A Multidimensional Rasch Analysis of the Functional Independence Measure Based on the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database

A number of studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) using Rasch analysis, although none has done so using the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database, a longitudinal database that captures demographic and outcome information on persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury across the United States. In the current study, we examine the psychometric properties of the FIM as represented by persons within this database and demonstrate that the FIM comprises three subscales representing cognitive, self-care, and mobility domains. These subscales were analyzed simultaneously using a multivariate Rasch model in combination with a time dependent concurrent calibration scheme with the goal of creating a raw score-to-logit transformation that can be used to improve the accuracy of parametric statistical analyses. The bowel and bladder function items were removed because of misfit with the motor and cognitive items. Some motor items exhibited step disorder, which was addressed by collapsing Categories 1-3 for Toileting, Stairs, Locomotion, Tub/Shower Transfers; Categories 1 and 2 for Toilet and Bed Transfers; and Categories 2 and 3 for Grooming. The strong correlations (r = 0.82-0.96) among the three subscales suggest they should be modeled together. Coefficient alpha of 0.98 indicates high internal consistency. Keyform maps are provided to enhance clinical interpretation and application of study results

Efficiency of recycling post-consumer plastic packages

The recycling of packaging waste is an important part of the EU circular economy package, with a political focus on raising the recycling targets for post-consumer plastic packaging waste (PPW). The recycling of PPW involves at least three steps; collection, sorting and mechanical recycling. In contrast to the first two steps, mechanical recycling is poorly documented, as it is considered a free market activity. In order to provide a complete chain description the mechanical recycling yields were determined. The recovery of mass was determined for the main plastic sorting products from both major collection systems: separate collection (SC) and mechanical recovery (MR) from municipal solid waste. This technical assessment was conducted with a laboratory set-up for a standard mechanical recycling process. This analysis showed that there is a substantial sample-to-sample variation in polymeric composition between similar feedstocks and this variation is also observed in recovered masses. Next, the mechanical recycling of polyethylene feedstocks was studied more in depth. Six PE feedstocks with a gradual increasing level of complexity (from only transparent PE bottle bodies to the complete PE sorting product according to DKR 329), were prepared and mechanical recycled with the laboratory set-up. Since the polymeric composition of both the six feedstocks and the six floating milled goods were known, the net PE recycling yield could be calculated. The net PE yields are close to 100% for such a standard recycling process. Additionally, the compositional analysis revealed that contaminants are only partially removed by the standard mechanical recycling process

Measuring the Polarization of a Rapidly Precessing Deuteron Beam

This paper describes a time-marking system that enables a measurement of the in-plane (horizontal) polarization of a 0.97-GeV/c deuteron beam circulating in the Cooler Synchrotron (COSY) at the Forschungszentrum J\"ulich. The clock time of each polarimeter event is used to unfold the 120-kHz spin precession and assign events to bins according to the direction of the horizontal polarization. After accumulation for one or more seconds, the down-up scattering asymmetry can be calculated for each direction and matched to a sinusoidal function whose magnitude is proportional to the horizontal polarization. This requires prior knowledge of the spin tune or polarization precession rate. An initial estimate is refined by re-sorting the events as the spin tune is adjusted across a narrow range and searching for the maximum polarization magnitude. The result is biased toward polarization values that are too large, in part because of statistical fluctuations but also because sinusoidal fits to even random data will produce sizeable magnitudes when the phase is left free to vary. An analysis procedure is described that matches the time dependence of the horizontal polarization to templates based on emittance-driven polarization loss while correcting for the positive bias. This information will be used to study ways to extend the horizontal polarization lifetime by correcting spin tune spread using ring sextupole fields and thereby to support the feasibility of searching for an intrinsic electric dipole moment using polarized beams in a storage ring. This paper is a combined effort of the Storage Ring EDM Collaboration and the JEDI Collaboration.Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures, prepared for Physical Review ST - Accelerators and Beam

Creativity encounters between children and robots

Creativity is an intrinsic human ability with multiple benefits across the lifespan. Despite its importance, societies not always are well equipped with contexts for creativity stimulation; as a consequence, a major decline in creative abilities occurs at the age of 7 years old. We investigated the effectiveness of using a robotic system named YOLO as an intervention tool to stimulate creativity in children. During the intervention, children used YOLO as a character for their stories and through the interaction with the robot, creative abilities were stimulated. Our study (n = 62) included 3 experimental conditions: i) YOLO displayed behaviors based on creativity techniques; ii) YOLO displayed behaviors based on creativity techniques plus social behaviors; iii) YOLO was turned off, not displaying any behaviors. We measured children’s creative abilities at pre- and post-testing and their creative process through behavior analysis. Results showed that the interaction with YOLO contributed to higher creativity levels in children, specifically contributing to the generation of more original ideas during story creation. This study shows the potential of using social robots as tools to empower intrinsic human abilities, such as the ability to be creative.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment and the Standard Model

The muon anomalous magnetic moment measurement, when compared with theory, can be used to test many extensions to the standard model. The most recent measurement made by the Brookhaven E821 Collaboration reduces the uncertainty on the world average of a_mu to 0.7 ppm, comparable in precision to theory. This paper describes the experiment and the current theoretical efforts to establish a correct standard model reference value for the muon anomaly.Comment: Plenary Talk; PANIC'02 XVI Particles and Nuclear International Conference, Osaka, Japan; Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2002; Report describes the published 0.7 ppm result and updates the theory statu

Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation Effects in Muon Spin Precession

The spin precession frequency of muons stored in the $(g-2)$ storage ring has been analyzed for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. Two Lorentz and CPT violation signatures were searched for: a nonzero $\Delta\omega_{a}$ (=$\omega_{a}^{\mu^{+}}-\omega_{a}^{\mu^{-}}$); and a sidereal variation of $\omega_{a}^{\mu^{\pm}}$. No significant effect is found, and the following limits on the standard-model extension parameters are obtained: $b_{Z} =-(1.0 \pm 1.1)\times 10^{-23}$ GeV; $(m_{\mu}d_{Z0}+H_{XY}) = (1.8 \pm 6.0 \times 10^{-23})$ GeV; and the 95% confidence level limits $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{+}}< 1.4 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV and $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{-}} < 2.6 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters, Modified to answer the referees suggestion

Sensitivity of the IceCube Detector to Astrophysical Sources of High Energy Muon Neutrinos

We present the results of a Monte-Carlo study of the sensitivity of the planned IceCube detector to predicted fluxes of muon neutrinos at TeV to PeV energies. A complete simulation of the detector and data analysis is used to study the detector's capability to search for muon neutrinos from sources such as active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts. We study the effective area and the angular resolution of the detector as a function of muon energy and angle of incidence. We present detailed calculations of the sensitivity of the detector to both diffuse and pointlike neutrino emissions, including an assessment of the sensitivity to neutrinos detected in coincidence with gamma-ray burst observations. After three years of datataking, IceCube will have been able to detect a point source flux of E^2*dN/dE = 7*10^-9 cm^-2s^-1GeV at a 5-sigma significance, or, in the absence of a signal, place a 90% c.l. limit at a level E^2*dN/dE = 2*10^-9 cm^-2s^-1GeV. A diffuse E-2 flux would be detectable at a minimum strength of E^2*dN/dE = 1*10^-8 cm^-2s^-1sr^-1GeV. A gamma-ray burst model following the formulation of Waxman and Bahcall would result in a 5-sigma effect after the observation of 200 bursts in coincidence with satellite observations of the gamma-rays.Comment: 33 pages, 13 figures, 6 table

Limits on the high-energy gamma and neutrino fluxes from the SGR 1806-20 giant flare of December 27th, 2004 with the AMANDA-II detector

On December 27th 2004, a giant gamma flare from the Soft Gamma-ray Repeater 1806-20 saturated many satellite gamma-ray detectors. This event was by more than two orders of magnitude the brightest cosmic transient ever observed. If the gamma emission extends up to TeV energies with a hard power law energy spectrum, photo-produced muons could be observed in surface and underground arrays. Moreover, high-energy neutrinos could have been produced during the SGR giant flare if there were substantial baryonic outflow from the magnetar. These high-energy neutrinos would have also produced muons in an underground array. AMANDA-II was used to search for downgoing muons indicative of high-energy gammas and/or neutrinos. The data revealed no significant signal. The upper limit on the gamma flux at 90% CL is dN/dE < 0.05 (0.5) TeV^-1 m^-2 s^-1 for gamma=-1.47 (-2). Similarly, we set limits on the normalization constant of the high-energy neutrino emission of 0.4 (6.1) TeV^-1 m^-2 s^-1 for gamma=-1.47 (-2).Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

An Improved Limit on the Muon Electric Dipole Moment

Three independent searches for an electric dipole moment (EDM) of the positive and negative muons have been performed, using spin precession data from the muon g-2 storage ring at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Details on the experimental apparatus and the three analyses are presented. Since the individual results on the positive and negative muon, as well as the combined result, d=-0.1(0.9)E-19 e-cm, are all consistent with zero, we set a new muon EDM limit, |d| < 1.9E-19 e-cm (95% C.L.). This represents a factor of 5 improvement over the previous best limit on the muon EDM.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, 7 table

Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation Effects in Muon Spin Precession

The spin precession frequency of muons stored in the $(g-2)$ storage ring has been analyzed for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. Two Lorentz and CPT violation signatures were searched for: a nonzero $\Delta\omega_{a}$ (=$\omega_{a}^{\mu^{+}}-\omega_{a}^{\mu^{-}}$); and a sidereal variation of $\omega_{a}^{\mu^{\pm}}$. No significant effect is found, and the following limits on the standard-model extension parameters are obtained: $b_{Z} =-(1.0 \pm 1.1)\times 10^{-23}$ GeV; $(m_{\mu}d_{Z0}+H_{XY}) = (1.8 \pm 6.0 \times 10^{-23})$ GeV; and the 95% confidence level limits $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{+}}< 1.4 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV and $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{-}} < 2.6 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters, Modified to answer the referees suggestion