Tree Inference: Response Time and Other Measures in a Binary Multinomial Processing Tree, Representation and Uniqueness of Parameters

A Multinomial Processing Tree (MPT) is a directed tree with a probability associated with each arc and partitioned terminal vertices. We consider an additional parameter for each arc, a measure such as time. Each vertex represents a process. An arc descending from a vertex represents selection of a process outcome. A source vertex represents processing beginning with stimulus presentation and a terminal vertex represents a response. An experimental factor selectively influences a vertex if changing the factor level changes parameter values on arcs descending from that vertex and no others. Earlier work shows that if each of two factors selectively influences a different vertex in an arbitrary MPT it is equivalent to one of two simple MPTs. Which applies depends on whether the two selectively influenced vertices are ordered by the factors or not. A special case, the Standard Binary Tree for Ordered Processes, arises if the vertices are ordered and the factor selectively influencing the first vertex changes parameter values on only two arcs. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions, testable by bootstrapping, for this case. Parameter values are not unique. We give admissible transformations for them. We calculate degrees of freedom needed for goodness of fit tests.

A Novel Frechet-Type Probability Distribution: Its Properties and Applications

In this article, a new lifetime model, referred to as modified Frechet–Rayleigh distribution (MFRD), is developed by accommodating an additional parameter in Rayleigh distribution on the basis of the modified Frechet method. Numerous statistical properties of the suggested model are derived and discussed. The technique of maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is adopted to get estimates of the parameters. The suggested model is very flexible and has the capability to model datasets having both monotonic and nonmonotonic failure rates. The proposed model is applied on two real datasets for checking its performance in comparison with available well-known models. The suggested model has shown outclass performance in comparison with the available versions of the Rayleigh distribution used in the literature.

Direct demonstration of complete combustion of gas-suspended powder metal fuel combustion using bomb calorimetry

Off-the-shelf calorimeters are typically used for hydrocarbon-based fuels and not designed for simulating metal powder oxidation in gaseous environments. We have developed a method allowing a typical bomb calorimeter to accurately measure heat released during combustion and achieve nearly 100% of the reference heat of combustion from powder fuels such as aluminum. The modification uses a combustible organic dispersant to suspend the fuel particles and promote more complete combustion. The dispersant is a highly porous organic starch-based material (i.e., packing peanut) and allows the powder to burn as discrete particles thereby simulating dust-type combustion environments. The demonstrated closeness of measured Al heat of combustion to its reference value is evidence of complete metal combustion achieved in our experiment. Beyond calorific output under conditions simulating real reactive systems, we demonstrate that the calorimeter also allows characterization of the temporal heat release from the reacting material and this data can be extracted from the instrument. The rate of heat release is an important additional parameter characterizing the combustion process. The experimental approach described will impact future measurements of heat released during combustion from solid fuel powders and enable scientists to quantify the energetic performance of metal fuel more accurately as well as the transient thermal behavior from combusting metal powders.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Using Membranes with Increased Adsorption Capacity in Patients with Septic Shock after Neurosurgical Interventions

Introduction. The combination of primary brain injury with cytokine storm and hemodynamic disturbance in septic shock leads to secondary brain damage and growing neurological deficit. Blood purification procedures can be considered as an additional option in the treatment of septic shock in this group of patients.Subjects and Methods. The study included 11 patients after neurosurgical interventions with septic shock and acute kidney injury who underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using membranes with increased adsorption capacity.Results. During CRRT there was a significant regression in severity of multiorgan dysfunction according to SOFA score, a decrease in the requirement for vasopressor support with norepinephrine, and a decrease in lactate blood level. In addition, after the end of the procedure, there was a significant decrease in procalcitonin blood level. Septic shock reversal was observed in 8/11 patients (72.7%). In 3/11 patients, neurological deficits regressed during the procedure.Conclusions. The results indicate the possibility of using CRRT with membranes with increased adsorption capacity in patients after neurosurgical interventions with septic shock. Changes in neurological status can be considered as an additional parameter for the effectiveness of therapy for septic shock in patients with primary brain injury.

Analytical Solution of Stationary Coupled Thermoelasticity Problem for Inhomogeneous Structures

A mathematical statement for the coupled stationary thermoelasticity is given on the basis of a variational approach and the contact boundary problem is formulated to consider inhomogeneous materials. The structure of general representation of the solution from the set of the auxiliary potentials is established. The potentials are analyzed depending on the parameters of the model, taking into account the restrictions associated with additional requirements for the positive definiteness of the potential energy density for the coupled problem in the one-dimensional case. The novelty of this work lies in the fact that it attempts to take into account the effects of higher order coupling between the gradients of the temperature fields and the gradients of the deformation fields. From a mathematical point of view, this leads to a change in the roots of the characteristic equation and affects the structure of the solution. Contact boundary value problems are formulated for modeling inhomogeneous materials and a solution for a layered structure is constructed. The analysis of the influence of the model parameters on the structure of the solution is given. The features of the distribution of mechanical and thermal fields in the region of phase contact with a change in the parameters, which are characteristic only for gradient theories of coupled thermoelasticity and stationary thermal conductivity, are discussed. It is shown, for example, that taking into account the additional parameter of connectivity of gradient fields of deformations and temperatures predicts the appearance of rapidly changing temperature fields and significant localization of heat fluxes in the vicinity of phase contact in inhomogeneous materials.

SURFACE IRREGULARITIES OF OAK WOOD AFTER TRANSVERSAL CUTTING WITH A CIRCULAR SAW

This paper deals with the effect of saw blade type (24, 40 and 60 teeth) and sawn distance on the primary profile (Pz) of tranvesre surface of European oak (Quercus robur L.) after transversal cutting. Transversal cutting was provided at constant cutting speed vc = 62 m.s-1and with manual feeding using circular saw blade. An additional parameter was to determine the maximum sawn distance for each type of saw blade up to the point where the saw blade overheated, as well as the beginning of the blackening of the wood surface. The highest values of the primary profile (Pz) were achieved with a saw blade with 24 teeth, lower values were measured on wood cut with a 40 tooth blade and the lowest values after cutting with a 60 tooth blade. As the saw distance increased, there was no rapid and steep increase in the primary profile values, but these values gradually increased slightly, probably due to the gradual blunting of the tool.

Numerical simulation of thermal processes occurring in materials under the action of femtosecond laser pulses

In this work, a numerical study of the solutions of the parabolic and hyperbolic equations of heat conduction with the same physical parameters is carried out and a comparative analysis of the results obtained is carried out. The mathematical formulation of the problem is discussed. The action of the laser is taken into account through the source function, which was chosen as a double femtosecond laser pulse. In the hyperbolic equation, in contrast to the parabolic one, there is an additional parameter that characterizes the relaxation time of the heat flux. In addition, the source of the hyperbolic equation contains an additional term - the derivative of the power density of the source of the parabolic equation. This means that the temperature of the sample is influenced not only by the power density of the source, but also by the rate of its change. The profiles of the sample temperature at different times and its dynamics at different target depths are shown. The calculations were carried out for different time delays between pulses and for different relaxation parameters.

TMS-EEG Biomarkers of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer’s Disease: A Proof-of-Concept Six Years Prospective Study

Background: Early and affordable identification of subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who will convert to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major scientific challenge.Objective: To investigate the neurophysiological hallmarks of sensorimotor cortex function in aMCI under the hypothesis that some may represent the plastic rearrangements induced by neurodegeneration, hence predictors of future conversion to AD. We sought to determine (1) whether the sensorimotor network shows peculiar alterations in patients with aMCI and (2) if sensorimotor network alterations predict long-term disease progression at the individual level.Methods: We studied several transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-electroencephalogram (EEG) parameters of the sensorimotor cortex in a group of patients with aMCI and followed them for 6 years. We then identified aMCI who clinically converted to AD [prodromal to AD-MCI (pAD-MCI)] and those who remained cognitively stable [non-prodromal to AD-MCI (npAD-MCI)].Results: Patients with aMCI showed reduced motor cortex (M1) excitability and disrupted EEG synchronization [decreased intertrial coherence (ITC)] in alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands compared to the control subjects. The degree of alteration in M1 excitability and alpha ITC was comparable between pAD-MCI and npAD-MCI. Importantly, beta and gamma ITC impairment in the stimulated M1 was greater in pAD-MCI than npAD-MCI. Furthermore, an additional parameter related to the waveform shape of scalp signals, reflecting time-specific alterations in global TMS-induced activity [stability of the dipolar activity (sDA)], discriminated npAD-MCI from MCI who will convert to AD.Discussion: The above mentioned specific cortical changes, reflecting deficit of synchronization within the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop in aMCI, may reflect the pathological processes underlying AD. These changes could be tested in larger cohorts as neurophysiological biomarkers of AD.

A Shock-in-Jet Synchrotron Mirror Model for Blazars

Reinhard Schlickeiser has made groundbreaking contributions to various aspects of blazar physics, including diffusive shock acceleration, the theory of synchrotron radiation, the production of gamma-rays through Compton scattering in various astrophysical sources, etc. This paper, describing the development of a self-consistent shock-in-jet model for blazars with a synchrotron mirror feature, is therefore an appropriate contribution to a Special Issue in honor of Reinhard Schlickeiser’s 70th birthday. The model is based on our previous development of a self-consistent shock-in-jet model with relativistic thermal and non-thermal particle distributions evaluated via Monte-Carlo simulations of diffusive shock acceleration, and time-dependent radiative transport. This model has been very successful in modeling spectral variability patterns of several blazars, but has difficulties describing orphan flares, i.e., high-energy flares without a significant counterpart in the low-frequency (synchrotron) radiation component. As a solution, this paper investigates the possibility of a synchrotron mirror component within the shock-in-jet model. It is demonstrated that orphan flares result naturally in this scenario. The model’s applicability to a recently observed orphan gamma-ray flare in the blazar 3C279 is discussed and it is found that only orphan flares with mild (≲ a factor of 2–3) enhancements of the Compton dominance can be reproduced in a synchrotron-mirror scenario, if no additional parameter changes are invoked.

Using catch-per-unit-effort data to solve spatial problems in Orange Roughy abundance estimates

<p>This thesis describes a thorough analysis of the Andes Complex orange roughy fishery, which started in 1991 and continues to date. The Andes Complex orange roughy fishery displays a rapid initial decline in catch rate, followed by a prolonged period of relatively stable catch rate. This trend is the classic feature of a hyperdepletion catch rate. The trends in the observed Andes Complex orange roughy catch rates were explored through the development of eight modified Schaefer Surplus Production Models (SPM). Each model applied a hypothesis about a mechanism catalysing the observed trend of the fishery. The SPM was modified by either adding new information to the model, or an additional parameter. The fits of the modified models were optimised to elucidate values of unknown parameters in the SPM, and these were used to create estimated abundance indicies for each model. Then I compared each index to the observed abundance index (catch rate), derived following an Exploratory Analysis. The best candidate models, which had the smallest likelihoods, BIC values, and best visual fits, were those assuming population growth rate changed midway through the fishery, or that the population size decreased following habitat damage (from trawling).</p>