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Short Time Intervals (short + time_interval)
Selected AbstractsNumerical analysis of interferograms for evaluation of tear film build-up timeOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 3 2009Dorota H. Szczesna Abstract The lateral shearing interferometer was applied to the in vivo dynamic investigation of the external surface of the pre-corneal tear film after an eye blink. Sequences of interferograms were recorded at a sampling frequency of 25 Hz. Immediately after every eye blink, a bright pattern was observed under the interference fringes. This disappeared after a short time interval (around 0.5,2 s): smooth interference fringes were then observed, corresponding to the creation of a smooth anterior optical surface over the cornea. The purpose of this study is to describe in detail the kinetics of pre-corneal tear film stability and to propose quantitative measures of the stabilisation process in healthy eyes during the 3 s period after a blink. Two methods of quantitative assessment of the tear film build-up time are presented. The first is based upon the evaluation of the inhomogeneity of the background of the interferogram; the second evaluates the orientation of the structure of the background by the analysis of the zero order of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) spectrum. The quasi-vertically oriented bright line patterns observed in interferograms immediately after a blink and the mirror-symmetry of their tilts for right and left eyes indicate that the pattern is related to the wiping movements of the upper eyelids during the eye blink. [source] Analytical ecological epidemiology: exposure,response relations in spatially stratified time seriesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2009Hagen Scherb Abstract An important task of environmental research is the investigation of a possible causal relationship between exposure and the frequency of a biologic trait. Major industrial accidents provide examples where the exposure status of large populations may change considerably within relatively short time intervals of days or weeks (e.g. Seveso herbicide plant explosion, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant catastrophe). Therefore, purely temporal change-points may be tested in time series of appropriate public health indicators (e.g. mortality, morbidity, sex ratio at birth). If, in addition, the spatial contamination is strong and variable enough and can be identified with sufficient precision at the level of regional units (e.g. districts), then a spatial-temporal approach makes sense. This essentially means that a global time trend model is adjusted for region-specific trend functions, allowing for local or global temporal jumps or broken sticks (change-points) at certain points in time. The local jump heights may be tested for associations with local exposure (exposure,response relation), and all other characteristics in the data that vary with locality and in time are automatically accounted for, thus minimizing confounding. Spatial-temporal approaches may help to strengthen the evidence of possible causal relationships. As an example, the human sex ratio at birth in several European countries before and after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident was investigated. A long-term chronic impact of radioactive fallout on the secondary sex ratio has been found. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A batch-type time-true ATM-network simulator,design for parallel processingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 8 2002Michael Logothetis Abstract This paper presents a new type of network simulator for simulating the call-level operations of telecom networks and especially ATM networks. The simulator is a pure time-true type as opposed to a call-by-call type simulator. It is also characterized as a batch-type simulator. The entire simulation duration is divided into short time intervals of equal duration, t. During t, a batch processing of call origination or termination events is executed and the time-points of these events are sorted. The number of sorting executions is drastically reduced compared to a call-by-call simulator, resulting in considerable timesaving. The proposed data structures of the simulator can be implemented by a general-purpose programming language and are well fitted to parallel processing techniques for implementation on parallel computers, for further savings of execution time. We have first implemented the simulator in a sequential computer and then we have applied parallelization techniques to achieve its implementation on a parallel computer. In order to simplify the parallelization procedure, we dissociate the core simulation from the built-in call-level functions (e.g. bandwidth control or dynamic routing) of the network. The key point for a parallel implementation is to organize data by virtual paths (VPs) and distribute them among processors, which all execute the same set of instructions on this data. The performance of the proposed batch-type, time-true, ATM-network simulator is compared with that of a call-by-call simulator to reveal its superiority in terms of sequential execution time (when both simulators run on conventional computers). Finally, a measure of the accuracy of the simulation results is given. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Inclusion trail patterns in porphyroblasts from the Foothills Terrane, California: a record of orogenesis or local strain heterogeneity?JOURNAL OF METAMORPHIC GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2001S. R. Paterson Abstract A major problem with the current use of porphyroblast,matrix microstructural relationships to infer orogenic histories, such as multiple orthogonal orogenic events, is that other evidence for these events is typically lacking. For example, a comparison of regional relationships and local structures formed in and adjacent to porphyroblasts present in contact aureoles in the Foothills Terrane, Sierra Nevada, California, shows that: (1) except in shear zones, contact aureoles and local zones along lithological contacts, the Foothills Terrane has a single regional cleavage, although locally formed by multiple processes; (2) the regional cleavage and locally developed porphyroblast inclusion trails have variable orientations, and neither dataset supports the formation of dominantly subhorizontal and subvertical cleavages in this orogen; (3) structural and metamorphic heterogeneities occur at all scales and can markedly affect inclusion trail patterns in porphyroblasts; (4) complex porphyroblast growth features and internal inclusion trail patterns can form in porphyroblasts that grow during short time intervals in contact aureoles, indicating that local complexity in porphyroblasts does not imply regional complex ty. Because of these conclusions, multiple datasets, rather than data acquired only from porphyroblasts, should be considered when attempting to understand the evolution of orogens. Furthermore, using microstructural information preserved only in porphyroblasts to infer orogenic processes and plate motions is generally unjustified. [source] Hollow-fiber flow/hyperlayer field-flow fractionation for the size characterization of airborne particle fractions obtained by SPLITT fractionationJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 3 2006Hyun-Joo Kim Abstract Hollow-fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF FlFFF) was applied for the separation and size characterization of airborne particles which were collected in a municipal area and prefractionated into four different-diameter intervals >5.0, 2.5,5.0, 1.5,2.5, <1.5 ,m) by continuous split-flow thin (SPLITT) fractionation. Experiments demonstrated the possibility of utilizing a hollow-fiber module for the high-performance separation of supramicron-sized airborne particles at steric/hyperlayer operating mode of HF FlFFF. Eluting particles during HF FlFFF separation were collected at short time intervals (,10 s) for the microscopic examination. It showed that particle size and size distributions of all SPLITT fractions of airborne particles can be readily obtained using a calibration and that HF FlFFF can be utilized for the size confirmation of the sorted particle fraction during SPLITT fractionation. [source] Overlapping Schwarz waveform relaxation method for the solution of the convection,diffusion equationMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 9 2008Daoud S. Daoud Abstract In this article we study the convergence of the overlapping Schwarz wave form relaxation method for solving the convection,diffusion equation over multi-overlapped subdomains. It is shown that the method converges linearly and superlinearly over long and short time intervals, and the convergence depends on the size of the overlap. Numerical results are presented from solving specific types of model problems to demonstrate the convergence and the role of the size of the overlap. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The X-ray variability of the Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG,6-30-15 from long ASCA and RXTE observationsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2000Julia C. Lee We present an analysis of the long Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observation of the Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG,6-30-15, taken in 1997 July. We have previously used the data to place constraints for the first time on the iron abundance,reflection fraction relationship, and now expand the analysis to investigate in detail the spectral X-ray variability of the object. Our results show that the behaviour is complicated. We find clear evidence from colour ratios and direct spectral fitting that changes to the intrinsic photon index are taking place. In general, spectral hardening is evident during periods of diminished intensity, and in particular, a general trend for harder spectra is seen in the period following the hardest RXTE flare. Flux-correlated studies further show that the 3,10 keV photon index ,3,10 steepens, while that in the 10,20 keV band, ,10,20, flattens with flux. The largest changes come from the spectral index below 10 keV; however, changes in the intrinsic power-law slope (shown by changes in ,3,10), and reflection (shown by changes in ,10,20) both contribute in varying degrees to the overall spectral variability. We find that the iron-line flux FK, is consistent with being constant over large time intervals on the order of days (although tentative evidence exists which show that FK, changes on shorter time intervals of order ,10 ks during time periods surrounding flare events), and has an equivalent width which anticorrelates with the continuum flux and reflection fraction. A possible interpretation for the iron-line flux constancy and the relative Compton reflection increase with flux from the flux-correlated data is an increasing ionization of the emitting disc surface, while spectral analysis of short time intervals surrounding flare events hints tentatively at observed spectral responses to the flare. We present a simple model for partial ionization where the bulk of the variability comes from within 6rg. Temporal analysis further provides evidence for possible time (,1000 s) and phase (,,0.6 rad) lags. Finally, we report an apparent break in the power density spectrum (,4,5×10,6 Hz) and a possible 33-hour period. Estimates for the mass of the black hole in MCG,6-30-15 are discussed in the context of spectral and temporal findings. [source] Evaluation of a High Exposure Solar UV Dosimeter for Underwater UsePHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Peter W. Schouten ABSTRACT Solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) is known to have a significant effect upon the marine ecosystem. This has been documented by many previous studies using a variety of measurement methods in aquatic environments such as oceans, streams and lakes. Evidence gathered from these investigations has shown that UVB radiation (280,320 nm) can negatively affect numerous aquatic life forms, while UVA radiation (320,400 nm) can both damage and possibly even repair certain types of underwater life. Chemical dosimeters such as polysulphone have been tested to record underwater UV exposures and in turn quantify the relationship between water column depth and dissolved organic carbon levels to the distribution of biologically damaging UV underwater. However, these studies have only been able to intercept UV exposures over relatively short time intervals. This paper reports on the evaluation of a high exposure UV dosimeter for underwater use. The UV dosimeter was fabricated from poly 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide (PPO) film. This paper presents the dose response, cosine response, exposure additivity and watermarking effect relating to the PPO dosimeter as measured in a controlled underwater environment and will also detail the overnight dark reaction and UVA and visible radiation response of the PPO dosimeter, which can be used for error correction to improve the reliability of the UV data measured by the PPO dosimeters. These results show that this dosimeter has the potential for long-term underwater UV exposure measurements. [source] Grooming in mandrills and the time frame of reciprocal partner choiceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Gabriele Schino Abstract In this study, we examined the time frame of reciprocal partner choice in the grooming interactions of captive mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in order to test the hypothesis that the cognitive limitations of primates constrain the occurrence of reciprocation to short time intervals. In contrast to this hypothesis, mandrills groomed preferentially those individuals that groomed them more even when cases of immediate reciprocation were excluded from the analysis. These results show that mandrills were not limited to reciprocating grooming over short time intervals. It is proposed that a system of emotional bookkeeping may support the ability of primates to reciprocate over long time frames. Am. J. Primatol. 71:884,888, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An Age-Stratified Poisson Model for Comparing Trends in Cancer Rates Across Overlapping RegionsBIOMETRICAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008Yi Li Abstract The annual percent change (APC) has been used as a measure to describe the trend in the age-adjusted cancer incidence or mortality rate over relatively short time intervals. The yearly data on these age-adjusted rates are available from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. The traditional methods to estimate the APC is to fit a linear regression of logarithm of age-adjusted rates on time using the least squares method or the weighted least squares method, and use the estimate of the slope parameter to define the APC as the percent change in the rates between two consecutive years. For comparing the APC for two regions, one uses a t-test which assumes that the two datasets on the logarithm of the age-adjusted rates are independent and normally distributed with a common variance. Two modifications of this test, when there is an overlap between the two regions or between the time intervals for the two datasets have been recently developed. The first modification relaxes the assumption of the independence of the two datasets but still assumes the common variance. The second modification relaxes the assumption of the common variance also, but assumes that the variances of the age-adjusted rates are obtained using Poisson distributions for the mortality or incidence counts. In this paper, a unified approach to the problem of estimating the APC is undertaken by modeling the counts to follow an age-stratified Poisson regression model, and by deriving a corrected Z -test for testing the equality of two APCs. A simulation study is carried out to assess the performance of the test and an application of the test to compare the trends, for a selected number of cancer sites, for two overlapping regions and with varied degree of overlapping time intervals is presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] | |||||||||||||