Audiovisual communication of object-names improves the spatial accuracy of recalled object-locations in topographic maps.

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Lammert-Siepmann, Nils; Bestgen, Anne-Kathrin; Edler, Dennis; Kuchinke, Lars; Dickmann, Frank

2017-01-01

Knowing the correct location of a specific object learned from a (topographic) map is fundamental for orientation and navigation tasks. Spatial reference systems, such as coordinates or cardinal directions, are helpful tools for any geometric localization of positions that aims to be as exact as possible. Considering modern visualization techniques of multimedia cartography, map elements transferred through the auditory channel can be added easily. Audiovisual approaches have been discussed in the cartographic community for many years. However, the effectiveness of audiovisual map elements for map use has hardly been explored so far. Within an interdisciplinary (cartography-cognitive psychology) research project, it is examined whether map users remember object-locations better if they do not just read the corresponding place names, but also listen to them as voice recordings. This approach is based on the idea that learning object-identities influences learning object-locations, which is crucial for map-reading tasks. The results of an empirical study show that the additional auditory communication of object names not only improves memory for the names (object-identities), but also for the spatial accuracy of their corresponding object-locations. The audiovisual communication of semantic attribute information of a spatial object seems to improve the binding of object-identity and object-location, which enhances the spatial accuracy of object-location memory.

Improving package structure of object-oriented software using multi-objective optimization and weighted class connections

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Amarjeet

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The software maintenance activities performed without following the original design decisions about the package structure usually deteriorate the quality of software modularization, leading to decay of the quality of the system. One of the main reasons for such structural deterioration is inappropriate grouping of source code classes in software packages. To improve such grouping/modular-structure, previous researchers formulated the software remodularization problem as an optimization problem and solved it using search-based meta-heuristic techniques. These optimization approaches aimed at improving the quality metrics values of the structure without considering the original package design decisions, often resulting into a totally new software modularization. The entirely changed software modularization becomes costly to realize as well as difficult to understand for the developers/maintainers. To alleviate this issue, we propose a multi-objective optimization approach to improve the modularization quality of an object-oriented system with minimum possible movement of classes between existing packages of original software modularization. The optimization is performed using NSGA-II, a widely-accepted multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. In order to ensure minimum modification of original package structure, a new approach of computing class relations using weighted strengths has been proposed here. The weights of relations among different classes are computed on the basis of the original package structure. A new objective function has been formulated using these weighted class relations. This objective function drives the optimization process toward better modularization quality simultaneously ensuring preservation of original structure. To evaluate the results of the proposed approach, a series of experiments are conducted over four real-worlds and two random software applications. The experimental results clearly indicate the effectiveness

From tomography to FWI with a single objective function

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2013-06-10

Reflections in our seismic data induce serious nonlinear behavior in the objective function of full waveform inversion (FWI). Thus, without a good initial velocity model, that can produce the reflections within a cycle of the frequency used in the inversion, convergence to the solution becomes hard. Such velocity models are usually extracted from migration velocity analysis or traveltime tomography, among other means, that are not guaranteed to adhere to the FWI requirements. As such, we promote an objective function based on the misfit in the instantaneous traveltime between the observed and modeled data. This phase based attribute of the wavefield, along with its phase unwrapping features, provide a frequency dependent traveltime function. With strong damping of the of the synthetic, potentially low frequency, data, this attribute admits first arrival traveltime that could be compared with picked ones from the observed data, like in wave equation tomography. As we relax the damping on the synthetic and observed data, the objective function measures the misfit in the phase, however unwrapped in an FWI type inversion. It, thus, provides a single objective function and a natural transition from traveltime tomography to full waveform inversion. A Marmousi example demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach.

Numerical correction of anti-symmetric aberrations in single HRTEM images of weakly scattering 2D-objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehtinen, Ossi; Geiger, Dorin; Lee, Zhongbo; Whitwick, Michael Brian; Chen, Ming-Wei; Kis, Andras; Kaiser, Ute

2015-01-01

Here, we present a numerical post-processing method for removing the effect of anti-symmetric residual aberrations in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images of weakly scattering 2D-objects. The method is based on applying the same aberrations with the opposite phase to the Fourier transform of the recorded image intensity and subsequently inverting the Fourier transform. We present the theoretical justification of the method, and its verification based on simulated images in the case of low-order anti-symmetric aberrations. Ultimately the method is applied to experimental hardware aberration-corrected HRTEM images of single-layer graphene and MoSe 2 resulting in images with strongly reduced residual low-order aberrations, and consequently improved interpretability. Alternatively, this method can be used to estimate by trial and error the residual anti-symmetric aberrations in HRTEM images of weakly scattering objects

Multiplicative mixing of object identity and image attributes in single inferior temporal neurons.

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Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, S P

2018-04-03

Object recognition is challenging because the same object can produce vastly different images, mixing signals related to its identity with signals due to its image attributes, such as size, position, rotation, etc. Previous studies have shown that both signals are present in high-level visual areas, but precisely how they are combined has remained unclear. One possibility is that neurons might encode identity and attribute signals multiplicatively so that each can be efficiently decoded without interference from the other. Here, we show that, in high-level visual cortex, responses of single neurons can be explained better as a product rather than a sum of tuning for object identity and tuning for image attributes. This subtle effect in single neurons produced substantially better population decoding of object identity and image attributes in the neural population as a whole. This property was absent both in low-level vision models and in deep neural networks. It was also unique to invariances: when tested with two-part objects, neural responses were explained better as a sum than as a product of part tuning. Taken together, our results indicate that signals requiring separate decoding, such as object identity and image attributes, are combined multiplicatively in IT neurons, whereas signals that require integration (such as parts in an object) are combined additively. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Multi-Objective Optimization of a Turbofan for an Advanced, Single-Aisle Transport

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Berton, Jeffrey J.; Guynn, Mark D.

2012-01-01

Considerable interest surrounds the design of the next generation of single-aisle commercial transports in the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 class. Aircraft designers will depend on advanced, next-generation turbofan engines to power these airplanes. The focus of this study is to apply single- and multi-objective optimization algorithms to the conceptual design of ultrahigh bypass turbofan engines for this class of aircraft, using NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing Project metrics as multidisciplinary objectives for optimization. The independent design variables investigated include three continuous variables: sea level static thrust, wing reference area, and aerodynamic design point fan pressure ratio, and four discrete variables: overall pressure ratio, fan drive system architecture (i.e., direct- or gear-driven), bypass nozzle architecture (i.e., fixed- or variable geometry), and the high- and low-pressure compressor work split. Ramp weight, fuel burn, noise, and emissions are the parameters treated as dependent objective functions. These optimized solutions provide insight to the ultrahigh bypass engine design process and provide information to NASA program management to help guide its technology development efforts.

Time-domain single-source integral equations for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects

KAUST Repository

Valdé s, Felipe; Andriulli, Francesco P.; Bagci, Hakan; Michielssen, Eric

2013-01-01

Single-source time-domain electric-and magnetic-field integral equations for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects are presented. Their temporal discretization is effected by using shifted piecewise polynomial temporal basis

Robust multi-objective calibration strategies – possibilities for improving flood forecasting

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G. H. Schmitz

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Process-oriented rainfall-runoff models are designed to approximate the complex hydrologic processes within a specific catchment and in particular to simulate the discharge at the catchment outlet. Most of these models exhibit a high degree of complexity and require the determination of various parameters by calibration. Recently, automatic calibration methods became popular in order to identify parameter vectors with high corresponding model performance. The model performance is often assessed by a purpose-oriented objective function. Practical experience suggests that in many situations one single objective function cannot adequately describe the model's ability to represent any aspect of the catchment's behaviour. This is regardless of whether the objective is aggregated of several criteria that measure different (possibly opposite aspects of the system behaviour. One strategy to circumvent this problem is to define multiple objective functions and to apply a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to identify the set of Pareto optimal or non-dominated solutions. Nonetheless, there is a major disadvantage of automatic calibration procedures that understand the problem of model calibration just as the solution of an optimisation problem: due to the complex-shaped response surface, the estimated solution of the optimisation problem can result in different near-optimum parameter vectors that can lead to a very different performance on the validation data. Bárdossy and Singh (2008 studied this problem for single-objective calibration problems using the example of hydrological models and proposed a geometrical sampling approach called Robust Parameter Estimation (ROPE. This approach applies the concept of data depth in order to overcome the shortcomings of automatic calibration procedures and find a set of robust parameter vectors. Recent studies confirmed the effectivity of this method. However, all ROPE approaches published so far just identify

Feature-fused SSD: fast detection for small objects

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Cao, Guimei; Xie, Xuemei; Yang, Wenzhe; Liao, Quan; Shi, Guangming; Wu, Jinjian

2018-04-01

Small objects detection is a challenging task in computer vision due to its limited resolution and information. In order to solve this problem, the majority of existing methods sacrifice speed for improvement in accuracy. In this paper, we aim to detect small objects at a fast speed, using the best object detector Single Shot Multibox Detector (SSD) with respect to accuracy-vs-speed trade-off as base architecture. We propose a multi-level feature fusion method for introducing contextual information in SSD, in order to improve the accuracy for small objects. In detailed fusion operation, we design two feature fusion modules, concatenation module and element-sum module, different in the way of adding contextual information. Experimental results show that these two fusion modules obtain higher mAP on PASCAL VOC2007 than baseline SSD by 1.6 and 1.7 points respectively, especially with 2-3 points improvement on some small objects categories. The testing speed of them is 43 and 40 FPS respectively, superior to the state of the art Deconvolutional single shot detector (DSSD) by 29.4 and 26.4 FPS.

Objective evaluation of improvement in optic neuropathy following radiation therapy for thyroid eye disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rush, Stephen; Winterkorn, Jacqueline; Zak, Rochelle

2000-01-01

Purpose: While the literature supports the use of radiation therapy for thyroid eye disease, it does not sufficiently describe in detail the results of radiation therapy for optic neuropathy associated with thyroid eye disease. The objective of this study is to quantify the changes in parameters of optic neuropathy after orbital irradiation for thyroid eye disease. Methods and Materials: Twelve consecutive patients with optic neuropathy from thyroid eye disease were followed by a single neuro-ophthalmology practice and treated by one radiation oncologist with radiation therapy from 1991 through 1995. All cases were prospectively followed for visual acuity, color vision, mean deviation, and/or foveal sensitivity and afferent pupillary defect. All patients received 2000 cGy in 10 fractions with megavoltage irradiation to the orbits. Results: Ten of 12 patients were evaluated for follow-up (one moved out of this country and one had a stroke, which confounded interpretation of examination results). An analysis was performed retrospectively while treatment and evaluation remained uniform. Five men and five women formed the basis of this study with a median age of 60 years (35-76 years). Nineteen eyes were evaluated for thyroid optic neuropathy. Improvement in optic nerve function occurred in eight of ten patients. Improvement was seen either during radiotherapy or within 2 weeks of completion. No long-term adverse effects were noted. Conclusion: This study objectively demonstrates improvement in optic neuropathy from radiation therapy for thyroid eye disease

Hydrologic Model Development and Calibration: Contrasting a Single- and Multi-Objective Approach for Comparing Model Performance

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Asadzadeh, M.; Maclean, A.; Tolson, B. A.; Burn, D. H.

2009-05-01

Hydrologic model calibration aims to find a set of parameters that adequately simulates observations of watershed behavior, such as streamflow, or a state variable, such as snow water equivalent (SWE). There are different metrics for evaluating calibration effectiveness that involve quantifying prediction errors, such as the Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) coefficient and bias evaluated for the entire calibration period, on a seasonal basis, for low flows, or for high flows. Many of these metrics are conflicting such that the set of parameters that maximizes the high flow NS differs from the set of parameters that maximizes the low flow NS. Conflicting objectives are very likely when different calibration objectives are based on different fluxes and/or state variables (e.g., NS based on streamflow versus SWE). One of the most popular ways to balance different metrics is to aggregate them based on their importance and find the set of parameters that optimizes a weighted sum of the efficiency metrics. Comparing alternative hydrologic models (e.g., assessing model improvement when a process or more detail is added to the model) based on the aggregated objective might be misleading since it represents one point on the tradeoff of desired error metrics. To derive a more comprehensive model comparison, we solved a bi-objective calibration problem to estimate the tradeoff between two error metrics for each model. Although this approach is computationally more expensive than the aggregation approach, it results in a better understanding of the effectiveness of selected models at each level of every error metric and therefore provides a better rationale for judging relative model quality. The two alternative models used in this study are two MESH hydrologic models (version 1.2) of the Wolf Creek Research basin that differ in their watershed spatial discretization (a single Grouped Response Unit, GRU, versus multiple GRUs). The MESH model, currently under development by Environment

A single-rate context-dependent learning process underlies rapid adaptation to familiar object dynamics.

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Ingram, James N; Howard, Ian S; Flanagan, J Randall; Wolpert, Daniel M

2011-09-01

Motor learning has been extensively studied using dynamic (force-field) perturbations. These induce movement errors that result in adaptive changes to the motor commands. Several state-space models have been developed to explain how trial-by-trial errors drive the progressive adaptation observed in such studies. These models have been applied to adaptation involving novel dynamics, which typically occurs over tens to hundreds of trials, and which appears to be mediated by a dual-rate adaptation process. In contrast, when manipulating objects with familiar dynamics, subjects adapt rapidly within a few trials. Here, we apply state-space models to familiar dynamics, asking whether adaptation is mediated by a single-rate or dual-rate process. Previously, we reported a task in which subjects rotate an object with known dynamics. By presenting the object at different visual orientations, adaptation was shown to be context-specific, with limited generalization to novel orientations. Here we show that a multiple-context state-space model, with a generalization function tuned to visual object orientation, can reproduce the time-course of adaptation and de-adaptation as well as the observed context-dependent behavior. In contrast to the dual-rate process associated with novel dynamics, we show that a single-rate process mediates adaptation to familiar object dynamics. The model predicts that during exposure to the object across multiple orientations, there will be a degree of independence for adaptation and de-adaptation within each context, and that the states associated with all contexts will slowly de-adapt during exposure in one particular context. We confirm these predictions in two new experiments. Results of the current study thus highlight similarities and differences in the processes engaged during exposure to novel versus familiar dynamics. In both cases, adaptation is mediated by multiple context-specific representations. In the case of familiar object dynamics

A single-rate context-dependent learning process underlies rapid adaptation to familiar object dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James N Ingram

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Motor learning has been extensively studied using dynamic (force-field perturbations. These induce movement errors that result in adaptive changes to the motor commands. Several state-space models have been developed to explain how trial-by-trial errors drive the progressive adaptation observed in such studies. These models have been applied to adaptation involving novel dynamics, which typically occurs over tens to hundreds of trials, and which appears to be mediated by a dual-rate adaptation process. In contrast, when manipulating objects with familiar dynamics, subjects adapt rapidly within a few trials. Here, we apply state-space models to familiar dynamics, asking whether adaptation is mediated by a single-rate or dual-rate process. Previously, we reported a task in which subjects rotate an object with known dynamics. By presenting the object at different visual orientations, adaptation was shown to be context-specific, with limited generalization to novel orientations. Here we show that a multiple-context state-space model, with a generalization function tuned to visual object orientation, can reproduce the time-course of adaptation and de-adaptation as well as the observed context-dependent behavior. In contrast to the dual-rate process associated with novel dynamics, we show that a single-rate process mediates adaptation to familiar object dynamics. The model predicts that during exposure to the object across multiple orientations, there will be a degree of independence for adaptation and de-adaptation within each context, and that the states associated with all contexts will slowly de-adapt during exposure in one particular context. We confirm these predictions in two new experiments. Results of the current study thus highlight similarities and differences in the processes engaged during exposure to novel versus familiar dynamics. In both cases, adaptation is mediated by multiple context-specific representations. In the case of familiar

Improved Dye Stability in Single-Molecule Fluorescence Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

EcheverrÍa Aitken, Colin; Marshall, R. Andrew; Pugi, Joseph D.

Complex biological systems challenge existing single-molecule methods. In particular, dye stability limits observation time in singlemolecule fluorescence applications. Current approaches to improving dye performance involve the addition of enzymatic oxygen scavenging systems and small molecule additives. We present an enzymatic oxygen scavenging system that improves dye stability in single-molecule experiments. Compared to the currently-employed glucose-oxidase/catalase system, the protocatechuate-3,4-dioxygenase system achieves lower dissolved oxygen concentration and stabilizes single Cy3, Cy5, and Alexa488 fluorophores. Moreover, this system possesses none of the limitations associated with the glucose oxidase/catalase system. We also tested the effects of small molecule additives in this system. Biological reducing agents significantly destabilize the Cy5 fluorophore as a function of reducing potential. In contrast, anti-oxidants stabilize the Cy3 and Alexa488 fluorophores. We recommend use of the protocatechuate-3,4,-dioxygenase system with antioxidant additives, and in the absence of biological reducing agents. This system should have wide application to single-molecule fluorescence experiments.

Improved multi-objective clustering algorithm using particle swarm optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Congcong; Chen, Haisong; He, Weixiong; Zhang, Zhanliang

2017-01-01

Multi-objective clustering has received widespread attention recently, as it can obtain more accurate and reasonable solution. In this paper, an improved multi-objective clustering framework using particle swarm optimization (IMCPSO) is proposed. Firstly, a novel particle representation for clustering problem is designed to help PSO search clustering solutions in continuous space. Secondly, the distribution of Pareto set is analyzed. The analysis results are applied to the leader selection strategy, and make algorithm avoid trapping in local optimum. Moreover, a clustering solution-improved method is proposed, which can increase the efficiency in searching clustering solution greatly. In the experiments, 28 datasets are used and nine state-of-the-art clustering algorithms are compared, the proposed method is superior to other approaches in the evaluation index ARI.

Improved single ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyce, K.R.

1993-01-01

The author has improved the state of the art for precision mass spectroscopy of a mass doublet to below one part in 10 10 . By alternately loading single ions into a Penning trap, the author has determined the mass ratio M(CO + )/M(N + 2 ) = 0.999 598 887 74(11), an accuracy of 1 x 10 -10 . This is a factor of 4 improvement over previous measurements, and a factor of 10 better than the 1985 atomic mass table adjustment [WAA85a]. Much of the author's apparatus has been rebuilt, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and improving the reliability of the machine. The typical time needed to make and cool a single ion has been reduced from about half an hour to under 5 minutes. This was done by a combination of faster ion-making and a much faster procedure for driving out ions of the wrong species. The improved S/N, in combination with a much better signal processing algorithm to extract the ion phase and frequency from the author's data, has substantially reduced the time required for the actual measurements. This is important now that the measurement time is a substantial fraction of the cycle time (the time to make a new ion and measure it). The improvements allow over 30 comparisons in one night, compared to 2 per night previously. This not only improves the statistics, but eliminates the possibility of large non-Gaussian errors due to sudden magnetic field shifts

Improved Object Proposals with Geometrical Features for Autonomous Driving

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Yiliu Feng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at generating high-quality object proposals for object detection in autonomous driving. Most existing proposal generation methods are designed for the general object detection, which may not perform well in a particular scene. We propose several geometrical features suited for autonomous driving and integrate them into state-of-the-art general proposal generation methods. In particular, we formulate the integration as a feature fusion problem by fusing the geometrical features with existing proposal generation methods in a Bayesian framework. Experiments on the challenging KITTI benchmark demonstrate that our approach improves the existing methods significantly. Combined with a convolutional neural net detector, our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on all three KITTI object classes.

A multi-objective approach to improve SWAT model calibration in alpine catchments

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Tuo, Ye; Marcolini, Giorgia; Disse, Markus; Chiogna, Gabriele

2018-04-01

Multi-objective hydrological model calibration can represent a valuable solution to reduce model equifinality and parameter uncertainty. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is widely applied to investigate water quality and water management issues in alpine catchments. However, the model calibration is generally based on discharge records only, and most of the previous studies have defined a unique set of snow parameters for an entire basin. Only a few studies have considered snow observations to validate model results or have taken into account the possible variability of snow parameters for different subbasins. This work presents and compares three possible calibration approaches. The first two procedures are single-objective calibration procedures, for which all parameters of the SWAT model were calibrated according to river discharge alone. Procedures I and II differ from each other by the assumption used to define snow parameters: The first approach assigned a unique set of snow parameters to the entire basin, whereas the second approach assigned different subbasin-specific sets of snow parameters to each subbasin. The third procedure is a multi-objective calibration, in which we considered snow water equivalent (SWE) information at two different spatial scales (i.e. subbasin and elevation band), in addition to discharge measurements. We tested these approaches in the Upper Adige river basin where a dense network of snow depth measurement stations is available. Only the set of parameters obtained with this multi-objective procedure provided an acceptable prediction of both river discharge and SWE. These findings offer the large community of SWAT users a strategy to improve SWAT modeling in alpine catchments.

An Improved Genetic Algorithm for Single-Machine Inverse Scheduling Problem

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Jianhui Mou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of the scheduling is to arrange operations on suitable machines with optimal sequence for corresponding objectives. In order to meet market requirements, scheduling systems must own enough flexibility against uncertain events. These events can change production status or processing parameters, even causing the original schedule to no longer be optimal or even to be infeasible. Traditional scheduling strategies, however, cannot cope with these cases. Therefore, a new idea of scheduling called inverse scheduling has been proposed. In this paper, the inverse scheduling with weighted completion time (SMISP is considered in a single-machine shop environment. In this paper, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA with a local searching strategy is proposed. To improve the performance of IGA, efficient encoding scheme, fitness evaluation mechanism, feasible initialization methods, and a local search procedure have been employed in the paper. Because of the local improving method, the proposed IGA can balance its exploration ability and exploitation ability. We adopt 27 instances to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results illustrated that the proposed algorithm can generate satisfactory solutions. This approach also has been applied to solve the scheduling problem in the real Chinese shipyard and can bring some benefits.

Optical encryption of multiple three-dimensional objects based on multiple interferences and single-pixel digital holography

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Liu, Qi; Wang, Jun; Wang, Qiong-Hua

2018-03-01

We present an optical encryption method of multiple three-dimensional objects based on multiple interferences and single-pixel digital holography. By modifying the Mach–Zehnder interferometer, the interference of the multiple objects beams and the one reference beam is used to simultaneously encrypt multiple objects into a ciphertext. During decryption, each three-dimensional object can be decrypted independently without having to decrypt other objects. Since the single-pixel digital holography based on compressive sensing theory is introduced, the encrypted data of this method is effectively reduced. In addition, recording fewer encrypted data can greatly reduce the bandwidth of network transmission. Moreover, the compressive sensing essentially serves as a secret key that makes an intruder attack invalid, which means that the system is more secure than the conventional encryption method. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method and show that the system has good security performance. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61405130 and 61320106015).

Improved multi-objective clustering algorithm using particle swarm optimization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Congcong Gong

Full Text Available Multi-objective clustering has received widespread attention recently, as it can obtain more accurate and reasonable solution. In this paper, an improved multi-objective clustering framework using particle swarm optimization (IMCPSO is proposed. Firstly, a novel particle representation for clustering problem is designed to help PSO search clustering solutions in continuous space. Secondly, the distribution of Pareto set is analyzed. The analysis results are applied to the leader selection strategy, and make algorithm avoid trapping in local optimum. Moreover, a clustering solution-improved method is proposed, which can increase the efficiency in searching clustering solution greatly. In the experiments, 28 datasets are used and nine state-of-the-art clustering algorithms are compared, the proposed method is superior to other approaches in the evaluation index ARI.

Optimization of multi-objective micro-grid based on improved particle swarm optimization algorithm

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Zhang, Jian; Gan, Yang

2018-04-01

The paper presents a multi-objective optimal configuration model for independent micro-grid with the aim of economy and environmental protection. The Pareto solution set can be obtained by solving the multi-objective optimization configuration model of micro-grid with the improved particle swarm algorithm. The feasibility of the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm for multi-objective model is verified, which provides an important reference for multi-objective optimization of independent micro-grid.

Thoughts on Improvable Objects, Contradiction and Object/Tool Reciprocity in a Study of Zoo Educator Professional Development

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Ash, Doris B.; Kelly, Lisa-Anne DeGregoria

2013-01-01

In this forum we discuss three aspects designed to clarify and extend Kelly and Kassing's paper. These are the roles of improvable objects, contradiction and object/tool reciprocity. In each case we cite relevant literature and pose questions to the field. Our goal is to seed ideas for future discussions concerning the role of activity theory…

An Improved Marriage in Honey Bees Optimization Algorithm for Single Objective Unconstrained Optimization

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Yuksel Celik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Marriage in honey bees optimization (MBO is a metaheuristic optimization algorithm developed by inspiration of the mating and fertilization process of honey bees and is a kind of swarm intelligence optimizations. In this study we propose improved marriage in honey bees optimization (IMBO by adding Levy flight algorithm for queen mating flight and neighboring for worker drone improving. The IMBO algorithm’s performance and its success are tested on the well-known six unconstrained test functions and compared with other metaheuristic optimization algorithms.

CMEIAS color segmentation: an improved computing technology to process color images for quantitative microbial ecology studies at single-cell resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Colin A; Reddy, Chandan K; Dazzo, Frank B

2010-02-01

Quantitative microscopy and digital image analysis are underutilized in microbial ecology largely because of the laborious task to segment foreground object pixels from background, especially in complex color micrographs of environmental samples. In this paper, we describe an improved computing technology developed to alleviate this limitation. The system's uniqueness is its ability to edit digital images accurately when presented with the difficult yet commonplace challenge of removing background pixels whose three-dimensional color space overlaps the range that defines foreground objects. Image segmentation is accomplished by utilizing algorithms that address color and spatial relationships of user-selected foreground object pixels. Performance of the color segmentation algorithm evaluated on 26 complex micrographs at single pixel resolution had an overall pixel classification accuracy of 99+%. Several applications illustrate how this improved computing technology can successfully resolve numerous challenges of complex color segmentation in order to produce images from which quantitative information can be accurately extracted, thereby gain new perspectives on the in situ ecology of microorganisms. Examples include improvements in the quantitative analysis of (1) microbial abundance and phylotype diversity of single cells classified by their discriminating color within heterogeneous communities, (2) cell viability, (3) spatial relationships and intensity of bacterial gene expression involved in cellular communication between individual cells within rhizoplane biofilms, and (4) biofilm ecophysiology based on ribotype-differentiated radioactive substrate utilization. The stand-alone executable file plus user manual and tutorial images for this color segmentation computing application are freely available at http://cme.msu.edu/cmeias/ . This improved computing technology opens new opportunities of imaging applications where discriminating colors really matter most

Objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation by synchronization measures of auditory evoked single sweeps.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Daniel J; Delb, Wolfgang; D'Amelio, Roberto; Low, Yin Fen; Falkai, Peter

2008-02-01

Large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation might be used for an objective evaluation of therapies and neurofeedback based therapeutic approaches. In this study, we try to identify large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation using wavelet phase stability criteria of single sweep sequences of late auditory evoked potentials as synchronization stability measure. The extracted measure provided an objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation and allowed for a reliable discrimination between a group of compensated and decompensated tinnitus patients. We provide an interpretation for our results by a neural model of top-down projections based on the Jastreboff tinnitus model combined with the adaptive resonance theory which has not been applied to model tinnitus so far. Using this model, our stability measure of evoked potentials can be linked to the focus of attention on the tinnitus signal. It is concluded that the wavelet phase stability of late auditory evoked potential single sweeps might be used as objective tinnitus decompensation measure and can be interpreted in the framework of the Jastreboff tinnitus model and adaptive resonance theory.

Single prolonged stress impairs social and object novelty recognition in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Eagle, Andrew L; Fitzpatrick, Chris J; Perrine, Shane A

2013-11-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) results from exposure to a traumatic event and manifests as re-experiencing, arousal, avoidance, and negative cognition/mood symptoms. Avoidant symptoms, as well as the newly defined negative cognitions/mood, are a serious complication leading to diminished interest in once important or positive activities, such as social interaction; however, the basis of these symptoms remains poorly understood. PTSD patients also exhibit impaired object and social recognition, which may underlie the avoidance and symptoms of negative cognition, such as social estrangement or diminished interest in activities. Previous studies have demonstrated that single prolonged stress (SPS), models PTSD phenotypes, including impairments in learning and memory. Therefore, it was hypothesized that SPS would impair social and object recognition memory. Male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to SPS then tested in the social choice test (SCT) or novel object recognition test (NOR). These tests measure recognition of novelty over familiarity, a natural preference of rodents. Results show that SPS impaired preference for both social and object novelty. In addition, SPS impairment in social recognition may be caused by impaired behavioral flexibility, or an inability to shift behavior during the SCT. These results demonstrate that traumatic stress can impair social and object recognition memory, which may underlie certain avoidant symptoms or negative cognition in PTSD and be related to impaired behavioral flexibility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A single bout of exercise improves motor memory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roig, Marc; Skriver, Kasper Christen; Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

2012-01-01

Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cognition and brain function. Here we investigated if a single bout of exercise can improve motor memory and motor skill learning. We also explored if the timing of the exercise bout in relation to the timing of practice has any impact on the acq...... exercise on long-term motor memory....... that exercised before practice, the subjects that exercised after practice showed a better retention of the motor skill 7 days after practice. These findings indicate that one bout of intense exercise performed immediately before or after practicing a motor task is sufficient to improve the long-term retention......Regular physical activity has a positive impact on cognition and brain function. Here we investigated if a single bout of exercise can improve motor memory and motor skill learning. We also explored if the timing of the exercise bout in relation to the timing of practice has any impact...

From Single- to Multi-Objective Auto-Tuning of Programs: Advantages and Implications

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Juan Durillo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Automatic tuning (auto-tuning of software has emerged in recent years as a promising method that tries to automatically adapt the behaviour of a program to attain different performance objectives on a given computing system. This method is gaining momentum due to the increasing complexity of modern multicore-based hardware architectures. Many solutions to auto-tuning have been explored ranging from simple random search to more sophisticate methods like machine learning or evolutionary search. To this day, it is still unclear whether these approaches are general enough to encompass all the complexities of the problem (e.g. search space, parameters influencing the search space, input data sensitivity, etc., or which approach is best suited for a given problem. Furthermore, the growing interest in auto-tuning a program for several objectives is increasing this confusion even further. The goal of this paper is to formally describe the problem addressed by auto-tuning programs and review existing solutions highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of different techniques for single-objective as well as multi-objective auto-tuning approaches.

Retrofitting of heat exchanger networks involving streams with variable heat capacity: Application of single and multi-objective optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreepathi, Bhargava Krishna; Rangaiah, G.P.

2015-01-01

Heat exchanger network (HEN) retrofitting improves the energy efficiency of the current process by reducing external utilities. In this work, HEN retrofitting involving streams having variable heat capacity is studied. For this, enthalpy values of a stream are fitted to a continuous cubic polynomial instead of a stepwise approach employed in the previous studies [1,2]. The former methodology is closer to reality as enthalpy or heat capacity changes gradually instead of step changes. Using the polynomial fitting formulation, single objective optimization (SOO) and multi-objective optimization (MOO) of a HEN retrofit problem are investigated. The results obtained show an improvement in the utility savings, and MOO provides many Pareto-optimal solutions to choose from. Also, Pareto-optimal solutions involving area addition in existing heat exchangers only (but no new exchangers and no structural modifications) are found and provided for comparison with those involving new exchangers and structural modifications as well. - Highlights: • HEN retrofitting involving streams with variable heat capacities is studied. • A continuous approach to handle variable heat capacity is proposed and tested. • Better and practical solutions are obtained for HEN retrofitting in process plants. • Pareto-optimal solutions provide many alternate choices for HEN retrofitting

Design of a box trainer for objective assessment of technical skills in single-port surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horeman, Tim; Sun, Siyu; Tuijthof, Gabrielle J. M.; Jansen, Frank William; Meijerink, Jeroen W. J. H. J.; Dankelman, Jenny

2015-01-01

Laparoscopic single-port (SP) surgery uses only a single entry point for all instruments. The approach of SP has been applied in multiple laparoscopic disciplines owing to its improved cosmetic result. However, in SP surgery, instrument movements are further restricted, resulting in increased

A calderón-preconditioned single source combined field integral equation for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects

KAUST Repository

Valdé s, Felipe; Andriulli, Francesco P.; Bagci, Hakan; Michielssen, Eric

2011-01-01

A new regularized single source equation for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects is presented. The proposed equation is a linear combination of a Calderón-preconditioned single source electric field integral equation and a

A Single Unexpected Change in Target- but Not Distractor Motion Impairs Multiple Object Tracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hauke S. Meyerhoff

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Recent research addresses the question whether motion information of multiple objects contributes to maintaining a selection of objects across a period of motion. Here, we investigate whether target and/or distractor motion information is used during attentive tracking. We asked participants to track four objects and changed either the motion direction of targets, the motion direction of distractors, neither, or both during a brief flash in the middle of a tracking interval. We observed that a single direction change of targets is sufficient to impair tracking performance. In contrast, changing the motion direction of distractors had no effect on performance. This indicates that target- but not distractor motion information is evaluated during tracking.

Manipulation of Unknown Objects to Improve the Grasp Quality Using Tactile Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Montaño, Andrés; Suárez, Raúl

2018-05-03

This work presents a novel and simple approach in the area of manipulation of unknown objects considering both geometric and mechanical constraints of the robotic hand. Starting with an initial blind grasp, our method improves the grasp quality through manipulation considering the three common goals of the manipulation process: improving the hand configuration, the grasp quality and the object positioning, and, at the same time, prevents the object from falling. Tactile feedback is used to obtain local information of the contacts between the fingertips and the object, and no additional exteroceptive feedback sources are considered in the approach. The main novelty of this work lies in the fact that the grasp optimization is performed on-line as a reactive procedure using the tactile and kinematic information obtained during the manipulation. Experimental results are shown to illustrate the efficiency of the approach.

Convolutional Deep Belief Networks for Single-Cell/Object Tracking in Computational Biology and Computer Vision

OpenAIRE

Zhong, Bineng; Pan, Shengnan; Zhang, Hongbo; Wang, Tian; Du, Jixiang; Chen, Duansheng; Cao, Liujuan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose deep architecture to dynamically learn the most discriminative features from data for both single-cell and object tracking in computational biology and computer vision. Firstly, the discriminative features are automatically learned via a convolutional deep belief network (CDBN). Secondly, we design a simple yet effective method to transfer features learned from CDBNs on the source tasks for generic purpose to the object tracking tasks using only limited amount of tra...

Significant improvement of optical traps by tuning standard water immersion objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reihani, S Nader S; Mir, Shahid A; Richardson, Andrew C; Oddershede, Lene B

2011-01-01

Focused infrared lasers are widely used for micromanipulation and visualization of biological specimens. An inherent practical problem is that off-the-shelf commercial microscope objectives are designed for use with visible and not infrared wavelengths. Less aberration is introduced by water immersion objectives than by oil immersion ones, however, even water immersion objectives induce significant aberration. We present a simple method to reduce the spherical aberration induced by water immersion objectives, namely by tuning the correction collar of the objective to a value that is ∼ 10% lower than the physical thickness of the coverslip. This results in marked improvements in optical trapping strengths of up to 100% laterally and 600% axially from a standard microscope objective designed for use in the visible range. The results are generally valid for any water immersion objective with any numerical aperture

Amrubicin therapy improves patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer: A single-arm confirmatory Chinese clinical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mengli Zheng

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Our objective was to evaluate an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study to appraise whether amrubicin therapy improves patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer in Chinese clinical study. Patients (n=95 with refractory small-cell lung cancer received 3 consecutive days amrubicin therapy for 21 days. Overall response rate of response to amrubicin was 39%. Anemia, febrile neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, infection, elevated serum transaminases levels were appeared, but the incidences of adverse events were very few. Our results suggest amrubicin therapy can improve patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer and may be an effective and safe treatment option.

Single and multiple object tracking using log-euclidean Riemannian subspace and block-division appearance model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Weiming; Li, Xi; Luo, Wenhan; Zhang, Xiaoqin; Maybank, Stephen; Zhang, Zhongfei

2012-12-01

Object appearance modeling is crucial for tracking objects, especially in videos captured by nonstationary cameras and for reasoning about occlusions between multiple moving objects. Based on the log-euclidean Riemannian metric on symmetric positive definite matrices, we propose an incremental log-euclidean Riemannian subspace learning algorithm in which covariance matrices of image features are mapped into a vector space with the log-euclidean Riemannian metric. Based on the subspace learning algorithm, we develop a log-euclidean block-division appearance model which captures both the global and local spatial layout information about object appearances. Single object tracking and multi-object tracking with occlusion reasoning are then achieved by particle filtering-based Bayesian state inference. During tracking, incremental updating of the log-euclidean block-division appearance model captures changes in object appearance. For multi-object tracking, the appearance models of the objects can be updated even in the presence of occlusions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed tracking algorithm obtains more accurate results than six state-of-the-art tracking algorithms.

From tomography to full-waveform inversion with a single objective function

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2014-02-17

In full-waveform inversion (FWI), a gradient-based update of the velocity model requires an initial velocity that produces synthetic data that are within a half-cycle, everywhere, from the field data. Such initial velocity models are usually extracted from migration velocity analysis or traveltime tomography, among other means, and are not guaranteed to adhere to the FWI requirements for an initial velocity model. As such, we evaluated an objective function based on the misfit in the instantaneous traveltime between the observed and modeled data. This phase-based attribute of the wavefield, along with its phase unwrapping characteristics, provided a frequency-dependent traveltime function that was easy to use and quantify, especially compared to conventional phase representation. With a strong Laplace damping of the modeled, potentially low-frequency, data along the time axis, this attribute admitted a first-arrival traveltime that could be compared with picked ones from the observed data, such as in wave equation tomography (WET). As we relax the damping on the synthetic and observed data, the objective function measures the misfit in the phase, however unwrapped. It, thus, provided a single objective function for a natural transition from WET to FWI. A Marmousi example demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach.

Design of a hybrid double-sideband/single-sideband (schlieren) objective aperture suitable for electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buijsse, Bart; Laarhoven, Frank M.H.M. van [FEI Company, PO Box 80066, 5600 KA Eindhoven (Netherlands); Schmid, Andreas K.; Cambie, Rossana; Cabrini, Stefano; Jin, Jian [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Glaeser, Robert M., E-mail: rmglaeser@lbl.gov [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2011-12-15

A novel design is described for an aperture that blocks a half-plane of the electron diffraction pattern out to a desired scattering angle, and then - except for a narrow support beam - transmits all of the scattered electrons beyond that angle. Our proposed tulip-shaped design is thus a hybrid between the single-sideband (ssb) aperture, which blocks a full half-plane of the diffraction pattern, and the conventional (i.e. fully open) double-sideband (dsb) aperture. The benefits of this hybrid design include the fact that such an aperture allows one to obtain high-contrast images of weak-phase objects with the objective lens set to Scherzer defocus. We further demonstrate that such apertures can be fabricated from thin-foil materials by milling with a focused ion beam (FIB), and that such apertures are fully compatible with the requirements of imaging out to a resolution of at least 0.34 nm. As is known from earlier work with single-sideband apertures, however, the edge of such an aperture can introduce unwanted, electrostatic phase shifts due to charging. The principal requirement for using such an aperture in a routine data-collection mode is thus to discover appropriate materials, protocols for fabrication and processing and conditions of use such that the hybrid aperture remains free of charging over long periods of time. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New objective-aperture design is proposed for imaging weak-phase objects. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Design produces single-sideband contrast at low spatial frequencies. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Design also retains Scherzer-defocus phase contrast at higher resolution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proof-of-concept results are presented for microfabricated apertures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Charging of such apertures during use remains an experimental challenge.

Simultaneous positioning and orientation of a single nano-object by flow control: theory and simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathai, Pramod P; Berglund, Andrew J; Alexander Liddle, J; Shapiro, Benjamin A

2011-01-01

In this paper, we theoretically describe a method to simultaneously control both the position and orientation of single nano-objects in fluids by precisely controlling the flow around them. We develop and simulate a control law that uses electro-osmotic flow (EOF) actuation to translate and rotate rigid nano-objects in two spatial dimensions. Using EOF to control nano-objects offers advantages as compared to other approaches: a wide class of objects can be manipulated (no magnetic or electric dipole moments are needed), the object can be controlled over a long range (>100 μm) with sub-micrometer accuracy, and control may be achieved with simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices. We demonstrate the theory and numerical solutions that will enable deterministic control of the position and orientation of a nano-object in solution, which can be used, for example, to integrate nanostructures in circuits and orient sensors to probe living cells.

Time-domain single-source integral equations for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects

KAUST Repository

Valdés, Felipe

2013-03-01

Single-source time-domain electric-and magnetic-field integral equations for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects are presented. Their temporal discretization is effected by using shifted piecewise polynomial temporal basis functions and a collocation testing procedure, thus allowing for a marching-on-in-time (MOT) solution scheme. Unlike dual-source formulations, single-source equations involve space-time domain operator products, for which spatial discretization techniques developed for standalone operators do not apply. Here, the spatial discretization of the single-source time-domain integral equations is achieved by using the high-order divergence-conforming basis functions developed by Graglia alongside the high-order divergence-and quasi curl-conforming (DQCC) basis functions of Valdés The combination of these two sets allows for a well-conditioned mapping from div-to curl-conforming function spaces that fully respects the space-mapping properties of the space-time operators involved. Numerical results corroborate the fact that the proposed procedure guarantees accuracy and stability of the MOT scheme. © 2012 IEEE.

Effects of Implied Motion and Facing Direction on Positional Preferences in Single-Object Pictures.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Stephen E; Langlois, Thomas A

2017-07-01

Palmer, Gardner, and Wickens studied aesthetic preferences for pictures of single objects and found a strong inward bias: Right-facing objects were preferred left-of-center and left-facing objects right-of-center. They found no effect of object motion (people and cars showed the same inward bias as chairs and teapots), but the objects were not depicted as moving. Here we measured analogous inward biases with objects depicted as moving with an implied direction and speed by having participants drag-and-drop target objects into the most aesthetically pleasing position. In Experiment 1, human figures were shown diving or falling while moving forward or backward. Aesthetic biases were evident for both inward-facing and inward-moving figures, but the motion-based bias dominated so strongly that backward divers or fallers were preferred moving inward but facing outward. Experiment 2 investigated implied speed effects using images of humans, horses, and cars moving at different speeds (e.g., standing, walking, trotting, and galloping horses). Inward motion or facing biases were again present, and differences in their magnitude due to speed were evident. Unexpectedly, faster moving objects were generally preferred closer to frame center than slower moving objects. These results are discussed in terms of the combined effects of prospective, future-oriented biases, and retrospective, past-oriented biases.

An improved fast and elitist multi-objective genetic algorithm-ANSGA-II for multi-objective optimization of inverse radiotherapy treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Ruifen; Li Guoli; Song Gang; Zhao Pan; Lin Hui; Wu Aidong; Huang Chenyu; Wu Yican

2007-01-01

Objective: To provide a fast and effective multi-objective optimization algorithm for inverse radiotherapy treatment planning system. Methods: Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-NSGA-II is a representative of multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithms and excels the others. The paper produces ANSGA-II that makes use of advantage of NSGA-II, and uses adaptive crossover and mutation to improve its flexibility; according the character of inverse radiotherapy treatment planning, the paper uses the pre-known knowledge to generate individuals of every generation in the course of optimization, which enhances the convergent speed and improves efficiency. Results: The example of optimizing average dose of a sheet of CT, including PTV, OAR, NT, proves the algorithm could find satisfied solutions in several minutes. Conclusions: The algorithm could provide clinic inverse radiotherapy treatment planning system with selection of optimization algorithms. (authors)

Barack Obama Blindness (BOB): Absence of Visual Awareness to a Single Object.

Science.gov (United States)

Persuh, Marjan; Melara, Robert D

2016-01-01

In two experiments, we evaluated whether a perceiver's prior expectations could alone obliterate his or her awareness of a salient visual stimulus. To establish expectancy, observers first made a demanding visual discrimination on each of three baseline trials. Then, on a fourth, critical trial, a single, salient and highly visible object appeared in full view at the center of the visual field and in the absence of any competing visual input. Surprisingly, fully half of the participants were unaware of the solitary object in front of their eyes. Dramatically, observers were blind even when the only stimulus on display was the face of U.S. President Barack Obama. We term this novel, counterintuitive phenomenon, Barack Obama Blindness (BOB). Employing a method that rules out putative memory effects by probing awareness immediately after presentation of the critical stimulus, we demonstrate that the BOB effect is a true failure of conscious vision.

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet Implementation Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert Youngblood

2011-01-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline—even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet Implementation Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert Youngblood

2011-02-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline—even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet; Implementation Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youngblood, Robert

2011-01-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline - even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's Research and Development (R and D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration's energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Moving object detection in top-view aerial videos improved by image stacking

Science.gov (United States)

Teutsch, Michael; Krüger, Wolfgang; Beyerer, Jürgen

2017-08-01

Image stacking is a well-known method that is used to improve the quality of images in video data. A set of consecutive images is aligned by applying image registration and warping. In the resulting image stack, each pixel has redundant information about its intensity value. This redundant information can be used to suppress image noise, resharpen blurry images, or even enhance the spatial image resolution as done in super-resolution. Small moving objects in the videos usually get blurred or distorted by image stacking and thus need to be handled explicitly. We use image stacking in an innovative way: image registration is applied to small moving objects only, and image warping blurs the stationary background that surrounds the moving objects. Our video data are coming from a small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that acquires top-view gray-value images of urban scenes. Moving objects are mainly cars but also other vehicles such as motorcycles. The resulting images, after applying our proposed image stacking approach, are used to improve baseline algorithms for vehicle detection and segmentation. We improve precision and recall by up to 0.011, which corresponds to a reduction of the number of false positive and false negative detections by more than 3 per second. Furthermore, we show how our proposed image stacking approach can be implemented efficiently.

A Method for Interactive 3D Reconstruction of Piecewise Planar Objects from Single Images

OpenAIRE

Sturm , Peter; Maybank , Steve

1999-01-01

International audience; We present an approach for 3D reconstruction of objects from a single image. Obviously, constraints on the 3D structure are needed to perform this task. Our approach is based on user-provided coplanarity, perpendicularity and parallelism constraints. These are used to calibrate the image and perform 3D reconstruction. The method is described in detail and results are provided.

Analysis of process parameters in surface grinding using single objective Taguchi and multi-objective grey relational grade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant J. Patil

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Close tolerance and good surface finish are achieved by means of grinding process. This study was carried out for multi-objective optimization of MQL grinding process parameters. Water based Al2O3 and CuO nanofluids of various concentrations are used as lubricant for MQL system. Grinding experiments were carried out on instrumented surface grinding machine. For experimentation purpose Taguchi's method was used. Important process parameters that affect the G ratio and surface finish in MQL grinding are depth of cut, type of lubricant, feed rate, grinding wheel speed, coolant flow rate, and nanoparticle size. Grinding performance was calculated by the measurement G ratio and surface finish. For improvement of grinding process a multi-objective process parameter optimization is performed by use of Taguchi based grey relational analysis. To identify most significant factor of process analysis of variance (ANOVA has been used.

Localized probability of improvement for kriging based multi-objective optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinjiang; Xiao, Song; Barba, Paolo Di; Rotaru, Mihai; Sykulski, Jan K.

2017-12-01

The paper introduces a new approach to kriging based multi-objective optimization by utilizing a local probability of improvement as the infill sampling criterion and the nearest neighbor check to ensure diversification and uniform distribution of Pareto fronts. The proposed method is computationally fast and linearly scalable to higher dimensions.

Do Single-Sex Schools Improve the Education of Low-Income and Minority Students? An Investigation of California's Public Single-Gender Academies

Science.gov (United States)

Hubbard, Lea; Datnow, Amanda

2005-01-01

Single-sex public schools are seen as a vehicle for improving the educational experiences of low-income and minority students. Our two-year ethnographic study of low-income and minority students who attended experimental single-sex academies in California indicates that improving achievement involves more than separating students by gender. Using…

Short-term economic environmental hydrothermal scheduling using improved multi-objective gravitational search algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Chunlong; Zhou, Jianzhong; Lu, Peng; Wang, Chao

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Improved multi-objective gravitational search algorithm. • An elite archive set is proposed to guide evolutionary process. • Neighborhood searching mechanism to improve local search ability. • Adopt chaotic mutation for avoiding premature convergence. • Propose feasible space method to handle hydro plant constrains. - Abstract: With growing concerns about energy and environment, short-term economic environmental hydrothermal scheduling (SEEHS) plays a more and more important role in power system. Because of the two objectives and various constraints, SEEHS is a complex multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP). In order to solve the problem, we propose an improved multi-objective gravitational search algorithm (IMOGSA) in this paper. In IMOGSA, the mass of the agent is redefined by multiple objectives to make it suitable for MOOP. An elite archive set is proposed to keep Pareto optimal solutions and guide evolutionary process. For balancing exploration and exploitation, a neighborhood searching mechanism is presented to cooperate with chaotic mutation. Moreover, a novel method based on feasible space is proposed to handle hydro plant constraints during SEEHS, and a violation adjustment method is adopted to handle power balance constraint. For verifying its effectiveness, the proposed IMOGSA is applied to a hydrothermal system in two different case studies. The simulation results show that IMOGSA has a competitive performance in SEEHS when compared with other established algorithms

Barack Obama Blindness (BOB: Absence of visual awareness to a single object

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjan ePersuh

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In two experiments we evaluated whether a perceiver’s prior expectations could alone obliterate his or her awareness of a salient visual stimulus. To establish expectancy, observers first made a demanding visual discrimination on each of three baseline trials. Then, on a fourth, critical trial, a single, salient and highly visible object appeared in full view at the center of the visual field and in the absence of any competing visual input. Surprisingly, fully half of the participants were unaware of the solitary object in front of their eyes. Dramatically, observers were blind even when the only stimulus on display was the face of U.S. President Barack Obama. We term this novel, counterintuitive phenomenon, Barack Obama Blindness (BOB. Employing a method that rules out putative memory effects by probing awareness immediately after presentation of the critical stimulus, we demonstrate that the BOB effect is a true failure of conscious vision.

Improvement of the Energy Stability of the Single Ion Microbeam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhan Furu; Qi Xuehong; Xu Mingliang; Chen Lianyun; Yu Zengliang

2008-01-01

Energy instability strongly affects the state and the beam size of the single ion microbeam. A facility based on the Generating Voltmeter was developed to improve the energy stability of the CAS-LIBB (Chinese Academy of Sciences, key laboratory of ion beam bioengineering) single ion microbeam. This paper presents the analysis of the energy instability of the single ion microbeam. A simplified theoretical model is set up to calculate the relationship between the energy instability and the beam spot size. By using this technique, the energy instability is adjusted to about 1%. Stable run-time is over 6 hours. The radius of the single ion beam is reduced by 10% compared to the previous one.

Neural evidence for competition-mediated suppression in the perception of a single object.

Science.gov (United States)

Cacciamani, Laura; Scalf, Paige E; Peterson, Mary A

2015-11-01

Multiple objects compete for representation in visual cortex. Competition may also underlie the perception of a single object. Computational models implement object perception as competition between units on opposite sides of a border. The border is assigned to the winning side, which is perceived as an object (or "figure"), whereas the other side is perceived as a shapeless ground. Behavioral experiments suggest that the ground is inhibited to a degree that depends on the extent to which it competed for object status, and that this inhibition is relayed to low-level brain areas. Here, we used fMRI to assess activation for ground regions of task-irrelevant novel silhouettes presented in the left or right visual field (LVF or RVF) while participants performed a difficult task at fixation. Silhouettes were designed so that the insides would win the competition for object status. The outsides (grounds) suggested portions of familiar objects in half of the silhouettes and novel objects in the other half. Because matches to object memories affect the competition, these two types of silhouettes operationalized, respectively, high competition and low competition from the grounds. The results showed that activation corresponding to ground regions was reduced for high- versus low-competition silhouettes in V4, where receptive fields (RFs) are large enough to encompass the familiar objects in the grounds, and in V1/V2, where RFs are much smaller. These results support a theory of object perception involving competition-mediated ground suppression and feedback from higher to lower levels. This pattern of results was observed in the left hemisphere (RVF), but not in the right hemisphere (LVF). One explanation of the lateralized findings is that task-irrelevant silhouettes in the RVF captured attention, allowing us to observe these effects, whereas those in the LVF did not. Experiment 2 provided preliminary behavioral evidence consistent with this possibility. Copyright �

An improved single-plaquette gauge action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, D.; Bögli, M.; Holland, K.; Niedermayer, F.; Pepe, M.; Wenger, University; Wiese, UniversityJ.

2016-01-01

We describe and test a nonperturbatively improved single-plaquette lattice action for 4-d SU(2) and SU(3) pure gauge theory, which suppresses large fluctuations of the plaquette, without requiring the naive continuum limit for smooth fields. We tune the action parameters based on torelon masses in moderate cubic physical volumes, and investigate the size of cut-off effects in other physical quantities, including torelon masses in asymmetric spatial volumes, the static quark potential, and gradient flow observables. In 2-d O(N) models similarly constructed nearest-neighbor actions have led to a drastic reduction of cut-off effects, down to the permille level, in a wide variety of physical quantities. In the gauge theories, we find significant reduction of lattice artifacts, and for some observables, the coarsest lattice result is very close to the continuum value. We estimate an improvement factor of 40 compared to using the Wilson gauge action to achieve the same statistical accuracy and suppression of cut-off effects.

Single-photon sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lounis, Brahim; Orrit, Michel

2005-01-01

The concept of the photon, central to Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect, is exactly 100 years old. Yet, while photons have been detected individually for more than 50 years, devices producing individual photons on demand have only appeared in the last few years. New concepts for single-photon sources, or 'photon guns', have originated from recent progress in the optical detection, characterization and manipulation of single quantum objects. Single emitters usually deliver photons one at a time. This so-called antibunching of emitted photons can arise from various mechanisms, but ensures that the probability of obtaining two or more photons at the same time remains negligible. We briefly recall basic concepts in quantum optics and discuss potential applications of single-photon states to optical processing of quantum information: cryptography, computing and communication. A photon gun's properties are significantly improved by coupling it to a resonant cavity mode, either in the Purcell or strong-coupling regimes. We briefly recall early production of single photons with atomic beams, and the operation principles of macroscopic parametric sources, which are used in an overwhelming majority of quantum-optical experiments. We then review the photophysical and spectroscopic properties and compare the advantages and weaknesses of various single nanometre-scale objects used as single-photon sources: atoms or ions in the gas phase and, in condensed matter, organic molecules, defect centres, semiconductor nanocrystals and heterostructures. As new generations of sources are developed, coupling to cavities and nano-fabrication techniques lead to improved characteristics, delivery rates and spectral ranges. Judging from the brisk pace of recent progress, we expect single photons to soon proceed from demonstrations to applications and to bring with them the first practical uses of quantum information

An object-oriented classification method of high resolution imagery based on improved AdaTree

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiaohe, Zhang; Liang, Zhai; Jixian, Zhang; Huiyong, Sang

2014-01-01

With the popularity of the application using high spatial resolution remote sensing image, more and more studies paid attention to object-oriented classification on image segmentation as well as automatic classification after image segmentation. This paper proposed a fast method of object-oriented automatic classification. First, edge-based or FNEA-based segmentation was used to identify image objects and the values of most suitable attributes of image objects for classification were calculated. Then a certain number of samples from the image objects were selected as training data for improved AdaTree algorithm to get classification rules. Finally, the image objects could be classified easily using these rules. In the AdaTree, we mainly modified the final hypothesis to get classification rules. In the experiment with WorldView2 image, the result of the method based on AdaTree showed obvious accuracy and efficient improvement compared with the method based on SVM with the kappa coefficient achieving 0.9242

Identification of Auditory Object-Specific Attention from Single-Trial Electroencephalogram Signals via Entropy Measures and Machine Learning

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Yun Lu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Existing research has revealed that auditory attention can be tracked from ongoing electroencephalography (EEG signals. The aim of this novel study was to investigate the identification of peoples’ attention to a specific auditory object from single-trial EEG signals via entropy measures and machine learning. Approximate entropy (ApEn, sample entropy (SampEn, composite multiscale entropy (CmpMSE and fuzzy entropy (FuzzyEn were used to extract the informative features of EEG signals under three kinds of auditory object-specific attention (Rest, Auditory Object1 Attention (AOA1 and Auditory Object2 Attention (AOA2. The linear discriminant analysis and support vector machine (SVM, were used to construct two auditory attention classifiers. The statistical results of entropy measures indicated that there were significant differences in the values of ApEn, SampEn, CmpMSE and FuzzyEn between Rest, AOA1 and AOA2. For the SVM-based auditory attention classifier, the auditory object-specific attention of Rest, AOA1 and AOA2 could be identified from EEG signals using ApEn, SampEn, CmpMSE and FuzzyEn as features and the identification rates were significantly different from chance level. The optimal identification was achieved by the SVM-based auditory attention classifier using CmpMSE with the scale factor τ = 10. This study demonstrated a novel solution to identify the auditory object-specific attention from single-trial EEG signals without the need to access the auditory stimulus.

Channels as Objects in Concurrent Object-Oriented Programming

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Joana Campos

2011-10-01

Full Text Available There is often a sort of a protocol associated to each class, stating when and how certain methods should be called. Given that this protocol is, if at all, described in the documentation accompanying the class, current mainstream object-oriented languages cannot provide for the verification of client code adherence against the sought class behaviour. We have defined a class-based concurrent object-oriented language that formalises such protocols in the form of usage types. Usage types are attached to class definitions, allowing for the specification of (1 the available methods, (2 the tests clients must perform on the result of methods, and (3 the object status - linear or shared - all of which depend on the object's state. Our work extends the recent approach on modular session types by eliminating channel operations, and defining the method call as the single communication primitive in both sequential and concurrent settings. In contrast to previous works, we define a single category for objects, instead of distinct categories for linear and for shared objects, and let linear objects evolve into shared ones. We introduce a standard sync qualifier to prevent thread interference in certain operations on shared objects. We formalise the language syntax, the operational semantics, and a type system that enforces by static typing that methods are called only when available, and by a single client if so specified in the usage type. We illustrate the language via a complete example.

Energetic and exergetic Improvement of geothermal single flash cycle

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Navid Nazari

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a detailed analysis of a new method for improving energetic and exergetic efficiencies of single flash cycle. The thermodynamic process of the new method consists of extracting a fraction of hot wellhead geothermal brine for the purpose of superheating saturated steam entering the turbine. Computer programming scripts were developed and optimized based on mathematical proposed models for the different components of the systems. The operating parameters such as separator temperature, geofluid wellhead enthalpy and geothermal source temperature are varied to investigate their effects on both net power output and turbine exhaust quality of the systems. Also, full exergy assessment was performed for the new design. The results of separator temperature optimization revealed that specific net power output of the new design can be boosted up to 8% and turbine exhaust quality can be diminished up to 50% as compared to common single flash cycle. In addition, for wells with higher discharge enthalpy, superheating process improve specific net power output even up to 10%. Finally, it was observed that the overall system exergy efficiency was approximately raised 3%. Article History: Received January 5th 2016; Received in revised form June 25th 2016; Accepted July 3rd 2016; Available online How to Cite This Article: Nazari, N. and Porkhial, S. (2016. Energetic and Exergetic Improvement of Geothermal Single Flash Cycle. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 5(2,129-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.5.2.129-138 

Single-layer centrifugation through colloid selects improved quality of epididymal cat sperm.

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Chatdarong, K; Thuwanut, P; Morrell, J M

2010-06-01

The objectives were to determine the: 1) extent of epithelial and red blood cell contamination in epididymal cat sperm samples recovered by the cutting method; 2) efficacy of simple washing, single-layer centrifugation (SLC), and swim-up for selecting epididymal cat sperm; and 3) effects of freezing and thawing on cat sperm selected by various techniques. Ten unit samples were studied; each contained sperm from the cauda epididymides of four cats (total, approximately 200 x 10(6) sperm) and was equally allocated into four treatments: 1) simple washing, 2) single-layer centrifugation through colloid prior to cryopreservation (SLC-PC), 3) single-layer centrifugation through colloid after cryopreservation (SLC-AC), and 4) swim-up. Centrifugation (300 x g for 20 min) was done for all methods. The SLC-PC had a better recovery rate than the SLC-AC and swim-up methods (mean+/-SD of 16.4+/-8.7, 10.7+/-8.9, and 2.3+/-1.7%, respectively; Pblood cell contamination than simple washed samples (0.02+/-0.01, 0.02+/-0.04, 0.03+/-0.04, and 0.44+/-0.22 x 10(6) cells/mL, respectively; P0.05), SLC-PC yielded the highest percentage of sperm with normal midpieces and tails (P0.05). In conclusion, both SLC-PC and swim-up improved the quality of epididymal cat sperm, including better morphology, membrane and DNA integrity, and removal of cellular contamination. However, SLC had a better sperm recovery rate than swim-up. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Object-based attention: strength of object representation and attentional guidance.

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Shomstein, Sarah; Behrmann, Marlene

2008-01-01

Two or more features belonging to a single object are identified more quickly and more accurately than are features belonging to different objects--a finding attributed to sensory enhancement of all features belonging to an attended or selected object. However, several recent studies have suggested that this "single-object advantage" may be a product of probabilistic and configural strategic prioritizations rather than of object-based perceptual enhancement per se, challenging the underlying mechanism that is thought to give rise to object-based attention. In the present article, we further explore constraints on the mechanisms of object-based selection by examining the contribution of the strength of object representations to the single-object advantage. We manipulated factors such as exposure duration (i.e., preview time) and salience of configuration (i.e., objects). Varying preview time changes the magnitude of the object-based effect, so that if there is ample time to establish an object representation (i.e., preview time of 1,000 msec), then both probability and configuration (i.e., objects) guide attentional selection. If, however, insufficient time is provided to establish a robust object-based representation, then only probabilities guide attentional selection. Interestingly, at a short preview time of 200 msec, when the two objects were sufficiently different from each other (i.e., different colors), both configuration and probability guided attention selection. These results suggest that object-based effects can be explained both in terms of strength of object representations (established at longer exposure durations and by pictorial cues) and probabilistic contingencies in the visual environment.

System design and improvement of an emergency department using Simulation-Based Multi-Objective Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uriarte, A Goienetxea; Zúñiga, E Ruiz; Moris, M Urenda; Ng, A H C

2015-01-01

Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is nowadays widely used to support decision makers in system analysis and improvement. However, the use of simulation for improving stochastic logistic processes is not common among healthcare providers. The process of improving healthcare systems involves the necessity to deal with trade-off optimal solutions that take into consideration a multiple number of variables and objectives. Complementing DES with Multi-Objective Optimization (SMO) creates a superior base for finding these solutions and in consequence, facilitates the decision-making process. This paper presents how SMO has been applied for system improvement analysis in a Swedish Emergency Department (ED). A significant number of input variables, constraints and objectives were considered when defining the optimization problem. As a result of the project, the decision makers were provided with a range of optimal solutions which reduces considerably the length of stay and waiting times for the ED patients. SMO has proved to be an appropriate technique to support healthcare system design and improvement processes. A key factor for the success of this project has been the involvement and engagement of the stakeholders during the whole process. (paper)

Subjective and Objective Quality Assessment of Single-Channel Speech Separation Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mowlaee, Pejman; Saeidi, Rahim; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

2012-01-01

Previous studies on performance evaluation of single-channel speech separation (SCSS) algorithms mostly focused on automatic speech recognition (ASR) accuracy as their performance measure. Assessing the separated signals by different metrics other than this has the benefit that the results...... are expected to carry on to other applications beyond ASR. In this paper, in addition to conventional speech quality metrics (PESQ and SNRloss), we also evaluate the separation systems output using different source separation metrics: blind source separation evaluation (BSS EVAL) and perceptual evaluation...... that PESQ and PEASS quality metrics predict well the subjective quality of separated signals obtained by the separation systems. From the results it is observed that the short-time objective intelligibility (STOI) measure predict the speech intelligibility results....

Improving learning of anatomy with reusable learning objects

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P Rad

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The use of modern educational technologies is useful for learning, durability, sociability, and upgrading professionalism. The aim of this study was evaluating the effect of reusable learning objects on improving learning of anatomy. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Fourteen (reusable learning objects RLO from different parts of anatomy of human body including thorax, abdomen, and pelvis were prepared for medical student in Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in 2009. The length of the time for RLO was between 11-22 min. Because their capacities were low, so they were easy to use with cell phone or MP4. These materials were available to the students before the classes. The mean scores of students in anatomy of human body group were compared to the medical students who were not used this method and entered the university in 2008. A questionnaire was designed by the researcher to evaluate the effect of RLO and on, content, interest and motivation, participation, preparation and attitude. Result: The mean scores of anatomy of human body of medical student who were entered the university in 2009 have been increased compare to the students in 2008, but this difference was not significant. Based on the questionnaire data, it was shown that the RLO had a positive effect on improving learning anatomy of human body (75.5% and the effective relationship (60.6%. The students were interested in using RLO (74.6%, some students (54.2% believed that this method should be replaced by lecture. Conclusion: The use of RLO could promote interests and effective communication among the students and led to increasing self-learning motivation.

Colloidal lenses allow high-temperature single-molecule imaging and improve fluorophore photostability

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Jerrod J.; Stavrakis, Stavros; Quake, Stephen R.

2010-02-01

Although single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy was first demonstrated at near-absolute zero temperatures (1.8 K), the field has since advanced to include room-temperature observations, largely owing to the use of objective lenses with high numerical aperture, brighter fluorophores and more sensitive detectors. This has opened the door for many chemical and biological systems to be studied at native temperatures at the single-molecule level both in vitro and in vivo. However, it is difficult to study systems and phenomena at temperatures above 37 °C, because the index-matching fluids used with high-numerical-aperture objective lenses can conduct heat from the sample to the lens, and sustained exposure to high temperatures can cause the lens to fail. Here, we report that TiO2 colloids with diameters of 2 µm and a high refractive index can act as lenses that are capable of single-molecule imaging at 70 °C when placed in immediate proximity to an emitting molecule. The optical system is completed by a low-numerical-aperture optic that can have a long working distance and an air interface, which allows the sample to be independently heated. Colloidal lenses were used for parallel imaging of surface-immobilized single fluorophores and for real-time single-molecule measurements of mesophilic and thermophilic enzymes at 70 °C. Fluorophores in close proximity to TiO2 also showed a 40% increase in photostability due to a reduction of the excited-state lifetime.

Convolutional Deep Belief Networks for Single-Cell/Object Tracking in Computational Biology and Computer Vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Bineng; Pan, Shengnan; Zhang, Hongbo; Wang, Tian; Du, Jixiang; Chen, Duansheng; Cao, Liujuan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose deep architecture to dynamically learn the most discriminative features from data for both single-cell and object tracking in computational biology and computer vision. Firstly, the discriminative features are automatically learned via a convolutional deep belief network (CDBN). Secondly, we design a simple yet effective method to transfer features learned from CDBNs on the source tasks for generic purpose to the object tracking tasks using only limited amount of training data. Finally, to alleviate the tracker drifting problem caused by model updating, we jointly consider three different types of positive samples. Extensive experiments validate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Design optimization of shell-and-tube heat exchangers using single objective and multiobjective particle swarm optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsays, Mostafa A.; Naguib Aly, M; Badawi, Alya A.

2010-01-01

The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to optimize the design of shell-and-tube heat exchangers and determine the optimal feasible solutions so as to eliminate trial-and-error during the design process. The design formulation takes into account the area and the total annual cost of heat exchangers as two objective functions together with operating as well as geometrical constraints. The Nonlinear Constrained Single Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (NCSOPSO) algorithm is used to minimize and find the optimal feasible solution for each of the nonlinear constrained objective functions alone, respectively. Then, a novel Nonlinear Constrained Mult-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (NCMOPSO) algorithm is used to minimize and find the Pareto optimal solutions for both of the nonlinear constrained objective functions together. The experimental results show that the two algorithms are very efficient, fast and can find the accurate optimal feasible solutions of the shell and tube heat exchangers design optimization problem. (orig.)

Perception of Animacy from the Motion of a Single Sound Object.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Rasmus Høll; Vuust, Peter; Wallentin, Mikkel

2015-02-01

Research in the visual modality has shown that the presence of certain dynamics in the motion of an object has a strong effect on whether or not the entity is perceived as animate. Cues for animacy are, among others, self-propelled motion and direction changes that are seemingly not caused by entities external to, or in direct contact with, the moving object. The present study aimed to extend this research into the auditory domain by determining if similar dynamics could influence the perceived animacy of a sound source. In two experiments, participants were presented with single, synthetically generated 'mosquito' sounds moving along trajectories in space, and asked to rate how certain they were that each sound-emitting entity was alive. At a random point on a linear motion trajectory, the sound source would deviate from its initial path and speed. Results confirm findings from the visual domain that a change in the velocity of motion is positively correlated with perceived animacy, and changes in direction were found to influence animacy judgment as well. This suggests that an ability to facilitate and sustain self-movement is perceived as a living quality not only in the visual domain, but in the auditory domain as well. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Dynamic Non-Rigid Objects Reconstruction with a Single RGB-D Sensor

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Sen Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the 3D reconstruction problem for dynamic non-rigid objects with a single RGB-D sensor. It is a challenging task as we consider the almost inevitable accumulation error issue in some previous sequential fusion methods and also the possible failure of surface tracking in a long sequence. Therefore, we propose a global non-rigid registration framework and tackle the drifting problem via an explicit loop closure. Our novel scheme starts with a fusion step to get multiple partial scans from the input sequence, followed by a pairwise non-rigid registration and loop detection step to obtain correspondences between neighboring partial pieces and those pieces that form a loop. Then, we perform a global registration procedure to align all those pieces together into a consistent canonical space as guided by those matches that we have established. Finally, our proposed model-update step helps fixing potential misalignments that still exist after the global registration. Both geometric and appearance constraints are enforced during our alignment; therefore, we are able to get the recovered model with accurate geometry as well as high fidelity color maps for the mesh. Experiments on both synthetic and various real datasets have demonstrated the capability of our approach to reconstruct complete and watertight deformable objects.

Single particle and molecular assembly analysis of polyribosomes by single- and double-tilt cryo electron tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myasnikov, Alexander G. [IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology), Department of Integrative Structural Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104/ Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale INSERM U964/ Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France); Afonina, Zhanna A. [Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Klaholz, Bruno P., E-mail: klaholz@igbmc.fr [IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology), Department of Integrative Structural Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104/ Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale INSERM U964/ Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France)

2013-03-15

Cryo electron tomography (cryo-ET) can provide cellular and molecular structural information on various biological samples. However, the detailed interpretation of tomograms reconstructed from single-tilt data tends to suffer from low signal-to-noise ratio and artefacts caused by some systematically missing angular views. While these can be overcome by sub-tomogram averaging, they remain limiting for the analysis of unique structures. Double-tilt ET can improve the tomogram quality by acquiring a second tilt series after an in-plane rotation, but its usage is not widespread yet because it is considered technically demanding and it is rarely used under cryo conditions. Here we show that double-tilt cryo-ET improves the quality of 3D reconstructions so significantly that even single particle analysis can be envisaged despite of the intrinsically low image contrast obtained from frozen-hydrated specimens. This is illustrated by the analysis of eukaryotic polyribosomes in which individual ribosomes were reconstructed using single-tilt, partial and full double-tilt geometries. The improved tomograms favour the faster convergence of iterative sub-tomogram averaging and allow a better 3D classification using multivariate statistical analysis. Our study of single particles and molecular assemblies within polysomes illustrates that the dual-axis approach is particularly useful for cryo applications of ET, both for unique objects and for structures that can be classified and averaged. - Highlights: ► Double-tilt cryo-ET improves 3D reconstructions thus making single particle analysis possible. ► Dual-axis cryo-ET data favour a faster convergence of iterative sub-tomogram averaging. ► Individual ribosomes were reconstructed from single-tilt, partial/ full double-tilt geometries. ► Double-tilt cryo-ET facilitates analysis of larger molecular assemblies such as in cell sections. ► Dual-axis cryo-ET is applicable to unique objects and to structures that can be

An Improved Rank Correlation Effect Size Statistic for Single-Case Designs: Baseline Corrected Tau.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarlow, Kevin R

2017-07-01

Measuring treatment effects when an individual's pretreatment performance is improving poses a challenge for single-case experimental designs. It may be difficult to determine whether improvement is due to the treatment or due to the preexisting baseline trend. Tau- U is a popular single-case effect size statistic that purports to control for baseline trend. However, despite its strengths, Tau- U has substantial limitations: Its values are inflated and not bound between -1 and +1, it cannot be visually graphed, and its relatively weak method of trend control leads to unacceptable levels of Type I error wherein ineffective treatments appear effective. An improved effect size statistic based on rank correlation and robust regression, Baseline Corrected Tau, is proposed and field-tested with both published and simulated single-case time series. A web-based calculator for Baseline Corrected Tau is also introduced for use by single-case investigators.

Face Validity of the Single Work Ability Item: Comparison with Objectively Measured Heart Rate Reserve over Several Days

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nidhi; Jensen, Bjørn Søvsø; Søgaard, Karen; Carneiro, Isabella Gomes; Christiansen, Caroline Stordal; Hanisch, Christiana; Holtermann, Andreas

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the face validity of the self-reported single item work ability with objectively measured heart rate reserve (%HRR) among blue-collar workers. Methods: We utilized data from 127 blue-collar workers (Female = 53; Male = 74) aged 18–65 years from the cross-sectional “New method for Objective Measurements of physical Activity in Daily living (NOMAD)” study. The workers reported their single item work ability and completed an aerobic capacity cycling test and objective measurements of heart rate reserve monitored with Actiheart for 3–4 days with a total of 5,810 h, including 2,640 working hours. Results: A significant moderate correlation between work ability and %HRR was observed among males (R = −0.33, P = 0.005), but not among females (R = 0.11, P = 0.431). In a gender-stratified multi-adjusted logistic regression analysis, males with high %HRR were more likely to report a reduced work ability compared to males with low %HRR [OR = 4.75, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.31 to 17.25]. However, this association was not found among females (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.03 to 2.16), and a significant interaction between work ability, %HRR and gender was observed (P = 0.03). Conclusions: The observed association between work ability and objectively measured %HRR over several days among male blue-collar workers supports the face validity of the single work ability item. It is a useful and valid measure of the relation between physical work demands and resources among male blue-collar workers. The contrasting association among females needs to be further investigated. PMID:24840350

Face Validity of the Single Work Ability Item: Comparison with Objectively Measured Heart Rate Reserve over Several Days

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nidhi Gupta

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the face validity of the self-reported single item work ability with objectively measured heart rate reserve (%HRR among blue-collar workers. Methods: We utilized data from 127 blue-collar workers (Female = 53; Male = 74 aged 18–65 years from the cross-sectional “New method for Objective Measurements of physical Activity in Daily living (NOMAD” study. The workers reported their single item work ability and completed an aerobic capacity cycling test and objective measurements of heart rate reserve monitored with Actiheart for 3–4 days with a total of 5,810 h, including 2,640 working hours. Results: A significant moderate correlation between work ability and %HRR was observed among males (R = −0.33, P = 0.005, but not among females (R = 0.11, P = 0.431. In a gender-stratified multi-adjusted logistic regression analysis, males with high %HRR were more likely to report a reduced work ability compared to males with low %HRR [OR = 4.75, 95% confidence interval (95% CI = 1.31 to 17.25]. However, this association was not found among females (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.03 to 2.16, and a significant interaction between work ability, %HRR and gender was observed (P = 0.03. Conclusions: The observed association between work ability and objectively measured %HRR over several days among male blue-collar workers supports the face validity of the single work ability item. It is a useful and valid measure of the relation between physical work demands and resources among male blue-collar workers. The contrasting association among females needs to be further investigated.

Improvements in Production of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Balzano, Leandro; Resasco, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

A continuing program of research and development has been directed toward improvement of a prior batch process in which single-walled carbon nanotubes are formed by catalytic disproportionation of carbon monoxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The overall effect of the improvements has been to make progress toward converting the process from a batch mode to a continuous mode and to scaling of production to larger quantities. Efforts have also been made to optimize associated purification and dispersion post processes to make them effective at large scales and to investigate means of incorporating the purified products into composite materials. The ultimate purpose of the program is to enable the production of high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes in quantities large enough and at costs low enough to foster the further development of practical applications. The fluidized bed used in this process contains mixed-metal catalyst particles. The choice of the catalyst and the operating conditions is such that the yield of single-walled carbon nanotubes, relative to all forms of carbon (including carbon fibers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) produced in the disproportionation reaction is more than 90 weight percent. After the reaction, the nanotubes are dispersed in various solvents in preparation for end use, which typically involves blending into a plastic, ceramic, or other matrix to form a composite material. Notwithstanding the batch nature of the unmodified prior fluidized-bed process, the fluidized-bed reactor operates in a continuous mode during the process. The operation is almost entirely automated, utilizing mass flow controllers, a control computer running software specific to the process, and other equipment. Moreover, an important inherent advantage of fluidized- bed reactors in general is that solid particles can be added to and removed from fluidized beds during operation. For these reasons, the process and equipment were amenable to

Improvement of Source Number Estimation Method for Single Channel Signal.

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Zhi Dong

Full Text Available Source number estimation methods for single channel signal have been investigated and the improvements for each method are suggested in this work. Firstly, the single channel data is converted to multi-channel form by delay process. Then, algorithms used in the array signal processing, such as Gerschgorin's disk estimation (GDE and minimum description length (MDL, are introduced to estimate the source number of the received signal. The previous results have shown that the MDL based on information theoretic criteria (ITC obtains a superior performance than GDE at low SNR. However it has no ability to handle the signals containing colored noise. On the contrary, the GDE method can eliminate the influence of colored noise. Nevertheless, its performance at low SNR is not satisfactory. In order to solve these problems and contradictions, the work makes remarkable improvements on these two methods on account of the above consideration. A diagonal loading technique is employed to ameliorate the MDL method and a jackknife technique is referenced to optimize the data covariance matrix in order to improve the performance of the GDE method. The results of simulation have illustrated that the performance of original methods have been promoted largely.

The role of auditory cortices in the retrieval of single-trial auditory-visual object memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Matusz, Pawel J; Thelen, Antonia; Amrein, Sarah; Geiser, Eveline; Anken, Jacques; Murray, Micah M

2015-03-01

Single-trial encounters with multisensory stimuli affect both memory performance and early-latency brain responses to visual stimuli. Whether and how auditory cortices support memory processes based on single-trial multisensory learning is unknown and may differ qualitatively and quantitatively from comparable processes within visual cortices due to purported differences in memory capacities across the senses. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) as healthy adults (n = 18) performed a continuous recognition task in the auditory modality, discriminating initial (new) from repeated (old) sounds of environmental objects. Initial presentations were either unisensory or multisensory; the latter entailed synchronous presentation of a semantically congruent or a meaningless image. Repeated presentations were exclusively auditory, thus differing only according to the context in which the sound was initially encountered. Discrimination abilities (indexed by d') were increased for repeated sounds that were initially encountered with a semantically congruent image versus sounds initially encountered with either a meaningless or no image. Analyses of ERPs within an electrical neuroimaging framework revealed that early stages of auditory processing of repeated sounds were affected by prior single-trial multisensory contexts. These effects followed from significantly reduced activity within a distributed network, including the right superior temporal cortex, suggesting an inverse relationship between brain activity and behavioural outcome on this task. The present findings demonstrate how auditory cortices contribute to long-term effects of multisensory experiences on auditory object discrimination. We propose a new framework for the efficacy of multisensory processes to impact both current multisensory stimulus processing and unisensory discrimination abilities later in time. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nursing staff connect libraries with improving patient care but not with achieving organisational objectives: a grounded theory approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberlain, David; Brook, Richard

2014-03-01

Health organisations are often driven by specific targets defined by mission statements, aims and objectives to improve patient care. Health libraries need to demonstrate that they contribute to organisational objectives, but it is not clear how nurses view that contribution. To investigate ward nursing staff motivations, their awareness of ward and organisational objectives; and their attitudes towards the contribution of health library services to improving patient care. Qualitative research using focus group data was combined with content analysis of literature evidence and library statistics (quantitative data). Data were analysed using thematic coding, divided into five group themes: understanding of Trust, Ward and Personal objectives, use of Library, use of other information sources, quality and Issues. Four basic social-psychological processes were then developed. Behaviour indicates low awareness of organisational objectives despite patient-centric motivation. High awareness of library services is shown with some connection made by ward staff between improved knowledge and improved patient care. There was a two-tiered understanding of ward objectives and library services, based on level of seniority. However, evidence-based culture needs to be intrinsic in the organisation before all staff benefit. Libraries can actively engage in this at ward and board level and improve patient care by supporting organisational objectives. © 2014 The author. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

Improved Space Object Orbit Determination Using CMOS Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Schildknecht, T.; Peltonen, J.; Sännti, T.; Silha, J.; Flohrer, T.

2014-09-01

CMOS-sensors, or in general Active Pixel Sensors (APS), are rapidly replacing CCDs in the consumer camera market. Due to significant technological advances during the past years these devices start to compete with CCDs also for demanding scientific imaging applications, in particular in the astronomy community. CMOS detectors offer a series of inherent advantages compared to CCDs, due to the structure of their basic pixel cells, which each contains their own amplifier and readout electronics. The most prominent advantages for space object observations are the extremely fast and flexible readout capabilities, feasibility for electronic shuttering and precise epoch registration, and the potential to perform image processing operations on-chip and in real-time. The major challenges and design drivers for ground-based and space-based optical observation strategies have been analyzed. CMOS detector characteristics were critically evaluated and compared with the established CCD technology, especially with respect to the above mentioned observations. Similarly, the desirable on-chip processing functionalities which would further enhance the object detection and image segmentation were identified. Finally, we simulated several observation scenarios for ground- and space-based sensor by assuming different observation and sensor properties. We will introduce the analyzed end-to-end simulations of the ground- and space-based strategies in order to investigate the orbit determination accuracy and its sensitivity which may result from different values for the frame-rate, pixel scale, astrometric and epoch registration accuracies. Two cases were simulated, a survey using a ground-based sensor to observe objects in LEO for surveillance applications, and a statistical survey with a space-based sensor orbiting in LEO observing small-size debris in LEO. The ground-based LEO survey uses a dynamical fence close to the Earth shadow a few hours after sunset. For the space-based scenario

Engineering Single-Atom Cobalt Catalysts toward Improved Electrocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Gang; Yu, Pengfei; Chen, Hangrong; Wen, Jianguo; Sun, Cheng-Jun; Zhou, Hua; Zhang, Nian; Li, Qianru; Zhao, Wanpeng; Xie, Bing; Li, Tao; Shi, Jianlin

2018-04-01

The development of cost-effective catalysts to replace noble metal is attracting increasing interests in many fields of catalysis and energy, and intensive efforts are focused on the integration of transition-metal sites in carbon as noble-metal-free candidates. Recently, the discovery of single-atom dispersed catalyst (SAC) provides a new frontier in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the electrocatalytic application of SAC is still subject to several theoretical and experimental limitations. Further advances depend on a better design of SAC through optimizing its interaction with adsorbates during catalysis. Here, distinctive from previous studies, favorable 3d electronic occupation and enhanced metal-adsorbates interactions in single-atom centers via the construction of nonplanar coordination is achieved, which is confirmed by advanced X-ray spectroscopic and electrochemical studies. The as-designed atomically dispersed cobalt sites within nonplanar coordination show significantly improved catalytic activity and selectivity toward the oxygen reduction reaction, approaching the benchmark Pt-based catalysts. More importantly, the illustration of the active sites in SAC indicates metal-natured catalytic sites and a media-dependent catalytic pathway. Achieving structural and electronic engineering on SAC that promotes its catalytic performances provides a paradigm to bridge the gap between single-atom catalysts design and electrocatalytic applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multi-objective optimization of p-xylene oxidation process using an improved self-adaptive differential evolution algorithm

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Lili Tao; Bin Xu; Zhihua Hu; Weimin Zhong

2017-01-01

The rise in the use of global polyester fiber contributed to strong demand of the Terephthalic acid (TPA). The liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of p-xylene (PX) to TPA is regarded as a critical and efficient chemical process in industry [1]. PX oxidation reaction involves many complex side reactions, among which acetic acid combustion and PX combustion are the most important. As the target product of this oxidation process, the quality and yield of TPA are of great concern. However, the improvement of the qualified product yield can bring about the high energy consumption, which means that the economic objectives of this process cannot be achieved simulta-neously because the two objectives are in conflict with each other. In this paper, an improved self-adaptive multi-objective differential evolution algorithm was proposed to handle the multi-objective optimization prob-lems. The immune concept is introduced to the self-adaptive multi-objective differential evolution algorithm (SADE) to strengthen the local search ability and optimization accuracy. The proposed algorithm is successfully tested on several benchmark test problems, and the performance measures such as convergence and divergence metrics are calculated. Subsequently, the multi-objective optimization of an industrial PX oxidation process is carried out using the proposed immune self-adaptive multi-objective differential evolution algorithm (ISADE). Optimization results indicate that application of ISADE can greatly improve the yield of TPA with low combustion loss without degenerating TA quality.

Color Feature-Based Object Tracking through Particle Swarm Optimization with Improved Inertia Weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Siqiu; Zhang, Tao; Song, Yulong; Qian, Feng

2018-04-23

This paper presents a particle swarm tracking algorithm with improved inertia weight based on color features. The weighted color histogram is used as the target feature to reduce the contribution of target edge pixels in the target feature, which makes the algorithm insensitive to the target non-rigid deformation, scale variation, and rotation. Meanwhile, the influence of partial obstruction on the description of target features is reduced. The particle swarm optimization algorithm can complete the multi-peak search, which can cope well with the object occlusion tracking problem. This means that the target is located precisely where the similarity function appears multi-peak. When the particle swarm optimization algorithm is applied to the object tracking, the inertia weight adjustment mechanism has some limitations. This paper presents an improved method. The concept of particle maturity is introduced to improve the inertia weight adjustment mechanism, which could adjust the inertia weight in time according to the different states of each particle in each generation. Experimental results show that our algorithm achieves state-of-the-art performance in a wide range of scenarios.

Standard object recognition memory and "what" and "where" components: Improvement by post-training epinephrine in highly habituated rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Jurado-Berbel, Patricia; Costa-Miserachs, David; Torras-Garcia, Meritxell; Coll-Andreu, Margalida; Portell-Cortés, Isabel

2010-02-11

The present work examined whether post-training systemic epinephrine (EPI) is able to modulate short-term (3h) and long-term (24 h and 48 h) memory of standard object recognition, as well as long-term (24 h) memory of separate "what" (object identity) and "where" (object location) components of object recognition. Although object recognition training is associated to low arousal levels, all the animals received habituation to the training box in order to further reduce emotional arousal. Post-training EPI improved long-term (24 h and 48 h), but not short-term (3 h), memory in the standard object recognition task, as well as 24 h memory for both object identity and object location. These data indicate that post-training epinephrine: (1) facilitates long-term memory for standard object recognition; (2) exerts separate facilitatory effects on "what" (object identity) and "where" (object location) components of object recognition; and (3) is capable of improving memory for a low arousing task even in highly habituated rats.

An Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm and Its Application to Multi-Objective Optimal Power Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuanhu He

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Optimal power flow (OPF objective functions involve minimization of the total fuel costs of generating units, minimization of atmospheric pollutant emissions, minimization of active power losses and minimization of voltage deviations. In this paper, a fuzzy multi-objective OPF model is established by the fuzzy membership functions and the fuzzy satisfaction-maximizing method. The improved artificial bee colony (IABC algorithm is applied to solve the model. In the IABC algorithm, the mutation and crossover operations of a differential evolution algorithm are utilized to generate new solutions to improve exploitation capacity; tent chaos mapping is utilized to generate initial swarms, reference mutation solutions and the reference dimensions of crossover operations to improve swarm diversity. The proposed method is applied to multi-objective OPF problems in IEEE 30-bus, IEEE 57-bus and IEEE 300-bus test systems. The results are compared with those obtained by other algorithms, which demonstrates the effectiveness and superiority of the IABC algorithm, and how the optimal scheme obtained by the proposed model can make systems more economical and stable.

Imaging through scattering media by Fourier filtering and single-pixel detection

Science.gov (United States)

Jauregui-Sánchez, Y.; Clemente, P.; Lancis, J.; Tajahuerce, E.

2018-02-01

We present a novel imaging system that combines the principles of Fourier spatial filtering and single-pixel imaging in order to recover images of an object hidden behind a turbid medium by transillumination. We compare the performance of our single-pixel imaging setup with that of a conventional system. We conclude that the introduction of Fourier gating improves the contrast of images in both cases. Furthermore, we show that the combination of single-pixel imaging and Fourier spatial filtering techniques is particularly well adapted to provide images of objects transmitted through scattering media.

Multi objective multi refinery optimization with environmental and catastrophic failure effects objectives

Science.gov (United States)

Khogeer, Ahmed Sirag

2005-11-01

Petroleum refining is a capital-intensive business. With stringent environmental regulations on the processing industry and declining refining margins, political instability, increased risk of war and terrorist attacks in which refineries and fuel transportation grids may be targeted, higher pressures are exerted on refiners to optimize performance and find the best combination of feed and processes to produce salable products that meet stricter product specifications, while at the same time meeting refinery supply commitments and of course making profit. This is done through multi objective optimization. For corporate refining companies and at the national level, Intea-Refinery and Inter-Refinery optimization is the second step in optimizing the operation of the whole refining chain as a single system. Most refinery-wide optimization methods do not cover multiple objectives such as minimizing environmental impact, avoiding catastrophic failures, or enhancing product spec upgrade effects. This work starts by carrying out a refinery-wide, single objective optimization, and then moves to multi objective-single refinery optimization. The last step is multi objective-multi refinery optimization, the objectives of which are analysis of the effects of economic, environmental, product spec, strategic, and catastrophic failure. Simulation runs were carried out using both MATLAB and ASPEN PIMS utilizing nonlinear techniques to solve the optimization problem. The results addressed the need to debottleneck some refineries or transportation media in order to meet the demand for essential products under partial or total failure scenarios. They also addressed how importing some high spec products can help recover some of the losses and what is needed in order to accomplish this. In addition, the results showed nonlinear relations among local and global objectives for some refineries. The results demonstrate that refineries can have a local multi objective optimum that does not

Improving a Deep Learning based RGB-D Object Recognition Model by Ensemble Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aakerberg, Andreas; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Heder, Thomas

2018-01-01

Augmenting RGB images with depth information is a well-known method to significantly improve the recognition accuracy of object recognition models. Another method to im- prove the performance of visual recognition models is ensemble learning. However, this method has not been widely explored...... in combination with deep convolutional neural network based RGB-D object recognition models. Hence, in this paper, we form different ensembles of complementary deep convolutional neural network models, and show that this can be used to increase the recognition performance beyond existing limits. Experiments...

Searching for the Pareto frontier in multi-objective protein design.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanda, Vikas; Belure, Sandeep V; Shir, Ofer M

2017-08-01

The goal of protein engineering and design is to identify sequences that adopt three-dimensional structures of desired function. Often, this is treated as a single-objective optimization problem, identifying the sequence-structure solution with the lowest computed free energy of folding. However, many design problems are multi-state, multi-specificity, or otherwise require concurrent optimization of multiple objectives. There may be tradeoffs among objectives, where improving one feature requires compromising another. The challenge lies in determining solutions that are part of the Pareto optimal set-designs where no further improvement can be achieved in any of the objectives without degrading one of the others. Pareto optimality problems are found in all areas of study, from economics to engineering to biology, and computational methods have been developed specifically to identify the Pareto frontier. We review progress in multi-objective protein design, the development of Pareto optimization methods, and present a specific case study using multi-objective optimization methods to model the tradeoff between three parameters, stability, specificity, and complexity, of a set of interacting synthetic collagen peptides.

A calderón-preconditioned single source combined field integral equation for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects

KAUST Repository

Valdés, Felipe

2011-06-01

A new regularized single source equation for analyzing scattering from homogeneous penetrable objects is presented. The proposed equation is a linear combination of a Calderón-preconditioned single source electric field integral equation and a single source magnetic field integral equation. The equation is immune to low-frequency and dense-mesh breakdown, and free from spurious resonances. Unlike dual source formulations, this equation involves operator products that cannot be discretized using standard procedures for discretizing standalone electric, magnetic, and combined field operators. Instead, the single source equation proposed here is discretized using a recently developed technique that achieves a well-conditioned mapping from div- to curl-conforming function spaces, thereby fully respecting the space mapping properties of the operators involved, and guaranteeing accuracy and stability. Numerical results show that the proposed equation and discretization technique give rise to rapidly convergent solutions. They also validate the equation\\'s resonant free character. © 2006 IEEE.

Workers' Objectives in Quality Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Brossard, Michel

1990-01-01

A case study of quality circles in an appliance factory found that circle members and nonmembers obtained better working conditions by improving quality through the direct impact of their work on the company's market position. The study of the quality improvement process shows that workers seek more than psychological rewards for their…

Woodland Mapping at Single-Tree Levels Using Object-Oriented Classification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (uav) Images

Science.gov (United States)

Chenari, A.; Erfanifard, Y.; Dehghani, M.; Pourghasemi, H. R.

2017-09-01

Remotely sensed datasets offer a reliable means to precisely estimate biophysical characteristics of individual species sparsely distributed in open woodlands. Moreover, object-oriented classification has exhibited significant advantages over different classification methods for delineation of tree crowns and recognition of species in various types of ecosystems. However, it still is unclear if this widely-used classification method can have its advantages on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) digital images for mapping vegetation cover at single-tree levels. In this study, UAV orthoimagery was classified using object-oriented classification method for mapping a part of wild pistachio nature reserve in Zagros open woodlands, Fars Province, Iran. This research focused on recognizing two main species of the study area (i.e., wild pistachio and wild almond) and estimating their mean crown area. The orthoimage of study area was consisted of 1,076 images with spatial resolution of 3.47 cm which was georeferenced using 12 ground control points (RMSE=8 cm) gathered by real-time kinematic (RTK) method. The results showed that the UAV orthoimagery classified by object-oriented method efficiently estimated mean crown area of wild pistachios (52.09±24.67 m2) and wild almonds (3.97±1.69 m2) with no significant difference with their observed values (α=0.05). In addition, the results showed that wild pistachios (accuracy of 0.90 and precision of 0.92) and wild almonds (accuracy of 0.90 and precision of 0.89) were well recognized by image segmentation. In general, we concluded that UAV orthoimagery can efficiently produce precise biophysical data of vegetation stands at single-tree levels, which therefore is suitable for assessment and monitoring open woodlands.

Error analysis of marker-based object localization using a single-plane XRII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habets, Damiaan F.; Pollmann, Steven I.; Yuan, Xunhua; Peters, Terry M.; Holdsworth, David W.

2009-01-01

The role of imaging and image guidance is increasing in surgery and therapy, including treatment planning and follow-up. Fluoroscopy is used for two-dimensional (2D) guidance or localization; however, many procedures would benefit from three-dimensional (3D) guidance or localization. Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) using a C-arm mounted x-ray image intensifier (XRII) can provide high-quality 3D images; however, patient dose and the required acquisition time restrict the number of 3D images that can be obtained. C-arm based 3D CT is therefore limited in applications for x-ray based image guidance or dynamic evaluations. 2D-3D model-based registration, using a single-plane 2D digital radiographic system, does allow for rapid 3D localization. It is our goal to investigate - over a clinically practical range - the impact of x-ray exposure on the resulting range of 3D localization precision. In this paper it is assumed that the tracked instrument incorporates a rigidly attached 3D object with a known configuration of markers. A 2D image is obtained by a digital fluoroscopic x-ray system and corrected for XRII distortions (±0.035 mm) and mechanical C-arm shift (±0.080 mm). A least-square projection-Procrustes analysis is then used to calculate the 3D position using the measured 2D marker locations. The effect of x-ray exposure on the precision of 2D marker localization and on 3D object localization was investigated using numerical simulations and x-ray experiments. The results show a nearly linear relationship between 2D marker localization precision and the 3D localization precision. However, a significant amplification of error, nonuniformly distributed among the three major axes, occurs, and that is demonstrated. To obtain a 3D localization error of less than ±1.0 mm for an object with 20 mm marker spacing, the 2D localization precision must be better than ±0.07 mm. This requirement was met for all investigated nominal x-ray exposures at 28 cm FOV, and

IMPROVEMENT OF THE F-PERCEPTORY APPROACH THROUGH MANAGEMENT OF FUZZY COMPLEX GEOGRAPHIC OBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Khalfi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In the real world, data is imperfect and in various ways such as imprecision, vagueness, uncertainty, ambiguity and inconsistency. For geographic data, the fuzzy aspect is mainly manifested in time, space and the function of objects and is due to a lack of precision. Therefore, the researchers in the domain emphasize the importance of modeling data structures in GIS but also their lack of adaptation to fuzzy data. The F-Perceptory approachh manages the modeling of imperfect geographic information with UML. This management is essential to maintain faithfulness to reality and to better guide the user in his decision-making. However, this approach does not manage fuzzy complex geographic objects. The latter presents a multiple object with similar or different geographic shapes. So, in this paper, we propose to improve the F-Perceptory approach by proposing to handle fuzzy complex geographic objects modeling. In a second step, we propose its transformation to the UML modeling.

Retrospective Cues Based on Object Features Improve Visual Working Memory Performance in Older Adults

OpenAIRE

Gilchrist, Amanda L.; Duarte, Audrey; Verhaeghen, Paul

2015-01-01

Research with younger adults has shown that retrospective cues can be used to orient top-down attention toward relevant items in working memory. We examined whether older adults could take advantage of these cues to improve memory performance. Younger and older adults were presented with visual arrays of five colored shapes; during maintenance, participants were either presented with an informative cue based on an object feature (here, object shape or color) that would be probed, or with an u...

Advantages of Task-Specific Multi-Objective Optimisation in Evolutionary Robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Trianni, Vito; López-Ibáñez, Manuel

2015-01-01

The application of multi-objective optimisation to evolutionary robotics is receiving increasing attention. A survey of the literature reveals the different possibilities it offers to improve the automatic design of efficient and adaptive robotic systems, and points to the successful demonstrations available for both task-specific and task-agnostic approaches (i.e., with or without reference to the specific design problem to be tackled). However, the advantages of multi-objective approaches over single-objective ones have not been clearly spelled out and experimentally demonstrated. This paper fills this gap for task-specific approaches: starting from well-known results in multi-objective optimisation, we discuss how to tackle commonly recognised problems in evolutionary robotics. In particular, we show that multi-objective optimisation (i) allows evolving a more varied set of behaviours by exploring multiple trade-offs of the objectives to optimise, (ii) supports the evolution of the desired behaviour through the introduction of objectives as proxies, (iii) avoids the premature convergence to local optima possibly introduced by multi-component fitness functions, and (iv) solves the bootstrap problem exploiting ancillary objectives to guide evolution in the early phases. We present an experimental demonstration of these benefits in three different case studies: maze navigation in a single robot domain, flocking in a swarm robotics context, and a strictly collaborative task in collective robotics.

Advantages of Task-Specific Multi-Objective Optimisation in Evolutionary Robotics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vito Trianni

Full Text Available The application of multi-objective optimisation to evolutionary robotics is receiving increasing attention. A survey of the literature reveals the different possibilities it offers to improve the automatic design of efficient and adaptive robotic systems, and points to the successful demonstrations available for both task-specific and task-agnostic approaches (i.e., with or without reference to the specific design problem to be tackled. However, the advantages of multi-objective approaches over single-objective ones have not been clearly spelled out and experimentally demonstrated. This paper fills this gap for task-specific approaches: starting from well-known results in multi-objective optimisation, we discuss how to tackle commonly recognised problems in evolutionary robotics. In particular, we show that multi-objective optimisation (i allows evolving a more varied set of behaviours by exploring multiple trade-offs of the objectives to optimise, (ii supports the evolution of the desired behaviour through the introduction of objectives as proxies, (iii avoids the premature convergence to local optima possibly introduced by multi-component fitness functions, and (iv solves the bootstrap problem exploiting ancillary objectives to guide evolution in the early phases. We present an experimental demonstration of these benefits in three different case studies: maze navigation in a single robot domain, flocking in a swarm robotics context, and a strictly collaborative task in collective robotics.

Super-resolution imaging applied to moving object tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Swalaganata, Galandaru; Ratna Sulistyaningrum, Dwi; Setiyono, Budi

2017-10-01

Moving object tracking in a video is a method used to detect and analyze changes that occur in an object that being observed. Visual quality and the precision of the tracked target are highly wished in modern tracking system. The fact that the tracked object does not always seem clear causes the tracking result less precise. The reasons are low quality video, system noise, small object, and other factors. In order to improve the precision of the tracked object especially for small object, we propose a two step solution that integrates a super-resolution technique into tracking approach. First step is super-resolution imaging applied into frame sequences. This step was done by cropping the frame in several frame or all of frame. Second step is tracking the result of super-resolution images. Super-resolution image is a technique to obtain high-resolution images from low-resolution images. In this research single frame super-resolution technique is proposed for tracking approach. Single frame super-resolution was a kind of super-resolution that it has the advantage of fast computation time. The method used for tracking is Camshift. The advantages of Camshift was simple calculation based on HSV color that use its histogram for some condition and color of the object varies. The computational complexity and large memory requirements required for the implementation of super-resolution and tracking were reduced and the precision of the tracked target was good. Experiment showed that integrate a super-resolution imaging into tracking technique can track the object precisely with various background, shape changes of the object, and in a good light conditions.

Improving human object recognition performance using video enhancement techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Lucy S.; Lewis, Colin; Oakley, John P.

2004-12-01

Atmospheric scattering causes significant degradation in the quality of video images, particularly when imaging over long distances. The principle problem is the reduction in contrast due to scattered light. It is known that when the scattering particles are not too large compared with the imaging wavelength (i.e. Mie scattering) then high spatial resolution information may be contained within a low-contrast image. Unfortunately this information is not easily perceived by a human observer, particularly when using a standard video monitor. A secondary problem is the difficulty of achieving a sharp focus since automatic focus techniques tend to fail in such conditions. Recently several commercial colour video processing systems have become available. These systems use various techniques to improve image quality in low contrast conditions whilst retaining colour content. These systems produce improvements in subjective image quality in some situations, particularly in conditions of haze and light fog. There is also some evidence that video enhancement leads to improved ATR performance when used as a pre-processing stage. Psychological literature indicates that low contrast levels generally lead to a reduction in the performance of human observers in carrying out simple visual tasks. The aim of this paper is to present the results of an empirical study on object recognition in adverse viewing conditions. The chosen visual task was vehicle number plate recognition at long ranges (500 m and beyond). Two different commercial video enhancement systems are evaluated using the same protocol. The results show an increase in effective range with some differences between the different enhancement systems.

WOODLAND MAPPING AT SINGLE-TREE LEVELS USING OBJECT-ORIENTED CLASSIFICATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Chenari

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Remotely sensed datasets offer a reliable means to precisely estimate biophysical characteristics of individual species sparsely distributed in open woodlands. Moreover, object-oriented classification has exhibited significant advantages over different classification methods for delineation of tree crowns and recognition of species in various types of ecosystems. However, it still is unclear if this widely-used classification method can have its advantages on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV digital images for mapping vegetation cover at single-tree levels. In this study, UAV orthoimagery was classified using object-oriented classification method for mapping a part of wild pistachio nature reserve in Zagros open woodlands, Fars Province, Iran. This research focused on recognizing two main species of the study area (i.e., wild pistachio and wild almond and estimating their mean crown area. The orthoimage of study area was consisted of 1,076 images with spatial resolution of 3.47 cm which was georeferenced using 12 ground control points (RMSE=8 cm gathered by real-time kinematic (RTK method. The results showed that the UAV orthoimagery classified by object-oriented method efficiently estimated mean crown area of wild pistachios (52.09±24.67 m2 and wild almonds (3.97±1.69 m2 with no significant difference with their observed values (α=0.05. In addition, the results showed that wild pistachios (accuracy of 0.90 and precision of 0.92 and wild almonds (accuracy of 0.90 and precision of 0.89 were well recognized by image segmentation. In general, we concluded that UAV orthoimagery can efficiently produce precise biophysical data of vegetation stands at single-tree levels, which therefore is suitable for assessment and monitoring open woodlands.

An efficiency improved single-phase PFC converter for electric vehicle charger applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Dexuan; Tang, Yi; Jin, Chi

2013-01-01

This paper presents an efficiency improved single-phase power factor correction (PFC) converter with its target application to plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) charging systems. The proposed PFC converter features sinusoidal input current, three-level output characteristic, and wide range...

Reconciling change blindness with long-term memory for objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Katherine; Simons, Daniel J

2017-02-01

How can we reconcile remarkably precise long-term memory for thousands of images with failures to detect changes to similar images? We explored whether people can use detailed, long-term memory to improve change detection performance. Subjects studied a set of images of objects and then performed recognition and change detection tasks with those images. Recognition memory performance exceeded change detection performance, even when a single familiar object in the postchange display consistently indicated the change location. In fact, participants were no better when a familiar object predicted the change location than when the displays consisted of unfamiliar objects. When given an explicit strategy to search for a familiar object as a way to improve performance on the change detection task, they performed no better than in a 6-alternative recognition memory task. Subjects only benefited from the presence of familiar objects in the change detection task when they had more time to view the prechange array before it switched. Once the cost to using the change detection information decreased, subjects made use of it in conjunction with memory to boost performance on the familiar-item change detection task. This suggests that even useful information will go unused if it is sufficiently difficult to extract.

Multi-objective optimal design of magnetorheological engine mount based on an improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Ling; Duan, Xuwei; Deng, Zhaoxue; Li, Yinong

2014-03-01

A novel flow-mode magneto-rheological (MR) engine mount integrated a diaphragm de-coupler and the spoiler plate is designed and developed to isolate engine and the transmission from the chassis in a wide frequency range and overcome the stiffness in high frequency. A lumped parameter model of the MR engine mount in single degree of freedom system is further developed based on bond graph method to predict the performance of the MR engine mount accurately. The optimization mathematical model is established to minimize the total of force transmissibility over several frequency ranges addressed. In this mathematical model, the lumped parameters are considered as design variables. The maximum of force transmissibility and the corresponding frequency in low frequency range as well as individual lumped parameter are limited as constraints. The multiple interval sensitivity analysis method is developed to select the optimized variables and improve the efficiency of optimization process. An improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to solve the multi-objective optimization problem. The synthesized distance between the individual in Pareto set and the individual in possible set in engineering is defined and calculated. A set of real design parameters is thus obtained by the internal relationship between the optimal lumped parameters and practical design parameters for the MR engine mount. The program flowchart for the improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is given. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed optimization approach in minimizing the total of force transmissibility over several frequency ranges addressed.

A METHOD FOR IMPROVEMENT OF OBJECTIVITY OF E-SERVICE QUALITY EVALUATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Mekovec

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Measurement and improvement of e-service quality is important for sustaining competitive advantage of an e-commerce web site. A number of e-service quality measures have recently been developed that predominantly rely on the subjective evaluation of diverse quality attributes. To increase the objectivity of e-service quality measurement a recently developed measure of e-service quality has been adapted in a way that replaces its Likert type scales for evaluation of specific attributes with check-lists that include specific observable elements for appraisal and a scoring procedure. The consistency of scoring with this adaptation of an e-service quality measure was investigated in comparison to the use of the standard measure with Likert type scales and by the use of untrained and trained evaluators. The results of the empirical evaluation indicate a greater inter-rater consistency when the adapted/objective measure is used for evaluation of the efficiency dimension of e-service quality.

Objectives, Evaluation, and the Improvement of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lorin W.

2005-01-01

For five years, from 1995 until 2000, a group of eight educators and researchers met twice annually in Syracuse, NY, for the purpose of revising Bloom's Taxonomy. Based in part on the structure of educational objectives, in part on advances in cognitive psychology, and in part on numerous other attempts to classify educational objectives that were…

Multi-objective engineering design using preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchis, J.; Martinez, M.; Blasco, X.

2008-03-01

System design is a complex task when design parameters have to satisy a number of specifications and objectives which often conflict with those of others. This challenging problem is called multi-objective optimization (MOO). The most common approximation consists in optimizing a single cost index with a weighted sum of objectives. However, once weights are chosen the solution does not guarantee the best compromise among specifications, because there is an infinite number of solutions. A new approach can be stated, based on the designer's experience regarding the required specifications and the associated problems. This valuable information can be translated into preferences for design objectives, and will lead the search process to the best solution in terms of these preferences. This article presents a new method, which enumerates these a priori objective preferences. As a result, a single objective is built automatically and no weight selection need be performed. Problems occuring because of the multimodal nature of the generated single cost index are managed with genetic algorithms (GAs).

Can Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Improve In-Hand Manipulation Skills: A Single Subject Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somaye Kavousipor

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study describes a single subject design (ABA that shows the effective use of constraint induced movement therapy in improvement of quality and performance of in-hand manipulation skills for a 10 year old boy and a 9 years old girl with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, as Dickerson (2007 showed it in arm movement and function. Methods: To determine the effectiveness of CIMT by the use of C-statistic analysis and visual analysis. Approach: The first step was to design a child friendly group activity and home based intervention program through occupation. The possible effectiveness of CIMT was evaluated by daily measurements and video recording of 6 sub skills of in-hand manipulation according to Pont category (2009 in defined activity. Results: For making the treatment more cost effective, families can produce a simple clinical setting at home and participate in their child treatment plan actively. Discussion: A client center intervention will facilitate the use and quality of fingers and hand motion. Also a group activity can motivate participants to participate more and better.

Complex method to calculate objective assessments of information systems protection to improve expert assessments reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Abdenov, A. Zh; Trushin, V. A.; Abdenova, G. A.

2018-01-01

The paper considers the questions of filling the relevant SIEM nodes based on calculations of objective assessments in order to improve the reliability of subjective expert assessments. The proposed methodology is necessary for the most accurate security risk assessment of information systems. This technique is also intended for the purpose of establishing real-time operational information protection in the enterprise information systems. Risk calculations are based on objective estimates of the adverse events implementation probabilities, predictions of the damage magnitude from information security violations. Calculations of objective assessments are necessary to increase the reliability of the proposed expert assessments.

Post-processing with linear optics for improving the quality of single-photon sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, Dominic W; Scheel, Stefan; Myers, Casey R; Sanders, Barry C; Knight, Peter L; Laflamme, Raymond

2004-01-01

Triggered single-photon sources produce the vacuum state with non-negligible probability, but produce a much smaller multiphoton component. It is therefore reasonable to approximate the output of these photon sources as a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states. We show that it is impossible to increase the probability for a single photon using linear optics and photodetection on fewer than four modes. This impossibility is due to the incoherence of the inputs; if the inputs were pure-state superpositions, it would be possible to obtain a perfect single-photon output. In the more general case, a chain of beam splitters can be used to increase the probability for a single photon, but at the expense of adding an additional multiphoton component. This improvement is robust against detector inefficiencies, but is degraded by distinguishable photons, dark counts or multiphoton components in the input

Object-based warping: an illusory distortion of space within objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickery, Timothy J; Chun, Marvin M

2010-12-01

Visual objects are high-level primitives that are fundamental to numerous perceptual functions, such as guidance of attention. We report that objects warp visual perception of space in such a way that spatial distances within objects appear to be larger than spatial distances in ground regions. When two dots were placed inside a rectangular object, they appeared farther apart from one another than two dots with identical spacing outside of the object. To investigate whether this effect was object based, we measured the distortion while manipulating the structure surrounding the dots. Object displays were constructed with a single object, multiple objects, a partially occluded object, and an illusory object. Nonobject displays were constructed to be comparable to object displays in low-level visual attributes. In all cases, the object displays resulted in a more powerful distortion of spatial perception than comparable non-object-based displays. These results suggest that perception of space within objects is warped.

Single and multiple objective biomass-to-biofuel supply chain optimization considering environmental impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Valles Sosa, Claudia Evangelina

Bioenergy has become an important alternative source of energy to alleviate the reliance on petroleum energy. Bioenergy offers diminishing climate change by reducing Green House Gas Emissions, as well as providing energy security and enhancing rural development. The Energy Independence and Security Act mandate the use of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels including 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels by the year 2022. It is clear that Biomass can make a substantial contribution to supply future energy demand in a sustainable way. However, the supply of sustainable energy is one of the main challenges that mankind will face over the coming decades. For instance, many logistical challenges will be faced in order to provide an efficient and reliable supply of quality feedstock to biorefineries. 700 million tons of biomass will be required to be sustainably delivered to biorefineries annually to meet the projected use of biofuels by the year of 2022. Approaching this complex logistic problem as a multi-commodity network flow structure, the present work proposes the use of a genetic algorithm as a single objective optimization problem that considers the maximization of profit and the present work also proposes the use of a Multiple Objective Evolutionary Algorithm to simultaneously maximize profit while minimizing global warming potential. Most transportation optimization problems available in the literature have mostly considered the maximization of profit or the minimization of total travel time as potential objectives to be optimized. However, on this research work, we take a more conscious and sustainable approach for this logistic problem. Planners are increasingly expected to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, especially due to the rising importance of environmental stewardship. The role of a transportation planner and designer is shifting from simple economic analysis to promoting sustainability through the integration of environmental objectives. To

Single- and Multiple-Objective Optimization with Differential Evolution and Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Man Mohan

2006-01-01

Genetic and evolutionary algorithms have been applied to solve numerous problems in engineering design where they have been used primarily as optimization procedures. These methods have an advantage over conventional gradient-based search procedures became they are capable of finding global optima of multi-modal functions and searching design spaces with disjoint feasible regions. They are also robust in the presence of noisy data. Another desirable feature of these methods is that they can efficiently use distributed and parallel computing resources since multiple function evaluations (flow simulations in aerodynamics design) can be performed simultaneously and independently on ultiple processors. For these reasons genetic and evolutionary algorithms are being used more frequently in design optimization. Examples include airfoil and wing design and compressor and turbine airfoil design. They are also finding increasing use in multiple-objective and multidisciplinary optimization. This lecture will focus on an evolutionary method that is a relatively new member to the general class of evolutionary methods called differential evolution (DE). This method is easy to use and program and it requires relatively few user-specified constants. These constants are easily determined for a wide class of problems. Fine-tuning the constants will off course yield the solution to the optimization problem at hand more rapidly. DE can be efficiently implemented on parallel computers and can be used for continuous, discrete and mixed discrete/continuous optimization problems. It does not require the objective function to be continuous and is noise tolerant. DE and applications to single and multiple-objective optimization will be included in the presentation and lecture notes. A method for aerodynamic design optimization that is based on neural networks will also be included as a part of this lecture. The method offers advantages over traditional optimization methods. It is more

A multi-objective improved teaching-learning based optimization algorithm for unconstrained and constrained optimization problems

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R. Venkata Rao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present work proposes a multi-objective improved teaching-learning based optimization (MO-ITLBO algorithm for unconstrained and constrained multi-objective function optimization. The MO-ITLBO algorithm is the improved version of basic teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO algorithm adapted for multi-objective problems. The basic TLBO algorithm is improved to enhance its exploration and exploitation capacities by introducing the concept of number of teachers, adaptive teaching factor, tutorial training and self-motivated learning. The MO-ITLBO algorithm uses a grid-based approach to adaptively assess the non-dominated solutions (i.e. Pareto front maintained in an external archive. The performance of the MO-ITLBO algorithm is assessed by implementing it on unconstrained and constrained test problems proposed for the Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2009 (CEC 2009 competition. The performance assessment is done by using the inverted generational distance (IGD measure. The IGD measures obtained by using the MO-ITLBO algorithm are compared with the IGD measures of the other state-of-the-art algorithms available in the literature. Finally, Lexicographic ordering is used to assess the overall performance of competitive algorithms. Results have shown that the proposed MO-ITLBO algorithm has obtained the 1st rank in the optimization of unconstrained test functions and the 3rd rank in the optimization of constrained test functions.

Safety margins in older adults increase with improved control of a dynamic object

Science.gov (United States)

Hasson, Christopher J.; Sternad, Dagmar

2014-01-01

Older adults face decreasing motor capabilities due to pervasive neuromuscular degradations. As a consequence, errors in movement control increase. Thus, older individuals should maintain larger safety margins than younger adults. While this has been shown for object manipulation tasks, several reports on whole-body activities, such as posture and locomotion, demonstrate age-related reductions in safety margins. This is despite increased costs for control errors, such as a fall. We posit that this paradox could be explained by the dynamic challenge presented by the body or also an external object, and that age-related reductions in safety margins are in part due to a decreased ability to control dynamics. To test this conjecture we used a virtual ball-in-cup task that had challenging dynamics, yet afforded an explicit rendering of the physics and safety margin. The hypotheses were: (1) When manipulating an object with challenging dynamics, older adults have smaller safety margins than younger adults. (2) Older adults increase their safety margins with practice. Nine young and 10 healthy older adults practiced moving the virtual ball-in-cup to a target location in exactly 2 s. The accuracy and precision of the timing error quantified skill, and the ball energy relative to an escape threshold quantified the safety margin. Compared to the young adults, older adults had increased timing errors, greater variability, and decreased safety margins. With practice, both young and older adults improved their ability to control the object with decreased timing errors and variability, and increased their safety margins. These results suggest that safety margins are related to the ability to control dynamics, and may explain why in tasks with simple dynamics older adults use adequate safety margins, but in more complex tasks, safety margins may be inadequate. Further, the results indicate that task-specific training may improve safety margins in older adults. PMID:25071566

Safety Margins in Older Adults Increase with Improved Control of a Dynamic Object

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Christopher James Hasson

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Older adults face decreasing motor capabilities due to pervasive neuromuscular degradations. As a consequence errors in movement control increase. Thus, older individuals should maintain larger safety margins than younger adults. While this has been shown for object manipulation tasks, several reports on whole-body activities, such as posture and locomotion, however demonstrate age-related reductions in safety margins. This is despite increased costs for control errors, such as a fall. We posit that this paradox could be explained by the dynamic challenge presented by the body or an external object, and that age-related reductions in safety margins are in part due to a decreased ability to control dynamics. To test this conjecture we used a virtual ball-in-cup task that had challenging dynamics, yet afforded an explicit rendering of the physics and safety margin. The hypotheses were: 1 When manipulating an object with challenging dynamics, older adults have smaller safety margins than younger adults. 2 Older adults increase their safety margins with practice. Nine young and 10 healthy older adults practiced moving the virtual ball-in-cup to a target location in exactly two seconds. The accuracy and precision of the timing error quantified skill and the ball energy relative to an escape threshold quantified the safety margin. Compared to the young adults, older adults had increased timing errors, greater variability, and decreased safety margins. With practice, both young and older adults improved their ability to control the object with decreased timing errors and variability, and increased their safety margins. These results suggest that safety margins are related to the ability to control dynamics, and may explain why in tasks with simple dynamics older adults use adequate safety margins, but in more complex tasks, safety margins may be inadequate. Further, the results indicate that task-specific training may improve safety margins in older

Improving throughput of single-relay DF channel using linear constellation precoding

KAUST Repository

Fareed, Muhammad Mehboob

2014-08-01

In this letter, we propose a transmission scheme to improve the overall throughput of a cooperative communication system with single decode-and-forward relay. Symbol error rate and throughput analysis of the new scheme are presented to facilitate the performance comparison with the existing decode-and-forward relaying schemes. Simulation results are further provided to corroborate the analytical results. © 2012 IEEE.

Improving throughput of single-relay DF channel using linear constellation precoding

KAUST Repository

Fareed, Muhammad Mehboob; Yang, Hongchuan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2014-01-01

In this letter, we propose a transmission scheme to improve the overall throughput of a cooperative communication system with single decode-and-forward relay. Symbol error rate and throughput analysis of the new scheme are presented to facilitate the performance comparison with the existing decode-and-forward relaying schemes. Simulation results are further provided to corroborate the analytical results. © 2012 IEEE.

Applying Data Mining Techniques to Improve Information Security in the Cloud: A Single Cache System Approach

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Amany AlShawi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Presently, the popularity of cloud computing is gradually increasing day by day. The purpose of this research was to enhance the security of the cloud using techniques such as data mining with specific reference to the single cache system. From the findings of the research, it was observed that the security in the cloud could be enhanced with the single cache system. For future purposes, an Apriori algorithm can be applied to the single cache system. This can be applied by all cloud providers, vendors, data distributors, and others. Further, data objects entered into the single cache system can be extended into 12 components. Database and SPSS modelers can be used to implement the same.

Effect of objective function on multi-objective inverse planning of radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Guoli; Wu Yican; Song Gang; Wang Shifang

2006-01-01

There are two kinds of objective functions in radiotherapy inverse planning: dose distribution-based and Dose-Volume Histogram (DVH)-based functions. The treatment planning in our days is still a trial and error process because the multi-objective problem is solved by transforming it into a single objective problem using a specific set of weights for each object. This work investigates the problem of objective function setting based on Pareto multi-optimization theory, and compares the effect on multi-objective inverse planning of those two kinds of objective functions including calculation time, converge speed, etc. The basis of objective function setting on inverse planning is discussed. (authors)

Multi-objective Reactive Power Optimization Based on Improved Particle Swarm Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Xue; Gao, Jian; Feng, Yunbin; Zou, Chenlu; Liu, Huanlei

2018-01-01

In this paper, an optimization model with the minimum active power loss and minimum voltage deviation of node and maximum static voltage stability margin as the optimization objective is proposed for the reactive power optimization problems. By defining the index value of reactive power compensation, the optimal reactive power compensation node was selected. The particle swarm optimization algorithm was improved, and the selection pool of global optimal and the global optimal of probability (p-gbest) were introduced. A set of Pareto optimal solution sets is obtained by this algorithm. And by calculating the fuzzy membership value of the pareto optimal solution sets, individuals with the smallest fuzzy membership value were selected as the final optimization results. The above improved algorithm is used to optimize the reactive power of IEEE14 standard node system. Through the comparison and analysis of the results, it has been proven that the optimization effect of this algorithm was very good.

The Improved SVM Multi Objects' Identification For the Uncalibrated Visual Servoing

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Min Wang

2009-03-01

Full Text Available For the assembly of multi micro objects in micromanipulation, the first task is to identify multi micro parts. We present an improved support vector machine algorithm, which employs invariant moments based edge extraction to obtain feature attribute and then presents a heuristic attribute reduction algorithm based on rough set's discernibility matrix to obtain attribute reduction, with using support vector machine to identify and classify the targets. The visual servoing is the second task. For avoiding the complicated calibration of intrinsic parameter of camera, We apply an improved broyden's method to estimate the image jacobian matrix online, which employs chebyshev polynomial to construct a cost function to approximate the optimization value, obtaining a fast convergence for online estimation. Last, a two DOF visual controller based fuzzy adaptive PD control law for micro-manipulation is presented. The experiments of micro-assembly of micro parts in microscopes confirm that the proposed methods are effective and feasible.

The Improved SVM Multi Objects's Identification for the Uncalibrated Visual Servoing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangjin Zeng

2009-03-01

Full Text Available For the assembly of multi micro objects in micromanipulation, the first task is to identify multi micro parts. We present an improved support vector machine algorithm, which employs invariant moments based edge extraction to obtain feature attribute and then presents a heuristic attribute reduction algorithm based on rough set's discernibility matrix to obtain attribute reduction, with using support vector machine to identify and classify the targets. The visual servoing is the second task. For avoiding the complicated calibration of intrinsic parameter of camera, We apply an improved broyden's method to estimate the image jacobian matrix online, which employs chebyshev polynomial to construct a cost function to approximate the optimization value, obtaining a fast convergence for online estimation. Last, a two DOF visual controller based fuzzy adaptive PD control law for micro-manipulation is presented. The experiments of micro-assembly of micro parts in microscopes confirm that the proposed methods are effective and feasible.

Using Technology to Improve the Objectivity of Criminal Responsibility Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitacco, Michael J; Gottfried, Emily D; Batastini, Ashley B

2018-03-01

Criminal responsibility (or insanity) evaluations require forensic clinicians to reconstruct a defendant's decision-making abilities, behavioral control, and emotional state at the time of the criminal act. Forensic evaluators are ultimately tasked to evaluate whether an individual had the capacity to understand right from wrong, and in some jurisdictions, determine whether the defendant lacked substantial capacity to conform his behavior to the requirements of the law as a result of a threshold condition (e.g., mental illness). Insanity evaluations are inherently complex, because they require the clinician to determine someone's mental state at some point in the past (weeks, months, or even years). Recent research on insanity evaluations underscores significant problems with the reliability and validity of these evaluations. However, technological advances including social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter), mandating that law enforcement videotape interrogations, and the use of body and dashboard cameras can aid clinicians in improving the precision and quality of insanity evaluations. This article discusses practical guidelines and ethics-related concerns regarding the use of technology to improve the objectivity of criminal responsibility evaluations. © 2018 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

USING OF OBJECT-ORIENTED DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN ELECTRIC MACHINES DEVELOPMENT

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N.N. Zablodskii

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To develop the theoretical basis of electrical machines object-oriented design, mathematical models and software to improve their design synthesis, analysis and optimization. Methodology. We have applied object-oriented design theory in electric machines optimal design and mathematical modelling of electromagnetic transients and electromagnetic field distribution. We have correlated the simulated results with the experimental data obtained by means of the double-stator screw dryer with an external solid rotor, brushless turbo-generator exciter and induction motor with squirrel cage rotor. Results. We have developed object-oriented design methodology, transient mathematical modelling and electromagnetic field equations templates for cylindrical electrical machines, improved and remade Cartesian product and genetic optimization algorithms. This allows to develop electrical machines classifications models, included not only structure development but also parallel synthesis of mathematical models and design software, to improve electric machines efficiency and technical performance. Originality. For the first time, we have applied a new way of design and modelling of electrical machines, which is based on the basic concepts of the object-oriented analysis. For the first time is suggested to use a single class template for structural and system organization of electrical machines, invariant to their specific variety. Practical value. We have manufactured screw dryer for coil dust drying and mixing based on the performed object-oriented theory. We have developed object-oriented software for design and optimization of induction motor with squirrel cage rotor of AIR series and brushless turbo-generator exciter. The experimental studies have confirmed the adequacy of the developed object-oriented design methodology.

Region Based CNN for Foreign Object Debris Detection on Airfield Pavement.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaoguang; Wang, Peng; Meng, Cai; Bai, Xiangzhi; Gong, Guoping; Liu, Miaoming; Qi, Jun

2018-03-01

In this paper, a novel algorithm based on convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to detect foreign object debris (FOD) based on optical imaging sensors. It contains two modules, the improved region proposal network (RPN) and spatial transformer network (STN) based CNN classifier. In the improved RPN, some extra select rules are designed and deployed to generate high quality candidates with fewer numbers. Moreover, the efficiency of CNN detector is significantly improved by introducing STN layer. Compared to faster R-CNN and single shot multiBox detector (SSD), the proposed algorithm achieves better result for FOD detection on airfield pavement in the experiment.

[Surface Cleaning and Disinfection in the Hospital. Improvement by Objective Monitoring and Intervention].

Science.gov (United States)

Woltering, R; Hoffmann, G; Isermann, J; Heudorf, U

2016-11-01

Background and Objective: An assessment of cleaning and disinfection in hospitals by the use of objective surveillance and review of mandatory corrective measures was undertaken. Methods: A prospective examination of the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces scheduled for daily cleaning in 5 general care hospitals by use of an ultraviolet fluorescence targeting method (UVM) was performed, followed by structured educational and procedural interventions. The survey was conducted in hospital wards, operating theatres and intensive care units. Cleaning performance was measured by complete removal of UVM. Training courses and reinforced self-monitoring were implemented after the first evaluation. 6 months later, we repeated the assessment for confirmation of success. Results: The average cleaning performance was 34% (31/90) at base-line with significant differences between the 5 hospitals (11-67%). The best results were achieved in intensive care units (61%) and operating theatres (58%), the worst results in hospital wards (22%). The intervention significantly improved cleaning performance up to an average of 69% (65/94; +34.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 21.2-48.3; pcleaning and disinfection of surfaces by fluorescence targeting is appropriate for evaluating hygiene regulations. An intervention can lead to a significant improvement of cleaning performance. As part of a strategy to improve infection control in hospitals, fluorescence targeting enables a simple inexpensive and effective surveillance of the cleaning performance and corrective measures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Improved object optimal synthetic description, modeling, learning, and discrimination by GEOGINE computational kernel

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorini, Rodolfo A.; Dacquino, Gianfranco

2005-03-01

GEOGINE (GEOmetrical enGINE), a state-of-the-art OMG (Ontological Model Generator) based on n-D Tensor Invariants for n-Dimensional shape/texture optimal synthetic representation, description and learning, was presented in previous conferences elsewhere recently. Improved computational algorithms based on the computational invariant theory of finite groups in Euclidean space and a demo application is presented. Progressive model automatic generation is discussed. GEOGINE can be used as an efficient computational kernel for fast reliable application development and delivery in advanced biomedical engineering, biometric, intelligent computing, target recognition, content image retrieval, data mining technological areas mainly. Ontology can be regarded as a logical theory accounting for the intended meaning of a formal dictionary, i.e., its ontological commitment to a particular conceptualization of the world object. According to this approach, "n-D Tensor Calculus" can be considered a "Formal Language" to reliably compute optimized "n-Dimensional Tensor Invariants" as specific object "invariant parameter and attribute words" for automated n-Dimensional shape/texture optimal synthetic object description by incremental model generation. The class of those "invariant parameter and attribute words" can be thought as a specific "Formal Vocabulary" learned from a "Generalized Formal Dictionary" of the "Computational Tensor Invariants" language. Even object chromatic attributes can be effectively and reliably computed from object geometric parameters into robust colour shape invariant characteristics. As a matter of fact, any highly sophisticated application needing effective, robust object geometric/colour invariant attribute capture and parameterization features, for reliable automated object learning and discrimination can deeply benefit from GEOGINE progressive automated model generation computational kernel performance. Main operational advantages over previous

Improvement of Klobuchar model for GNSS single-frequency ionospheric delay corrections

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ningbo; Yuan, Yunbin; Li, Zishen; Huo, Xingliang

2016-04-01

Broadcast ionospheric model is currently an effective approach to mitigate the ionospheric time delay for real-time Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) single-frequency users. Klobuchar coefficients transmitted in Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation message have been widely used in various GNSS positioning and navigation applications; however, this model can only reduce the ionospheric error by approximately 50% in mid-latitudes. With the emerging BeiDou and Galileo, as well as the modernization of GPS and GLONASS, more precise ionospheric correction models or algorithms are required by GNSS single-frequency users. Numerical analysis of the initial phase and nighttime term in Klobuchar algorithm demonstrates that more parameters should be introduced to better describe the variation of nighttime ionospheric total electron content (TEC). In view of this, several schemes are proposed for the improvement of Klobuchar algorithm. Performance of these improved Klobuchar-like models are validated over the continental and oceanic regions during high (2002) and low (2006) levels of solar activities, respectively. Over the continental region, GPS TEC generated from 35 International GNSS Service (IGS) and the Crust Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) stations are used as references. Over the oceanic region, TEC data from TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 altimeters are used for comparison. A ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model, which describes the nighttime term as a linear function of geomagnetic latitude, is finally proposed for GNSS single-frequency ionospheric corrections. Compared to GPS TEC, while GPS broadcast model can correct for 55.0% and 49.5% of the ionospheric delay for the year 2002 and 2006, respectively, the proposed ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model can reduce the ionospheric error by 68.4% and 64.7% for the same period. Compared to TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 TEC, the improved ten-parameter Klobuchar-like model can mitigate the ionospheric

Chaotic improved PSO-based multi-objective optimization for minimization of power losses and L index in power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Gonggui; Liu, Lilan; Song, Peizhu; Du, Yangwei

2014-01-01

Highlights: • New method for MOORPD problem using MOCIPSO and MOIPSO approaches. • Constrain-prior Pareto-dominance method is proposed to meet the constraints. • The limits of the apparent power flow of transmission line are considered. • MOORPD model is built up for MOORPD problem. • The achieved results by MOCIPSO and MOIPSO approaches are better than MOPSO method. - Abstract: Multi-objective optimal reactive power dispatch (MOORPD) seeks to not only minimize power losses, but also improve the stability of power system simultaneously. In this paper, the static voltage stability enhancement is achieved through incorporating L index in MOORPD problem. Chaotic improved PSO-based multi-objective optimization (MOCIPSO) and improved PSO-based multi-objective optimization (MOIPSO) approaches are proposed for solving complex multi-objective, mixed integer nonlinear problems such as minimization of power losses and L index in power systems simultaneously. In MOCIPSO and MOIPSO based optimization approaches, crossover operator is proposed to enhance PSO diversity and improve their global searching capability, and for MOCIPSO based optimization approach, chaotic sequences based on logistic map instead of random sequences is introduced to PSO for enhancing exploitation capability. In the two approaches, constrain-prior Pareto-dominance method (CPM) is proposed to meet the inequality constraints on state variables, the sorting and crowding distance methods are considered to maintain a well distributed Pareto optimal solutions, and moreover, fuzzy set theory is employed to extract the best compromise solution over the Pareto optimal curve. The proposed approaches have been examined and tested in the IEEE 30 bus and the IEEE 57 bus power systems. The performances of MOCIPSO, MOIPSO, and multi-objective PSO (MOPSO) approaches are compared with respect to multi-objective performance measures. The simulation results are promising and confirm the ability of MOCIPSO and

A Single Dose of Beetroot Gel Rich in Nitrate Does Not Improve Performance but Lowers Blood Glucose in Physically Active Individuals

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Julia Vasconcellos

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Beetroot consumption has been proposed to improve exercise performance, since the nitrate content of this food is able to stimulate the synthesis of nitric oxide. Objective. The acute effect of 100 g of a beetroot gel containing ~10 mmol of nitrate was tested on the nitric oxide synthesis, on metabolic and biochemical parameters, and on performance in physically active individuals. Methods. Through a double blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study, 25 healthy runners ingested a single dose of beetroot and placebo gels. Participants performed an aerobic exercise protocol on a treadmill (3 min warm-up of 40% peak oxygen consumption, 4 min at 90% of gas exchange threshold I and 70% (Δ maximal end speed until volitional fatigue. Results. Urinary levels of nitrite and nitrate increased after 90 min of beetroot gel ingestion. Plasma glucose concentrations lowered after the exercise and the decrease was maintained for 20 min. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum cortisol, and blood lactate were not altered after the beetroot gel ingestion compared to a placebo gel. Conclusion. The single dose of beetroot gel provoked an increase of nitric oxide synthesis although no improvement on the physical performance of athletes during aerobic submaximal exercise was observed.

EC nuclear: toward the single market 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brill, L.V.

1991-01-01

The setting-up of a single market has long been an objective (Euratom Treaty). One of the Commission's (CEC) concerns will be to ensure that safety requirements are met in the worldwide trend in standardization of components. Cost advantages (manufacture, operation and maintenance) and improved safety are gained from standardization, and are important in a slack market

Calibration and Validation Parameter of Hydrologic Model HEC-HMS using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithms – Single Objective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Garmeh

2016-02-01

model that simulates both wet and dry weatherbehavior.Programming of HEC –HMS has been done by MATLAB and techniques such as elite mutation and creating confusion have been used in order to strengthen the algorithm and improve the results. The event-based HEC-HMS model simulatesthe precipitation-runoff process for each set of parameter values generated by PSO. Turbulentand elitism with mutation are also employed to deal with PSO premature convergence. The integrated PSO-HMS model is tested on the Kardeh dam basin located in the Khorasan Razavi province. Results and Discussion: Input parameters of hydrologic models are seldomknown with certainty. Therefore, they are not capable ofdescribing the exact hydrologic processes. Input data andstructural uncertainties related to scale and approximationsin system processes are different sources of uncertainty thatmake it difficult to model exact hydrologic phenomena.In automatic calibration, the parameter values dependon the objective function of the search or optimization algorithm.In characterizing a runoff hydrograph, threecharacteristics of time-to-peak, peak of discharge and totalrunoff volume are of the most importance. It is thereforeimportant that we simulate and observe hydrographs matchas much as possible in terms of those characteristics. Calibration was carried out in single objective cases. Model calibration in single-objective approach with regard to the objective function in the event of NASH and RMSE were conducted separately.The results indicated that the capability of the model was calibrated to an acceptable level of events. Continuing calibration results were evaluated by four different criteria.Finally, to validate the model parameters with those obtained from the calibration, tests perfomed indicated poor results. Although, based on the calibration and verification of individual events one event remains, suggesting set is a possible parameter. Conclusion: All events were evaluated by validations and the

A P300-based Brain-Computer Interface with Stimuli on Moving Objects: Four-Session Single-Trial and Triple-Trial Tests with a Game-Like Task Design

Science.gov (United States)

Ganin, Ilya P.; Shishkin, Sergei L.; Kaplan, Alexander Y.

2013-01-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are tools for controlling computers and other devices without using muscular activity, employing user-controlled variations in signals recorded from the user’s brain. One of the most efficient noninvasive BCIs is based on the P300 wave of the brain’s response to stimuli and is therefore referred to as the P300 BCI. Many modifications of this BCI have been proposed to further improve the BCI’s characteristics or to better adapt the BCI to various applications. However, in the original P300 BCI and in all of its modifications, the spatial positions of stimuli were fixed relative to each other, which can impose constraints on designing applications controlled by this BCI. We designed and tested a P300 BCI with stimuli presented on objects that were freely moving on a screen at a speed of 5.4°/s. Healthy participants practiced a game-like task with this BCI in either single-trial or triple-trial mode within four sessions. At each step, the participants were required to select one of nine moving objects. The mean online accuracy of BCI-based selection was 81% in the triple-trial mode and 65% in the single-trial mode. A relatively high P300 amplitude was observed in response to targets in most participants. Self-rated interest in the task was high and stable over the four sessions (the medians in the 1st/4th sessions were 79/84% and 76/71% in the groups practicing in the single-trial and triple-trial modes, respectively). We conclude that the movement of stimulus positions relative to each other may not prevent the efficient use of the P300 BCI by people controlling their gaze, e.g., in robotic devices and in video games. PMID:24302977

Improving Single-Carbon-Nanotube-Electrode Contacts Using Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Krittayavathananon, Atiweena; Ngamchuea, Kamonwad; Li, Xiuting; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Kätelhön, Enno; Chaisiwamongkhol, Korbua; Sawangphruk, Montree; Compton, Richard G

2017-08-17

We report the use of an electroactive species, acetaminophen, to modify the electrical connection between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and an electrode. By applying a potential across two electrodes, some of the CNTs in solution occasionally contact the electrified interface and bridge between two electrodes. By observing a single CNT contact between two microbands of an interdigitated Au electrode in the presence and absence of acetaminophen, the role of the molecular species at the electronic junction is revealed. As compared with the pure CNT, the current magnitude of the acetaminophen-modified CNTs significantly increases with the applied potentials, indicating that the molecule species improves the junction properties probably via redox shuttling.

A Single Resistance Exercise Session Improves Aortic Endothelial Function in Hypertensive Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaís de Oliveira Faria

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Physical exercise is an important tool for the improvement of endothelial function. Objective: To assess the effects of acute dynamic resistance exercise on the endothelial function of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR. Methods: Ten minutes after exercise, the aorta was removed to evaluate the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS1177 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS and to generate concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh and to phenylephrine (PHE. The PHE protocol was also performed with damaged endothelium and before and after NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME and indomethacin administration. The maximal response (Emax and the sensitivity (EC50 to these drugs were evaluated. Results: ACh-induced relaxation increased in the aortic rings of exercised (Ex rats (Emax= -80 ± 4.6%, p < 0.05 when compared to those of controls (Ct (Emax = -50 ± 6.8%. The Emax to PHE was decreased following exercise conditions (95 ± 7.9%, p < 0.05 when compared to control conditions (120 ± 4.2%. This response was abolished after L-NAME administration or endothelial damage. In the presence of indomethacin, the aortic rings' reactivity to PHE was decreased in both groups (EC50= Ex -5.9 ± 0.14 vs. Ct -6.6 ± 0.33 log µM, p < 0.05 / Emax = Ex 9.5 ± 2.9 vs. Ct 17 ± 6.2%, p < 0.05. Exercise did not alter the expression of eNOS and iNOS, but increased the level of p-eNOS. Conclusion: A single resistance exercise session improves endothelial function in hypertensive rats. This response seems to be mediated by increased NO production through eNOS activation.

Objective breast symmetry analysis with the breast analyzing tool (BAT): improved tool for clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Krois, Wilfried; Romar, Alexander Ken; Wild, Thomas; Dubsky, Peter; Exner, Ruth; Panhofer, Peter; Jakesz, Raimund; Gnant, Michael; Fitzal, Florian

2017-07-01

Objective cosmetic analysis is important to evaluate the cosmetic outcome after breast surgery or breast radiotherapy. For this purpose, we aimed to improve our recently developed objective scoring software, the Breast Analyzing Tool (BAT ® ). A questionnaire about important factors for breast symmetry was handed out to ten experts (surgeons) and eight non-experts (students). Using these factors, the first-generation BAT ® software formula has been modified and the breast symmetry index (BSI) from 129 women after breast surgery has been calculated by the first author with this new BAT ® formula. The resulting BSI values of these 129 breast cancer patients were then correlated with subjective symmetry scores from the 18 observers using the Harris scale. The BSI of ten images was also calculated from five observers different from the first author to calculate inter-rater reliability. In a second phase, the new BAT ® formula was validated and correlated with subjective scores of additional 50 women after breast surgery. The inter-rater reliability analysis of the objective evaluation by the BAT ® from five individuals showed an ICC of 0.992 with almost no difference between different observers. All subjective scores of 50 patients correlated with the modified BSI score with a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.909 (p BAT ® software improves the correlation between subjective and objective BSI values, and may be a new standard for trials evaluating breast symmetry.

Indoor climate perceived as improved after energy retrofitting of single-family houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Jensen, Ole Michael

2014-01-01

The need for energy retrofitting of the Danish single-family houses is massive, especially for the high proportion of single-family houses built in the 1960s and 1970s. But even though the potential benefits are many, only few families embark on a major energy retrofit. There may be many reasons...... for this. An obvious one may be limited knowledge of non-energy benefits, e.g. in relation to the indoor climate. The objective of this study was to explain this limited effort to save energy by identifying barriers and incentives among house owners in relation to energy retrofitting of one’s own house....... Moreover, it was investigated among house owners, who had carried out energy retrofitting, whether a number of factors, including the perceived indoor climate, became better or worse after retrofitting. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 1,990 house owners in a municipality north of Copenhagen...

Welding and Weldability of Directionally Solidified Single Crystal Nickel-Base Superalloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vitek, J M; David, S A; Reed, R W; Burke, M A; Fitzgerald, T J

1997-09-01

Nickel-base superalloys are used extensively in high-temperature service applications, and in particular, in components of turbine engines. To improve high-temperature creep properties, these alloys are often used in the directionally-solidified or single-crystal form. The objective of this CRADA project was to investigate the weldability of both experimental and commercial nickel-base superalloys in polycrystalline, directionally-solidified, and single-crystal forms.

Improved Design Methods for Robust Single- and Three-Phase ac-dc-ac Power Converters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Zian

. The approaches for improving their performance, in terms of the voltage stress, efficiency, power density, cost, loss distribution, and temperature, will be studied. The structure of the thesis is as follows, Chapter 1 presents the introduction and motivation of the whole project as well as the background...... becomes a emerging challenge. Accordingly, installation of sustainable power generators like wind turbines and solar panels has experienced a large increase during the last decades. Meanwhile, power electronics converters, as interfaces in electrical system, are delivering approximately 80 % electricity...... back-to-back, and meanwhile improve the harmonics, control flexibility, and thermal distribution between the switches. Afterwards, active power decoupling methods for single-phase inverters or rectifiers that are similar to the single-phase ac-dc-ac converter, are studied in Chapter 4...

One-single physical exercise session after object recognition learning promotes memory persistence through hippocampal noradrenergic mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva de Vargas, Liane; Neves, Ben-Hur Souto das; Roehrs, Rafael; Izquierdo, Iván; Mello-Carpes, Pâmela

2017-06-30

Previously we showed the involvement of the hippocampal noradrenergic system in the consolidation and persistence of object recognition (OR) memory. Here we show that one-single physical exercise session performed immediately after learning promotes OR memory persistence and increases norepinephrine levels in the hippocampus. Additionally, effects of exercise on memory are avoided by an intra-hippocampal beta-adrenergic antagonist infusion. Taken together, these results suggest that exercise effects on memory can be related to noradrenergic mechanisms and acute physical exercise can be a non-pharmacological intervention to assist memory consolidation and persistence, with few or no side effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the Amazonian Hydrologic Cycle in a Coupled Land-Atmosphere, Single Column Model

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, A. B.; Denning, S.; Baker, I.; Prihodko, L.; Branson, M.

2006-12-01

We have coupled a land-surface model, the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3), to a single column of the Colorado State University General Circulation Model (CSU-GCM) in the Amazon River Basin. This is a preliminary step in the broader goal of improved simulation of Basin-wide hydrology. A previous version of the coupled model (SiB2) showed drought and catastrophic dieback of the Amazon rain forest. SiB3 includes updated soil hydrology and root physiology. Our test area for the coupled single column model is near Santarem, Brazil, where measurements from the km 83 flux tower in the Tapajos National Forest can be used to evaluate model output. The model was run for 2001 using NCEP2 Reanalysis as driver data. Preliminary results show that the updated biosphere model coupled to the GCM produces improved simulations of the seasonal cycle of surface water balance and precipitation. Comparisons of the diurnal and seasonal cycles of surface fluxes are also being made.

Real Objects Can Impede Conditional Reasoning but Augmented Objects Do Not.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Yuri; Sugimoto, Yutaro; Ueda, Kazuhiro

2018-03-01

In this study, Knauff and Johnson-Laird's (2002) visual impedance hypothesis (i.e., mental representations with irrelevant visual detail can impede reasoning) is applied to the domain of external representations and diagrammatic reasoning. We show that the use of real objects and augmented real (AR) objects can control human interpretation and reasoning about conditionals. As participants made inferences (e.g., an invalid one from "if P then Q" to "P"), they also moved objects corresponding to premises. Participants who moved real objects made more invalid inferences than those who moved AR objects and those who did not manipulate objects (there was no significant difference between the last two groups). Our results showed that real objects impeded conditional reasoning, but AR objects did not. These findings are explained by the fact that real objects may over-specify a single state that exists, while AR objects suggest multiple possibilities. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Bi-objective branch-and-cut algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gadegaard, Sune Lauth; Ehrgott, Matthias; Nielsen, Lars Relund

Most real-world optimization problems are of a multi-objective nature, involving objectives which are conflicting and incomparable. Solving a multi-objective optimization problem requires a method which can generate the set of rational compromises between the objectives. In this paper, we propose...... are strengthened by cutting planes. In addition, we suggest an extension of the branching strategy "Pareto branching''. Extensive computational results obtained for the bi-objective single source capacitated facility location problem prove the effectiveness of the algorithms....... and compares it to an upper bound set. The implicit bound set based algorithm, on the other hand, fathoms branching nodes by generating a single point on the lower bound set for each local nadir point. We outline several approaches for fathoming branching nodes and we propose an updating scheme for the lower...

Towards Finding the Global Minimum of the D-Wave Objective Function for Improved Neural Network Regressions

Science.gov (United States)

Dorband, J. E.

2017-12-01

The D-Wave 2X has successfully been used for regression analysis to derive carbon flux data from OCO-2 CO2 concentration using neural networks. The samples returned from the D-Wave should represent the minimum of an objective function presented to it. An accurate as possible minimum function value is needed for this analysis. Samples from the D-Wave are near minimum, but seldom are the global minimum of the function due to quantum noise. Two methods for improving the accuracy of minimized values represented by the samples returned from the D-Wave are presented. The first method finds a new sample with a minimum value near each returned D-Wave sample. The second method uses all the returned samples to find a more global minimum sample. We present three use-cases performed using the former method. In the first use case, it is demonstrated that an objective function with random qubits and coupler coefficients had an improved minimum. In the second use case, the samples corrected by the first method can improve the training of a Boltzmann machine neural network. The third use case demonstrated that using the first method can improve virtual qubit accuracy.The later method was also performed on the first use case.

Improved generation of single nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond by ion implantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naydenov, Boris; Beck, Johannes; Steiner, Matthias; Balasubramanian, Gopalakrishnan; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Joerg [3. Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart (Germany); Richter, Vladimir; Kalish, Rafi [Solid State Institute, Technion City, Haifa (Israel); Achard, Jocelyn [Laboratoire d' Ingenieurie des Materiaux et des Hautes Pressions, CNRS, Villetaneuse (France)

2010-07-01

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have recently attracted the attention of many research groups due to their possible application as quantum bits (qubits), ultra low magnetic field sensors and single photon sources. These color centers can be produced by nitrogen ion implantation, although the yield is usually below 5 % at low ion energies. Here we report an increase of the NV production efficiency by subsequently implanting carbon ions in the area of implanted nitrogen ions. This method improves the production yield by more than 50 %. We also show that very low nitrogen concentration (below 0.1 ppb) in diamond can be determined by converting the intrinsic nitrogen atoms to single NV centers and detecting the latter using a confocal microscope.

An Integrated Account of Generalization across Objects and Features

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Charles; Shafto, Patrick; Tenenbaum, Joshua B.

2012-01-01

Humans routinely make inductive generalizations about unobserved features of objects. Previous accounts of inductive reasoning often focus on inferences about a single object or feature: accounts of causal reasoning often focus on a single object with one or more unobserved features, and accounts of property induction often focus on a single…

Objective definition and detection of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation revisited: is there room for improvement?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holloway, R. H.; Boeckxstaens, G. E. E.; Penagini, R.; Sifrm, D. A.; Smout, A. J. P. M.

2012-01-01

Background The advent of drugs that inhibit transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR) necessitates accurate identification and scoring. We assessed the intra-and inter-assessor variability of the existing objective criteria for TLESR, improving them where necessary. Methods Two 3-h

3D Restoration Microscopy Improves Quantification of Enzyme-Labeled Fluorescence-Based Single-Cell Phosphatase Activity in Plankton

OpenAIRE

Diaz-de-Quijano, Daniel; Palacios, Pilar; Hornák, Karel; Felip, Marisol

2014-01-01

The ELF or fluorescence-labeled enzyme activity (FLEA) technique is a culture-independent single-cell tool for assessing plankton enzyme activity in close-to-in situ conditions. We demonstrate that single-cell FLEA quantifications based on two-dimensional (2D) image analysis were biased by up to one order of magnitude relative to deconvolved 3D. This was basically attributed to out-of-focus light, and partially to object size. Nevertheless, if sufficient cells were measured (25-40 cells), bia...

Concurrent production of cellulase and xylanase from Trichoderma reesei NCIM 1186: enhancement of production by desirability-based multi-objective method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jampala, Preethi; Tadikamalla, Satish; Preethi, M; Ramanujam, Swathy; Uppuluri, Kiran Babu

2017-05-01

Application of multiple response optimizations using desirability function in the production of microbial metabolites improves economy and efficiency. Concurrent production of cellulase and xylanase in Trichoderma reesei NCIM 1186 using an agricultural weed, Prosopis juliflora pods, was studied. The main aim of the study was to optimize significant medium nutrient parameters for maximization of cellulase and xylanase by multi-objective optimization strategy using biomass. Process parameters such as the nutrient concentrations (pods, sucrose, and yeast extract) and pH were investigated to improve cellulase and xylanase activities by one factor at a time approach, single response optimization and multi-objective optimization. At the corresponding optimized process parameters in single response optimization, the maximum cellulase activity observed was 3055.65 U/L where xylanase highest activity was 422.16 U/L. Similarly, the maximum xylanase activity, 444.94 U/L, was observed with the highest cellulase activity of 2804.40 U/L. The multi-objective optimization finds a tradeoff between the two objectives and optimal activity values in between the single-objective optima were achieved, 3033.74 and 439.13 U/L for cellulase and xylanase, respectively.

An object-oriented implementation to improve annunciation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, In-Koo; Kim, Jung-Taek; Lee, Dong-Young; Park, Jae-Chang; Ham, Chang-Shik

1997-01-01

A computer-based alarm processing system for nuclear power plants is being developed in a G2 expert system software tool. In the G2 environment, every alarm is treated as an object of alarm class. The attributes of each alarm object include activation status, alarm messages, process value, time, priority, acknowledgment state, and icon color. If an alarm is activated, its icon color, on an overview process mimic diagram changes corresponding to its priority which can be set initially or determined dynamically by reasoning rules and procedures. The process conditions, such as plant or equipment status and correlated alarms' states determine the priority of the activated alarm. The knowledge base of the system is constructed by process analysis of the plant and discussion with operators and nuclear plant experts. (author). 6 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

An object-oriented implementation to improve annunciation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, In-Koo; Kim, Jung-Taek; Lee, Dong-Young; Park, Jae-Chang; Ham, Chang-Shik [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-09-01

A computer-based alarm processing system for nuclear power plants is being developed in a G2 expert system software tool. In the G2 environment, every alarm is treated as an object of alarm class. The attributes of each alarm object include activation status, alarm messages, process value, time, priority, acknowledgment state, and icon color. If an alarm is activated, its icon color, on an overview process mimic diagram changes corresponding to its priority which can be set initially or determined dynamically by reasoning rules and procedures. The process conditions, such as plant or equipment status and correlated alarms` states determine the priority of the activated alarm. The knowledge base of the system is constructed by process analysis of the plant and discussion with operators and nuclear plant experts. (author). 6 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab.

Linnorm: improved statistical analysis for single cell RNA-seq expression data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Shun H; Wang, Panwen; Kocher, Jean-Pierre A; Sham, Pak Chung; Wang, Junwen

2017-12-15

Linnorm is a novel normalization and transformation method for the analysis of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Linnorm is developed to remove technical noises and simultaneously preserve biological variations in scRNA-seq data, such that existing statistical methods can be improved. Using real scRNA-seq data, we compared Linnorm with existing normalization methods, including NODES, SAMstrt, SCnorm, scran, DESeq and TMM. Linnorm shows advantages in speed, technical noise removal and preservation of cell heterogeneity, which can improve existing methods in the discovery of novel subtypes, pseudo-temporal ordering of cells, clustering analysis, etc. Linnorm also performs better than existing DEG analysis methods, including BASiCS, NODES, SAMstrt, Seurat and DESeq2, in false positive rate control and accuracy. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Object permanence tests on gibbons (Hylobatidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Fedor, Anna; Skollár, Gabriella; Szerencsy, Nóra; Ujhelyi, Mária

2008-11-01

Ten gibbons of various species (Symphalangus syndactylus, Hylobates lar, Nomascus gabriellae, and Nomascus leucogenys) were tested on object permanence tasks. Three identical wooden boxes, presented in a linear line, were used to hide pieces of food. The authors conducted single visible, single invisible, double invisible, and control displacements, in both random and nonrandom order. During invisible displacements, the experimenter hid the object in her hand before putting it into a box. The performance of gibbons was better than expected by chance in all the tests, except for the randomly ordered double displacement. However, individual analysis of performance showed great variability across subjects, and only 1 gibbon is assumed to have solved single visible and single invisible displacements without recourse to a strategy that the control test eliminated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Improved state observers for sensorless single phase BLDC-PM motor drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lepure, Liviu L.; Boldea, Ion; Andreescu, Gheorghe Daniel

2010-01-01

Two methods of extracting the rotor position and speed for a sensorless single phase BLDC-PM motor drive by measuring only the phase current are presented here. Both methods are based on a generated orthogonal flux system. The first method extracts the position information by using the tan−1...... function and then an improved observer is created by adding a 4th order harmonic term in the estimated position, while the second method uses a phase locked loop structure. The proposed state observers are detailed using simulation results and then validated by experimental results....

Single Incision Laparoscopic Splenectomy: Our First Experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umut Barbaros

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Most laparoscopic surgeons have attempted to reduce incisional morbidity and improve cosmetic outcomes by using less and smaller trocars. Single incision laparoscopic splenectomy is a new laparoscopic procedure. Herein we would like to present our experiences.Material and Methods: Between January 2009 and June 2009, data of the 7 patients who underwent single incision laparoscopic splenectomy were evaluated retrospectively.Results: There were 7 patients (5 females and 2 males with a mean age of 29.9 years. The most common splenectomy indication was idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Single incision laparoscopic splenectomy was performed successfully in 6 patients. In one patient the operation was converted to an open procedure.Conclusion: With surgeons experienced in minimally invasive surgery, single incision laparoscopic splenectomy could be performed successfully. However, in order to demonstrate the differneces between standard laparoscopic splenectomy and SILS splenetomy, prospective randomized comparative studies are required.

Compositional mining of multiple object API protocols through state abstraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ziying; Mao, Xiaoguang; Lei, Yan; Qi, Yuhua; Wang, Rui; Gu, Bin

2013-01-01

API protocols specify correct sequences of method invocations. Despite their usefulness, API protocols are often unavailable in practice because writing them is cumbersome and error prone. Multiple object API protocols are more expressive than single object API protocols. However, the huge number of objects of typical object-oriented programs poses a major challenge to the automatic mining of multiple object API protocols: besides maintaining scalability, it is important to capture various object interactions. Current approaches utilize various heuristics to focus on small sets of methods. In this paper, we present a general, scalable, multiple object API protocols mining approach that can capture all object interactions. Our approach uses abstract field values to label object states during the mining process. We first mine single object typestates as finite state automata whose transitions are annotated with states of interacting objects before and after the execution of the corresponding method and then construct multiple object API protocols by composing these annotated single object typestates. We implement our approach for Java and evaluate it through a series of experiments.

From tomography to FWI with a single objective function

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali; Choi, Yun Seok

2013-01-01

Reflections in our seismic data induce serious nonlinear behavior in the objective function of full waveform inversion (FWI). Thus, without a good initial velocity model, that can produce the reflections within a cycle of the frequency used

Induction Based Training leads to Highly Significant Improvements of Objective and Subjective Suturing Ability in Junior Doctors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Garry

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Simulation based training has shown to be of benefit in the education of medical students. However, the impact of induction based clinical simulation on surgical ability of qualified doctors remains unclear.The aim of this study was to establish if a 60 minute teaching session integrated into an Emergency Medicine speciality induction program produces statistically significant improvements in objective and subjective suturing abilities of junior doctors commencing an Emergency Medicine rotation.Methods: The objective suturing abilities of 16 Foundation Year Two doctors were analysed using a validated OSATs scale prior to a novel teaching intervention. The doctors then undertook an intensive hour long workshop receiving one to one feedback before undergoing repeat OSATs assessment.Subjective ability was measured using a 5 point likert scale and self-assessed competency reporting interrupted suturing before and after the intervention. Photographs of wound closure before and after the intervention were recorded for further blinded assessment of impact of intervention. A survey regarding continued ability was repeated at four months following the intervention. The study took place on 7/12/16 during the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Emergency Medicine induction in the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast. The hospital is a regional level 1 trauma centre that has annual departmental attendances in excess of 200,000.All new junior doctors commencing the Emergency Medicine rotation were invited to partake in the study. All 16 agreed. The group consisted of a mixture of undergraduate and postgraduate medicaldoctors who all had 16 months experience working in a variety of medical or surgical jobs previously.Results: Following the teaching intervention objective and subjective abilities in interrupted suturing showed statistically significant improvement (P>0.005. Self-reporting of competency of independently suturingwounds improved from 50

Object Recognition via Information-Theoretic Measures/Metrics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Repperger, Daniel W; Pinkus, Alan R; Skipper, Julie A; Schrider, Christian D

2006-01-01

.... In aerial military images, objects with different orientation can be reasonably approximated by a single identification signature consisting of the average histogram of the object under rotations...

Advances in single chain technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Burgos, Marina; Latorre-Sanchez, Alejandro; Pomposo, José A

2015-10-07

The recent ability to manipulate and visualize single atoms at atomic level has given rise to modern bottom-up nanotechnology. Similar exquisite degree of control at the individual polymeric chain level for producing functional soft nanoentities is expected to become a reality in the next few years through the full development of so-called "single chain technology". Ultra-small unimolecular soft nano-objects endowed with useful, autonomous and smart functions are the expected, long-term valuable output of single chain technology. This review covers the recent advances in single chain technology for the construction of soft nano-objects via chain compaction, with an emphasis in dynamic, letter-shaped and compositionally unsymmetrical single rings, complex multi-ring systems, single chain nanoparticles, tadpoles, dumbbells and hairpins, as well as the potential end-use applications of individual soft nano-objects endowed with useful functions in catalysis, sensing, drug delivery and other uses.

The success of opening single chronic total occlusion lesions to improve myocardialviabilitytrial (SOS-COMEDY)

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rongchong; Song, Xiantao; Zhang, Haishan; Tian, Wen; Huang, Zheng; Zhang, Xingwei; Yang, Junqing; Zhang, Dongfeng; Wu, Jian; Zhong, Lei; Ting, Henry H.

2018-01-01

Abstract Aims: Success of opening single (SOS)-comedy is a prospective multicenter study to compare the improvement in the decrease of myocardial viability by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with that by optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a single coronary artery. Methods and results: The risks and the benefits of both options (PCI and OMT) were listed in a CTO decision aid (DA). Eligible participants detected by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were divided into PCI or OMT groups according to patients’ choice after shared-decision making process with DA. Participants will undergo positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and proceed to ICA and revascularization if possible. Blinded core laboratory interpretation will be performed for ICA, CCTA, PET/CT, CMR, and TTE. All participants will be followed up for 12 months. The primary endpoint is the improvement to the decrease of myocardial viability from baseline assessed with the use of PET/CT after 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: All of the patients are appropriately consented before enrolling in this study, which has been approved by the Ethics Committee. Results of SOS-COMEDY will be helpful to develop a strategy for single CTO patients. PMID:29668609

Long working distance objective lenses for single atom trapping and imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pritchard, J. D., E-mail: jonathan.pritchard@strath.ac.uk [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, 107 Rottenrow East, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom); Isaacs, J. A.; Saffman, M. [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2016-07-15

We present a pair of optimized objective lenses with long working distances of 117 mm and 65 mm, respectively, that offer diffraction limited performance for both Cs and Rb wavelengths when imaging through standard vacuum windows. The designs utilise standard catalog lens elements to provide a simple and cost-effective solution. Objective 1 provides NA = 0.175 offering 3 μm resolution whilst objective 2 is optimized for high collection efficiency with NA = 0.29 and 1.8 μm resolution. This flexible design can be further extended for use at shorter wavelengths by simply re-optimising the lens separations.

Tracking multiple objects is limited only by object spacing, not by speed, time, or capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Franconeri, S L; Jonathan, S V; Scimeca, J M

2010-07-01

In dealing with a dynamic world, people have the ability to maintain selective attention on a subset of moving objects in the environment. Performance in such multiple-object tracking is limited by three primary factors-the number of objects that one can track, the speed at which one can track them, and how close together they can be. We argue that this last limit, of object spacing, is the root cause of all performance constraints in multiple-object tracking. In two experiments, we found that as long as the distribution of object spacing is held constant, tracking performance is unaffected by large changes in object speed and tracking time. These results suggest that barring object-spacing constraints, people could reliably track an unlimited number of objects as fast as they could track a single object.

Does job satisfaction improve the health of workers? New evidence using panel data and objective measures of health.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Justina A V; Sousa-Poza, Alfonso

2009-01-01

This paper evaluates the relationship between job satisfaction and measures of health of workers using the German Socio-Economic Panel. Methodologically, it addresses two important design problems encountered frequently in the literature: (a) cross-sectional causality problems and (b) the absence of objective measures of physical health that complement self-reported measures of health status. Not only does using the panel structure with individual fixed effects mitigate the bias from omitting unobservable personal psycho-social characteristics, but employing more objective health measures such as health-system contacts and disability addresses such measurement problems relating to self-report assessments of health status.We find a positive link between job satisfaction (and changes over time therein) and subjective health measures (and changes therein); that is, employees with higher or improved job satisfaction levels feel healthier and are more satisfied with their health. This observation also holds true for more objective measures of health. Particularly, improvements in job satisfaction over time appear to prevent workers from (further) health deterioration. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Does real-time objective feedback and competition improve performance and quality in manikin CPR training--a prospective observational study from several European EMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, J R; Kranz, K; Carmona, F; Lindner, T W; Newton, A

2015-10-15

Previous studies have reported that the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is important for patient survival. Real time objective feedback during manikin training has been shown to improve CPR performance. Objective measurement could facilitate competition and help motivate participants to improve their CPR performance. The aims of this study were to investigate whether real time objective feedback on manikins helps improve CPR performance and whether competition between separate European Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and between participants at each EMS helps motivation to train. Ten European EMS took part in the study and was carried out in two stages. At Stage 1, each EMS provided 20 pre-hospital professionals. A questionnaire was completed and standardised assessment scenarios were performed for adult and infant out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). CPR performance was objectively measured and recorded but no feedback given. Between Stage 1 and 2, each EMS was given access to manikins for 6 months and instructed on how to use with objective real-time CPR feedback available. Stage 2 was undertaken and was a repeat of Stage 1 with a questionnaire with additional questions relating to usefulness of feedback and the competition nature of the study (using a 10 point Likert score). The EMS that improved the most from Stage 1 to Stage 2 was declared the winner. An independent samples Student t-test was used to analyse the objective CPR metrics with the significance level taken as p Competition between EMS organisations recorded a mean score of 5.8 and competition between participants recorded a mean score of 6.0. The results suggest that the use of real time objective feedback can significantly help improve CPR performance. Competition, especially between participants, appeared to encourage staff to practice and this study suggests that competition might have a useful role to help motivate staff to perform CPR training.

Single breath-hold real-time cine MR imaging: improved temporal resolution using generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wintersperger, Bernd J.; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Dietrich, Olaf; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Rieber, Johannes; Nittka, Matthias

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test parallel imaging techniques for improvement of temporal resolution in multislice single breath-hold real-time cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) in comparison with standard segmented single-slice SSFP techniques. Eighteen subjects were examined on a 1.5-T scanner using a multislice real-time cine SSFP technique using the GRAPPA algorithm. Global left ventricular parameters (EDV, ESV, SV, EF) were evaluated and results compared with a standard segmented single-slice SSFP technique. Results for EDV (r=0.93), ESV (r=0.99), SV (r=0.83), and EF (r=0.99) of real-time multislice SSFP imaging showed a high correlation with results of segmented SSFP acquisitions. Systematic differences between both techniques were statistically non-significant. Single breath-hold multislice techniques using GRAPPA allow for improvement of temporal resolution and for accurate assessment of global left ventricular functional parameters. (orig.)

Evaluating and Improving Automatic Sleep Spindle Detection by Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Yin Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles are brief bursts of brain activity in the sigma frequency range (11–16 Hz measured by electroencephalography (EEG mostly during non-rapid eye movement (NREM stage 2 sleep. These oscillations are of great biological and clinical interests because they potentially play an important role in identifying and characterizing the processes of various neurological disorders. Conventionally, sleep spindles are identified by expert sleep clinicians via visual inspection of EEG signals. The process is laborious and the results are inconsistent among different experts. To resolve the problem, numerous computerized methods have been developed to automate the process of sleep spindle identification. Still, the performance of these automated sleep spindle detection methods varies inconsistently from study to study. There are two reasons: (1 the lack of common benchmark databases, and (2 the lack of commonly accepted evaluation metrics. In this study, we focus on tackling the second problem by proposing to evaluate the performance of a spindle detector in a multi-objective optimization context and hypothesize that using the resultant Pareto fronts for deriving evaluation metrics will improve automatic sleep spindle detection. We use a popular multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA, the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2, to optimize six existing frequency-based sleep spindle detection algorithms. They include three Fourier, one continuous wavelet transform (CWT, and two Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT based algorithms. We also explore three hybrid approaches. Trained and tested on open-access DREAMS and MASS databases, two new hybrid methods of combining Fourier with HHT algorithms show significant performance improvement with F1-scores of 0.726–0.737.

Improving access in gastroenterology: The single point of entry model for referrals

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Kerri L; Van Zanten, Sander Veldhuyzen; Pendharkar, Sachin R

2013-01-01

In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta) adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM) for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI), in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies. PMID:24040629

Improving Access in Gastroenterology: The Single Point of Entry Model for Referrals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerri L Novak

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta. SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI, in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies.

Improving access in gastroenterology: the single point of entry model for referrals.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Kerri; Veldhuyzen Van Zanten, Sander; Pendharkar, Sachin R

2013-11-01

In 2005, a group of academic gastroenterologists in Calgary (Alberta) adopted a centralized referral intake system known as central triage. This system provided a single point of entry model (SEM) for referrals rather than the traditional system of individual practitioners managing their own referrals and queues. The goal of central triage was to improve wait times and referral management. In 2008, a similar system was developed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). SEMs have subsequently been adopted by numerous subspecialties throughout Alberta. There are many benefits of SEMs including improved access and reduced wait times. Understanding and measuring complex patient flow systems is key to improving access, and centralized intake systems provide an opportunity to better understand total demand and system bottlenecks. This knowledge is particularly important for specialties such as gastroenterology (GI), in which demand exceeds supply. While it is anticipated that SEMs will reduce wait times for GI care in Canada, the lack of sufficient resources to meet the demand for GI care necessitates additional strategies.

Retrospective cues based on object features improve visual working memory performance in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilchrist, Amanda L; Duarte, Audrey; Verhaeghen, Paul

2016-01-01

Research with younger adults has shown that retrospective cues can be used to orient top-down attention toward relevant items in working memory. We examined whether older adults could take advantage of these cues to improve memory performance. Younger and older adults were presented with visual arrays of five colored shapes; during maintenance, participants were presented either with an informative cue based on an object feature (here, object shape or color) that would be probed, or with an uninformative, neutral cue. Although older adults were less accurate overall, both age groups benefited from the presentation of an informative, feature-based cue relative to a neutral cue. Surprisingly, we also observed differences in the effectiveness of shape versus color cues and their effects upon post-cue memory load. These results suggest that older adults can use top-down attention to remove irrelevant items from visual working memory, provided that task-relevant features function as cues.

GNSS Single Frequency, Single Epoch Reliable Attitude Determination Method with Baseline Vector Constraint

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Ang Gong

2015-12-01

Full Text Available For Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS single frequency, single epoch attitude determination, this paper proposes a new reliable method with baseline vector constraint. First, prior knowledge of baseline length, heading, and pitch obtained from other navigation equipment or sensors are used to reconstruct objective function rigorously. Then, searching strategy is improved. It substitutes gradually Enlarged ellipsoidal search space for non-ellipsoidal search space to ensure correct ambiguity candidates are within it and make the searching process directly be carried out by least squares ambiguity decorrelation algorithm (LAMBDA method. For all vector candidates, some ones are further eliminated by derived approximate inequality, which accelerates the searching process. Experimental results show that compared to traditional method with only baseline length constraint, this new method can utilize a priori baseline three-dimensional knowledge to fix ambiguity reliably and achieve a high success rate. Experimental tests also verify it is not very sensitive to baseline vector error and can perform robustly when angular error is not great.

Non-convex multi-objective optimization

CERN Document Server

Pardalos, Panos M; Žilinskas, Julius

2017-01-01

Recent results on non-convex multi-objective optimization problems and methods are presented in this book, with particular attention to expensive black-box objective functions. Multi-objective optimization methods facilitate designers, engineers, and researchers to make decisions on appropriate trade-offs between various conflicting goals. A variety of deterministic and stochastic multi-objective optimization methods are developed in this book. Beginning with basic concepts and a review of non-convex single-objective optimization problems; this book moves on to cover multi-objective branch and bound algorithms, worst-case optimal algorithms (for Lipschitz functions and bi-objective problems), statistical models based algorithms, and probabilistic branch and bound approach. Detailed descriptions of new algorithms for non-convex multi-objective optimization, their theoretical substantiation, and examples for practical applications to the cell formation problem in manufacturing engineering, the process design in...

Automatic cumulative sums contour detection of FBP-reconstructed multi-object nuclear medicine images.

Science.gov (United States)

Protonotarios, Nicholas E; Spyrou, George M; Kastis, George A

2017-06-01

The problem of determining the contours of objects in nuclear medicine images has been studied extensively in the past, however most of the analysis has focused on a single object as opposed to multiple objects. The aim of this work is to develop an automated method for determining the contour of multiple objects in positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) filtered backprojection (FBP) reconstructed images. These contours can be used for computing body edges for attenuation correction in PET and SPECT, as well as for eliminating streak artifacts outside the objects, which could be useful in compressive sensing reconstruction. Contour detection has been accomplished by applying a modified cumulative sums (CUSUM) scheme in the sinogram. Our approach automatically detects all objects in the image, without requiring a priori knowledge of the number of distinct objects in the reconstructed image. This method has been tested in simulated phantoms, such as an image-quality (IQ) phantom and two digital multi-object phantoms, as well as a real NEMA phantom and a clinical thoracic study. For this purpose, a GE Discovery PET scanner was employed. The detected contours achieved root mean square accuracy of 1.14 pixels, 1.69 pixels and 3.28 pixels and a Hausdorff distance of 3.13, 3.12 and 4.50 pixels, for the simulated image-quality phantom PET study, the real NEMA phantom and the clinical thoracic study, respectively. These results correspond to a significant improvement over recent results obtained in similar studies. Furthermore, we obtained an optimal sub-pattern assignment (OSPA) localization error of 0.94 and 1.48, for the two-objects and three-objects simulated phantoms, respectively. Our method performs efficiently for sets of convex objects and hence it provides a robust tool for automatic contour determination with precise results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economy Controls Energy Retrofits of Danish Single-family Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

2014-01-01

A great energy saving potential is found in the 440,000 Danish single-family houses erected between 1960 and 1979, but the potential is not exploited. To utilize this potential homeowners must be motivated to conduct energy saving retrofits. This paper presents results from a survey from 2012 where...... 883 Danish single-family house owners completed a questionnaire about energy retrofit. The objective of this paper is, based on the survey results, to determine how Danish homeowners can be motivated to conduct energy retrofits. The conclusion is that the financial aspect of an energy retrofit...... about the potential improvements within these parameters is found among the homeowners and therefore there is a vital need for more information about this. A combination of this knowledge of the non-economic improvements, a sensible investment size and information and education about the current...

Improvements in the sensibility of MSA-GA tool using COFFEE objective function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amorim, A R; Zafalon, G F D; Neves, L A; Valêncio, C R; Machado, J M; Pinto, A R

2015-01-01

The sequence alignment is one of the most important tasks in Bioinformatics, playing an important role in the sequences analysis. There are many strategies to perform sequence alignment, since those use deterministic algorithms, as dynamic programming, until those ones, which use heuristic algorithms, as Progressive, Ant Colony (ACO), Genetic Algorithms (GA), Simulated Annealing (SA), among others. In this work, we have implemented the objective function COFFEE in the MSA-GA tool, in substitution of Weighted Sum-of-Pairs (WSP), to improve the final results. In the tests, we were able to verify the approach using COFFEE function achieved better results in 81% of the lower similarity alignments when compared with WSP approach. Moreover, even in the tests with more similar sets, the approach using COFFEE was better in 43% of the times

7 CFR 3550.51 - Program objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Program objectives. 3550.51 Section 3550.51... AGRICULTURE DIRECT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING LOANS AND GRANTS Section 502 Origination § 3550.51 Program objectives..., applicants are required to use section 502 funds in conjunction with funding or financing from other sources...

An Improved Multi-Objective Programming with Augmented ε-Constraint Method for Hazardous Waste Location-Routing Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hao; Solvang, Wei Deng

2016-05-31

Hazardous waste location-routing problems are of importance due to the potential risk for nearby residents and the environment. In this paper, an improved mathematical formulation is developed based upon a multi-objective mixed integer programming approach. The model aims at assisting decision makers in selecting locations for different facilities including treatment plants, recycling plants and disposal sites, providing appropriate technologies for hazardous waste treatment, and routing transportation. In the model, two critical factors are taken into account: system operating costs and risk imposed on local residents, and a compensation factor is introduced to the risk objective function in order to account for the fact that the risk level imposed by one type of hazardous waste or treatment technology may significantly vary from that of other types. Besides, the policy instruments for promoting waste recycling are considered, and their influence on the costs and risk of hazardous waste management is also discussed. The model is coded and calculated in Lingo optimization solver, and the augmented ε-constraint method is employed to generate the Pareto optimal curve of the multi-objective optimization problem. The trade-off between different objectives is illustrated in the numerical experiment.

An Improved Multi-Objective Programming with Augmented ε-Constraint Method for Hazardous Waste Location-Routing Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Yu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Hazardous waste location-routing problems are of importance due to the potential risk for nearby residents and the environment. In this paper, an improved mathematical formulation is developed based upon a multi-objective mixed integer programming approach. The model aims at assisting decision makers in selecting locations for different facilities including treatment plants, recycling plants and disposal sites, providing appropriate technologies for hazardous waste treatment, and routing transportation. In the model, two critical factors are taken into account: system operating costs and risk imposed on local residents, and a compensation factor is introduced to the risk objective function in order to account for the fact that the risk level imposed by one type of hazardous waste or treatment technology may significantly vary from that of other types. Besides, the policy instruments for promoting waste recycling are considered, and their influence on the costs and risk of hazardous waste management is also discussed. The model is coded and calculated in Lingo optimization solver, and the augmented ε-constraint method is employed to generate the Pareto optimal curve of the multi-objective optimization problem. The trade-off between different objectives is illustrated in the numerical experiment.

Optimization of Fuel Consumption and Emissions for Auxiliary Power Unit Based on Multi-Objective Optimization Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongpeng Shen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Auxiliary power units (APUs are widely used for electric power generation in various types of electric vehicles, improvements in fuel economy and emissions of these vehicles directly depend on the operating point of the APUs. In order to balance the conflicting goals of fuel consumption and emissions reduction in the process of operating point choice, the APU operating point optimization problem is formulated as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem (CMOP firstly. The four competing objectives of this CMOP are fuel-electricity conversion cost, hydrocarbon (HC emissions, carbon monoxide (CO emissions and nitric oxide (NO x emissions. Then, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO algorithm and weighted metric decision making method are employed to solve the APU operating point multi-objective optimization model. Finally, bench experiments under New European driving cycle (NEDC, Federal test procedure (FTP and high way fuel economy test (HWFET driving cycles show that, compared with the results of the traditional fuel consumption single-objective optimization approach, the proposed multi-objective optimization approach shows significant improvements in emissions performance, at the expense of a slight drop in fuel efficiency.

Object detection system based on multimodel saliency maps

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ya'nan; Luo, Chongfan; Ma, Yide

2017-03-01

Detection of visually salient image regions is extensively applied in computer vision and computer graphics, such as object detection, adaptive compression, and object recognition, but any single model always has its limitations to various images, so in our work, we establish a method based on multimodel saliency maps to detect the object, which intelligently absorbs the merits of various individual saliency detection models to achieve promising results. The method can be roughly divided into three steps: in the first step, we propose a decision-making system to evaluate saliency maps obtained by seven competitive methods and merely select the three most valuable saliency maps; in the second step, we introduce heterogeneous PCNN algorithm to obtain three prime foregrounds; and then a self-designed nonlinear fusion method is proposed to merge these saliency maps; at last, the adaptive improved and simplified PCNN model is used to detect the object. Our proposed method can constitute an object detection system for different occasions, which requires no training, is simple, and highly efficient. The proposed saliency fusion technique shows better performance over a broad range of images and enriches the applicability range by fusing different individual saliency models, this proposed system is worthy enough to be called a strong model. Moreover, the proposed adaptive improved SPCNN model is stemmed from the Eckhorn's neuron model, which is skilled in image segmentation because of its biological background, and in which all the parameters are adaptive to image information. We extensively appraise our algorithm on classical salient object detection database, and the experimental results demonstrate that the aggregation of saliency maps outperforms the best saliency model in all cases, yielding highest precision of 89.90%, better recall rates of 98.20%, greatest F-measure of 91.20%, and lowest mean absolute error value of 0.057, the value of proposed saliency evaluation

Improvement of stress-rupture property by Cr addition in Ni-based single crystal superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.Y.; Feng, Q.; Cao, L.M.; Sun, Z.Q.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Cr improved the stress-rupture life of single crystal superalloys significantly. → Cr increased the Re partitioning ratio and resulted in more negative misfit. → Mechanism for improving the stress-rupture life by Cr addition is addressed here. - Abstract: The effects of Cr addition on the microstructure and stress-rupture property have been investigated in three experimental Ni-based single crystal superalloys containing various levels of Cr addition (0-5.7 wt.%). The Re partitioning ratio increased and the lattice misfit became more negative with increasing the Cr addition in both dendrite core and interdendritic region. The changes of elemental partitioning behaviors and the lattice misfit show good agreement with the change of γ' morphology. Cr addition increased the stress-rupture life at 1100 deg. C/140 MPa significantly due to higher γ' volume fraction, more negative lattice misfit and a well rafting structure as well as less width of γ channels. High Cr addition (5.7 wt.%) increased the degree of Re and Cr supersaturation in the γ phase and promoted the formation of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases significantly under thermal exposure and creep deformation at 1100 deg. C.

Stream Clustering of Growing Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqui, Zaigham Faraz; Spiliopoulou, Myra

We study incremental clustering of objects that grow and accumulate over time. The objects come from a multi-table stream e.g. streams of Customer and Transaction. As the Transactions stream accumulates, the Customers’ profiles grow. First, we use an incremental propositionalisation to convert the multi-table stream into a single-table stream upon which we apply clustering. For this purpose, we develop an online version of K-Means algorithm that can handle these swelling objects and any new objects that arrive. The algorithm also monitors the quality of the model and performs re-clustering when it deteriorates. We evaluate our method on the PKDD Challenge 1999 dataset.

Applying different quality and safety models in healthcare improvement work: Boundary objects and system thinking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiig, Siri; Robert, Glenn; Anderson, Janet E.; Pietikainen, Elina; Reiman, Teemu; Macchi, Luigi; Aase, Karina

2014-01-01

A number of theoretical models can be applied to help guide quality improvement and patient safety interventions in hospitals. However there are often significant differences between such models and, therefore, their potential contribution when applied in diverse contexts. The aim of this paper is to explore how two such models have been applied by hospitals to improve quality and safety. We describe and compare the models: (1) The Organizing for Quality (OQ) model, and (2) the Design for Integrated Safety Culture (DISC) model. We analyze the theoretical foundations of the models, and show, by using a retrospective comparative case study approach from two European hospitals, how these models have been applied to improve quality and safety. The analysis shows that differences appear in the theoretical foundations, practical approaches and applications of the models. Nevertheless, the case studies indicate that the choice between the OQ and DISC models is of less importance for guiding the practice of quality and safety improvement work, as they are both systemic and share some important characteristics. The main contribution of the models lay in their role as boundary objects directing attention towards organizational and systems thinking, culture, and collaboration

Improvement of the R-SWAT-FME framework to support multiple variables and multi-objective functions

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shu-Guang

2014-01-01

Application of numerical models is a common practice in the environmental field for investigation and prediction of natural and anthropogenic processes. However, process knowledge, parameter identifiability, sensitivity, and uncertainty analyses are still a challenge for large and complex mathematical models such as the hydrological/water quality model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). In this study, the previously developed R program language-SWAT-Flexible Modeling Environment (R-SWAT-FME) was improved to support multiple model variables and objectives at multiple time steps (i.e., daily, monthly, and annually). This expansion is significant because there is usually more than one variable (e.g., water, nutrients, and pesticides) of interest for environmental models like SWAT. To further facilitate its easy use, we also simplified its application requirements without compromising its merits, such as the user-friendly interface. To evaluate the performance of the improved framework, we used a case study focusing on both streamflow and nitrate nitrogen in the Upper Iowa River Basin (above Marengo) in the United States. Results indicated that the R-SWAT-FME performs well and is comparable to the built-in auto-calibration tool in multi-objective model calibration. Overall, the enhanced R-SWAT-FME can be useful for the SWAT community, and the methods we used can also be valuable for wrapping potential R packages with other environmental models.

An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization for Selective Single Machine Scheduling with Sequence Dependent Setup Costs and Downstream Demands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a special single machine scheduling problem derived from practical industries, namely, the selective single machine scheduling with sequence dependent setup costs and downstream demands. Different from traditional single machine scheduling, this problem further takes into account the selection of jobs and the demands of downstream lines. This problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model and an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO is proposed to solve it. To enhance the exploitation ability of the PSO, an adaptive neighborhood search with different search depth is developed based on the decision characteristics of the problem. To improve the search diversity and make the proposed PSO algorithm capable of getting out of local optimum, an elite solution pool is introduced into the PSO. Computational results based on extensive test instances show that the proposed PSO can obtain optimal solutions for small size problems and outperform the CPLEX and some other powerful algorithms for large size problems.

Improvements of an objective model of compressed breasts undergoing mammography: Generation and characterization of breast shapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Ruiz, Alejandro; Feng, Steve Si Jia; van Zelst, Jan; Vreemann, Suzan; Mann, Jessica Rice; D'Orsi, Carl Joseph; Sechopoulos, Ioannis

2017-06-01

To develop a set of accurate 2D models of compressed breasts undergoing mammography or breast tomosynthesis, based on objective analysis, to accurately characterize mammograms with few linearly independent parameters, and to generate novel clinically realistic paired cranio-caudal (CC) and medio-lateral oblique (MLO) views of the breast. We seek to improve on an existing model of compressed breasts by overcoming detector size bias, removing the nipple and non-mammary tissue, pairing the CC and MLO views from a single breast, and incorporating the pectoralis major muscle contour into the model. The outer breast shapes in 931 paired CC and MLO mammograms were automatically detected with an in-house developed segmentation algorithm. From these shapes three generic models (CC-only, MLO-only, and joint CC/MLO) with linearly independent components were constructed via principal component analysis (PCA). The ability of the models to represent mammograms not used for PCA was tested via leave-one-out cross-validation, by measuring the average distance error (ADE). The individual models based on six components were found to depict breast shapes with accuracy (mean ADE-CC = 0.81 mm, ADE-MLO = 1.64 mm, ADE-Pectoralis = 1.61 mm), outperforming the joint CC/MLO model (P ≤ 0.001). The joint model based on 12 principal components contains 99.5% of the total variance of the data, and can be used to generate new clinically realistic paired CC and MLO breast shapes. This is achieved by generating random sets of 12 principal components, following the Gaussian distributions of the histograms of each component, which were obtained from the component values determined from the images in the mammography database used. Our joint CC/MLO model can successfully generate paired CC and MLO view shapes of the same simulated breast, while the individual models can be used to represent with high accuracy clinical acquired mammograms with a small set of parameters. This is the first

Improved and Reproducible Flow Cytometry Methodology for Nuclei Isolation from Single Root Meristem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaís Cristina Ribeiro Silva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Root meristems have increasingly been target of cell cycle studies by flow cytometric DNA content quantification. Moreover, roots can be an alternative source of nuclear suspension when leaves become unfeasible and for chromosome analysis and sorting. In the present paper, a protocol for intact nuclei isolation from a single root meristem was developed. This proceeding was based on excision of the meristematic region using a prototypical slide, followed by short enzymatic digestion and mechanical isolation of nuclei during homogenization with a hand mixer. Such parameters were optimized for reaching better results. Satisfactory nuclei amounts were extracted and analyzed by flow cytometry, producing histograms with reduced background noise and CVs between 3.2 and 4.1%. This improved and reproducible technique was shown to be rapid, inexpensive, and simple for nuclear extraction from a single root tip, and can be adapted for other plants and purposes.

Improving the conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes films by heat treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Jiaping [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Sun Jing, E-mail: jingsun@mail.sic.ac.c [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Gao Lian, E-mail: liangaoc@online.sh.c [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Liu Yangqiao; Wang Yan; Zhang Jing [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructures, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Superfine Microstructures, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Kajiura, Hisashi; Li Yongming; Noda, Kazuhiro [Advanced Materials Laboratories, Sony Corporation, Atsugi Tec. No. 2, 4-16-1 Okata Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0021 (Japan)

2009-10-19

A simple heat treatment method was applied to remove surfactants remaining in the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) films at 300 deg. C for 5 h in air. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and reflected light interference microscope (RLIM) were employed to verify the elimination of surfactants. The comprehensive performance, especially the conductivity, could be improved by more than one order after heat treatment. For example, using SDBS as dispersant, the sheet resistance decreased from 782,600 OMEGA/square to 40,460 OMEGA/square with the transmittance of about 99.5% at 550 nm.

Object permanence in lemurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Deppe, Anja M; Wright, Patricia C; Szelistowski, William A

2009-03-01

Object permanence, the ability to mentally represent objects that have disappeared from view, should be advantageous to animals in their interaction with the natural world. The objective of this study was to examine whether lemurs possess object permanence. Thirteen adult subjects representing four species of diurnal lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus, Eulemur mongoz, Lemur catta and Hapalemur griseus) were presented with seven standard Piagetian visible and invisible object displacement tests, plus one single visible test where the subject had to wait predetermined times before allowed to search, and two invisible tests where each hiding place was made visually unique. In all visible tests lemurs were able to find an object that had been in clear view before being hidden. However, when lemurs were not allowed to search for up to 25-s, performance declined with increasing time-delay. Subjects did not outperform chance on any invisible displacements regardless of whether hiding places were visually uniform or unique, therefore the upper limit of object permanence observed was Stage 5b. Lemur species in this study eat stationary foods and are not subject to stalking predators, thus Stage 5 object permanence is probably sufficient to solve most problems encountered in the wild.

Improvement on image quality of single photon ECT with converging collimator system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murayama, Hideo; Nohara, Norimasa; Tanaka, Eiichi

1986-01-01

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with converging collimator system was proposed to improve quality of reconstructed images. The collimator system was designed to enhance sensitivity at the center region of field-of-view, where the probability photons escape the attenuating medium is smaller than at the off-center region. In order to evaluate efficiency of the improvement on image quality, the weighting function of projection, which is defined as relative sensitivity to the average on the lateral sampling of projection, was adopted to the image reconstruction algorithm of Radial Post Correction method. Statistical mean square noise in a reconstructed image was formulated in this method. Simulation studies using typical weighting function showed that center-enhanced weighting function brings effective improvement on image quality, especially, at the center region of cold area surrounded by annularly distributed activity. A new SPECT system was proposed as one example of the converging collimator systems. The system is composed of four gamma cameras with four fan-beam collimators, which have different focal distances one another. Simple simulation studies showed that the proposed system has reasonable center-enhanced weighting function, and the image quality based on the proposed system was fairly improved as compared with one based on uniform weighting function at the center region of the field-of-view. (author)

Assessing Program Learning Objectives to Improve Undergraduate Physics Education

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, Carrie

2014-03-01

Our physics undergraduate program has five program learning objectives (PLOs) focusing on (1) physical principles, (2) mathematical expertise, (3) experimental technique, (4) communication and teamwork, and (5) research proficiency. One PLO is assessed each year, with the results guiding modifications in our curriculum and future assessment practices; we have just completed our first cycle of assessing all PLOs. Our approach strives to maximize the ease and applicability of our assessment practices while maintaining faculty's flexibility in course design and delivery. Objectives are mapped onto our core curriculum with identified coursework collected as direct evidence. We've utilized mostly descriptive rubrics, applying them at the course and program levels as well as sharing them with the students. This has resulted in more efficient assessment that is also applicable to reaccreditation efforts, higher inter-rater reliability than with other rubric types, and higher quality capstone projects. We've also found that the varied quality of student writing can interfere with our assessment of other objectives. This poster outlines our processes, resources, and how we have used PLO assessment to strengthen our undergraduate program.

Improving Object-Oriented Methods by using Fuzzy Logic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcelloni, Francesco; Aksit, Mehmet

2000-01-01

Object-oriented methods create software artifacts through the application of a large number or rules. Rules are typically formulated in two-valued logic. There are a number of problems on how rules are defined and applied in current methods. First, two-valued logic can capture completely neither

A quality improvement project to reduce the intraoperative use of single-dose fentanyl vials across multiple patients in a pediatric institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, David; Subramanyam, Rajeev; Varughese, Anna

2016-01-01

The use of a single-dose vial across multiple patients presents a risk to sterility and is against CDC guidelines. We initiated a quality improvement (QI) project to reduce the intraoperative use of single-dose vials of fentanyl across multiple patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). The initial step of the improvement project was the development of a Key Driver Diagram. The diagram has the SMART aim of the project, key drivers inherent to the process we are trying to improve, and specific interventions targeting the key drivers. The number of patients each week receiving an IV dose of fentanyl, from a vial previously accessed for another patient was tracked in a high turnover operating room (OR). The improvement model used was based on the concept of building Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Tests of change included provider education, provision of an increased number of fentanyl vials, alternate wasting processes, and provision of single-use fentanyl syringes by the pharmacy. Prior to initiation of this project, it was common for a single fentanyl vial to be accessed for multiple patients. Our data showed an average percentage of failures of just over 50%. During the end of the project, after 7 months, the mean percentage failures had dropped to 5%. Preparation of 20 mcg single-use fentanyl syringes by pharmacy, combined with education of providers on appropriate use, was successful in reducing failures to below our goal of 25%. Appropriately sized fentanyl syringes prepared by pharmacy, education on correct use of single-dose vials, and reminders in the OR, reduced the percentage of patients receiving a dose of fentanyl from a vial previously accessed for another patient in a high-volume otolaryngology room. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A single dose of oxytocin nasal spray improves higher-order social cognition in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Guastella, Adam J; Ward, Philip B; Hickie, Ian B; Shahrestani, Sara; Hodge, Marie Antoinette Redoblado; Scott, Elizabeth M; Langdon, Robyn

2015-11-01

Schizophrenia is associated with significant impairments in both higher and lower order social cognitive performance and these impairments contribute to poor social functioning. People with schizophrenia report poor social functioning to be one of their greatest unmet treatment needs. Recent studies have suggested the potential of oxytocin as such a treatment, but mixed results render it uncertain what aspects of social cognition are improved by oxytocin and, subsequently, how oxytocin might best be applied as a therapeutic. The aim of this study was to determine whether a single dose of oxytocin improved higher-order and lower-order social cognition performance for patients with schizophrenia across a well-established battery of social cognition tests. Twenty-one male patients received both a single dose of oxytocin nasal spray (24IU) and a placebo, two weeks apart in a randomized within-subjects placebo controlled design. Following each administration, participants completed the social cognition tasks, as well as a test of general neurocognition. Results revealed that oxytocin particularly enhanced performance on higher order social cognition tasks, with no effects on general neurocognition. Results for individual tasks showed most improvement on tests measuring appreciation of indirect hints and recognition of social faux pas. These results suggest that oxytocin, if combined to enhance social cognition learning, may be beneficial when targeted at higher order social cognition domains. This study also suggests that these higher order tasks, which assess social cognitive processing in a social communication context, may provide useful markers of response to oxytocin in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grasp Preparation Improves Change Detection for Congruent Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Symes, Ed; Tucker, Mike; Ellis, Rob; Vainio, Lari; Ottoboni, Giovanni

2008-01-01

A series of experiments provided converging support for the hypothesis that action preparation biases selective attention to action-congruent object features. When visual transients are masked in so-called "change-blindness scenes," viewers are blind to substantial changes between 2 otherwise identical pictures that flick back and forth. The…

Grey Relational Analyses for Multi-Objective Optimization of Turning S45C Carbon Steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, A.H.A.; Azmi, A.I.; Khalil, A.N.M.

2016-01-01

The optimization of performance characteristics in turning process can be achieved through selection of proper machining parameters. It is well known that many researchers have successfully reported the optimization of single performance characteristic. Nevertheless, the multi-objective optimization can be difficult and challenging to be studied due to its complexity in analysis. This is because an improvement of one performance characteristic may lead to degradation of other performance characteristic. As a result, the study of multi-objective optimization in CNC turning of S45C carbon steel has been attempted in this paper through Taguchi and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) method. Through this methodology, the multiple performance characteristics, namely; surface roughness, material removal rate (MRR), tool wear, and power consumption; can be optimized simultaneously. It appears from the experimental results that the multiple performance characteristics in CNC turning was achieved and improved through the methodology employed. (paper)

Automated single-trial assessment of laser-evoked potentials as an objective functional diagnostic tool for the nociceptive system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatem, S M; Hu, L; Ragé, M; Gierasimowicz, A; Plaghki, L; Bouhassira, D; Attal, N; Iannetti, G D; Mouraux, A

2012-12-01

To assess the clinical usefulness of an automated analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs). Nociceptive laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) and non-nociceptive somatosensory electrically-evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded in 37 patients with syringomyelia and 21 controls. LEP and SEP peak amplitudes and latencies were estimated using a single-trial automated approach based on time-frequency wavelet filtering and multiple linear regression, as well as a conventional approach based on visual inspection. The amplitudes and latencies of normal and abnormal LEP and SEP peaks were identified reliably using both approaches, with similar sensitivity and specificity. Because the automated approach provided an unbiased solution to account for average waveforms where no ERP could be identified visually, it revealed significant differences between patients and controls that were not revealed using the visual approach. The automated analysis of ERPs characterized reliably and objectively LEP and SEP waveforms in patients. The automated single-trial analysis can be used to characterize normal and abnormal ERPs with a similar sensitivity and specificity as visual inspection. While this does not justify its use in a routine clinical setting, the technique could be useful to avoid observer-dependent biases in clinical research. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A single blood test adjusted for different liver fibrosis targets improves fibrosis staging and especially cirrhosis diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Calès, Paul; Boursier, Jérôme; Oberti, Frédéric; Moal, Valérie; Fouchard Hubert, Isabelle; Bertrais, Sandrine; Hunault, Gilles; Rousselet, Marie Christine

2018-04-01

Fibrosis blood tests are usually developed using significant fibrosis, which is a unique diagnostic target; however, these tests are employed for other diagnostic targets, such as cirrhosis. We aimed to improve fibrosis staging accuracy by simultaneously targeting biomarkers for several diagnostic targets. A total of 3,809 patients were included, comprising 1,012 individuals with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) into a derivation population and 2,797 individuals into validation populations of different etiologies (CHC, chronic hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus/CHC, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol) using Metavir fibrosis stages as reference. FibroMeter biomarkers were targeted for different fibrosis-stage combinations into classical scores by logistic regression. Independent scores were combined into a single score reflecting Metavir stages by linear regression and called Multi-FibroMeter Version Second Generation (V2G). The primary objective was to combine the advantages of a test targeted for significant fibrosis (FibroMeter V2G ) with those of a test targeted for cirrhosis (CirrhoMeter V2G ). In the derivation CHC population, we first compared Multi-FibroMeter V2G to FibroMeter V2G and observed significant increases in the cirrhosis area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), Obuchowski index (reflecting all fibrosis-stage AUROCs), and classification metric (six classes expressed as a correctly classified percentage) and a nonsignificant increase in significant fibrosis AUROC. Thereafter, we compared it to CirroMeter V2G and observed a nonsignificant increase in the cirrhosis AUROC. In all 3,809 patients, respective accuracies for Multi-FibroMeter V2G and FibroMeter V2G were the following: cirrhosis AUROC, 0.906 versus 0.878 ( P fibrosis AUROC, 0.833 versus 0.832 ( P = 0.366). Multi-FibroMeter V2G had the highest correlation with the area of portoseptal fibrosis and the highest reproducibility over time. Correct classification rates

Breaking object correspondence across saccadic eye movements deteriorates object recognition

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Christian H. Poth

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Visual perception is based on information processing during periods of eye fixations that are interrupted by fast saccadic eye movements. The ability to sample and relate information on task-relevant objects across fixations implies that correspondence between presaccadic and postsaccadic objects is established. Postsaccadic object information usually updates and overwrites information on the corresponding presaccadic object. The presaccadic object representation is then lost. In contrast, the presaccadic object is conserved when object correspondence is broken. This helps transsaccadic memory but it may impose attentional costs on object recognition. Therefore, we investigated how breaking object correspondence across the saccade affects postsaccadic object recognition. In Experiment 1, object correspondence was broken by a brief postsaccadic blank screen. Observers made a saccade to a peripheral object which was displaced during the saccade. This object reappeared either immediately after the saccade or after the blank screen. Within the postsaccadic object, a letter was briefly presented (terminated by a mask. Observers reported displacement direction and letter identity in different blocks. Breaking object correspondence by blanking improved displacement identification but deteriorated postsaccadic letter recognition. In Experiment 2, object correspondence was broken by changing the object’s contrast-polarity. There were no object displacements and observers only reported letter identity. Again, breaking object correspondence deteriorated postsaccadic letter recognition. These findings identify transsaccadic object correspondence as a key determinant of object recognition across the saccade. This is in line with the recent hypothesis that breaking object correspondence results in separate representations of presaccadic and postsaccadic objects which then compete for limited attentional processing resources (Schneider, 2013. Postsaccadic

A Survey of Multi-Objective Sequential Decision-Making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roijers, D.M.; Vamplew, P.; Whiteson, S.; Dazeley, R.

2013-01-01

Sequential decision-making problems with multiple objectives arise naturally in practice and pose unique challenges for research in decision-theoretic planning and learning, which has largely focused on single-objective settings. This article surveys algorithms designed for sequential

An integrated approach to engineering curricula improvement with multi-objective decision modeling and linear programming

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, John E.

The structure of engineering curricula currently in place at most colleges and universities has existed since the early 1950's, and reflects an historical emphasis on a solid foundation in math, science, and engineering science. However, there is often not a close match between elements of the traditional engineering education, and the skill sets that graduates need to possess for success in the industrial environment. Considerable progress has been made to restructure engineering courses and curricula. What is lacking, however, are tools and methodologies that incorporate the many dimensions of college courses, and how they are structured to form a curriculum. If curriculum changes are to be made, the first objective must be to determine what knowledge and skills engineering graduates need to possess. To accomplish this, a set of engineering competencies was developed from existing literature, and used in the development of a comprehensive mail survey of alumni, employers, students and faculty. Respondents proposed some changes to the topics in the curriculum and recommended that work to improve the curriculum be focused on communication, problem solving and people skills. The process of designing a curriculum is similar to engineering design, with requirements that must be met, and objectives that must be optimized. From this similarity came the idea for developing a linear, additive, multi-objective model that identifies the objectives that must be considered when designing a curriculum, and contains the mathematical relationships necessary to quantify the value of a specific alternative. The model incorporates the three primary objectives of engineering topics, skills, and curriculum design principles and uses data from the survey. It was used to design new courses, to evaluate various curricula alternatives, and to conduct sensitivity analysis to better understand their differences. Using the multi-objective model to identify the highest scoring curriculum

Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting Range Profiling of Moving Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hedborg Julia

2016-01-01

TCSPC is a statistic method that requires an acquisition time and therefore the range profile of a non-stationary object (target may be corrupted. Here, we present results showing that it is possible to reconstruct the range profile of a moving target and calculate the velocity of the target.

Characterisation of a single photon counting pixel system for imaging of low-contrast objects

CERN Document Server

Mikulec, B; Dipasquale, G; Schwarz, C; Watt, J

2001-01-01

In the framework of the Medipix collaboration the PCC, a single photon counting pixel chip, has been developed with the aim of improving the contrast resolution in medical imaging applications. The PCC consists of a matrix of 64x64 square pixels with 170 mm side length, each pixel comprising a 15 bit counter and a pulse height discriminator. The chip has been bump bonded to equally segmented 200 mm thick SI-LEC GaAs detectors showing a very high absorption energy for X-rays used in diagnostics. An absolute calibration of the system with a radioactive source and a synchrotron beam are described resulting in the value of the test input capacitance of ~24.7 fF. Using this value a full characterisation of the system from electrical measurements is presented. The entire system can reach a minimum threshold of ~2100 e- with ~250e- rms noise. One of the characteristics of the PCC is the possibility to adjust the thresholds of all pixels on a pixel-by-pixel basis with 3-bit precision. The threshold distribution after...

Evaluation of homoeopathic treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: A single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study

OpenAIRE

Chetna Deep Lamba; Praveen Oberai; Raj K Manchanda; Padmalaya Rath; P Hima Bindu; Maya Padmanabhan

2018-01-01

Background and Objectives: This study was conducted with the primary objective of evaluating efficacy of Homoeopathy in establishing the menstrual regularity with improvement in either ultrasonological findings or hirsutism/acne. The quality of life was also assessed using polycystic ovary syndrome questionnaire (PCOSQ). Materials and Methods: A single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted from February 2014 to May 2015 at two research centres. The cases fulfilling t...

Time and multiple objectives in scheduling and routing problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dabia, S.

2012-01-01

Many optimization problems encountered in practice are multi-objective by nature, i.e., different objectives are conflicting and equally important. Many times, it is not desirable to drop some of them or to optimize them in a composite single objective or hierarchical manner. Furthermore, cost

Foreign object detection and removal to improve automated analysis of chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogeweg, Laurens; Sánchez, Clara I.; Melendez, Jaime; Maduskar, Pragnya; Ginneken, Bram van; Story, Alistair; Hayward, Andrew

2013-01-01

Purpose: Chest radiographs commonly contain projections of foreign objects, such as buttons, brassier clips, jewellery, or pacemakers and wires. The presence of these structures can substantially affect the output of computer analysis of these images. An automated method is presented to detect, segment, and remove foreign objects from chest radiographs.Methods: Detection is performed using supervised pixel classification with a kNN classifier, resulting in a probability estimate per pixel to belong to a projected foreign object. Segmentation is performed by grouping and post-processing pixels with a probability above a certain threshold. Next, the objects are replaced by texture inpainting.Results: The method is evaluated in experiments on 257 chest radiographs. The detection at pixel level is evaluated with receiver operating characteristic analysis on pixels within the unobscured lung fields and an A z value of 0.949 is achieved. Free response operator characteristic analysis is performed at the object level, and 95.6% of objects are detected with on average 0.25 false positive detections per image. To investigate the effect of removing the detected objects through inpainting, a texture analysis system for tuberculosis detection is applied to images with and without pathology and with and without foreign object removal. Unprocessed, the texture analysis abnormality score of normal images with foreign objects is comparable to those with pathology. After removing foreign objects, the texture score of normal images with and without foreign objects is similar, while abnormal images, whether they contain foreign objects or not, achieve on average higher scores.Conclusions: The authors conclude that removal of foreign objects from chest radiographs is feasible and beneficial for automated image analysis

Multiple objects tracking in fluorescence microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaidzidis, Yannis

2009-01-01

Many processes in cell biology are connected to the movement of compact entities: intracellular vesicles and even single molecules. The tracking of individual objects is important for understanding cellular dynamics. Here we describe the tracking algorithms which have been developed in the non-biological fields and successfully applied to object detection and tracking in biological applications. The characteristics features of the different algorithms are compared.

Object-Oriented Hierarchy Radiation Consistency for Different Temporal and Different Sensor Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Su

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In the paper, we propose a novel object-oriented hierarchy radiation consistency method for dense matching of different temporal and different sensor data in the 3D reconstruction. For different temporal images, our illumination consistency method is proposed to solve both the illumination uniformity for a single image and the relative illumination normalization for image pairs. Especially in the relative illumination normalization step, singular value equalization and linear relationship of the invariant pixels is combined used for the initial global illumination normalization and the object-oriented refined illumination normalization in detail, respectively. For different sensor images, we propose the union group sparse method, which is based on improving the original group sparse model. The different sensor images are set to a similar smoothness level by the same threshold of singular value from the union group matrix. Our method comprehensively considered the influence factors on the dense matching of the different temporal and different sensor stereoscopic image pairs to simultaneously improve the illumination consistency and the smoothness consistency. The radiation consistency experimental results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method by comparing two other methods. Moreover, in the dense matching experiment of the mixed stereoscopic image pairs, our method has more advantages for objects in the urban area.

Improved single particle potential for transport model simulations of nuclear reactions induced by rare isotope beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Chang; Li Baoan

2010-01-01

Taking into account more accurately the isospin dependence of nucleon-nucleon interactions in the in-medium many-body force term of the Gogny effective interaction, new expressions for the single-nucleon potential and the symmetry energy are derived. Effects of both the spin (isospin) and the density dependence of nuclear effective interactions on the symmetry potential and the symmetry energy are examined. It is shown that they both play a crucial role in determining the symmetry potential and the symmetry energy at suprasaturation densities. The improved single-nucleon potential will be useful for more accurate simulation of nuclear reactions induced by rare-isotope beams within transport models.

Towards lexicographic multi-objective linear programming using grossone methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Cococcioni, Marco; Pappalardo, Massimo; Sergeyev, Yaroslav D.

2016-10-01

Lexicographic Multi-Objective Linear Programming (LMOLP) problems can be solved in two ways: preemptive and nonpreemptive. The preemptive approach requires the solution of a series of LP problems, with changing constraints (each time the next objective is added, a new constraint appears). The nonpreemptive approach is based on a scalarization of the multiple objectives into a single-objective linear function by a weighted combination of the given objectives. It requires the specification of a set of weights, which is not straightforward and can be time consuming. In this work we present both mathematical and software ingredients necessary to solve LMOLP problems using a recently introduced computational methodology (allowing one to work numerically with infinities and infinitesimals) based on the concept of grossone. The ultimate goal of such an attempt is an implementation of a simplex-like algorithm, able to solve the original LMOLP problem by solving only one single-objective problem and without the need to specify finite weights. The expected advantages are therefore obvious.

Meta-analysis of Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes After Arthroscopic Single-Row Versus Double-Row Rotator Cuff Repair

OpenAIRE

Perser, Karen; Godfrey, David; Bisson, Leslie

2011-01-01

Context: Double-row rotator cuff repair methods have improved biomechanical performance when compared with single-row repairs. Objective: To review clinical outcomes of single-row versus double-row rotator cuff repair with the hypothesis that double-row rotator cuff repair will result in better clinical and radiographic outcomes. Data Sources: Published literature from January 1980 to April 2010. Key terms included rotator cuff, prospective studies, outcomes, and suture techniques. Study Sele...

Improvement of quality of 3D printed objects by elimination of microscopic structural defects in fused deposition modeling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeniy G Gordeev

Full Text Available Additive manufacturing with fused deposition modeling (FDM is currently optimized for a wide range of research and commercial applications. The major disadvantage of FDM-created products is their low quality and structural defects (porosity, which impose an obstacle to utilizing them in functional prototyping and direct digital manufacturing of objects intended to contact with gases and liquids. This article describes a simple and efficient approach for assessing the quality of 3D printed objects. Using this approach it was shown that the wall permeability of a printed object depends on its geometric shape and is gradually reduced in a following series: cylinder > cube > pyramid > sphere > cone. Filament feed rate, wall geometry and G-code-defined wall structure were found as primary parameters that influence the quality of 3D-printed products. Optimization of these parameters led to an overall increase in quality and improvement of sealing properties. It was demonstrated that high quality of 3D printed objects can be achieved using routinely available printers and standard filaments.

Passive Aerial Grasping of Ferrous Objects

KAUST Repository

Fiaz, Usman Amin

2017-10-19

Aerial transportation is probably the most efficient way to supply quick and effective aid especially in cases of emergency like search and rescue operations. Thus the ability to grasp and deliver objects is of vital importance in all sorts of unmanned and autonomous aerial operations. We detail a simple yet novel approach for aerial grasping of ferrous objects using a passive magnetic pickup and an impulse based drop mechanism. The design enables our gripper to grasp ferrous objects using single as well as multiple gripping pads, with visual as well as pickup and drop feedback. We describe the various components of the gripper with emphasis on its low mass and high lift capability since weight is a matter of high consideration in all aerial applications. In addition, we investigate and address the issues that may cause our design to fail. We demonstrate by experiments that the proposed design is robust and effective, based on its high payload capability, its sturdiness against possible slide during aggressive aerial maneuvers, and optimum performance of the drop mechanism for the designed range of payloads. We also show that the gripper is able to pick up and drop a single as well as multiple ferrous objects of different shapes, curvature, and inclination, which also involves picking up an object and then grasping the next, while keeping hold of the previous one.

Passive Aerial Grasping of Ferrous Objects

KAUST Repository

Fiaz, Usman; Toumi, Noureddine; Shamma, Jeff S.

2017-01-01

Aerial transportation is probably the most efficient way to supply quick and effective aid especially in cases of emergency like search and rescue operations. Thus the ability to grasp and deliver objects is of vital importance in all sorts of unmanned and autonomous aerial operations. We detail a simple yet novel approach for aerial grasping of ferrous objects using a passive magnetic pickup and an impulse based drop mechanism. The design enables our gripper to grasp ferrous objects using single as well as multiple gripping pads, with visual as well as pickup and drop feedback. We describe the various components of the gripper with emphasis on its low mass and high lift capability since weight is a matter of high consideration in all aerial applications. In addition, we investigate and address the issues that may cause our design to fail. We demonstrate by experiments that the proposed design is robust and effective, based on its high payload capability, its sturdiness against possible slide during aggressive aerial maneuvers, and optimum performance of the drop mechanism for the designed range of payloads. We also show that the gripper is able to pick up and drop a single as well as multiple ferrous objects of different shapes, curvature, and inclination, which also involves picking up an object and then grasping the next, while keeping hold of the previous one.

Irreversibility analysis for optimization design of plate fin heat exchangers using a multi-objective cuckoo search algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhe; Li, Yanzhong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The first application of IMOCS for plate-fin heat exchanger design. • Irreversibility degrees of heat transfer and fluid friction are minimized. • Trade-off of efficiency, total cost and pumping power is achieved. • Both EGM and EDM methods have been compared in the optimization of PFHE. • This study has superiority over other single-objective optimization design. - Abstract: This paper introduces and applies an improved multi-objective cuckoo search (IMOCS) algorithm, a novel met-heuristic optimization algorithm based on cuckoo breeding behavior, for the multi-objective optimization design of plate-fin heat exchangers (PFHEs). A modified irreversibility degree of the PFHE is separated into heat transfer and fluid friction irreversibility degrees which are adopted as two initial objective functions to be minimized simultaneously for narrowing the search scope of the design. The maximization efficiency, minimization of pumping power, and total annual cost are considered final objective functions. Results obtained from a two dimensional normalized Pareto-optimal frontier clearly demonstrate the trade-off between heat transfer and fluid friction irreversibility. Moreover, a three dimensional Pareto-optimal frontier reveals a relationship between efficiency, total annual cost, and pumping power in the PFHE design. Three examples presented here further demonstrate that the presented method is able to obtain optimum solutions with higher accuracy, lower irreversibility, and fewer iterations as compared to the previous methods and single-objective design approaches

Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser for Keratosis Pilaris: A Single-Blind, Randomized, Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasanop Vachiramon

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Keratosis pilaris (KP is a common condition which can frequently be cosmetically disturbing. Topical treatments can be used with limited efficacy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2 laser for the treatment of KP. Patients and Methods. A prospective, randomized, single-blinded, intraindividual comparative study was conducted on adult patients with KP. A single session of fractional CO2 laser was performed to one side of arm whereas the contralateral side served as control. Patients were scheduled for follow-up at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. Clinical improvement was graded subjectively by blinded dermatologists. Patients rated treatment satisfaction at the end of the study. Results. Twenty patients completed the study. All patients stated that the laser treatment improved KP lesions. At 12-week follow-up, 30% of lesions on the laser-treated side had moderate to good improvement according to physicians’ global assessment (p=0.02. Keratotic papules and hyperpigmentation appeared to respond better than the erythematous component. Four patients with Fitzpatrick skin type V developed transient pigmentary alteration. Conclusions. Fractional CO2 laser treatment may be offered to patients with KP. Dark-skinned patients should be treated with special caution.

MULTIPLE OBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Bosov

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The development of complicated techniques of production and management processes, information systems, computer science, applied objects of systems theory and others requires improvement of mathematical methods, new approaches for researches of application systems. And the variety and diversity of subject systems makes necessary the development of a model that generalizes the classical sets and their development – sets of sets. Multiple objects unlike sets are constructed by multiple structures and represented by the structure and content. The aim of the work is the analysis of multiple structures, generating multiple objects, the further development of operations on these objects in application systems. Methodology. To achieve the objectives of the researches, the structure of multiple objects represents as constructive trio, consisting of media, signatures and axiomatic. Multiple object is determined by the structure and content, as well as represented by hybrid superposition, composed of sets, multi-sets, ordered sets (lists and heterogeneous sets (sequences, corteges. Findings. In this paper we study the properties and characteristics of the components of hybrid multiple objects of complex systems, proposed assessments of their complexity, shown the rules of internal and external operations on objects of implementation. We introduce the relation of arbitrary order over multiple objects, we define the description of functions and display on objects of multiple structures. Originality.In this paper we consider the development of multiple structures, generating multiple objects.Practical value. The transition from the abstract to the subject of multiple structures requires the transformation of the system and multiple objects. Transformation involves three successive stages: specification (binding to the domain, interpretation (multiple sites and particularization (goals. The proposed describe systems approach based on hybrid sets

Orienting attention to objects in visual short-term memory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dell'Acqua, Roberto; Sessa, Paola; Toffanin, Paolo; Luria, Roy; Joliccoeur, Pierre

We measured electroencephalographic activity during visual search of a target object among objects available to perception or among objects held in visual short-term memory (VSTM). For perceptual search, a single shape was shown first (pre-cue) followed by a search-array and the task was to decide

Fusion Peptide Improves Stability and Bioactivity of Single Chain Antibody against Rabies Virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Hualong; Zhang, Kaixin; Yin, Yanchun; Gu, Tiejun; Sun, Qing; Shi, Linqing; Zhang, Renxia; Jiang, Chunlai; Kong, Wei; Wu, Yongge

2017-04-28

The combination of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) with a vaccine is currently effective against rabies infections, but improvements are needed. Genetic engineering antibody technology is an attractive approach for developing novel antibodies to replace RIG. In our previous study, a single-chain variable fragment, scFv57R, against rabies virus glycoprotein was constructed. However, its inherent weak stability and short half-life compared with the parent RIG may limit its diagnostic and therapeutic application. Therefore, an acidic tail of synuclein (ATS) derived from the C-terminal acidic tail of human alpha-synuclein protein was fused to the C-terminus of scFv57R in order to help it resist adverse stress and improve the stability and halflife. The tail showed no apparent effect on the preparation procedure and affinity of the protein, nor did it change the neutralizing potency in vitro. In the ELISA test of molecular stability, the ATS fusion form of the protein, scFv57R-ATS, showed an increase in thermal stability and longer half-life in serum than scFv57R. The protection against fatal rabies virus challenge improved after fusing the tail to the scFv, which may be attributed to the improved stability. Thus, the ATS fusion approach presented here is easily implemented and can be used as a new strategy to improve the stability and half-life of engineered antibody proteins for practical applications.

Improved bow shock models for Herbig-Haro objects - application to HH 2A-prime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raymond, J.C.; Hartmann, L.; Hartigan, P.

1988-01-01

An improved version of the bow shock theory previously applied to Herbig-Haro objects is presented. The modifications provide a more accurate calculation of the ionization state of material entering the bow shock. The revised preionization does not drastically affect the emission-line predictions for a 200 km/s bow shock model, though the effects will be more severe for slower shock velocities. The line profiles of the new models resemble the observed profiles somewhat more closely, and the relative emission-line intensities typically differ by 30 percent from those predicted by the older models. The models agree well with new IUE spectra and existing optical data for HH 2A-prime. 32 references

A short cut to the past: Cueing via concrete objects improves autobiographical memory retrieval in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, Marie; Berntsen, Dorthe

2018-02-01

Older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have difficulties accessing autobiographical memories. However, this deficit tends to spare memories dated to earlier parts of their lives, and may partially reflect retrieval deficits rather than complete memory loss. Introducing a novel paradigm, the present study examines whether autobiographical memory recall can be improved in AD by manipulating the sensory richness, concreteness and cultural dating of the memory cues. Specifically, we examine whether concrete everyday objects historically dated to the participants' youth (e.g., a skipping rope), relative to verbal cues (i.e., the verbal signifiers for the objects) facilitate access to autobiographical memories. The study includes 49 AD patients, and 50 healthy, older matched control participants, all tested on word versus object-cued recall. Both groups recalled significantly more memories, when cued by objects relative to words, but the advantage was significantly larger in the AD group. In both groups, memory descriptions were longer and significantly more episodic in nature in response to object-cued recall. Together these findings suggest that the multimodal nature of the object cues (i.e. vision, olfaction, audition, somatic sensation) along with specific cue characteristics, such as time reference, texture, shape, may constrain the retrieval search, potentially minimizing executive function demands, and hence strategic processing requirements, thus easing access to autobiographical memories in AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-objective optimization of coal-fired power plants using differential evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ligang; Yang, Yongping; Dong, Changqing; Morosuk, Tatiana; Tsatsaronis, George

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Multi-objective optimization of large-scale coal-fired power plants using differential evolution. • A newly-proposed algorithm for searching the fronts of decision space in a single run. • A reduction of cost of electricity by 2–4% with an optimal efficiency increase up to 2% points. • The uncertainty comes mainly from temperature- and reheat-related cost factors of steam generator. • An exergoeconomic analysis and comparison between optimal designs and one real industrial design. - Abstract: The design trade-offs between thermodynamics and economics for thermal systems can be studied with the aid of multi-objective optimization techniques. The investment costs usually increase with increasing thermodynamic performance of a system. In this paper, an enhanced differential evolution with diversity-preserving and density-adjusting mechanisms, and a newly-proposed algorithm for searching the decision space frontier in a single run were used, to conduct the multi-objective optimization of large-scale, supercritical coal-fired plants. The uncertainties associated with cost functions were discussed by analyzing the sensitivity of the decision space frontier to some significant parameters involved in cost functions. Comparisons made with the aid of an exergoeconomic analysis between the cost minimum designs and a real industrial design demonstrated how the plant improvement was achieved. It is concluded that the cost of electricity could be reduced by a 2–4%, whereas the efficiency could be increased by up to two percentage points. The largest uncertainty is introduced by the temperature-related and reheat-related cost coefficients of the steam generator. More reliable data on the price prediction of future advanced materials should be used to obtain more accurate fronts of the objective space

Many-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization Using Two-Stage Strategy and Parallel Cell Coordinate System.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Wang; Yen, Gary G; Luo, Guangchun

2017-06-01

It is a daunting challenge to balance the convergence and diversity of an approximate Pareto front in a many-objective optimization evolutionary algorithm. A novel algorithm, named many-objective particle swarm optimization with the two-stage strategy and parallel cell coordinate system (PCCS), is proposed in this paper to improve the comprehensive performance in terms of the convergence and diversity. In the proposed two-stage strategy, the convergence and diversity are separately emphasized at different stages by a single-objective optimizer and a many-objective optimizer, respectively. A PCCS is exploited to manage the diversity, such as maintaining a diverse archive, identifying the dominance resistant solutions, and selecting the diversified solutions. In addition, a leader group is used for selecting the global best solutions to balance the exploitation and exploration of a population. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms six chosen state-of-the-art designs in terms of the inverted generational distance and hypervolume over the DTLZ test suite.

Does double-row rotator cuff repair improve functional outcome of patients compared with single-row technique? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

DeHaan, Alexander M; Axelrad, Thomas W; Kaye, Elizabeth; Silvestri, Lorenzo; Puskas, Brian; Foster, Timothy E

2012-05-01

The advantage of single-row versus double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques has been a controversial issue in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. There is biomechanical evidence that double-row techniques are superior to single-row techniques; however, there is no clinical evidence that the double-row technique provides an improved functional outcome. When compared with single-row rotator cuff repair, double-row fixation, although biomechanically superior, has no clinical benefit with respect to retear rate or improved functional outcome. Systematic review. The authors reviewed prospective studies of level I or II clinical evidence that compared the efficacy of single- and double-row rotator cuff repairs. Functional outcome scores included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder scale, the Constant shoulder score, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale. Radiographic failures and complications were also analyzed. A test of heterogeneity for patient demographics was also performed to determine if there were differences in the patient profiles across the included studies. Seven studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The test of heterogeneity across these studies showed no differences. The functional ASES, Constant, and UCLA outcome scores revealed no difference between single- and double-row rotator cuff repairs. The total retear rate, which included both complete and partial retears, was 43.1% for the single-row repair and 27.2% for the double-row repair (P = .057), representing a trend toward higher failures in the single-row group. Through a comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis of current arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs, we found that the single-row repairs did not differ from the double-row repairs in functional outcome scores. The double-row repairs revealed a trend toward a lower radiographic proven retear rate, although the data did not reach statistical significance. There

A multi-objective decision framework for lifecycle investment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmermans, S.H.J.T.; Schumacher, J.M.; Ponds, E.H.M.

2017-01-01

In this paper we propose a multi-objective decision framework for lifecycle investment choice. Instead of optimizing individual strategies with respect to a single-valued objective, we suggest evaluation of classes of strategies in terms of the quality of the tradeoffs that they provide. The

The Spectral Shift Control Reactor as an option for much improved uranium utilisation in single-batch SMRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindley, B.A., E-mail: bal29@cam.ac.uk; Parks, G.T.

2016-12-01

Highlights: • A PWR with mixed D{sub 2}O/H{sub 2}O moderator/coolant is investigated for SMR applications. • Heavy water concentration varied over the cycle to give ‘spectral shift’ operation. • Much wetter lattice than normal is neutronically favourable. • Taller fuel stack is thus needed to ensure acceptable MDNBR. • 35–43% increase in uranium utilisation for single batch reactor is possible. - Abstract: The Spectral Shift Control Reactor (SSCR) uses a mix of D{sub 2}O and H{sub 2}O to moderate and cool the reactor. Initially, a high proportion of D{sub 2}O is used, such that the reactor is substantially under-moderated, with excess neutrons being primarily captured in {sup 238}U, breeding {sup 239}Pu. Towards the end of the cycle (EOC), the coolant is predominantly H{sub 2}O, thermalising the neutron spectrum and increasing reactivity. Recently, small modular reactors (SMRs) have gained significant interest as a means of providing a power source that requires little maintenance and refuelling. This motivates long cycles and reduced batch operation. For a single-batch reactor, there is typically a 33% penalty to uranium utilisation compared to a 3-batch reactor. Lattice calculations demonstrate the potential of the SSCR to greatly improve uranium utilisation in single-batch reactors over a range of enrichments. A relatively ‘wet’ lattice is employed which further improves uranium utilisation. Cases with 5% and 15% fissile loading are considered, for which it is respectively possible to achieve 47% and 39% increases in natural uranium utilisation using the SSCR relative to a ‘reference’ light water reactor. In the latter case, if 25% thorium is mixed into the fuel, the improvement in uranium utilisation increases to a total of 49%. Hence, in both cases, it is possible to in effect eliminate the penalty of using a single fuel batch. The ‘wet’ lattice introduces substantial thermal-hydraulic challenges due to the significantly higher fuel

Brunswick improvement program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, P.W.

1985-01-01

The performance of the twin 790-MW Mark-4 boiling water reactors located at the Brunswick steam electric plant has historically been well below average. The plant experienced low availability, low capacity factors, high US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) violations, excessive radioactive waste generation, excessive licensee event reports (LERs), an unacceptable industrial safety record, poor SALP ratings, and numerous other deficiencies leading to unacceptable performance. In June 1982 it was determined that certain periodic tests (PT) had never been performed. While one unit was down for a refueling/modification outage, Carolina Power and Light (CP and L) elected to bring the other unit off line and perform an extensive self-examination. As a result, a number of needed improvements covering a wide range of plant activities were identified. CP and L elected to consolidate all the elements of the improvement into a single, plant-wide program. The consolidated program, called the Brunswick Improvement Program (BIP), was established. Major objectives of the BIP and measurable results are presented

Environmental measurements and technology for non-proliferation objectives. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadway, J.A.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify multi-disciplinary and single focus laboratories from the environmental and public health communities that can serve as technical center of opportunity for nuclear, inorganic and organic analyses. The objectives of the Office of Research and Development effort are twofold: (1) to identify the technology shortcomings and technologies gaps (thus requirements) within these communities that could benefit from state-of-the-art infield analysis technologies currently under development and (2) to promote scientist-to-scientist dialog and technical exchange under such existing US government internship programs (eg SABIT/USDOC) to improve skills and work relationships. Although the data analysis will focus on environmentally sensitive signatures and materials, the office of Research and Development wishes to further its nuclear non-proliferation objectives by assessing the current technical skill and ingenious analytical tools in less-developed countries so as to broaden the base of capability for multi-species measurement technology development

Quantum teleportation between stationary macroscopic objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao, Xiao-Hui; Yuan, Zhen-Sheng; Pan, Jian-Wei [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Heidelberg (Germany); Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Xu, Xiao-Fan [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Heidelberg (Germany); Li, Che-Ming [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Heidelberg (Germany); Department of Physics, National Center for Theoretical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan (China)

2010-07-01

Quantum teleportation is a process to transfer a quantum state of an object without transferring the state carrier itself. So far, most of the teleportation experiments realized are within the photonic regime. For the teleportation of stationary states, the largest system reported is a single ion. We are now performing an experiment to teleport the state of an macroscopic atomic cloud which consists about 10{sup 6} single atoms. In our experiment two atomic ensembles are utilized. In the first ensemble A we prepare the collective atomic state to be teleported using the quantum feedback technique. The second ensemble B is utilized to generate entanglement between it collective state with a scattered single-photon. Teleportation is realized by converting the atomic state of A to a single-photon and making a Bell state measurement with the scattered single-photon from ensemble B.

Multi-objective optimization of a continuous thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle for waste heat recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Rui; Li, Baode; Liu, Zhichun; Liu, Wei

2015-01-01

An optimization analysis of a continuous TREC (thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle) was conducted with maximum power output and exergy efficiency as the objective functions simultaneously. For comparison, the power output, exergy efficiency, and thermal efficiency under the corresponding single-objective optimization schematics were also calculated. Under different optimization methods it was observed that the power output and the thermal efficiency increase with increasing inlet temperature of the heat source, whereas the exergy efficiency increases with increasing inlet temperature, reaches a maximum value, and then decreases. Results revealed that the optimal power output under the multi-objective optimization turned out to be slightly less than that obtained under the single-objective optimization for power output. However, the exergy and thermal efficiencies were much greater. Furthermore, the thermal exergy and exergy efficiency by single-objective optimization for energy efficiency shows no dominant advantage than that obtained under multi-objective optimization, comparing with the increase amplitude of the power output. This suggests that the multi-objective optimization could coordinate well both the power output and the exergy efficiency of the TREC system, and may serve as a more promising guide for operating and designing TREC systems. - Highlights: • An optimal analysis of a continuous TREC is conducted based on multi-objective optimization. • Performance under corresponding single-objective optimizations has also been calculated and compared. • Power under multi-objective optimization is slightly less than the maximum power. • Exergy and thermal efficiencies are much larger than that under the single-objective optimization.

Sinusoidal masks for single channel speech separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mowlaee, Pejman; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a new approach for binary and soft masks used in single-channel speech separation. We present a novel approach called the sinusoidal mask (binary mask and Wiener filter) in a sinusoidal space. Theoretical analysis is presented for the proposed method, and we show...... that the proposed method is able to minimize the target speech distortion while suppressing the crosstalk to a predetermined threshold. It is observed that compared to the STFTbased masks, the proposed sinusoidal masks improve the separation performance in terms of objective measures (SSNR and PESQ) and are mostly...

Training-induced recovery of low-level vision followed by mid-level perceptual improvements in developmental object and face agnosia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lev, Maria; Gilaie-Dotan, Sharon; Gotthilf-Nezri, Dana; Yehezkel, Oren; Brooks, Joseph L; Perry, Anat; Bentin, Shlomo; Bonneh, Yoram; Polat, Uri

2015-01-01

Long-term deprivation of normal visual inputs can cause perceptual impairments at various levels of visual function, from basic visual acuity deficits, through mid-level deficits such as contour integration and motion coherence, to high-level face and object agnosia. Yet it is unclear whether training during adulthood, at a post-developmental stage of the adult visual system, can overcome such developmental impairments. Here, we visually trained LG, a developmental object and face agnosic individual. Prior to training, at the age of 20, LG's basic and mid-level visual functions such as visual acuity, crowding effects, and contour integration were underdeveloped relative to normal adult vision, corresponding to or poorer than those of 5-6 year olds (Gilaie-Dotan, Perry, Bonneh, Malach & Bentin, 2009). Intensive visual training, based on lateral interactions, was applied for a period of 9 months. LG's directly trained but also untrained visual functions such as visual acuity, crowding, binocular stereopsis and also mid-level contour integration improved significantly and reached near-age-level performance, with long-term (over 4 years) persistence. Moreover, mid-level functions that were tested post-training were found to be normal in LG. Some possible subtle improvement was observed in LG's higher-order visual functions such as object recognition and part integration, while LG's face perception skills have not improved thus far. These results suggest that corrective training at a post-developmental stage, even in the adult visual system, can prove effective, and its enduring effects are the basis for a revival of a developmental cascade that can lead to reduced perceptual impairments. © 2014 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improved particle confinement in transition from multiple-helicity to quasi-single-helicity regimes of a reversed-field pinch.

Science.gov (United States)

Frassinetti, L; Predebon, I; Koguchi, H; Yagi, Y; Hirano, Y; Sakakita, H; Spizzo, G; White, R B

2006-10-27

The quasi-single-helicity (QSH) state of a reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasma is a regime in which the RFP configuration can be sustained by a dynamo produced mainly by a single tearing mode and in which a helical structure with well-defined magnetic flux surfaces arises. In this Letter, we show that spontaneous transitions to the QSH regime enhance the particle confinement. This improvement is originated by the simultaneous and cooperative action of the increase of the magnetic island and the reduction of the magnetic stochasticity.

Object feature extraction and recognition model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Min; Xiang Rujian; Wan Yongxing

2001-01-01

The characteristics of objects, especially flying objects, are analyzed, which include characteristics of spectrum, image and motion. Feature extraction is also achieved. To improve the speed of object recognition, a feature database is used to simplify the data in the source database. The feature vs. object relationship maps are stored in the feature database. An object recognition model based on the feature database is presented, and the way to achieve object recognition is also explained

Multi-objective optimum design of fast tool servo based on improved differential evolution algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhiwei; Zhou, Xiaoqin; Liu, Qiang; Zhao, Shaoxin

2011-01-01

The flexure-based mechanism is a promising realization of fast tool servo (FTS), and the optimum determination of flexure hinge parameters is one of the most important elements in the FTS design. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization approach to optimizing the dimension and position parameters of the flexure-based mechanism, which is based on the improved differential evolution algorithm embedding chaos and nonlinear simulated anneal algorithm. The results of optimum design show that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance and a well-balanced compromise is made between two conflicting objectives, the stroke and natural frequency of the FTS mechanism. The validation tests based on finite element analysis (FEA) show good agreement with the results obtained by using the proposed theoretical algorithm of this paper. Finally, a series of experimental tests are conducted to validate the design process and assess the performance of the FTS mechanism. The designed FTS reaches up to a stroke of 10.25 μm with at least 2 kHz bandwidth. Both of the FEA and experimental results demonstrate that the parameters of the flexure-based mechanism determined by the proposed approaches can achieve the specified performance and the proposed approach is suitable for the optimum design of FTS mechanism and of excellent performances

Layout design of user interface components with multiple objectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peer S.K.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A multi-goal layout problem may be formulated as a Quadratic Assignment model, considering multiple goals (or factors, both qualitative and quantitative in the objective function. The facilities layout problem, in general, varies from the location and layout of facilities in manufacturing plant to the location and layout of textual and graphical user interface components in the human–computer interface. In this paper, we propose two alternate mathematical approaches to the single-objective layout model. The first one presents a multi-goal user interface component layout problem, considering the distance-weighted sum of congruent objectives of closeness relationships and the interactions. The second one considers the distance-weighted sum of congruent objectives of normalized weighted closeness relationships and normalized weighted interactions. The results of first approach are compared with that of an existing single objective model for example task under consideration. Then, the results of first approach and second approach of the proposed model are compared for the example task under consideration.

A Novel Model Predictive Control for Single-Phase Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Inverters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zangeneh Bighash, Esmaeil; Sadeghzadeh, Seyed Mohammad; Ebrahimzadeh, Esmaeil

2017-01-01

Single-phase grid-connected inverters with LCL filter are widely used to connect photovoltaic systems to the utility grid. Among the existing control schemes, predictive control methods are faster and more accurate but also more complicated to implement. Recently, the Model Predictive Control (MPC......) algorithm for single-phase inverter has been presented, where the algorithm implementation is straightforward. In the MPC approach, all switching states are considered in each switching period to achieve the control objectives. However, since the number of switching states in single-phase inverters is small......, the inverter output current has a high Total Harmonic Distortions (THD). In order to reduce this, this paper presents an improved MPC for single-phase grid-connected inverters. In the proposed approach, the switching algorithm is changed and the number of the switching states is increased by means of virtual...

Online Feature Transformation Learning for Cross-Domain Object Category Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuesong; Zhuang, Yan; Wang, Wei; Pedrycz, Witold

2017-06-09

In this paper, we introduce a new research problem termed online feature transformation learning in the context of multiclass object category recognition. The learning of a feature transformation is viewed as learning a global similarity metric function in an online manner. We first consider the problem of online learning a feature transformation matrix expressed in the original feature space and propose an online passive aggressive feature transformation algorithm. Then these original features are mapped to kernel space and an online single kernel feature transformation (OSKFT) algorithm is developed to learn a nonlinear feature transformation. Based on the OSKFT and the existing Hedge algorithm, a novel online multiple kernel feature transformation algorithm is also proposed, which can further improve the performance of online feature transformation learning in large-scale application. The classifier is trained with k nearest neighbor algorithm together with the learned similarity metric function. Finally, we experimentally examined the effect of setting different parameter values in the proposed algorithms and evaluate the model performance on several multiclass object recognition data sets. The experimental results demonstrate the validity and good performance of our methods on cross-domain and multiclass object recognition application.

Single and Multiple Object Tracking Using a Multi-Feature Joint Sparse Representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Weiming; Li, Wei; Zhang, Xiaoqin; Maybank, Stephen

2015-04-01

In this paper, we propose a tracking algorithm based on a multi-feature joint sparse representation. The templates for the sparse representation can include pixel values, textures, and edges. In the multi-feature joint optimization, noise or occlusion is dealt with using a set of trivial templates. A sparse weight constraint is introduced to dynamically select the relevant templates from the full set of templates. A variance ratio measure is adopted to adaptively adjust the weights of different features. The multi-feature template set is updated adaptively. We further propose an algorithm for tracking multi-objects with occlusion handling based on the multi-feature joint sparse reconstruction. The observation model based on sparse reconstruction automatically focuses on the visible parts of an occluded object by using the information in the trivial templates. The multi-object tracking is simplified into a joint Bayesian inference. The experimental results show the superiority of our algorithm over several state-of-the-art tracking algorithms.

NLP modeling for the optimization of LiBr-H_2O absorption refrigeration systems with exergy loss rate, heat transfer area, and cost as single objective functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mussati, Sergio F.; Gernaey, Krist V.; Morosuk, Tatiana; Mussati, Miguel C.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A NLP model is used for simultaneous optimization of sizes and operating conditions. • Total exergy loss rate and transfer area are optimized as single objective functions. • Theoretical and practical bounds for cost optimization problems are computed. • A systematic solution strategy is proposed for total annual cost optimization. • Relevance of components is ranked by heat transfer area, exergy loss rate, and cost. - Abstract: Based on a nonlinear mathematical programming model, the sizes and operating conditions of the process units of single-effect absorption refrigeration systems operating with a LiBr–H_2O solution are optimized for a specified cooling capacity by minimizing three single objective functions: the total exergy loss rate, the total heat transfer area, and the total annual cost of the system. It was found that the optimal solution obtained by minimization of the total exergy loss rate provides “theoretical” upper bounds not only for the total heat transfer area of the system but also for each process unit and all stream temperatures, while the optimal solution obtained by minimization of the total heat transfer area provides the lower bounds for these model variables, to solve a cost optimization problem. The minimization of the total exergy loss rate by varying parametrically the available total heat transfer area between these bounds was also performed, allowing to see how the optimal distribution of the available total heat transfer area among the system components, as well as the operating conditions (stream temperature, pressure, composition, and mass flow rate) and heat loads, vary qualitatively and quantitatively with increasing available total heat transfer area. These optimization results allowed to find a “practical” value of the total heat transfer area, i.e. no benefits can be obtained by increasing the available total heat transfer area above this value since the minimal total exergy loss value cannot

Multisensory memory for object identity and location

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erp, J.B.F. van; Philippi, T.G.; Werkhoven, P.J.

2014-01-01

Researchers have reported that audiovisual object presentation improves memory encoding of object identity in comparison to either auditory or visual object presentation. However, multisensory memory effects on retrieval, on object location, and of other multisensory combinations are yet unknown. We

Improving the distances of post-AGB objects in the Milky Way

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vickers, Shane B; Owers, Matt S; Frew, David J; Parker, Quentin A; Bojičič, Ivan S

2016-01-01

Post-AGB (PAGB) stars are short-lived, low-intermediate mass objects transitioning from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) to the white dwarf (WD) phase. These objects are characterised by a constant, core-mass dependent luminosity and a large infrared excess from the dusty envelope ejected at the top of the AGB. PAGB stars provide insights into the evolution of their direct descendants, planetary nebulae (PNe). Calculation of physical characteristics of PAGB are dependent on accurately determined distances scarcely available in the literature. Using the Torun catalogue for PAGB objects, supplemented with archival data, we have determined distances to the known population of Galactic PAGB stars. This is by modelling their spectral energy distributions (SED) with black bodies and numerically integrating over the entire wavelength range to determine the total integrated object flux. For most PAGB stars we assumed their luminosities are based on their positional characteristics and stellar evolution models. RV Tauri stars however are known to follow a period-luminosity relation (PLR) reminiscent of type-2 Cepheids. For these variable PAGB stars we determined their luminosities via the PLR and hence their distances. This allows us to overcome the biggest obstacle to characterising these poorly understood objects that play a vital part in Galactic chemical enrichment. (paper)

A Survey of Multi-Objective Sequential Decision-Making

OpenAIRE

Roijers, D.M.; Vamplew, P.; Whiteson, S.; Dazeley, R.

2013-01-01

Sequential decision-making problems with multiple objectives arise naturally in practice and pose unique challenges for research in decision-theoretic planning and learning, which has largely focused on single-objective settings. This article surveys algorithms designed for sequential decision-making problems with multiple objectives. Though there is a growing body of literature on this subject, little of it makes explicit under what circumstances special methods are needed to solve multi-obj...

First-Class Object Sets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernst, Erik

2009-01-01

Typically, an object is a monolithic entity with a fixed interface.  To increase flexibility in this area, this paper presents first-class object sets as a language construct.  An object set offers an interface which is a disjoint union of the interfaces of its member objects.  It may also be use...... to a mainstream virtual machine in order to improve on the support for family polymorphism.  The approach is made precise by means of a small calculus, and the soundness of its type system has been shown by a mechanically checked proof in Coq....

Single photon emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buvat, Irene

2011-09-01

The objective of this lecture is to present the single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging technique. Content: 1 - Introduction: anatomic, functional and molecular imaging; Principle and role of functional or molecular imaging; 2 - Radiotracers: chemical and physical constraints, main emitters, radioisotopes production, emitters type and imaging techniques; 3 - Single photon emission computed tomography: gamma cameras and their components, gamma camera specifications, planar single photon imaging characteristics, gamma camera and tomography; 4 - Quantification in single photon emission tomography: attenuation, scattering, un-stationary spatial resolution, partial volume effect, movements, others; 5 - Synthesis and conclusion

The Single-Molecule Centroid Localization Algorithm Improves the Accuracy of Fluorescence Binding Assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Boyang; Wang, Yanbo; Park, Seongjin; Han, Kyu Young; Singh, Digvijay; Kim, Jin H; Cheng, Wei; Ha, Taekjip

2018-03-13

Here, we demonstrate that the use of the single-molecule centroid localization algorithm can improve the accuracy of fluorescence binding assays. Two major artifacts in this type of assay, i.e., nonspecific binding events and optically overlapping receptors, can be detected and corrected during analysis. The effectiveness of our method was confirmed by measuring two weak biomolecular interactions, the interaction between the B1 domain of streptococcal protein G and immunoglobulin G and the interaction between double-stranded DNA and the Cas9-RNA complex with limited sequence matches. This analysis routine requires little modification to common experimental protocols, making it readily applicable to existing data and future experiments.

Improved long-term survival after intra-operative single high-dose ATG-Fresenius induction in renal transplantation: a single centre experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaden, Jürgen; May, Gottfried; Völp, Andreas; Wesslau, Claus

2009-01-01

In organ grafts donor-specific sensitization is initiated immediately after revascularization. Therefore, in 1990 we introduced the intra-operative single high-dose ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) induction in addition to standard triple drug therapy (TDT) consisting of steroids, azathioprine and cyclosporin. A total of 778 first renal transplantations from deceased donors, performed between 1987 and 1998, were included in this evaluation. This retrospective analysis of clinic records and electronic databases presents data of all recipients of first kidney grafts who received two different ATG-F inductions (1(st) group: 9 mg/kg body weight as single high-dose intra-operatively, n=484; 2(nd) group: 3 mg/kg body weight on 7 or 8 consecutive days as multiple-dose starting also intra-operatively, n=78) and standard TDT alone (3(rd) group: TDT alone, n=216). The 10-year patient survival rates were 72.6+/-2.6% (TDT + ATG-F single high-dose), 79.5+/-5.1% (TDT + ATG-F multiple-dose) and 67.2+/-3.7%% (TDT alone; Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; ATG-F vs TDT alone, p=0.001). The 10-year graft survival rates with censoring of patients that died with a functioning graft were 73.8+/-2.4%, 57.7+/-5.8% and 58.4+/-3.6% (Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; 1(st) vs 2(nd )and 3(rd) group, respectively, p<0.001) and the 10-year graft survival rates with patient death counted as graft failure were 58.3+/-2.7%, 55.7+/-5.8% and 48.2+/-3.5% (Kaplan-Meier estimates with standard errors; ATG-F single high-dose vs TDT, p=0.023). In pre-sensitized recipients there were also significant differences in favour of ATG-F, more notably in the single high-dose ATG-F induction. A total of 69% of the patients in the two cohorts receiving ATG-F did not experience any transplant rejections compared to 56% in patients undergoing TDT alone (p=0.018). The incidence of infectious complications was comparable across all groups. According to evidence obtained from the routine documentation of 778

Specific and Class Object Recognition for Service Robots through Autonomous and Interactive Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Mansur, Al; Kuno, Yoshinori

Service robots need to be able to recognize and identify objects located within complex backgrounds. Since no single method may work in every situation, several methods need to be combined and robots have to select the appropriate one automatically. In this paper we propose a scheme to classify situations depending on the characteristics of the object of interest and user demand. We classify situations into four groups and employ different techniques for each. We use Scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT), Kernel Principal Components Analysis (KPCA) in conjunction with Support Vector Machine (SVM) using intensity, color, and Gabor features for five object categories. We show that the use of appropriate features is important for the use of KPCA and SVM based techniques on different kinds of objects. Through experiments we show that by using our categorization scheme a service robot can select an appropriate feature and method, and considerably improve its recognition performance. Yet, recognition is not perfect. Thus, we propose to combine the autonomous method with an interactive method that allows the robot to recognize the user request for a specific object and class when the robot fails to recognize the object. We also propose an interactive way to update the object model that is used to recognize an object upon failure in conjunction with the user's feedback.

An improved single cell ultrahigh throughput screening method based on in vitro compartmentalization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuqiang Ma

Full Text Available High-throughput screening is a key technique in discovery and engineering of enzymes. In vitro compartmentalization based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (IVC-FACS has recently emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of biocatalysts. However, the accuracy of current IVC-FACS assays is severely limited by the wide polydispersity of micro-reactors generated by homogenizing. Here, an improved protocol based on membrane-extrusion technique was reported to generate the micro-reactors in a more uniform manner. This crucial improvement enables ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymatic activity at a speed of >10⁸ clones/day with an accuracy that could discriminate as low as two-fold differences in enzymatic activity inside the micro-reactors, which is higher than similar IVC-FACS systems ever have reported. The enzymatic reaction in the micro-reactors has very similar kinetic behavior compared to the bulk reaction system and shows wide dynamic range. By using the modified IVC-FACS, E. coli cells with esterase activity could be enriched 330-fold from large excesses of background cells through a single round of sorting. The utility of this new IVC-FACS system was further illustrated by the directed evolution of thermophilic esterase AFEST. The catalytic activity of the very efficient esterase was further improved by ∼2-fold, resulting in several improved mutants with k(cat/K(M values approaching the diffusion-limited efficiency of ∼10⁸ M⁻¹s⁻¹.

Multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithms: A tutorial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konak, Abdullah; Coit, David W.; Smith, Alice E.

2006-01-01

Multi-objective formulations are realistic models for many complex engineering optimization problems. In many real-life problems, objectives under consideration conflict with each other, and optimizing a particular solution with respect to a single objective can result in unacceptable results with respect to the other objectives. A reasonable solution to a multi-objective problem is to investigate a set of solutions, each of which satisfies the objectives at an acceptable level without being dominated by any other solution. In this paper, an overview and tutorial is presented describing genetic algorithms (GA) developed specifically for problems with multiple objectives. They differ primarily from traditional GA by using specialized fitness functions and introducing methods to promote solution diversity

Improving the singles rate method for modeling accidental coincidences in high-resolution PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, Josep F; Rafecas, Magdalena

2010-01-01

Random coincidences ('randoms') are one of the main sources of image degradation in PET imaging. In order to correct for this effect, an accurate method to estimate the contribution of random events is necessary. This aspect becomes especially relevant for high-resolution PET scanners where the highest image quality is sought and accurate quantitative analysis is undertaken. One common approach to estimate randoms is the so-called singles rate method (SR) widely used because of its good statistical properties. SR is based on the measurement of the singles rate in each detector element. However, recent studies suggest that SR systematically overestimates the correct random rate. This overestimation can be particularly marked for low energy thresholds, below 250 keV used in some applications and could entail a significant image degradation. In this work, we investigate the performance of SR as a function of the activity, geometry of the source and energy acceptance window used. We also investigate the performance of an alternative method, which we call 'singles trues' (ST) that improves SR by properly modeling the presence of true coincidences in the sample. Nevertheless, in any real data acquisition the knowledge of which singles are members of a true coincidence is lost. Therefore, we propose an iterative method, STi, that provides an estimation based on ST but which only requires the knowledge of measurable quantities: prompts and singles. Due to inter-crystal scatter, for wide energy windows ST only partially corrects SR overestimations. While SR deviations are in the range 86-300% (depending on the source geometry), the ST deviations are systematically smaller and contained in the range 4-60%. STi fails to reproduce the ST results, although for not too high activities the deviation with respect to ST is only a few percent. For conventional energy windows, i.e. those without inter-crystal scatter, the ST method corrects the SR overestimations, and deviations from

A fully three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm with the nonstationary filter for improved single-orbit cone beam SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Z.J.; Tsui, B.M.

1993-01-01

Conventional single-orbit cone beam tomography presents special problems. They include incomplete sampling and inadequate three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction algorithm. The commonly used Feldkamp reconstruction algorithm simply extends the two-dimensional (2D) fan beam algorithm to 3D cone beam geometry. A truly 3D reconstruction formulation has been derived for the single-orbit cone beam SPECT based on the 3D Fourier slice theorem. In the formulation, a nonstationary filter which depends on the distance from the central plane of the cone beam was derived. The filter is applied to the 2D projection data in directions along and normal to the axis-of-rotation. The 3D reconstruction algorithm with the nonstationary filter was evaluated using both computer simulation and experimental measurements. Significant improvement in image quality was demonstrated in terms of decreased artifacts and distortions in cone beam reconstructed images. However, compared with the Feldkamp algorithm, a five-fold increase in processing time is required. Further improvement in image quality needs complete sampling in frequency space

Single-exposure color digital holography

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Shaotong; Wang, Yanhui; Zhu, Zhuqing; Nie, Shouping

2010-11-01

In this paper, we report a method for color image reconstruction by recording only one single multi-wavelength hologram. In the recording process, three lasers of different wavelengths emitting in the red, green and blue regions are used for illuminating on the object and the object diffraction fields will arrive at the hologram plane simultaneously. Three reference beams with different spatial angles will interfere with the corresponding object diffraction fields on the hologram plane, respectively. Finally, a series of sub-holograms incoherently overlapped on the CCD to be recorded as a multi-wavelength hologram. Angular division multiplexing is employed to reference beams so that the spatial spectra of the multiple recordings will be separated in the Fourier plane. In the reconstruction process, the multi-wavelength hologram will be Fourier transformed into its Fourier plane, where the spatial spectra of different wavelengths are separated and can be easily extracted by employing frequency filtering. The extracted spectra are used to reconstruct the corresponding monochromatic complex amplitudes, which will be synthesized to reconstruct the color image. For singleexposure recording technique, it is convenient for applications on the real-time image processing fields. However, the quality of the reconstructed images is affected by speckle noise. How to improve the quality of the images needs for further research.

Synthetic Aperture Focusing Applied to Imaging Using a Rotating Single Element Transducer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kortbek, Jacob; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Gammelmark, Kim Løkke

2007-01-01

This paper applies the concept of virtual sources and mono-static synthetic aperture focusing (SAF) to 2-dimensional imaging with a single rotating mechanically focused concave element with the objective of improving lateral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The geometrical focal point...... function of a single emission. The effect of SAF with focal depth at 20 mm is negligible, caused by the small number of LRL applied. The great profit of the SAF is the increase in SNR. For the setup with focal depth at 20 rum the SAF SNR gain is 11 dB. The SNR gain of a setup with a VS at radius 10 mm...

Single dose systemic acetaminophen to improve patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory segmental mastectomy: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled, clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Rodes, Meghan E; Bialek, Jane; Kendall, Mark C; McCarthy, Robert J

2017-11-15

Few systemic drug interventions are efficacious to improve patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory surgery. We aimed to evaluate whether a single dose systemic acetaminophen improve quality of recovery in female patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery. We hypothesized that patients receiving a single dose systemic acetaminophen at the end of the surgical procedure would have a better global quality of postsurgical recovery compared to the ones receiving saline. The study was a prospective randomized double blinded, placebo controlled, clinical trial. Healthy female subjects were randomized to receive 1 g single dose systemic acetaminophen at the end of the surgery or the same volume of saline. The primary outcome was the Quality of Recovery 40 (QOR-40) questionnaire at 24 hours after surgery. Other data collected included opioid consumption and pain scores. Data were analyzed using group t tests and the Wilcoxon exact test. The association between opioid consumption and quality of recovery was evaluated using Spearman rho. P quality of recovery, P = .007. A single dose of systemic acetaminophen improves patient reported quality of recovery after ambulatory breast surgery. The use of systemic acetaminophen is an efficacious strategy to improve patient perceived quality of postsurgical recovery and analgesic outcomes after hospital discharge for ambulatory breast surgery. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Calibration and Distortion Field Compensation of Gradiometer and the Improvement in Object Remote Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Xiangchao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Magnetometer, misalignment error and distortion field can reduce the accuracy of gradiometers. So, it is important to calibrate and compensate gradiometers error. Scale factor, bias, nonorthogonality, misalignment and distortion field should be considered. A gradiometer is connected by an aluminium frame, which contains two fluxgate magnetometers. A nonmagnetic rotation equipment is used to change gradiometer attitude, and the compensation parameters are estimated. Experiment results show that, after calibration and compensation, error of each axis is reduced from 888.4 nT, 1292.6 nT and 168.9 nT to 15.3 nT, 22.1 nT and 9.9 nT, respectively. It shows that the proposed method can calibrate gradiometer and compensate distortion field. After calibration and compensation, the object remote sensing performance is improved.

A case of complex regional pain syndrome with agnosia for object orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Gail; Cohen, Helen; Goebel, Andreas

2011-07-01

This systematic investigation of the neurocognitive correlates of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in a single case also reports agnosia for object orientation in the context of persistent CRPS. We report a patient (JW) with severe long-standing CRPS who had no difficulty identifying and naming line drawings of objects presented in 1 of 4 cardinal orientations. In contrast, he was extremely poor at reorienting these objects into the correct upright orientation and in judging whether an object was upright or not. Moreover, JW made orientation errors when copying drawings of objects, and he also showed features of mirror reversal in writing single words and reading single letters. The findings are discussed in relation to accounts of visual processing. Agnosia for object orientation is the term for impaired knowledge of an object's orientation despite good recognition and naming of the same misoriented object. This defect has previously only been reported in patients with major structural brain lesions. The neuroanatomical correlates are discussed. The patient had no structural brain lesion, raising the possibility that nonstructural reorganisation of cortical networks may be responsible for his deficits. Other patients with CRPS may have related neurocognitive defects. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catalogue of Interactive Learning Objectives to improve an Integrated Medical and Dental Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoodi, Benjamin; Sagheb, K; Sagheb, Ka; Schulz, P; Willershausen, B; Al-Nawas, B; Walter, C

2016-12-01

Online learning media are increasingly being incorporated into medical and dental education. However, the coordination between obligatory and facultative teaching domains still remains unsatisfying. The Catalogue of Interactive Learning Objectives of the University Clinic of Mainz (ILKUM), aims to offer knowledge transfer for students while being mindful of their individual qualifications. Its hierarchical structure is designed according to the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) levels of competence. The ILKUM was designed to establish a stronger interconnection between already existing and prospective learning strategies. All contents are linked to the current lectures as well as to e-learning modules, e.g., clinical case studies and OR videos. Students can conduct self-examinations regarding specific learning objectives. Since 2007, ILKUM has been developed and analyzed regarding its acceptance among dental students. These improved e-learning techniques foster time and location-independent access to study materials and allow an estimation of the knowledge achieved by students. Surveys of our students clearly show a large demand for upgrading ILKUM content (89%; n = 172) with integrated self-testing (89%; n = 174). In parallel to the advancement of our e-learning offering, a portion of internet-based learning is constantly rising among students. The broad acceptance and demand for the development of ILKUM show its potential. Moreover, ILKUM grants fast, topic-oriented querying of learning content without time and locale limitations as well as direct determination of the individually needed knowledge conditions. The long-term goal of the ILKUM project is to be a sustainable, important additional modality of teaching and training for dental and medical students.

Farm Planning by Fuzzy Multi Objective Programming Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

m Raei Jadidi

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In current study, Fuzzy Goal Programming (FGP model by considering a set of social and economic goals, was applied to optimal land allocation in Koshksaray district, Marand city, East Azarbaijan province, Iran. Farmer goals including total cultivable area, factor of production, production levels of various crops and total expected profit were considered fuzzily in establishment of the model. The goals were considered by 16 scenarios in the form of single objective, compound and priority structures. Results showed that, cost minimization in single objective and compound scenario is the best as compared with current conditions. In priority structure, scenario 10 with priorities of profit maximization, cost minimization, satisfying of production goals considering cost minimization and production goals, and scenario 13 with priorities of profit maximization, satisfying factor of production goals, cost minimization and fulfilling production goals, had minimum Euclidean Distance and satisfied the fuzzy objectives. Moreover, dry barley, irrigated and dry wheat and irrigated barely had maximum and minimum cultivated area, respectively. According to the findings, by reallocation of resources, farmers can achieve their better goals and objectives.

Sensing single electrons with single molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plakhotnik, Taras

2007-01-01

We propose a new methodology for probing transport of just one electron, a process of great importance both in nature and in artificial devices. Our idea for locating a single electron is analogues to the conventional GPS where signals from several satellites are used to locate a macro object. Using fluorescent molecules as tiny sensors, it is possible to determine 3D displacement vector of an electron

Improvement of brain single photon emission tomography (SPET) using transmission data acquisition in a four-head SPET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Kenya; Tanada, Shuji; Inoue, Takeshi; Sugawara, Yoshifumi; Hamamoto, Ken

1993-01-01

Attenuation coefficient maps (μ-maps) are a useful way to compensate for non-uniform attenuation when performing single photon emission tomography (SPET). A new method was developed to record single photon transmission data and a μ-map for the brain was produced using a four-head SPET scanner. Transmission data were acquired by a gamma camera of opposite to a flood radioactive source attached to one of four gamma cameras in the four-head SPET scanner. Attenuation correction was performed using the iterative expectation maximization algorithm and the μ-map. Phantom studies demonstrated that this method could reconstruct the distribution of radioactivity more accurately than conventional methods, even for a severely non-uniform μ-map, and could improve the quality of SPET images. Clinical application to technetium-99m hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPET also demonstrated the usefulness of this method. Thus, this method appears to be promising for improvement in the image quality and quantitative accuracy of brain SPET. (orig.)

Storage and binding of object features in visual working memory

OpenAIRE

Bays, Paul M; Wu, Emma Y; Husain, Masud

2010-01-01

An influential conception of visual working memory is of a small number of discrete memory “slots”, each storing an integrated representation of a single visual object, including all its component features. When a scene contains more objects than there are slots, visual attention controls which objects gain access to memory.

Single excitation-emission fluorescence spectrum (EEF) for determination of cetane improver in diesel fuel.

Science.gov (United States)

Insausti, Matías; Fernández Band, Beatriz S

2015-04-05

A highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method has been developed for the determination of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate in diesel fuel. Usually, this compound is used as an additive in order to improve cetane number. The analytical method consists in building the chemometric model as a first step. Then, it is possible to quantify the analyte with only recording a single excitation-emission fluorescence spectrum (EEF), whose data are introduced in the chemometric model above mentioned. Another important characteristic of this method is that the fuel sample was used without any pre-treatment for EEF. This work provides an interest improvement to fluorescence techniques using the rapid and easily applicable EEF approach to analyze such complex matrices. Exploding EEF was the key to a successful determination, obtaining a detection limit of 0.00434% (v/v) and a limit of quantification of 0.01446% (v/v). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Pathways to Achieve the SE4ALL Energy Efficiency Objective: Global and Regional Potential for Energy Efficiency Improvements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gregg, Jay Sterling; Balyk, Olexandr; Pérez, Cristian Hernán Cabrera

This study examines the three objectives of the UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative: 1. Ensure universal access to modern energy services by 2030. 2. Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency (from 1.3% to 2.6% annual reduction in energy intensity of GDP) by 2030. 3....... Double the share of renewable energy in global final energy from 18% to 36% by 2030. The integrated assessment model, ETSAP-TIAM, was used in this study to compare, from an economic optimization point of view, different scenarios for the development of the energy system between 2010 and 2030....... This analysis is conducted on a global and regional scale. The scenarios were constructed to analyze the effect of achieving the SE4ALL energy efficiency objective, the SE4ALL renewable energy objective, both together, and all three SE4ALL objectives. Synergies exist between renewable energy and energy...

Brain activity related to integrative processes in visual object recognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerlach, Christian; Aaside, C T; Humphreys, G W

2002-01-01

We report evidence from a PET activation study that the inferior occipital gyri (likely to include area V2) and the posterior parts of the fusiform and inferior temporal gyri are involved in the integration of visual elements into perceptual wholes (single objects). Of these areas, the fusiform a......) that perceptual and memorial processes can be dissociated on both functional and anatomical grounds. No evidence was obtained for the involvement of the parietal lobes in the integration of single objects....

San Jacinto Tries Management by Objectives

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, William

1974-01-01

San Jacinto, California, has adopted a measurable institutional objectives approach to management by objectives. Results reflect, not only improved cost effectiveness of community college education, but also more effective educational programs for students. (Author/WM)

A Real-Time Method to Estimate Speed of Object Based on Object Detection and Optical Flow Calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kaizhan; Ye, Yunming; Li, Xutao; Li, Yan

2018-04-01

In recent years Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has been widely used in computer vision field and makes great progress in lots of contents like object detection and classification. Even so, combining Convolutional Neural Network, which means making multiple CNN frameworks working synchronously and sharing their output information, could figure out useful message that each of them cannot provide singly. Here we introduce a method to real-time estimate speed of object by combining two CNN: YOLOv2 and FlowNet. In every frame, YOLOv2 provides object size; object location and object type while FlowNet providing the optical flow of whole image. On one hand, object size and object location help to select out the object part of optical flow image thus calculating out the average optical flow of every object. On the other hand, object type and object size help to figure out the relationship between optical flow and true speed by means of optics theory and priori knowledge. Therefore, with these two key information, speed of object can be estimated. This method manages to estimate multiple objects at real-time speed by only using a normal camera even in moving status, whose error is acceptable in most application fields like manless driving or robot vision.

Multi-objective congestion management by modified augmented ε-constraint method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esmaili, Masoud; Shayanfar, Heidar Ali; Amjady, Nima

2011-01-01

Congestion management is a vital part of power system operations in recent deregulated electricity markets. However, after relieving congestion, power systems may be operated with a reduced voltage or transient stability margin because of hitting security limits or increasing the contribution of risky participants. Therefore, power system stability margins should be considered within the congestion management framework. The multi-objective congestion management provides not only more security but also more flexibility than single-objective methods. In this paper, a multi-objective congestion management framework is presented while simultaneously optimizing the competing objective functions of congestion management cost, voltage security, and dynamic security. The proposed multi-objective framework, called modified augmented ε-constraint method, is based on the augmented ε-constraint technique hybridized by the weighting method. The proposed framework generates candidate solutions for the multi-objective problem including only efficient Pareto surface enhancing the competitiveness and economic effectiveness of the power market. Besides, the relative importance of the objective functions is explicitly modeled in the proposed framework. Results of testing the proposed multi-objective congestion management method on the New-England test system are presented and compared with those of the previous single objective and multi-objective techniques in detail. These comparisons confirm the efficiency of the developed method. (author)

The single European energy market: the electricity supply sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halliwell, A.A.

1991-01-01

The completion of the Internal Market in the Community by the end of 1992 has become a key objective and the focal point of the revival of the European Community. Within this overall objective, the development of the Single European Energy Market, the Internal Energy market, is a major element. The energy objectives for the Community, adopted in 1986 by the Council of Ministers and relating to targets in the energy sector to be achieved by 1995, contain what are effectively the aims of the Internal Energy Market. This is in a reference to the need for greater integration, free from barriers to trade, of the Internal Energy Market with a view to improving security of supply, reducing costs and improving economic competitiveness. In the light of these aims, the Commission drew up, in 1988, an inventory of potential obstacles to the achievement of the Internal Energy Market. This was accepted by the Council, together with a list of suggested priority areas of work, and has formed the basis of the Commission's efforts to move forward as quickly as possible in the development of the Internal Energy Market, in all branches of the energy sector. The impact on the electricity sector, in particular, is considered here. (author)

Informed multi-objective decision-making in environmental management using Pareto optimality

Science.gov (United States)

Maureen C. Kennedy; E. David Ford; Peter Singleton; Mark Finney; James K. Agee

2008-01-01

Effective decisionmaking in environmental management requires the consideration of multiple objectives that may conflict. Common optimization methods use weights on the multiple objectives to aggregate them into a single value, neglecting valuable insight into the relationships among the objectives in the management problem.

Improved Tumor Penetration and Single-Cell Targeting of Antibody-Drug Conjugates Increases Anticancer Efficacy and Host Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Cilliers, Cornelius; Menezes, Bruna; Nessler, Ian; Linderman, Jennifer; Thurber, Greg M

2018-02-01

Current antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have made advances in engineering the antibody, linker, conjugation site, small-molecule payload, and drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR). However, the relationship between heterogeneous intratumoral distribution and efficacy of ADCs is poorly understood. Here, we compared trastuzumab and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) to study the impact of ADC tumor distribution on efficacy. In a mouse xenograft model insensitive to trastuzumab, coadministration of trastuzumab with a fixed dose of T-DM1 at 3:1 and 8:1 ratios dramatically improved ADC tumor penetration and resulted in twice the improvement in median survival compared with T-DM1 alone. In this setting, the effective DAR was lowered, decreasing the amount of payload delivered to each targeted cell but increasing the number of cells that received payload. This result is counterintuitive because trastuzumab acts as an antagonist in vitro and has no single-agent efficacy in vivo , yet improves the effectiveness of T-DM1 in vivo Novel dual-channel fluorescence ratios quantified single-cell ADC uptake and metabolism and confirmed that the in vivo cellular dose of T-DM1 alone exceeded the minimum required for efficacy in this model. In addition, this technique characterized cellular pharmacokinetics with heterogeneous delivery after 1 day, degradation and payload release by 2 days, and in vitro cell killing and in vivo tumor shrinkage 2 to 3 days later. This work demonstrates that the intratumoral distribution of ADC, independent of payload dose or plasma clearance, plays a major role in ADC efficacy. Significance: This study shows how lowering the drug-to-antibody ratio during treatment can improve the intratumoral distribution of a antibody-drug conjugate, with implications for improving the efficacy of this class of cancer drugs. Cancer Res; 78(3); 758-68. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Single-organelle tracking by two-photon conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Wataru; Shimada, Tomoko; Matsunaga, Sachihiro; Kurihara, Daisuke; Fukui, Kiichi; Shin-Ichi Arimura, Shin-Ichi; Tsutsumi, Nobuhiro; Isobe, Keisuke; Itoh, Kazuyoshi

2007-03-01

Spatial and temporal information about intracellular objects and their dynamics within a living cell are essential for dynamic analysis of such objects in cell biology. A specific intracellular object can be discriminated by photoactivatable fluorescent proteins that exhibit pronounced light-induced spectral changes. Here, we report on selective labeling and tracking of a single organelle by using two-photon conversion of a photoconvertible fluorescent protein with near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. We performed selective labeling of a single mitochondrion in a living tobacco BY-2 cell using two-photon photoconversion of Kaede. Using this technique, we demonstrated that, in plants, the directed movement of individual mitochondria along the cytoskeletons was mediated by actin filaments, whereas microtubules were not required for the movement of mitochondria. This single-organelle labeling technique enabled us to track the dynamics of a single organelle, revealing the mechanisms involved in organelle dynamics. The technique has potential application in direct tracking of selective cellular and intracellular structures.

High efficiency and stable white OLED using a single emitter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Jian [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States). School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering

2016-01-18

The ultimate objective of this project was to demonstrate an efficient and stable white OLED using a single emitter on a planar glass substrate. The focus of the project is on the development of efficient and stable square planar phosphorescent emitters and evaluation of such class of materials in the device settings. Key challenges included improving the emission efficiency of molecular dopants and excimers, controlling emission color of emitters and their excimers, and improving optical and electrical stability of emissive dopants. At the end of this research program, the PI has made enough progress to demonstrate the potential of excimer-based white OLED as a cost-effective solution for WOLED panel in the solid state lighting applications.

Cavlectometry: Towards holistic reconstruction of large mirror objects

KAUST Repository

Balzer, Jonathan

2014-12-01

We introduce a method based on the deflectometry principle for the reconstruction of specular objects exhibiting significant size and geometric complexity. A key feature of our approach is the deployment of an Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) as pattern generator. To unfold the full power of this experimental setup, an optical encoding scheme is developed which accounts for the distinctive topology of the CAVE. Furthermore, we devise an algorithm for detecting the object of interest in raw deflectometric images. The segmented foreground is used for single-view reconstruction, the background for estimation of the camera pose, necessary for calibrating the sensor system. Experiments suggest a significant gain of coverage in single measurements compared to previous methods. © 2014 IEEE.

Multi-objective hierarchical genetic algorithms for multilevel redundancy allocation optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Ranjan [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: ranjan.k@ks3.ecs.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Izui, Kazuhiro [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: izui@prec.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Yoshimura, Masataka [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: yoshimura@prec.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Nishiwaki, Shinji [Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: shinji@prec.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2009-04-15

Multilevel redundancy allocation optimization problems (MRAOPs) occur frequently when attempting to maximize the system reliability of a hierarchical system, and almost all complex engineering systems are hierarchical. Despite their practical significance, limited research has been done concerning the solving of simple MRAOPs. These problems are not only NP hard but also involve hierarchical design variables. Genetic algorithms (GAs) have been applied in solving MRAOPs, since they are computationally efficient in solving such problems, unlike exact methods, but their applications has been confined to single-objective formulation of MRAOPs. This paper proposes a multi-objective formulation of MRAOPs and a methodology for solving such problems. In this methodology, a hierarchical GA framework for multi-objective optimization is proposed by introducing hierarchical genotype encoding for design variables. In addition, we implement the proposed approach by integrating the hierarchical genotype encoding scheme with two popular multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGAs)-the strength Pareto evolutionary genetic algorithm (SPEA2) and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). In the provided numerical examples, the proposed multi-objective hierarchical approach is applied to solve two hierarchical MRAOPs, a 4- and a 3-level problems. The proposed method is compared with a single-objective optimization method that uses a hierarchical genetic algorithm (HGA), also applied to solve the 3- and 4-level problems. The results show that a multi-objective hierarchical GA (MOHGA) that includes elitism and mechanism for diversity preserving performed better than a single-objective GA that only uses elitism, when solving large-scale MRAOPs. Additionally, the experimental results show that the proposed method with NSGA-II outperformed the proposed method with SPEA2 in finding useful Pareto optimal solution sets.

Multi-objective hierarchical genetic algorithms for multilevel redundancy allocation optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Ranjan; Izui, Kazuhiro; Yoshimura, Masataka; Nishiwaki, Shinji

2009-01-01

Multilevel redundancy allocation optimization problems (MRAOPs) occur frequently when attempting to maximize the system reliability of a hierarchical system, and almost all complex engineering systems are hierarchical. Despite their practical significance, limited research has been done concerning the solving of simple MRAOPs. These problems are not only NP hard but also involve hierarchical design variables. Genetic algorithms (GAs) have been applied in solving MRAOPs, since they are computationally efficient in solving such problems, unlike exact methods, but their applications has been confined to single-objective formulation of MRAOPs. This paper proposes a multi-objective formulation of MRAOPs and a methodology for solving such problems. In this methodology, a hierarchical GA framework for multi-objective optimization is proposed by introducing hierarchical genotype encoding for design variables. In addition, we implement the proposed approach by integrating the hierarchical genotype encoding scheme with two popular multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGAs)-the strength Pareto evolutionary genetic algorithm (SPEA2) and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). In the provided numerical examples, the proposed multi-objective hierarchical approach is applied to solve two hierarchical MRAOPs, a 4- and a 3-level problems. The proposed method is compared with a single-objective optimization method that uses a hierarchical genetic algorithm (HGA), also applied to solve the 3- and 4-level problems. The results show that a multi-objective hierarchical GA (MOHGA) that includes elitism and mechanism for diversity preserving performed better than a single-objective GA that only uses elitism, when solving large-scale MRAOPs. Additionally, the experimental results show that the proposed method with NSGA-II outperformed the proposed method with SPEA2 in finding useful Pareto optimal solution sets

An improved cut-and-solve algorithm for the single-source capacitated facility location problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gadegaard, Sune Lauth; Klose, Andreas; Nielsen, Lars Relund

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present an improved cut-and-solve algorithm for the single-source capacitated facility location problem. The algorithm consists of three phases. The first phase strengthens the integer program by a cutting plane algorithm to obtain a tight lower bound. The second phase uses a two......-level local branching heuristic to find an upper bound, and if optimality has not yet been established, the third phase uses the cut-and-solve framework to close the optimality gap. Extensive computational results are reported, showing that the proposed algorithm runs 10–80 times faster on average compared...

Object-oriented identification of forested landslides with derivatives of single pulse LiDAR data

Science.gov (United States)

Van Den Eeckhaut, Miet; Kerle, Norman; Poesen, Jean; Hervás, Javier

2012-11-01

In contrast to the many studies that use expert-based analysis of LiDAR derivatives for landslide mapping in forested terrain, only few studies have attempted to develop (semi-)automatic methods for extracting landslides from LiDAR derivatives. While all these studies are pixel-based, it has not yet been tested whether object-oriented analysis (OOA) could be an alternative. This study investigates the potential of OOA using only single-pulse LiDAR derivatives, such as slope gradient, roughness and curvature to map landslides. More specifically, the focus is on both LiDAR data segmentation and classification of slow-moving landslides in densely vegetated areas, where spectral data do not allow accurate landslide identification. A multistage procedure has been developed and tested in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). The procedure consists of (1) image binarization and multiresolution segmentation, (2) classification of landslide parts (main scarps and landslide body segments) and non-landslide features (i.e. earth banks and cropland fields) with supervised support vector machines at the appropriate scale, (3) delineation of landslide flanks, (4) growing of a landslide body starting from its main scarp, and (5) final cleaning of the inventory map. The results obtained show that OOA using LiDAR derivatives allows recognition and characterization of profound morphologic properties of forested deep-seated landslides on soil-covered hillslopes, because more than 90% of the main scarps and 70% of the landslide bodies of an expert-based inventory were accurately identified with OOA. For mountainous areas with bedrock, on the other hand, creation of a transferable model is expected to be more difficult.

An Improved Single-Channel Method to Retrieve Land Surface Temperature from the Landsat-8 Thermal Band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Cristóbal

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Land surface temperature (LST is one of the sources of input data for modeling land surface processes. The Landsat satellite series is the only operational mission with more than 30 years of archived thermal infrared imagery from which we can retrieve LST. Unfortunately, stray light artifacts were observed in Landsat-8 TIRS data, mostly affecting Band 11, currently making the split-window technique impractical for retrieving surface temperature without requiring atmospheric data. In this study, a single-channel methodology to retrieve surface temperature from Landsat TM and ETM+ was improved to retrieve LST from Landsat-8 TIRS Band 10 using near-surface air temperature (Ta and integrated atmospheric column water vapor (w as input data. This improved methodology was parameterized and successfully evaluated with simulated data from a global and robust radiosonde database and validated with in situ data from four flux tower sites under different types of vegetation and snow cover in 44 Landsat-8 scenes. Evaluation results using simulated data showed that the inclusion of Ta together with w within a single-channel scheme improves LST retrieval, yielding lower errors and less bias than models based only on w. The new proposed LST retrieval model, developed with both w and Ta, yielded overall errors on the order of 1 K and a bias of −0.5 K validated against in situ data, providing a better performance than other models parameterized using w and Ta or only w models that yielded higher error and bias.

A linear actuator for precision positioning of dual objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Yuxin; Cao, Jie; Guo, Zhao; Yu, Haoyong

2015-01-01

In this paper, a linear actuator for precision positioning of dual objects is proposed based on a double friction drive principle using a single piezoelectric element (PZT). The linear actuator consists of an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, which are connected by the PZT. The electromagnet serves as an object 1, and another object (object 2) is attached on the permanent magnet by the magnetic force. For positioning the dual objects independently, two different friction drive modes can be alternated by an on–off control of the electromagnet. When the electromagnet releases from the guide way, it can be driven by impact friction force generated by the PZT. Otherwise, when the electromagnet clamps on the guide way and remains stationary, the object 2 can be driven based on the principle of smooth impact friction drive. A prototype was designed and constructed and experiments were carried out to test the basic performance of the actuator. It has been verified that with a compact size of 31 mm (L) × 12 mm (W) × 8 mm (H), the two objects can achieve long strokes on the order of several millimeters and high resolutions of several tens of nanometers. Since the proposed actuator allows independent movement of two objects by a single PZT, the actuator has the potential to be constructed compactly. (paper)

Improved forced impulse method calculations of single and double ionization of helium by collision with high-energy protons and antiprotons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, A.L.; Reading, J.F.

1994-01-01

Our previous forced impulse method calculations of single and double ionization of helium by protons and antiprotons have been improved by including d orbitals in the target centre basis. The calculations are in good agreement with experimental measurements of the ratio R of double to single ionization, without the 1.35 scaling factor we applied to our previous results. We also compare the separate single and double ionization cross sections to experiment and find good agreement. Experimental cross sections differential in projectile scattering angle at large angle (greater than 2.5 mrad) are compared to our impact parameter dependent ionization probabilities at small impact parameter, for the double to single ratio. The agreement is good, except at the lowest energy we have considered, 0.3 eV. (Author)

Increase in single-tablet regimen use and associated improvements in adherence-related outcomes in HIV-infected women.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, David B; Hessol, Nancy A; Golub, Elizabeth T; Cocohoba, Jennifer M; Cohen, Mardge H; Levine, Alexandra M; Wilson, Tracey E; Young, Mary; Anastos, Kathryn; Kaplan, Robert C

2014-04-15

The use of single-tablet antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens and its implications on adherence among HIV-infected women have not been well described. Participants were enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a longitudinal study of HIV infection in US women. We examined semiannual trends in single-tablet regimen use and ART adherence, defined as self-reported 95% adherence in the past 6 months, during 2006-2013. In a nested cohort study, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of a single-tablet versus a multiple-tablet regimen with respect to adherence, virologic suppression, quality of life, and AIDS-defining events, using propensity score matching to account for demographic, behavioral, and clinical confounders. We also examined these outcomes in a subset of women switching from a multiple- to single-tablet regimen using a case-crossover design. We included 15,523 person-visits, representing 1727 women (53% black, 29% Hispanic, 25% IDU, median age 47). Use of single-tablet regimens among ART users increased from 7% in 2006% to 27% in 2013; adherence increased from 78% to 85% during the same period (both P Single-tablet regimen use was significantly associated with increased adherence (adjusted risk ratio: 1.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 1.08) and virologic suppression (risk ratio: 1.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.11), while associations with improved quality of life and fewer AIDS-defining events did not achieve statistical significance. Similar findings were observed among the subset of switchers. Single-tablet regimen use was associated with increased adherence and virologic suppression. Despite this, 15% of women prescribed ART were still not optimally adherent; additional interventions are needed to maximize therapeutic benefits.

Faint Object Detection in Multi-Epoch Observations via Catalog Data Fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Budavári, Tamás; Szalay, Alexander S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Loredo, Thomas J. [Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2017-03-20

Astronomy in the time-domain era faces several new challenges. One of them is the efficient use of observations obtained at multiple epochs. The work presented here addresses faint object detection and describes an incremental strategy for separating real objects from artifacts in ongoing surveys. The idea is to produce low-threshold single-epoch catalogs and to accumulate information across epochs. This is in contrast to more conventional strategies based on co-added or stacked images. We adopt a Bayesian approach, addressing object detection by calculating the marginal likelihoods for hypotheses asserting that there is no object or one object in a small image patch containing at most one cataloged source at each epoch. The object-present hypothesis interprets the sources in a patch at different epochs as arising from a genuine object; the no-object hypothesis interprets candidate sources as spurious, arising from noise peaks. We study the detection probability for constant-flux objects in a Gaussian noise setting, comparing results based on single and stacked exposures to results based on a series of single-epoch catalog summaries. Our procedure amounts to generalized cross-matching: it is the product of a factor accounting for the matching of the estimated fluxes of the candidate sources and a factor accounting for the matching of their estimated directions. We find that probabilistic fusion of multi-epoch catalogs can detect sources with similar sensitivity and selectivity compared to stacking. The probabilistic cross-matching framework underlying our approach plays an important role in maintaining detection sensitivity and points toward generalizations that could accommodate variability and complex object structure.

Faint Object Detection in Multi-Epoch Observations via Catalog Data Fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budavári, Tamás; Szalay, Alexander S.; Loredo, Thomas J.

2017-01-01

Astronomy in the time-domain era faces several new challenges. One of them is the efficient use of observations obtained at multiple epochs. The work presented here addresses faint object detection and describes an incremental strategy for separating real objects from artifacts in ongoing surveys. The idea is to produce low-threshold single-epoch catalogs and to accumulate information across epochs. This is in contrast to more conventional strategies based on co-added or stacked images. We adopt a Bayesian approach, addressing object detection by calculating the marginal likelihoods for hypotheses asserting that there is no object or one object in a small image patch containing at most one cataloged source at each epoch. The object-present hypothesis interprets the sources in a patch at different epochs as arising from a genuine object; the no-object hypothesis interprets candidate sources as spurious, arising from noise peaks. We study the detection probability for constant-flux objects in a Gaussian noise setting, comparing results based on single and stacked exposures to results based on a series of single-epoch catalog summaries. Our procedure amounts to generalized cross-matching: it is the product of a factor accounting for the matching of the estimated fluxes of the candidate sources and a factor accounting for the matching of their estimated directions. We find that probabilistic fusion of multi-epoch catalogs can detect sources with similar sensitivity and selectivity compared to stacking. The probabilistic cross-matching framework underlying our approach plays an important role in maintaining detection sensitivity and points toward generalizations that could accommodate variability and complex object structure.

Random clustering ferns for multimodal object recognition

OpenAIRE

Villamizar Vergel, Michael Alejandro; Garrell Zulueta, Anais; Sanfeliu Cortés, Alberto; Moreno-Noguer, Francesc

2017-01-01

The final publication is available at link.springer.com We propose an efficient and robust method for the recognition of objects exhibiting multiple intra-class modes, where each one is associated with a particular object appearance. The proposed method, called random clustering ferns, combines synergically a single and real-time classifier, based on the boosted assembling of extremely randomized trees (ferns), with an unsupervised and probabilistic approach in order to recognize efficient...

Multiple Level Crowding: Crowding at the Object Parts Level and at the Object Configural level.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimchi, Ruth; Pirkner, Yossef

2015-01-01

In crowding, identification of a peripheral target in the presence of nearby flankers is worse than when the target appears alone. Prevailing theories hold that crowding occurs because of integration or "pooling" of low-level features at a single, relatively early stage of visual processing. Recent studies suggest that crowding can occur also between high-level object representations. The most relevant findings come from studies with faces and may be specific to faces. We examined whether crowding can occur at the object configural level in addition to part-level crowding, using nonface objects. Target (a disconnected square or diamond made of four elements) identification was measured at varying eccentricities. The flankers were similar either to the target parts or to the target configuration. The results showed crowding in both cases: Flankers interfered with target identification such that identification accuracy decreased with an increase in eccentricity, and no interference was observed at the fovea. Crowding by object parts, however, was weaker and had smaller spatial extent than crowding by object configurations; we related this finding to the relationship between crowding and perceptual organization. These results provide strong evidence that crowding occurs not only between object parts but also between configural representations of objects. © The Author(s) 2015.

Can combining different risk interventions into a single formulation contribute to improved cardiovascular disease risk reduction? The single pill of amlodipine/atorvastatin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FD Richard Hobbs

2007-11-01

Full Text Available FD Richard HobbsUniversity of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.Abstract: In order to prevent cardiovascular events, it is essential to effectively manage overall risk of cardiovascular disease. However, despite guideline recommendations to this effect, current management of the major, modifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidemia is disconnected and patient adherence to therapy is poor. This is particularly important for patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, who are often prescribed multiple medications. The JEWEL study program investigated the use of single-pill amlodipine/atorvastatin as a strategy to improve management of these patients. The JEWEL program consisted of two 16-week, international, openlabel, multicenter, titration-to-goal studies in patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia. The two studies differed based on country of enrollment and certain tertiary endpoints, but the overall designs were very similar. Patients were enrolled from 255 centers across Canada and 13 European countries. The study was designed to assess the efficacy, safety, and utility of amlodipine/atorvastatin single pill therapy in a real-world setting. Patients were initiated at a dose of amlodipine 5 mg/atorvastatin 10 mg, unless previously treated, and were uptitrated as necessary. The primary efficacy parameter was the percentage of patients, at different levels of cardiovascular risk, achieving country-specific guideline-recommended target levels for blood pressure and lipids. A secondary analysis of efficacy measured attainment of the same single goal for blood pressure across all study participants (JEWEL I and II and the same single goal for LDL-C across all study participants (JEWEL I and II. The program utilized a newly developed questionnaire to gain better understanding of participants’ beliefs and behaviors towards medical treatment of their multiple risk factors. Approximately 2850

Visual working memory for global, object, and part-based information.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Michael D; Bly, Benjamin Martin; Porcelli, Anthony J; Rypma, Bart

2007-06-01

We investigated visual working memory for novel objects and parts of novel objects. After a delay period, participants showed strikingly more accurate performance recognizing a single whole object than the parts of that object. This bias to remember whole objects, rather than parts, persisted even when the division between parts was clearly defined and the parts were disconnected from each other so that, in order to remember the single whole object, the participants needed to mentally combine the parts. In addition, the bias was confirmed when the parts were divided by color. These experiments indicated that holistic perceptual-grouping biases are automatically used to organize storage in visual working memory. In addition, our results suggested that the bias was impervious to top-down consciously directed control, because when task demands were manipulated through instruction and catch trials, the participants still recognized whole objects more quickly and more accurately than their parts. This bias persisted even when the whole objects were novel and the parts were familiar. We propose that visual working memory representations depend primarily on the global configural properties of whole objects, rather than part-based representations, even when the parts themselves can be clearly perceived as individual objects. This global configural bias beneficially reduces memory load on a capacity-limited system operating in a complex visual environment, because fewer distinct items must be remembered.

BioBlend.objects: metacomputing with Galaxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Simone; Pireddu, Luca; Cuccuru, Gianmauro; Lianas, Luca; Soranzo, Nicola; Afgan, Enis; Zanetti, Gianluigi

2014-10-01

BioBlend.objects is a new component of the BioBlend package, adding an object-oriented interface for the Galaxy REST-based application programming interface. It improves support for metacomputing on Galaxy entities by providing higher-level functionality and allowing users to more easily create programs to explore, query and create Galaxy datasets and workflows. BioBlend.objects is available online at https://github.com/afgane/bioblend. The new object-oriented API is implemented by the galaxy/objects subpackage. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Acoustic features of objects matched by an echolocating bottlenose dolphin.

Science.gov (United States)

Delong, Caroline M; Au, Whitlow W L; Lemonds, David W; Harley, Heidi E; Roitblat, Herbert L

2006-03-01

The focus of this study was to investigate how dolphins use acoustic features in returning echolocation signals to discriminate among objects. An echolocating dolphin performed a match-to-sample task with objects that varied in size, shape, material, and texture. After the task was completed, the features of the object echoes were measured (e.g., target strength, peak frequency). The dolphin's error patterns were examined in conjunction with the between-object variation in acoustic features to identify the acoustic features that the dolphin used to discriminate among the objects. The present study explored two hypotheses regarding the way dolphins use acoustic information in echoes: (1) use of a single feature, or (2) use of a linear combination of multiple features. The results suggested that dolphins do not use a single feature across all object sets or a linear combination of six echo features. Five features appeared to be important to the dolphin on four or more sets: the echo spectrum shape, the pattern of changes in target strength and number of highlights as a function of object orientation, and peak and center frequency. These data suggest that dolphins use multiple features and integrate information across echoes from a range of object orientations.

Reconstruction of Double-Exposed Terahertz Hologram of Non-isolated Object

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiaqi; Li, Qi; Chen, Guanghao

2016-04-01

When the non-isolated imaging objects are complex or critical imaging precision is required, single-exposure digital hologram technique may be insufficient. So in this paper, double-exposure method is adopted in 2.52-THz inline digital holography simulations and experiments. Experimental results indicate that, compared with the results reconstructed by single-exposure amplitude-constrained phase retrieval algorithm (S-APRA), double-exposure phase-constrained phase retrieval algorithm (D-PPRA) increases the contrast of the reconstruction image by 0.146 and double-exposure amplitude-constrained phase retrieval algorithm (D-APRA) increases the contrast by 0.225. In addition, when applied to non-isolated object reconstruction, phase retrieval algorithms with only amplitude constraint on the object plane work better than those with both amplitude and phase constraints.

A Multiple-objective Optimization of Whey Fermentation in Stirred Tank Bioreactors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitko Petrov

2006-12-01

Full Text Available A multiple-objective optimization is applied to find an optimal policy of a fed-batch fermentation process for lactose oxidation from a natural substratum of the strain Kluyveromyces marxianus var. lactis MC5. The optimal policy is consisted of feed flow rate, agitation speed, and gas flow rate. The multiple-objective problem includes: the total price of the biomass production, the second objective functions are the separation cost in downstream processing and the third objective function corresponds to the oxygen mass-transfer in the bioreactor. The multiple-objective optimization are transforming to standard problem for optimization with single-objective function. Local criteria are defined utility function with different weight for single-type vector task. A fuzzy sets method is applied to be solved the maximizing decision problem. A simple combined algorithm guideline to find a satisfactory solution to the general multiple-objective optimization problem. The obtained optimal control results have shown an increase of the process productiveness and a decrease of the residual substrate concentration.

Hybrid Pareto artificial bee colony algorithm for multi-objective single machine group scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and learning effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Lei; Guan, Zailin; Saif, Ullah; Zhang, Fei; Wang, Hao

2016-01-01

Group scheduling is significant for efficient and cost effective production system. However, there exist setup times between the groups, which require to decrease it by sequencing groups in an efficient way. Current research is focused on a sequence dependent group scheduling problem with an aim to minimize the makespan in addition to minimize the total weighted tardiness simultaneously. In most of the production scheduling problems, the processing time of jobs is assumed as fixed. However, the actual processing time of jobs may be reduced due to "learning effect". The integration of sequence dependent group scheduling problem with learning effects has been rarely considered in literature. Therefore, current research considers a single machine group scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times and learning effects simultaneously. A novel hybrid Pareto artificial bee colony algorithm (HPABC) with some steps of genetic algorithm is proposed for current problem to get Pareto solutions. Furthermore, five different sizes of test problems (small, small medium, medium, large medium, large) are tested using proposed HPABC. Taguchi method is used to tune the effective parameters of the proposed HPABC for each problem category. The performance of HPABC is compared with three famous multi objective optimization algorithms, improved strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA2), non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGAII) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). Results indicate that HPABC outperforms SPEA2, NSGAII and PSO and gives better Pareto optimal solutions in terms of diversity and quality for almost all the instances of the different sizes of problems.

Object-Oriented Type Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwartzbach, Michael Ignatieff; Palsberg, Jens

binding. Existing languages employ different type systems, and it can be difficult to compare, evaluate and improve them, since there is currently no uniform theory for such languages. This book provides such a theory. The authors review the type systems of Simula, Smalltalk, C++ and Eiffel and present......Object-Oriented Type Systems Jens Palsberg and Michael I. Schwartzbach Aarhus University, Denmark Type systems are required to ensure reliability and efficiency of software. For object-oriented languages, typing is an especially challenging problem because of inheritance, assignment, and late...... a type system that generalizes and explains them. The theory is based on an idealized object-oriented language called BOPL (Basic Object Programming Language), containing common features of the above languages. A type system, type inference algorithm, and typings of inheritance and genericity...

Duality and calculus of convex objects (theory and applications)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brinkhuis, Ya; Tikhomirov, V M

2007-01-01

A new approach to convex calculus is presented, which allows one to treat from a single point of view duality and calculus for various convex objects. This approach is based on the possibility of associating with each convex object (a convex set or a convex function) a certain convex cone without loss of information about the object. From the duality theorem for cones duality theorems for other convex objects are deduced as consequences. The theme 'Duality formulae and the calculus of convex objects' is exhausted (from a certain precisely formulated point of view). Bibliography: 5 titles.

Improved elucidation of biological processes linked to diabetic nephropathy by single probe-based microarray data analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clemens D Cohen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN is a complex and chronic metabolic disease that evolves into a progressive fibrosing renal disorder. Effective transcriptomic profiling of slowly evolving disease processes such as DN can be problematic. The changes that occur are often subtle and can escape detection by conventional oligonucleotide DNA array analyses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examined microdissected human renal tissue with or without DN using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays (HG-U133A by standard Robust Multi-array Analysis (RMA. Subsequent gene ontology analysis by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID showed limited detection of biological processes previously identified as central mechanisms in the development of DN (e.g. inflammation and angiogenesis. This apparent lack of sensitivity may be associated with the gene-oriented averaging of oligonucleotide probe signals, as this includes signals from cross-hybridizing probes and gene annotation that is based on out of date genomic data. We then examined the same CEL file data using a different methodology to determine how well it could correlate transcriptomic data with observed biology. ChipInspector (CI is based on single probe analysis and de novo gene annotation that bypasses probe set definitions. Both methods, RMA and CI, used at default settings yielded comparable numbers of differentially regulated genes. However, when verified by RT-PCR, the single probe based analysis demonstrated reduced background noise with enhanced sensitivity and fewer false positives. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Using a single probe based analysis approach with de novo gene annotation allowed an improved representation of the biological processes linked to the development and progression of DN. The improved analysis was exemplified by the detection of Wnt signaling pathway activation in DN, a process not previously reported to be involved in this disease.

Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Mehmet C.; Mai, Juliane; Mendiguren, Gorka; Koch, Julian; Samaniego, Luis; Stisen, Simon

2018-02-01

Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET) are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the shuffled complex

ARCADIA: a system for the integration of angiocardiographic data and images by an object-oriented DBMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinciroli, F; Combi, C; Pozzi, G

1995-02-01

Use of data base techniques to store medical records has been going on for more than 40 years. Some aspects still remain unresolved, e.g., the management of textual data and image data within a single system. Object-orientation techniques applied to a database management system (DBMS) allow the definition of suitable data structures (e.g., to store digital images): some facilities allow the use of predefined structures when defining new ones. Currently available object-oriented DBMS, however, still need improvements both in the schema update and in the query facilities. This paper describes a prototype of a medical record that includes some multimedia features, managing both textual and image data. The prototype here described considers data from the medical records of patients subjected to percutaneous transluminal coronary artery angioplasty. We developed it on a Sun workstation with a Unix operating system and ONTOS as an object-oriented DBMS.

Pareto-optimal multi-objective dimensionality reduction deep auto-encoder for mammography classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghanaki, Saeid Asgari; Kawahara, Jeremy; Miles, Brandon; Hamarneh, Ghassan

2017-07-01

Feature reduction is an essential stage in computer aided breast cancer diagnosis systems. Multilayer neural networks can be trained to extract relevant features by encoding high-dimensional data into low-dimensional codes. Optimizing traditional auto-encoders works well only if the initial weights are close to a proper solution. They are also trained to only reduce the mean squared reconstruction error (MRE) between the encoder inputs and the decoder outputs, but do not address the classification error. The goal of the current work is to test the hypothesis that extending traditional auto-encoders (which only minimize reconstruction error) to multi-objective optimization for finding Pareto-optimal solutions provides more discriminative features that will improve classification performance when compared to single-objective and other multi-objective approaches (i.e. scalarized and sequential). In this paper, we introduce a novel multi-objective optimization of deep auto-encoder networks, in which the auto-encoder optimizes two objectives: MRE and mean classification error (MCE) for Pareto-optimal solutions, rather than just MRE. These two objectives are optimized simultaneously by a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm. We tested our method on 949 X-ray mammograms categorized into 12 classes. The results show that the features identified by the proposed algorithm allow a classification accuracy of up to 98.45%, demonstrating favourable accuracy over the results of state-of-the-art methods reported in the literature. We conclude that adding the classification objective to the traditional auto-encoder objective and optimizing for finding Pareto-optimal solutions, using evolutionary multi-objective optimization, results in producing more discriminative features. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual view x-ray inspection system for foreign objects detection in canned food

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zhiwen; Peng, Ningsong

2013-04-01

X-ray inspection technique for foreign objects in food products can determine and mark the presence of contaminants within the product by using image processing and pattern recognition technique on the X-ray transmission images. This paper presents the dual view X-ray inspection technique for foreign objects in food jar via analyzing the weak points of the traditional single view X-ray inspection technique. In addition, a prototype with the new technique is developed in accordance with glass splinters detection within the food jar (glass jar especially) which is a typical tickler. Some algorithms such as: adaptive image segmentation based on contour tracking, nonlinear arctan function transform and etc., are applied to improve image quality and achieve effective inspection results. The false recognition rate is effectively reduced and the detection sensitivity is highly enhanced. Finally the actual test results of this prototype are given.

Detecting single viruses and nanoparticles using whispering gallery microlasers.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Lina; Ozdemir, Sahin Kaya; Zhu, Jiangang; Kim, Woosung; Yang, Lan

2011-06-26

There is a strong demand for portable systems that can detect and characterize individual pathogens and other nanoscale objects without the use of labels, for applications in human health, homeland security, environmental monitoring and diagnostics. However, most nanoscale objects of interest have low polarizabilities due to their small size and low refractive index contrast with the surrounding medium. This leads to weak light-matter interactions, and thus makes the label-free detection of single nanoparticles very difficult. Micro- and nano-photonic devices have emerged as highly sensitive platforms for such applications, because the combination of high quality factor Q and small mode volume V leads to significantly enhanced light-matter interactions. For example, whispering gallery mode microresonators have been used to detect and characterize single influenza virions and polystyrene nanoparticles with a radius of 30 nm (ref. 12) by measuring in the transmission spectrum either the resonance shift or mode splitting induced by the nanoscale objects. Increasing Q leads to a narrower resonance linewidth, which makes it possible to resolve smaller changes in the transmission spectrum, and thus leads to improved performance. Here, we report a whispering gallery mode microlaser-based real-time and label-free detection method that can detect individual 15-nm-radius polystyrene nanoparticles, 10-nm gold nanoparticles and influenza A virions in air, and 30 nm polystyrene nanoparticles in water. Our approach relies on measuring changes in the beat note that is produced when an ultra-narrow emission line from a whispering gallery mode microlaser is split into two modes by a nanoscale object, and these two modes then interfere. The ultimate detection limit is set by the laser linewidth, which can be made much narrower than the resonance linewidth of any passive resonator. This means that microlaser sensors have the potential to detect objects that are too small to be

Simple Objective Detection of Human Lyme Disease Infection Using Immuno-PCR and a Single Recombinant Hybrid Antigen

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, Micah D.; Molins, Claudia R.; Schriefer, Martin

2014-01-01

A serology-based tiered approach has, to date, provided the most effective means of laboratory confirmation of clinically suspected cases of Lyme disease, but it lacks sensitivity in the early stages of disease and is often dependent on subjectively scored immunoblots. We recently demonstrated the use of immuno-PCR (iPCR) for detecting Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in patient serum samples that were positive for Lyme disease. To better understand the performance of the Lyme disease iPCR assay, the repeatability and variability of the background of the assay across samples from a healthy population (n = 36) were analyzed. Both of these parameters were found to have coefficients of variation of Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 12) demonstrated a strong correlation with that of 2-tier testing. Furthermore, a simplified iPCR approach using a single hybrid antigen and detecting only IgG antibodies confirmed the 2-tier diagnosis in the Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 12). Validation of the hybrid antigen IgG iPCR assay using a blinded panel of Lyme disease and non-Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 92) resulted in a sensitivity of 69% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50% to 84%), compared to that of the 2-tier analysis at 59% (95% CI, 41% to 76%), and a specificity of 98% (95% CI, 91% to 100%) compared to that of the 2-tier analysis at 97% (95% CI, 88% to 100%). A single-tier hybrid antigen iPCR assay has the potential to be an improved method for detecting host-generated antibodies against B. burgdorferi. PMID:24899074

Power magnetic devices a multi-objective design approach

CERN Document Server

Sudhoff, Scott D

2014-01-01

Presents a multi-objective design approach to the many power magnetic devices in use today Power Magnetic Devices: A Multi-Objective Design Approach addresses the design of power magnetic devices-including inductors, transformers, electromagnets, and rotating electric machinery-using a structured design approach based on formal single- and multi-objective optimization. The book opens with a discussion of evolutionary-computing-based optimization. Magnetic analysis techniques useful to the design of all the devices considered in the book are then set forth. This material is then used for ind

Single-exposure two-dimensional superresolution in digital holography using a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser source array.

Science.gov (United States)

Granero, Luis; Zalevsky, Zeev; Micó, Vicente

2011-04-01

We present a new implementation capable of producing two-dimensional (2D) superresolution (SR) imaging in a single exposure by aperture synthesis in digital lensless Fourier holography when using angular multiplexing provided by a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser source array. The system performs the recording in a single CCD snapshot of a multiplexed hologram coming from the incoherent addition of multiple subholograms, where each contains information about a different 2D spatial frequency band of the object's spectrum. Thus, a set of nonoverlapping bandpass images of the input object can be recovered by Fourier transformation (FT) of the multiplexed hologram. The SR is obtained by coherent addition of the information contained in each bandpass image while generating an enlarged synthetic aperture. Experimental results demonstrate improvement in resolution and image quality.

Multi-Objective Dynamic Economic Dispatch of Microgrid Systems Including Vehicle-to-Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haitao Liu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Based on the characteristics of electric vehicles (EVs, this paper establishes the load models of EVs under the autonomous charging mode and the coordinated charging and discharging mode. Integrating the EVs into a microgrid system which includes wind turbines (WTs, photovoltaic arrays (PVs, diesel engines (DEs, fuel cells (FCs and a storage battery (BS, this paper establishes multi-objective economic dispatch models of a microgrid, including the lowest operating cost, the least carbon dioxide emissions, and the lowest pollutant treatment cost. After converting the multi-objective functions to a single objective function by using the judgment matrix method, we analyze the dynamic economic dispatch of the microgrid system including vehicle-to-grid (V2G with an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm under different operation control strategies. With the example system, the proposed models and strategies are verified and analyzed. Simulation results show that the microgrid system with EVs under the coordinated charging and discharging mode has better operation economics than the autonomous charging mode. Meanwhile, the greater the load fluctuation is, the higher the operating cost of the microgrid system is.

Using aided cortical assessment as an objective tool to evaluate cochlear implant fitting in users with single-sided deafness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dayse Távora-Vieira

Full Text Available To assess the use of cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs to verify, and if necessary, optimize the cochlear implant (CI fitting of adult CI users with postlingual single-sided deafness (SSD.Sound field cortical responses to the speech tokens /m/, /g/, /t/, and /s/ were recorded from input to the CI while the normal hearing ear was masked. Responses were evaluated by visual inspection and classified as presence or absence of the CAEPs components P1, N1, P2. In case of an absence fitting was adjusted accordingly. After fitting, subjects were asked to use their new setting for 2-3 weeks for acclimatization purposes and then return for retesting. At retesting, new CAEP recordings were performed to objectively ensure that the new fitting maps effectively activated the auditory cortex.In 14/19 subjects, as per visual inspection, clear CAEPs were recorded by each speech token and were, therefore, not refit. In the other 5 subjects, CAEPs could not be evoked for at least one speech token. The fitting maps in these subjects were adjusted until clear CAEPs were evoked for all 4 speech tokens.CAEP can be used to quickly and objectively verify the suitability of CI fitting in experienced adult CI users with SSD. If used in the early post-implantation stage, this method could help CI users derive greater benefit for CI use and, therefore, be more committed to auditory training.

BILATERAL SINGLE SESSION URETEROSCOPY FOR URETERAL ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: To determine the feasibility, safety and success rate of bilateral single session rigid retrograde ureteroscopy (URS) for bilateral ureteral calculi. Patients and Methods: Thirty-five patients underwent bilateral single session ureteroscopic calculus removal. Results: Out of 70 renal units in 35 patients treated, ...

Improving Remote Sensing Scene Classification by Integrating Global-Context and Local-Object Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Zeng

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Recently, many researchers have been dedicated to using convolutional neural networks (CNNs to extract global-context features (GCFs for remote-sensing scene classification. Commonly, accurate classification of scenes requires knowledge about both the global context and local objects. However, unlike the natural images in which the objects cover most of the image, objects in remote-sensing images are generally small and decentralized. Thus, it is hard for vanilla CNNs to focus on both global context and small local objects. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel end-to-end CNN by integrating the GCFs and local-object-level features (LOFs. The proposed network includes two branches, the local object branch (LOB and global semantic branch (GSB, which are used to generate the LOFs and GCFs, respectively. Then, the concatenation of features extracted from the two branches allows our method to be more discriminative in scene classification. Three challenging benchmark remote-sensing datasets were extensively experimented on; the proposed approach outperformed the existing scene classification methods and achieved state-of-the-art results for all three datasets.

Prism-based single-camera system for stereo display

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yue; Cui, Xiaoyu; Wang, Zhiguo; Chen, Hongsheng; Fan, Heyu; Wu, Teresa

2016-06-01

This paper combines the prism and single camera and puts forward a method of stereo imaging with low cost. First of all, according to the principle of geometrical optics, we can deduce the relationship between the prism single-camera system and dual-camera system, and according to the principle of binocular vision we can deduce the relationship between binoculars and dual camera. Thus we can establish the relationship between the prism single-camera system and binoculars and get the positional relation of prism, camera, and object with the best effect of stereo display. Finally, using the active shutter stereo glasses of NVIDIA Company, we can realize the three-dimensional (3-D) display of the object. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can make use of the prism single-camera system to simulate the various observation manners of eyes. The stereo imaging system, which is designed by the method proposed by this paper, can restore the 3-D shape of the object being photographed factually.

Exploiting core knowledge for visual object recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurgin, Mark W; Flombaum, Jonathan I

2017-03-01

Humans recognize thousands of objects, and with relative tolerance to variable retinal inputs. The acquisition of this ability is not fully understood, and it remains an area in which artificial systems have yet to surpass people. We sought to investigate the memory process that supports object recognition. Specifically, we investigated the association of inputs that co-occur over short periods of time. We tested the hypothesis that human perception exploits expectations about object kinematics to limit the scope of association to inputs that are likely to have the same token as a source. In several experiments we exposed participants to images of objects, and we then tested recognition sensitivity. Using motion, we manipulated whether successive encounters with an image took place through kinematics that implied the same or a different token as the source of those encounters. Images were injected with noise, or shown at varying orientations, and we included 2 manipulations of motion kinematics. Across all experiments, memory performance was better for images that had been previously encountered with kinematics that implied a single token. A model-based analysis similarly showed greater memory strength when images were shown via kinematics that implied a single token. These results suggest that constraints from physics are built into the mechanisms that support memory about objects. Such constraints-often characterized as 'Core Knowledge'-are known to support perception and cognition broadly, even in young infants. But they have never been considered as a mechanism for memory with respect to recognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Uncertain and multi-objective programming models for crop planting structure optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mo LI,Ping GUO,Liudong ZHANG,Chenglong ZHANG

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Crop planting structure optimization is a significant way to increase agricultural economic benefits and improve agricultural water management. The complexities of fluctuating stream conditions, varying economic profits, and uncertainties and errors in estimated modeling parameters, as well as the complexities among economic, social, natural resources and environmental aspects, have led to the necessity of developing optimization models for crop planting structure which consider uncertainty and multi-objectives elements. In this study, three single-objective programming models under uncertainty for crop planting structure optimization were developed, including an interval linear programming model, an inexact fuzzy chance-constrained programming (IFCCP model and an inexact fuzzy linear programming (IFLP model. Each of the three models takes grayness into account. Moreover, the IFCCP model considers fuzzy uncertainty of parameters/variables and stochastic characteristics of constraints, while the IFLP model takes into account the fuzzy uncertainty of both constraints and objective functions. To satisfy the sustainable development of crop planting structure planning, a fuzzy-optimization-theory-based fuzzy linear multi-objective programming model was developed, which is capable of reflecting both uncertainties and multi-objective. In addition, a multi-objective fractional programming model for crop structure optimization was also developed to quantitatively express the multi-objective in one optimization model with the numerator representing maximum economic benefits and the denominator representing minimum crop planting area allocation. These models better reflect actual situations, considering the uncertainties and multi-objectives of crop planting structure optimization systems. The five models developed were then applied to a real case study in Minqin County, north-west China. The advantages, the applicable conditions and the solution methods

Precise Object Tracking under Deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, M.H.

2010-01-01

The precise object tracking is an essential issue in several serious applications such as; robot vision, automated surveillance (civil and military), inspection, biomedical image analysis, video coding, motion segmentation, human-machine interface, visualization, medical imaging, traffic systems, satellite imaging etc. This framework focuses on the precise object tracking under deformation such as scaling, rotation, noise, blurring and change of illumination. This research is a trail to solve these serious problems in visual object tracking by which the quality of the overall system will be improved. Developing a three dimensional (3D) geometrical model to determine the current pose of an object and predict its future location based on FIR model learned by the OLS. This framework presents a robust ranging technique to track a visual target instead of the traditional expensive ranging sensors. The presented research work is applied to real video stream and achieved high precession results. xiiiThe precise object tracking is an essential issue in several serious applications such as; robot vision, automated surveillance (civil and military), inspection, biomedical image analysis, video coding, motion segmentation, human-machine interface, visualization, medical imaging, traffic systems, satellite imaging etc. This framework focuses on the precise object tracking under deformation such as scaling, rotation, noise, blurring and change of illumination. This research is a trail to solve these serious problems in visual object tracking by which the quality of the overall system will be improved. Developing a three dimensional (3D) geometrical model to determine the current pose of an object and predict its future location based on FIR model learned by the OLS. This framework presents a robust ranging technique to track a visual target instead of the traditional expensive ranging sensors. The presented research work is applied to real video stream and achieved high

Improved Reliability of Single-Phase PV Inverters by Limiting the Maximum Feed-in Power

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yongheng; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2014-01-01

Grid operation experiences have revealed the necessity to limit the maximum feed-in power from PV inverter systems under a high penetration scenario in order to avoid voltage and frequency instability issues. A Constant Power Generation (CPG) control method has been proposed at the inverter level...... devices, allowing a quantitative prediction of the power device lifetime. A study case on a 3 kW single-phase PV inverter has demonstrated the advantages of the CPG control in terms of improved reliability.......Grid operation experiences have revealed the necessity to limit the maximum feed-in power from PV inverter systems under a high penetration scenario in order to avoid voltage and frequency instability issues. A Constant Power Generation (CPG) control method has been proposed at the inverter level....... The CPG control strategy is activated only when the DC input power from PV panels exceeds a specific power limit. It enables to limit the maximum feed-in power to the electric grids and also to improve the utilization of PV inverters. As a further study, this paper investigates the reliability performance...

Quasi-objects, Cult Objects and Fashion Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Bjørn Schiermer

2011-01-01

This article attempts to rehabilitate the concept of fetishism and to contribute to the debate on the social role of objects as well as to fashion theory. Extrapolating from Michel Serres’ theory of the quasi-objects, I distinguish two phenomenologies possessing almost opposite characteristics. T...... as a unique opportunity for studying the interchange between these two forms of fetishism and their respective phenomenologies. Finally, returning to Serres, I briefly consider the theoretical consequences of introducing the fashion object as a quasi-object.......This article attempts to rehabilitate the concept of fetishism and to contribute to the debate on the social role of objects as well as to fashion theory. Extrapolating from Michel Serres’ theory of the quasi-objects, I distinguish two phenomenologies possessing almost opposite characteristics....... These two phenomenologies are, so I argue, essential to quasi-object theory, yet largely ignored by Serres’ sociological interpreters. They correspond with the two different theories of fetishism found in Marx and Durkheim, respectively. In the second half of the article, I introduce the fashion object...

Tracking Success: Outputs Versus Outcomes-A Comparison of Accredited and Non-Accredited Public Health Agencies' Community Health Improvement Plan objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrault, Evan K; Inderstrodt-Stephens, Jill; Hintz, Elizabeth A

2018-06-01

With funding for public health initiatives declining, creating measurable objectives that are focused on tracking and changing population outcomes (i.e., knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors), instead of those that are focused on health agencies' own outputs (e.g., promoting services, developing communication messages) have seen a renewed focus. This study analyzed 4094 objectives from the Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs) of 280 local PHAB-accredited and non-accredited public health agencies across the United States. Results revealed that accredited agencies were no more successful at creating outcomes-focused objectives (35% of those coded) compared to non-accredited agencies (33% of those coded; Z = 1.35, p = .18). The majority of objectives were focused on outputs (accredited: 61.2%; non-accredited: 63.3%; Z = 0.72, p = .47). Outcomes-focused objectives primarily sought to change behaviors (accredited: 85.43%; non-accredited: 80.6%), followed by changes in knowledge (accredited: 9.75%; non-accredited: 10.8%) and attitudes (accredited: 1.6%; non-accredited: 5.1%). Non-accredited agencies had more double-barreled objectives (49.9%) compared to accredited agencies (32%; Z = 11.43, p < .001). The authors recommend that accreditation procedures place a renewed focus on ensuring that public health agencies strive to achieve outcomes. It is also advocated that public health agencies work with interdisciplinary teams of Health Communicators who can help them develop procedures to effectively and efficiently measure outcomes of knowledge and attitudes that are influential drivers of behavioral changes.

Programming in an object-oriented environment

CERN Document Server

Ege, Raimund K

1992-01-01

Programming in an Object-Oriented Environment provides an in-depth look at the concepts behind the technology of object-oriented programming.This book explains why object-oriented programming has the potential to vastly improve the productivity of programmers and how to apply this technology in a practical environment. Many programming examples are included, focusing on how different programming languages support the core of object-oriented concepts. C++ is used as the main sample language throughout this text.This monograph consists of two major parts. Part I provides an introduction to objec

Modelling and Simulation of Single-Phase Series Active Compensator for Power Quality Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Arun Kumar; Mathuria, Kirti; Singh, Bhim; Bhuvaneshwari, G.

2017-10-01

A single-phase active series compensator is proposed in this work to reduce harmonic currents at the ac mains and to regulate the dc link voltage of a diode bridge rectifier (DBR) that acts as the front end converter for a voltage source inverter feeding an ac motor. This ac motor drive is used in any of the domestic, commercial or industrial appliances. Under fluctuating ac mains voltages, the dc link voltage of the DBR depicts wide variations and hence the ac motor is used at reduced rating as compared to its name-plate rating. The active series compensator proposed here provides dual functions of improving the power quality at the ac mains and regulating the dc link voltage thus averting the need for derating of the ac motor.

Dissociable effects of a single dose of ecstasy (MDMA) on psychomotor skills and attentional performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamers, C T J; Ramaekers, J G; Muntjewerff, N D; Sikkema, K L; Samyn, N; Read, N L; Brookhuis, K A; Riedel, W J

2003-12-01

Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a psychoactive recreational drug widely used by young people visiting dance parties, and has been associated with poor cognitive function. The current study assessed the influence of a single dose of MDMA 75 mg and alcohol 0.5 g/kg on cognition, psychomotor performance and driving-related task performance. Twelve healthy recreational ecstasy users participated in an experimental study conducted according to a double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled three-way cross-over design. MDMA improved psychomotor performance, such as movement speed and tracking performance in a single task, as well as in a divided attention task. MDMA impaired the ability to predict object movement under divided attention. However, the inability to accurately predict object movement after MDMA may indicate impairment of particular performance skills relevant to driving. There was no effect of MDMA on visual search, planning or retrieval from semantic memory.

Adjusting output impedance using a PI controller to improve the stability of a single-phase inverter under weak grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiao Jiao

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Explored in this paper is the grid impedance effect on the stability of a single-phase grid connected inverter with an LC filter based on an analysis of the inverter output impedance. For a single-phase grid connected inverter, a PI controller is often used to regulate the current injected into the grid. However, the control performance can be influenced when the inverter is connected to a weak grid. Also, the utility grid has background harmonic noise, which can make the injected current distorted. Therefore, analysis of the output impedance of a single-phase grid connected inverter is important for the robustness and stability of the system. By modeling the output impedance of inverter, it can be determined that the proportional gain and integral gain of the controller have an effect on the output impedance. Analytical results show that by adjusting the PI controller parameters, the ability for harmonic reduction and stability of the system can be improved. Simulation and experiments using a 1 kW single-phase grid connected inverter verify the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.

Long-term (12-month) improvement in meibomian gland function and reduced dry eye symptoms with a single thermal pulsation treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Greiner, Jack V

2013-08-01

To determine the 1-year post-treatment dry eye status of subjects with meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye symptoms after receiving a single LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System treatment. Single-centre, prospective, observational, open-label, 1-month-registered clinical trial with a 1-year follow-up examination. Patients with evaporative dry eye disease with meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye symptoms who had participated in the registered 1-month clinical trial. Eighteen of 30 subjects initially enrolled were able to return for a 1-year follow-up. Both eyes of all patients were treated with a single 12-min treatment using the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System. Meibomian gland function, tear break-up time and dry eye symptoms were measured. Data are presented for pretreatment (baseline), and 1-month and 1-year post-treatment. Meibomian gland secretion scores, and tear break-up time and dry eye symptoms. Significant improvement in meibomian gland secretion scores from baseline measurements (4.0 ± 3.4) to 1-month post-treatment (11.3 ± 4.7; P treatment (6.0 ± 4.4). The significant improvement in symptom scores on Ocular Surface Disease Index and Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaires observed at 1-month (P Eye Dryness [P treatment with the Lipi Flow Thermal Pulsation System offers an effective treatment for evaporative dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction resulting in significant and sustained improvement in signs and symptoms for up to 1 year. © 2012 The Author. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology © 2012 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Single ion implantation for single donor devices using Geiger mode detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bielejec, E; Seamons, J A; Carroll, M S

2010-01-01

Electronic devices that are designed to use the properties of single atoms such as donors or defects have become a reality with recent demonstrations of donor spectroscopy, single photon emission sources, and magnetic imaging using defect centers in diamond. Ion implantation, an industry standard for atom placement in materials, requires augmentation for single ion capability including a method for detecting a single ion arrival. Integrating single ion detection techniques with the single donor device construction region allows single ion arrival to be assured. Improving detector sensitivity is linked to improving control over the straggle of the ion as well as providing more flexibility in lay-out integration with the active region of the single donor device construction zone by allowing ion sensing at potentially greater distances. Using a remotely located passively gated single ion Geiger mode avalanche diode (SIGMA) detector we have demonstrated 100% detection efficiency at a distance of >75 μm from the center of the collecting junction. This detection efficiency is achieved with sensitivity to ∼600 or fewer electron-hole pairs produced by the implanted ion. Ion detectors with this sensitivity and integrated with a thin dielectric, for example a 5 nm gate oxide, using low energy Sb implantation would have an end of range straggle of -1 and 10 -4 for operation temperatures of ∼300 K and ∼77 K, respectively. Low temperature operation and reduced false, 'dark', counts are critical to achieving high confidence in single ion arrival. For the device performance in this work, the confidence is calculated as a probability of >98% for counting one and only one ion for a false count probability of 10 -4 at an average ion number per gated window of 0.015.

Invariance for Single Curved Manifold

KAUST Repository

Castro, Pedro Machado Manhaes de

2012-01-01

Recently, it has been shown that, for Lambert illumination model, solely scenes composed by developable objects with a very particular albedo distribution produce an (2D) image with isolines that are (almost) invariant to light direction change. In this work, we provide and investigate a more general framework, and we show that, in general, the requirement for such in variances is quite strong, and is related to the differential geometry of the objects. More precisely, it is proved that single curved manifolds, i.e., manifolds such that at each point there is at most one principal curvature direction, produce invariant is surfaces for a certain relevant family of energy functions. In the three-dimensional case, the associated energy function corresponds to the classical Lambert illumination model with albedo. This result is also extended for finite-dimensional scenes composed by single curved objects. © 2012 IEEE.

Invariance for Single Curved Manifold

KAUST Repository

Castro, Pedro Machado Manhaes de

2012-08-01

Recently, it has been shown that, for Lambert illumination model, solely scenes composed by developable objects with a very particular albedo distribution produce an (2D) image with isolines that are (almost) invariant to light direction change. In this work, we provide and investigate a more general framework, and we show that, in general, the requirement for such in variances is quite strong, and is related to the differential geometry of the objects. More precisely, it is proved that single curved manifolds, i.e., manifolds such that at each point there is at most one principal curvature direction, produce invariant is surfaces for a certain relevant family of energy functions. In the three-dimensional case, the associated energy function corresponds to the classical Lambert illumination model with albedo. This result is also extended for finite-dimensional scenes composed by single curved objects. © 2012 IEEE.

Centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo sequence: improvement of the image quality of oxygen-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Hatabu, Hiroto; Higashino, Takanori; Kawamitsu, Hideaki; Watanabe, Hirokazu; Takenaka, Daisuke; Cauteren, Marc van; Sugimura, Kazuro

2004-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study presented here was to determine the improvement in image quality of oxygen-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) subtraction imaging obtained with a centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (c-IR-HASTE) sequence compared with that obtained with a conventional sequentially reordered inversion recovery single-shot HASTE (s-IR-HASTE) sequence for pulmonary imaging. Materials and methods: Oxygen-enhanced MR imaging using a 1.5 T whole body scanner was performed on 12 healthy, non-smoking volunteers. Oxygen-enhanced MR images were obtained with the coronal two-dimensional (2D) c-IR-HASTE sequence and 2D s-IR-HASTE sequence combined with respiratory triggering. For a 256x256 matrix, 132 phase-encoding steps were acquired including four steps for phase correction. Inter-echo spacing for each sequence was 4.0 ms. The effective echo time (TE) for c-IR-HASTE was 4.0 ms, and 16 ms for s-IR-HASTE. The inversion time (TI) was 900 ms. To determine the improvement in oxygen-enhanced MR subtraction imaging by c-IR-HASTE, CNRs of subtraction image, overall image quality, and image degradation of the c-IR-HASTE and s-IR-HASTE techniques were statistically compared. Results: CNR, overall image quality, and image degradation of c-IR-HASTE images showed significant improvement compared to those s-IR-HASTE images (P<0.05). Conclusion: Centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (c-IR-HASTE) sequence enhanced the signal from the lung and improved the image quality of oxygen-enhanced MR subtraction imaging

Interactive Preference Learning of Utility Functions for Multi-Objective Optimization

OpenAIRE

Dewancker, Ian; McCourt, Michael; Ainsworth, Samuel

2016-01-01

Real-world engineering systems are typically compared and contrasted using multiple metrics. For practical machine learning systems, performance tuning is often more nuanced than minimizing a single expected loss objective, and it may be more realistically discussed as a multi-objective optimization problem. We propose a novel generative model for scalar-valued utility functions to capture human preferences in a multi-objective optimization setting. We also outline an interactive active learn...

Multi-objective optimization in quantum parameter estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, BeiLi; Cui, Wei

2018-04-01

We investigate quantum parameter estimation based on linear and Kerr-type nonlinear controls in an open quantum system, and consider the dissipation rate as an unknown parameter. We show that while the precision of parameter estimation is improved, it usually introduces a significant deformation to the system state. Moreover, we propose a multi-objective model to optimize the two conflicting objectives: (1) maximizing the Fisher information, improving the parameter estimation precision, and (2) minimizing the deformation of the system state, which maintains its fidelity. Finally, simulations of a simplified ɛ-constrained model demonstrate the feasibility of the Hamiltonian control in improving the precision of the quantum parameter estimation.

Objective assessment and design improvement of a staring, sparse transducer array by the spatial crosstalk matrix for 3D photoacoustic tomography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip Wong

Full Text Available Accurate reconstruction of 3D photoacoustic (PA images requires detection of photoacoustic signals from many angles. Several groups have adopted staring ultrasound arrays, but assessment of array performance has been limited. We previously reported on a method to calibrate a 3D PA tomography (PAT staring array system and analyze system performance using singular value decomposition (SVD. The developed SVD metric, however, was impractical for large system matrices, which are typical of 3D PAT problems. The present study consisted of two main objectives. The first objective aimed to introduce the crosstalk matrix concept to the field of PAT for system design. Figures-of-merit utilized in this study were root mean square error, peak signal-to-noise ratio, mean absolute error, and a three dimensional structural similarity index, which were derived between the normalized spatial crosstalk matrix and the identity matrix. The applicability of this approach for 3D PAT was validated by observing the response of the figures-of-merit in relation to well-understood PAT sampling characteristics (i.e. spatial and temporal sampling rate. The second objective aimed to utilize the figures-of-merit to characterize and improve the performance of a near-spherical staring array design. Transducer arrangement, array radius, and array angular coverage were the design parameters examined. We observed that the performance of a 129-element staring transducer array for 3D PAT could be improved by selection of optimal values of the design parameters. The results suggested that this formulation could be used to objectively characterize 3D PAT system performance and would enable the development of efficient strategies for system design optimization.

Experimental and theoretical analysis for improved microscope design of optical projection tomographic microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Coe, Ryan L; Seibel, Eric J

2013-09-01

We present theoretical and experimental results of axial displacement of objects relative to a fixed condenser focal plane (FP) in optical projection tomographic microscopy (OPTM). OPTM produces three-dimensional, reconstructed images of single cells from two-dimensional projections. The cell rotates in a microcapillary to acquire projections from different perspectives where the objective FP is scanned through the cell while the condenser FP remains fixed at the center of the microcapillary. This work uses a combination of experimental and theoretical methods to improve the OPTM instrument design.

The role of auditory cortices in the retrieval of single-trial auditory-visual object memories.

OpenAIRE

Matusz, P.J.; Thelen, A.; Amrein, S.; Geiser, E.; Anken, J.; Murray, M.M.

2015-01-01

Single-trial encounters with multisensory stimuli affect both memory performance and early-latency brain responses to visual stimuli. Whether and how auditory cortices support memory processes based on single-trial multisensory learning is unknown and may differ qualitatively and quantitatively from comparable processes within visual cortices due to purported differences in memory capacities across the senses. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) as healthy adults (n = 18) performed a ...

Effects of donepezil on behavioural manifestations of thalamic infarction: a single case observation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo eRiveros

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine the effect of donepezil for the treatment of cognitive and behavioural disorders associated with thalamic lesions in a 45 years old male who suffered an infarct in the left thalamus. Background: Recent studies suggest that donepezil may improve executive functions impairments due to subcortical ischemic lesionsMethod: The crossover effects of donepezil were analyzed in a single case of thalamic infarction with cognitive and behavioural alterations. Results: Significant behavioural modifications related to improved performances in executive functions were observed with the treatment. Conclusions: The results suggest that donepezil may have significant effect on executive functions that can alter behavioural outcomes after thalamic infarctions

Objective confirmation of asthma diagnosis improves medication adherence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Backer, V; Stensen, L; Sverrild, A

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The impact of diagnostic work-up in asthma management on medication redemption and probably also drug adherence is largely unknown, but we hypothesized that a confirmed diagnosis of asthma in a hospital-based out-patient clinic increases the willingness to subsequent medication...... redemption in a real life setting. METHODS: In a retrospective register-based study, 300 medical records of patients referred with possible asthma during one year were examined, of whom 171 had asthma (57%). One-year data on dispensed medicine was collected using the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product...... more frequently prescribed new therapy compared to those with unverified asthma (88.9% vs. 65.0%, respectively, p time redemption of prescriptions (72% vs. 64%, respectively, p = 0.3), whereas the second (52% vs. 27%, p = 0.001) and third or more asthma...

Improving the thermal integrity of new single-family detached residential buildings: Documentation for a regional database of capital costs and space conditioning load savings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koomey, J.G.; McMahon, J.E.; Wodley, C.

1991-07-01

This report summarizes the costs and space-conditioning load savings from improving new single-family building shells. It relies on survey data from the National Association of Home-builders (NAHB) to assess current insulation practices for these new buildings, and NAHB cost data (aggregated to the Federal region level) to estimate the costs of improving new single-family buildings beyond current practice. Space-conditioning load savings are estimated using a database of loads for prototype buildings developed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, adjusted to reflect population-weighted average weather in each of the ten federal regions and for the nation as a whole

Nanospintronics: when spintronics meets single electron physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seneor, Pierre; Bernand-Mantel, Anne; Petroff, Frederic

2007-01-01

As spintronics goes nano, new phenomena are predicted resulting from the interplay between spin dependent transport and single electron physics. The long term goal of manipulating spins one by one would open a promising path to quantum computing. Towards this end, there is an ever-growing effort to connect spin tanks (i.e. ferromagnetic leads) to smaller and smaller objects in order to study spintronics in reduced dimensions. As the dimensions are reduced, spin dependent transport is predicted to interplay with quantum and/or single electron charging effects. We review experiments and theories on the interplay between Coulomb blockade and spin properties (namely magneto-Coulomb effects) in structures where a single nano-object is connected to ferromagnetic leads. We then discuss briefly future directions in the emerging field of nanospintronics towards quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and single molecule magnets

Training With Curved Laparoscopic Instruments in Single-Port Setting Improves Performance Using Straight Instruments: A Prospective Randomized Simulation Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukovich, Peter; Sionov, Valery Ben; Kakucs, Timea

2016-01-01

Lately single-port surgery is becoming a widespread procedure, but it is more difficult than conventional laparoscopy owing to the lack of triangulation. Although, these operations are also possible with standard laparoscopic instruments, curved instruments are being developed. The aims of the study were to identify the effect of training on a box trainer in single-port setting on the quality of acquired skills, and transferred with the straight and curved instruments for the basic laparoscopic tasks, and highlight the importance of a special laparoscopic training curriculum. A prospective study on a box trainer in single-port setting was conducted using 2 groups. Each group performed 2 tasks on the box trainer in single-port setting. Group-S used conventional straight laparoscopic instruments, and Group-C used curved laparoscopic instruments. Learning curves were obtained by daily measurements recorded in 7-day sessions. On the last day, the 2 groups changed instruments between each other. 1st Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University of Medicine from Budapest, Hungary, a university teaching hospital. In all, 20 fifth-year medical students were randomized into 2 groups. None of them had any laparoscopic or endoscopic experience. Participation was voluntary. Although Group-S performed all tasks significantly faster than Group-C on the first day, the difference proved to be nonsignificant on the last day. All participants achieved significantly shorter task completion time on the last day than on the first day, regardless of the instrument they used. Group-S showed improvement of 63.5%, and Group-C 69.0% improvement by the end of the session. After swapping the instruments, Group-S reached significantly higher task completion time with curved instruments, whereas Group-C showed further progression of 8.9% with straight instruments. Training with curved instruments in a single-port setting allows for a better acquisition of skills in a shorter period. For this

Interfacial dynamics of dissolving objects in fluid flow

Science.gov (United States)

Rycroft, Chris; Bazant, Martin

2013-11-01

An advection-diffusion-limited dissolution model of an object being eroded by a two-dimensional potential flow will be presented. By taking advantage of conformal invariance of the model, a numerical method will be introduced that tracks the evolution of the object boundary in terms of a time-dependent Laurent series. Simulations of several dissolving objects will be shown, all of which show collapse to a single point in finite time. The simulations reveal a surprising connection between the position of the collapse point and the initial Laurent coefficients, which was subsequently derived analytically using residue calculus.

Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Demirel

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the

Improving Genetic Evaluation of Litter Size Using a Single-step Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Xiangyu; Christensen, Ole Fredslund; Ostersen, Tage

A recently developed single-step method allows genetic evaluation based on information from phenotypes, pedigree and markers simultaneously. This paper compared reliabilities of predicted breeding values obtained from single-step method and the traditional pedigree-based method for two litter size...... traits, total number of piglets born (TNB), and litter size at five days after birth (Ls 5) in Danish Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. The results showed that the single-step method combining phenotypic and genotypic information provided more accurate predictions than the pedigree-based method, not only...

Multi-objective ACO algorithms to minimise the makespan and the total rejection cost on BPMs with arbitrary job weights

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Zhao-hong; Pei, Ming-li; Leung, Joseph Y.-T.

2017-12-01

In this paper, we investigate the batch-scheduling problem with rejection on parallel machines with non-identical job sizes and arbitrary job-rejected weights. If a job is rejected, the corresponding penalty has to be paid. Our objective is to minimise the makespan of the processed jobs and the total rejection cost of the rejected jobs. Based on the selected multi-objective optimisation approaches, two problems, P1 and P2, are considered. In P1, the two objectives are linearly combined into one single objective. In P2, the two objectives are simultaneously minimised and the Pareto non-dominated solution set is to be found. Based on the ant colony optimisation (ACO), two algorithms, called LACO and PACO, are proposed to address the two problems, respectively. Two different objective-oriented pheromone matrices and heuristic information are designed. Additionally, a local optimisation algorithm is adopted to improve the solution quality. Finally, simulated experiments are conducted, and the comparative results verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms, especially on large-scale instances.

Holding an object one is looking at : Kinesthetic information on the object's distance does not improve visual judgments of its size

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brenner, Eli; Van Damme, Wim J.M.; Smeets, Jeroen B.J.

1997-01-01

Visual judgments of distance are often inaccurate. Nevertheless, information on distance must be procured if retinal image size is to be used to judge an object's dimensions. In the present study, we examined whether kinesthetic information about an object's distance - based on the posture of the

Monte carlo study of MOSFET packaging, optimised for improved energy response: single MOSFET filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, M A R; Cutajar, D L; Hardcastle, N; Guatelli, S; Rosenfeld, A B

2010-09-01

Monte Carlo simulations of the energy response of a conventionally packaged single metal-oxide field effect transistors (MOSFET) detector were performed with the goal of improving MOSFET energy dependence for personal accident or military dosimetry. The MOSFET detector packaging was optimised. Two different 'drop-in' design packages for a single MOSFET detector were modelled and optimised using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo toolkit. Absorbed photon dose simulations of the MOSFET dosemeter placed in free-air response, corresponding to the absorbed doses at depths of 0.07 mm (D(w)(0.07)) and 10 mm (D(w)(10)) in a water equivalent phantom of size 30 x 30 x 30 cm(3) for photon energies of 0.015-2 MeV were performed. Energy dependence was reduced to within + or - 60 % for photon energies 0.06-2 MeV for both D(w)(0.07) and D(w)(10). Variations in the response for photon energies of 15-60 keV were 200 and 330 % for D(w)(0.07) and D(w)(10), respectively. The obtained energy dependence was reduced compared with that for conventionally packaged MOSFET detectors, which usually exhibit a 500-700 % over-response when used in free-air geometry.

Evaluating the Use of Learning Objects for Improving Calculus Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Robin; Kletskin, Ilona

2010-01-01

Pre-calculus concepts such as working with functions and solving equations are essential for students to explore limits, rates of change, and integrals. Yet many students have a weak understanding of these key concepts which impedes performance in their first year university Calculus course. A series of online learning objects was developed to…

Magnetohydrodynamical processes near compact objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisnovatyi Kogan, G.S.

1979-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamical processes near compact objects are reviewed in this paper. First the accretion of the magnetized matter into a single black hole and spectra of radiation are considered. Then the magnetic-field phenomena in the disk accretion, when the black hole is in a pair are discussed. Furthermore, the magnetohydrodynamics phenomena during supernova explosion are considered. Finally the magnetohydrodynamics in the accretion of a neutron star is considered in connection With x-ray sources

Benchmarking whole-building energy performance with multi-criteria technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution using a selective objective-weighting approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Endong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A TOPSIS based multi-criteria whole-building energy benchmarking is developed. • A selective objective-weighting procedure is used for a cost-accuracy tradeoff. • Results from a real case validated the benefits of the presented approach. - Abstract: This paper develops a robust multi-criteria Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) based building energy efficiency benchmarking approach. The approach is explicitly selective to address multicollinearity trap due to the subjectivity in selecting energy variables by considering cost-accuracy trade-off. It objectively weights the relative importance of individual pertinent efficiency measuring criteria using either multiple linear regression or principal component analysis contingent on meta data quality. Through this approach, building energy performance is comprehensively evaluated and optimized. Simultaneously, the significant challenges associated with conventional single-criterion benchmarking models can be avoided. Together with a clustering algorithm on a three-year panel dataset, the benchmarking case of 324 single-family dwellings demonstrated an improved robustness of the presented multi-criteria benchmarking approach over the conventional single-criterion ones

Cloud Computing and Multi Agent System to improve Learning Object Paradigm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana B. Gil

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The paradigm of Learning Object provides Educators and Learners with the ability to access an extensive number of learning resources. To do so, this paradigm provides different technologies and tools, such as federated search platforms and storage repositories, in order to obtain information ubiquitously and on demand. However, the vast amount and variety of educational content, which is distributed among several repositories, and the existence of various and incompatible standards, technologies and interoperability layers among repositories, constitutes a real problem for the expansion of this paradigm. This study presents an agent-based architecture that uses the advantages provided by Cloud Computing platforms to deal with the open issues on the Learning Object paradigm.

Haptic identification of objects and their depictions.

Science.gov (United States)

Klatzky, R L; Loomis, J M; Lederman, S J; Wake, H; Fujita, N

1993-08-01

Haptic identification of real objects is superior to that of raised two-dimensional (2-D) depictions. Three explanations of real-object superiority were investigated: contribution of material information, contribution of 3-D shape and size, and greater potential for integration across the fingers. In Experiment 1, subjects, while wearing gloves that gently attenuated material information, haptically identified real objects that provided reduced cues to compliance, mass, and part motion. The gloves permitted exploration with free hand movement, a single outstretched finger, or five outstretched fingers. Performance decreased over these three conditions but was superior to identification of pictures of the same objects in all cases, indicating the contribution of 3-D structure and integration across the fingers. Picture performance was also better with five fingers than with one. In Experiment 2, the subjects wore open-fingered gloves, which provided them with material information. Consequently, the effect of type of exploration was substantially reduced but not eliminated. Material compensates somewhat for limited access to object structure but is not the primary basis for haptic object identification.

A new hybrid genetic algorithm for optimizing the single and multivariate objective functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tumuluru, Jaya Shankar [Idaho National Laboratory; McCulloch, Richard Chet James [Idaho National Laboratory

2015-07-01

In this work a new hybrid genetic algorithm was developed which combines a rudimentary adaptive steepest ascent hill climbing algorithm with a sophisticated evolutionary algorithm in order to optimize complex multivariate design problems. By combining a highly stochastic algorithm (evolutionary) with a simple deterministic optimization algorithm (adaptive steepest ascent) computational resources are conserved and the solution converges rapidly when compared to either algorithm alone. In genetic algorithms natural selection is mimicked by random events such as breeding and mutation. In the adaptive steepest ascent algorithm each variable is perturbed by a small amount and the variable that caused the most improvement is incremented by a small step. If the direction of most benefit is exactly opposite of the previous direction with the most benefit then the step size is reduced by a factor of 2, thus the step size adapts to the terrain. A graphical user interface was created in MATLAB to provide an interface between the hybrid genetic algorithm and the user. Additional features such as bounding the solution space and weighting the objective functions individually are also built into the interface. The algorithm developed was tested to optimize the functions developed for a wood pelleting process. Using process variables (such as feedstock moisture content, die speed, and preheating temperature) pellet properties were appropriately optimized. Specifically, variables were found which maximized unit density, bulk density, tapped density, and durability while minimizing pellet moisture content and specific energy consumption. The time and computational resources required for the optimization were dramatically decreased using the hybrid genetic algorithm when compared to MATLAB's native evolutionary optimization tool.

P3-22: Perception of Emotion on Object Movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moritaka Kouroki

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Previous studies showed that perceived animacy from object movement using simple figures (i.e., Heider & Simmel, 1944 American Journal of Psychology 57 243–259. Other studies using a single figure suggested that the complexity and animacy on the object movement operating change timing, change frequency, and acceleration increased the preference to the object (Matsuda et al., 2010 8th Congress of the Japanese Society for Cognitive Psychology, showed that observers could estimate the common emotion from the simple object movement (Tomikawa & Oda, 2009 The Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers 33 1–4. The perception of emotion to the object movement might influence the increase of preference with perceiving animacy in Matsuda et al. (2010. This study examined the perception of the six basic emotions (Ekman & Freisen, 1975 Unmasking the Face on object movement using the paradigm in Matsuda et al. (2010. As a result, evaluation scores for “happiness” and “surprise” increased in a high frequency condition, and scores for “sad” increased in a low frequency condition. This result seemed to affect the increase of preference to the object with complex movement in Matsuda et al. (2010. Evaluation scores for the emotion needed for the subject to feel it—such as “anger”, “disgust”, and “fear”—were low for each condition. Also, in comparison with other emotions, evaluation scores for “surprise” were similar to the scores for animacy in Matsuda et al. (2010. This result seems to show that the perception of “surprise” contributed to the perception of animacy on a single object movement.

Single photon ECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Toshio; Matsuda, Hiroshi; Tada, Akira; Bunko, Hisashi; Koizumi, Kiyoshi

1982-01-01

The detectability of lesions located deep in a body or overlapped with a physiologically increased activity improve with the help of single photon ECT. In some cases, the ECT is superior to the conventional gamma camera images and X-ray CT scans in the evaluation of the location and size of lesion. The single photon ECT of the brain compares favorably with the contrast enhansed X-ray CT scans. The most important adaptation of the single photon ECT are the detection of recurrent brain tumors after craniotomy and the evaluation of ischemic heart diseases. (author)

Assessing the Cartographic Visualization of Moving Objects ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Four representations are considered in this research: the single static map, multiple static maps, animation, and the space-time cube. The study is conducted by considering four movement characteristics (or aspects of moving objects): speed change, returns, stops, and path of movement. The ability of users to perceive and ...

Medical students' perception of objective structured clinical examination: a feedback for process improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Abdulrasheed A; Yusuf, Ayodeji S; Abdur-Rahman, Lukman O; Babalola, Olasunkanmi M; Adeyeye, Ademola A; Popoola, Ademola A; Adeniran, James O

2014-01-01

Medical educators have always been desirous of the best methods for formative and summative evaluation of trainees. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an approach for student assessment in which aspects of clinical competence are evaluated in a comprehensive, consistent, and structured manner with close attention to the objectivity of the process. Though popular in most medical schools globally, its use in Nigeria medical schools appears limited. This study was conceived to explore students' perception about the acceptability of OSCE process and to provide feedback to be used to improve the assessment technique. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on final-year medical students, who participated in the final MBBS surgery examination in June 2011. A 19-item self-administered structured questionnaire was employed to obtain relevant data on demographics of respondents and questions evaluating the OSCE stations in terms of the quality of instructions and organization, learning opportunities, authenticity and transparency of the process, and usefulness of the OSCE as an assessment instrument compared with other formats. Students' responses were based on a 5-point Likert scales ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 15 (SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL). The study took place at the University of Ilorin, College of Health Science. A total of 187 final-year medical students were enrolled in to the survey. Of 187 eligible students, 151 completed the self-administered questionnaire representing 80.7% response rate. A total of 61 (40.4%) students felt that it was easy to understand written instructions at the OSCE stations. In total, 106 (70.2%) students felt that the time allocated to each station was adequate. A total of 89 (58.9%) students agreed that the OSCE accurately measured their knowledge and skill, and 85 (56.3%) reported that OSCE enhanced their communication skill. Of the respondents, 80 (53

Single-Staged Improved Tubularized Preputial/Penile Skin Flap Urethroplasty for Obliterated Anterior Urethral Stricture: Long-Term Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Jing-Dong; Xie, Hong; Fu, Qiang; Feng, Chao; Guo, Hui; Xu, Yue-Min

2016-01-01

To present an improved tubularized flap (ITF) technique and report the outcome of single-stage urethroplasty using preputial/penile skin flaps (PSFs) for the treatment of obliterative anterior urethral strictures (AUSs). From January 2000 to June 2012, 42 cases of obliterative AUS (3-14 cm, mean 6.38 cm) with urethral plate unsalvageable were treated using PSF-ITF urethroplasty including longitudinal skin flap, circular island flap, L-flap, Q-flap. Patients were divided into 3 groups: pendulous urethral stricture (Group A), bulbar urethral stricture (Group B) and panurethral strictures (Group C). Patients were followed up by uroflowmetry, urethrography and ureteroscope when necessary. The mean follow-up in these patients was 65 months (range 36 months-15 years). The primary success rates at 3-year follow-up were 75, 75 and 60% for Groups A, B and C, respectively. The overall success rates were 85, 83 and 70% with the remedial measure of a single visual internal urethrotomy at 3-year follow-up. A total 60% of the patients in the study completed more than 5 years of follow-up with no additional recurrence. Improved tubularized preputial/PSF urethroplasty with relatively high overall satisfaction is a novel technique for treatment of AUS when there is inadequate urethral plate or obliterative defects. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Object interest in autism spectrum disorder

Science.gov (United States)

MCDUFFIE, ANDREA S.; LIEBERMAN, REBECCA G.; YODER, PAUL J.

2014-01-01

A randomized control trial comparing two social communication treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder examined the effect of treatment on object interest. Thirty-two children, 18–60 months, were randomly assigned to the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or Responsive Education and Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching (RPMT) condition. Assessment of object interest was conducted in an unstructured play session with different toys, activities, adult, and location than experienced in treatment. Results indicated children in the RPMT condition showed greater increases in object interest as compared to children in the PECS condition. Because child characteristics such as interest in objects may influence response to interventions using object play as contexts for treatment, it is important to improve our understanding of whether intervention can affect object interest. PMID:22133872

An Improved Azimuth Angle Estimation Method with a Single Acoustic Vector Sensor Based on an Active Sonar Detection System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Anbang; Ma, Lin; Ma, Xuefei; Hui, Juan

2017-02-20

In this paper, an improved azimuth angle estimation method with a single acoustic vector sensor (AVS) is proposed based on matched filtering theory. The proposed method is mainly applied in an active sonar detection system. According to the conventional passive method based on complex acoustic intensity measurement, the mathematical and physical model of this proposed method is described in detail. The computer simulation and lake experiments results indicate that this method can realize the azimuth angle estimation with high precision by using only a single AVS. Compared with the conventional method, the proposed method achieves better estimation performance. Moreover, the proposed method does not require complex operations in frequencydomain and achieves computational complexity reduction.

An Improved Azimuth Angle Estimation Method with a Single Acoustic Vector Sensor Based on an Active Sonar Detection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anbang Zhao

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an improved azimuth angle estimation method with a single acoustic vector sensor (AVS is proposed based on matched filtering theory. The proposed method is mainly applied in an active sonar detection system. According to the conventional passive method based on complex acoustic intensity measurement, the mathematical and physical model of this proposed method is described in detail. The computer simulation and lake experiments results indicate that this method can realize the azimuth angle estimation with high precision by using only a single AVS. Compared with the conventional method, the proposed method achieves better estimation performance. Moreover, the proposed method does not require complex operations in frequencydomain and achieves computational complexity reduction.

Improving Quality in Object-Oriented Software. Systematic Refinement and Translation of Models to Code

OpenAIRE

Bunse, C.; Atkinson, C.

1999-01-01

The reliable attainment of quality requirements is still a major weakness of the object-oriented development paradigm, with a significant proportion of object-oriented systems either failing to work correctly, or failing to do so in a way that meets non-functional requirements. One of the main reasons for this problem is the discrepancy between the various object-oriented languages/notations typically used during the course of an object-oriented project and the lack of well-defined mappings b...

Improvement of Torque Production in Single-Phase Induction Motors

African Journals Online (AJOL)

OLUWASOGO

PID controller. Simulation results show the starting torque of the motor increased by 75% under the developed drive .... The model equations of the capacitor-run single phase induction .... process using the MATLAB pidtool command (Control.

Single image super-resolution based on compressive sensing and improved TV minimization sparse recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Vishnukumar, S.; Wilscy, M.

2017-12-01

In this paper, we propose a single image Super-Resolution (SR) method based on Compressive Sensing (CS) and Improved Total Variation (TV) Minimization Sparse Recovery. In the CS framework, low-resolution (LR) image is treated as the compressed version of high-resolution (HR) image. Dictionary Training and Sparse Recovery are the two phases of the method. K-Singular Value Decomposition (K-SVD) method is used for dictionary training and the dictionary represents HR image patches in a sparse manner. Here, only the interpolated version of the LR image is used for training purpose and thereby the structural self similarity inherent in the LR image is exploited. In the sparse recovery phase the sparse representation coefficients with respect to the trained dictionary for LR image patches are derived using Improved TV Minimization method. HR image can be reconstructed by the linear combination of the dictionary and the sparse coefficients. The experimental results show that the proposed method gives better results quantitatively as well as qualitatively on both natural and remote sensing images. The reconstructed images have better visual quality since edges and other sharp details are preserved.

Phase object retrieval through scattering medium

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ming; Zhao, Meijing; Wu, Houde; Xu, Wenhai

2018-05-01

Optical imaging through a scattering medium has been an interesting and important research topic, especially in the field of biomedical imaging. However, it is still a challenging task due to strong scattering. This paper proposes to recover the phase object behind the scattering medium from one single-shot speckle intensity image using calibrated transmission matrices (TMs). We construct the forward model as a non-linear mapping, since the intensity image loses the phase information, and then a generalized phase retrieval algorithm is employed to recover the hidden object. Moreover, we show that a phase object can be reconstructed with a small portion of the speckle image captured by the camera. The simulation is performed to demonstrate our scheme and test its performance. Finally, a real experiment is set up, we measure the TMs from the scattering medium, and then use it to reconstruct the hidden object. We show that a phase object of size 32 × 32 is retrieved from 150 × 150 speckle grains, which is only 1/50 of the speckles area. We believe our proposed method can benefit the community of imaging through the scattering medium.

Object tracking with robotic total stations: Current technologies and improvements based on image data

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrhart, Matthias; Lienhart, Werner

2017-09-01

The importance of automated prism tracking is increasingly triggered by the rising automation of total station measurements in machine control, monitoring and one-person operation. In this article we summarize and explain the different techniques that are used to coarsely search a prism, to precisely aim at a prism, and to identify whether the correct prism is tracked. Along with the state-of-the-art review, we discuss and experimentally evaluate possible improvements based on the image data of an additional wide-angle camera which is available for many total stations today. In cases in which the total station's fine aiming module loses the prism, the tracked object may still be visible to the wide-angle camera because of its larger field of view. The theodolite angles towards the target can then be derived from its image coordinates which facilitates a fast reacquisition of the prism. In experimental measurements we demonstrate that our image-based approach for the coarse target search is 4 to 10-times faster than conventional approaches.

Pricing objectives in nonprofit hospitals.

OpenAIRE

Bauerschmidt, A D; Jacobs, P

1985-01-01

This article reports on a survey of 60 financial managers of nonprofit hospitals in the eastern United States relating to the importance of a number of factors which influence their pricing decisions and the pricing objectives which they pursue. Among the results uncovered by the responses: that trustees are the single most important body in the price-setting process (doctors play a relatively unimportant role); that hospital pricing goals are more related to target net revenue than profit ma...

Single-sided magnetic resonance profiling in biological and materials science.

Science.gov (United States)

Danieli, Ernesto; Blümich, Bernhard

2013-04-01

Single-sided NMR was inspired by the oil industry that strived to improve the performance of well-logging tools to measure the properties of fluids confined downhole. This unconventional way of implementing NMR, in which stray magnetic and radio frequency fields are used to recover information of arbitrarily large objects placed outside the magnet, motivated the development of handheld NMR sensors. These devices have moved the technique to different scientific disciplines. The current work gives a review of the most relevant magnets and methodologies developed to generate NMR information from spatially localized regions of samples placed in close proximity to the sensors. When carried out systematically, such measurements lead to 'single-sided depth profiles' or one-dimensional images. This paper presents recent and most relevant applications as well as future perspectives of this growing branch of MRI. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A versatile optical microscope for time-dependent single-molecule and single-particle spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hao; Yang, Haw

2018-03-01

This work reports the design and implementation of a multi-function optical microscope for time-dependent spectroscopy on single molecules and single nanoparticles. It integrates the now-routine single-object measurements into one standalone platform so that no reconfiguration is needed when switching between different types of sample or spectroscopy modes. The illumination modes include evanescent field through total internal reflection, dark-field illumination, and epi-excitation onto a diffraction-limited spot suitable for confocal detection. The detection modes include spectrally resolved line imaging, wide-field imaging with dual-color capability, and two-color single-element photon-counting detection. The switch between different spectroscopy and data acquisition modes is fully automated and executed through computer programming. The capability of this microscope is demonstrated through selected proof-of-principle experiments.

A versatile optical microscope for time-dependent single-molecule and single-particle spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hao; Yang, Haw

2018-03-28

This work reports the design and implementation of a multi-function optical microscope for time-dependent spectroscopy on single molecules and single nanoparticles. It integrates the now-routine single-object measurements into one standalone platform so that no reconfiguration is needed when switching between different types of sample or spectroscopy modes. The illumination modes include evanescent field through total internal reflection, dark-field illumination, and epi-excitation onto a diffraction-limited spot suitable for confocal detection. The detection modes include spectrally resolved line imaging, wide-field imaging with dual-color capability, and two-color single-element photon-counting detection. The switch between different spectroscopy and data acquisition modes is fully automated and executed through computer programming. The capability of this microscope is demonstrated through selected proof-of-principle experiments.

Independent effects of colour on object identification and memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Jones, Toby J; Nakabayashi, Kazuyo

2009-02-01

We examined the effects of colour on object identification and memory using a study-test priming procedure with a coloured-object decision task at test (i.e., deciding whether an object is correctly coloured). Objects were selected to have a single associated colour and were either correctly or incorrectly coloured. In addition, object shape and colour were either spatially integrated (i.e., colour fell on the object surface) or spatially separated (i.e., colour formed the background to the object). Transforming the colour of an object from study to test (e.g., from a yellow banana to a purple banana) reduced priming of response times, as compared to when the object was untransformed. This utilization of colour information in object memory was not contingent upon colour falling on the object surface or whether the resulting configuration was of a correctly or incorrectly coloured object. In addition, we observed independent effects of colour on response times, whereby coloured-object decisions were more efficient for correctly than for incorrectly coloured objects but only when colour fell on the object surface. These findings provide evidence for two distinct mechanisms of shape-colour binding in object processing.

Cognitive object recognition system (CORS)

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, Chaitanya; Varadarajan, Karthik Mahesh; Krishnamurthi, Niyant; Xu, Shuli; Biederman, Irving; Kelley, Troy

2010-04-01

We have developed a framework, Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), inspired by current neurocomputational models and psychophysical research in which multiple recognition algorithms (shape based geometric primitives, 'geons,' and non-geometric feature-based algorithms) are integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to object recognition and landmarking. Objects are defined as a combination of geons, corresponding to their simple parts, and the relations among the parts. However, those objects that are not easily decomposable into geons, such as bushes and trees, are recognized by CORS using "feature-based" algorithms. The unique interaction between these algorithms is a novel approach that combines the effectiveness of both algorithms and takes us closer to a generalized approach to object recognition. CORS allows recognition of objects through a larger range of poses using geometric primitives and performs well under heavy occlusion - about 35% of object surface is sufficient. Furthermore, geon composition of an object allows image understanding and reasoning even with novel objects. With reliable landmarking capability, the system improves vision-based robot navigation in GPS-denied environments. Feasibility of the CORS system was demonstrated with real stereo images captured from a Pioneer robot. The system can currently identify doors, door handles, staircases, trashcans and other relevant landmarks in the indoor environment.

Information model of the 'Ukryttya' object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batij, E.V.; Ermolenko, A.A.; Kotlyarov, V.T.

2008-01-01

There were described the building principles and content of the 'Ukryttya' object information model that has been developed at the Institute for Safety Problems of NPP. Using the client/server architecture in this system (the simultaneous access of the many users), Autodesk Map Guide and ASP.NET technologies allowed avoiding the typical defects of the 'stand-alone desktop' information systems (that aimed for a single user)

Perception of animacy from the motion of a single sound object

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rasmus Høll; Vuust, Peter; Wallentin, Mikkel

2015-01-01

Research in the visual modality has shown that the presence of certain dynamics in the motion of an object has a strong effect on whether or not the entity is perceived as animate. Cues for animacy are, among others, self-propelled motion and direction changes that are seemingly not caused...... that a change in the velocity of motion is positively correlated with perceived animacy, and changes in direction were found to influence animacy judgment as well. This suggests that an ability to facilitate and sustain self-movement is perceived as a living quality not only in the visual domain...

Nanoliter reactors improve multiple displacement amplification of genomes from single cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yann Marcy

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Since only a small fraction of environmental bacteria are amenable to laboratory culture, there is great interest in genomic sequencing directly from single cells. Sufficient DNA for sequencing can be obtained from one cell by the Multiple Displacement Amplification (MDA method, thereby eliminating the need to develop culture methods. Here we used a microfluidic device to isolate individual Escherichia coli and amplify genomic DNA by MDA in 60-nl reactions. Our results confirm a report that reduced MDA reaction volume lowers nonspecific synthesis that can result from contaminant DNA templates and unfavourable interaction between primers. The quality of the genome amplification was assessed by qPCR and compared favourably to single-cell amplifications performed in standard 50-microl volumes. Amplification bias was greatly reduced in nanoliter volumes, thereby providing a more even representation of all sequences. Single-cell amplicons from both microliter and nanoliter volumes provided high-quality sequence data by high-throughput pyrosequencing, thereby demonstrating a straightforward route to sequencing genomes from single cells.

Salient Object Detection via Structured Matrix Decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Houwen; Li, Bing; Ling, Haibin; Hu, Weiming; Xiong, Weihua; Maybank, Stephen J

2016-05-04

Low-rank recovery models have shown potential for salient object detection, where a matrix is decomposed into a low-rank matrix representing image background and a sparse matrix identifying salient objects. Two deficiencies, however, still exist. First, previous work typically assumes the elements in the sparse matrix are mutually independent, ignoring the spatial and pattern relations of image regions. Second, when the low-rank and sparse matrices are relatively coherent, e.g., when there are similarities between the salient objects and background or when the background is complicated, it is difficult for previous models to disentangle them. To address these problems, we propose a novel structured matrix decomposition model with two structural regularizations: (1) a tree-structured sparsity-inducing regularization that captures the image structure and enforces patches from the same object to have similar saliency values, and (2) a Laplacian regularization that enlarges the gaps between salient objects and the background in feature space. Furthermore, high-level priors are integrated to guide the matrix decomposition and boost the detection. We evaluate our model for salient object detection on five challenging datasets including single object, multiple objects and complex scene images, and show competitive results as compared with 24 state-of-the-art methods in terms of seven performance metrics.

RASW : a Run-time Adaptive Sliding Window to Improve Viola-Jones object detection.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Comaschi, F.; Stuijk, S.; Basten, T.; Corporaal, H.

2013-01-01

Abstract—In recent years accurate algorithms for detecting objects in images have been developed. Among these algorithms, the object detection scheme proposed by Viola and Jones gained great popularity, especially after the release of high-quality face classifiers by the OpenCV group. However, as

Functional imaging of human crossmodal identification and object recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amedi, A; von Kriegstein, K; van Atteveldt, N M; Beauchamp, M S; Naumer, M J

2005-01-01

The perception of objects is a cognitive function of prime importance. In everyday life, object perception benefits from the coordinated interplay of vision, audition, and touch. The different sensory modalities provide both complementary and redundant information about objects, which may improve

On-shot characterization of single plasma mirror temporal contrast improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Obst, L.; Metzkes-Ng, J.; Bock, S.; Cochran, G. E.; Cowan, T. E.; Oksenhendler, T.; Poole, P. L.; Prencipe, I.; Rehwald, M.; Rödel, C.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schramm, U.; Schumacher, D. W.; Ziegler, T.; Zeil, K.

2018-05-01

We report on the setup and commissioning of a compact recollimating single plasma mirror (PM) for temporal contrast enhancement at the Draco 150 TW laser during laser-proton acceleration experiments. The temporal contrast with and without PM is characterized single-shot by means of self-referenced spectral interferometry with extended time excursion at unprecedented dynamic and temporal range. This allows for the first single-shot measurement of the PM trigger point, which is interesting for the quantitative investigation of the complex pre-plasma formation process at the surface of the target used for proton acceleration. As a demonstration of high contrast laser plasma interaction we present proton acceleration results with ultra-thin liquid crystal targets of ∼ 1 μm down to 10 nm thickness. Focus scans of different target thicknesses show that highest proton energies are reached for the thinnest targets at best focus. This indicates that the contrast enhancement is effective such that the acceleration process is not limited by target pre-expansion induced by laser light preceding the main laser pulse.

The success of opening single chronic total occlusion lesions to improve myocardialviabilitytrial (SOS-COMEDY): Study protocol of a prospective multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rongchong; Song, Xiantao; Zhang, Haishan; Tian, Wen; Huang, Zheng; Zhang, Xingwei; Yang, Junqing; Zhang, Dongfeng; Wu, Jian; Zhong, Lei; Ting, Henry H

2018-04-01

Success of opening single (SOS)-comedy is a prospective multicenter study to compare the improvement in the decrease of myocardial viability by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with that by optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a single coronary artery. The risks and the benefits of both options (PCI and OMT) were listed in a CTO decision aid (DA). Eligible participants detected by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were divided into PCI or OMT groups according to patients' choice after shared-decision making process with DA. Participants will undergo positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and proceed to ICA and revascularization if possible. Blinded core laboratory interpretation will be performed for ICA, CCTA, PET/CT, CMR, and TTE. All participants will be followed up for 12 months. The primary endpoint is the improvement to the decrease of myocardial viability from baseline assessed with the use of PET/CT after 12-month follow-up. All of the patients are appropriately consented before enrolling in this study, which has been approved by the Ethics Committee. Results of SOS-COMEDY will be helpful to develop a strategy for single CTO patients.

[Application of single-retainer all-ceramic resin-bonded fixed partial denture in replacing single anterior tooth].

Science.gov (United States)

Lili, Yang; Debiao, Du; Ruoyu, Ning; Deying, Chen; Junling, Wu

2017-08-01

Objective In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of single-retainer all-ceramic resin-bonded fixed partial denture (RBFPD) on the single anterior tooth loss patients. Methods A total of 20 single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD
were fabricated and evaluated in a two-year follow-up observation. The restorations were examined on the basis of the American Public Health Association (APHA) criteria. Results A total of 20 single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD achieved class A evaluation after a six-month follow-up observation. One single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD was classified as class B for secondary caries after a one-year follow-up observation. After a two-year follow-up observation, one single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD was classified as class B because of secondary caries, and one single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD was classified as class B because of fracture. Conclusion Single-retainer all-ceramic RBFPD is a promising and optional method in replacing single anterior tooth.

Obesity-related complications in Danish single cephalic term pregnancies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Line; Nilas, Lisbeth; Wøjdemann, Karen

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the relationship between prepregnancy and obstetric body mass index (BMI) as well as fetal complications in a large, unselected cohort of Danish women with single cephalic pregnancies. METHODS: A cohort of 8,092 women from the Copenhagen First Trimester...... with an increasing prepregnancy BMI in women with single cephalic term pregnancies, particularly in nulliparous women....... Study with a registered prepregnancy BMI and a single cephalic term delivery were stratified into 3 BMI groups: normal weight (BMI /= 30 kg/m(2)). The effects of BMI and parity on the outcome were analyzed using multivariate logistic...

Object recognition memory in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Zacnicte; Morrill, Adam; Holcombe, Adam; Johnston, Travis; Gallup, Joshua; Fouad, Karim; Schalomon, Melike; Hamilton, Trevor James

2016-01-01

The novel object recognition, or novel-object preference (NOP) test is employed to assess recognition memory in a variety of organisms. The subject is exposed to two identical objects, then after a delay, it is placed back in the original environment containing one of the original objects and a novel object. If the subject spends more time exploring one object, this can be interpreted as memory retention. To date, this test has not been fully explored in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish possess recognition memory for simple 2- and 3-dimensional geometrical shapes, yet it is unknown if this translates to complex 3-dimensional objects. In this study we evaluated recognition memory in zebrafish using complex objects of different sizes. Contrary to rodents, zebrafish preferentially explored familiar over novel objects. Familiarity preference disappeared after delays of 5 mins. Leopard danios, another strain of D. rerio, also preferred the familiar object after a 1 min delay. Object preference could be re-established in zebra danios by administration of nicotine tartrate salt (50mg/L) prior to stimuli presentation, suggesting a memory-enhancing effect of nicotine. Additionally, exploration biases were present only when the objects were of intermediate size (2 × 5 cm). Our results demonstrate zebra and leopard danios have recognition memory, and that low nicotine doses can improve this memory type in zebra danios. However, exploration biases, from which memory is inferred, depend on object size. These findings suggest zebrafish ecology might influence object preference, as zebrafish neophobia could reflect natural anti-predatory behaviour. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Going Vertical To Improve the Accuracy of Atomic Force Microscopy Based Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Walder, Robert; Van Patten, William J; Adhikari, Ayush; Perkins, Thomas T

2018-01-23

Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) is a powerful technique to characterize the energy landscape of individual proteins, the mechanical properties of nucleic acids, and the strength of receptor-ligand interactions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based SMFS benefits from ongoing progress in improving the precision and stability of cantilevers and the AFM itself. Underappreciated is that the accuracy of such AFM studies remains hindered by inadvertently stretching molecules at an angle while measuring only the vertical component of the force and extension, degrading both measurements. This inaccuracy is particularly problematic in AFM studies using double-stranded DNA and RNA due to their large persistence length (p ≈ 50 nm), often limiting such studies to other SMFS platforms (e.g., custom-built optical and magnetic tweezers). Here, we developed an automated algorithm that aligns the AFM tip above the DNA's attachment point to a coverslip. Importantly, this algorithm was performed at low force (10-20 pN) and relatively fast (15-25 s), preserving the connection between the tip and the target molecule. Our data revealed large uncorrected lateral offsets for 100 and 650 nm DNA molecules [24 ± 18 nm (mean ± standard deviation) and 180 ± 110 nm, respectively]. Correcting this offset yielded a 3-fold improvement in accuracy and precision when characterizing DNA's overstretching transition. We also demonstrated high throughput by acquiring 88 geometrically corrected force-extension curves of a single individual 100 nm DNA molecule in ∼40 min and versatility by aligning polyprotein- and PEG-based protein-ligand assays. Importantly, our software-based algorithm was implemented on a commercial AFM, so it can be broadly adopted. More generally, this work illustrates how to enhance AFM-based SMFS by developing more sophisticated data-acquisition protocols.

A deep convolutional neural network approach to single-particle recognition in cryo-electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yanan; Ouyang, Qi; Mao, Youdong

2017-07-21

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a mainstream tool for the structural determination of biological macromolecular complexes. However, high-resolution cryo-EM reconstruction often requires hundreds of thousands of single-particle images. Particle extraction from experimental micrographs thus can be laborious and presents a major practical bottleneck in cryo-EM structural determination. Existing computational methods for particle picking often use low-resolution templates for particle matching, making them susceptible to reference-dependent bias. It is critical to develop a highly efficient template-free method for the automatic recognition of particle images from cryo-EM micrographs. We developed a deep learning-based algorithmic framework, DeepEM, for single-particle recognition from noisy cryo-EM micrographs, enabling automated particle picking, selection and verification in an integrated fashion. The kernel of DeepEM is built upon a convolutional neural network (CNN) composed of eight layers, which can be recursively trained to be highly "knowledgeable". Our approach exhibits an improved performance and accuracy when tested on the standard KLH dataset. Application of DeepEM to several challenging experimental cryo-EM datasets demonstrated its ability to avoid the selection of un-wanted particles and non-particles even when true particles contain fewer features. The DeepEM methodology, derived from a deep CNN, allows automated particle extraction from raw cryo-EM micrographs in the absence of a template. It demonstrates an improved performance, objectivity and accuracy. Application of this novel method is expected to free the labor involved in single-particle verification, significantly improving the efficiency of cryo-EM data processing.

O-ODM Framework for Object-Relational Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Rombaldo Jr

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Object-Relational Databases introduce new features which allow manipulating objects in databases. At present, many DBMS offer resources to manipulate objects in database, but most application developers just map class to relations tables, failing to exploit the O-R model strength. The lack of tools that aid the database project contributes to this situation. This work presents O-ODM (Object-Object Database Mapping, a persistent framework that maps objects from OO applications to database objects. Persistent Frameworks have been used to aid developers, managing all access to DBMS. This kind of tool allows developers to persist objects without solid knowledge about DBMSs and specific languages, improving the developers’ productivity, mainly when a different DBMS is used. The results of some experiments using O-ODM are shown.

Post-examination interpretation of objective test data: monitoring and improving the quality of high-stakes examinations--a commentary on two AMEE Guides.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakol, Mohsen; Dennick, Reg

2012-01-01

As great emphasis is rightly placed upon the importance of assessment to judge the quality of our future healthcare professionals, it is appropriate not only to choose the most appropriate assessment method, but to continually monitor the quality of the tests themselves, in a hope that we may continually improve the process. This article stresses the importance of quality control mechanisms in the exam cycle and briefly outlines some of the key psychometric concepts including reliability measures, factor analysis, generalisability theory and item response theory. The importance of such analyses for the standard setting procedures is emphasised. This article also accompanies two new AMEE Guides in Medical Education (Tavakol M, Dennick R. Post-examination Analysis of Objective Tests: AMEE Guide No. 54 and Tavakol M, Dennick R. 2012. Post examination analysis of objective test data: Monitoring and improving the quality of high stakes examinations: AMEE Guide No. 66) which provide the reader with practical examples of analysis and interpretation, in order to help develop valid and reliable tests.

Final Report: Legion Core Object Model, March 1, 1996 - September 30, 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grimshaw, Andrew S.

1999-09-30

The model specifies the composition and functionality of Legion's core objects - those objects that cooperate to create, locate, manage, and remove objects from the legion project. In particular, the object model facilitates a flexible extensible implementation, provides a single persistent name space, grants site autonomy to participating organizations, and scales to millions of sites and trillions of objects. Further, it offers a framework that is well suited to providing mechanisms for high performance, security, fault tolerance and commerce.

Improvement of methods for calculation of sound insulation in buildings

OpenAIRE

Mašović, Draško B.

2015-01-01

The main object of this work are the methods for calculation of sound insulation based on the classical model of sound propagation in buildings and single-number rating of sound insulation. The aim of the work is inspection of the possibilities for improvement of standard methods for quantification and calculation of sound insulation, in order to achieve higher accuracy of the obtained numerical values and their correlation with subjective impression of the acoustic comfort in buildings. Proc...

Eye movements during object recognition in visual agnosia.

Science.gov (United States)

Charles Leek, E; Patterson, Candy; Paul, Matthew A; Rafal, Robert; Cristino, Filipe

2012-07-01

This paper reports the first ever detailed study about eye movement patterns during single object recognition in visual agnosia. Eye movements were recorded in a patient with an integrative agnosic deficit during two recognition tasks: common object naming and novel object recognition memory. The patient showed normal directional biases in saccades and fixation dwell times in both tasks and was as likely as controls to fixate within object bounding contour regardless of recognition accuracy. In contrast, following initial saccades of similar amplitude to controls, the patient showed a bias for short saccades. In object naming, but not in recognition memory, the similarity of the spatial distributions of patient and control fixations was modulated by recognition accuracy. The study provides new evidence about how eye movements can be used to elucidate the functional impairments underlying object recognition deficits. We argue that the results reflect a breakdown in normal functional processes involved in the integration of shape information across object structure during the visual perception of shape. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surpassing digital holography limits by lensless object scanning holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Micó, Vicente; Ferreira, Carlos; García, Javier

2012-04-23

We present lensless object scanning holography (LOSH) as a fully lensless method, capable of improving image quality in reflective digital Fourier holography, by means of an extremely simplified experimental setup. LOSH is based on the recording and digital post-processing of a set of digital lensless holograms and results in a synthetic image with improved resolution, field of view (FOV), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and depth of field (DOF). The superresolution (SR) effect arises from the generation of a synthetic aperture (SA) based on the linear movement of the inspected object. The same scanning principle enlarges the object FOV. SNR enhancement is achieved by speckle suppression and coherent artifacts averaging due to the coherent addition of the multiple partially overlapping bandpass images. And DOF extension is performed by digital refocusing to different object's sections. Experimental results showing an impressive image quality improvement are reported for a one-dimensional reflective resolution test target. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Blue objects in the vicinity of M13. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oganesyan, Eh.Ya.

1978-01-01

Presented are photometric data in the UBV system for 225 objects in the region of 16 square degrees in size, adjacent to M13 cluster. ''Two-colour diagram'' and ''colour-luminosity'' diagram are built, and on their basis analysis of the data obtained is made. Half the objects investigated are subdwarfs. Among others there are white - blue dwarfs conventional stars of the main sequence stars, halo stars, stars of globular clusters and objects, which might be of extragalactic nature. On the basis of object distribution as to brightness and colour, and also according to their visible distribution several different groups can be singled out. Several variable stars are also found as a result of photometric investigation

METHOD OF GROUP OBJECTS FORMING FOR SPACE-BASED REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. N. Grigoriev

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Subject of Research. Research findings of the specific application of space-based optical-electronic and radar means for the Earth remote sensing are considered. The subject matter of the study is the current planning of objects survey on the underlying surface in order to increase the effectiveness of sensing system due to the rational use of its resources. Method. New concept of a group object, stochastic swath and stochastic length of the route is introduced. The overview of models for single, group objects and their parameters is given. The criterion for the existence of the group object based on two single objects is formulated. The method for group objects formation while current survey planning has been developed and its description is presented. The method comprises several processing stages for data about objects with the calculation of new parameters, the stochastic characteristics of space means and validates the spatial size of the object value of the stochastic swath and stochastic length of the route. The strict mathematical description of techniques for model creation of a group object based on data about a single object and onboard special complex facilities in difficult conditions of registration of spatial data is given. Main Results. The developed method is implemented on the basis of modern geographic information system in the form of a software tool layout with advanced tools of processing and analysis of spatial data in vector format. Experimental studies of the forming method for the group of objects were carried out on a different real object environment using the parameters of modern national systems of the Earth remote sensing detailed observation Canopus-B and Resurs-P. Practical Relevance. The proposed models and method are focused on practical implementation using vector spatial data models and modern geoinformation technologies. Practical value lies in the reduction in the amount of consumable resources by means of

Manifold-Based Visual Object Counting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Zou, Yuexian; Wang, Wenwu

2018-07-01

Visual object counting (VOC) is an emerging area in computer vision which aims to estimate the number of objects of interest in a given image or video. Recently, object density based estimation method is shown to be promising for object counting as well as rough instance localization. However, the performance of this method tends to degrade when dealing with new objects and scenes. To address this limitation, we propose a manifold-based method for visual object counting (M-VOC), based on the manifold assumption that similar image patches share similar object densities. Firstly, the local geometry of a given image patch is represented linearly by its neighbors using a predefined patch training set, and the object density of this given image patch is reconstructed by preserving the local geometry using locally linear embedding. To improve the characterization of local geometry, additional constraints such as sparsity and non-negativity are also considered via regularization, nonlinear mapping, and kernel trick. Compared with the state-of-the-art VOC methods, our proposed M-VOC methods achieve competitive performance on seven benchmark datasets. Experiments verify that the proposed M-VOC methods have several favorable properties, such as robustness to the variation in the size of training dataset and image resolution, as often encountered in real-world VOC applications.

Time-of-flight camera via a single-pixel correlation image sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Tianyi; Chen, Qian; He, Weiji; Dai, Huidong; Ye, Ling; Gu, Guohua

2018-04-01

A time-of-flight imager based on single-pixel correlation image sensors is proposed for noise-free depth map acquisition in presence of ambient light. Digital micro-mirror device and time-modulated IR-laser provide spatial and temporal illumination on the unknown object. Compressed sensing and ‘four bucket principle’ method are combined to reconstruct the depth map from a sequence of measurements at a low sampling rate. Second-order correlation transform is also introduced to reduce the noise from the detector itself and direct ambient light. Computer simulations are presented to validate the computational models and improvement of reconstructions.

Plasma-implantation-based surface modification of metals with single-implantation mode

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, X. B.; Cui, J. T.; Yang, S. Q.; Fu, Ricky K. Y.; Chu, Paul K.

2004-12-01

Plasma ion implantation has proven to be an effective surface modification technique. Its biggest advantage is the capability to treat the objects with irregular shapes without complex manipulation of target holder. Many metal materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, tool steel, titanium, magnesium etc, has been treated using this technique to improve their wear-resistance, corrosion-resistance, fatigue-resistance, oxidation-resistance, bio-compatiblity etc. However in order to achieve thicker modified layers, hybrid processes combining plasma ion implantation with other techniques have been frequently employed. In this paper plasma implantation based surface modification of metals using single-implantation mode is reviewed.

Textbook Publishers' Website Objective Question Banks: Does Their Use Improve Students' Examination Performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Scott Paul; Huczynski, Andrzej

2006-01-01

This article presents the findings of a survey of students' usage of the objective question bank section of an academic publisher's textbook website. The findings are based on a survey of 239 business and management undergraduates conducted using a quantitative research methodology. The results suggest that increased use of the objective question…

Blind source separation based on time-frequency morphological characteristics for rigid acoustic scattering by underwater objects

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Li, Xiukun

2016-06-01

Separation of the components of rigid acoustic scattering by underwater objects is essential in obtaining the structural characteristics of such objects. To overcome the problem of rigid structures appearing to have the same spectral structure in the time domain, time-frequency Blind Source Separation (BSS) can be used in combination with image morphology to separate the rigid scattering components of different objects. Based on a highlight model, the separation of the rigid scattering structure of objects with time-frequency distribution is deduced. Using a morphological filter, different characteristics in a Wigner-Ville Distribution (WVD) observed for single auto term and cross terms can be simplified to remove any cross-term interference. By selecting time and frequency points of the auto terms signal, the accuracy of BSS can be improved. An experimental simulation has been used, with changes in the pulse width of the transmitted signal, the relative amplitude and the time delay parameter, in order to analyzing the feasibility of this new method. Simulation results show that the new method is not only able to separate rigid scattering components, but can also separate the components when elastic scattering and rigid scattering exist at the same time. Experimental results confirm that the new method can be used in separating the rigid scattering structure of underwater objects.

Single Mothers and the Effects of Intensive Aid on the Quality of their Lives : the Examples of the Netherlands and Cyprus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anne van den Berg; Maria Michailidis

2005-01-01

The objective of this study is to illuminate the effects of intensive aid on the self-reliance and independence of single mothers, and to show what is and what can be done to improve the empowerment of this group. Firstly the paper focuses on the effects of intensive social aid on the self-reliance

Thermodynamic design of Stirling engine using multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan, Chen; Wang, Xinggang; Shu, Shuiming; Jing, Changwei; Chang, Huawei

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An improved thermodynamic model taking into account irreversibility parameter was developed. • A multi-objective optimization method for designing Stirling engine was investigated. • Multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm was adopted in the area of Stirling engine for the first time. - Abstract: In the recent years, the interest in Stirling engine has remarkably increased due to its ability to use any heat source from outside including solar energy, fossil fuels and biomass. A large number of studies have been done on Stirling cycle analysis. In the present study, a mathematical model based on thermodynamic analysis of Stirling engine considering regenerative losses and internal irreversibilities has been developed. Power output, thermal efficiency and the cycle irreversibility parameter of Stirling engine are optimized simultaneously using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, which is more effective than traditional genetic algorithms. In this optimization problem, some important parameters of Stirling engine are considered as decision variables, such as temperatures of the working fluid both in the high temperature isothermal process and in the low temperature isothermal process, dead volume ratios of each heat exchanger, volumes of each working spaces, effectiveness of the regenerator, and the system charge pressure. The Pareto optimal frontier is obtained and the final design solution has been selected by Linear Programming Technique for Multidimensional Analysis of Preference (LINMAP). Results show that the proposed multi-objective optimization approach can significantly outperform traditional single objective approaches

EIT image regularization by a new Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro Martins, Thiago; Sales Guerra Tsuzuki, Marcos

2015-01-01

Multi-Objective Optimization can be used to produce regularized Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) images where the weight of the regularization term is not known a priori. This paper proposes a novel Multi-Objective Optimization algorithm based on Simulated Annealing tailored for EIT image reconstruction. Images are reconstructed from experimental data and compared with images from other Multi and Single Objective optimization methods. A significant performance enhancement from traditional techniques can be inferred from the results.

A Pilot Clinical Trial to Objectively Assess the Efficacy of Electroacupuncture on Gait in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Using Body Worn Sensors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Lei

Full Text Available Gait disorder, a key contributor to fall and poor quality of life, represents a major therapeutic challenge in Parkinson's disease (PD. The efficacy of acupuncture for PD remains unclear, largely due to methodological flaws and lack of studies using objective outcome measures.To objectively assess the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA for gait disorders using body-worn sensor technology in patients with PD.In this randomized pilot study, both the patients and assessors were masked. Fifteen PD patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 10 or to a control group (n = 5. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after completion of three weekly EA treatments. Measurements included gait analysis during single-task habitual walking (STHW, dual-task habitual walking (DTHW, single-task fast walking (STFW, dual-task fast walking (DTFW. In addition, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS, SF-12 health survey, short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I, and visual analog scale (VAS for pain were utilized.All gait parameters were improved in the experimental group in response to EA treatment. After adjustment by age and BMI, the improvement achieved statistical significant level for gait speed under STHW, STFW, and DTFW (9%-19%, p0.110. The highest correlation between gait parameters and UPRDS scores at baseline was observed between gait speed during STFW and UPDRS II (r = -0.888, p = 0.004. The change in this gait parameter in response to active intervention was positively correlated with baseline UPDRS (r = 0.595, p = 0.057. Finally, comparison of responses to treatment between groups showed significant improvement, prominently in gait speed (effect size 0.32-1.16, p = 0.001.This study provides the objective proof of concept for potential benefits of non-pharmaceutical based EA therapy on enhancing gait in patients with PD.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02556164.

34 CFR 200.18 - Annual measurable objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Annual measurable objectives. 200.18 Section 200.18 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving...

Genomic prediction in a nuclear population of layers using single-step models.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yiyuan; Wu, Guiqin; Liu, Aiqiao; Sun, Congjiao; Han, Wenpeng; Li, Guangqi; Yang, Ning

2018-02-01

Single-step genomic prediction method has been proposed to improve the accuracy of genomic prediction by incorporating information of both genotyped and ungenotyped animals. The objective of this study is to compare the prediction performance of single-step model with a 2-step models and the pedigree-based models in a nuclear population of layers. A total of 1,344 chickens across 4 generations were genotyped by a 600 K SNP chip. Four traits were analyzed, i.e., body weight at 28 wk (BW28), egg weight at 28 wk (EW28), laying rate at 38 wk (LR38), and Haugh unit at 36 wk (HU36). In predicting offsprings, individuals from generation 1 to 3 were used as training data and females from generation 4 were used as validation set. The accuracies of predicted breeding values by pedigree BLUP (PBLUP), genomic BLUP (GBLUP), SSGBLUP and single-step blending (SSBlending) were compared for both genotyped and ungenotyped individuals. For genotyped females, GBLUP performed no better than PBLUP because of the small size of training data, while the 2 single-step models predicted more accurately than the PBLUP model. The average predictive ability of SSGBLUP and SSBlending were 16.0% and 10.8% higher than the PBLUP model across traits, respectively. Furthermore, the predictive abilities for ungenotyped individuals were also enhanced. The average improvements of prediction abilities were 5.9% and 1.5% for SSGBLUP and SSBlending model, respectively. It was concluded that single-step models, especially the SSGBLUP model, can yield more accurate prediction of genetic merits and are preferable for practical implementation of genomic selection in layers. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Joint Conditional Random Field Filter for Multi-Object Tracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luo Ronghua

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Object tracking can improve the performance of mobile robot especially in populated dynamic environments. A novel joint conditional random field Filter (JCRFF based on conditional random field with hierarchical structure is proposed for multi-object tracking by abstracting the data associations between objects and measurements to be a sequence of labels. Since the conditional random field makes no assumptions about the dependency structure between the observations and it allows non-local dependencies between the state and the observations, the proposed method can not only fuse multiple cues including shape information and motion information to improve the stability of tracking, but also integrate moving object detection and object tracking quite well. At the same time, implementation of multi-object tracking based on JCRFF with measurements from the laser range finder on a mobile robot is studied. Experimental results with the mobile robot developed in our lab show that the proposed method has higher precision and better stability than joint probabilities data association filter (JPDAF.

Multi-objective optimization design and experimental investigation of centrifugal fan performance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Wang, Songling; Hu, Chenxing; Zhang, Qian

2013-11-01

Current studies of fan performance optimization mainly focus on two aspects: one is to improve the blade profile, and another is only to consider the influence of single impeller structural parameter on fan performance. However, there are few studies on the comprehensive effect of the key parameters such as blade number, exit stagger angle of blade and the impeller outlet width on the fan performance. The G4-73 backward centrifugal fan widely used in power plants is selected as the research object. Based on orthogonal design and BP neural network, a model for predicting the centrifugal fan performance parameters is established, and the maximum relative errors of the total pressure and efficiency are 0.974% and 0.333%, respectively. Multi-objective optimization of total pressure and efficiency of the fan is conducted with genetic algorithm, and the optimum combination of impeller structural parameters is proposed. The optimized parameters of blade number, exit stagger angle of blade and the impeller outlet width are seperately 14, 43.9°, and 21 cm. The experiments on centrifugal fan performance and noise are conducted before and after the installation of the new impeller. The experimental results show that with the new impeller, the total pressure of fan increases significantly in total range of the flow rate, and the fan efficiency is improved when the relative flow is above 75%, also the high efficiency area is broadened. Additionally, in 65% -100% relative flow, the fan noise is reduced. Under the design operating condition, total pressure and efficiency of the fan are improved by 6.91% and 0.5%, respectively. This research sheds light on the considering of comprehensive effect of impeller structrual parameters on fan performance, and a new impeller can be designed to satisfy the engineering demand such as energy-saving, noise reduction or solving air pressure insufficiency for power plants.

Topological situational analysis and synthesis of strategies of object management in the conditions of conflict, uncertainty of behaviour and varible amount of the observed objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Віктор Володимирович Семко

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The conflict of cooperation of objects is considered in observation space as integral phenomenon with the certain variety of types of connections between its elements, objects, systems and environment that erected in a single theoretical conception and comprehensively and deeply determine the real features of object of researches. Methodology of system-structural analysis of conflict is used as research of the phenomenon in the whole and system-functional analysis as research with the aim of determination of all basic intercommunications with an environment

Low Level Engraftment and Improvement following a Single Colonoscopic Administration of Fecal Microbiota to Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J Damman

Full Text Available Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT is an investigational treatment for diseases thought to involve alterations in the intestinal microbiota including ulcerative colitis (UC. Case reports have described therapeutic benefit of FMT in patients with UC, possibly due to changes in the microbiota. We measured the degree to which the transplanted microbiota engraft following FMT in patients with UC using a donor similarity index (DSI.Seven patients with mild to moderate UC (UC disease activity index scores 3-10 received a single colonoscopic administration of FMT. Metagenomic sequence data from stool were analyzed using an alignment-free comparison tool, to measure the DSI, and a phylogenetic analysis tool, to characterize taxonomic changes. Clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and fecal calprotectin outcome measures were also collected.One of 5 patients from whom sequencing data were available achieved the primary endpoint of 50% donor similarity at week 4; an additional 2 patients achieved 40% donor similarity. One patient with 40% donor similarity achieved clinical and histologic remission 1 month after FMT. However, these were lost by 2-3 months, and loss correlated with a decrease in DSI. The remaining patients did not demonstrate clinical response or remission. Histology scores improved in all but 1 patient. No patients remained in remission at 3 months after FMT.Following a single colonoscopic fecal transplant, a DSI of 40-50% is achieved in about two-thirds of recipients. This level of engraftment correlated with a temporary clinical improvement in only 1/5 patients. Larger sample sizes could further validate this method for measuring engraftment, and changes in transplant frequency or method might improve microbiota engraftment and efficacy.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01742754.

The single-leg Roman chair hold is more effective than the Nordic hamstring curl in improving hamstring strength-endurance in Gaelic footballers with previous hamstring injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Ben; O'Neill, John; Pollock, Noel; Van Hooren, Bas

2018-03-06

Poor hamstring strength-endurance is a risk factor for hamstring injuries. This study investigated the effectiveness of the single-leg Roman hold and Nordic hamstring curl in improving hamstring strength-endurance. Twelve Gaelic footballers (mean ± standard deviation age, height and mass were 25.17 ± 3.46 years, 179.25 ± 5.88 cm, 85.75 ± 4.75 kilo) with a history of hamstring injury were randomized into 2 groups that performed 6 weeks of either Nordic hamstring curl, or single-leg Roman chair hold training. The single-leg hamstring bridge (SLHB) was measured pre- and post- intervention. The Roman chair group showed a very likely moderate magnitude improvement on SLHB performance for both legs (23.7% for the previously injured leg [90% confidence interval 9.6% to 39.6%] and 16.9% for the non-injured leg [6.2% to 28.8%]). The Nordic curl group showed a likely trivial change in SLHB performance for the non-injured leg (-2.1% [-6.7% to 2.6%]) and an unclear, but possibly trivial change for the previously injured leg (0.3% [-5.6% to 6.6%]). The Roman chair group improved very likely more with a moderate magnitude in both the non-injured (19.5% [8.0% to 32.2%]) and the previously injured leg (23.3% [8.5% to 40.0%]) compared to the Nordic curl group. This study demonstrated that 6-weeks single-leg Roman chair training substantially improved SLHB performance, suggesting that it may be an efficacious strategy to mitigate hamstring (re-) injury risk. Conversely, 6-weeks Nordic curl training did not substantially improve SLHB performance, suggesting this may not be the intervention of choice for modifying this risk factor.

Attention Process Training-3 to improve reading comprehension in mild aphasia: A single-case experimental design study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaime B; Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Harn, Beth; Horner, Robert; Cherney, Leora R

2018-06-04

People with aphasia frequently present with nonlinguistic deficits, in addition to their compromised language abilities, which may contribute to their problems with reading comprehension. Treatment of attention, working memory and executive control may improve reading comprehension in individuals with aphasia, particularly those with mild reading problems. This single-case experimental design study evaluated the efficacy of Attention Process Training-3, an intervention combining direct attention training and metacognitive facilitation, for improving reading comprehension in individuals with mild aphasia. A multiple baseline design across six participants was used to evaluate treatment effects. The primary outcome measure was a maze reading task. Cognitive measures were administered pre- and post-treatment. Visual inspection of graphed maze reading performance data indicated a basic effect between APT-3 and improved maze reading for three of the six participants. Quantitative analyses, using Tau-U, corroborated findings identified through visual analysis. The overall effect size was significant (Tau = .48, p = .01). Results suggest that APT-3 has the potential to improve reading in individuals with aphasia, but that it may be more efficacious under certain conditions. Treatment and participant variables, including intensity of treatment and metacognitive strategy usage, are discussed as potential influences on participants' responsiveness to APT-3.

Improved diagnostic performance of exercise thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography over planar imaging in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease: a receiver operating characteristic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fintel, D.J.; Links, J.M.; Brinker, J.A.; Frank, T.L.; Parker, M.; Becker, L.C.

1989-01-01

Qualitative interpretation of tomographic and planar scintigrams, a five point rating scale and receiver operating characteristic analysis were utilized to compare single photon emission computed tomography and conventional planar imaging of myocardial thallium-201 uptake in the accuracy of the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and individual vessel involvement. One hundred twelve patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and 23 normal volunteers performed symptom-limited treadmill exercise, followed by stress and redistribution imaging by both tomographic and planar techniques, with the order determined randomly. Paired receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that single photon emission computed tomography was more accurate than planar imaging over the entire range of decision thresholds for the overall detection and exclusion of coronary artery disease and involvement of the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries. Tomography offered relatively greater advantages in male patients and in patients with milder forms of coronary artery disease, who had no prior myocardial infarction, only single vessel involvement or no lesion greater than or equal to 50 to 69%. Tomography did not appear to provide improved diagnosis in women or in detection of disease in the right coronary artery. Although overall detection of coronary artery disease was not improved in patients with prior myocardial infarction, tomography provided improved identification of normal and abnormal vascular regions. These results indicate that single photon emission computed tomography provides improved diagnostic performance compared with planar imaging in many clinical subgroups

Overview of Single-Molecule Speckle (SiMS) Microscopy and Its Electroporation-Based Version with Efficient Labeling and Improved Spatiotemporal Resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashiro, Sawako; Watanabe, Naoki

2017-01-01

Live-cell single-molecule imaging was introduced more than a decade ago, and has provided critical information on remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, the motion of plasma membrane proteins, and dynamics of molecular motor proteins. Actin remodeling has been the best target for this approach because actin and its associated proteins stop diffusing when assembled, allowing visualization of single-molecules of fluorescently-labeled proteins in a state specific manner. The approach based on this simple principle is called Single-Molecule Speckle (SiMS) microscopy. For instance, spatiotemporal regulation of actin polymerization and lifetime distribution of actin filaments can be monitored directly by tracking actin SiMS. In combination with fluorescently labeled probes of various actin regulators, SiMS microscopy has contributed to clarifying the processes underlying recycling, motion and remodeling of the live-cell actin network. Recently, we introduced an electroporation-based method called eSiMS microscopy, with high efficiency, easiness and improved spatiotemporal precision. In this review, we describe the application of live-cell single-molecule imaging to cellular actin dynamics and discuss the advantages of eSiMS microscopy over previous SiMS microscopy. PMID:28684722

Overview of Single-Molecule Speckle (SiMS) Microscopy and Its Electroporation-Based Version with Efficient Labeling and Improved Spatiotemporal Resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashiro, Sawako; Watanabe, Naoki

2017-07-06

Live-cell single-molecule imaging was introduced more than a decade ago, and has provided critical information on remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, the motion of plasma membrane proteins, and dynamics of molecular motor proteins. Actin remodeling has been the best target for this approach because actin and its associated proteins stop diffusing when assembled, allowing visualization of single-molecules of fluorescently-labeled proteins in a state specific manner. The approach based on this simple principle is called Single-Molecule Speckle (SiMS) microscopy. For instance, spatiotemporal regulation of actin polymerization and lifetime distribution of actin filaments can be monitored directly by tracking actin SiMS. In combination with fluorescently labeled probes of various actin regulators, SiMS microscopy has contributed to clarifying the processes underlying recycling, motion and remodeling of the live-cell actin network. Recently, we introduced an electroporation-based method called eSiMS microscopy, with high efficiency, easiness and improved spatiotemporal precision. In this review, we describe the application of live-cell single-molecule imaging to cellular actin dynamics and discuss the advantages of eSiMS microscopy over previous SiMS microscopy.

Precise object tracking under deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, M.H

2010-01-01

The precise object tracking is an essential issue in several serious applications such as; robot vision, automated surveillance (civil and military), inspection, biomedical image analysis, video coding, motion segmentation, human-machine interface, visualization, medical imaging, traffic systems, satellite imaging etc. This frame-work focuses on the precise object tracking under deformation such as scaling , rotation, noise, blurring and change of illumination. This research is a trail to solve these serious problems in visual object tracking by which the quality of the overall system will be improved. Developing a three dimensional (3D) geometrical model to determine the current pose of an object and predict its future location based on FIR model learned by the OLS. This framework presents a robust ranging technique to track a visual target instead of the traditional expensive ranging sensors. The presented research work is applied to real video stream and achieved high precession results.

Robotic-assisted single-port donor nephrectomy using the da Vinci single-site platform.

Science.gov (United States)

LaMattina, John C; Alvarez-Casas, Josue; Lu, Irene; Powell, Jessica M; Sultan, Samuel; Phelan, Michael W; Barth, Rolf N

2018-02-01

Although single-port donor nephrectomy offers improved cosmetic outcomes, technical challenges have limited its application to selected centers. Our center has performed over 400 single-port donor nephrectomies. The da Vinci single-site robotic platform was utilized in an effort to overcome the steric, visualization, ergonomic, and other technical limitations associated with the single-port approach. Food and Drug Administration device exemption was obtained. Selection criteria for kidney donation included body mass index da Vinci single-site platform. Our experience supported the safety of this approach but found that the technology added cost and complexity without tangible benefit. Development of articulating instruments, energy, and stapling devices will be necessary for increased application of robotic single-site surgery for donor nephrectomy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison Study of Single-Parent Families Living on Remote, Rural Islands and in Urban Settings in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiratani, Yuko; Hohashi, Naohiro

2016-06-01

Nursing interventions that aim to enhance the family environment are necessary to help single-parent families with children to improve family functioning. The cultural and social factors that are unique to Japan's remote islands should be considered to assess the influence of this unique setting on family functioning. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the family functioning of child-rearing single-parent families living in different environments and to investigate the association between family demographics and family functioning. A self-administered questionnaire, the Japanese version of the Survey of Family Environment, was used to evaluate the sufficiency of family functioning. The participants were families with children enrolled in nurseries and kindergartens who were either living in remote, rural islands or in an urban city on the mainland in Japan. Family functioning was significantly higher for single-parent families living on the islands than for those living in the city in terms of media use, participation in community activities, and the collaboration of family members in child-rearing. Family functioning of single-parent families correlated significantly with household income, the parent's gender, family members' health, and family life cycle. Single-parent families living on Japanese offshore islands maintained family functioning through mutual support and the effective use of information technology. Nevertheless, single-parent families require additional support to improve their healthcare and financial situations.

Object detection using categorised 3D edges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiforenko, Lilita; Buch, Anders Glent; Bodenhagen, Leon

2015-01-01

is made possible by the explicit use of edge categories in the feature descriptor. We quantitatively compare our approach with the state-of-the-art template based Linemod method, which also provides an effective way of dealing with texture-less objects, tests were performed on our own object dataset. Our...... categorisation algorithm for describing objects in terms of its different edge types. Relying on edge information allow our system to deal with objects with little or no texture or surface variation. We show that edge categorisation improves matching performance due to the higher level of discrimination, which...

Multi-sensor Object Recognition: The Case of Electronics Recycling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dop, E.R.

1999-01-01

In automated object recognition systems, measurements from a single source of information do not always suffice for the reconstruction of the underlying scene. Incompleteness, inaccuracy and unreliability of the information often leaves room for multiple interpretations of the world which are

Multi-Objective Parameter Selection for Classifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Mussel

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Setting the free parameters of classifiers to different values can have a profound impact on their performance. For some methods, specialized tuning algorithms have been developed. These approaches mostly tune parameters according to a single criterion, such as the cross-validation error. However, it is sometimes desirable to obtain parameter values that optimize several concurrent - often conflicting - criteria. The TunePareto package provides a general and highly customizable framework to select optimal parameters for classifiers according to multiple objectives. Several strategies for sampling andoptimizing parameters are supplied. The algorithm determines a set of Pareto-optimal parameter configuration and leaves the ultimate decision on the weighting of objectives to the researcher. Decision support is provided by novel visualization techniques.

Using the Virtual Reality-Cognitive Rehabilitation Approach to Improve Contextual Processing in Children with Autism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Wang

2013-01-01