A flexible and interactive software package for a laboratory in cognition and perception

Design of NPP (nuclear power plant) safety important systems (relating to a critical information infrastructure) is basing on observing the regulatory documents and proving reliable plant performance during all its life-cycle. An aspect of the increased requirements for reliable and safe NPP APCS (automated process control system) performance is the necessity of perfecting NPP operator information support systems. An approach is considering, under which a core of the operator information support system is a flexible modeling software package that can be used as a digital shadow or digital twin in the dependence of solved tasks. This approach applies to a wide range of tasks of upper-level systems of NPP APCS.

Performance ImprovementVolume 45, Issue 6 p. 8-12 Article Evidence-practice partnership Mary Norris Thomas CPT, PhD, Mary Norris Thomas CPT, PhD Mary Norris Thomas: , CPT, PhD, CEO of The Fleming Group, LLC, special-izes in organizational behavior, operational architectures, armed services command and readiness programs, and commissioned studies and analyses. She holds graduate-level adjunct faculty appointments in research methods, applied statistics, and independent research projects. Recent service for ISPI includes serving as the founding Director of the Science and Research Professional Community, acting as Research Committee Chair, and launching premier research sessions at international conferences. Mary welcomes you to contact her at mnthomas@fleminggroup.com.Search for more papers by this author Mary Norris Thomas CPT, PhD, Mary Norris Thomas CPT, PhD Mary Norris Thomas: , CPT, PhD, CEO of The Fleming Group, LLC, special-izes in organizational behavior, operational architectures, armed services command and readiness programs, and commissioned studies and analyses. She holds graduate-level adjunct faculty appointments in research methods, applied statistics, and independent research projects. Recent service for ISPI includes serving as the founding Director of the Science and Research Professional Community, acting as Research Committee Chair, and launching premier research sessions at international conferences. Mary welcomes you to contact her at mnthomas@fleminggroup.com.Search for more papers by this author First published: 17 August 2006 https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.2006.4930450604Citations: 4 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume45, Issue6July 2006Pages 8-12 RelatedInformation

An inside view of the experimental practices of cognitive psychology—and their influence on the addictive nature of social media Experimental cognitive psychology research is a hidden force in our online lives. We engage with it, often unknowingly, whenever we download a health app, complete a Facebook quiz, or rate our latest purchase. How did experimental psychology come to play an outsized role in these developments? Experiments of the Mind considers the question through an in-depth look at cognitive psychology laboratories. Interacting with scientists and study participants, Emily Martin traces how psychological research methods have evolved, escaped the boundaries of the discipline, and infiltrated the foundations of social media and our digital universe. Taking readers behind the scenes, Martin recounts her participation in psychology labs over multiple years, and she conveys their activities through the voices of principal investigators, graduate students, and subjects. Despite popular claims of experimental psychology’s focus on isolated individuals, Martin finds that the history of the field—from early German labs and British experiments in the Pacific Islands to Gestalt psychology—has led to modern research methods that are, in fact, highly social. She then shows how these methods are deployed online: amplified by troves of data and powerful machine learning, an unprecedented model of human psychology now abounds, one in which statistical measures pair with algorithms to predict, manipulate, and influence users’ behavior. Revealing the real-world consequences of investigations into trust, learning, and memory, Experiments of the Mind examines how psychology research has shaped us to be perfectly suited for our networked age.

IntroductionMost medical schools offer students the opportunity to conduct independent research projects in order to learn about evidence-based medicine. This study aimed to explore the experience of students, graduates, and supervisors during an independent research project through the lens of self-directed learning.MethodsStudents and recent graduates were asked to complete an anonymous survey about their experiences. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a purposeful sample of 11 students, 14 graduates, and 25 supervisors. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted and themes were refined through the lens of self-directed learning.ResultsMost participants agreed that the independent research project could enable students to develop valuable self-directed learning skills. Participants commented on the importance of the research mentor, faculty support structures, and membership of a research team. Participants who were not well supported described feeling distressed and isolated.DiscussionMedical student involvement in independent research projects can develop self-directed learning skills in the presence of a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a research supervisor, structured guidelines and support from the faculty, and membership of a research team. The development of self-directed learning skills should be part of the learning outcomes of any independent student research project.

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<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> This paper describes the new open-source framework PyFLEXTRKR (Python FLEXible object TRacKeR), a flexible atmospheric feature tracking software package with specific capabilities to track convective clouds from a variety of observations and model simulations. This software can track any atmospheric 2D objects and handle merging and splitting explicitly. The package has a collection of multi-object identification algorithms, scalable parallelization options and has been optimized for large datasets including global high-resolution data. We demonstrate applications of PyFLEXTRKR on tracking individual deep convective cells and mesoscale convective systems from observations and model simulations ranging from large-eddy resolving (~100s m) to mesoscale (~10s km) resolutions. Visualization, post-processing, and statistical analysis tools are included in the package. New Lagrangian analyses of convective clouds produced by PyFLEXTRKR applicable to a wide range of datasets and scales facilitate advanced model evaluation and development efforts as well as scientific discovery.

BackgroundBiological studies involve a growing number of distinct high-throughput experiments to characterize samples of interest. There is a lack of methods to visualize these different genomic datasets in a versatile manner. In addition, genomic data analysis requires integrated visualization of experimental data along with constantly changing genomic annotation and statistical analyses.ResultsWe developed GenomeGraphs, as an add-on software package for the statistical programming environment R, to facilitate integrated visualization of genomic datasets. GenomeGraphs uses the biomaRt package to perform on-line annotation queries to Ensembl and translates these to gene/transcript structures in viewports of the grid graphics package. This allows genomic annotation to be plotted together with experimental data. GenomeGraphs can also be used to plot custom annotation tracks in combination with different experimental data types together in one plot using the same genomic coordinate system.ConclusionGenomeGraphs is a flexible and extensible software package which can be used to visualize a multitude of genomic datasets within the statistical programming environment R.

This paper describes an educational case study approach to FACTS controllers on an electric power network. Application software, SIMFACTS, was developed by the authors with the GUIDE tool from Matlabtrade in order to simulate the power system effects resulting from the inclusion of FACTS controllers. The studied topologies were: series, shunt and combined compensators. A simple explanation of several controllers, mainly STATCOM, SVC, TCSC, SSSC and UPFC is made in order to understand the singular concepts behind FACTS technology. A case study showing the main results regarding the impact of FACTS controllers on a steady-state operation of a test power network is presented. It is also included an example of the power flow solutions using one of SSSC controller. A sudden bus load change with a coupled STATCOM controller is also presented.

BackgroundResearchers usually employ bar graphs to show two groups of data, which can be easily manipulated to yield false impressions. To some extent, scatterplot can retain the real data values and the spread of the data. However, for groups of numeric data, scatterplot may cause over-plotting problems. As a result, many values all stack on top of each other.ResultsWe recently implemented an R package, plot2groups, to plot scatter points for two groups values, jittering the adjacent points side by side to avoid overlapping in the plot. The functions simultaneously calculate a P value of two group t- or rank-test and incorporated the P value into the plot.Conclusionsplot2groups is a simple and flexible software package which can be used to visualize two groups of values within the statistical programming environment R.

RANKS is a flexible software package that can be easily applied to any bioinformatics task formalizable as ranking of nodes with respect to a property given as a label, such as automated protein function prediction, gene disease prioritization and drug repositioning. To this end RANKS provides an efficient and easy-to-use implementation of kernelized score functions, a semi-supervised algorithmic scheme embedding both local and global learning strategies for the analysis of biomolecular networks. To facilitate comparative assessment, baseline network-based methods, e.g. label propagation and random walk algorithms, have also been implemented. The package is available from CRAN: https://cran.r-project.org/ The package is written in R, except for the most computationally intensive functionalities which are implemented in C. valentini@di.unimi.it Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

It is the thesis of this article that efforts to identify a distinctive set of “feminist methods” for psychological research are not only futile but unwise. We begin by discussing the defining features of feminist research in psychology. We then evaluate several proposals for distinctively feminist methods in psychology. Suggestions that feminists should avoid experimentation and quantitative research as inherently less feminist than other approaches are considered and rejected, as are criteria based on the sex of the research participants or the researcher. We further argue that the proposed distinction between “agentic” and “communal” approaches to research is misleading. We conclude that any research method can be misused in sexist ways, and that no method comes with a feminist guarantee. Feminist researchers should be skeptical of the limitations of all research methods.

Next generation high speed network ASIC packages require perpetually larger and thinner packages to meet functionality and electrical performance requirements. Opportunities for highly integrated MCM’s and 2.5D/3D Si interposer packages are emerging to meet long-term performance needs, but for near-term, single chip ASIC applications, thinner packages utilizing thin substrates are an absolute requirement for the high end network market. Achieving both increased margins in the power delivery network and increased functionality in next generation 25/28GHz ASIC applications requires highly efficient (thin, minimal discontinuities, opportunities for enhanced decoupling), low loss package designs with package sizes up to 60x60mm. Coreless substrate based packages offer an excellent opportunity for low loss/low inductance package designs, but have consistently failed to be available at the necessary body sizes due to assembly and warpage concerns. The work presented in this paper describes key factors for mitigating warpage and identifies optimum processes, and materials for manufacturing large body size coreless substrate packages, especially for the high end network market. A test vehicle was developed using a 22x18mm^2, 40nm Daisy Chain die placed onto a 45x45mm^2, 8+1 coreless substrate with mixed pitch BGA footprint and BGA-side capacitors. Processes were developed to optimize assembly yield and package reliability. Key assembly materials were selected for optimum yield and high thermo-mechanical reliability. Substrate material stack-up and design were varied for further optimization and validation of thermal mechanical reliability models. As a result, critical factors impacting warpage were identified and modeling tools were refined to predict substrate. This paper describes the assembly processes, substrate BOM selection and design strategies adopted for mitigating warpage for coreless package sizes up to 45x45mm. Additionally, L1 thermal mechanical reliability results and key factors for establishing valid models will be discussed.

Nanotechnology is a developing field of research and has the potential to generate unique materials with notable properties. Elucidation of the functions of nanomaterials provides a deep framework for understanding the relationships between composites and their influences on the global structures of materials. Advances in the design of nanostructured materials have allowed us to obtain nanoparticles that have potential applications in the development of new smart packaging. The ability to control the way to assemble the material matrix is an advantage in designing products with better properties. This is the next step to achieve nanotechnological innovation: control of hierarchical structures to improve the functionality of polymers and smart packaging. This chapter reviews nanomaterial applications in the design of edible films, functional polymers, and smart packaging for use in the food sector.

COVID-19 has greatly affected the education sector compelling educators to adapt to online teaching and platforms quite abruptly. Thus, this study aims to determine the impact of this pandemic on the life of college faculty and its consequences on their social, emotional, and personal aspects due to the transition from physical classes to online lectures and design a support program to help reframe and alleviate its impacts. This is a descriptive study using a convergent mixed methods design. Employing a snowball sampling technique, a modified web-based global questionnaire that is divided into 7 sections, was administered via Google forms. With the use of SPSS v. 23, results showed from 81 respondents in 37 universities that despite the limited time and resources in the preparation, the faculty displayed an adaptive behavior. Remarkably, the narratives related impacts of emergency remote education on personal life circumstances more than what the figures showed in the statistical analysis. Three important words emerged with ambivalent themes as the general views on COVID -19 as generated by NVivo QSR: life, time and changes. Using Braun-Clarke approach to thematic analysis, the narratives also evoked that spirituality and emotions play a significant role in coping. The support program was designed with the academic, social and emotional aspects in the key result areas with proposed program and activities such as educational policy on the pedagogy of care, continuing digital literacy program, social support elements of emotional concern, instrumental aid, appraisal, virtual socialization and also conduct of webinars, workshop series and fellowship as coping mechanisms.ReferencesAristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., &amp; Umek, L. (2020). A Global Student Survey “Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Life of Higher Education Students”. Global Database 2020. http://www.covidsoclab.org/global-studentsurvey/globaldatabase/83.Bozkurt, A., Jung, I., Xiao, J., Vladimirschi, V., Schuwer, R., Egorov, G., Lambert, S. R., Al-Freih, M., Pete, J., Olcott, Jr., D. , Rodes, V., Aranciaga, I., Bali, M., Alvarez, Jr. A.V., Roberts, J., Pazurek, A., Raffaghelli, J. E., Panagiotou, N., de Coëtlogon, P., Shahadu, Brown, M., Asino, T. I., Tumwesige, J., Reyes, T. R., Ipenza, EB., Ossiannilsson, E., Bond, M., Belhamel, K., Irvine, V., Sharma, R. C., Adam, T., Janssen, B., Sklyarova, T., Olcott, N., Ambrosino, A., Lazou, C., Mocquet, B., Mano, M., &amp; Paskevicius, M. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis, Asian Journal of Distance Education (15),1.Carstensen, L. L. , Shavit, Y. Z. &amp; Barnes, J. T. (2020). 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A flexible network generation package for use in modeling and thermal analysis of tissue vasculature has been developed. This package can be used to simulate a wide variety of vascular networks with the long range goal being to simulate any tissue in the body. This modular package consists of four programs that are used interactively to generate network models. The first program (Unit Cell) creates individual vascular network “unit cells” of a user specified vascular anatomy distributed throughout a specified unit cell parallelpiped. The second program (Pack) then “packs” any three-dimensional space with these unit cell parallelpipeds (UCP’s) in a user specified manner. The third program (Connect) then connects the vessels of the various unit cell parallelpipeds that have been packed into the tissue. Finally, the fourth program (Flow Rates) assigns blood flow rates to each vessel. The network generation package produces files which are compatible with a hybrid finite-element / finite-difference based program which automatically generates finite-element meshes and computes the complete temperature fields. The network generation package allows the operator to create highly detailed, continuous vessel networks in a short amount of time.