability Magnitudes Are Explained by Cortical Neural Variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Haar, Shlomi; Donchin, Opher; Dinstein, Ilan

2017-09-13

Humans exhibit considerable motor variability even across trivial reaching movements. This variability can be separated into specific kinematic components such as extent and direction that are thought to be governed by distinct neural processes. Here, we report that individual subjects (males and females) exhibit different magnitudes of kinematic variability, which are consistent (within individual) across movements to different targets and regardless of which arm (right or left) was used to perform the movements. Simultaneous fMRI recordings revealed that the same subjects also exhibited different magnitudes of fMRI variability across movements in a variety of motor system areas. These fMRI variability magnitudes were also consistent across movements to different targets when performed with either arm. Cortical fMRI variability in the posterior-parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement-extent variability. This relationship was apparent only in posterior-parietal cortex and not in other motor system areas, thereby suggesting that individuals with more variable movement preparation exhibit larger kinematic variability. We therefore propose that neural and kinematic variability are reliable and interrelated individual characteristics that may predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct motor capabilities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity and movement kinematics are remarkably variable. Although intertrial variability is rarely studied, here, we demonstrate that individual human subjects exhibit distinct magnitudes of neural and kinematic variability that are reproducible across movements to different targets and when performing these movements with either arm. Furthermore, when examining the relationship between cortical variability and movement variability, we find that cortical fMRI variability in parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement extent variability. This enabled us to explain why some subjects

Defective glycinergic synaptic transmission in zebrafish motility mutants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiromi Hirata

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using molecular genetics. An ENU mutagenesis screen identified two behavioral mutants that are defective in glycinergic synaptic transmission. Zebrafish bandoneon (beo mutants have a defect in glrbb, one of the duplicated glycine receptor (GlyR β subunit genes. These mutants exhibit a loss of glycinergic synaptic transmission due to a lack of synaptic aggregation of GlyRs. Due to the consequent loss of reciprocal inhibition of motor circuits between the two sides of the spinal cord, motor neurons activate simultaneously on both sides resulting in bilateral contraction of axial muscles of beo mutants, eliciting the so-called ‘accordion’ phenotype. Similar defects in GlyR subunit genes have been observed in several mammals and are the basis for human hyperekplexia/startle disease. By contrast, zebrafish shocked (sho mutants have a defect in slc6a9, encoding GlyT1, a glycine transporter that is expressed by astroglial cells surrounding the glycinergic synapse in the hindbrain and spinal cord. GlyT1 mediates rapid uptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft, terminating synaptic transmission. In zebrafish sho mutants, there appears to be elevated extracellular glycine resulting in persistent inhibition of postsynaptic neurons and subsequent reduced motility, causing the ‘twitch once’ phenotype. We review current knowledge regarding zebrafish ‘accordion’ and ‘twitch once’ mutants, including beo and sho, and report the identification of a new α2 subunit that revises the phylogeny of zebrafish GlyRs.

Defective Glycinergic Synaptic Transmission in Zebrafish Motility Mutants

Science.gov (United States)

Hirata, Hiromi; Carta, Eloisa; Yamanaka, Iori; Harvey, Robert J.; Kuwada, John Y.

2009-01-01

Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using molecular genetics. An ENU mutagenesis screen identified two behavioral mutants that are defective in glycinergic synaptic transmission. Zebrafish bandoneon (beo) mutants have a defect in glrbb, one of the duplicated glycine receptor (GlyR) β subunit genes. These mutants exhibit a loss of glycinergic synaptic transmission due to a lack of synaptic aggregation of GlyRs. Due to the consequent loss of reciprocal inhibition of motor circuits between the two sides of the spinal cord, motor neurons activate simultaneously on both sides resulting in bilateral contraction of axial muscles of beo mutants, eliciting the so-called ‘accordion’ phenotype. Similar defects in GlyR subunit genes have been observed in several mammals and are the basis for human hyperekplexia/startle disease. By contrast, zebrafish shocked (sho) mutants have a defect in slc6a9, encoding GlyT1, a glycine transporter that is expressed by astroglial cells surrounding the glycinergic synapse in the hindbrain and spinal cord. GlyT1 mediates rapid uptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft, terminating synaptic transmission. In zebrafish sho mutants, there appears to be elevated extracellular glycine resulting in persistent inhibition of postsynaptic neurons and subsequent reduced motility, causing the ‘twitch-once’ phenotype. We review current knowledge regarding zebrafish ‘accordion’ and ‘twitch-once’ mutants, including beo and sho, and report the identification of a new α2 subunit that revises the phylogeny of zebrafish GlyRs. PMID:20161699

Variability of contrail formation conditions and the implications for policies to reduce the climate impacts of aviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Victoria; Noland, Robert B.

2005-01-01

This paper describes an approach to balance the climate benefits of contrail reduction against the penalties incurred when cruise altitudes are restricted. Altitude restrictions are targeted by selecting, for each 6-h period, the altitude that provides the greatest reduction in contrail for the lowest increase in carbon dioxide emission. Calculations are for western Europe. This paper discusses the variability in contrail formation conditions in the region and presents contrail reductions and carbon dioxide emission increases obtained with this optimised approach, which compare favourably with fixed altitude restrictions. A new method is also developed to estimate contrail fractions within three-dimensional grids. Conclusions discuss potential operational issues associated with a varying altitude restriction policy. (Author)

Comparison of pressure between barium reduction and air reduction of the intussusception in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Hwan; Park, Sang Gyu; Park, Choong Ki; Yoon, Jong Sup [Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1989-08-15

There are many method of treatment of the intussusception in children, including surgery, barium reduction, air reduction, and saline enema under ultrasonographic monitoring. Among them, barium reduction and air reduction have been used widely as nonsurgical method of treatment in radiologic department. During barium reduction, the bottle filled with barium solution must not be elevated over a 3 feet from the operating table. In air reduction, diagnostic pressure is about 60 mmHg and pressure during reduction usually is maintained between 90 mmHg and 130 mmHg. The authors have studied about pressure difference of barium solution by changing height of the bottle filled with barium solution, and have compared with pressure in air reduction. The results are as follows; 1. Pressure of 20 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 44.4 mmHg, and 69.6 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 2. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 51.4 mmHg, and 80.1 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 3. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 90cm height is much lower than the pressure maintained during air reduction, and this difference in pressure may be one of the causes of low reduction rate in barium reduction then air reduction. 4. The pressure gradient per 10 cm height is about 8.45 mmHg in 20 w/v % barium solution, about 9.21 mmHg in 30 w/v % barium solution, and about 9.72 mmHg 40 w/v % barium solution. 5. Intraluminal pressure difference between the barium reduction and the air reduction is probably of the major causes of rapid diagnosis and high reduction rate in the air reduction.

Comparison of pressure between barium reduction and air reduction of the intussusception in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Hwan; Park, Sang Gyu; Park, Choong Ki; Yoon, Jong Sup

1989-01-01

There are many method of treatment of the intussusception in children, including surgery, barium reduction, air reduction, and saline enema under ultrasonographic monitoring. Among them, barium reduction and air reduction have been used widely as nonsurgical method of treatment in radiologic department. During barium reduction, the bottle filled with barium solution must not be elevated over a 3 feet from the operating table. In air reduction, diagnostic pressure is about 60 mmHg and pressure during reduction usually is maintained between 90 mmHg and 130 mmHg. The authors have studied about pressure difference of barium solution by changing height of the bottle filled with barium solution, and have compared with pressure in air reduction. The results are as follows; 1. Pressure of 20 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 44.4 mmHg, and 69.6 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 2. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 51.4 mmHg, and 80.1 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 3. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 90cm height is much lower than the pressure maintained during air reduction, and this difference in pressure may be one of the causes of low reduction rate in barium reduction then air reduction. 4. The pressure gradient per 10 cm height is about 8.45 mmHg in 20 w/v % barium solution, about 9.21 mmHg in 30 w/v % barium solution, and about 9.72 mmHg 40 w/v % barium solution. 5. Intraluminal pressure difference between the barium reduction and the air reduction is probably of the major causes of rapid diagnosis and high reduction rate in the air reduction

The effects of sleep extension on sleep and cognitive performance in adolescents with chronic sleep reduction: an experimental study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewald-Kaufmann, J. F.; Oort, F. J.; Meijer, A. M.

2013-01-01

To investigate the effects of gradual sleep extension in adolescents with chronic sleep reduction. Outcome variables were objectively measured sleep and cognitive performance. Participants were randomly assigned to either a sleep extension group (gradual sleep extension by advancing bedtimes in the

Plasma assisted NO{sub x} reduction in existing coal combustors. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, S.C.; Russell, T.

1991-12-31

The feasibility of NO{sub x} reduction using plasma injection has been investigated. Both numerical and experimental methods were used in the development of this new NO{sub x}reduction technique. The numerical analysis was used to investigate various flow mechanisms in order to provide fundamental support in the development of this new NO{sub x} control technique. The calculations using this approach can give the information of the particle trajectories and distributions which are important for the design of the in-flame plasma injection configuration. The group model also established the necessary ground for further complete modeling of the whole process including the chemical kinetics. Numerical calculations were also performed for a turbulent gas flow field with variable properties. The results provided fundamental understanding of mixing effects encountered in the experiments at Pittsburgh Energy and Technology Center. A small scale experiment facility was designed and constructed at the heterogeneous combustion laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University. A series of tests were conducted in this setup to investigate the potential of the ammonia plasma injection for NO{sub x} reduction and parametric effects of this process. The experimental results are very promising. About 86% NO{sub x} reduction was achieved using ammonia radicals produced by argon plasma within the present test range. The total percentage of NO{sub x} reduction increases when ammonia flowrate, argon flow rate and initial NO concentration increase and when plasma power and the amount of excess air in the combustor decrease. A combined transport and reaction model was postulated for understanding the mechanism of NO{sub x} reduction using the plasma injection.

Blood Pressure Variability and Outcome in Patients with Acute Nonlobar Intracerebral Hemorrhage following Intensive Antihypertensive Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Pyeong Jeon

2018-01-01

Conclusions: The MAC of SBP is associated with hematoma growth, and SD and COV are correlated with 3-month poor outcome in patients with supratentorial nonlobar ICH. Therefore, sustained SBP control, with a reduction in SBP variability is essential to reinforce the beneficial effect of intensive antihypertensive treatment.

Cost reduction study for the LANL KrF laser-driven LMF design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report is in fulfillment of the deliverable requirements for the optical components portions of the LANL-KrF Laser-Driven LMF Design Cost Reduction Study. This report examines the future cost reductions that may accrue through the use of mass production, innovative manufacturing techniques, and new materials. Results are based on data collection and survey of optical component manufacturers, BDM experience, and existing cost models. These data provide a good representation of current methods and technologies from which future estimates can be made. From these data, a series of scaling relationships were developed to project future costs for a selected set of technologies. The scaling relationships are sensitive to cost driving parameters such as size and surface figure requirements as well as quantity requirements, production rate, materials, and manufacturing processes. In addition to the scaling relationships, descriptions of the selected processes were developed along with graphical representations of the processes. This report provides a useful tool in projecting the costs of advanced laser concepts at the component level of detail. A mix of the most diverse yet comparable technologies was chosen for this study. This yielded a useful, yet manageable number of variables to examine. The study has resulted in a first-order cost model which predicts the relative cost behavior of optical components within different variable constraints

Reduction of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in production of fermented sausages.

Science.gov (United States)

Holck, Askild L; Axelsson, Lars; Rode, Tone Mari; Høy, Martin; Måge, Ingrid; Alvseike, Ole; L'abée-Lund, Trine M; Omer, Mohamed K; Granum, Per Einar; Heir, Even

2011-11-01

After a number of foodborne outbreaks of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli involving fermented sausages, some countries have imposed regulations on sausage production. For example, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service requires a 5 log(10) reduction of E. coli in fermented products. Such regulations have led to a number of studies on the inactivation of E. coli in fermented sausages by changing processing and post-processing conditions. Several factors influence the survival of E. coli such as pre-treatment of the meat, amount of NaCl, nitrite and lactic acid, water activity, pH, choice of starter cultures and addition of antimicrobial compounds. Also process variables like fermentation temperature and storage time play important roles. Though a large variety of different production processes of sausages exist, generally the reduction of E. coli caused by production is in the range 1-2 log(10). In many cases this may not be enough to ensure microbial food safety. By optimising ingredients and process parameters it is possible to increase E. coli reduction to some extent, but in some cases still other post process treatments may be required. Such treatments may be storage at ambient temperatures, specific heat treatments, high pressure processing or irradiation. HACCP analyses have identified the quality of the raw materials, low temperature in the batter when preparing the sausages and a rapid pH drop during fermentation as critical control points in sausage production. This review summarises the literature on the reduction verotoxigenic E. coli in production of fermented sausages. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased demand-side flexibility: market effects and impacts on variable renewable energy integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Åsa Grytli Tveten

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the effect of increased demand-side flexibility (DSF on integration and market value of variable renewable energy sources (VRE. Using assumed potentials, system-optimal within-day shifts in demand are investigated for the Northern European power markets in 2030, applying a comprehensive partial equilibrium model with high temporal and spatial resolution. Increased DSF is found to cause only a minor (less than 3% reduction in consumers’ cost of electricity. VRE revenues are found to increase (up to 5% and 2% for wind and solar power, respectively, and total VRE curtailment decreases by up to 7.2 TWh. Increased DSF causes only limited reductions in GHG emissions. The emission reduction is, however, sensitive to underlying assumptions. We conclude that increased DSF is a promising measure for improving VRE integration. However, low consumers’ savings imply that policies stimulating DFS will be needed to fully use the potential benefits of DSF for VRE integration

Comparing Pleasure and Pain: The Fundamental Mathematical Equivalence of Reward Gain and Shock Reduction under Variable Interval Schedules

Science.gov (United States)

Mallpress, Dave E. W.; Fawcett, Tim W.; McNamara, John M.; Houston, Alasdair I.

2012-01-01

The relationship between positive and negative reinforcement and the symmetry of Thorndike's law of effect are unresolved issues in operant psychology. Here we show that, for a given pattern of responding on variable interval (VI) schedules with the same programmed rate of food rewards (positive reinforcement VI) or electric shocks (negative…

Climate variability and extremes, interacting with nitrogen storage, amplify eutrophication risk

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Minjin; Shevliakova, Elena; Malyshev, Sergey; Milly, P.C.D.; Jaffe, Peter R.

2016-01-01

Despite 30 years of basin-wide nutrient-reduction efforts, severe hypoxia continues to be observed in the Chesapeake Bay. Here we demonstrate the critical influence of climate variability, interacting with accumulated nitrogen (N) over multidecades, on Susquehanna River dissolved nitrogen (DN) loads, known precursors of the hypoxia in the Bay. We used the process model LM3-TAN (Terrestrial and Aquatic Nitrogen), which is capable of capturing both seasonal and decadal-to-century changes in vegetation-soil-river N storage, and produced nine scenarios of DN-load distributions under different short-term scenarios of climate variability and extremes. We illustrate that after 1 to 3 yearlong dry spells, the likelihood of exceeding a threshold DN load (56 kt yr−1) increases by 40 to 65% due to flushing of N accumulated throughout the dry spells and altered microbial processes. Our analyses suggest that possible future increases in climate variability/extremes—specifically, high precipitation occurring after multiyear dry spells—could likely lead to high DN-load anomalies and hypoxia.

Statistical variability of hydro-meteorological variables as indicators ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Statistical variability of hydro-meteorological variables as indicators of climate change in north-east Sokoto-Rima basin, Nigeria. ... water resources development including water supply project, agriculture and tourism in the study area. Key word: Climate change, Climatic variability, Actual evapotranspiration, Global warming ...

Reduction - competitive tomorrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worley, L.; Bargerstock, S.

1995-01-01

Inventory reduction is one of the few initiatives that represent significant cost-reduction potential that does not result in personnel reduction. Centerior Energy's Perry nuclear power plant has embarked on an aggressive program to reduce inventory while maintaining plant material availability. Material availability to the plant was above 98%, but at an unacceptable 1994 inventory book value of $47 million with inventory carrying costs calculated at 30% annually

75 FR 11231 - Amendments to Regulation SHO

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

... introductory textbook to the economics of market microstructure). As used therein, a liquidity taker is a buyer.... Alternative Uptick Rule 4. Circuit Breaker Approach Generally 5. Circuit Breaker Trigger Level and Duration 6... 31, 2006, the 10% trigger level of Rule 201 would have, on an average day, been triggered for...

Calculation of dose distribution on Rhizophora spp soy protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Some of the commercial solid phantoms were unable to provide a good simulation to water at low and high energy ranges. A potential phantom from Malaysian mangrove wood family, Rhizophoraspp was fabricated with addition of Soy Protein. An Electron Gamma Sho (EGSnrc) code was used to evaluate the dose ...

A novel fish rhabdovirus from Sweden is closely related to the Finnish rhabdovirus 903/87

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Tove; Ostman-Myllyoja, L.; Hellstrom, A.

2002-01-01

A novel rhabdovirus, preliminary designated as the Sea trout rhabdovirus 28/97 (STRV 28/97), was isolated from sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta) in Sweden in 1996. The fish showed central nervous symptoms, and at the autopsy petechial bleedings in the mesenteric fat were visible. STRV 28/97 was sho...

Direct Comparison of the Primary Blast Response of a Physical Head Model with Post-mortem Human Subjects

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-27

quantitatively the effect of protective headwear. The following article discusses the validation of the BI2PED (Blast-Induced Brain Injury Protection...shots using rget locatio classic sho long positiv order of ith its cu , the current b e to generat ark. In order rated shock an operationa rom free

17 CFR 242.101 - Activities by distribution participants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS M, SHO, ATS, AC, AND NMS AND CUSTOMER MARGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITY FUTURES... quotation system or electronic communications network; or (6) Basket transactions. (i) Bids or purchases, in... to such a basket in the ordinary course of business as a result of a change in the composition of a...

Is blood pressure reduction a valid surrogate endpoint for stroke prevention? an analysis incorporating a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, a by-trial weighted errors-in-variables regression, the surrogate threshold effect (STE) and the biomarker-surrogacy (BioSurrogate) evaluation schema (BSES)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Blood pressure is considered to be a leading example of a valid surrogate endpoint. The aims of this study were to (i) formally evaluate systolic and diastolic blood pressure reduction as a surrogate endpoint for stroke prevention and (ii) determine what blood pressure reduction would predict a stroke benefit. Methods We identified randomised trials of at least six months duration comparing any pharmacologic anti-hypertensive treatment to placebo or no treatment, and reporting baseline blood pressure, on-trial blood pressure, and fatal and non-fatal stroke. Trials with fewer than five strokes in at least one arm were excluded. Errors-in-variables weighted least squares regression modelled the reduction in stroke as a function of systolic blood pressure reduction and diastolic blood pressure reduction respectively. The lower 95% prediction band was used to determine the minimum systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure difference, the surrogate threshold effect (STE), below which there would be no predicted stroke benefit. The STE was used to generate the surrogate threshold effect proportion (STEP), a surrogacy metric, which with the R-squared trial-level association was used to evaluate blood pressure as a surrogate endpoint for stroke using the Biomarker-Surrogacy Evaluation Schema (BSES3). Results In 18 qualifying trials representing all pharmacologic drug classes of antihypertensives, assuming a reliability coefficient of 0.9, the surrogate threshold effect for a stroke benefit was 7.1 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 2.4 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. The trial-level association was 0.41 and 0.64 and the STEP was 66% and 78% for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. The STE and STEP were more robust to measurement error in the independent variable than R-squared trial-level associations. Using the BSES3, assuming a reliability coefficient of 0.9, systolic blood pressure was a B + grade and diastolic blood pressure

Predictors of bone mineral density reduction in adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, J; Lázaro, L; Pons, F; Halperin, I; Toro, J

2000-11-01

To determine which variables are associated with a significant reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescent anorexia nervosa and to establish guidelines for indication of bone densitometry. One hundred seventy patients (treated from 1997 until 1999), aged 10 to 17 years, with a DSM-IV diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were evaluated by dual-energy-x-ray absorptiometry in the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and the femoral neck. The results were compared with the normative data for BMD values by age and sex in Spanish adolescents. 44.1% of patients had osteopenia at the lumbar spine and 24.7% at the femoral neck. The following variables were related to osteopenia: more than 12 months since onset of the disorder (p anorexia nervosa patients with the characteristics outlined above are at high risk of reduced BMD, and densitometry is recommended to determine the degree of osteopenia.

Investigating obesity risk-reduction behaviours and psychosocial factors in Chinese Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Liou, Doreen; Bauer, Kathleen; Bai, Yeon

2014-11-01

The purpose of this research was to examine the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours related to obesity risk reduction in Chinese Americans. A questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 300 US-born and foreign-born Chinese Americans residing in the New York metropolitan area, ranging from 18 to 40 years of age. Obesity risk reduction behaviours and psychosocial variables derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Health Belief Model were measured. Acculturation was assessed using a modified Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale. Frequency distributions were delineated and stepwise regression analyses were analysed for different acculturation groups. 65% of the respondents were female and the mean age of the sample was 26 years. Respondents indicated the most commonly practised behaviour to be eating home-cooked meals instead of restaurant-prepared foods. Perceived barriers to adopting obesity risk-reduction behaviours included convenience of consuming fast foods, cost, lack of time to prepare home-cooked meals, and the physical environment of unhealthy foods. In predicting intention to perform obesity risk-reduction behaviours, attitude was significant for 'western-identified' individuals. In 'Asian-identified' individuals, perceived behavioural control, self-efficacy and perceived benefits were salient. Nutrition educators working with Chinese Americans need to address self-efficacy in preparing plant-based, home-cooked meals and making healthy choices at fast-food restaurants with portion control. Concrete and perceived barriers such as lack of time and convenience need to be addressed in nutrition education interventions. Educators need to identify new channels and media outlets to disseminate practical, easy-to-implement behaviours for obesity risk reduction that are socially acceptable. © Royal Society for Public Health 2013.

Breast Reduction Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... considering breast reduction surgery, consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. It's important to understand what breast reduction surgery entails — including possible risks and complications — as ...

Enhanced CAH dechlorination in a low permeability, variably-saturated medium

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, J.P.; Sorenson, K.S.; Peterson, L.N.; Brennan, R.A.; Werth, C.J.; Sanford, R.A.; Bures, G.H.; Taylor, C.J.; ,

2002-01-01

An innovative pilot-scale field test was performed to enhance the anaerobic reductive dechlorination (ARD) of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) in a low permeability, variably-saturated formation. The selected technology combines the use of a hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technique with enhanced bioremediation through the creation of highly-permeable sand- and electron donor-filled fractures in the low permeability matrix. Chitin was selected as the electron donor because of its unique properties as a polymeric organic material and based on the results of lab studies that indicated its ability to support ARD. The distribution and impact of chitin- and sand-filled fractures to the system was evaluated using hydrologic, geophysical, and geochemical parameters. The results indicate that, where distributed, chitin favorably impacted redox conditions and supported enhanced ARD of CAHs. These results indicate that this technology may be a viable and cost-effective approach for remediation of low-permeability, variably saturated systems.

Metallothermic reduction of molybdate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, T.K.; Bose, D.K.

1987-01-01

This paper gives a brief account of the investigations conducted so far on metallothermic reduction of high grade molybdenite with particular emphasis on the work carried out in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Based on thermochemical considerations, the paper first introduces a number of metallic reductants suitable for use in metallothermic reduction of molybdenite. Aluminium, sodium and tin are found to be suitable reducing agents and very rightly they have found most applications in the research and development efforts on metallothermic reduction of molybdenite. The reduction with tin was conducted on fairly large scale both in vacuum and hydrogen atmosphere. The reaction was reported to be invariant depending mainly on the reduction temperature and a temperature of the order of 1250deg to 1300degC was required for good metal recovery. In comparison to tin, aluminothermic reduction of molybdenite was studied more extensively and it was conducted in closed bomb, vacuum and also in open atmosphere. In aluminothermic reduction, the influence of amount of reducing agent, amount of heat booster, preheating temperature and charging procedure on these metal yield was studied in detail. The reduction generally yielded massive molybdenum metal contaminated with aluminium as the major impurity element. Efforts were made to purify the reduced metal by arc melting, electron beam melting and molten salt electrorefining. 9 refs. (author)

The impact of the reduction of tax on car sales in Brazil between the years 2007 and 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renan Santiago Apolinário

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The automotive industry in Brazil is one of the main divisions of the secondary sector in the Brazilian economy, responsible for almost a quarter of the country’s industrial GDP and for generating a high number of jobs, both directly and indirectly. For this reason, when these companies perform badly, there is a tendency for the State to intervene in the situation. One of the ways chosen is through tax incentives. Over the past few years, the reduction in the rates of Tax on Industrialized Products (TPI was one of the main incentives granted by the government to automotive industries. Based on this intervention, the objective of this article was to verify the impacts caused by the reduction of the TPI rate on car sales between the years 2007 and 2015. During the development of this article, some variables related to the sale of vehicles were statistically analyzed, among which were: number of sold vehicles, the TPI rate, the average price of the car, GDP and credit to individuals, among others. From this analysis and crosses between the variables, it was found that the reduction in the IPI helped to increase vehicle sales in the period studied.

Individual variability in the venom proteome of juvenile Bothrops jararaca specimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Gabriela S; Kitano, Eduardo S; Pagotto, Ana H; Sant'anna, Sávio S; Rocha, Marisa M T; Zelanis, André; Serrano, Solange M T

2013-10-04

Snake venom proteomes/peptidomes are highly complex and subject to ontogenetic changes. Individual variation in the venom proteome of juvenile snakes is poorly known. We report the proteomic analysis of venoms from 21 juvenile specimens of Bothrops jararaca of different geographical origins and correlate it with the evaluation of important venom features. Individual venoms showed similar caseinolytic activities; however, their amidolytic activities were significantly different. Rather intriguingly, plasma coagulant activity showed remarkable variability among the venoms but not the prothrombin-activating activity. LC-MS analysis showed significant differences between venoms; however, an interesting finding was the ubiquitous presence of the tripeptide ZKW, an endogenous inhibitor of metalloproteinases. Electrophoretic profiles of proteins submitted to reduction showed significant variability in total proteins, glycoproteins, and in the subproteomes of proteinases. Moreover, identification of differential bands revealed variation in most B. jararaca toxin classes. Profiles of venoms analyzed under nonreducing conditions showed less individual variability and identification of proteins in a conserved band revealed the presence of metalloproteinases and l-amino acid oxidase as common components of these venoms. Taken together, our findings suggest that individual venom proteome variability in B. jararaca exists from a very early animal age and is not a result of ontogenetic and diet changes.

Variability of Pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. Originating from Maize and Wheat Grains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Tančić

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Differences in the pathogenicity of 93 isolates of seven species belonging to the genus Fusarium (F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, F. sporotrichioides, F. semitectum and F. equiseti, originating from maize kernels (61 and wheat grains (32, were examined based on the germination percentage of inoculated seeds. The studied species demonstrated inter- and intraspecies variability regarding the effects on maize seed germination. On the average, the greatest germination reduction was found in seeds inoculated with the spore suspensions of F. sporotrichioides and F. graminearum. A similar reduction was detected in seeds inoculated with F. proliferatum and F. subglutinans. The effect of F. subglutinans on seed germination reduction was higher compared to the two latter species, while the effects of F. semitectum and F. equiseti were smallest. The majority of isolates were of moderate pathogenicity, while the lowest number of isolates was either very pathogenic (7 or apathogenic (10. Pathogenicity of the isolates originating from wheat grains was generally lower than the pathogenicity of isolates originating from maize kernels, with the exception of F. sporotrichioides.

Short timescale variability in the faint sky variability survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morales-Rueda, L.; Groot, P.J.; Augusteijn, T.; Nelemans, G.A.; Vreeswijk, P.M.; Besselaar, E.J.M. van den

2006-01-01

We present the V-band variability analysis of the Faint Sky Variability Survey (FSVS). The FSVS combines colour and time variability information, from timescales of 24 minutes to tens of days, down to V = 24. We find that �1% of all point sources are variable along the main sequence reaching �3.5%

Harm reduction with pharmacotherapy for homeless people with alcohol dependence: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Susan E; Saxon, Andrew J; Duncan, Mark H; Smart, Brian F; Merrill, Joseph O; Malone, Daniel K; Jackson, T Ron; Clifasefi, Seema L; Joesch, Jutta; Ries, Richard K

2014-07-01

Interventions requiring abstinence from alcohol are neither preferred by nor shown to be highly effective with many homeless individuals with alcohol dependence. It is therefore important to develop lower-threshold, patient-centered interventions for this multimorbid and high-utilizing population. Harm-reduction counseling requires neither abstinence nor use reduction and pairs a compassionate style with patient-driven goal-setting. Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX), a monthly injectable formulation of an opioid receptor antagonist, reduces craving and may support achievement of harm-reduction goals. Together, harm-reduction counseling and XR-NTX may support alcohol harm reduction and quality-of-life improvement. Study aims include testing: a) the relative efficacy of XR-NTX and harm-reduction counseling compared to a community-based, supportive-services-as-usual control, b) theory-based mediators of treatment effects, and c) treatment effects on publicly funded service costs. This RCT involves four arms: a) XR-NTX+harm-reduction counseling, b) placebo+harm-reduction counseling, c) harm-reduction counseling only, and d) community-based, supportive-services-as-usual control conditions. Participants are currently/formerly homeless, alcohol dependent individuals (N=300). Outcomes include alcohol variables (i.e., craving, quantity/frequency, problems and biomarkers), health-related quality of life, and publicly funded service utilization and associated costs. Mediators include 10-point motivation rulers and the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale. XR-NTX and harm-reduction counseling are administered every 4weeks over the 12-week treatment course. Follow-up assessments are conducted at weeks 24 and 36. If found efficacious, XR-NTX and harm-reduction counseling will be well-positioned to support reductions in alcohol-related harm, decreases in costs associated with publicly funded service utilization, and increases in quality of life among homeless, alcohol

Mesohabitat mosaic in lowland braided rivers: Short-term variability of macroinvertebrate metacommunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gemma Burgazzi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Braided rivers are among the most variable and dynamic riverine systems. Changes in these environments are sudden and frequent, driven by the high hydrological variability. They host high levels of local heterogeneity, with many different habitats in close proximity establishing a mosaic of patches. This provides the conditions for high levels of biodiversity, with strong community variability in particular among the different habitats at the stream-reach level. Nevertheless, these systems are still poorly studied and their complexity is often not taken into account in biomonitoring protocols. We applied mixed effects modelling, spatial ordination techniques and beta-diversity partitioning (into nestedness and turnover components with the aim of improving the knowledge of braided rivers, investigating: i the organization of macroinvertebrate communities among the different habitats of a river reach, and ii the temporal variability of this organization (both among seasons and during summer. We predicted a differentiation of macroinvertebrate communities between distinct habitats within rivers, with this differentiation increasing during the low-flow period. We carried out our study in four braided rivers and streams of the Po River basin (Northern Italy sampling three different kinds of mesohabitats (main channel, secondary channel and pool in eight stations during seven campaigns from June 2015 to April 2016. We found a high variability of taxa richness, abundance and community structure among mesohabitats, with marginal ones accounting for the greater part of macroinvertebrate diversity. Secondary channels resulted as being the habitat hosting greater taxa diversity, with 10 exclusive taxa. Surprisingly the mesohabitat communities differed greatly during the seasonal phase, whereas their dissimilarity decreased during summer. This could be explained considering the summer flow reduction as a homogenizing force, leading to a general loss of the

Polynomic nonlinear dynamical systems - A residual sensitivity method for model reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Yurkovich, S.; Bugajski, D.; Sain, M.

1985-01-01

The motivation for using polynomic combinations of system states and inputs to model nonlinear dynamics systems is founded upon the classical theories of analysis and function representation. A feature of such representations is the need to make available all possible monomials in these variables, up to the degree specified, so as to provide for the description of widely varying functions within a broad class. For a particular application, however, certain monomials may be quite superfluous. This paper examines the possibility of removing monomials from the model in accordance with the level of sensitivity displayed by the residuals to their absence. Critical in these studies is the effect of system input excitation, and the effect of discarding monomial terms, upon the model parameter set. Therefore, model reduction is approached iteratively, with inputs redesigned at each iteration to ensure sufficient excitation of remaining monomials for parameter approximation. Examples are reported to illustrate the performance of such model reduction approaches.

A randomized trial of pneumatic reduction versus hydrostatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xiaolong; Wu, Yang; Wang, Qi; Zhao, Yiyang; Chen, Guobin; Xiang, Bo

2017-08-08

Data of randomly controlled trials comparing the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients as initial therapy are lacking. The aim of this study was to conduct a randomly controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction techniques. All intussusception patients who visited West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2014 to December 2015 were enrolled in this study in which they underwent pneumatic reduction or hydrostatic reduction. Patients were randomized into ultrasound-guided hydrostatic or X-ray-guided pneumatic reduction group. The data collected includes demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of reduction. And the secondary outcomes of the study were the rates of intestinal perforations and recurrence. A total of 124 children with intussusception who had met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The overall success rate of this study was 90.32%. Univariable analysis showed that the success rate of hydrostatic reduction with normal saline (96.77%) was significantly higher than that of pneumatic reduction with air (83.87%) (p=0.015). Perforation after reduction was found in only one of the pneumatic reduction group. The recurrence rate of intussusception in the hydrostatic reduction group was 4.84% compared with 3.23% of pneumatic reduction group. Our study found that ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction is a simple, safe and effective nonoperative treatment for pediatric patients suffering from intussusceptions, and should be firstly adopted in the treatment of qualified patients. Therapeutic study TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Finding optimal exact reducts

KAUST Repository

AbouEisha, Hassan M.

2014-01-01

The problem of attribute reduction is an important problem related to feature selection and knowledge discovery. The problem of finding reducts with minimum cardinality is NP-hard. This paper suggests a new algorithm for finding exact reducts

Exactly solvable quantum state reduction models with time-dependent coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brody, Dorje C; Constantinou, Irene C; Dear, James D C; Hughston, Lane P

2006-01-01

A closed-form solution to the energy-based stochastic Schroedinger equation with a time-dependent coupling is obtained. The solution is algebraic in character, and is expressed directly in terms of independent random data. The data consist of (i) a random variable H which has the distribution P(H=E i ) = π i , where π i is the transition probability vertical bar (ψ 0 vertical bar Φ i ) vertical bar 2 from the initial state vertical bar ψ 0 ) to the Lueders state vertical bar Φ i ) with energy E i , and (ii) an independent P-Brownian motion, where P is the physical probability measure associated with the dynamics of the reduction process. When the coupling is time independent, it is known that state reduction occurs asymptotically-that is to say, over an infinite time horizon. In the case of a time-dependent coupling, we show that if the magnitude of the coupling decreases sufficiently rapidly, then the energy variance will be reduced under the dynamics, but the state need not reach an energy eigenstate. This situation corresponds to the case of a 'partial' or 'incomplete' measurement of the energy. We also construct an example of a model where the opposite situation prevails, in which complete state reduction is achieved after the passage of a finite period of time

The significant reduction of precipitation in Southern China during the Chinese Spring Festival

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.; Gong, D.

2016-12-01

Long-term observational data from 2001 to 2012 over 339 stations were used to analyze the precipitation in southern China during the Chinese Spring Festival (CSF). It reveals both the precipitation frequency and precipitation intensity have a significant reduction around CSF holiday. From the second day to the sixth day after the Lunar New Year's Day, the daily mean precipitation frequency anomaly is -9%. At the same time, more than 90% stations in the study area have negative anomalies. The precipitation intensity has a continuous reduction from day 2 to day 4, which is up to 2mm in day 3. Other relevant variables, such as relative humidity and sunshine duration, have corresponding results to the precipitation's reduction during CSF. Atmospheric water vapor field's change leads to the reduction phenomenon. We analyzed the circulation configuration using the ERA-interim reanalysis data. It shows the anomalous north wind decrease the vapor and further affects the precipitation during the CSF period. The pollutants' concentration decreased around CSF, which may influence the meteorological field and lead to the anomalous north wind. Based on the S2S (sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction project) data, we calculated the circulation forecast difference to CSF period between clean days and polluted days. The result proves the north wind's existence and suggests that the aerosol decrease because of human activity may be partly responsible for the precipitation reduction during CSF.

Acute volume expansion attenuates hyperthermia-induced reductions in cerebral perfusion during simulated hemorrhage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schlader, Zachary J; Seifert, Thomas; Wilson, Thad E

2013-01-01

Hyperthermia reduces the capacity to withstand a simulated hemorrhagic challenge, but volume loading preserves this capacity. This study tested the hypotheses that acute volume expansion during hyperthermia increases cerebral perfusion and attenuates reductions in cerebral perfusion during...... infusion while hyperthermic. Primary dependent variables were mean middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAvmean), serving as an index of cerebral perfusion; mean arterial pressure (MAP); and cardiac output (thermodilution). During baseline, hyperthermia reduced MCAvmean (P = 0.001) by 12 ± 9% relative...

Energy saving vision in Miyazu City region (FY2000); Miyazushi chiiki sho energy vision (2000 nendo)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

An energy-saving vision was decided on in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, with its outline reported. The city promulgated the 'Miyazu City plan for the prevention of global warming' earlier this year, aiming at reduction in carbon dioxide exhaust by 25% in ten years ending 2010, and accordingly, also formulated the energy-saving vision on the basis of the plan. The measures with the citizens' life in mind were, for example, encouragement to participate in energy-saving monitor activity, publication of data of survey result, implementation of 'Miyazu eco-life school', support for citizens' voluntary action, utilization of public information/home pages, renewal of equipment and facilities, and preparation of performance/price data for new housing construction and so on. In addition, survey on actual condition, examination for improvements, etc., were among the measures intended for such sectors as hotels/inns, public transportation, manufacturing, and construction, and for the City administration itself. Furthermore, as measures to collaborate with energy suppliers, building an information exchange system is under consideration. (NEDO)

All varieties of encoding variability are not created equal: Separating variable processing from variable tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Huff, Mark J.; Bodner, Glen E.

2014-01-01

Whether encoding variability facilitates memory is shown to depend on whether item-specific and relational processing are both performed across study blocks, and whether study items are weakly versus strongly related. Variable-processing groups studied a word list once using an item-specific task and once using a relational task. Variable-task groups’ two different study tasks recruited the same type of processing each block. Repeated-task groups performed the same study task each block. Recall and recognition were greatest in the variable-processing group, but only with weakly related lists. A variable-processing benefit was also found when task-based processing and list-type processing were complementary (e.g., item-specific processing of a related list) rather than redundant (e.g., relational processing of a related list). That performing both item-specific and relational processing across trials, or within a trial, yields encoding-variability benefits may help reconcile decades of contradictory findings in this area. PMID:25018583

Socio-economic and Engineering Assessments of Renewable Energy Cost Reduction Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Seel, Joachim

Germany, especially for customer acquisition, installation labor, and profit/overhead costs, but also for expenses related to permitting, interconnection, and inspection procedures. Additional costs occur in the United States due to state and local sales taxes, smaller average system sizes, and longer project-development times. To reduce the identified additional costs of residential PV systems, the United States could introduce policies that enable a robust and lasting market while minimizing market fragmentation. Regularly declining incentives offering a transparent and certain value proposition might help accelerate PV cost reductions in the United States. Performance analysis of large-scale solar installations in the United States: This paper presents the first known use of multi-variate regression techniques to statistically explore empirical variation in utility-scale PV project performance across the United States. Among a sample of 128 utility-scale PV projects totaling 3,201 MWAC, net capacity factors in 2014 varied by more than a factor of two. Regression models developed for this analysis find that just three highly significant independent variables can explain 92% of this project-level variation. Adding the commercial operation year as a fourth independent variable and three interactive variables improves the model further and reveals interesting relationships. Taken together, the empirical data and statistical modeling results presented in this paper can provide a useful indication of the level of performance that solar project developers and investors can expect from various project configurations in different regions of the United States. Moreover, the tight relationship between fitted and actual capacity factors should instill confidence among investors that the utility-scale projects in this sample have largely performed as predicted by our models, with no significant outliers to date. Holistic assessment of future cost reduction opportunities of wind

Reduction of U3O8 to U by a metallic reductant, Li

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin-Mok Hur; Sun-Seok Hong; Hansoo Lee

2010-01-01

Reduction of U 3 O 8 was investigated for the recycling of spent oxide fuel from a commercial nuclear power plant. The possible reduction methods were proposed and compared. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, Li metal was selected as a reductant. The optimum reaction temperature for the reduction of U 3 O 8 was investigated at the wider reaction temperature range. The adverse oxidation of U metal by Li 2 O at 1,000 deg C was experimentally verified. Ellingham diagram was constructed to investigate the extent of the uranium oxides reduction when the reaction was carried out above melting point of U metal. (author)

Areal variability of the mineral soil cover in a reclaimed soda waste dumping site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klatka Sławomir

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Areal variability of the mineral soil cover in a reclaimed soda waste dumping site. This paper provides an analysis of the areal variability of the thickness and selected physical and chemical properties of the mineral cover formed in the process of settling ponds reclamation at the former Krakow Soda Plant “Solvay”. The topsoil is intended to provide a substrate for plants, therefore, its quality is the main determinant of the development for herbaceous and woody vegetation. Areal variability of the topsoil parameters was determined by kriging. In the context of the envisaged direction of management of the settling ponds, the analysis showed that electrical conductivity, thickness of the soil cover and the sand fraction content have potentially the highest impact on the diversification of vegetation. Understanding the spatial variability of the soil cover parameters, that are essential for vegetation, may contribute to increasing the efficiency of biological reclamation and also to cost reduction. Precise selection of the areas unsuitable for plant growth makes it possible to improve soil parameters on limited areas similarly as in the precision agriculture.

Dissociable effects of practice variability on learning motor and timing skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Caramiaux, Baptiste; Bevilacqua, Frédéric; Wanderley, Marcelo M; Palmer, Caroline

2018-01-01

Motor skill acquisition inherently depends on the way one practices the motor task. The amount of motor task variability during practice has been shown to foster transfer of the learned skill to other similar motor tasks. In addition, variability in a learning schedule, in which a task and its variations are interweaved during practice, has been shown to help the transfer of learning in motor skill acquisition. However, there is little evidence on how motor task variations and variability schedules during practice act on the acquisition of complex motor skills such as music performance, in which a performer learns both the right movements (motor skill) and the right time to perform them (timing skill). This study investigated the impact of rate (tempo) variability and the schedule of tempo change during practice on timing and motor skill acquisition. Complete novices, with no musical training, practiced a simple musical sequence on a piano keyboard at different rates. Each novice was assigned to one of four learning conditions designed to manipulate the amount of tempo variability across trials (large or small tempo set) and the schedule of tempo change (randomized or non-randomized order) during practice. At test, the novices performed the same musical sequence at a familiar tempo and at novel tempi (testing tempo transfer), as well as two novel (but related) sequences at a familiar tempo (testing spatial transfer). We found that practice conditions had little effect on learning and transfer performance of timing skill. Interestingly, practice conditions influenced motor skill learning (reduction of movement variability): lower temporal variability during practice facilitated transfer to new tempi and new sequences; non-randomized learning schedule improved transfer to new tempi and new sequences. Tempo (rate) and the sequence difficulty (spatial manipulation) affected performance variability in both timing and movement. These findings suggest that there is a

Concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules in a dynamic choice environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Matthew C; Baum, William M

2017-11-01

Most studies of operant choice have focused on presenting subjects with a fixed pair of schedules across many experimental sessions. Using these methods, studies of concurrent variable- interval variable-ratio schedules helped to evaluate theories of choice. More recently, a growing literature has focused on dynamic choice behavior. Those dynamic choice studies have analyzed behavior on a number of different time scales using concurrent variable-interval schedules. Following the dynamic choice approach, the present experiment examined performance on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules in a rapidly changing environment. Our objectives were to compare performance on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules with extant data on concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules using a dynamic choice procedure and to extend earlier work on concurrent variable-interval variable-ratio schedules. We analyzed performances at different time scales, finding strong similarities between concurrent variable-interval variable-interval and concurrent variable-interval variable- ratio performance within dynamic choice procedures. Time-based measures revealed almost identical performance in the two procedures compared with response-based measures, supporting the view that choice is best understood as time allocation. Performance at the smaller time scale of visits accorded with the tendency seen in earlier research toward developing a pattern of strong preference for and long visits to the richer alternative paired with brief "samples" at the leaner alternative ("fix and sample"). © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Catalytic reduction of NO and N20 for CO on Co-ZSM-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rios, Luis Alberto; Aristizabal, Gladys Liliana; Ruiz, Julio Fernando; Montes Consuelo

1996-01-01

Several catalysts with the help of ZSM-5 with Co were tested in the catalytic reduction of NO and N2O using CO like agent reducer and in presence of variable quantities of O2 The cobalt incorporated in the zeolite ZSM-5 for the methods of ionic exchange, impregnation and substitution. ZSM-5 exchanged with Co presented the highest conversions of NO (80% to 5OO oC), in presence of 3000 ppm of O2; When adding 25.700 ppm of O2 the conversion it diminished notably, that which shows an effect inhibitor of the O2. The substituted catalysts and impregnated they were less active for the reduction of the NO. With all the catalysts conversions of 70-90% were achieved for the N2O; Additionally, marked deactivation of the catalyst was not presented with the time

Development of computer program for the economic evaluation of the volume reduction system for the low-level radwaste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jin Yeong

1994-02-01

This study provides the basis for investigating the benefits of purchasing volume reduction equipment and includes the establishment of a volume reduction data base, the creation of the volume reduction cost analysis computer program PEEVR (Program of Economic Evaluation for the Volume Reduction), and a generic analysis designed to identify the major costs influencing the economics of the various equipment options. In treating the plant types and the wastes, this study considers that condensate polishing system is included or not in PWR and precoat condensate polishing system, deep bed condensate polishing system in BWR and the 5 waste streams, i.e., compatible trash (COTRASH), ion exchange resin (IXRESIN), concentrate liquid (CONCLIQ), filter sludge (FSLUDGE), non compatible trash (COTRASH). This study uses the PVRR and LRR methods to create cost analysis and performs sensitivity analysis for the each cost variable and shows that future burial costs increases are the major factors in the economic evaluation

About hidden influence of predictor variables: Suppressor and mediator variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milovanović Boško

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper procedure for researching hidden influence of predictor variables in regression models and depicting suppressor variables and mediator variables is shown. It is also shown that detection of suppressor variables and mediator variables could provide refined information about the research problem. As an example for applying this procedure, relation between Atlantic atmospheric centers and air temperature and precipitation amount in Serbia is chosen. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007

Recent habitat fragmentation caused by major roads leads to reduction of gene flow and loss of genetic variability in ground beetles.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Irene; Largiadèr, Carlo R

2003-02-22

Although habitat fragmentation is suspected to jeopardize the long-term survival of many species, few data are available on its impact on the genetic variability of invertebrates. We assess the genetic population structure of the flightless ground beetle Carabus violaceus L., 1758 in a Swiss forest, which is divided into several fragments by a highway and two main roads. Eight samples were collected from different forest fragments and analysed at six microsatellite loci. The largest genetic differentiation was observed between samples separated by roads and in particular by the highway. The number of roads between sites explained 44% of the variance in pairwise F(ST) estimates, whereas the age of the road and the geographical distance between locations were not significant factors. Furthermore, a comparison of allelic richness showed that the genetic variability in a small forest fragment isolated by the highway was significantly lower than in the rest of the study area. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that large roads are absolute barriers to gene flow in C. violaceus, which may lead to a loss of genetic variability in fragmented populations.

Classic Maya civilization collapse associated with reduction in tropical cyclone activity

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, M. A.; Polanco-Martinez, J. M.; Lases-Hernández, F.; Bradley, R. S.; Burns, S. J.

2013-12-01

In light of the increased destructiveness of tropical cyclones observed over recent decades one might assume that an increase and not a decrease in tropical cyclone activity would lead to societal stress and perhaps collapse of ancient cultures. In this study we present evidence that a reduction in the frequency and intensity of tropical Atlantic cyclones could have contributed to the collapse of the Maya civilization during the Terminal Classic Period (TCP, AD. 800-950). Statistical comparisons of a quantitative precipitation record from the Yucatan Peninsula (YP) Maya lowlands, based on the stalagmite known as Chaac (after the Mayan God of rain and agriculture), relative to environmental proxy records of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs), and tropical Atlantic cyclone counts, suggest that these records share significant coherent variability during the TCP and that summer rainfall reductions between 30 and 50% in the Maya lowlands occurred in association with decreased Atlantic tropical cyclones. Analysis of modern instrumental hydrological data suggests cyclone rainfall contributions to the YP equivalent to the range of rainfall deficits associated with decreased tropical cyclone activity during the collapse of the Maya civilization. Cyclone driven precipitation variability during the TCP, implies that climate change may have triggered Maya civilization collapse via freshwater scarcity for domestic use without significant detriment to agriculture. Pyramid in Tikal, the most prominent Maya Kingdom that collapsed during the Terminal Classic Period (circa C.E. 800-950) Rainfall feeding stalagmites inside Rio Secreto cave system, Yucatan, Mexico.

Metaproteomics Identifies the Protein Machinery Involved in Metal and Radionuclide Reduction in Subsurface Microbiomes and Elucidates Mechanisms and U(VI) Reduction Immobilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfiffner, Susan M. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Löffler, Frank [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Ritalahti, Kirsti [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Sayler, Gary [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Layton, Alice [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Hettich, Robert [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-08-31

The overall goal for this funded project was to develop and exploit environmental metaproteomics tools to identify biomarkers for monitoring microbial activity affecting U speciation at U-contaminated sites, correlate metaproteomics profiles with geochemical parameters and U(VI) reduction activity (or lack thereof), elucidate mechanisms contributing to U(VI) reduction, and provide remediation project managers with additional information to make science-based site management decisions for achieving cleanup goals more efficiently. Although significant progress has been made in elucidating the microbiology contribution to metal and radionuclide reduction, the cellular components, pathway(s), and mechanisms involved in U trans-formation remain poorly understood. Recent advances in (meta)proteomics technology enable detailed studies of complex samples, including environmental samples, which differ between sites and even show considerable variability within the same site (e.g., the Oak Ridge IFRC site). Additionally, site-specific geochemical conditions affect microbial activity and function, suggesting generalized assessment and interpretations may not suffice. This research effort integrated current understanding of the microbiology and biochemistry of U(VI) reduction and capitalize on advances in proteomics technology made over the past few years. Field-related analyses used Oak Ridge IFRC field ground water samples from locations where slow-release substrate biostimulation has been implemented to accelerate in situ U(VI) reduction rates. Our overarching hypothesis was that the metabolic signature in environmental samples, as deciphered by the metaproteome measurements, would show a relationship with U(VI) reduction activity. Since metaproteomic and metagenomic characterizations were computationally challenging and time-consuming, we used a tiered approach that combines database mining, controlled laboratory studies, U(VI) reduction activity measurements, phylogenetic

HYPERDIRE. HYPERgeometric functions DIfferential REduction. MATHEMATICA based packages for differential reduction of generalized hypergeometric functions {sub p}F{sub p-1}, F{sub 1}, F{sub 2}, F{sub 3}, F{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bytev, Vladimir V.; Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Kniehl, Bernd A. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2013-05-15

HYPERDIRE is a project devoted to the creation of a set of Mathematica based programs for the differential reduction of hypergeometric functions. The current version includes two parts: one, pfq, is relevant for manipulations of hypergeometric functions {sub p+1}F{sub p}, and the second one, AppellF1F4, for manipulations with Appell hypergeometric functions F{sub 1}, F{sub 2}, F{sub 3}, F{sub 4} of two variables.

Low-Energy Real-Time OS Using Voltage Scheduling Algorithm for Variable Voltage Processors

OpenAIRE

Okuma, Takanori; Yasuura, Hiroto

2001-01-01

This paper presents a real-time OS based on $ mu $ITRON using proposed voltage scheduling algorithm for variable voltage processors which can vary supply voltage dynamically. The proposed voltage scheduling algorithms assign voltage level for each task dynamically in order to minimize energy consumption under timing constraints. Using the presented real-time OS, running tasks with low supply voltage leads to drastic energy reduction. In addition, the presented voltage scheduling algorithm is ...

GETDB: 112317 [GETDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available m the National Institute of Genetics. CyO - 2 - - 0 - scattered cells - dots on gut - lethal - - - - - - Sho...etics. Balancer CyO Link to Clone Table - Num of clones 2 Cluster id - Link to Clus...- Related Genes - Original Number 758 Chr. 2 Comments NP line. Received from the National Institute of Gen

77 FR 54633 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change, as...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-05

... Maker Peg Order below one round lot, the market maker would need to enter a new order, after performing... Access Rule and Regulation SHO prior to entering a new Market Maker Peg Order. The Commission also... No. 1, To Adopt a New Market Maker Peg Order Available to Exchange Market Makers August 29, 2012. I...

Detecting Change in Longitudinal Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

M Statistic of e decision in d in the year hange in the time that the this point in n analyst sho rating enviro extremism o ians in Luxo nnual...Density of Bacterial Populations, with Particular Reference to the Use of Thornton’s Agar Medium with Soil Samples.” Annals of Applied Biology 9

76 FR 24945 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-03

... hours on the prior day. Under NYSE Amex Equities Rule 440B(c), the short sale price test restrictions of... Amending NYSE Amex Equities Rule 440B (Short Sales) To Modify the Exchange's Procedures for Early Termination of the Short Sale Price Test Restrictions of Rule 201 of Regulation SHO Based on a Triggering...

76 FR 18276 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... Amending NYSE Amex Equities Rule 440B To Modify the Exchange's Procedures for Handling Short Sale Orders During a Period When the Short Sale Price Test Restrictions of Rule 201 of Regulation SHO Are in Effect... Change The Exchange proposes to amend NYSE Amex Equities Rule 440B (Short Sales) to modify the Exchange's...

INTEGRAL Galactic bulge monitoring observations of GRO J1750-27 (AX J1749.1-2639), H1743-322 and SLX 1746-331

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuulkers, E.; Beckmann, V.; Shaw, S.

2008-01-01

A new season of the INTEGRAL Galactic Bulge monitoring program (see ATels #438, #874, #1005; Kuulkers et al. 2007, A&A 466, 595) started, with observations on UT 11 Feb 2008, 16:33-18:07. We here report on results from three currently active transient sources. The IBIS/ISGRI and JEM-X1 images sho...

The Water-Induced Linear Reduction Gas Diffusivity Model Extended to Three Pore Regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chamindu, T. K. K. Deepagoda; de Jonge, Lis Wollesen; Kawamoto, Ken

2015-01-01

. Characterization of soil functional pore structure is an essential prerequisite to understand key gas transport processes in variably saturated soils in relation to soil ecosystems, climate, and environmental services. In this study, the water-induced linear reduction (WLR) soil gas diffusivity model originally...... gas diffusivity from moist to dry conditions across differently structured porous media, including narrow soil size fractions, perforated plastic blocks, fractured limestone, peaty soils, aggregated volcanic ash soils, and particulate substrates for Earth- or space-based applications. The new Cip...

Reduction operators of Burgers equation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pocheketa, Oleksandr A; Popovych, Roman O

2013-02-01

The solution of the problem on reduction operators and nonclassical reductions of the Burgers equation is systematically treated and completed. A new proof of the theorem on the special "no-go" case of regular reduction operators is presented, and the representation of the coefficients of operators in terms of solutions of the initial equation is constructed for this case. All possible nonclassical reductions of the Burgers equation to single ordinary differential equations are exhaustively described. Any Lie reduction of the Burgers equation proves to be equivalent via the Hopf-Cole transformation to a parameterized family of Lie reductions of the linear heat equation.

Variable importance in latent variable regression models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kvalheim, O.M.; Arneberg, R.; Bleie, O.; Rajalahti, T.; Smilde, A.K.; Westerhuis, J.A.

2014-01-01

The quality and practical usefulness of a regression model are a function of both interpretability and prediction performance. This work presents some new graphical tools for improved interpretation of latent variable regression models that can also assist in improved algorithms for variable

Is blood pressure reduction a valid surrogate endpoint for stroke prevention? an analysis incorporating a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, a by-trial weighted errors-in-variables regression, the surrogate threshold effect (STE and the biomarker-surrogacy (BioSurrogate evaluation schema (BSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lassere Marissa N

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Blood pressure is considered to be a leading example of a valid surrogate endpoint. The aims of this study were to (i formally evaluate systolic and diastolic blood pressure reduction as a surrogate endpoint for stroke prevention and (ii determine what blood pressure reduction would predict a stroke benefit. Methods We identified randomised trials of at least six months duration comparing any pharmacologic anti-hypertensive treatment to placebo or no treatment, and reporting baseline blood pressure, on-trial blood pressure, and fatal and non-fatal stroke. Trials with fewer than five strokes in at least one arm were excluded. Errors-in-variables weighted least squares regression modelled the reduction in stroke as a function of systolic blood pressure reduction and diastolic blood pressure reduction respectively. The lower 95% prediction band was used to determine the minimum systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure difference, the surrogate threshold effect (STE, below which there would be no predicted stroke benefit. The STE was used to generate the surrogate threshold effect proportion (STEP, a surrogacy metric, which with the R-squared trial-level association was used to evaluate blood pressure as a surrogate endpoint for stroke using the Biomarker-Surrogacy Evaluation Schema (BSES3. Results In 18 qualifying trials representing all pharmacologic drug classes of antihypertensives, assuming a reliability coefficient of 0.9, the surrogate threshold effect for a stroke benefit was 7.1 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 2.4 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. The trial-level association was 0.41 and 0.64 and the STEP was 66% and 78% for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. The STE and STEP were more robust to measurement error in the independent variable than R-squared trial-level associations. Using the BSES3, assuming a reliability coefficient of 0.9, systolic blood pressure was a B + grade and

Active3 noise reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzfuss, J.

1996-01-01

Noise reduction is a problem being encountered in a variety of applications, such as environmental noise cancellation, signal recovery and separation. Passive noise reduction is done with the help of absorbers. Active noise reduction includes the transmission of phase inverted signals for the cancellation. This paper is about a threefold active approach to noise reduction. It includes the separation of a combined source, which consists of both a noise and a signal part. With the help of interaction with the source by scanning it and recording its response, modeling as a nonlinear dynamical system is achieved. The analysis includes phase space analysis and global radial basis functions as tools for the prediction used in a subsequent cancellation procedure. Examples are given which include noise reduction of speech. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Vietnam; Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

2004-01-01

This paper assesses the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper of Vietnam, known as the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS). It is an action program to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction objectives. This paper reviews the objectives and tasks of socio-economic development and poverty reduction. The government of Vietnam takes poverty reduction as a cutting-through objective in the process of country socio-economic development and declares its commitment to impleme...

Using variable combination population analysis for variable selection in multivariate calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Yong-Huan; Wang, Wei-Ting; Deng, Bai-Chuan; Lai, Guang-Bi; Liu, Xin-bo; Ren, Da-Bing; Liang, Yi-Zeng; Fan, Wei; Xu, Qing-Song

2015-03-03

Variable (wavelength or feature) selection techniques have become a critical step for the analysis of datasets with high number of variables and relatively few samples. In this study, a novel variable selection strategy, variable combination population analysis (VCPA), was proposed. This strategy consists of two crucial procedures. First, the exponentially decreasing function (EDF), which is the simple and effective principle of 'survival of the fittest' from Darwin's natural evolution theory, is employed to determine the number of variables to keep and continuously shrink the variable space. Second, in each EDF run, binary matrix sampling (BMS) strategy that gives each variable the same chance to be selected and generates different variable combinations, is used to produce a population of subsets to construct a population of sub-models. Then, model population analysis (MPA) is employed to find the variable subsets with the lower root mean squares error of cross validation (RMSECV). The frequency of each variable appearing in the best 10% sub-models is computed. The higher the frequency is, the more important the variable is. The performance of the proposed procedure was investigated using three real NIR datasets. The results indicate that VCPA is a good variable selection strategy when compared with four high performing variable selection methods: genetic algorithm-partial least squares (GA-PLS), Monte Carlo uninformative variable elimination by PLS (MC-UVE-PLS), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and iteratively retains informative variables (IRIV). The MATLAB source code of VCPA is available for academic research on the website: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/authors/498750. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical depassivation of zero-valent iron for trichloroethene reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Liang [Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Jin, Song [Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States); Advanced Environmental Technologies, LLC, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (United States); Fallgren, Paul H. [Department of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217 (United States); Swoboda-Colberg, Norbert G. [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States); Liu, Fei [Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Colberg, Patricia J.S., E-mail: pczoo@uwyo.edu [Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States)

2012-11-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electrical current may depassivate ZVI and restore its capacity to reduce TCE. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electrical current may defer or even prevent surface oxidation of ZVI. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electrical current coupled with ZVI achieves greater TCE reduction than ZVI alone. - Abstract: Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) composed of zero-valent iron (ZVI) are susceptible to passivation, resulting in substantially decreased rates of chlorinated solvent removal over time. In this study, the application of low electrical direct current (DC) to restore the reductive capacity of passivated ZVI was examined. Electrical current was applied to a laboratory column reactor filled with a mixture of pre-passivated ZVI and sand. Variable voltage settings (0-12 V) were applied through two stainless steel electrodes placed at the ends of the reactor. While only partial restoration of the reductive capacity of the passivated ZVI was observed, higher rates of trichloroethene (TCE) removal were always obtained when current was applied, and the rates of TCE removal were roughly proportional to the voltage level. Although differences were observed between the rates and extent of TCE removal within the column, it is noteworthy that TCE removal was not restricted to that region of the column where the electrons entered (i.e., at the cathode). While complete 'depassivation' of ZVI may be difficult to achieve in practice, the application of DC demonstrated observable restoration of reactivity of the passivated ZVI. This study provides evidence that this approach may significantly extend the life of a ZVI PRB.

Electrochemical depassivation of zero-valent iron for trichloroethene reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Liang; Jin, Song; Fallgren, Paul H.; Swoboda-Colberg, Norbert G.; Liu, Fei; Colberg, Patricia J.S.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Electrical current may depassivate ZVI and restore its capacity to reduce TCE. ► Electrical current may defer or even prevent surface oxidation of ZVI. ► Electrical current coupled with ZVI achieves greater TCE reduction than ZVI alone. - Abstract: Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) composed of zero-valent iron (ZVI) are susceptible to passivation, resulting in substantially decreased rates of chlorinated solvent removal over time. In this study, the application of low electrical direct current (DC) to restore the reductive capacity of passivated ZVI was examined. Electrical current was applied to a laboratory column reactor filled with a mixture of pre-passivated ZVI and sand. Variable voltage settings (0–12 V) were applied through two stainless steel electrodes placed at the ends of the reactor. While only partial restoration of the reductive capacity of the passivated ZVI was observed, higher rates of trichloroethene (TCE) removal were always obtained when current was applied, and the rates of TCE removal were roughly proportional to the voltage level. Although differences were observed between the rates and extent of TCE removal within the column, it is noteworthy that TCE removal was not restricted to that region of the column where the electrons entered (i.e., at the cathode). While complete “depassivation” of ZVI may be difficult to achieve in practice, the application of DC demonstrated observable restoration of reactivity of the passivated ZVI. This study provides evidence that this approach may significantly extend the life of a ZVI PRB.

A method of integration of atomistic simulations and continuum mechanics by collecting of dynamical systems with dimensional reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaczmarek, J.

2002-01-01

Elementary processes responsible for phenomena in material are frequently related to scale close to atomic one. Therefore atomistic simulations are important for material sciences. On the other hand continuum mechanics is widely applied in mechanics of materials. It seems inevitable that both methods will gradually integrate. A multiscale method of integration of these approaches called collection of dynamical systems with dimensional reduction is introduced in this work. The dimensional reduction procedure realizes transition between various scale models from an elementary dynamical system (EDS) to a reduced dynamical system (RDS). Mappings which transform variables and forces, skeletal dynamical system (SDS) and a set of approximation and identification methods are main components of this procedure. The skeletal dynamical system is a set of dynamical systems parameterized by some constants and has variables related to the dimensionally reduced model. These constants are identified with the aid of solutions of the elementary dynamical system. As a result we obtain a dimensionally reduced dynamical system which describes phenomena in an averaged way in comparison with the EDS. Concept of integration of atomistic simulations with continuum mechanics consists in using a dynamical system describing evolution of atoms as an elementary dynamical system. Then, we introduce a continuum skeletal dynamical system within the dimensional reduction procedure. In order to construct such a system we have to modify a continuum mechanics formulation to some degree. Namely, we formalize scale of averaging for continuum theory and as a result we consider continuum with finite-dimensional fields only. Then, realization of dimensional reduction is possible. A numerical example of realization of the dimensional reduction procedure is shown. We consider a one dimensional chain of atoms interacting by Lennard-Jones potential. Evolution of this system is described by an elementary

MCNP variance reduction overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendricks, J.S.; Booth, T.E.

1985-01-01

The MCNP code is rich in variance reduction features. Standard variance reduction methods found in most Monte Carlo codes are available as well as a number of methods unique to MCNP. We discuss the variance reduction features presently in MCNP as well as new ones under study for possible inclusion in future versions of the code

Fiscal 1998 research report on the basic research on energy saving for Huta Katowice, Poland; 1998 nendo Poland Katowice seitetsusho sho energy kihon chosa hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

For reduction of greenhouse effect gas emission by Japan- Poland joint project, research was made on the improvement plan of Huta Katowice, a typical ironworks in Poland. The applicability of energy saving facilities was studied for the coke factory, sintering factory, blast furnace and converter which are consuming the most amount of energy in Huta Katowice, from the viewpoints of the amount of energy saving and CO{sub 2} reduction, and an investment effect. Research was also made on the power plant, flow of by-product gas, generated energy and purchased energy for obtaining the total energy consumption. From the energy saving research results for every process, the priority of the improvement plan was prepared. The proposed plan showed huge reduction of energy and greenhouse effect gas emission. Although the plan is too serious for comfort because of current low energy cost in Poland, it becomes reasonable if a lower-interest fund loan is granted, from the viewpoint of an investment effect. (NEDO)

Cultural conservatism and variability in the Acheulian sequence of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharon, Gonen; Alperson-Afil, Nira; Goren-Inbar, Naama

2011-04-01

The Acheulian Technocomplex exhibits two phenomena: variability and conservatism. Variability is expressed in the composition and frequencies of tool types, particularly in the varying frequencies of bifaces (handaxes and cleavers). Conservatism is expressed in the continuous presence of bifaces along an immense time trajectory. The site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) offers a unique opportunity to study aspects of variability and conservatism as a result of its long cultural-stratigraphic sequence containing superimposed lithic assemblages. This study explores aspects of variability and conservatism within the Acheulian lithic assemblages of GBY, with emphasis placed on the bifacial tools. While variability has been studied through a comparison of typological frequencies in a series of assemblages from the site, evidence for conservatism was examined in the production modes expressed by the reduction sequence of the bifaces. We demonstrate that while pronounced typological variability is observed among the GBY assemblages, they were all manufactured by the same technology. The technology, size, and morphology of the bifaces throughout the entire stratigraphic sequence of GBY reflect the strong conservatism of their makers. We conclude that the biface frequency cannot be considered as a chrono/cultural marker that might otherwise allow us to distinguish between different phases within the Acheulian. The variability observed within the assemblages is explained as a result of different activities, tasks, and functions, which were carried out at specific localities along the shores of the paleo-Hula Lake in the early Middle Pleistocene. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MHD flow of Powell-Eyring nanofluid over a non-linear stretching sheet with variable thickness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Hayat

Full Text Available This research explores the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD boundary layer flow of Powell-Eyring nanofluid past a non-linear stretching sheet of variable thickness. An electrically conducting fluid is considered under the characteristics of magnetic field applied transverse to the sheet. The mathematical expressions are accomplished via boundary layer access, Brownian motion and thermophoresis phenomena. The flow analysis is subjected to a recently established conditions requiring zero nanoparticles mass flux. Adequate transformations are implemented for the reduction of partial differential systems to the ordinary differential systems. Series solutions for the governing nonlinear flow of momentum, temperature and nanoparticles concentration have been executed. Physical interpretation of numerous parameters is assigned by graphical illustrations and tabular values. Moreover the numerical data of drag coefficient and local heat transfer rate are executed and discussed. It is investigated that higher wall thickness parameter results in the reduction of velocity distribution. Effects of thermophoresis parameter on temperature and concentration profiles are qualitatively similar. Both the temperature and concentration profiles are enhanced for higher values of thermophoresis parameter. Keywords: MHD, Variable thicked surface, Powell-Eyring nanofluid, Zero mass flux conditions

Recycling of the reduction sludge of manganese in the production of ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, C.G.; Araujo, F.G.S.; Kruger, F.L.

2011-01-01

To study the use of manganese reduction residues, from the electric arc furnaces for the production of manganese ferro-alloys, as raw materials for construction bricks, different ceramic compositions were formulated with contents of 0, 2.5, 5 and 10wt% of waste addition to the clay used commercially, and sintered at different temperatures, 850, 950 and 1050°C. After firing, the ceramic samples were studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction and by spectrophotometry. Their mechanical properties were evaluated by flexural strength, apparent porosity and specific mass, water absorption, linear shrinkage and loss on ignition. With the help of technics and experiment planning programs, the effects of the variables: temperature, composition and interaction between them over the results were discussed. This work proved that the addition of manganese reduction sludge to the clay, for the production of ceramic construction bricks, is highly feasible, from a technical standpoint. (author)

Antioxidant-capacity-based models for the prediction of acrylamide reduction by flavonoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jun; Chen, Xinyu; Zhao, Sheng; Zhang, Yu

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models for the estimation of acrylamide reduction by flavonoids, using multiple antioxidant capacities of Maillard reaction products as variables via a microwave food processing workstation. The addition of selected flavonoids could effectively reduce acrylamide formation, which may be closely related to the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups of flavonoids (R: 0.735-0.951, Pcapacity (ΔTEAC) measured by DPPH (R(2)=0.833), ABTS (R(2)=0.860) or FRAP (R(2)=0.824) assay. Both ANN and MLR models could effectively serve as predictive tools for estimating the reduction of acrylamide affected by flavonoids. The current predictive model study provides a low-cost and easy-to-use approach to the estimation of rates at which acrylamide is degraded, while avoiding tedious sample pretreatment procedures and advanced instrumental analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of antihypertensive combination and monotreatments on blood pressure variability: assessment by old and new indices. Data from a large ambulatory blood pressure monitoring database.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Parati, Gianfranco

2014-06-01

High 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) variability is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. We analysed a large ABP monitoring database containing data from hypertensive patients treated with telmisartan\\/amlodipine combination or various monotherapies with the aim of quantifying the 24-h distribution of blood pressure (BP) reduction by treatment through the smoothness index and of developing and testing a new treatment-on-variability index (TOVI) to quantify the effects of treatment on both mean BP and BP variability.

Nitrogen reduction pathways in estuarine sediments: Influences of organic carbon and sulfide

Science.gov (United States)

Plummer, Patrick; Tobias, Craig; Cady, David

2015-10-01

Potential rates of sediment denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) were mapped across the entire Niantic River Estuary, CT, USA, at 100-200 m scale resolution consisting of 60 stations. On the estuary scale, denitrification accounted for ~ 90% of the nitrogen reduction, followed by DNRA and anammox. However, the relative importance of these reactions to each other was not evenly distributed through the estuary. A Nitrogen Retention Index (NIRI) was calculated from the rate data (DNRA/(denitrification + anammox)) as a metric to assess the relative amounts of reactive nitrogen being recycled versus retained in the sediments following reduction. The distribution of rates and accompanying sediment geochemical analytes suggested variable controls on specific reactions, and on the NIRI, depending on position in the estuary and that these controls were linked to organic carbon abundance, organic carbon source, and pore water sulfide concentration. The relationship between NIRI and organic carbon abundance was dependent on organic carbon source. Sulfide proved the single best predictor of NIRI, accounting for 44% of its observed variance throughout the whole estuary. We suggest that as a single metric, sulfide may have utility as a proxy for gauging the distribution of denitrification, anammox, and DNRA.

77 FR 54630 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS-Y Exchange, Inc.; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change, as...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-05

... Maker Peg Order below one round lot, the market maker would need to enter a new order, after performing... checks pursuant to the Market Access Rule and Regulation SHO prior to entering a new Market Maker Peg... Amendment No. 1, To Adopt a New Market Maker Peg Order Available to Exchange Market Makers August 29, 2012...

Variability, plot size and border effect in lettuce trials in protected environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Santos

2018-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The variability within rows of cultivation may reduce the accuracy of experiments conducted in a complete randomized block design if the rows are considered as blocks, however, little is known about this variability in protected environments. Thus, our aim was to study the variability of the fresh mass in lettuce shoot, growing in protected environment, and to verify the border effect and size of the experimental unit in minimizing the productive variability. Data from two uniformity trials carried out in a greenhouse in autumn and spring growing seasons were used. In the statistical analyses, it was considered the existence of parallel cultivation rows the lateral openings of the greenhouse and of columns perpendicular to these openings. Different scenarios were simulated by excluding rows and columns to generate several borders arrangements and also to use different sizes of the experimental unit. For each scenario, homogeneity test of variances between remaining rows and columns was performed, and it was calculated the variance and coefficient of variation. There is variability among rows in trials with lettuce in plastic greenhouses and the border use does not bring benefits in terms of reduction of the coefficient of variation or minimizing the cases of heterogeneous variances among rows. In experiments with lettuce in a plastic greenhouse, the use of an experimental unit size greater than or equal to two plants provides homogeneity of variances among rows and columns and, therefore, allows the use of a completely randomized design.

Do physiological and pathological stresses produce different changes in heart rate variability?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea eBravi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Although physiological (e.g. exercise and pathological (e.g. infection stress affecting the cardiovascular system have both been documented to be associated with a reduction in overall heart rate variability (HRV, it remains unclear if loss of HRV is ubiquitously similar across different domains of variability analysis or if distinct patterns of altered HRV exist depending on the stressor. Using Continuous Individualized Multiorgan Variability Analysis (CIMVATM software, heart rate (HR and four selected measures of variability were measured over time (windowed analysis from two datasets, a set (n=13 of patients who developed systemic infection (i.e. sepsis after bone marrow transplant, and a matched set of healthy subjects undergoing physical exercise under controlled conditions. HR and the four HRV measures showed similar trends in both sepsis and exercise. The comparison through Wilcoxon sign-rank test of the levels of variability at baseline and during the stress (i.e. exercise or after days of sepsis development showed similar changes, except for LF/HF, ratio of power at low and high frequencies (associated with sympathovagal modulation, which was affected by exercise but did not show any change during sepsis. Furthermore, HRV measures during sepsis showed a lower level of correlation with each other, as compared to HRV during exercise. In conclusion, this exploratory study highlights similar responses during both exercise and infection, with differences in terms of correlation and inter-subject fluctuations, whose physiologic significance merits further investigation.

Reduction of blue tungsten oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilken, T.; Wert, C.; Woodhouse, J.; Morcom, W.

1975-01-01

A significant portion of commercial tungsten is produced by hydrogen reduction of oxides. Although several modes of reduction are possible, hydrogen reduction is used where high purity tungsten is required and where the addition of other elements or compounds is desired for modification of the metal, as is done for filaments in the lamp industry. Although several investigations of the reduction of oxides have been reported (1 to 5), few principles have been developed which can aid in assessment of current commercial practice. The reduction process was examined under conditions approximating commercial practice. The specific objectives were to determine the effects of dopants, of water vapor in the reducing atmosphere, and of reduction temperature upon: (1) the rate of the reaction by which blue tungsten oxide is reduced to tungsten metal, (2) the intermediate oxides associated with reduction, and (3) the morphology of the resulting tungsten powder

Development of computer program for the economic evaluation of the volume reduction system for the low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jin Yeong; Lee, Kun Jai

1994-01-01

This study provides the basis for investigating the benefits of purchasing volume reduction equipment and includes the establishment of a volume reduction data base, the creation of the volume reduction cost analysis computer program PEEVR (Program of Economic Evaluation for the Volume Reduction), and a generic analysis designed to identify the major costs influencing the economics of the various equipment options. In treating the plant types and the wastes, this study considers that condensate polishing system is included or not in PWR and precoatcondensate polishing system, deep bed condensate polishing system in BWR and the 5 waste streams, i. e., compactibIe trash (COTRASH), ion exchange resin (IXRESIN), concentrate liquid (CONCLIQ), filter sludge (FSLUDGE), non compactible trash (COTRASH). This study uses the PVRR and LRR methods to create cost analysis and performs sensitivity analysis for the each cost variables and shows that future burial costs increases are the major factors in the economic evaluation

Finding optimal exact reducts

KAUST Repository

AbouEisha, Hassan M.

2014-01-01

The problem of attribute reduction is an important problem related to feature selection and knowledge discovery. The problem of finding reducts with minimum cardinality is NP-hard. This paper suggests a new algorithm for finding exact reducts with minimum cardinality. This algorithm transforms the initial table to a decision table of a special kind, apply a set of simplification steps to this table, and use a dynamic programming algorithm to finish the construction of an optimal reduct. I present results of computer experiments for a collection of decision tables from UCIML Repository. For many of the experimented tables, the simplification steps solved the problem.

On the central quadric ansatz: integrable models and Painlevé reductions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferapontov, E V; Huard, B; Zhang, A

2012-01-01

It was observed by Tod (1995 Class. Quantum Grav.12 1535–47) and later by Dunajski and Tod (2002 Phys. Lett. A 303 253–64) that the Boyer–Finley (BF) and the dispersionless Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (dKP) equations possess solutions whose level surfaces are central quadrics in the space of independent variables (the so-called central quadric ansatz). It was demonstrated that generic solutions of this type are described by Painlevé equations P III and P II , respectively. The aim of our paper is threefold: (1) Based on the method of hydrodynamic reductions, we classify integrable models possessing the central quadric ansatz. This leads to the five canonical forms (including BF and dKP). (2) Applying the central quadric ansatz to each of the five canonical forms, we obtain all Painlevé equations P I –P VI , with P VI corresponding to the generic case of our classification. (3) We argue that solutions coming from the central quadric ansatz constitute a subclass of two-phase solutions provided by the method of hydrodynamic reductions. (paper)

INDUSTRIAL BOILER RETROFIT FOR NOX CONTROL: COMBINED SELECTIVE NONCATALYTIC REDUCTION AND SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION

Science.gov (United States)

The paper describes retrofitting and testing a 590 kW (2 MBtu/hr), oil-fired, three-pass, fire-tube package boiler with a combined selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. The system demonstrated 85% nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction w...

A search for time variability and its possible regularities in linear polarization of Be stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, L.; Guo, Z.H.; Hsu, J.C.; Huang, L.

1989-01-01

Linear polarization measurements are presented for 14 Be stars obtained at McDonald Observatory during four observing runs from June to November of 1983. Methods of observation and data reduction are described. Seven of eight program stars which were observed on six or more nights exhibited obvious polarimetric variations on time-scales of days or months. The incidence is estimated as 50% and may be as high as 93%. No connection can be found between polarimetric variability and rapid periodic light or spectroscopic variability for our stars. Ultra-rapid variability on time-scale of minutes was searched for with negative results. In all cases the position angles also show variations indicating that the axis of symmetry of the circumstellar envelope changes its orientation in space. For the Be binary CX Dra the variations in polarization seems to have a period which is just half of the orbital period

Pulsating variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The study of stellar pulsations is a major route to the understanding of stellar structure and evolution. At the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) the following stellar pulsation studies were undertaken: rapidly oscillating Ap stars; solar-like oscillations in stars; 8-Scuti type variability in a classical Am star; Beta Cephei variables; a pulsating white dwarf and its companion; RR Lyrae variables and galactic Cepheids. 4 figs

[Reduction of omalgia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: clinical randomized trial ketorolac vs ketorolac and acetazolamide].

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa-Balderas, Lorena; Franco-López, Francisco; Flores-Álvarez, Efrén; López-Rodríguez, Jorge Luis; Vázquez-García, José Antonio; Barba-Valadez, Claudia Teresa

2013-01-01

Laparoscopy cholecystectomy for the surgical treatment of cholelithiasis has been considered the gold standard. The referred pain to the shoulder (omalgia) may be present to 63% of the patients and limits outpatient management. The study was to evaluate the usefulness of acetazolamide associated with ketorolac for reduction of the omalgia to minimally invasive treatment. We performed a clinical trial, randomized, double blind in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy to assess the reduction of post-operative omalgia comparing ketorolac and ketorolaco+acetazolamida. 31 patients in each group were studied. The study group: 250 mg of acetazolamide before anesthetic induction and 30 mg of ketorolac in the immediate postoperative period. one tablet of placebo prior to the anesthetic induction and 30 mg of ketorolac in the immediate postoperative. The presence of omalgia was assessed using the analog visual scale. The variables recorded included: age, sex, flow of carbon dioxide intra-abdominal pressure, surgical time, urgent or elective surgery, omalgia, severity of pain evaluated by analog visual scale, addition analgesia. Both groups were homogeneous and statistical analysis showed no differences in the variables studied. The omalgia in the study group was presented at 9.67% and in the group control was the 58.06% (p < 0.001). 250 mg oral acetazolamide associated 30 mg of ketorolac reduces significantly the development of omalgia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Dolochar as a reductant in the reduction roasting of iron ore slimes

Science.gov (United States)

Rath, Swagat S.; Rao, Danda Srinivas

2017-12-01

The present investigation examines the viability of dolochar, a sponge iron industry waste material, as a reductant in the reduction roasting of iron ore slimes, which are another waste generated by iron ore beneficiation plants. Under statistically determined optimum conditions, which include a temperature of 900°C, a reductant-to-feed mass ratio of 0.35, and a reduction time of 30-45 min, the roasted mass, after being subjected to low-intensity magnetic separation, yielded an iron ore concentrate of approximately 64wt% Fe at a mass recovery of approximately 71% from the feed iron ore slime assaying 56.2wt% Fe. X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that the magnetic products contain magnetite and hematite as the major phases, whereas the nonmagnetic fractions contain quartz and hematite.

Variable Nitrogen Fixation in Wild Populus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon L Doty

Full Text Available The microbiome of plants is diverse, and like that of animals, is important for overall health and nutrient acquisition. In legumes and actinorhizal plants, a portion of essential nitrogen (N is obtained through symbiosis with nodule-inhabiting, N2-fixing microorganisms. However, a variety of non-nodulating plant species can also thrive in natural, low-N settings. Some of these species may rely on endophytes, microorganisms that live within plants, to fix N2 gas into usable forms. Here we report the first direct evidence of N2 fixation in the early successional wild tree, Populus trichocarpa, a non-leguminous tree, from its native riparian habitat. In order to measure N2 fixation, surface-sterilized cuttings of wild poplar were assayed using both 15N2 incorporation and the commonly used acetylene reduction assay. The 15N label was incorporated at high levels in a subset of cuttings, suggesting a high level of N-fixation. Similarly, acetylene was reduced to ethylene in some samples. The microbiota of the cuttings was highly variable, both in numbers of cultured bacteria and in genetic diversity. Our results indicated that associative N2-fixation occurred within wild poplar and that a non-uniformity in the distribution of endophytic bacteria may explain the variability in N-fixation activity. These results point to the need for molecular studies to decipher the required microbial consortia and conditions for effective endophytic N2-fixation in trees.

Strong diffusion formulation of Markov chain ensembles and its optimal weaker reductions

Science.gov (United States)

Güler, Marifi

2017-10-01

Two self-contained diffusion formulations, in the form of coupled stochastic differential equations, are developed for the temporal evolution of state densities over an ensemble of Markov chains evolving independently under a common transition rate matrix. Our first formulation derives from Kurtz's strong approximation theorem of density-dependent Markov jump processes [Stoch. Process. Their Appl. 6, 223 (1978), 10.1016/0304-4149(78)90020-0] and, therefore, strongly converges with an error bound of the order of lnN /N for ensemble size N . The second formulation eliminates some fluctuation variables, and correspondingly some noise terms, within the governing equations of the strong formulation, with the objective of achieving a simpler analytic formulation and a faster computation algorithm when the transition rates are constant or slowly varying. There, the reduction of the structural complexity is optimal in the sense that the elimination of any given set of variables takes place with the lowest attainable increase in the error bound. The resultant formulations are supported by numerical simulations.

Navier slip model of drag reduction by Leidenfrost vapor layers

KAUST Repository

Berry, Joseph D.

2017-10-17

Recent experiments found that a hot solid sphere that is able to sustain a stable Leidenfrost vapor layer in a liquid exhibits significant drag reduction during free fall. The variation of the drag coefficient with Reynolds number deviates substantially from the characteristic drag crisis behavior at high Reynolds numbers. Measurements based on liquids of different viscosities show that the onset of the drag crisis depends on the viscosity ratio of the vapor to the liquid. Here we attempt to characterize the complexity of the Leidenfrost vapor layer with respect to its variable thickness and possible vapor circulation within, in terms of the Navier slip model that is defined by a slip length. Such a model can facilitate tangential flow and thereby alter the behavior of the boundary layer. Direct numerical and large eddy simulations of flow past a sphere at moderate to high Reynolds numbers (102≤Re≤4×104) are employed to quantify comparisons with experimental results, including the drag coefficient and the form of the downstream wake on the sphere. This provides a simple one parameter characterization of the drag reduction phenomenon due to a stable vapor layer that envelops a solid body.

Navier slip model of drag reduction by Leidenfrost vapor layers

KAUST Repository

Berry, Joseph D.; Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev; Chan, Derek Y. C.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2017-01-01

Recent experiments found that a hot solid sphere that is able to sustain a stable Leidenfrost vapor layer in a liquid exhibits significant drag reduction during free fall. The variation of the drag coefficient with Reynolds number deviates substantially from the characteristic drag crisis behavior at high Reynolds numbers. Measurements based on liquids of different viscosities show that the onset of the drag crisis depends on the viscosity ratio of the vapor to the liquid. Here we attempt to characterize the complexity of the Leidenfrost vapor layer with respect to its variable thickness and possible vapor circulation within, in terms of the Navier slip model that is defined by a slip length. Such a model can facilitate tangential flow and thereby alter the behavior of the boundary layer. Direct numerical and large eddy simulations of flow past a sphere at moderate to high Reynolds numbers (102≤Re≤4×104) are employed to quantify comparisons with experimental results, including the drag coefficient and the form of the downstream wake on the sphere. This provides a simple one parameter characterization of the drag reduction phenomenon due to a stable vapor layer that envelops a solid body.

Linear dynamical modes as new variables for data-driven ENSO forecast

Science.gov (United States)

Gavrilov, Andrey; Seleznev, Aleksei; Mukhin, Dmitry; Loskutov, Evgeny; Feigin, Alexander; Kurths, Juergen

2018-05-01

A new data-driven model for analysis and prediction of spatially distributed time series is proposed. The model is based on a linear dynamical mode (LDM) decomposition of the observed data which is derived from a recently developed nonlinear dimensionality reduction approach. The key point of this approach is its ability to take into account simple dynamical properties of the observed system by means of revealing the system's dominant time scales. The LDMs are used as new variables for empirical construction of a nonlinear stochastic evolution operator. The method is applied to the sea surface temperature anomaly field in the tropical belt where the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the main mode of variability. The advantage of LDMs versus traditionally used empirical orthogonal function decomposition is demonstrated for this data. Specifically, it is shown that the new model has a competitive ENSO forecast skill in comparison with the other existing ENSO models.

Dimensional Reduction for the General Markov Model on Phylogenetic Trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumner, Jeremy G

2017-03-01

We present a method of dimensional reduction for the general Markov model of sequence evolution on a phylogenetic tree. We show that taking certain linear combinations of the associated random variables (site pattern counts) reduces the dimensionality of the model from exponential in the number of extant taxa, to quadratic in the number of taxa, while retaining the ability to statistically identify phylogenetic divergence events. A key feature is the identification of an invariant subspace which depends only bilinearly on the model parameters, in contrast to the usual multi-linear dependence in the full space. We discuss potential applications including the computation of split (edge) weights on phylogenetic trees from observed sequence data.

Reduction of Poisson noise in measured time-resolved data for time-domain diffuse optical tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Okawa, S; Endo, Y; Hoshi, Y; Yamada, Y

2012-01-01

A method to reduce noise for time-domain diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is proposed. Poisson noise which contaminates time-resolved photon counting data is reduced by use of maximum a posteriori estimation. The noise-free data are modeled as a Markov random process, and the measured time-resolved data are assumed as Poisson distributed random variables. The posterior probability of the occurrence of the noise-free data is formulated. By maximizing the probability, the noise-free data are estimated, and the Poisson noise is reduced as a result. The performances of the Poisson noise reduction are demonstrated in some experiments of the image reconstruction of time-domain DOT. In simulations, the proposed method reduces the relative error between the noise-free and noisy data to about one thirtieth, and the reconstructed DOT image was smoothed by the proposed noise reduction. The variance of the reconstructed absorption coefficients decreased by 22% in a phantom experiment. The quality of DOT, which can be applied to breast cancer screening etc., is improved by the proposed noise reduction.

An investigation of drag reduction for tractor trailer vehicles with air deflector and boattail. [wind tunnel tests

Science.gov (United States)

Muirhead, V. U.

1981-01-01

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted to determine the influence of several physical variables on the aerodynamic drag of a trailer model. The physical variables included: a cab mounted wind deflector, boattail on trailer, flow vanes on trailer front, forced transition on trailer, and decreased gap between tractor and trailer. Tests were conducted at yaw angles (relative wind angles) of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 degrees and Reynolds numbers of 3.58 x 10 to the 5th power 6.12 x 10 to the 5th power based upon the equivalent diameter of the vehicles. The wind deflector on top of the cab produced a calculated reduction in fuel consumption of about 5 percent of the aerodynamic portion of the fuel budget for a wind speed of 15.3 km/hr (9.5 mph) over a wind angle range of 0 deg to 180 deg and for a vehicle speed of 88.5 km/hr (55 mph). The boattail produced a calculated 7 percent to 8 percent reduction in fuel consumption under the same conditions. The decrease in gap reduced the calculated fuel consumption by about 5 percent of the aerodynamic portion of the fuel budget.

Simulation of hybrid renewable microgeneration systems for variable electricity prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandoni, C.; Renzi, M.; Caresana, F.; Polonara, F.

2014-01-01

This paper addresses a hybrid renewable system that consists of a micro-Combined Cooling Heat and Power (CCHP) unit and a solar energy conversion device. In addition to a traditional PV system, a High Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) device, the design of which is suitable for building integration application, was also modelled and embedded in the hybrid system. The work identifies the optimal management strategies for the hybrid renewable system in an effort to minimise the primary energy usage, the carbon dioxide emissions and the operational costs for variable electricity prices that result from the day-ahead electricity market. An “ad hoc” model describes the performance of the HCPV module, PV and Internal Combustion Engine, whilst the other units were simulated based on their main characteristic parameters. The developed algorithm was applied to three different building typologies. The results indicate that the best configuration is the hybrid renewable system with PV, which can provide a yearly primary energy reduction of between 20% and 30% compared to separate production. The hybrid renewable system with HCPV becomes competitive with the PV technology when the level of solar radiation is high. - Highlights: • The paper addresses a hybrid renewable system that consists of a micro-CCHP unit and a solar energy conversion device. • Both PV and High Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) systems have been modelled and embedded in the hybrid system. • The work identifies the optimal management strategies for variable electricity prices. • Hybrid renewable systems provide a yearly primary energy reduction of between 20% and 30% compared to separate production. • When the level of solar radiation is high, HCPV becomes competitive with the PV technology

The anaerobic degradation of organic matter in Danish coastal sediments: iron reduction, manganese reduction, and sulfate reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canfield, Donald Eugene; Thamdrup, B; Hansen, Jens Würgler

1993-01-01

). In the deep portion of the basin, surface Mn enrichments reached 3.5 wt%, and Mn reduction was the only important anaerobic carbon oxidation process in the upper 10 cm of the sediment. In the less Mn-rich sediments from intermediate depths in the basin, Fe reduction ranged from somewhat less, to far more...... speculate that in shallow sediments of the Skagerrak, surface Mn oxides are present in a somewhat reduced oxidation level (deep basin....

The Simultaneous Medicina-Planck Experiment: data acquisition, reduction and first results

Science.gov (United States)

Procopio, P.; Massardi, M.; Righini, S.; Zanichelli, A.; Ricciardi, S.; Libardi, P.; Burigana, C.; Cuttaia, F.; Mack, K.-H.; Terenzi, L.; Villa, F.; Bonavera, L.; Morgante, G.; Trigilio, C.; Trombetti, T.; Umana, G.

2011-10-01

The Simultaneous Medicina-Planck Experiment (SiMPlE) is aimed at observing a selected sample of 263 extragalactic and Galactic sources with the Medicina 32-m single-dish radio telescope in the same epoch as the Planck satellite observations. The data, acquired with a frequency coverage down to 5 GHz and combined with Planck at frequencies above 30 GHz, will constitute a useful reference catalogue of bright sources over the whole Northern hemisphere. Furthermore, source observations performed in different epochs and comparisons with other catalogues will allow the investigation of source variabilities on different time-scales. In this work, we describe the sample selection, the ongoing data acquisition campaign, the data reduction procedures, the developed tools and the comparison with other data sets. We present 5 and 8.3 GHz data for the SiMPlE Northern sample, consisting of 79 sources with δ≥ 45° selected from our catalogue and observed during the first 6 months of the project. A first analysis of their spectral behaviour and long-term variability is also presented.

Temporal variability of fish larvae assemblages: influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. Reynalte-Tataje

Full Text Available Natural and induced disturbances greatly influence the temporal distribution of ichthyoplankton abundance. This study assesses and compares the temporal variability of fish larvae assemblages in controlled and free environments to determine the influence of environment variables on the main taxa in these systems. The study was conducted at the Chapecó (without dam impact and Ligeiro (with dam impact river mouths, which are located in the upper Uruguay River. Samples were made between October 2001 and March 2004 during three reproductive periods. The larvae assemblages were composed of small and medium-sized Characiformes and Siluriformes. The variation in the distribution of larvae was mainly temporal (>85%. When the three reproductive periods were compared, it was observed in the second period, characterized by a larger water flow and a lower temperature, that there was a reduction in abundance, a lower number of taxa, an absence of stages in post-flexion and a high dissimilarity in larvae assemblage structure. In general, the environmental variables of water flow and temperature most influenced the distribution of egg and larvae abundance. In the studied area, a smaller temporal variability was observed in the structure of larvae assemblages at the sampling sites in the Chapecó River mouth than in in the Ligeiro River mouth under the influence of dams.

Evaluation of energy efficiency in street lighting: model proposition considering climate variability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaury Caruzzo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper assesses the impacts of climate variability on efficient electricity consumption in street lighting in Brazil. The Climate Demand Method (CDM was applied, and the energy savings achieved by Brazil’s National Efficient Street Lighting Program (ReLuz in 2005 were calculated, considering the monthly climatology of sunshine duration, disaggregated by county in Brazil. The total energy savings in street lighting in 2005 were estimated at 63 GWh/year or 1.39% higher than the value determined by ReLuz/Eletrobrás and there was a 15 MW reduction in demand in Brazil, considering the nearly 393,000 points in ReLuz served in 2005. The results indicate that, besides the difference in latitude, climate variability in different county increases the daily usage of street lighting up to 19%. Furthermore, Brazil’s large size means that seasonality patterns in energy savings are not homogeneous, and there is a correlation between the monthly variability in sunshine duration and the latitude of mesoregions. The CDM was also shown to be suitable for ranking mesoregions with the highest levels of energy saving lighting.

Development of a non-piston MR suspension rod for variable mass systems

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Huaxia; Han, Guanghui; Zhang, Jin; Wang, Mingxian; Ma, Mengchao; Zhong, Xiang; Yu, Liandong

2018-06-01

The semi-active suspension systems for variable mass systems require long work stroke and variable damping, while the currently piston structure limits the work stroke for the magnetorheological (MR) dampers. The main work of this paper is to design a semi-active non-piston MR (NPMR) suspension rod for the reduction of the vibration of an automatic impeller washing machine, which is a typical variable mass system. The designed suspension rod locates in the suspension system that links the internal tub to the washing machine cabinet. The NPMR suspension rod includes a MR part and a air part. The MR part can provide low initial damping force and the unlimited work stroke compared with the piston MR damper. The hysteretic response tests and vibration performance evaluation with different loadings are conducted to verify the dynamic performance for the designed rod. The measured damping force of the MR part varies from 5 to 20 N. Studies of dehydration mode experiments of the washing machine indicate that its vibration acceleration with the NPMR suspension rods can reduce to half of the original passive ones in certain conditions.

Variable mechanical ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontela, Paula Caitano; Prestes, Renata Bernardy; Forgiarini, Luiz Alberto; Friedman, Gilberto

2017-01-01

To review the literature on the use of variable mechanical ventilation and the main outcomes of this technique. Search, selection, and analysis of all original articles on variable ventilation, without restriction on the period of publication and language, available in the electronic databases LILACS, MEDLINE®, and PubMed, by searching the terms "variable ventilation" OR "noisy ventilation" OR "biologically variable ventilation". A total of 36 studies were selected. Of these, 24 were original studies, including 21 experimental studies and three clinical studies. Several experimental studies reported the beneficial effects of distinct variable ventilation strategies on lung function using different models of lung injury and healthy lungs. Variable ventilation seems to be a viable strategy for improving gas exchange and respiratory mechanics and preventing lung injury associated with mechanical ventilation. However, further clinical studies are necessary to assess the potential of variable ventilation strategies for the clinical improvement of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.

Solitary waves of the Kadomstev-Petviashvili equation in warm dusty plasma with variable dust charge, two temperature ion and nonthermal electron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pakzad, Hamid Reza

2009-01-01

The propagation of nonlinear waves in warm dusty plasmas with variable dust charge, two temperature ion and nonthermal electron is studied. By using the reductive perturbation theory, the Kadomstev-Petviashivili (KP) equation is derived. Existence of rarefactive and compressive solitons is analyzed.

Strategy for the Operation of Cooling Towers with variable Speed Fans

CERN Document Server

Iñigo-Golfín, J

2001-01-01

Within the SPS Cooling Water Project at CERN aimed at the reduction of water consumption, this primary open cooling loop will be closed and all the primary cooling circuit components will be upgraded to the new required duty and brought to the necessary safety and operability standards. In particular the tower fans will be fitted with variable frequency drives to replace the existing two speed motors. This paper presents a study to optimize the operation of SPS cooling towers taking into account outdoor conditions (wet and dry bulb temperatures) and the entirety of the primary circuit in which they will operate.

The relationship between self-efficacy and reductions in smoking in a contingency management procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowich, Paul; Mintz, Jim; Lamb, R J

2009-06-01

Social--cognitive and behavioral theories of change disagree on what the relevant controlling variables for initiating behavior change are. Correlations between baseline smoking cessation self-efficacy and the changes in breath carbon monoxide (CO) and the reduction in breath CO and increases in smoking cessation self-efficacy from baseline were obtained from a contingency management smoking cessation procedure. A test of the difference between the cross-lag correlations suggested a nonspurious causal relationship between smoking cessation self-efficacy and changes in breath CO. Path analyses showed that decreases in breath CO (reductions in smoking) predicted later increases in smoking cessation self-efficacy. Baseline self-reports of smoking cessation self-efficacy were not significantly correlated with subsequent changes in breath CO. Rather, significant correlations were found between reductions in breath CO and later increases in smoking cessation self-efficacy. These results suggest that self-efficacy may be a cognitive response to one's own behavior, and are inconsistent with a social--cognitive view of self-efficacy's role in behavior change. Implications for the development of smoking cessation programs and health-promoting behavior changes in general are discussed.

Uranium tetrafluoride reduction closed bomb. Part I: Reduction process general conditions; Reduccion del tetrafluoruro de uranio en bomba cerrada. Part I. estudio de las variables generales del proceso de reduccion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anca Abati, R; Lopez Rodriguez, M

1961-07-01

General conditions about the metallo thermic reduction in small bombs (250 and 800 gr. of uranium) has been investigated. Factors such as kind and granulometry of the magnesium used, magnesium excess and preheating temperature, which affect yields and metal quality have been considered. magnesium excess increased yields in a 15% in the small bomb, about the preheating temperature, there is a range between which yields and metal quality does not change. All tests have been made with graphite linings. (Author) 18 refs.

Air Layer Drag Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccio, Steven; Elbing, Brian; Winkel, Eric; Dowling, David; Perlin, Marc

2008-11-01

A set of experiments have been conducted at the US Navy's Large Cavitation Channel to investigate skin-friction drag reduction with the injection of air into a high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer. Testing was performed on a 12.9 m long flat-plate test model with the surface hydraulically smooth and fully rough at downstream-distance-based Reynolds numbers to 220 million and at speeds to 20 m/s. Local skin-friction, near-wall bulk void fraction, and near-wall bubble imaging were monitored along the length of the model. The instrument suite was used to access the requirements necessary to achieve air layer drag reduction (ALDR). Injection of air over a wide range of air fluxes showed that three drag reduction regimes exist when injecting air; (1) bubble drag reduction that has poor downstream persistence, (2) a transitional regime with a steep rise in drag reduction, and (3) ALDR regime where the drag reduction plateaus at 90% ± 10% over the entire model length with large void fractions in the near-wall region. These investigations revealed several requirements for ALDR including; sufficient volumetric air fluxes that increase approximately with the square of the free-stream speed, slightly higher air fluxes are needed when the surface tension is reduced, higher air fluxes are required for rough surfaces, and the formation of ALDR is sensitive to the inlet condition.

Greenhouse gas emission reduction by means of fuel switching in electricity generation: Addressing the potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delarue, Erik; D'haeseleer, William

2008-01-01

Many countries committed themselves in the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some of these targeted emission reductions could result from a switch from coal-fired to gas-fired electricity generation. The focus in this work lies on Western Europe, with the presence of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). For the switching to occur, several conditions have to be fulfilled. First, an economical incentive must be present, i.e. a sufficiently high European Union Allowance (EUA) price together with a sufficiently low natural gas price. Second, the physical potential for switching must exist, i.e. at a given load, there must remain enough power plants not running to make switching possible. This paper investigates what possibilities exist for switching coal-fired plants for gas-fired plants, dependent on the load level (the latter condition above). A fixed allowance cost and a variable natural gas price are assumed. The method to address GHG emission reduction potentials is first illustrated in a methodological case. Next, the GHG emission reduction potentials are addressed for several Western European countries together with a relative positioning of their electricity generation. GHG emission reduction potentials are also compared with simulation results. GHG emission reduction potentials tend to be significant. The Netherlands have a very widespread switching zone, so GHG emission reduction is practically independent of electricity generation. Other counties, like Germany, Spain and Italy could reduce GHG emissions significantly by switching. With an allowance cost following the switch level of a 50% efficient gas-fired plant and a 40% efficient coal-fired plant in the summer season (like in 2005), the global GHG emission reduction (in the electricity generating sector) for the eight modeled zones could amount to 19%

Climate variability impacts on rice crop production in pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shakoor, U.; Saboor, A.; Baig, I.

2015-01-01

The climate variability has affected the agriculture production all over the globe. This concern has motivated important changes in the field of research during the last decade. Climate changes are believed to have declining effects towards crop production in Pakistan. This study carries an empirical investigation of the effects of climate change on rice crop of Pakistan by employing Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model. Annual seasonal data of the climatic variables from 1980 to 2013 has been used. Results confirmed that rising mean maximum temperature would lead to reduction in rice production while increase in mean minimum temperature would be advantageous towards rice production. Variation in mean minimum temperature brought about seven percent increase in rice productivity as shown by Variance Decomposition. Mean precipitation and mean temperature would increase rice production but simulations scenarios for 2030 confirmed that much increase in rainfall and mean temperature in long run will negatively affect rice production in future. It is therefore important to follow adequate policy action to safeguard crop productions from disastrous effects. Development of varieties resistant to high temperatures as well as droughts will definitely enhance resilience of rice crop in Pakistan. (author)

[Awareness of health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction in urban residents in Beijing: a cross-sectional survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, J H; Zhang, Y; Wang, J; Chen, H J; Zhang, G B; Liu, X B; Wu, H X; Li, J; Li, J; Liu, Q Y

2017-05-10

Objective: To understand the awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction in urban residents in Beijing and the influencing factors, and provide information for policy decision on carbon emission reduction and health education campaigns. Methods: Four communities were selected randomly from Fangshan, Haidian, Huairou and Dongcheng districts of Beijing, respectively. The sample size was estimated by using Kish-Leslie formula for descriptive analysis. 90 participants were recruited from each community. χ (2) test was conducted to examine the associations between socio-demographic variables and individuals' awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors influencing the awareness about the health co-benefits. Results: In 369 participants surveyed, 12.7 % reported they knew the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. The final logistic regression analysis revealed that age ( OR =0.98), attitude to climate warming ( OR =0.72) and air pollution ( OR =1.59), family monthly average income ( OR =1.27), and low carbon lifestyle ( OR =2.36) were important factors influencing their awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Conclusion: The awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction were influenced by people' socio-demographic characteristics (age and family income), concerns about air pollution and climate warming, and low carbon lifestyle. It is necessary to take these factors into consideration in future development and implementation of carbon emission reduction policies and related health education campaigns.

Wind and load variability in the Nordic countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holttinen, H.; Rissanen, S. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Larsen, X. [Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Lyngby (Denmark); Loevholm, A. L. [Kjeller Vindteknikk (Norway)

2013-04-15

This publication analysed the variability of wind production and load in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the Nordic region as a whole, based on real data measured from large-scale wind power during 2009-2011. The Nordic-wide wind power time series was scaled up such that Sweden had same amount of wind power production than Denmark, and Finland and Norway only 50% of the wind power production in Denmark. Wind power production in Denmark and Sweden is somewhat correlated (coefficient 0.7) but less correlation is found between the other countries. The variations from one hour to the next are only weakly correlated between all countries, even between Denmark and Sweden. Largest variations occur when the production is approximately 30-70% of installed capacity and variability is low during periods of light winds. The variability in shorter time scales was less than the hourly variations. During the three years analysed in this publication there were few storm incidents and they did not produce dramatic wind power ramps in the Nordic region. Wind and load variations are not correlated between the countries, which is beneficial from the viewpoint of wind integration. The smoothing effect is shown as reduction of variability from a single country to Nordic-wide wind power. The impact of wind power on the variability that the system experiences is evaluated by analysing the variability of net load with different wind power penetration levels. The Nordic-wide wind power production increases the highest hourly ramps by 2.4% (up) and -3.6% (down) of installed wind power capacity when there is 20% wind power penetration and by 2.7% (up) and -4.7% (down) for 30% wind penetration. These results assess the impacts of variability only. The next step will be assessing the uncertainty from forecast errors. The timing of ramp events, and occurrence of high-wind and low-load are studied. With current wind penetration, low production levels (2-5% of installed wind power) can occur in a

Short interactive workshops reduce variability in contouring treatment volumes for spine stereotactic body radiation therapy: Experience with the ESTRO FALCON programme and EduCase™ training tool.

Science.gov (United States)

De Bari, Berardino; Dahele, Max; Palmu, Miika; Kaylor, Scott; Schiappacasse, Luis; Guckenberger, Matthias

2017-11-20

We report the results of 4, 2-h contouring workshops on target volume definition for spinal stereotactic radiotherapy. They combined traditional teaching methods with a web-based contouring/contour-analysis platform and led to a significant reduction in delineation variability. Short, interactive workshops can reduce interobserver variability in spine SBRT target volume delineation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Breast dose reduction for chest CT by modifying the scanning parameters based on the pre-scan size-specific dose estimate (SSDE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kidoh, Masafumi; Utsunomiya, Daisuke; Oda, Seitaro; Nakaura, Takeshi; Yuki, Hideaki; Hirata, Kenichiro; Namimoto, Tomohiro; Sakabe, Daisuke; Hatemura, Masahiro; Yamashita, Yasuyuki [Kumamoto University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Honjo, Kumamoto (Japan); Funama, Yoshinori [Kumamoto University, Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Honjo, Kumamoto (Japan)

2017-06-15

To investigate the usefulness of modifying scanning parameters based on the size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) for a breast-dose reduction for chest CT. We scanned 26 women with a fixed volume CT dose index (CTDI{sub vol}) (15 mGy) and another 26 with a fixed SSDE (15 mGy) protocol (protocol 1 and 2, respectively). In protocol 2, tube current was calculated based on the patient habitus obtained on scout images. We compared the mean breast dose and the inter-patient breast dose variability and performed linear regression analysis of the breast dose and the body mass index (BMI) of the two protocols. The mean breast dose was about 35 % lower under protocol 2 than protocol 1 (10.9 mGy vs. 16.8 mGy, p < 0.01). The inter-patient breast dose variability was significantly lower under protocol 2 than 1 (1.2 mGy vs. 2.5 mGy, p < 0.01). We observed a moderate negative correlation between the breast dose and the BMI under protocol 1 (r = 0.43, p < 0.01); there was no significant correlation (r = 0.06, p = 0.35) under protocol 2. The SSDE-based protocol achieved a reduction in breast dose and in inter-patient breast dose variability. (orig.)

Cataclysmic variables, Hubble-Sandage variables and eta Carinae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bath, G.T.

1980-01-01

The Hubble-Sandage variables are the most luminous stars in external galaxies. They were first investigated by Hubble and Sandage (1953) for use as distance indicators. Their main characteristics are high luminosity, blue colour indices, and irregular variability. Spectroscopically they show hydrogen and helium in emission with occasionally weaker FeII and [FeII], and no Balmer jump (Humphreys 1975, 1978). In this respect they closely resemble cataclysmic variables, particularly dwarf novae. In the quiescent state dwarf novae show broad H and HeI, together with a strong UV continuum. In contrast to the spectroscopic similarities, the luminosities could hardly differ more. Rather than being the brightest stars known, quiescent dwarf novae are as faint or fainter than the sun. It is suggested that the close correspondence between the spectral appearance of the two classes combined with the difference in luminosity is well accounted for by a model of Hubble-Sandage variables in which the same physical processes are occurring, but on a larger scale. (Auth.)

Manganese Electrocatalysts with Bulky Bipyridine Ligands: Utilizing Lewis Acids To Promote Carbon Dioxide Reduction at Low Overpotentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sampson, Matthew D; Kubiak, Clifford P

2016-02-03

Earth-abundant manganese bipyridine (bpy) complexes are well-established molecular electrocatalysts for proton-coupled carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction to carbon monoxide (CO). Recently, a bulky bipyridine ligand, 6,6'-dimesityl-2,2'-bipyridine (mesbpy), was utilized to significantly lower the potential necessary to access the doubly reduced states of these manganese catalysts by eliminating their ability to dimerize after one-electron reduction. Although this Mn mesbpy catalyst binds CO2 at very low potentials, reduction of a resulting Mn(I)-COOH complex at significantly more negative potentials is required to achieve fast catalytic rates. Without reduction of Mn(I)-COOH, catalysis occurs slowly via a alternate catalytic pathway-protonation of Mn(I)-COOH to form a cationic tetracarbonyl complex. We report the use of Lewis acids, specifically Mg(2+) cations, to significantly increase the rate of catalysis (by over 10-fold) at these low overpotentials (i.e., the same potential as CO2 binding). Reduction of CO2 occurs at one of the lowest overpotentials ever reported for molecular electrocatalysts (η = 0.3-0.45 V). With Mg(2+), catalysis proceeds via a reductive disproportionation reaction of 2CO2 + 2e(-) → CO and CO3(2-). Insights into the catalytic mechanism were gained by using variable concentration cyclic voltammetry, infrared spectroelectrochemistry, and bulk electrolysis studies. The catalytic Tafel behavior (log turnover frequency vs overpotential relationship) of [Mn(mesbpy)(CO)3(MeCN)](OTf) with added Mg(2+) is compared with those of other commonly studied CO2 reduction catalysts.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict implementation of harm reduction strategies among MDMA/ecstasy users.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Alan K; Rosenberg, Harold

2016-06-01

This prospective study was designed to test whether the variables proposed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were associated with baseline intention to implement and subsequent use of 2 MDMA/ecstasy-specific harm reduction interventions: preloading/postloading and pill testing/pill checking. Using targeted Facebook advertisements, an international sample of 391 recreational ecstasy users were recruited to complete questionnaires assessing their ecstasy consumption history, and their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, habit strength (past strategy use), and intention to use these two strategies. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significantly associated with baseline intention to preload/postload and pill test/pill check. Out of the 391 baseline participants, 100 completed the two-month follow-up assessment. Baseline habit strength and frequency of ecstasy consumption during the three months prior to baseline were the only significant predictors of how often participants used the preloading/postloading strategy during the follow-up. Baseline intention to pill test/pill check was the only significant predictor of how often participants used this strategy during the follow-up. These findings provide partial support for TPB variables as both correlates of baseline intention to implement and predictors of subsequent use of these two strategies. Future investigations could assess whether factors related to ecstasy consumption (e.g., subjective level of intoxication, craving, negative consequences following consumption), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility and availability of harm reduction resources) improve the prediction of how often ecstasy users employ these and other harm reduction strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Potential Applicability of Persuasive Communication to Light-Glow Reduction Efforts: A Case Study of Marine Turtle Conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Kamrowski, Ruth L.; Sutton, Stephen G.; Tobin, Renae C.; Hamann, Mark

2014-09-01

Artificial lighting along coastlines poses a significant threat to marine turtles due to the importance of light for their natural orientation at the nesting beach. Effective lighting management requires widespread support and participation, yet engaging the public with light reduction initiatives is difficult because benefits associated with artificial lighting are deeply entrenched within modern society. We present a case study from Queensland, Australia, where an active light-glow reduction campaign has been in place since 2008 to protect nesting turtles. Semi-structured questionnaires explored community beliefs about reducing light and evaluated the potential for using persuasive communication techniques based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to increase engagement with light reduction. Respondents ( n = 352) had moderate to strong intentions to reduce light. TPB variables explained a significant proportion of variance in intention (multiple regression: R 2 = 0.54-0.69, P benefits to the local economy" ( P Selective legislation and commitment strategies may be further useful strategies to increase community light reduction. As artificial light continues to gain attention as a pollutant, our methods and findings will be of interest to anyone needing to manage public artificial lighting.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

... R S T U V W X Y Z Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Information 6 Things You ... Disease and Dementia (12/20/13) Research Spotlights Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Shown To ...

Alcohol harm reduction in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herring, Rachel; Betsy, Thom; Beccaria, Franca

2010-01-01

The EMCDDA’s 10th scientific monograph, entitled Harm reduction: evidence, impacts and challenges provides a comprehensive overview of the harm reduction field. Part I of the monograph looks back at the emergence of harm reduction approaches and their diffusion, and explores the concept from diff...

Multi-modal Aedes aegypti mosquito reduction interventions and dengue fever prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballenger-Browning, Kara K; Elder, John P

2009-12-01

To systematically review the effectiveness of biological, chemical and educational dengue fever prevention programs on the reduction of entomologic indicators. Searches of PubMed, GoogleScholar, CabDirect databases and reference lists yielded over 1000 articles containing mosquito abatement interventions. Inclusion criteria were: Vector control programs targeting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes; Studies providing pre- and post-test data. Intervention effectiveness was assessed using Mulla's formula to determine percent reductions for all studies with control groups. Twenty-one studies were reviewed. Twelve dependent variables were presented, however, the Breteau, House and Container indices were the primary measurement tools for monitoring larval populations. Behavioural methods consisting of educational campaigns and maintaining water containers to reduce the mosquito population were applied in eight studies. Eight studies involved the use of biological methods such as predatory organisms or bacteria. Finally, eight studies used chemical control techniques including insecticide sprays, larvicides, insecticide-treated materials, and cleaning water of containers with household chemicals with three studies using a combination of intervention techniques. Post-intervention reduction in entomologic indices ranged from 100% to an increase of 13.9% from baseline. Little evidence exists to support the efficacy of mosquito abatement programs owing to poor study designs and lack of congruent entomologic indices. Creation of a standard entomological index, use of clustered and randomized-controlled trials, and testing the generalizability of proven methods are recommended for future research.

State of the direct reduction and reduction smelting processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markotić A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available For quite a long time efforts have been made to develop processes for producing iron i.e. steel without employing conventional procedures - from ore, coke, blast furnace, iron, electric arc furnace, converter to steel. The insufficient availability and the high price of the coking coals have forced many countries to research and adopt the non-coke-consuming reduction and metal manufacturing processes (non-coke metallurgy, direct reduction, direct processes. This paper represents a survey of the most relevant processes from this domain by the end of 2000, which display a constant increase in the modern process metallurgy.

Potential for waste reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, J.L.

1990-01-01

The author focuses on wastes considered hazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This chapter discusses wastes that are of interest as well as the factors affecting the quantity of waste considered available for waste reduction. Estimates are provided of the quantities of wastes generated. Estimates of the potential for waste reduction are meaningful only to the extent that one can understand the amount of waste actually being generated. Estimates of waste reduction potential are summarized from a variety of government and nongovernment sources

VariableR Reclustering in Multiple Top Quark and W Boson Events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyde, Jeremy [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2015-08-14

VariableR jet reclustering is an innovative technique that allows for the reconstruction of boosted object over a wide range of kinematic regimes. Such capability enables the efficient identification of events with multiple boosted top quarks which is a typical signature for new physics processes such as the production of the supersymmetric partner of the gluon. In order to evaluate the performance of the algorithm, the VariableR reclustered jets are compared with fixed radius reclustered jets. The flexibility of the algorithm is tested by reconstructing both boosted top quarks and boosted W bosons. The VariableR reclustering method is found to be more efficient than the fixed radius algorithm at identifying top quarks and W bosons in events with four top quarks, therefore enhancing the sensitivity for gluino searches.

Low-Frequency Temporal Variability in Mira and Semiregular Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Templeton, Matthew R.; Karovska, M.; Waagen, E. O.

2012-01-01

We investigate low-frequency variability in a large sample of Mira and semiregular variables with long-term visual light curves from the AAVSO International Database. Our aim is to determine whether we can detect and measure long-timescale variable phenomena in these stars, for example photometric variations that might be associated with supergranular convection. We analyzed the long-term light curves of 522 variable stars of the Mira and SRa, b, c, and d classes. We calculated their low-frequency time-series spectra to characterize rednoise with the power density spectrum index, and then correlate this index with other observable characteristics such as spectral type and primary pulsation period. In our initial analysis of the sample, we see that the semiregular variables have a much broader range of spectral index than the Mira types, with the SRb subtype having the broadest range. Among Mira variables we see that the M- and S-type Miras have similarly wide ranges of index, while the C-types have the narrowest with generally shallower slopes. There is also a trend of steeper slope with larger amplitude, but at a given amplitude, a wide range of slopes are seen. The ultimate goal of the project is to identify stars with strong intrinsic red noise components as possible targets for resolved surface imaging with interferometry.

Biochemistry of Catabolic Reductive Dehalogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fincker, Maeva; Spormann, Alfred M

2017-06-20

A wide range of phylogenetically diverse microorganisms couple the reductive dehalogenation of organohalides to energy conservation. Key enzymes of such anaerobic catabolic pathways are corrinoid and Fe-S cluster-containing, membrane-associated reductive dehalogenases. These enzymes catalyze the reductive elimination of a halide and constitute the terminal reductases of a short electron transfer chain. Enzymatic and physiological studies revealed the existence of quinone-dependent and quinone-independent reductive dehalogenases that are distinguishable at the amino acid sequence level, implying different modes of energy conservation in the respective microorganisms. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about catabolic reductive dehalogenases and the electron transfer chain they are part of. We review reaction mechanisms and the role of the corrinoid and Fe-S cluster cofactors and discuss physiological implications.

Effect of water injection and off scheduling of variable inlet guide vanes, gas generator speed and power turbine nozzle angle on the performance of an automotive gas turbine engine

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, E. L.

1980-01-01

The Chrysler/ERDA baseline automotive gas turbine engine was used to experimentally determine the power augmentation and emissions reductions achieved by the effect of variable compressor and power engine geometry, water injection downstream of the compressor, and increases in gas generator speed. Results were dependent on the mode of variable geometry utilization. Over 20 percent increase in power was accompanied by over 5 percent reduction in SFC. A fuel economy improvement of at least 6 percent was estimated for a vehicle with a 75 kW (100 hp) engine which could be augmented to 89 kW (120 hp) relative to an 89 Kw (120 hp) unaugmented engine.

Reduction corporoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakky, Tariq S; Martinez, Daniel; Yang, Christopher; Carrion, Rafael E

2015-01-01

Here we present the first video demonstration of reduction corporoplasty in the management of phallic disfigurement in a 17 year old man with a history sickle cell disease and priapism. Surgical management of aneurysmal dilation of the corpora has yet to be defined in the literature. We preformed bilateral elliptical incisions over the lateral corpora as management of aneurysmal dilation of the corpora to correct phallic disfigurement. The patient tolerated the procedure well and has resolution of his corporal disfigurement. Reduction corporoplasty using bilateral lateral elliptical incisions in the management of aneurysmal dilation of the corpora is a safe an feasible operation in the management of phallic disfigurement.

Microbial reductive dehalogenation.

OpenAIRE

Mohn, W W; Tiedje, J M

1992-01-01

A wide variety of compounds can be biodegraded via reductive removal of halogen substituents. This process can degrade toxic pollutants, some of which are not known to be biodegraded by any other means. Reductive dehalogenation of aromatic compounds has been found primarily in undefined, syntrophic anaerobic communities. We discuss ecological and physiological principles which appear to be important in these communities and evaluate how widely applicable these principles are. Anaerobic commun...

Cataclysmic Variable Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Hellier, Coel

2001-01-01

Cataclysmic variable stars are the most variable stars in the night sky, fluctuating in brightness continually on timescales from seconds to hours to weeks to years. The changes can be recorded using amateur telescopes, yet are also the subject of intensive study by professional astronomers. That study has led to an understanding of cataclysmic variables as binary stars, orbiting so closely that material transfers from one star to the other. The resulting process of accretion is one of the most important in astrophysics. This book presents the first account of cataclysmic variables at an introductory level. Assuming no previous knowledge of the field, it explains the basic principles underlying the variability, while providing an extensive compilation of cataclysmic variable light curves. Aimed at amateur astronomers, undergraduates, and researchers, the main text is accessible to those with no mathematical background, while supplementary boxes present technical details and equations.

Impact of Subsurface Temperature Variability on Meteorological Variability: An AGCM Study

Science.gov (United States)

Mahanama, S. P.; Koster, R. D.; Liu, P.

2006-05-01

Anomalous atmospheric conditions can lead to surface temperature anomalies, which in turn can lead to temperature anomalies deep in the soil. The deep soil temperature (and the associated ground heat content) has significant memory -- the dissipation of a temperature anomaly may take weeks to months -- and thus deep soil temperature may contribute to the low frequency variability of energy and water variables elsewhere in the system. The memory may even provide some skill to subseasonal and seasonal forecasts. This study uses two long-term AGCM experiments to isolate the contribution of deep soil temperature variability to variability elsewhere in the climate system. The first experiment consists of a standard ensemble of AMIP-type simulations, simulations in which the deep soil temperature variable is allowed to interact with the rest of the system. In the second experiment, the coupling of the deep soil temperature to the rest of the climate system is disabled -- at each grid cell, the local climatological seasonal cycle of deep soil temperature (as determined from the first experiment) is prescribed. By comparing the variability of various atmospheric quantities as generated in the two experiments, we isolate the contribution of interactive deep soil temperature to that variability. The results show that interactive deep soil temperature contributes significantly to surface temperature variability. Interactive deep soil temperature, however, reduces the variability of the hydrological cycle (evaporation and precipitation), largely because it allows for a negative feedback between evaporation and temperature.

Variable selection in multivariate calibration based on clustering of variable concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrokhnia, Maryam; Karimi, Sadegh

2016-01-01

Recently we have proposed a new variable selection algorithm, based on clustering of variable concept (CLoVA) in classification problem. With the same idea, this new concept has been applied to a regression problem and then the obtained results have been compared with conventional variable selection strategies for PLS. The basic idea behind the clustering of variable is that, the instrument channels are clustered into different clusters via clustering algorithms. Then, the spectral data of each cluster are subjected to PLS regression. Different real data sets (Cargill corn, Biscuit dough, ACE QSAR, Soy, and Tablet) have been used to evaluate the influence of the clustering of variables on the prediction performances of PLS. Almost in the all cases, the statistical parameter especially in prediction error shows the superiority of CLoVA-PLS respect to other variable selection strategies. Finally the synergy clustering of variable (sCLoVA-PLS), which is used the combination of cluster, has been proposed as an efficient and modification of CLoVA algorithm. The obtained statistical parameter indicates that variable clustering can split useful part from redundant ones, and then based on informative cluster; stable model can be reached. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of wind field induced flow velocities in destratification and hypoxia reduction at Meiling Bay of large shallow Lake Taihu, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalil, Abdul; Li, Yiping; Du, Wei; Wang, Wencai; Wang, Jianwei; Gao, Xiaomeng; Khan, Hafiz Osama Sarwar; Pan, Baozhu; Acharya, Kumud

2018-01-01

Wind induced flow velocity patterns and associated thermal destratification can drive to hypoxia reduction in large shallow lakes. The effects of wind induced hydrodynamic changes on destratification and hypoxia reduction were investigated at the Meiling bay (N 31° 22' 56.4″, E 120° 9' 38.3″) of Lake Taihu, China. Vertical flow velocity profile analysis showed surface flow velocities consistency with the wind field and lower flow velocity profiles were also consistent (but with delay response time) when the wind speed was higher than 6.2 m/s. Wind field and temperature found the control parameters for hypoxia reduction and for water quality conditions at the surface and bottom profiles of lake. The critical temperature for hypoxia reduction at the surface and the bottom profile was ≤24.1C° (below which hypoxic conditions were found reduced). Strong prevailing wind field (onshore wind directions ESE, SE, SSE and E, wind speed ranges of 2.4-9.1 m/s) reduced the temperature (22C° to 24.1C°) caused reduction of hypoxia at the near surface with a rise in water levels whereas, low to medium prevailing wind field did not supported destratification which increased temperature resulting in increased hypoxia. Non-prevailing wind directions (offshore) were not found supportive for the reduction of hypoxia in study area due to less variable wind field. Daytime wind field found more variable (as compared to night time) which increased the thermal destratification during daytime and found supportive for destratification and hypoxia reduction. The second order exponential correlation found between surface temperature and Chlorophyll-a (R 2 : 0.2858, Adjusted R-square: 0.2144 RMSE: 4.395), Dissolved Oxygen (R 2 : 0.596, Adjusted R-square: 0.5942, RMSE: 0.3042) concentrations. The findings of the present study reveal the driving mechanism of wind induced thermal destratification and hypoxic conditions, which may further help to evaluate the wind role in eutrophication

The economics of wind and solar variability. How the variability of wind and solar power affects their marginal value, optimal deployment, and integration costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirth, Lion

2014-11-14

Variable renewable energy sources (VRE) for electricity generation, such as wind and solar power, are subject to inherent output fluctuations. This variability has significant impacts on power system and electricity markets if VRE are deployed at large scale. While on global average, wind and solar power currently supply only a minor share of electricity, they are expected to play a much larger role in the future - such that variability will become a major issue (which it already is in some regions). This thesis contributes to the literature that assesses these impacts the ''system and market integration'' literature. This thesis aims at answering the question: What is the impact of wind and solar power variability on the economics of these technologies? It will be laid out that the impact can be expressed in (at least) three ways: as reduction of value, as increase of cost, or as decrease of optimal deployment. Translating between these perspectives is not trivial, as evidenced by the confusion around the concept of ''integration costs''. Hence, more specifically: How does variability impact the marginal economic value of these power sources, their optimal deployment, and their integration costs? This is the question that this thesis addresses. This study comprises six papers, of which two develop a valuation framework that accounts for the specific characteristics of the good electricity, and the specific properties of wind and solar power versus ''dispatchable'' power plants. Three articles then assess quantitative questions and estimate marginal value, optimal deployment, and integration costs. These estimates stem from a newly developed numerical power market model, EMMA, market data, and quantitative literature reviews. The final paper addresses market design. In short, the principal findings of this thesis are as follows. Electricity is a peculiar economic good, being at the same time perfectly

The economics of wind and solar variability. How the variability of wind and solar power affects their marginal value, optimal deployment, and integration costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirth, Lion

2014-01-01

Variable renewable energy sources (VRE) for electricity generation, such as wind and solar power, are subject to inherent output fluctuations. This variability has significant impacts on power system and electricity markets if VRE are deployed at large scale. While on global average, wind and solar power currently supply only a minor share of electricity, they are expected to play a much larger role in the future - such that variability will become a major issue (which it already is in some regions). This thesis contributes to the literature that assesses these impacts the ''system and market integration'' literature. This thesis aims at answering the question: What is the impact of wind and solar power variability on the economics of these technologies? It will be laid out that the impact can be expressed in (at least) three ways: as reduction of value, as increase of cost, or as decrease of optimal deployment. Translating between these perspectives is not trivial, as evidenced by the confusion around the concept of ''integration costs''. Hence, more specifically: How does variability impact the marginal economic value of these power sources, their optimal deployment, and their integration costs? This is the question that this thesis addresses. This study comprises six papers, of which two develop a valuation framework that accounts for the specific characteristics of the good electricity, and the specific properties of wind and solar power versus ''dispatchable'' power plants. Three articles then assess quantitative questions and estimate marginal value, optimal deployment, and integration costs. These estimates stem from a newly developed numerical power market model, EMMA, market data, and quantitative literature reviews. The final paper addresses market design. In short, the principal findings of this thesis are as follows. Electricity is a peculiar economic good, being at the same time perfectly

Output Current Ripple Reduction Algorithms for Home Energy Storage Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Hyuk Park

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an output current ripple reduction algorithm using a proportional-integral (PI controller for an energy storage system (ESS. In single-phase systems, the DC/AC inverter has a second-order harmonic at twice the grid frequency of a DC-link voltage caused by pulsation of the DC-link voltage. The output current of a DC/DC converter has a ripple component because of the ripple of the DC-link voltage. The second-order harmonic adversely affects the battery lifetime. The proposed algorithm has an advantage of reducing the second-order harmonic of the output current in the variable frequency system. The proposed algorithm is verified from the PSIM simulation and experiment with the 3 kW ESS model.

Nitrogen replenishment using variable rate application technique in a small hand-harvested pear orchard

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vatsanidou, A.; Nanos, G.D.; Fountas, S.; Baras, J.; Castrignano, A.; Gemtos, T.A.

2017-07-01

Precision agriculture is a management approach for sustainable agriculture. It can be applied even in small fields. It aims to optimize inputs, improve profits, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. In this study, a series of measurements were conducted over three growing seasons to assess variability in a 0.55 ha pear orchard located in central Greece. Soil ECa was measured using EM38 sensor, while soil samples were taken from a grid 17 × 8 m and analysed for texture, pH, P, K, Mg, CaCO3, and organic matter content. Data analysis indicated that most of the nutrients were at sufficient levels. Soil and yield maps showed considerable variability while fruit quality presented small variations across the orchard. Yield fluctuations were observed, possibly due to climatic conditions. Prescription maps were developed for nitrogen variable rate application (VRA) for two years based on the replacement of the nutrients removed by the crop. VRA application resulted in 56% and 50% reduction of N fertiliser compared to uniform application.

Nitrogen replenishment using variable rate application technique in a small hand-harvested pear orchard