Advances in soft computing, intelligent robotics and control

CERN Document Server

Fullér, Robert

2014-01-01

Soft computing, intelligent robotics and control are in the core interest of contemporary engineering. Essential characteristics of soft computing methods are the ability to handle vague information, to apply human-like reasoning, their learning capability, and ease of application. Soft computing techniques are widely applied in the control of dynamic systems, including mobile robots. The present volume is a collection of 20 chapters written by respectable experts of the fields, addressing various theoretical and practical aspects in soft computing, intelligent robotics and control. The first part of the book concerns with issues of intelligent robotics, including robust xed point transformation design, experimental verification of the input-output feedback linearization of differentially driven mobile robot and applying kinematic synthesis to micro electro-mechanical systems design. The second part of the book is devoted to fundamental aspects of soft computing. This includes practical aspects of fuzzy rule ...

Hybrid soft computing systems for electromyographic signals analysis: a review

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Electromyographic (EMG) is a bio-signal collected on human skeletal muscle. Analysis of EMG signals has been widely used to detect human movement intent, control various human-machine interfaces, diagnose neuromuscular diseases, and model neuromusculoskeletal system. With the advances of artificial intelligence and soft computing, many sophisticated techniques have been proposed for such purpose. Hybrid soft computing system (HSCS), the integration of these different techniques, aims to further improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy of EMG analysis. This paper reviews and compares key combinations of neural network, support vector machine, fuzzy logic, evolutionary computing, and swarm intelligence for EMG analysis. Our suggestions on the possible future development of HSCS in EMG analysis are also given in terms of basic soft computing techniques, further combination of these techniques, and their other applications in EMG analysis. PMID:24490979

International Conference on Soft Computing Systems

CERN Document Server

Panigrahi, Bijaya

2016-01-01

The book is a collection of high-quality peer-reviewed research papers presented in International Conference on Soft Computing Systems (ICSCS 2015) held at Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Chennai, India. These research papers provide the latest developments in the emerging areas of Soft Computing in Engineering and Technology. The book is organized in two volumes and discusses a wide variety of industrial, engineering and scientific applications of the emerging techniques. It presents invited papers from the inventors/originators of new applications and advanced technologies.

Optimal reliability allocation for large software projects through soft computing techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Henrik; Albeanu, Grigore; Popentiu-Vladicescu, Florin

2012-01-01

or maximizing the system reliability subject to budget constraints. These kinds of optimization problems were considered both in deterministic and stochastic frameworks in literature. Recently, the intuitionistic-fuzzy optimization approach was considered as a soft computing successful modelling approach....... Firstly, a review on existing soft computing approaches to optimization is given. The main section extends the results considering self-organizing migrating algorithms for solving intuitionistic-fuzzy optimization problems attached to complex fault-tolerant software architectures which proved...

Applications of soft computing in time series forecasting simulation and modeling techniques

CERN Document Server

Singh, Pritpal

2016-01-01

This book reports on an in-depth study of fuzzy time series (FTS) modeling. It reviews and summarizes previous research work in FTS modeling and also provides a brief introduction to other soft-computing techniques, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), rough sets (RS) and evolutionary computing (EC), focusing on how these techniques can be integrated into different phases of the FTS modeling approach. In particular, the book describes novel methods resulting from the hybridization of FTS modeling approaches with neural networks and particle swarm optimization. It also demonstrates how a new ANN-based model can be successfully applied in the context of predicting Indian summer monsoon rainfall. Thanks to its easy-to-read style and the clear explanations of the models, the book can be used as a concise yet comprehensive reference guide to fuzzy time series modeling, and will be valuable not only for graduate students, but also for researchers and professionals working for academic, business and governmen...

Intelligent systems and soft computing for nuclear science and industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, D.; D'hondt, P.; Govaerts, P.; Kerre, E.E.

1996-01-01

The second international workshop on Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Technologies in Nuclear Science (FLINS) addresses topics related to intelligent systems and soft computing for nuclear science and industry. The proceedings contain 52 papers in different fields such as radiation protection, nuclear safety (human factors and reliability), safeguards, nuclear reactor control, production processes in the fuel cycle, dismantling, waste and disposal, decision making, and nuclear reactor control. A clear link is made between theory and applications of fuzzy logic such as neural networks, expert systems, robotics, man-machine interfaces, and decision-support techniques by using modern and advanced technologies and tools. The papers are grouped in three sections. The first section (Soft computing techniques) deals with basic tools to treat fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, decision-making, and software used for general soft-computing aspects. The second section (Intelligent engineering systems) includes contributions on engineering problems such as knowledge-based engineering, expert systems, process control integration, diagnosis, measurements, and interpretation by soft computing. The third section (Nuclear applications) focusses on the application of soft computing and intelligent systems in nuclear science and industry

Advance Trends in Soft Computing

CERN Document Server

Kreinovich, Vladik; Kacprzyk, Janusz; WCSC 2013

2014-01-01

This book is the proceedings of the 3rd World Conference on Soft Computing (WCSC), which was held in San Antonio, TX, USA, on December 16-18, 2013. It presents start-of-the-art theory and applications of soft computing together with an in-depth discussion of current and future challenges in the field, providing readers with a 360 degree view on soft computing. Topics range from fuzzy sets, to fuzzy logic, fuzzy mathematics, neuro-fuzzy systems, fuzzy control, decision making in fuzzy environments, image processing and many more. The book is dedicated to Lotfi A. Zadeh, a renowned specialist in signal analysis and control systems research who proposed the idea of fuzzy sets, in which an element may have a partial membership, in the early 1960s, followed by the idea of fuzzy logic, in which a statement can be true only to a certain degree, with degrees described by numbers in the interval [0,1]. The performance of fuzzy systems can often be improved with the help of optimization techniques, e.g. evolutionary co...

Assessment of traffic noise levels in urban areas using different soft computing techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomić, J; Bogojević, N; Pljakić, M; Šumarac-Pavlović, D

2016-10-01

Available traffic noise prediction models are usually based on regression analysis of experimental data, and this paper presents the application of soft computing techniques in traffic noise prediction. Two mathematical models are proposed and their predictions are compared to data collected by traffic noise monitoring in urban areas, as well as to predictions of commonly used traffic noise models. The results show that application of evolutionary algorithms and neural networks may improve process of development, as well as accuracy of traffic noise prediction.

Development of Soft Computing and Applications in Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Soft computing is a set of “inexact” computing techniques, which are able to model and analyze very complex problems. For these complex problems, more conventional methods have not been able to produce cost-effective, analytical, or complete solutions. Soft computing has been extensively studied and...

An assessment on the use of bivariate, multivariate and soft computing techniques for collapse susceptibility in GIS environ

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, Işik; Marschalko, Marian; Bednarik, Martin

2013-04-01

The paper presented herein compares and discusses the use of bivariate, multivariate and soft computing techniques for collapse susceptibility modelling. Conditional probability (CP), logistic regression (LR) and artificial neural networks (ANN) models representing the bivariate, multivariate and soft computing techniques were used in GIS based collapse susceptibility mapping in an area from Sivas basin (Turkey). Collapse-related factors, directly or indirectly related to the causes of collapse occurrence, such as distance from faults, slope angle and aspect, topographical elevation, distance from drainage, topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) by means of vegetation cover, distance from roads and settlements were used in the collapse susceptibility analyses. In the last stage of the analyses, collapse susceptibility maps were produced from the models, and they were then compared by means of their validations. However, Area Under Curve (AUC) values obtained from all three models showed that the map obtained from soft computing (ANN) model looks like more accurate than the other models, accuracies of all three models can be evaluated relatively similar. The results also showed that the conditional probability is an essential method in preparation of collapse susceptibility map and highly compatible with GIS operating features.

Technical Development and Application of Soft Computing in Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Soft computing is a set of “inexact” computing techniques, which are able to model and analyze very complex problems. For these complex problems, more conventional methods have not been able to produce cost-effective, analytical, or complete solutions. Soft computing has been extensively studied and...

2nd International Conference on Soft Computing and Data Mining

CERN Document Server

Ghazali, Rozaida; Nawi, Nazri; Deris, Mustafa

2017-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive introduction and practical look at the concepts and techniques readers need to get the most out of their data in real-world, large-scale data mining projects. It also guides readers through the data-analytic thinking necessary for extracting useful knowledge and business value from the data. The book is based on the Soft Computing and Data Mining (SCDM-16) conference, which was held in Bandung, Indonesia on August 18th–20th 2016 to discuss the state of the art in soft computing techniques, and offer participants sufficient knowledge to tackle a wide range of complex systems. The scope of the conference is reflected in the book, which presents a balance of soft computing techniques and data mining approaches. The two constituents are introduced to the reader systematically and brought together using different combinations of applications and practices. It offers engineers, data analysts, practitioners, scientists and managers the insights into the concepts, tools and techni...

The role of soft computing in intelligent machines.

Science.gov (United States)

de Silva, Clarence W

2003-08-15

An intelligent machine relies on computational intelligence in generating its intelligent behaviour. This requires a knowledge system in which representation and processing of knowledge are central functions. Approximation is a 'soft' concept, and the capability to approximate for the purposes of comparison, pattern recognition, reasoning, and decision making is a manifestation of intelligence. This paper examines the use of soft computing in intelligent machines. Soft computing is an important branch of computational intelligence, where fuzzy logic, probability theory, neural networks, and genetic algorithms are synergistically used to mimic the reasoning and decision making of a human. This paper explores several important characteristics and capabilities of machines that exhibit intelligent behaviour. Approaches that are useful in the development of an intelligent machine are introduced. The paper presents a general structure for an intelligent machine, giving particular emphasis to its primary components, such as sensors, actuators, controllers, and the communication backbone, and their interaction. The role of soft computing within the overall system is discussed. Common techniques and approaches that will be useful in the development of an intelligent machine are introduced, and the main steps in the development of an intelligent machine for practical use are given. An industrial machine, which employs the concepts of soft computing in its operation, is presented, and one aspect of intelligent tuning, which is incorporated into the machine, is illustrated.

Water demand forecasting: review of soft computing methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghalehkhondabi, Iman; Ardjmand, Ehsan; Young, William A; Weckman, Gary R

2017-07-01

Demand forecasting plays a vital role in resource management for governments and private companies. Considering the scarcity of water and its inherent constraints, demand management and forecasting in this domain are critically important. Several soft computing techniques have been developed over the last few decades for water demand forecasting. This study focuses on soft computing methods of water consumption forecasting published between 2005 and 2015. These methods include artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy and neuro-fuzzy models, support vector machines, metaheuristics, and system dynamics. Furthermore, it was discussed that while in short-term forecasting, ANNs have been superior in many cases, but it is still very difficult to pick a single method as the overall best. According to the literature, various methods and their hybrids are applied to water demand forecasting. However, it seems soft computing has a lot more to contribute to water demand forecasting. These contribution areas include, but are not limited, to various ANN architectures, unsupervised methods, deep learning, various metaheuristics, and ensemble methods. Moreover, it is found that soft computing methods are mainly used for short-term demand forecasting.

Soft computing for business intelligence

CERN Document Server

Pérez, Rafael; Cobo, Angel; Marx, Jorge; Valdés, Ariel

2014-01-01

The book Soft Computing for Business Intelligence is the remarkable output of a program based on the idea of joint trans-disciplinary research as supported by the Eureka Iberoamerica Network and the University of Oldenburg. It contains twenty-seven papers allocated to three sections: Soft Computing, Business Intelligence and Knowledge Discovery, and Knowledge Management and Decision Making. Although the contents touch different domains they are similar in so far as they follow the BI principle “Observation and Analysis” while keeping a practical oriented theoretical eye on sound methodologies, like Fuzzy Logic, Compensatory Fuzzy Logic (CFL), Rough Sets and other softcomputing elements. The book tears down the traditional focus on business, and extends Business Intelligence techniques in an impressive way to a broad range of fields like medicine, environment, wind farming, social collaboration and interaction, car sharing and sustainability.

Soft computing in green and renewable energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopalakrishnan, Kasthurirangan [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States). Iowa Bioeconomy Inst.; US Department of Energy, Ames, IA (United States). Ames Lab; Kalogirou, Soteris [Cyprus Univ. of Technology, Limassol (Cyprus). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences and Engineering; Khaitan, Siddhartha Kumar (eds.) [Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames, IA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering

2011-07-01

Soft Computing in Green and Renewable Energy Systems provides a practical introduction to the application of soft computing techniques and hybrid intelligent systems for designing, modeling, characterizing, optimizing, forecasting, and performance prediction of green and renewable energy systems. Research is proceeding at jet speed on renewable energy (energy derived from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides, rain, geothermal heat, biomass, hydrogen, etc.) as policy makers, researchers, economists, and world agencies have joined forces in finding alternative sustainable energy solutions to current critical environmental, economic, and social issues. The innovative models, environmentally benign processes, data analytics, etc. employed in renewable energy systems are computationally-intensive, non-linear and complex as well as involve a high degree of uncertainty. Soft computing technologies, such as fuzzy sets and systems, neural science and systems, evolutionary algorithms and genetic programming, and machine learning, are ideal in handling the noise, imprecision, and uncertainty in the data, and yet achieve robust, low-cost solutions. As a result, intelligent and soft computing paradigms are finding increasing applications in the study of renewable energy systems. Researchers, practitioners, undergraduate and graduate students engaged in the study of renewable energy systems will find this book very useful. (orig.)

Prediction of monthly regional groundwater levels through hybrid soft-computing techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Fi-John; Chang, Li-Chiu; Huang, Chien-Wei; Kao, I.-Feng

2016-10-01

Groundwater systems are intrinsically heterogeneous with dynamic temporal-spatial patterns, which cause great difficulty in quantifying their complex processes, while reliable predictions of regional groundwater levels are commonly needed for managing water resources to ensure proper service of water demands within a region. In this study, we proposed a novel and flexible soft-computing technique that could effectively extract the complex high-dimensional input-output patterns of basin-wide groundwater-aquifer systems in an adaptive manner. The soft-computing models combined the Self Organized Map (SOM) and the Nonlinear Autoregressive with Exogenous Inputs (NARX) network for predicting monthly regional groundwater levels based on hydrologic forcing data. The SOM could effectively classify the temporal-spatial patterns of regional groundwater levels, the NARX could accurately predict the mean of regional groundwater levels for adjusting the selected SOM, the Kriging was used to interpolate the predictions of the adjusted SOM into finer grids of locations, and consequently the prediction of a monthly regional groundwater level map could be obtained. The Zhuoshui River basin in Taiwan was the study case, and its monthly data sets collected from 203 groundwater stations, 32 rainfall stations and 6 flow stations during 2000 and 2013 were used for modelling purpose. The results demonstrated that the hybrid SOM-NARX model could reliably and suitably predict monthly basin-wide groundwater levels with high correlations (R2 > 0.9 in both training and testing cases). The proposed methodology presents a milestone in modelling regional environmental issues and offers an insightful and promising way to predict monthly basin-wide groundwater levels, which is beneficial to authorities for sustainable water resources management.

Optical character recognition systems for different languages with soft computing

CERN Document Server

Chaudhuri, Arindam; Badelia, Pratixa; K Ghosh, Soumya

2017-01-01

The book offers a comprehensive survey of soft-computing models for optical character recognition systems. The various techniques, including fuzzy and rough sets, artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms, are tested using real texts written in different languages, such as English, French, German, Latin, Hindi and Gujrati, which have been extracted by publicly available datasets. The simulation studies, which are reported in details here, show that soft-computing based modeling of OCR systems performs consistently better than traditional models. Mainly intended as state-of-the-art survey for postgraduates and researchers in pattern recognition, optical character recognition and soft computing, this book will be useful for professionals in computer vision and image processing alike, dealing with different issues related to optical character recognition.

What is Soft Computing? Bridging Gaps for 21st Century Science!

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf Seising

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This contribution serves historical and philosophical reflecting cognitions on the role of Soft Computing in the 21st century. Referring to Magdalena's article in this issue, this paper considers the aspects of mixtures of techniques, the opposite pair qHard Computingq and qSoft Computingq, and Computational Intelligence. From the historical perspective the paper goes back to three articles by Warren Weaver that appeared after World War II. A concentrated study of these papers helps to understand that Soft Computing will be able to play a key role in the future development of science and technology.

New Concepts and Applications in Soft Computing

CERN Document Server

Fodor, János; Várkonyi-Kóczy, Annamária

2013-01-01

              The book provides a sample of research on the innovative theory and applications of soft computing paradigms.             The idea of Soft Computing was initiated in 1981 when Professor Zadeh published his first paper on soft data analysis and constantly evolved ever since. Professor Zadeh defined Soft Computing as the fusion of the fields of fuzzy logic (FL), neural network theory (NN) and probabilistic reasoning (PR), with the latter subsuming belief networks, evolutionary computing including DNA computing, chaos theory and parts of learning theory into one multidisciplinary system. As Zadeh said the essence of soft computing is that unlike the traditional, hard computing, soft computing is aimed at an accommodation with the pervasive imprecision of the real world. Thus, the guiding principle of soft computing is to exploit the tolerance for imprecision, uncertainty and partial truth to achieve tractability, robustness, low solution cost and better rapport with reality. ...

Soft Computing Technique and Conventional Controller for Conical Tank Level Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudharsana Vijayan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In many process industries the control of liquid level is mandatory. But the control of nonlinear process is difficult. Many process industries use conical tanks because of its non linear shape contributes better drainage for solid mixtures, slurries and viscous liquids. So, control of conical tank level is a challenging task due to its non-linearity and continually varying cross-section. This is due to relationship between controlled variable level and manipulated variable flow rate, which has a square root relationship. The main objective is to execute the suitable controller for conical tank system to maintain the desired level. System identification of the non-linear process is done using black box modelling and found to be first order plus dead time (FOPDT model. In this paper it is proposed to obtain the mathematical modelling of a conical tank system and to study the system using block diagram after that soft computing technique like fuzzy and conventional controller is also used for the comparison.

Microscope self-calibration based on micro laser line imaging and soft computing algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Apolinar Muñoz Rodríguez, J.

2018-06-01

A technique to perform microscope self-calibration via micro laser line and soft computing algorithms is presented. In this technique, the microscope vision parameters are computed by means of soft computing algorithms based on laser line projection. To implement the self-calibration, a microscope vision system is constructed by means of a CCD camera and a 38 μm laser line. From this arrangement, the microscope vision parameters are represented via Bezier approximation networks, which are accomplished through the laser line position. In this procedure, a genetic algorithm determines the microscope vision parameters by means of laser line imaging. Also, the approximation networks compute the three-dimensional vision by means of the laser line position. Additionally, the soft computing algorithms re-calibrate the vision parameters when the microscope vision system is modified during the vision task. The proposed self-calibration improves accuracy of the traditional microscope calibration, which is accomplished via external references to the microscope system. The capability of the self-calibration based on soft computing algorithms is determined by means of the calibration accuracy and the micro-scale measurement error. This contribution is corroborated by an evaluation based on the accuracy of the traditional microscope calibration.

The soft computing-based approach to investigate allergic diseases: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tartarisco, Gennaro; Tonacci, Alessandro; Minciullo, Paola Lucia; Billeci, Lucia; Pioggia, Giovanni; Incorvaia, Cristoforo; Gangemi, Sebastiano

2017-01-01

Early recognition of inflammatory markers and their relation to asthma, adverse drug reactions, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and other allergic diseases is an important goal in allergy. The vast majority of studies in the literature are based on classic statistical methods; however, developments in computational techniques such as soft computing-based approaches hold new promise in this field. The aim of this manuscript is to systematically review the main soft computing-based techniques such as artificial neural networks, support vector machines, bayesian networks and fuzzy logic to investigate their performances in the field of allergic diseases. The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and the protocol was registered within PROSPERO database (CRD42016038894). The research was performed on PubMed and ScienceDirect, covering the period starting from September 1, 1990 through April 19, 2016. The review included 27 studies related to allergic diseases and soft computing performances. We observed promising results with an overall accuracy of 86.5%, mainly focused on asthmatic disease. The review reveals that soft computing-based approaches are suitable for big data analysis and can be very powerful, especially when dealing with uncertainty and poorly characterized parameters. Furthermore, they can provide valuable support in case of lack of data and entangled cause-effect relationships, which make it difficult to assess the evolution of disease. Although most works deal with asthma, we believe the soft computing approach could be a real breakthrough and foster new insights into other allergic diseases as well.

The First International Conference on Soft Computing and Data Mining

CERN Document Server

Ghazali, Rozaida; Deris, Mustafa

2014-01-01

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Soft Computing and Data Mining, SCDM 2014, held in Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, in June 16th-18th, 2014. The 65 revised full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 145 submissions, and organized into two main topical sections; Data Mining and Soft Computing. The goal of this book is to provide both theoretical concepts and, especially, practical techniques on these exciting fields of soft computing and data mining, ready to be applied in real-world applications. The exchanges of views pertaining future research directions to be taken in this field and the resultant dissemination of the latest research findings makes this work of immense value to all those having an interest in the topics covered.    

Using soft computing techniques to predict corrected air permeability using Thomeer parameters, air porosity and grain density

Science.gov (United States)

Nooruddin, Hasan A.; Anifowose, Fatai; Abdulraheem, Abdulazeez

2014-03-01

Soft computing techniques are recently becoming very popular in the oil industry. A number of computational intelligence-based predictive methods have been widely applied in the industry with high prediction capabilities. Some of the popular methods include feed-forward neural networks, radial basis function network, generalized regression neural network, functional networks, support vector regression and adaptive network fuzzy inference system. A comparative study among most popular soft computing techniques is presented using a large dataset published in literature describing multimodal pore systems in the Arab D formation. The inputs to the models are air porosity, grain density, and Thomeer parameters obtained using mercury injection capillary pressure profiles. Corrected air permeability is the target variable. Applying developed permeability models in recent reservoir characterization workflow ensures consistency between micro and macro scale information represented mainly by Thomeer parameters and absolute permeability. The dataset was divided into two parts with 80% of data used for training and 20% for testing. The target permeability variable was transformed to the logarithmic scale as a pre-processing step and to show better correlations with the input variables. Statistical and graphical analysis of the results including permeability cross-plots and detailed error measures were created. In general, the comparative study showed very close results among the developed models. The feed-forward neural network permeability model showed the lowest average relative error, average absolute relative error, standard deviations of error and root means squares making it the best model for such problems. Adaptive network fuzzy inference system also showed very good results.

4th World Conference on Soft Computing

CERN Document Server

Abbasov, Ali; Yager, Ronald; Shahbazova, Shahnaz; Reformat, Marek

2016-01-01

This book reports on advanced theories and cutting-edge applications in the field of soft computing. The individual chapters, written by leading researchers, are based on contributions presented during the 4th World Conference on Soft Computing, held May 25-27, 2014, in Berkeley. The book covers a wealth of key topics in soft computing, focusing on both fundamental aspects and applications. The former include fuzzy mathematics, type-2 fuzzy sets, evolutionary-based optimization, aggregation and neural networks, while the latter include soft computing in data analysis, image processing, decision-making, classification, series prediction, economics, control, and modeling. By providing readers with a timely, authoritative view on the field, and by discussing thought-provoking developments and challenges, the book will foster new research directions in the diverse areas of soft computing. .

Training Software in Artificial-Intelligence Computing Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Ayanna; Rogstad, Eric; Chalfant, Eugene

2005-01-01

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Toolkit is a computer program for training scientists, engineers, and university students in three soft-computing techniques (fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms) used in artificial-intelligence applications. The program promotes an easily understandable tutorial interface, including an interactive graphical component through which the user can gain hands-on experience in soft-computing techniques applied to realistic example problems. The tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on the workings of soft-computing technology, whereas the hands-on examples allow interaction and reinforcement of the techniques explained throughout the tutorial. In the fuzzy-logic example, a user can interact with a robot and an obstacle course to verify how fuzzy logic is used to command a rover traverse from an arbitrary start to the goal location. For the genetic algorithm example, the problem is to determine the minimum-length path for visiting a user-chosen set of planets in the solar system. For the neural-network example, the problem is to decide, on the basis of input data on physical characteristics, whether a person is a man, woman, or child. The AI Toolkit is compatible with the Windows 95,98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP operating systems. A computer having a processor speed of at least 300 MHz, and random-access memory of at least 56MB is recommended for optimal performance. The program can be run on a slower computer having less memory, but some functions may not be executed properly.

Practical applications of soft computing in engineering

CERN Document Server

2001-01-01

Soft computing has been presented not only with the theoretical developments but also with a large variety of realistic applications to consumer products and industrial systems. Application of soft computing has provided the opportunity to integrate human-like vagueness and real-life uncertainty into an otherwise hard computer program. This book highlights some of the recent developments in practical applications of soft computing in engineering problems. All the chapters have been sophisticatedly designed and revised by international experts to achieve wide but in-depth coverage. Contents: Au

APPLICATION OF SOFT COMPUTING TECHNIQUES FOR PREDICTING COOLING TIME REQUIRED DROPPING INITIAL TEMPERATURE OF MASS CONCRETE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Bhattarai

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Minimizing the thermal cracks in mass concrete at an early age can be achieved by removing the hydration heat as quickly as possible within initial cooling period before the next lift is placed. Recognizing the time needed to remove hydration heat within initial cooling period helps to take an effective and efficient decision on temperature control plan in advance. Thermal properties of concrete, water cooling parameters and construction parameter are the most influencing factors involved in the process and the relationship between these parameters are non-linear in a pattern, complicated and not understood well. Some attempts had been made to understand and formulate the relationship taking account of thermal properties of concrete and cooling water parameters. Thus, in this study, an effort have been made to formulate the relationship for the same taking account of thermal properties of concrete, water cooling parameters and construction parameter, with the help of two soft computing techniques namely: Genetic programming (GP software “Eureqa” and Artificial Neural Network (ANN. Relationships were developed from the data available from recently constructed high concrete double curvature arch dam. The value of R for the relationship between the predicted and real cooling time from GP and ANN model is 0.8822 and 0.9146 respectively. Relative impact on target parameter due to input parameters was evaluated through sensitivity analysis and the results reveal that, construction parameter influence the target parameter significantly. Furthermore, during the testing phase of proposed models with an independent set of data, the absolute and relative errors were significantly low, which indicates the prediction power of the employed soft computing techniques deemed satisfactory as compared to the measured data.

SoftLab: A Soft-Computing Software for Experimental Research with Commercialization Aspects

Science.gov (United States)

Akbarzadeh-T, M.-R.; Shaikh, T. S.; Ren, J.; Hubbell, Rob; Kumbla, K. K.; Jamshidi, M

1998-01-01

SoftLab is a software environment for research and development in intelligent modeling/control using soft-computing paradigms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and genetic programs. SoftLab addresses the inadequacies of the existing soft-computing software by supporting comprehensive multidisciplinary functionalities from management tools to engineering systems. Furthermore, the built-in features help the user process/analyze information more efficiently by a friendly yet powerful interface, and will allow the user to specify user-specific processing modules, hence adding to the standard configuration of the software environment.

Soft computing methods for geoidal height transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Akyilmaz, O.; Özlüdemir, M. T.; Ayan, T.; Çelik, R. N.

2009-07-01

Soft computing techniques, such as fuzzy logic and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches, have enabled researchers to create precise models for use in many scientific and engineering applications. Applications that can be employed in geodetic studies include the estimation of earth rotation parameters and the determination of mean sea level changes. Another important field of geodesy in which these computing techniques can be applied is geoidal height transformation. We report here our use of a conventional polynomial model, the Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy (or in some publications, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy) Inference System (ANFIS), an ANN and a modified ANN approach to approximate geoid heights. These approximation models have been tested on a number of test points. The results obtained through the transformation processes from ellipsoidal heights into local levelling heights have also been compared.

Soft Computing Methods in Design of Superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Cios, K. J.; Berke, L.; Vary, A.; Sharma, S.

1996-01-01

Soft computing techniques of neural networks and genetic algorithms are used in the design of superalloys. The cyclic oxidation attack parameter K(sub a), generated from tests at NASA Lewis Research Center, is modelled as a function of the superalloy chemistry and test temperature using a neural network. This model is then used in conjunction with a genetic algorithm to obtain an optimized superalloy composition resulting in low K(sub a) values.

6th International Workshop Soft Computing Applications

CERN Document Server

Jain, Lakhmi; Kovačević, Branko

2016-01-01

These volumes constitute the Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Soft Computing Applications, or SOFA 2014, held on 24-26 July 2014 in Timisoara, Romania. This edition was organized by the University of Belgrade, Serbia in conjunction with Romanian Society of Control Engineering and Technical Informatics (SRAIT) - Arad Section, The General Association of Engineers in Romania - Arad Section, Institute of Computer Science, Iasi Branch of the Romanian Academy and IEEE Romanian Section.                 The Soft Computing concept was introduced by Lotfi Zadeh in 1991 and serves to highlight the emergence of computing methodologies in which the accent is on exploiting the tolerance for imprecision and uncertainty to achieve tractability, robustness and low solution cost. Soft computing facilitates the use of fuzzy logic, neurocomputing, evolutionary computing and probabilistic computing in combination, leading to the concept of hybrid intelligent systems.        The combination of ...

A Simulation-Based Soft Error Estimation Methodology for Computer Systems

OpenAIRE

Sugihara, Makoto; Ishihara, Tohru; Hashimoto, Koji; Muroyama, Masanori

2006-01-01

This paper proposes a simulation-based soft error estimation methodology for computer systems. Accumulating soft error rates (SERs) of all memories in a computer system results in pessimistic soft error estimation. This is because memory cells are used spatially and temporally and not all soft errors in them make the computer system faulty. Our soft-error estimation methodology considers the locations and the timings of soft errors occurring at every level of memory hierarchy and estimates th...

Novel spectroscopic techniques with using soft x-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gejo, Tatsuo

2010-01-01

Recent progress of experimental techniques related to synchrotron radiation makes possible of detail investigation of molecular dynamics after irradiation of soft X-ray. We introduce several novel spectroscopic techniques with using soft X-ray: Symmetry-resolved zero kinetic energy electron spectroscopy, symmetry-resolved metastable photofragment spectroscopy, soft X-ray emission spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and time-resolved-fluorescence mass-selected-ion coincidence spectroscopy. We also show new techniques performed by other groups at BL27SU in SPring-8. (author)

Complex system modelling and control through intelligent soft computations

CERN Document Server

Azar, Ahmad

2015-01-01

The book offers a snapshot of the theories and applications of soft computing in the area of complex systems modeling and control. It presents the most important findings discussed during the 5th International Conference on Modelling, Identification and Control, held in Cairo, from August 31-September 2, 2013. The book consists of twenty-nine selected contributions, which have been thoroughly reviewed and extended before their inclusion in the volume. The different chapters, written by active researchers in the field, report on both current theories and important applications of soft-computing. Besides providing the readers with soft-computing fundamentals, and soft-computing based inductive methodologies/algorithms, the book also discusses key industrial soft-computing applications, as well as multidisciplinary solutions developed for a variety of purposes, like windup control, waste management, security issues, biomedical applications and many others. It is a perfect reference guide for graduate students, r...

Efficient Buffer Capacity and Scheduler Setting Computation for Soft Real-Time Stream Processing Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekooij, Marco; Bekooij, Marco Jan Gerrit; Wiggers, M.H.; van Meerbergen, Jef

2007-01-01

Soft real-time applications that process data streams can often be intuitively described as dataflow process networks. In this paper we present a novel analysis technique to compute conservative estimates of the required buffer capacities in such process networks. With the same analysis technique

Soft computing integrating evolutionary, neural, and fuzzy systems

CERN Document Server

Tettamanzi, Andrea

2001-01-01

Soft computing encompasses various computational methodologies, which, unlike conventional algorithms, are tolerant of imprecision, uncertainty, and partial truth. Soft computing technologies offer adaptability as a characteristic feature and thus permit the tracking of a problem through a changing environment. Besides some recent developments in areas like rough sets and probabilistic networks, fuzzy logic, evolutionary algorithms, and artificial neural networks are core ingredients of soft computing, which are all bio-inspired and can easily be combined synergetically. This book presents a well-balanced integration of fuzzy logic, evolutionary computing, and neural information processing. The three constituents are introduced to the reader systematically and brought together in differentiated combinations step by step. The text was developed from courses given by the authors and offers numerous illustrations as

Determining flexor-tendon repair techniques via soft computing

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, M.; Firoozbakhsh, K.; Moniem, M.; Jamshidi, M.

2001-01-01

An SC-based multi-objective decision-making method for determining the optimal flexor-tendon repair technique from experimental and clinical survey data, and with variable circumstances, was presented. Results were compared with those from the Taguchi method. Using the Taguchi method results in the need to perform ad-hoc decisions when the outcomes for individual objectives are contradictory to a particular preference or circumstance, whereas the SC-based multi-objective technique provides a rigorous straightforward computational process in which changing preferences and importance of differing objectives are easily accommodated. Also, adding more objectives is straightforward and easily accomplished. The use of fuzzy-set representations of information categories provides insight into their performance throughout the range of their universe of discourse. The ability of the technique to provide a "best" medical decision given a particular physician, hospital, patient, situation, and other criteria was also demonstrated.

Soft computing in computer and information science

CERN Document Server

Fray, Imed; Pejaś, Jerzy

2015-01-01

This book presents a carefully selected and reviewed collection of papers presented during the 19th Advanced Computer Systems conference ACS-2014. The Advanced Computer Systems conference concentrated from its beginning on methods and algorithms of artificial intelligence. Further future brought new areas of interest concerning technical informatics related to soft computing and some more technological aspects of computer science such as multimedia and computer graphics, software engineering, web systems, information security and safety or project management. These topics are represented in the present book under the categories Artificial Intelligence, Design of Information and Multimedia Systems, Information Technology Security and Software Technologies.

Data mining in soft computing framework: a survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, S; Pal, S K; Mitra, P

2002-01-01

The present article provides a survey of the available literature on data mining using soft computing. A categorization has been provided based on the different soft computing tools and their hybridizations used, the data mining function implemented, and the preference criterion selected by the model. The utility of the different soft computing methodologies is highlighted. Generally fuzzy sets are suitable for handling the issues related to understandability of patterns, incomplete/noisy data, mixed media information and human interaction, and can provide approximate solutions faster. Neural networks are nonparametric, robust, and exhibit good learning and generalization capabilities in data-rich environments. Genetic algorithms provide efficient search algorithms to select a model, from mixed media data, based on some preference criterion/objective function. Rough sets are suitable for handling different types of uncertainty in data. Some challenges to data mining and the application of soft computing methodologies are indicated. An extensive bibliography is also included.

Application of Soft Computing in Coherent Communications Phase Synchronization

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Jeffrey T.; Prasad, Nadipuram R.

2000-01-01

The use of soft computing techniques in coherent communications phase synchronization provides an alternative to analytical or hard computing methods. This paper discusses a novel use of Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) for phase synchronization in coherent communications systems utilizing Multiple Phase Shift Keying (MPSK) modulation. A brief overview of the M-PSK digital communications bandpass modulation technique is presented and it's requisite need for phase synchronization is discussed. We briefly describe the hybrid platform developed by Jang that incorporates fuzzy/neural structures namely the, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Interference Systems (ANFIS). We then discuss application of ANFIS to phase estimation for M-PSK. The modeling of both explicit, and implicit phase estimation schemes for M-PSK symbols with unknown structure are discussed. Performance results from simulation of the above scheme is presented.

4th International Conference on Quantitative Logic and Soft Computing

CERN Document Server

Chen, Shui-Li; Wang, San-Min; Li, Yong-Ming

2017-01-01

This book is the proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Quantitative Logic and Soft Computing (QLSC2016) held 14-17, October, 2016 in Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China. It includes 61 papers, of which 5 are plenary talks( 3 abstracts and 2 full length talks). QLSC2016 was the fourth in a series of conferences on Quantitative Logic and Soft Computing. This conference was a major symposium for scientists, engineers and practitioners to present their updated results, ideas, developments and applications in all areas of quantitative logic and soft computing. The book aims to strengthen relations between industry research laboratories and universities in fields such as quantitative logic and soft computing worldwide as follows: (1) Quantitative Logic and Uncertainty Logic; (2) Automata and Quantification of Software; (3) Fuzzy Connectives and Fuzzy Reasoning; (4) Fuzzy Logical Algebras; (5) Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing; (6) Fuzzy Sets Theory and Applications.

6th International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Bansal, Jagdish; Das, Kedar; Lal, Arvind; Garg, Harish; Nagar, Atulya; Pant, Millie

2017-01-01

This two-volume book gathers the proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2016), offering a collection of research papers presented during the conference at Thapar University, Patiala, India. Providing a veritable treasure trove for scientists and researchers working in the field of soft computing, it highlights the latest developments in the broad area of “Computational Intelligence” and explores both theoretical and practical aspects using fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, soft computing, computational intelligence, etc.

Phoneme-based speech segmentation using hybrid soft computing framework

CERN Document Server

Sarma, Mousmita

2014-01-01

The book discusses intelligent system design using soft computing and similar systems and their interdisciplinary applications. It also focuses on the recent trends to use soft computing as a versatile tool for designing a host of decision support systems.

Recent developments and new directions in soft computing

CERN Document Server

Abbasov, Ali; Yager, Ronald; Shahbazova, Shahnaz; Reformat, Marek

2014-01-01

The book reports on the latest advances and challenges of soft computing. It  gathers original scientific contributions written by top scientists in the field and covering theories, methods and applications in a number of research areas related to soft-computing, such as decision-making, probabilistic reasoning, image processing, control, neural networks and data analysis.  

Image Analysis via Soft Computing: Prototype Applications at NASA KSC and Product Commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Dominguez, Jesus A.; Klinko, Steve

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of "soft computing" which differs from "hard computing" in that it is more tolerant of imprecision, partial truth, uncertainty, and approximation and its use in image analysis. Soft computing provides flexible information processing to handle real life ambiguous situations and achieve tractability, robustness low solution cost, and a closer resemblance to human decision making. Several systems are or have been developed: Fuzzy Reasoning Edge Detection (FRED), Fuzzy Reasoning Adaptive Thresholding (FRAT), Image enhancement techniques, and visual/pattern recognition. These systems are compared with examples that show the effectiveness of each. NASA applications that are reviewed are: Real-Time (RT) Anomaly Detection, Real-Time (RT) Moving Debris Detection and the Columbia Investigation. The RT anomaly detection reviewed the case of a damaged cable for the emergency egress system. The use of these techniques is further illustrated in the Columbia investigation with the location and detection of Foam debris. There are several applications in commercial usage: image enhancement, human screening and privacy protection, visual inspection, 3D heart visualization, tumor detections and x ray image enhancement.

Soft computing for fault diagnosis in power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciftcioglu, O.; Turkcan, E.

1998-01-01

Considering the advancements in the AI technology, there arises a new concept known as soft computing. It can be defined as the processing of uncertain information with the AI methods, that refers to explicitly the methods using neural networks, fuzzy logic and evolutionary algorithms. In this respect, soft computing is a new dimension in information processing technology where linguistic information can also be processed in contrast with the classical stochastic and deterministic treatments of data. On one hand it can process uncertain/incomplete information and on the other hand it can deal with non-linearity of large-scale systems where uncertainty is particularly relevant with respect to linguistic information and incompleteness is related to fault tolerance in fault diagnosis. In this perspective, the potential role of soft computing in power plant operation is presented. (author)

Developing a multimodal biometric authentication system using soft computing methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Malcangi, Mario

2015-01-01

Robust personal authentication is becoming ever more important in computer-based applications. Among a variety of methods, biometric offers several advantages, mainly in embedded system applications. Hard and soft multi-biometric, combined with hard and soft computing methods, can be applied to improve the personal authentication process and to generalize the applicability. This chapter describes the embedded implementation of a multi-biometric (voiceprint and fingerprint) multimodal identification system based on hard computing methods (DSP) for feature extraction and matching, an artificial neural network (ANN) for soft feature pattern matching, and a fuzzy logic engine (FLE) for data fusion and decision.

A Survey of Soft-Error Mitigation Techniques for Non-Volatile Memories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sparsh Mittal

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Non-volatile memories (NVMs offer superior density and energy characteristics compared to the conventional memories; however, NVMs suffer from severe reliability issues that can easily eclipse their energy efficiency advantages. In this paper, we survey architectural techniques for improving the soft-error reliability of NVMs, specifically PCM (phase change memory and STT-RAM (spin transfer torque RAM. We focus on soft-errors, such as resistance drift and write disturbance, in PCM and read disturbance and write failures in STT-RAM. By classifying the research works based on key parameters, we highlight their similarities and distinctions. We hope that this survey will underline the crucial importance of addressing NVM reliability for ensuring their system integration and will be useful for researchers, computer architects and processor designers.

Soft Tissue Biomechanical Modeling for Computer Assisted Surgery

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

  This volume focuses on the biomechanical modeling of biological tissues in the context of Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS). More specifically, deformable soft tissues are addressed since they are the subject of the most recent developments in this field. The pioneering works on this CAS topic date from the 1980's, with applications in orthopaedics and biomechanical models of bones. More recently, however, biomechanical models of soft tissues have been proposed since most of the human body is made of soft organs that can be deformed by the surgical gesture. Such models are much more complicated to handle since the tissues can be subject to large deformations (non-linear geometrical framework) as well as complex stress/strain relationships (non-linear mechanical framework). Part 1 of the volume presents biomechanical models that have been developed in a CAS context and used during surgery. This is particularly new since most of the soft tissues models already proposed concern Computer Assisted Planning, with ...

Towards a cyber-physical era: soft computing framework based multi-sensor array for water quality monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Jyotirmoy; Gupta, Karunesh K.; Gupta, Rajiv

2018-02-01

New concepts and techniques are replacing traditional methods of water quality parameter measurement systems. This paper introduces a cyber-physical system (CPS) approach for water quality assessment in a distribution network. Cyber-physical systems with embedded sensors, processors and actuators can be designed to sense and interact with the water environment. The proposed CPS is comprised of sensing framework integrated with five different water quality parameter sensor nodes and soft computing framework for computational modelling. Soft computing framework utilizes the applications of Python for user interface and fuzzy sciences for decision making. Introduction of multiple sensors in a water distribution network generates a huge number of data matrices, which are sometimes highly complex, difficult to understand and convoluted for effective decision making. Therefore, the proposed system framework also intends to simplify the complexity of obtained sensor data matrices and to support decision making for water engineers through a soft computing framework. The target of this proposed research is to provide a simple and efficient method to identify and detect presence of contamination in a water distribution network using applications of CPS.

Monitoring the Microgravity Environment Quality On-Board the International Space Station Using Soft Computing Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Jules, Kenol; Lin, Paul P.

2001-01-01

This paper presents an artificial intelligence monitoring system developed by the NASA Glenn Principal Investigator Microgravity Services project to help the principal investigator teams identify the primary vibratory disturbance sources that are active, at any moment in time, on-board the International Space Station, which might impact the microgravity environment their experiments are exposed to. From the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services' web site, the principal investigator teams can monitor via a graphical display, in near real time, which event(s) is/are on, such as crew activities, pumps, fans, centrifuges, compressor, crew exercise, platform structural modes, etc., and decide whether or not to run their experiments based on the acceleration environment associated with a specific event. This monitoring system is focused primarily on detecting the vibratory disturbance sources, but could be used as well to detect some of the transient disturbance sources, depending on the events duration. The system has built-in capability to detect both known and unknown vibratory disturbance sources. Several soft computing techniques such as Kohonen's Self-Organizing Feature Map, Learning Vector Quantization, Back-Propagation Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic were used to design the system.

17th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications

CERN Document Server

Krömer, Pavel; Köppen, Mario; Schaefer, Gerald

2014-01-01

This volume of Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing contains accepted papers presented at WSC17, the 17th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications, held from December 2012 to January 2013 on the Internet. WSC17 continues a successful series of scientific events started over a decade ago by the World Federation of Soft Computing. It brought together researchers from over the world interested in the ever advancing state of the art in the field. Continuous technological improvements make this online forum a viable gathering format for a world class conference. The aim of WSC17 was to disseminate excellent research results and contribute to building a global network of scientists interested in both theoretical foundations and practical applications of soft computing.   The 2012 edition of the Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications consisted of general track and special session on Continuous Features Discretization for Anomaly Intrusion Detectors...

Development of Semi-Automatic Lathe by using Intelligent Soft Computing Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Sakthi, S.; Niresh, J.; Vignesh, K.; Anand Raj, G.

2018-03-01

This paper discusses the enhancement of conventional lathe machine to semi-automated lathe machine by implementing a soft computing method. In the present scenario, lathe machine plays a vital role in the engineering division of manufacturing industry. While the manual lathe machines are economical, the accuracy and efficiency are not up to the mark. On the other hand, CNC machine provide the desired accuracy and efficiency, but requires a huge capital. In order to over come this situation, a semi-automated approach towards the conventional lathe machine is developed by employing stepper motors to the horizontal and vertical drive, that can be controlled by Arduino UNO -microcontroller. Based on the input parameters of the lathe operation the arduino coding is been generated and transferred to the UNO board. Thus upgrading from manual to semi-automatic lathe machines can significantly increase the accuracy and efficiency while, at the same time, keeping a check on investment cost and consequently provide a much needed escalation to the manufacturing industry.

Assessing the suitability of soft computing approaches for forest fires prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samaher Al_Janabi

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Forest fires present one of the main causes of environmental hazards that have many negative results in different aspect of life. Therefore, early prediction, fast detection and rapid action are the key elements for controlling such phenomenon and saving lives. Through this work, 517 different entries were selected at different times for montesinho natural park (MNP in Portugal to determine the best predictor that has the ability to detect forest fires, The principle component analysis (PCA was applied to find the critical patterns and particle swarm optimization (PSO technique was used to segment the fire regions (clusters. In the next stage, five soft computing (SC Techniques based on neural network were used in parallel to identify the best technique that would potentially give more accurate and optimum results in predicting of forest fires, these techniques namely; cascade correlation network (CCN, multilayer perceptron neural network (MPNN, polynomial neural network (PNN, radial basis function (RBF and support vector machine (SVM In the final stage, the predictors and their performance were evaluated based on five quality measures including root mean squared error (RMSE, mean squared error (MSE, relative absolute error (RAE, mean absolute error (MAE and information gain (IG. The results indicate that SVM technique was more effective and efficient than the RBF, MPNN, PNN and CCN predictors. The results also show that the SVM algorithm provides more precise predictions compared with other predictors with small estimation error. The obtained results confirm that the SVM improves the prediction accuracy and suitable for forest fires prediction compared to other methods. Keywords: Forest fires, Soft computing, Prediction, Principle component analysis, Particle swarm optimization, Cascade correlation network, Multilayer perceptron neural network, Polynomial neural networks, Radial basis function, Support vector machine

Soft Computing Techniques in Vision Science

CERN Document Server

Yang, Yeon-Mo

2012-01-01

This Special Edited Volume is a unique approach towards Computational solution for the upcoming field of study called Vision Science. From a scientific firmament Optics, Ophthalmology, and Optical Science has surpassed an Odyssey of optimizing configurations of Optical systems, Surveillance Cameras and other Nano optical devices with the metaphor of Nano Science and Technology. Still these systems are falling short of its computational aspect to achieve the pinnacle of human vision system. In this edited volume much attention has been given to address the coupling issues Computational Science and Vision Studies.  It is a comprehensive collection of research works addressing various related areas of Vision Science like Visual Perception and Visual system, Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, Psychophysics and Ophthalmology, linguistic relativity, color vision etc. This issue carries some latest developments in the form of research articles and presentations. The volume is rich of contents with technical tools ...

Challenges in Soft Computing: Case Study with Louisville MSD CSO Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ormsbee, L.; Tufail, M.

2005-12-01

The principal constituents of soft computing include fuzzy logic, neural computing, evolutionary computation, machine learning, and probabilistic reasoning. There are numerous applications of these constituents (both individually and combination of two or more) in the area of water resources and environmental systems. These range from development of data driven models to optimal control strategies to assist in more informed and intelligent decision making process. Availability of data is critical to such applications and having scarce data may lead to models that do not represent the response function over the entire domain. At the same time, too much data has a tendency to lead to over-constraining of the problem. This paper will describe the application of a subset of these soft computing techniques (neural computing and genetic algorithms) to the Beargrass Creek watershed in Louisville, Kentucky. The application include development of inductive models as substitutes for more complex process-based models to predict water quality of key constituents (such as dissolved oxygen) and use them in an optimization framework for optimal load reductions. Such a process will facilitate the development of total maximum daily loads for the impaired water bodies in the watershed. Some of the challenges faced in this application include 1) uncertainty in data sets, 2) model application, and 3) development of cause-and-effect relationships between water quality constituents and watershed parameters through use of inductive models. The paper will discuss these challenges and how they affect the desired goals of the project.

Towards a cyber-physical era: soft computing framework based multi-sensor array for water quality monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Bhardwaj

2018-02-01

Full Text Available New concepts and techniques are replacing traditional methods of water quality parameter measurement systems. This paper introduces a cyber-physical system (CPS approach for water quality assessment in a distribution network. Cyber-physical systems with embedded sensors, processors and actuators can be designed to sense and interact with the water environment. The proposed CPS is comprised of sensing framework integrated with five different water quality parameter sensor nodes and soft computing framework for computational modelling. Soft computing framework utilizes the applications of Python for user interface and fuzzy sciences for decision making. Introduction of multiple sensors in a water distribution network generates a huge number of data matrices, which are sometimes highly complex, difficult to understand and convoluted for effective decision making. Therefore, the proposed system framework also intends to simplify the complexity of obtained sensor data matrices and to support decision making for water engineers through a soft computing framework. The target of this proposed research is to provide a simple and efficient method to identify and detect presence of contamination in a water distribution network using applications of CPS.

Computed tomography in soft-tissue lesions of the hand and forearm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, R.; Warmuth-Metz, M.; Lucas, D.; Feyerabend, T.; Schindler, G.; Lanz, U.

1990-01-01

Computed tomography was carried out in 32 patients with clinically equivocal soft-tissue lesions of the hand (24 times) and forearm (8 times). The CT scans were performed with the patients in standard positions; thin slices and zoom technique were used. All soft-tissue tumors were correctly diagnosed with regard to localization, size and infiltration of the surrounding tissue. The histological diagnosis was correct in tendon-sheath proliferations, deposits caused by metabolic disorders, epithelial and ganglion cysts, hemangiomas, lipomas and in one schwannoma. A malignancy was suspected and was proven to be correct in two cases. False-positive diagnoses of a malignant soft-tissue tumor were made in one case of an aggressive fibromatosis, in a rapidly progressive, ossifying myositis, and three times in the presence of postoperative scar tissue following the resection of a sarcoma. Finally, a case of proliferative myositis regarded as semimalignant was underrated by CT. The hand surgeon considered CT diagnostics to be very helpful in planning operations in an anatomically complex organ such as the hand. (orig.) [de

5th International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Deep, Kusum; Bansal, Jagdish; Nagar, Atulya; Das, Kedar

2016-01-01

This two volume book is based on the research papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2015) and covers a variety of topics, including mathematical modelling, image processing, optimization methods, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, medical and health care, data mining, etc. Mainly the emphasis is on Soft Computing and its applications in diverse areas. The prime objective of this book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments in various fields of Science, Engineering and Technology and is directed to the researchers and scientists engaged in various real-world applications of ‘Soft Computing’.

4th International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Deep, Kusum; Pant, Millie; Bansal, Jagdish; Nagar, Atulya

2015-01-01

This two volume book is based on the research papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2014) and covers a variety of topics, including mathematical modelling, image processing, optimization methods, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, medical and healthcare, data mining, etc. Mainly the emphasis is on Soft Computing and its applications in diverse areas. The prime objective of this book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments in various fields of Science, Engineering and Technology and is directed to the researchers and scientists engaged in various real-world applications of ‘Soft Computing’.

Computed tomography of the llama head: technique and normal anatomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hathcock, J.T.; Pugh, D.G.; Cartee, R.E.; Hammond, L.

1996-01-01

Computed tomography was performed on the head of 6 normal adult llamas. The animals were under general anesthesia and positioned in dorsal recumbency on the scanning table. The area scanned was from the external occipital protuberance to the rostral portion of the nasal passage, and the images are presented in both a bone window and a soft tissue window to allow evaluation and identification of the anatomy of the head. Computed tomography of the llama head can be accomplished by most computed tomography scanners utilizing a technique similar to that used in small animals with minor modification of the scanning table

Soft Computing Methods for Disulfide Connectivity Prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez-Chamorro, Alfonso E; Aguilar-Ruiz, Jesús S

2015-01-01

The problem of protein structure prediction (PSP) is one of the main challenges in structural bioinformatics. To tackle this problem, PSP can be divided into several subproblems. One of these subproblems is the prediction of disulfide bonds. The disulfide connectivity prediction problem consists in identifying which nonadjacent cysteines would be cross-linked from all possible candidates. Determining the disulfide bond connectivity between the cysteines of a protein is desirable as a previous step of the 3D PSP, as the protein conformational search space is highly reduced. The most representative soft computing approaches for the disulfide bonds connectivity prediction problem of the last decade are summarized in this paper. Certain aspects, such as the different methodologies based on soft computing approaches (artificial neural network or support vector machine) or features of the algorithms, are used for the classification of these methods.

Research Update: Computational materials discovery in soft matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tristan Bereau

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Soft matter embodies a wide range of materials, which all share the common characteristics of weak interaction energies determining their supramolecular structure. This complicates structure-property predictions and hampers the direct application of data-driven approaches to their modeling. We present several aspects in which these methods play a role in designing soft-matter materials: drug design as well as information-driven computer simulations, e.g., histogram reweighting. We also discuss recent examples of rational design of soft-matter materials fostered by physical insight and assisted by data-driven approaches. We foresee the combination of data-driven and physical approaches a promising strategy to move the field forward.

Exploiting the Dynamics of Soft Materials for Machine Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Kohei; Hauser, Helmut; Li, Tao; Pfeifer, Rolf

2018-06-01

Soft materials are increasingly utilized for various purposes in many engineering applications. These materials have been shown to perform a number of functions that were previously difficult to implement using rigid materials. Here, we argue that the diverse dynamics generated by actuating soft materials can be effectively used for machine learning purposes. This is demonstrated using a soft silicone arm through a technique of multiplexing, which enables the rich transient dynamics of the soft materials to be fully exploited as a computational resource. The computational performance of the soft silicone arm is examined through two standard benchmark tasks. Results show that the soft arm compares well to or even outperforms conventional machine learning techniques under multiple conditions. We then demonstrate that this system can be used for the sensory time series prediction problem for the soft arm itself, which suggests its immediate applicability to a real-world machine learning problem. Our approach, on the one hand, represents a radical departure from traditional computational methods, whereas on the other hand, it fits nicely into a more general perspective of computation by way of exploiting the properties of physical materials in the real world.

Genetic networks and soft computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, Sushmita; Das, Ranajit; Hayashi, Yoichi

2011-01-01

The analysis of gene regulatory networks provides enormous information on various fundamental cellular processes involving growth, development, hormone secretion, and cellular communication. Their extraction from available gene expression profiles is a challenging problem. Such reverse engineering of genetic networks offers insight into cellular activity toward prediction of adverse effects of new drugs or possible identification of new drug targets. Tasks such as classification, clustering, and feature selection enable efficient mining of knowledge about gene interactions in the form of networks. It is known that biological data is prone to different kinds of noise and ambiguity. Soft computing tools, such as fuzzy sets, evolutionary strategies, and neurocomputing, have been found to be helpful in providing low-cost, acceptable solutions in the presence of various types of uncertainties. In this paper, we survey the role of these soft methodologies and their hybridizations, for the purpose of generating genetic networks.

A Soft Casting Technique for Managing Pediatric Hand and Foot Burns.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young Mee; Nederveld, Cindy; Campbell, Kristen; Moulton, Steven

2018-04-04

Hand and foot burns in children are difficult to dress. The authors have developed a soft casting technique to manage burns to these areas. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes using weekly dressing changes with a soft casting technique to manage pediatric hand and foot burns in the outpatient setting. A retrospective chart review was performed on children with burns to the hands or feet, who underwent dressing changes with a soft casting technique at the Children's Hospital Colorado Burn Center. Soft casting was performed by placing antibiotic ointment-impregnated nonadherent gauze over the burn wound(s), wrapping the extremity using rolled gauze, applying soft cast pad, plaster, soft cast tape, and an elastic bandage. This was changed weekly. Two hundred ninety-eight children with hand burns had a mean age of 16.8 ± 2 months. Two hundred forty-eight children had partial thickness burn injuries (83%), 50 had full thickness burn injuries (17%), and the mean total body surface area (TBSA) was 1 ± 2.4%. The mean time to heal was 10.1 ± 1.7 days for all subjects. Sixty-six children with foot burns were identified with a mean age of 24 ± 2.6 months. Forty-six children had partial thickness injuries (70%), 20 had full thickness burn injuries (30%), and the mean TBSA was 2.3 ± 2.9%. The mean time to heal was 14.1 ± 2.2 days for all subjects. Weekly dressing changes using a soft casting technique are effective for the outpatient management of pediatric hand and foot burns. This method avoids costly inpatient hospital care, reduces the number of painful dressing changes, and allows children to heal in their own environment.

Exploiting short-term memory in soft body dynamics as a computational resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, K; Li, T; Hauser, H; Pfeifer, R

2014-11-06

Soft materials are not only highly deformable, but they also possess rich and diverse body dynamics. Soft body dynamics exhibit a variety of properties, including nonlinearity, elasticity and potentially infinitely many degrees of freedom. Here, we demonstrate that such soft body dynamics can be employed to conduct certain types of computation. Using body dynamics generated from a soft silicone arm, we show that they can be exploited to emulate functions that require memory and to embed robust closed-loop control into the arm. Our results suggest that soft body dynamics have a short-term memory and can serve as a computational resource. This finding paves the way towards exploiting passive body dynamics for control of a large class of underactuated systems. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Problems and Issues in Using Computer- Based Support Tools to Enhance 'Soft' Systems Methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Stansfield

2001-11-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the issue of whether computer-based support tools can enhance the use of 'soft' systems methodologies as applied to real-world problem situations. Although work has been carried out by a number of researchers in applying computer-based technology to concepts and methodologies relating to 'soft' systems thinking such as Soft Systems Methodology (SSM, such attempts appear to be still in their infancy and have not been applied widely to real-world problem situations. This paper will highlight some of the problems that may be encountered in attempting to develop computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. Particular attention will be paid to an attempt by the author to develop a computer-based support tool for a particular 'soft' systems method of inquiry known as the Appreciative Inquiry Method that is based upon Vickers' notion of 'appreciation' (Vickers, 196S and Checkland's SSM (Checkland, 1981. The final part of the paper will explore some of the lessons learnt from developing and applying the computer-based support tool to a real world problem situation, as well as considering the feasibility of developing computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. This paper will put forward the point that a mixture of manual and computer-based tools should be employed to allow a methodology to be used in an unconstrained manner, but the benefits provided by computer-based technology should be utilised in supporting and enhancing the more mundane and structured tasks.

Immersion technique in soft tissue radiography of the hands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekelae, P.; Haaslahti, J.O.

1978-01-01

Soft tissue radiography of hands using the technique of mammary radiography and immersion in a 2.5 cm layer of 1 : 1 water-ethanol solution is evaluated. Using immersion the average background density decreases with a factor of about 2.5 : 1, with little deterioration in resolution (MTF). The immersion procedure makes the demonstration and evaluation of soft tisse swelling and periarticular oedema easier. (Auth.)

Current Trend Towards Using Soft Computing Approaches to Phase Synchronization in Communication Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Jeffrey T.; Prasad, Nadipuram R.

1999-01-01

This paper surveys recent advances in communications that utilize soft computing approaches to phase synchronization. Soft computing, as opposed to hard computing, is a collection of complementary methodologies that act in producing the most desirable control, decision, or estimation strategies. Recently, the communications area has explored the use of the principal constituents of soft computing, namely, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms, for modeling, control, and most recently for the estimation of phase in phase-coherent communications. If the receiver in a digital communications system is phase-coherent, as is often the case, phase synchronization is required. Synchronization thus requires estimation and/or control at the receiver of an unknown or random phase offset.

Human soft tissue analysis using x-ray or gamma-ray techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theodorakou, C; Farquharson, M J

2008-01-01

This topical review is intended to describe the x-ray techniques used for human soft tissue analysis. X-ray techniques have been applied to human soft tissue characterization and interesting results have been presented over the last few decades. The motivation behind such studies is to provide improved patient outcome by using the data obtained to better understand a disease process and improve diagnosis. An overview of theoretical background as well as a complete set of references is presented. For each study, a brief summary of the methodology and results is given. The x-ray techniques include x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, Compton scattering, Compton to coherent scattering ratio and attenuation measurements. The soft tissues that have been classified using x-rays or gamma rays include brain, breast, colon, fat, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, prostate, skin, thyroid and uterus. (topical review)

A New Screening Methodology for Improved Oil Recovery Processes Using Soft-Computing Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Parada, Claudia; Ertekin, Turgay

2010-05-01

able to recognize the strong correlation between the displacement mechanism and the reservoir characteristics as they effectively forecast hydrocarbon production for different types of reservoir undergoing diverse recovery processes. The artificial neuron networks are able to capture the similarities between different displacement mechanisms as same network architecture is successfully applied in both CO2 and N2 injection. The neuro-simulation application tool is built within a graphical user interface to facilitate the display of the results. The developed soft-computing tool offers an innovative approach to design a variety of efficient and feasible IOR processes by using artificial intelligence. The tool provides appropriate guidelines to the reservoir engineer, it facilitates the appraisal of diverse field development strategies for oil reservoirs, and it helps to reduce the number of scenarios evaluated with conventional reservoir simulation.

A Case for Soft Error Detection and Correction in Computational Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dam, Hubertus J J; Vishnu, Abhinav; de Jong, Wibe A

2013-09-10

High performance computing platforms are expected to deliver 10(18) floating operations per second by the year 2022 through the deployment of millions of cores. Even if every core is highly reliable the sheer number of them will mean that the mean time between failures will become so short that most application runs will suffer at least one fault. In particular soft errors caused by intermittent incorrect behavior of the hardware are a concern as they lead to silent data corruption. In this paper we investigate the impact of soft errors on optimization algorithms using Hartree-Fock as a particular example. Optimization algorithms iteratively reduce the error in the initial guess to reach the intended solution. Therefore they may intuitively appear to be resilient to soft errors. Our results show that this is true for soft errors of small magnitudes but not for large errors. We suggest error detection and correction mechanisms for different classes of data structures. The results obtained with these mechanisms indicate that we can correct more than 95% of the soft errors at moderate increases in the computational cost.

Soft X-ray imaging techniques for calculating the Earth's dayside boundaries

Science.gov (United States)

Connor, Hyunju; Kuntz, Kip; Sibeck, David; Collier, Michael; Aryan, Homayon; Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella; Collado-Vega, Yaireska; Porter, Frederick; Purucker, Michael; Snowden, Steven; Raeder, Joachim; Thomas, Nicholas; Walsh, Brian

2016-04-01

Charged particles and neutral atoms exchange electrons in many space plasma venues. Soft X-rays are emitted when highly charged solar wind ions, such as C6+. O7+, and Fe13+, interact with Hydrogen and Helium atoms. Soft X-ray images can be a powerful technique to remotely probe the plasma and neutral density structures created when the solar wind interacts with planetary exospheres, such as those at the Earth, Moon, Mars, Venus, and comets. The recently selected ESA-China joint spacecraft mission, "Solar wind - Magnetosphere - Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)" will have a soft X-ray imager on board and provide pictures of the Earth's dayside system after its launch in 2021. In preparation for this future mission, we simulate soft X-ray images of the Earth's dayside system, using the OpenGGCM global magnetosphere MHD model and the Hodges model of the Earth's exosphere. Then, we discuss techniques to determine the location of the Earth's dayside boundaries (bow shock and magnetopause) from the soft X-ray images.

Osteotomy simulation and soft tissue prediction using computer tomography scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teschner, M.; Girod, S.; Girod, B.

1999-01-01

In this paper, a system is presented that can be used to simulate osteotomies of the skull and to estimate the resulting of tissue changes. Thus, the three-dimensional, photorealistic, postoperative appearance of a patient can be assessed. The system is based on a computer tomography scan and a photorealistic laser scan of the patient's face. In order to predict the postoperative appearance of a patient the soft tissue must follow the movement of the underlying bone. In this paper, a multi-layer soft tissue model is proposed that is based on springs. It incorporates features like skin turgor, gravity and sliding bone contact. The prediction of soft tissue changes due to bone realignments is computed using a very efficient and robust optimization method. The system can handle individual patient data sets and has been tested with several clinical cases. (author)

Discussion on Soft Computing at FLINS '96

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruan, D.; Wal, A.J. van der

1998-01-01

This is a report on the discussion about soft computing (SC) during FLINS'96. The discussion is based on the five questions formulated by X. Li, viz. (1) What is SC? (2) What are the characteristics of SC? (3) What are the principal achievements of SC? (4) What are the typical problems of SC and

Digital dissection - using contrast-enhanced computed tomography scanning to elucidate hard- and soft-tissue anatomy in the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo.

Science.gov (United States)

Lautenschlager, Stephan; Bright, Jen A; Rayfield, Emily J

2014-04-01

Gross dissection has a long history as a tool for the study of human or animal soft- and hard-tissue anatomy. However, apart from being a time-consuming and invasive method, dissection is often unsuitable for very small specimens and often cannot capture spatial relationships of the individual soft-tissue structures. The handful of comprehensive studies on avian anatomy using traditional dissection techniques focus nearly exclusively on domestic birds, whereas raptorial birds, and in particular their cranial soft tissues, are essentially absent from the literature. Here, we digitally dissect, identify, and document the soft-tissue anatomy of the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) in detail, using the new approach of contrast-enhanced computed tomography using Lugol's iodine. The architecture of different muscle systems (adductor, depressor, ocular, hyoid, neck musculature), neurovascular, and other soft-tissue structures is three-dimensionally visualised and described in unprecedented detail. The three-dimensional model is further presented as an interactive PDF to facilitate the dissemination and accessibility of anatomical data. Due to the digital nature of the data derived from the computed tomography scanning and segmentation processes, these methods hold the potential for further computational analyses beyond descriptive and illustrative proposes. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society.

Seismic Response Prediction of Buildings with Base Isolation Using Advanced Soft Computing Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mosbeh R. Kaloop

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Modeling response of structures under seismic loads is an important factor in Civil Engineering as it crucially affects the design and management of structures, especially for the high-risk areas. In this study, novel applications of advanced soft computing techniques are utilized for predicting the behavior of centrically braced frame (CBF buildings with lead-rubber bearing (LRB isolation system under ground motion effects. These techniques include least square support vector machine (LSSVM, wavelet neural networks (WNN, and adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (ANFIS along with wavelet denoising. The simulation of a 2D frame model and eight ground motions are considered in this study to evaluate the prediction models. The comparison results indicate that the least square support vector machine is superior to other techniques in estimating the behavior of smart structures.

River suspended sediment estimation by climatic variables implication: Comparative study among soft computing techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Kisi, Ozgur; Shiri, Jalal

2012-06-01

Estimating sediment volume carried by a river is an important issue in water resources engineering. This paper compares the accuracy of three different soft computing methods, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), and Gene Expression Programming (GEP), in estimating daily suspended sediment concentration on rivers by using hydro-meteorological data. The daily rainfall, streamflow and suspended sediment concentration data from Eel River near Dos Rios, at California, USA are used as a case study. The comparison results indicate that the GEP model performs better than the other models in daily suspended sediment concentration estimation for the particular data sets used in this study. Levenberg-Marquardt, conjugate gradient and gradient descent training algorithms were used for the ANN models. Out of three algorithms, the Conjugate gradient algorithm was found to be better than the others.

SoftAR: visually manipulating haptic softness perception in spatial augmented reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Punpongsanon, Parinya; Iwai, Daisuke; Sato, Kosuke

2015-11-01

We present SoftAR, a novel spatial augmented reality (AR) technique based on a pseudo-haptics mechanism that visually manipulates the sense of softness perceived by a user pushing a soft physical object. Considering the limitations of projection-based approaches that change only the surface appearance of a physical object, we propose two projection visual effects, i.e., surface deformation effect (SDE) and body appearance effect (BAE), on the basis of the observations of humans pushing physical objects. The SDE visualizes a two-dimensional deformation of the object surface with a controlled softness parameter, and BAE changes the color of the pushing hand. Through psychophysical experiments, we confirm that the SDE can manipulate softness perception such that the participant perceives significantly greater softness than the actual softness. Furthermore, fBAE, in which BAE is applied only for the finger area, significantly enhances manipulation of the perception of softness. We create a computational model that estimates perceived softness when SDE+fBAE is applied. We construct a prototype SoftAR system in which two application frameworks are implemented. The softness adjustment allows a user to adjust the softness parameter of a physical object, and the softness transfer allows the user to replace the softness with that of another object.

Soft Computing. Nové informatické paradigma, nebo módní slogan?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájek, Petr

2000-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 12 (2000), s. 683-685 ISSN 0042-4544 Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : soft computing * fuzzy computing * neural computing * generic computing Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

Second International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Nagar, Atulya; Deep, Kusum; Pant, Millie; Bansal, Jagdish; Ray, Kanad; Gupta, Umesh

2014-01-01

The present book is based on the research papers presented in the International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2012), held at JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur, India. This book provides the latest developments in the area of soft computing and covers a variety of topics, including mathematical modeling, image processing, optimization, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, data mining, etc. The objective of the book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments that are taking place in various fields and the latest sophisticated problem solving tools that are being developed to deal with the complex and intricate problems that are otherwise difficult to solve by the usual and traditional methods. The book is directed to the researchers and scientists engaged in various fields of Science and Technology.

3D-SoftChip: A Novel Architecture for Next-Generation Adaptive Computing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Mike Myung-Ok

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a novel architecture for next-generation adaptive computing systems, which we term 3D-SoftChip. The 3D-SoftChip is a 3-dimensional (3D vertically integrated adaptive computing system combining state-of-the-art processing and 3D interconnection technology. It comprises the vertical integration of two chips (a configurable array processor and an intelligent configurable switch through an indium bump interconnection array (IBIA. The configurable array processor (CAP is an array of heterogeneous processing elements (PEs, while the intelligent configurable switch (ICS comprises a switch block, 32-bit dedicated RISC processor for control, on-chip program/data memory, data frame buffer, along with a direct memory access (DMA controller. This paper introduces the novel 3D-SoftChip architecture for real-time communication and multimedia signal processing as a next-generation computing system. The paper further describes the advanced HW/SW codesign and verification methodology, including high-level system modeling of the 3D-SoftChip using SystemC, being used to determine the optimum hardware specification in the early design stage.

MRT letter: Contrast-enhanced computed tomographic imaging of soft callus formation in fracture healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, Lauren Nicole Miller; de Bakker, Chantal Marie-Jeanne; Lusic, Hrvoje; Gerstenfeld, Louis Charles; Grinstaff, Mark W; Morgan, Elise Feng-I

2012-01-01

Formation of a cartilaginous soft callus at the site of a bone fracture is a pivotal stage in the healing process. Noninvasive, or even nondestructive, imaging of soft callus formation can be an important tool in experimental and pre-clinical studies of fracture repair. However, the low X-ray attenuation of cartilage renders the soft callus nearly invisible in radiographs. This study utilized a recently developed, cationic, iodinated contrast agent in conjunction with micro-computed tomography to identify cartilage in fracture calluses in the femora of C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice. Fracture calluses were scanned before and after incubation in the contrast agent. The set of pre-incubation images was registered against and then subtracted from the set of post-incubation images, resulting in a three-dimensional map of the locations of cartilage in the callus, as labeled by the contrast agent. This map was then compared to histology from a previous study. The results showed that the locations where the contrast agent collected in relatively high concentrations were similar to those of the cartilage. The contrast agent also identified a significant difference between the two strains of mice in the percentage of the callus occupied by cartilage, indicating that this method of contrast-enhanced computed tomography may be an effective technique for nondestructive, early evaluation of fracture healing. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Darwinian Spacecraft: Soft Computing Strategies Breeding Better, Faster Cheaper

Science.gov (United States)

Noever, David A.; Baskaran, Subbiah

1999-01-01

Computers can create infinite lists of combinations to try to solve a particular problem, a process called "soft-computing." This process uses statistical comparables, neural networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy variables in uncertain environments, and flexible machine learning to create a system which will allow spacecraft to increase robustness, and metric evaluation. These concepts will allow for the development of a spacecraft which will allow missions to be performed at lower costs.

Verifying Stability of Dynamic Soft-Computing Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Wu; Napolitano, Marcello; Callahan, John

1997-01-01

Soft computing is a general term for algorithms that learn from human knowledge and mimic human skills. Example of such algorithms are fuzzy inference systems and neural networks. Many applications, especially in control engineering, have demonstrated their appropriateness in building intelligent systems that are flexible and robust. Although recent research have shown that certain class of neuro-fuzzy controllers can be proven bounded and stable, they are implementation dependent and difficult to apply to the design and validation process. Many practitioners adopt the trial and error approach for system validation or resort to exhaustive testing using prototypes. In this paper, we describe our on-going research towards establishing necessary theoretic foundation as well as building practical tools for the verification and validation of soft-computing systems. A unified model for general neuro-fuzzy system is adopted. Classic non-linear system control theory and recent results of its applications to neuro-fuzzy systems are incorporated and applied to the unified model. It is hoped that general tools can be developed to help the designer to visualize and manipulate the regions of stability and boundedness, much the same way Bode plots and Root locus plots have helped conventional control design and validation.

Introduction of soft X-ray spectromicroscopy as an advanced technique for plant biopolymers research.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chithra Karunakaran

Full Text Available Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with nano-scale microscopy has been widely used in material science, environmental science, and physical sciences. In this work, the advantages of soft X-ray absorption spectromicroscopy for plant biopolymer research were demonstrated by determining the chemical sensitivity of the technique to identify common plant biopolymers and to map the distributions of biopolymers in plant samples. The chemical sensitivity of soft X-ray spectroscopy to study biopolymers was determined by recording the spectra of common plant biopolymers using soft X-ray and Fourier Transform mid Infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy techniques. The soft X-ray spectra of lignin, cellulose, and polygalacturonic acid have distinct spectral features. However, there were no distinct differences between cellulose and hemicellulose spectra. Mid infrared spectra of all biopolymers were unique and there were differences between the spectra of water soluble and insoluble xylans. The advantage of nano-scale spatial resolution exploited using soft X-ray spectromicroscopy for plant biopolymer research was demonstrated by mapping plant cell wall biopolymers in a lentil stem section and compared with the FT-IR spectromicroscopy data from the same sample. The soft X-ray spectromicroscopy enables mapping of biopolymers at the sub-cellular (~30 nm resolution whereas, the limited spatial resolution in the micron scale range in the FT-IR spectromicroscopy made it difficult to identify the localized distribution of biopolymers. The advantages and limitations of soft X-ray and FT-IR spectromicroscopy techniques for biopolymer research are also discussed.

A Study on Soft Computing Applications in I and C Systems of Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, H. T.; Chung, H. Y.

2006-01-01

In the paper, the application of the soft computing based nuclear power plant(NPP) is discussed. Soft computing such as neural network(NN), fuzzy logic controller(FLC), and genetic algorithm(GA) and/or their hybrid will be a new frontier for the development of instrument and control(I and C) systems in NPP. The application includes several fields, for example, the diagnostics of system transient, optimal data selection in NN, and intelligent control etc. Two or more combining structure, hybrid system, is more efficient. The concept of FLC, NN, and GA is presented in Section 2. The applications of soft computing used in NPP are presented in Section 3

Third International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Deep, Kusum; Nagar, Atulya; Bansal, Jagdish

2014-01-01

The present book is based on the research papers presented in the 3rd International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2013), held as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Saharanpur Campus of IIT Roorkee, at the Noida Campus of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India. This book is divided into two volumes and covers a variety of topics including mathematical modelling, image processing, optimization, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, medical and health care, data mining etc. Particular emphasis is laid on soft computing and its application to diverse fields. The prime objective of the book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments that are taking place in various fields and the latest sophisticated problem solving tools that are being developed to deal with the complex and intricate problems, which are otherwise difficult to solve by the usual and traditional methods. The book is directed ...

Web mining in soft computing framework: relevance, state of the art and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, S K; Talwar, V; Mitra, P

2002-01-01

The paper summarizes the different characteristics of Web data, the basic components of Web mining and its different types, and the current state of the art. The reason for considering Web mining, a separate field from data mining, is explained. The limitations of some of the existing Web mining methods and tools are enunciated, and the significance of soft computing (comprising fuzzy logic (FL), artificial neural networks (ANNs), genetic algorithms (GAs), and rough sets (RSs) are highlighted. A survey of the existing literature on "soft Web mining" is provided along with the commercially available systems. The prospective areas of Web mining where the application of soft computing needs immediate attention are outlined with justification. Scope for future research in developing "soft Web mining" systems is explained. An extensive bibliography is also provided.

SOFT COMPUTING SINGLE HIDDEN LAYER MODELS FOR SHELF LIFE PREDICTION OF BURFI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumit Goyal

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Burfi is an extremely popular sweetmeat, which is prepared by desiccating the standardized water buffalo milk. Soft computing feedforward single layer models were developed for predicting the shelf life of burfi stored at 30g.C. The data of the product relating to moisture, titratable acidity, free fatty acids, tyrosine, and peroxide value were used as input variables, and the overall acceptability score as output variable. The results showed excellent agreement between the experimental and the predicted data, suggesting that the developed soft computing model can alternatively be used for predicting the shelf life of burfi.

A new paradigm of knowledge engineering by soft computing

CERN Document Server

Ding, Liya

2001-01-01

Soft computing (SC) consists of several computing paradigms, including neural networks, fuzzy set theory, approximate reasoning, and derivative-free optimization methods such as genetic algorithms. The integration of those constituent methodologies forms the core of SC. In addition, the synergy allows SC to incorporate human knowledge effectively, deal with imprecision and uncertainty, and learn to adapt to unknown or changing environments for better performance. Together with other modern technologies, SC and its applications exert unprecedented influence on intelligent systems that mimic hum

Computer vision and soft computing for automatic skull-face overlay in craniofacial superimposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Campomanes-Álvarez, B Rosario; Ibáñez, O; Navarro, F; Alemán, I; Botella, M; Damas, S; Cordón, O

2014-12-01

Craniofacial superimposition can provide evidence to support that some human skeletal remains belong or not to a missing person. It involves the process of overlaying a skull with a number of ante mortem images of an individual and the analysis of their morphological correspondence. Within the craniofacial superimposition process, the skull-face overlay stage just focuses on achieving the best possible overlay of the skull and a single ante mortem image of the suspect. Although craniofacial superimposition has been in use for over a century, skull-face overlay is still applied by means of a trial-and-error approach without an automatic method. Practitioners finish the process once they consider that a good enough overlay has been attained. Hence, skull-face overlay is a very challenging, subjective, error prone, and time consuming part of the whole process. Though the numerical assessment of the method quality has not been achieved yet, computer vision and soft computing arise as powerful tools to automate it, dramatically reducing the time taken by the expert and obtaining an unbiased overlay result. In this manuscript, we justify and analyze the use of these techniques to properly model the skull-face overlay problem. We also present the automatic technical procedure we have developed using these computational methods and show the four overlays obtained in two craniofacial superimposition cases. This automatic procedure can be thus considered as a tool to aid forensic anthropologists to develop the skull-face overlay, automating and avoiding subjectivity of the most tedious task within craniofacial superimposition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational Modeling for Enhancing Soft Tissue Image Guided Surgery: An Application in Neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Miga, Michael I

2016-01-01

With the recent advances in computing, the opportunities to translate computational models to more integrated roles in patient treatment are expanding at an exciting rate. One area of considerable development has been directed towards correcting soft tissue deformation within image guided neurosurgery applications. This review captures the efforts that have been undertaken towards enhancing neuronavigation by the integration of soft tissue biomechanical models, imaging and sensing technologies, and algorithmic developments. In addition, the review speaks to the evolving role of modeling frameworks within surgery and concludes with some future directions beyond neurosurgical applications.

The hierarchical expert tuning of PID controllers using tools of soft computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Karray, F; Gueaieb, W; Al-Sharhan, S

2002-01-01

We present soft computing-based results pertaining to the hierarchical tuning process of PID controllers located within the control loop of a class of nonlinear systems. The results are compared with PID controllers implemented either in a stand alone scheme or as a part of conventional gain scheduling structure. This work is motivated by the increasing need in the industry to design highly reliable and efficient controllers for dealing with regulation and tracking capabilities of complex processes characterized by nonlinearities and possibly time varying parameters. The soft computing-based controllers proposed are hybrid in nature in that they integrate within a well-defined hierarchical structure the benefits of hard algorithmic controllers with those having supervisory capabilities. The controllers proposed also have the distinct features of learning and auto-tuning without the need for tedious and computationally extensive online systems identification schemes.

SOFT: smooth OPC fixing technique for ECO process

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongbo; Shi, Zheng

2007-03-01

SOFT (Smooth OPC Fixing Technique) is a new OPC flow developed from the basic OPC framework. It provides a new method to reduce the computation cost and complexities of ECO-OPC (Engineering Change Order - Optical Proximity Correction). In this paper, we introduce polygon comparison to extract the necessary but possibly lost fragmentation and offset information of previous post-OPC layout. By reusing these data, we can start the modification on each segment from a more accurate initial offset. In addition, the fragmentation method in the boundary of the patch in the previous OPC process is therefore available for engineers to stitch the regional ECO-OPC result back to the whole post-OPC layout seamlessly. For the ripple effect in the OPC, by comparing each segment's movement in each loop, we much free the fixing speed from the limitation of patch size. We handle layout remodification, especially in three basic kinds of ECO-OPC processes, while maintaining other design closure. Our experimental results show that, by utilizing the previous post-OPC layout, full-chip ECO-OPC can realize an over 5X acceleration and the regional ECO-OPC result can also be stitched back into the whole layout seamlessly with the ripple effect of the lithography interaction.

Measurement of facial soft tissues thickness using 3D computed tomographic images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Ho Gul; Kim, Kee Deog; Shin, Dong Won; Hu, Kyung Seok; Lee, Jae Bum; Park, Hyok; Park, Chang Seo [Yonsei Univ. Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Seung Ho [Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2006-03-15

To evaluate accuracy and reliability of program to measure facial soft tissue thickness using 3D computed tomographic images by comparing with direct measurement. One cadaver was scanned with a Helical CT with 3 mm slice thickness and 3 mm/sec table speed. The acquired data was reconstructed with 1.5 mm reconstruction interval and the images were transferred to a personal computer. The facial soft tissue thickness were measured using a program developed newly in 3D image. For direct measurement, the cadaver was cut with a bone cutter and then a ruler was placed above the cut side. The procedure was followed by taking pictures of the facial soft tissues with a high-resolution digital camera. Then the measurements were done in the photographic images and repeated for ten times. A repeated measure analysis of variance was adopted to compare and analyze the measurements resulting from the two different methods. Comparison according to the areas was analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. There were no statistically significant differences between the direct measurements and those using the 3D images(p>0.05). There were statistical differences in the measurements on 17 points but all the points except 2 points showed a mean difference of 0.5 mm or less. The developed software program to measure the facial soft tissue thickness using 3D images was so accurate that it allows to measure facial soft tissue thickness more easily in forensic science and anthropology.

Measurement of facial soft tissues thickness using 3D computed tomographic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Ho Gul; Kim, Kee Deog; Shin, Dong Won; Hu, Kyung Seok; Lee, Jae Bum; Park, Hyok; Park, Chang Seo; Han, Seung Ho

2006-01-01

To evaluate accuracy and reliability of program to measure facial soft tissue thickness using 3D computed tomographic images by comparing with direct measurement. One cadaver was scanned with a Helical CT with 3 mm slice thickness and 3 mm/sec table speed. The acquired data was reconstructed with 1.5 mm reconstruction interval and the images were transferred to a personal computer. The facial soft tissue thickness were measured using a program developed newly in 3D image. For direct measurement, the cadaver was cut with a bone cutter and then a ruler was placed above the cut side. The procedure was followed by taking pictures of the facial soft tissues with a high-resolution digital camera. Then the measurements were done in the photographic images and repeated for ten times. A repeated measure analysis of variance was adopted to compare and analyze the measurements resulting from the two different methods. Comparison according to the areas was analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. There were no statistically significant differences between the direct measurements and those using the 3D images(p>0.05). There were statistical differences in the measurements on 17 points but all the points except 2 points showed a mean difference of 0.5 mm or less. The developed software program to measure the facial soft tissue thickness using 3D images was so accurate that it allows to measure facial soft tissue thickness more easily in forensic science and anthropology

22nd International Conference on Soft Computing

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This proceeding book contains a collection of selected accepted papers of the Mendel conference held in Brno, Czech Republic in June 2016. The proceedings book contains three chapters which present recent advances in soft computing including intelligent image processing. The Mendel conference was established in 1995 and is named after the scientist and Augustinian priest Gregor J. Mendel who discovered the famous Laws of Heredity. The main aim of the conference is to create a regular possibility for students, academics and researchers to exchange ideas and novel research methods on a yearly basis.

From Soft Sculpture to Soft Robotics: Retracing a Physical Aesthetics of Bio-Morphic Softness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Jonas

2017-01-01

Soft robotics has in the past decade emerged as a growing subfield of technical robotics research, distinguishable by its bio-inspired design strategies, interest in morphological computation, and interdisciplinary combination of insights from engineering, computer science, biology and material...... science. Recently, soft robotics technology has also started to make its way into art, design, and architecture. This paper attempts to think an aesthetics of softness and the life-like through an artistic tradition deeply imbricated with an interrogation of softness and its physical substrates, namely...... the soft sculpture that started proliferating in the late 1960s. Critical descriptions of these works, interestingly, frequently emphasize their similarities with living organisms and bodies as a central tenet of their aesthetics. The paper seeks to articulate aspects of a contiguity between softness...

Proceedings of the International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Nagar, Atulya; Pant, Millie; Bansal, Jagdish

2012-01-01

The present book is based on the research papers presented in the International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2011), held at Roorkee, India. This book is divided into two volumes and covers a variety of topics, including mathematical modeling, image processing, optimization, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, data mining etc. Particular emphasis is laid on Soft Computing and its application to diverse fields. The prime objective of the book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments that are taking place in various fields and the latest sophisticated problem solving tools that are being developed to deal with the complex and intricate problems that are otherwise difficult to solve by the usual and traditional methods. The book is directed to the researchers and scientists engaged in various fields of Science and Technology.

Modeling of Groundwater Resources Heavy Metals Concentration Using Soft Computing Methods: Application of Different Types of Artificial Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meysam Alizamir

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, groundwater resources play a vital role as a source of drinking water in arid and semiarid regions and forecasting of pollutants content in these resources is very important. Therefore, this study aimed to compare two soft computing methods for modeling Cd, Pb and Zn concentration in groundwater resources of Asadabad Plain, Western Iran. The relative accuracy of several soft computing models, namely multi-layer perceptron (MLP and radial basis function (RBF for forecasting of heavy metals concentration have been investigated. In addition, Levenberg-Marquardt, gradient descent and conjugate gradient training algorithms were utilized for the MLP models. The ANN models for this study were developed using MATLAB R 2014 Software program. The MLP performs better than the other models for heavy metals concentration estimation. The simulation results revealed that MLP model was able to model heavy metals concentration in groundwater resources favorably. It generally is effectively utilized in environmental applications and in the water quality estimations. In addition, out of three algorithms, Levenberg-Marquardt was better than the others were. This study proposed soft computing modeling techniques for the prediction and estimation of heavy metals concentration in groundwater resources of Asadabad Plain. Based on collected data from the plain, MLP and RBF models were developed for each heavy metal. MLP can be utilized effectively in applications of prediction of heavy metals concentration in groundwater resources of Asadabad Plain.

Use of Soft Computing Technologies For Rocket Engine Control

Science.gov (United States)

Trevino, Luis C.; Olcmen, Semih; Polites, Michael

2003-01-01

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to further improve overall engine system reliability and performance. Specifically, this will be presented by enhancing rocket engine control and engine health management (EHM) using SCT coupled with conventional control technologies, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall s Flight Software Group. The principle goals are to improve software management, software development time and maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control and EHM methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, EHM, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion, software engineering for embedded systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, and Bayesian belief networks), much of which is presented in this paper. The first targeted demonstration rocket engine platform is the MC-1 (formerly FASTRAC Engine) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed laboratory that

Simplified Soft-output Demapper Based on a Linear Transformation Technique for M-ary PSK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianping Li

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Combining channel coding with high-order modulation schemes, namely coded modulation (CM, is an efficient digital transmission technology. CM requires the demapper to provide a soft decision bit metric as a part of the inputs to the decoder. This paper proposes an efficient soft- output demapper for M-ary PSK. This novel demodulation algorithm continues to evolve the conventional MAX-Log-MAP algorithm and summarizes the final derivation into a form of matrix multiplication. The Computational complexity for getting one bit soft value of a signal by employing the proposed algorithm remains a constant with the increase of modulation order. Meanwhile, the theoretical analysis and simulation results prove that the novel simplified soft-output demapper can obtain the same performance as MAX-Log-MAP.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving

CERN Document Server

Nagar, Atulya; Pant, Millie; Bansal, Jagdish

2012-01-01

The present book is based on the research papers presented in the International Conference on Soft Computing for Problem Solving (SocProS 2011), held at Roorkee, India. This book is divided into two volumes and covers a variety of topics, including mathematical modeling, image processing, optimization, swarm intelligence, evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, neural networks, forecasting, data mining etc. Particular emphasis is laid on Soft Computing and its application to diverse fields. The prime objective of the book is to familiarize the reader with the latest scientific developments that are taking place in various fields and the latest sophisticated problem solving tools that are being developed to deal with the complex and intricate problems that are otherwise difficult to solve by the usual and traditional methods. The book is directed to the researchers and scientists engaged in various fields of Science and Technology.

A virtual surgical training system that simulates cutting of soft tissue using a modified pre-computed elastic model.

Science.gov (United States)

Toe, Kyaw Kyar; Huang, Weimin; Yang, Tao; Duan, Yuping; Zhou, Jiayin; Su, Yi; Teo, Soo-Kng; Kumar, Selvaraj Senthil; Lim, Calvin Chi-Wan; Chui, Chee Kong; Chang, Stephen

2015-08-01

This work presents a surgical training system that incorporates cutting operation of soft tissue simulated based on a modified pre-computed linear elastic model in the Simulation Open Framework Architecture (SOFA) environment. A precomputed linear elastic model used for the simulation of soft tissue deformation involves computing the compliance matrix a priori based on the topological information of the mesh. While this process may require a few minutes to several hours, based on the number of vertices in the mesh, it needs only to be computed once and allows real-time computation of the subsequent soft tissue deformation. However, as the compliance matrix is based on the initial topology of the mesh, it does not allow any topological changes during simulation, such as cutting or tearing of the mesh. This work proposes a way to modify the pre-computed data by correcting the topological connectivity in the compliance matrix, without re-computing the compliance matrix which is computationally expensive.

Modeling soft factors in computer-based wargames

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Steven M.; Ross, David O.; Vinarskai, Jonathan S.; Farr, Steven D.

2002-07-01

Computer-based wargames have seen much improvement in recent years due to rapid increases in computing power. Because these games have been developed for the entertainment industry, most of these advances have centered on the graphics, sound, and user interfaces integrated into these wargames with less attention paid to the game's fidelity. However, for a wargame to be useful to the military, it must closely approximate as many of the elements of war as possible. Among the elements that are typically not modeled or are poorly modeled in nearly all military computer-based wargames are systematic effects, command and control, intelligence, morale, training, and other human and political factors. These aspects of war, with the possible exception of systematic effects, are individually modeled quite well in many board-based commercial wargames. The work described in this paper focuses on incorporating these elements from the board-based games into a computer-based wargame. This paper will also address the modeling and simulation of the systemic paralysis of an adversary that is implied by the concept of Effects Based Operations (EBO). Combining the fidelity of current commercial board wargames with the speed, ease of use, and advanced visualization of the computer can significantly improve the effectiveness of military decision making and education. Once in place, the process of converting board wargames concepts to computer wargames will allow the infusion of soft factors into military training and planning.

Extreme Mechanics in Soft Pneumatic Robots and Soft Microfluidic Electronics and Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Carmel

2012-02-01

In the near future, machines and robots will be completely soft, stretchable, impact resistance, and capable of adapting their shape and functionality to changes in mission and environment. Similar to biological tissue and soft-body organisms, these next-generation technologies will contain no rigid parts and instead be composed entirely of soft elastomers, gels, fluids, and other non-rigid matter. Using a combination of rapid prototyping tools, microfabrication methods, and emerging techniques in so-called ``soft lithography,'' scientists and engineers are currently introducing exciting new families of soft pneumatic robots, soft microfluidic sensors, and hyperelastic electronics that can be stretched to as much as 10x their natural length. Progress has been guided by an interdisciplinary collection of insights from chemistry, life sciences, robotics, microelectronics, and solid mechanics. In virtually every technology and application domain, mechanics and elasticity have a central role in governing functionality and design. Moreover, in contrast to conventional machines and electronics, soft pneumatic systems and microfluidics typically operate in the finite deformation regime, with materials stretching to several times their natural length. In this talk, I will review emerging paradigms in soft pneumatic robotics and soft microfluidic electronics and highlight modeling and design challenges that arise from the extreme mechanics of inflation, locomotion, sensor operation, and human interaction. I will also discuss perceived challenges and opportunities in a broad range of potential application, from medicine to wearable computing.

Optimizing Nuclear Reactor Operation Using Soft Computing Techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Entzinger, J.O.; Ruan, D.; Kahraman, Cengiz

2006-01-01

The strict safety regulations for nuclear reactor control make it di±cult to implement new control techniques such as fuzzy logic control (FLC). FLC however, can provide very desirable advantages over classical control, like robustness, adaptation and the capability to include human experience into

Technique and results of the spinal computed tomography in the diagnosis of cervical disc disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artmann, H.; Salbeck, R.; Grau, H.

1985-01-01

We give a description of a technique of the patient's positioning with traction of the arms during the cervical spinal computed tomography which allows to draw the shoulders downwards by about one to three cervical segments. By this method the quality of the images can be improved in 96% in the cervical segment 6/7 and in 81% in the cervical/thoracal segment 7/1 to such a degree that a reliable judgement of the soft parts in the spinal canal becomes possible. The diagnostic reliability of the computed tomography of the cervical disc herniation is thus improved so that the necessity of a myelography is decreasing. The results of 396 cervical spinal computed tomographies are presented. (orig.) [de

Higher-order techniques in computational electromagnetics

CERN Document Server

Graglia, Roberto D

2016-01-01

Higher-Order Techniques in Computational Electromagnetics explains 'high-order' techniques that can significantly improve the accuracy, computational cost, and reliability of computational techniques for high-frequency electromagnetics, such as antennas, microwave devices and radar scattering applications.

Surface Ionization and Soft Landing Techniques in Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Futrell, Jean H.; Laskin, Julia

2010-01-01

The advent of soft ionization techniques, notably electrospray and laser desorption ionization methods, has extended mass spectrometric methods to large molecules and molecular complexes. This both greatly expands applications of mass spectrometry and makes the activation and dissociation of complex ions an integral part of large molecule mass spectrometry. A corollary of the much greater number of internal degrees of freedom and high density of states associated with molecular complexity is that internal energies much higher than the dissociation energies for competing fragmentation processes are required for observable fragmentation in time scales sampled by mass spectrometers. This article describes the kinetics of surface-induced dissociation (SID), a particularly efficient activation method for complex ions. Two very important characteristics of SID are very rapid, sub-picosecond activation and precise control of ion internal energy by varying ion collision energy. The nature of the surface plays an important role in SID, determining both efficiency and mechanism of ion activation. Surface composition and morphology strongly influence the relative importance of competing reactions of SID, ion capture (soft-landing), surface reaction and neutralization. The important features of SID and ion soft-landing are described briefly in this review and more fully in the recommended reading list.

Advanced soft computing diagnosis method for tumour grading.

Science.gov (United States)

Papageorgiou, E I; Spyridonos, P P; Stylios, C D; Ravazoula, P; Groumpos, P P; Nikiforidis, G N

2006-01-01

To develop an advanced diagnostic method for urinary bladder tumour grading. A novel soft computing modelling methodology based on the augmentation of fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) with the unsupervised active Hebbian learning (AHL) algorithm is applied. One hundred and twenty-eight cases of urinary bladder cancer were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Histopathology, University Hospital of Patras, Greece. All tumours had been characterized according to the classical World Health Organization (WHO) grading system. To design the FCM model for tumour grading, three experts histopathologists defined the main histopathological features (concepts) and their impact on grade characterization. The resulted FCM model consisted of nine concepts. Eight concepts represented the main histopathological features for tumour grading. The ninth concept represented the tumour grade. To increase the classification ability of the FCM model, the AHL algorithm was applied to adjust the weights of the FCM. The proposed FCM grading model achieved a classification accuracy of 72.5%, 74.42% and 95.55% for tumours of grades I, II and III, respectively. An advanced computerized method to support tumour grade diagnosis decision was proposed and developed. The novelty of the method is based on employing the soft computing method of FCMs to represent specialized knowledge on histopathology and on augmenting FCMs ability using an unsupervised learning algorithm, the AHL. The proposed method performs with reasonably high accuracy compared to other existing methods and at the same time meets the physicians' requirements for transparency and explicability.

Soft Computing in Information Communication Technology Volume 2

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

This book is a collection of the accepted papers concerning soft computing in information communication technology. The resultant dissemination of the latest research results, and the exchanges of views concerning the future research directions to be taken in this field makes the work of immense value to all those having an interest in the topics covered. The present book represents a cooperative effort to seek out the best strategies for effecting improvements in the quality and the reliability of Fuzzy Logic, Machine Learning, Cryptography, Pattern Recognition, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Engineering, Advancements in ICT.

A program to compute the soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Bingxin; Zhang, Louxin; Leong, Hon Wai

2017-03-14

Over the past two decades, phylogenetic networks have been studied to model reticulate evolutionary events. The relationships among phylogenetic networks, phylogenetic trees and clusters serve as the basis for reconstruction and comparison of phylogenetic networks. To understand these relationships, two problems are raised: the tree containment problem, which asks whether a phylogenetic tree is displayed in a phylogenetic network, and the cluster containment problem, which asks whether a cluster is represented at a node in a phylogenetic network. Both the problems are NP-complete. A fast exponential-time algorithm for the cluster containment problem on arbitrary networks is developed and implemented in C. The resulting program is further extended into a computer program for fast computation of the Soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks. Two computer programs are developed for facilitating reconstruction and validation of phylogenetic network models in evolutionary and comparative genomics. Our simulation tests indicated that they are fast enough for use in practice. Additionally, the distribution of the Soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks is demonstrated to be unlikely normal by our simulation data.

Computation of stress on the surface of a soft homogeneous arbitrarily shaped particle.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Minglin; Ren, Kuan Fang; Wu, Yueqian; Sheng, Xinqing

2014-04-01

Prediction of the stress on the surface of an arbitrarily shaped particle of soft material is essential in the study of elastic properties of the particles with optical force. It is also necessary in the manipulation and sorting of small particles with optical tweezers, since a regular-shaped particle, such as a sphere, may be deformed under the nonuniform optical stress on its surface. The stress profile on a spherical or small spheroidal soft particle trapped by shaped beams has been studied, however little work on computing the surface stress of an irregular-shaped particle has been reported. We apply in this paper the surface integral equation with multilevel fast multipole algorithm to compute the surface stress on soft homogeneous arbitrarily shaped particles. The comparison of the computed stress profile with that predicted by the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory for a water droplet of diameter equal to 51 wavelengths in a focused Gaussian beam show that the precision of our method is very good. Then stress profiles on spheroids with different aspect ratios are computed. The particles are illuminated by a Gaussian beam of different waist radius at different incidences. Physical analysis on the mechanism of optical stress is given with help of our recently developed vectorial complex ray model. It is found that the maximum of the stress profile on the surface of prolate spheroids is not only determined by the reflected and refracted rays (orders p=0,1) but also the rays undergoing one or two internal reflections where they focus. Computational study of stress on surface of a biconcave cell-like particle, which is a typical application in life science, is also undertaken.

Clinical usefulness of facial soft tissues thickness measurement using 3D computed tomographic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Ho Gul; Kim, Kee Deog; Hu, Kyung Seok; Lee, Jae Bum; Park, Hyok; Han, Seung Ho; Choi, Seong Ho; Kim, Chong Kwan; Park, Chang Seo

2006-01-01

To evaluate clinical usefulness of facial soft tissue thickness measurement using 3D computed tomographic images. One cadaver that had sound facial soft tissues was chosen for the study. The cadaver was scanned with a Helical CT under following scanning protocols about slice thickness and table speed: 3 mm and 3 mm/sec, 5 mm and 5 mm/sec, 7 mm and 7 mm/sec. The acquired data were reconstructed 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 mm reconstruction interval respectively and the images were transferred to a personal computer. Using a program developed to measure facial soft tissue thickness in 3D image, the facial soft tissue thickness was measured. After the ten-time repeation of the measurement for ten times, repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to compare and analyze the measurements using the three scanning protocols. Comparison according to the areas was analysed by Mann-Whitney test. There were no statistically significant intraobserver differences in the measurements of the facial soft tissue thickness using the three scanning protocols (p>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between measurements in the 3 mm slice thickness and those in the 5 mm, 7 mm slice thickness (p>0.05). There were statistical differences in the 14 of the total 30 measured points in the 5 mm slice thickness and 22 in the 7 mm slice thickness. The facial soft tissue thickness measurement using 3D images of 7 mm slice thickness is acceptable clinically, but those of 5 mm slice thickness is recommended for the more accurate measurement

Diffusion weighted imaging demystified. The technique and potential clinical applications for soft tissue imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlawat, Shivani; Fayad, Laura M.

2018-01-01

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a fast, non-contrast technique that is readily available and easy to integrate into an existing imaging protocol. DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping offers a quantitative metric for soft tissue evaluation and provides information regarding the cellularity of a region of interest. There are several available methods of performing DWI, and artifacts and pitfalls must be considered when interpreting DWI studies. This review article will review the various techniques of DWI acquisition and utility of qualitative as well as quantitative methods of image interpretation, with emphasis on optimal methods for ADC measurement. The current clinical applications for DWI are primarily related to oncologic evaluation: For the assessment of de novo soft tissue masses, ADC mapping can serve as a useful adjunct technique to routine anatomic sequences for lesion characterization as cyst or solid and, if solid, benign or malignant. For treated soft tissue masses, the role of DWI/ADC mapping in the assessment of treatment response as well as recurrent or residual neoplasm in the setting of operative management is discussed, especially when intravenous contrast medium cannot be given. Emerging DWI applications for non-neoplastic clinical indications are also reviewed. (orig.)

Diffusion weighted imaging demystified. The technique and potential clinical applications for soft tissue imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlawat, Shivani [The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fayad, Laura M. [The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD (United States); The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2018-03-15

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a fast, non-contrast technique that is readily available and easy to integrate into an existing imaging protocol. DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping offers a quantitative metric for soft tissue evaluation and provides information regarding the cellularity of a region of interest. There are several available methods of performing DWI, and artifacts and pitfalls must be considered when interpreting DWI studies. This review article will review the various techniques of DWI acquisition and utility of qualitative as well as quantitative methods of image interpretation, with emphasis on optimal methods for ADC measurement. The current clinical applications for DWI are primarily related to oncologic evaluation: For the assessment of de novo soft tissue masses, ADC mapping can serve as a useful adjunct technique to routine anatomic sequences for lesion characterization as cyst or solid and, if solid, benign or malignant. For treated soft tissue masses, the role of DWI/ADC mapping in the assessment of treatment response as well as recurrent or residual neoplasm in the setting of operative management is discussed, especially when intravenous contrast medium cannot be given. Emerging DWI applications for non-neoplastic clinical indications are also reviewed. (orig.)

A rate-jump method for characterization of soft tissues using nanoindentation techniques

KAUST Repository

Tang, Bin

2012-01-01

The biomechanical properties of soft tissues play an important role in their normal physiological and physical function, and may possibly relate to certain diseases. The advent of nanomechanical testing techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), nano-indentation and optical tweezers, enables the nano/micro-mechanical properties of soft tissues to be investigated, but in spite of the fact that biological tissues are highly viscoelastic, traditional elastic contact theory has been routinely used to analyze experimental data. In this article, a novel rate-jump protocol for treating viscoelasticity in nanomechanical data analysis is described. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Soft computing approach for reliability optimization: State-of-the-art survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gen, Mitsuo; Yun, Young Su

2006-01-01

In the broadest sense, reliability is a measure of performance of systems. As systems have grown more complex, the consequences of their unreliable behavior have become severe in terms of cost, effort, lives, etc., and the interest in assessing system reliability and the need for improving the reliability of products and systems have become very important. Most solution methods for reliability optimization assume that systems have redundancy components in series and/or parallel systems and alternative designs are available. Reliability optimization problems concentrate on optimal allocation of redundancy components and optimal selection of alternative designs to meet system requirement. In the past two decades, numerous reliability optimization techniques have been proposed. Generally, these techniques can be classified as linear programming, dynamic programming, integer programming, geometric programming, heuristic method, Lagrangean multiplier method and so on. A Genetic Algorithm (GA), as a soft computing approach, is a powerful tool for solving various reliability optimization problems. In this paper, we briefly survey GA-based approach for various reliability optimization problems, such as reliability optimization of redundant system, reliability optimization with alternative design, reliability optimization with time-dependent reliability, reliability optimization with interval coefficients, bicriteria reliability optimization, and reliability optimization with fuzzy goals. We also introduce the hybrid approaches for combining GA with fuzzy logic, neural network and other conventional search techniques. Finally, we have some experiments with an example of various reliability optimization problems using hybrid GA approach

Effectiveness of a Treatment Involving Soft Tissue Techniques and/or Neural Mobilization Techniques in the Management of Tension-Type Headache: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferragut-Garcías, Alejandro; Plaza-Manzano, Gustavo; Rodríguez-Blanco, Cleofás; Velasco-Roldán, Olga; Pecos-Martín, Daniel; Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, Jesús; Llabrés-Bennasar, Bartomeu; Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, Ángel

2017-02-01

To evaluate the effects of a protocol involving soft tissue techniques and/or neural mobilization techniques in the management of patients with frequent episodic tension-type headache (FETTH) and those with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled before and after trial. Rehabilitation area of the local hospital and a private physiotherapy center. Patients (N=97; 78 women, 19 men) diagnosed with FETTH or CTTH were randomly assigned to groups A, B, C, or D. (A) Placebo superficial massage; (B) soft tissue techniques; (C) neural mobilization techniques; (D) a combination of soft tissue and neural mobilization techniques. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the temporal muscles (points 1 and 2) and supraorbital region (point 3), the frequency and maximal intensity of pain crisis, and the score in the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) were evaluated. All variables were assessed before the intervention, at the end of the intervention, and 15 and 30 days after the intervention. Groups B, C, and D had an increase in PPT and a reduction in frequency, maximal intensity, and HIT-6 values in all time points after the intervention as compared with baseline and group A (P<.001 for all cases). Group D had the highest PPT values and the lowest frequency and HIT-6 values after the intervention. The application of soft tissue and neural mobilization techniques to patients with FETTH or CTTH induces significant changes in PPT, the characteristics of pain crisis, and its effect on activities of daily living as compared with the application of these techniques as isolated interventions. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pattern recognition algorithms for data mining scalability, knowledge discovery and soft granular computing

CERN Document Server

Pal, Sankar K

2004-01-01

Pattern Recognition Algorithms for Data Mining addresses different pattern recognition (PR) tasks in a unified framework with both theoretical and experimental results. Tasks covered include data condensation, feature selection, case generation, clustering/classification, and rule generation and evaluation. This volume presents various theories, methodologies, and algorithms, using both classical approaches and hybrid paradigms. The authors emphasize large datasets with overlapping, intractable, or nonlinear boundary classes, and datasets that demonstrate granular computing in soft frameworks.Organized into eight chapters, the book begins with an introduction to PR, data mining, and knowledge discovery concepts. The authors analyze the tasks of multi-scale data condensation and dimensionality reduction, then explore the problem of learning with support vector machine (SVM). They conclude by highlighting the significance of granular computing for different mining tasks in a soft paradigm.

Applications of two- and three-dimensional microstructures formed by soft lithographic techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Jackman, Rebecca Jane

This thesis describes the development of several soft lithographic techniques. Each of these techniques has applications in two- and three-dimensional microfabrication or in the design of microreactor systems. All soft lithographic techniques make use of an elastomeric element that is formed by casting and curing a prepolymer against a planar substrate having three-dimensional (3D) relief. Chapters 1--3 (and Appendices I--VII) describe the use of a soft lithographic technique, microcontact printing (muCP), to produce patterns with micron-scale resolution on both planar and non-planar substrates. Electrodeposition transforms patterns produced by muCP into functional, 3D structures. It is an additive method that: (i) strengthens the metallic patterns; (ii) increases the conductivity of the structures; (iii) enables high-strain deformations to be performed on the structures; and (iv) welds non-connected structures. Applications for cylindrical microstructures, formed by the combination of muCP and electroplating, are presented. Some important classes of materials---biological macromolecules, gels, sol-gels, some polymers, low molecular weight organic and organometallic species---are often incompatible with conventional patterning techniques. Chapters 4 and 5 describe the use of elastomeric membranes as dry resists or as masks in dry lift-off to produce simple features as small as 5 mum from these and other materials on both planar and non-planar surfaces. These procedures are "dry" because the membranes conformed and sealed reversibly to surfaces without the use of solvents. This technique, for example, produced a simple electroluminescent device. By using two membranes simultaneously, multicolored, photoluminescent patterns of organic materials were created. Membranes were also used in sequential, dry-lift off steps to produce patterns with greater complexity. Chapter 6 (and Appendix XII) demonstrates that the ability to mold elastomers enables the fabrication of

Combining Acceleration Techniques for Low-Dose X-Ray Cone Beam Computed Tomography Image Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hsuan-Ming; Hsiao, Ing-Tsung

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, image quality in low-dose computed tomography has been greatly improved by various compressive sensing- (CS-) based reconstruction methods. However, these methods have some disadvantages including high computational cost and slow convergence rate. Many different speed-up techniques for CS-based reconstruction algorithms have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to propose a fast reconstruction framework that combines a CS-based reconstruction algorithm with several speed-up techniques. First, total difference minimization (TDM) was implemented using the soft-threshold filtering (STF). Second, we combined TDM-STF with the ordered subsets transmission (OSTR) algorithm for accelerating the convergence. To further speed up the convergence of the proposed method, we applied the power factor and the fast iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithm to OSTR and TDM-STF, respectively. Results obtained from simulation and phantom studies showed that many speed-up techniques could be combined to greatly improve the convergence speed of a CS-based reconstruction algorithm. More importantly, the increased computation time (≤10%) was minor as compared to the acceleration provided by the proposed method. In this paper, we have presented a CS-based reconstruction framework that combines several acceleration techniques. Both simulation and phantom studies provide evidence that the proposed method has the potential to satisfy the requirement of fast image reconstruction in practical CT.

Detecting Soft Errors in Stencil based Computations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, V. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Gopalkrishnan, G. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Bronevetsky, G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-05-06

Given the growing emphasis on system resilience, it is important to develop software-level error detectors that help trap hardware-level faults with reasonable accuracy while minimizing false alarms as well as the performance overhead introduced. We present a technique that approaches this idea by taking stencil computations as our target, and synthesizing detectors based on machine learning. In particular, we employ linear regression to generate computationally inexpensive models which form the basis for error detection. Our technique has been incorporated into a new open-source library called SORREL. In addition to reporting encouraging experimental results, we demonstrate techniques that help reduce the size of training data. We also discuss the efficacy of various detectors synthesized, as well as our future plans.

Image Analysis Based on Soft Computing and Applied on Space Shuttle During the Liftoff Process

Science.gov (United States)

Dominquez, Jesus A.; Klinko, Steve J.

2007-01-01

Imaging techniques based on Soft Computing (SC) and developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have been implemented on a variety of prototype applications related to the safety operation of the Space Shuttle during the liftoff process. These SC-based prototype applications include detection and tracking of moving Foreign Objects Debris (FOD) during the Space Shuttle liftoff, visual anomaly detection on slidewires used in the emergency egress system for the Space Shuttle at the laJlIlch pad, and visual detection of distant birds approaching the Space Shuttle launch pad. This SC-based image analysis capability developed at KSC was also used to analyze images acquired during the accident of the Space Shuttle Columbia and estimate the trajectory and velocity of the foam that caused the accident.

Electron-confinement studies on EBT-S using soft-x-ray techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillis, D.L.; Haste, G.R.; Berry, L.A.

1982-08-01

Soft x-ray bremsstrahlung measurements have been performed on the ELMO Bumpy Torus (EBT-S) plasma to determine the electron temperature T/sub e/ and electron density n/sub e/ using a calibrated Si(Li) detector over a wide range of operating conditions. The purpose of this paper is to outline the necessary assumptions and essential x-ray techniques that are inherent in soft x-ray measurements in order to investigate the electron heating and confinement properties of EBT-S. In addition, by utilizing the electron density as determined by the soft x-ray measurements, the previous EBT-S confinement analyses have been extended. The steady-state plasma of EBT-S is heated by microwaves using a cw gyrotron that can operate up to power levels of 200 kW. From the soft x-ray measurements, both the electron temperature and density are found to increase at higher microwave power levels. For operation at microwave power levels of 200 kW, T/sub e/ approaches 1 keV while n/sub e/ approaches 1.2 x 10 12 cm -3 . In general, confinement properties are found to improve with increased microwave power. The data are compared with neoclassical transport scaling and the electron transport is found to be collisionless (nu/Ω < 1) as well as neoclassical

Multi-GPU Jacobian accelerated computing for soft-field tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borsic, A; Attardo, E A; Halter, R J

2012-01-01

Image reconstruction in soft-field tomography is based on an inverse problem formulation, where a forward model is fitted to the data. In medical applications, where the anatomy presents complex shapes, it is common to use finite element models (FEMs) to represent the volume of interest and solve a partial differential equation that models the physics of the system. Over the last decade, there has been a shifting interest from 2D modeling to 3D modeling, as the underlying physics of most problems are 3D. Although the increased computational power of modern computers allows working with much larger FEM models, the computational time required to reconstruct 3D images on a fine 3D FEM model can be significant, on the order of hours. For example, in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) applications using a dense 3D FEM mesh with half a million elements, a single reconstruction iteration takes approximately 15–20 min with optimized routines running on a modern multi-core PC. It is desirable to accelerate image reconstruction to enable researchers to more easily and rapidly explore data and reconstruction parameters. Furthermore, providing high-speed reconstructions is essential for some promising clinical application of EIT. For 3D problems, 70% of the computing time is spent building the Jacobian matrix, and 25% of the time in forward solving. In this work, we focus on accelerating the Jacobian computation by using single and multiple GPUs. First, we discuss an optimized implementation on a modern multi-core PC architecture and show how computing time is bounded by the CPU-to-memory bandwidth; this factor limits the rate at which data can be fetched by the CPU. Gains associated with the use of multiple CPU cores are minimal, since data operands cannot be fetched fast enough to saturate the processing power of even a single CPU core. GPUs have much faster memory bandwidths compared to CPUs and better parallelism. We are able to obtain acceleration factors of 20 times

Multi-GPU Jacobian accelerated computing for soft-field tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Borsic, A; Attardo, E A; Halter, R J

2012-10-01

Image reconstruction in soft-field tomography is based on an inverse problem formulation, where a forward model is fitted to the data. In medical applications, where the anatomy presents complex shapes, it is common to use finite element models (FEMs) to represent the volume of interest and solve a partial differential equation that models the physics of the system. Over the last decade, there has been a shifting interest from 2D modeling to 3D modeling, as the underlying physics of most problems are 3D. Although the increased computational power of modern computers allows working with much larger FEM models, the computational time required to reconstruct 3D images on a fine 3D FEM model can be significant, on the order of hours. For example, in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) applications using a dense 3D FEM mesh with half a million elements, a single reconstruction iteration takes approximately 15-20 min with optimized routines running on a modern multi-core PC. It is desirable to accelerate image reconstruction to enable researchers to more easily and rapidly explore data and reconstruction parameters. Furthermore, providing high-speed reconstructions is essential for some promising clinical application of EIT. For 3D problems, 70% of the computing time is spent building the Jacobian matrix, and 25% of the time in forward solving. In this work, we focus on accelerating the Jacobian computation by using single and multiple GPUs. First, we discuss an optimized implementation on a modern multi-core PC architecture and show how computing time is bounded by the CPU-to-memory bandwidth; this factor limits the rate at which data can be fetched by the CPU. Gains associated with the use of multiple CPU cores are minimal, since data operands cannot be fetched fast enough to saturate the processing power of even a single CPU core. GPUs have much faster memory bandwidths compared to CPUs and better parallelism. We are able to obtain acceleration factors of 20�

Development of a computational system for radiotherapic planning with the IMRT technique applied to the MCNP computer code with 3D graphic interface for voxel models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Telma Cristina Ferreira

2009-01-01

The Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - IMRT is an advanced treatment technique used worldwide in oncology medicine branch. On this master proposal was developed a software package for simulating the IMRT protocol, namely SOFT-RT which attachment the research group 'Nucleo de Radiacoes Ionizantes' - NRI at UFMG. The computational system SOFT-RT allows producing the absorbed dose simulation of the radiotherapic treatment through a three-dimensional voxel model of the patient. The SISCODES code, from NRI, research group, helps in producing the voxel model of the interest region from a set of CT or MRI digitalized images. The SOFT-RT allows also the rotation and translation of the model about the coordinate system axis for better visualization of the model and the beam. The SOFT-RT collects and exports the necessary parameters to MCNP code which will carry out the nuclear radiation transport towards the tumor and adjacent healthy tissues for each orientation and position of the beam planning. Through three-dimensional visualization of voxel model of a patient, it is possible to focus on a tumoral region preserving the whole tissues around them. It takes in account where exactly the radiation beam passes through, which tissues are affected and how much dose is applied in both tissues. The Out-module from SOFT-RT imports the results and express the dose response superimposing dose and voxel model in gray scale in a three-dimensional graphic representation. The present master thesis presents the new computational system of radiotherapic treatment - SOFT-RT code which has been developed using the robust and multi-platform C ++ programming language with the OpenGL graphics packages. The Linux operational system was adopted with the goal of running it in an open source platform and free access. Preliminary simulation results for a cerebral tumor case will be reported as well as some dosimetric evaluations. (author)

Soft computing in design and manufacturing of advanced materials

Science.gov (United States)

Cios, Krzysztof J.; Baaklini, George Y; Vary, Alex

1993-01-01

The potential of fuzzy sets and neural networks, often referred to as soft computing, for aiding in all aspects of manufacturing of advanced materials like ceramics is addressed. In design and manufacturing of advanced materials, it is desirable to find which of the many processing variables contribute most to the desired properties of the material. There is also interest in real time quality control of parameters that govern material properties during processing stages. The concepts of fuzzy sets and neural networks are briefly introduced and it is shown how they can be used in the design and manufacturing processes. These two computational methods are alternatives to other methods such as the Taguchi method. The two methods are demonstrated by using data collected at NASA Lewis Research Center. Future research directions are also discussed.

Recovery of material parameters of soft hyperelastic tissue by an inverse spectral technique

KAUST Repository

Gou, Kun; Joshi, Sunnie; Walton, Jay R.

2012-01-01

An inverse spectral method is developed for recovering a spatially inhomogeneous shear modulus for soft tissue. The study is motivated by a novel use of the intravascular ultrasound technique to image arteries. The arterial wall is idealized as a

Temperature-based estimation of global solar radiation using soft computing methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Kasra; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Danesh, Amir Seyed; Abdullah, Mohd Shahidan; Zamani, Mazdak

2016-07-01

Precise knowledge of solar radiation is indeed essential in different technological and scientific applications of solar energy. Temperature-based estimation of global solar radiation would be appealing owing to broad availability of measured air temperatures. In this study, the potentials of soft computing techniques are evaluated to estimate daily horizontal global solar radiation (DHGSR) from measured maximum, minimum, and average air temperatures ( T max, T min, and T avg) in an Iranian city. For this purpose, a comparative evaluation between three methodologies of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), radial basis function support vector regression (SVR-rbf), and polynomial basis function support vector regression (SVR-poly) is performed. Five combinations of T max, T min, and T avg are served as inputs to develop ANFIS, SVR-rbf, and SVR-poly models. The attained results show that all ANFIS, SVR-rbf, and SVR-poly models provide favorable accuracy. Based upon all techniques, the higher accuracies are achieved by models (5) using T max- T min and T max as inputs. According to the statistical results, SVR-rbf outperforms SVR-poly and ANFIS. For SVR-rbf (5), the mean absolute bias error, root mean square error, and correlation coefficient are 1.1931 MJ/m2, 2.0716 MJ/m2, and 0.9380, respectively. The survey results approve that SVR-rbf can be used efficiently to estimate DHGSR from air temperatures.

On the possibility of non-invasive multilayer temperature estimation using soft-computing methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, C A; Pereira, W C A; Ruano, A E; Ruano, M Graça

2010-01-01

considered, i.e. five 5-mm spaced spatial points and eight therapeutic intensities (I(SATA)): 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7 and 2.0W/cm(2). Models were trained and selected to estimate temperature at only four intensities, then during the validation phase, the best-fitted models were analyzed in data collected at the eight intensities. This procedure leads to a more realistic evaluation of the generalisation level of the best-obtained structures. At the end of the identification phase, 82 (preferable) estimator models were achieved. The majority of them present an average maximum absolute error (MAE) inferior to 0.5 degrees C. The best-fitted estimator presents a MAE of only 0.4 degrees C for both the 40 operating conditions. This means that the gold-standard maximum error (0.5 degrees C) pointed for hyperthermia was fulfilled independently of the intensity and spatial position considered, showing the improved generalisation capacity of the identified estimator models. As the majority of the preferable estimator models, the best one presents 6 inputs and 11 neurons. In addition to the appropriate error performance, the estimator models present also a reduced computational complexity and then the possibility to be applied in real-time. A non-invasive temperature estimation model, based on soft-computing technique, was proposed for a three-layered phantom. The best-achieved estimator models presented an appropriate error performance regardless of the spatial point considered (inside or at the interface of the layers) and of the intensity applied. Other methodologies published so far, estimate temperature only in homogeneous media. The main drawback of the proposed methodology is the necessity of a-priory knowledge of the temperature behavior. Data used for training and optimisation should be representative, i.e., they should cover all possible physical situations of the estimation environment.

Computed tomography of the soft tissues of the shoulder. Pt. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dihlmann, W.; Bandick, J.

1988-01-01

Computed tomography of the soft tissue of the shoulder in cases of calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff provides the following information: 1. Localisation of the calcium deposits within the rotator cuff. 2. Contours and density of the calcium deposits correlated with the clinical findings as described by Uhthoff et al. Ill-defined contours and non-homogeneous deposits are associated with more severe clinical features. 3. Computed tomography shows that apatite particles, which are not visible radiologically, may penetrate into the shoulder joint and produce synovitis with an effusion. This is of importance in local therapy. (orig.) [de

Soft Electronics Enabled Ergonomic Human-Computer Interaction for Swallowing Training

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yongkuk; Nicholls, Benjamin; Sup Lee, Dong; Chen, Yanfei; Chun, Youngjae; Siang Ang, Chee; Yeo, Woon-Hong

2017-04-01

We introduce a skin-friendly electronic system that enables human-computer interaction (HCI) for swallowing training in dysphagia rehabilitation. For an ergonomic HCI, we utilize a soft, highly compliant (“skin-like”) electrode, which addresses critical issues of an existing rigid and planar electrode combined with a problematic conductive electrolyte and adhesive pad. The skin-like electrode offers a highly conformal, user-comfortable interaction with the skin for long-term wearable, high-fidelity recording of swallowing electromyograms on the chin. Mechanics modeling and experimental quantification captures the ultra-elastic mechanical characteristics of an open mesh microstructured sensor, conjugated with an elastomeric membrane. Systematic in vivo studies investigate the functionality of the soft electronics for HCI-enabled swallowing training, which includes the application of a biofeedback system to detect swallowing behavior. The collection of results demonstrates clinical feasibility of the ergonomic electronics in HCI-driven rehabilitation for patients with swallowing disorders.

Calibration technique for radiation measurements in vacuum ultraviolet - soft x-ray region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizui, Jun-ichi

1986-05-01

This is a collection of the papers presented at the workshop on ''Calibration Technique for Radiation Measurements in Vacuum Ultraviolet - Soft X-ray Region'' held at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Nagoya University, on December 19 - 20, 1985, under the Collaborating Research Program at the Institute. The following topics were discussed at the workshop: the needs for the calibration of plasma diagnostic devices, present status of the calibration technique, use of the Synchrotron Orbit Radiations for radiometry, and others. (author)

Application of a Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian Technique on Constructability Problems of Site on Very Soft Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junyoung Ko

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the application of the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL technique on the constructability problems of site on very soft soil. The main objective of this study was to investigate the constructability and application of two ground improvement methods, such as the forced replacement method and the deep mixing method. The comparison between the results of CEL analyses and field investigations was performed to verify the CEL modelling. The behavior of very soft soil and constructability with methods can be appropriately investigated using the CEL technique, which would be useful tools for comprehensive reviews in preliminary design.

Efficient computation of the elastography inverse problem by combining variational mesh adaption and a clustering technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, Alexander; Bruhns, Otto T; Reichling, Stefan; Mosler, Joern

2010-01-01

This paper is concerned with an efficient implementation suitable for the elastography inverse problem. More precisely, the novel algorithm allows us to compute the unknown stiffness distribution in soft tissue by means of the measured displacement field by considerably reducing the numerical cost compared to previous approaches. This is realized by combining and further elaborating variational mesh adaption with a clustering technique similar to those known from digital image compression. Within the variational mesh adaption, the underlying finite element discretization is only locally refined if this leads to a considerable improvement of the numerical solution. Additionally, the numerical complexity is reduced by the aforementioned clustering technique, in which the parameters describing the stiffness of the respective soft tissue are sorted according to a predefined number of intervals. By doing so, the number of unknowns associated with the elastography inverse problem can be chosen explicitly. A positive side effect of this method is the reduction of artificial noise in the data (smoothing of the solution). The performance and the rate of convergence of the resulting numerical formulation are critically analyzed by numerical examples.

International Conference on Soft Computing in Information Communication Technology

CERN Document Server

Soft Computing in Information Communication Technology

2012-01-01

  This is a collection of the accepted papers concerning soft computing in information communication technology. All accepted papers are subjected to strict peer-reviewing by 2 expert referees. The resultant dissemination of the latest research results, and the exchanges of views concerning the future research directions to be taken in this field makes the work of immense value to all those having an interest in the topics covered. The present book represents a cooperative effort to seek out the best strategies for effecting improvements in the quality and the reliability of Neural Networks, Swarm Intelligence, Evolutionary Computing, Image Processing Internet Security, Data Security, Data Mining, Network Security and Protection of data and Cyber laws. Our sincere appreciation and thanks go to these authors for their contributions to this conference. I hope you can gain lots of useful information from the book.

Soft tissue management for dental implants: what are the most effective techniques? A Cochrane systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, Marco; Maghaireh, Hassan; Grusovin, Maria Gabriella; Ziounas, Ioannis; Worthington, Helen V

2012-01-01

This review is based on a Cochrane systematic review entitled 'Interventions for replacing missing teeth: management of soft tissues for dental implants' published in The Cochrane Library (see http:// www.cochrane.org/ for information). Cochrane systematic reviews are regularly updated to include new research, and in response to comments and criticisms from readers. If you wish to comment on this review, please send your comments to the Cochrane website or to Marco Esposito. The Cochrane Library should be consulted for the most recent version of the review. The results of a Cochrane review can be interpreted differently, depending on people's perspectives and circumstances. Please consider the conclusions presented carefully. They are the opinions of the review authors, and are not necessarily shared by the Cochrane Collaboration. To evaluate whether flapless procedures are beneficial for patients and which is the ideal flap design, whether soft tissue correction/augmentation techniques are beneficial for patients and which are the best techniques, whether techniques to increase the peri-implant keratinised mucosa are beneficial for patients and which are the best techniques, and which are the best suturing techniques/ materials. The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched up to the 9th of June 2011 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of rootform osseointegrated dental implants, with a follow-up of at least 6 months after function, comparing various techniques to handle soft tissues in relation to dental implants. Primary outcome measures were prosthetic failures, implant failures and biological complications. Screening of eligible studies, assessment of the methodological quality of the trials and data extraction were conducted at least in duplicate and independently by two or more review authors. The statistical unit was the patient and not the prosthesis, the procedure or the implant. RESULTS were expressed

A Computational Modeling Approach for Investigating Soft Tissue Balancing in Bicruciate Retaining Knee Arthroplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahram Amiri

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty, although has shown improved functions and patient satisfaction compared to other designs of total knee replacement, remains a technically demanding option for treating severe cases of arthritic knees. One of the main challenges in bicruciate retaining arthroplasty is proper balancing of the soft tissue during the surgery. In this study biomechanics of soft tissue balancing was investigated using a validated computational model of the knee joint with high fidelity definitions of the soft tissue structures along with a Taguchi method for design of experiments. The model was used to simulate intraoperative balancing of soft tissue structures following the combinations suggested by an orthogonal array design. The results were used to quantify the corresponding effects on the laxity of the joint under anterior-posterior, internal-external, and varus-valgus loads. These effects were ranked for each ligament bundle to identify the components of laxity which were most sensitive to the corresponding surgical modifications. The resulting map of sensitivity for all the ligament bundles determined the components of laxity most suitable for examination during intraoperative balancing of the soft tissue. Ultimately, a sequence for intraoperative soft tissue balancing was suggested for a bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty.

A Computational Modeling Approach for Investigating Soft Tissue Balancing in Bicruciate Retaining Knee Arthroplasty

Science.gov (United States)

Amiri, Shahram; Wilson, David R.

2012-01-01

Bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty, although has shown improved functions and patient satisfaction compared to other designs of total knee replacement, remains a technically demanding option for treating severe cases of arthritic knees. One of the main challenges in bicruciate retaining arthroplasty is proper balancing of the soft tissue during the surgery. In this study biomechanics of soft tissue balancing was investigated using a validated computational model of the knee joint with high fidelity definitions of the soft tissue structures along with a Taguchi method for design of experiments. The model was used to simulate intraoperative balancing of soft tissue structures following the combinations suggested by an orthogonal array design. The results were used to quantify the corresponding effects on the laxity of the joint under anterior-posterior, internal-external, and varus-valgus loads. These effects were ranked for each ligament bundle to identify the components of laxity which were most sensitive to the corresponding surgical modifications. The resulting map of sensitivity for all the ligament bundles determined the components of laxity most suitable for examination during intraoperative balancing of the soft tissue. Ultimately, a sequence for intraoperative soft tissue balancing was suggested for a bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty. PMID:23082090

A simple and noninvasive technique using Bohlers stirrup facilitating management of posterior soft tissue injuries of heel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikil Jayasheelan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Many techniques have been devised to solve the problems associated with posterior soft tissue injuries. A noninvasive technique with plaster of Paris cast mold has been described by Ravishankar. Plaster casting techniques have been associated with problems such as tight cast and cast damage. Invasive techniques using external fixators as described by Berkowitz and Kim using tubular fixators like "kick back stand" and by Kamath using ring Illizarov fixators. The external fixators have their own problems like maintaining them for weeks and pin tract infection. Materials and Methods: We have tried to achieve as noninvasive technique using a Bohler stirrup incorporated with slab for patients with only soft tissue in injury and in a fixator for patients with skeletal injury already on tubular fixators. Results: In all the 12 cases where this method was used, the authors achieved the purpose of protecting the split skin graft in four cases and flap in eight cases. We did not encounter any problems related to this method such as skin maceration, sores including loosening of the frame. Conclusion: It is a simple and noninvasive method, which can be easily and reliably performed to maintain adequate limb elevation and soft tissue protection, which can be done is any hospital setup.

Soft Computing in Construction Information Technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ciftcioglu, O.; Durmisevic, S.; Sariyildiz, S.

2001-01-01

The last decade, civil engineering has exercised a rapidly growing interest in the application of neurally inspired computing techniques. The motive for this interest was the promises of certain information processing characteristics, which are similar to some extend, to those of human brain. The

Claudio Moraga a passion for multi-valued logic and soft computing

CERN Document Server

Allende-Cid, Héctor

2017-01-01

The book is an authoritative collection of contributions by leading experts on the topics of fuzzy logic, multi-valued logic and neural network. Originally written as an homage to Claudio Moraga, seen by his colleagues as an example of concentration, discipline and passion for science, the book also represents a timely reference guide for advance students and researchers in the field of soft computing, and multiple-valued logic. .

Statistical and Computational Techniques in Manufacturing

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

In recent years, interest in developing statistical and computational techniques for applied manufacturing engineering has been increased. Today, due to the great complexity of manufacturing engineering and the high number of parameters used, conventional approaches are no longer sufficient. Therefore, in manufacturing, statistical and computational techniques have achieved several applications, namely, modelling and simulation manufacturing processes, optimization manufacturing parameters, monitoring and control, computer-aided process planning, etc. The present book aims to provide recent information on statistical and computational techniques applied in manufacturing engineering. The content is suitable for final undergraduate engineering courses or as a subject on manufacturing at the postgraduate level. This book serves as a useful reference for academics, statistical and computational science researchers, mechanical, manufacturing and industrial engineers, and professionals in industries related to manu...

Soft Tissue Augmentation Techniques in Implants Placed and Provisionalized Immediately: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Rojo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques for soft tissue augmentation in the placement of immediate implants with and without provisionalization and to assess the quality of the reports in the literature. Randomized clinical trials, prospective clinical trials, and case series were included in this review. Clinical questions were formulated and organised according to the PICOS strategy. An electronic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and ISI Web up until June 2016. Interexaminer agreement on eligibility (k=0.842; p=0.103 and quality (k=0.933; p<0.001 was high. Methodological approaches were assessed using criteria based on design related forms designed by the Dutch Cochrane Collaboration. Finally, 14 papers were identified. In two studies, the implant survival was 90%; for the rest of the studies it was 100%. All studies reported favourable aesthetic, biological, and radiographic outcomes. Surgical and biomechanical complications of this technique were not relevant. This technique effectively compensates for the expected loss of volume of the oral soft tissues and maintains high success rates with good aesthetic results over time.

A review of techniques for visualising soft tissue microstructure deformation and quantifying strain Ex Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Disney, C M; Lee, P D; Hoyland, J A; Sherratt, M J; Bay, B K

2018-04-14

Many biological tissues have a complex hierarchical structure allowing them to function under demanding physiological loading conditions. Structural changes caused by ageing or disease can lead to loss of mechanical function. Therefore, it is necessary to characterise tissue structure to understand normal tissue function and the progression of disease. Ideally intact native tissues should be imaged in 3D and under physiological loading conditions. The current published in situ imaging methodologies demonstrate a compromise between imaging limitations and maintaining the samples native mechanical function. This review gives an overview of in situ imaging techniques used to visualise microstructural deformation of soft tissue, including three case studies of different tissues (tendon, intervertebral disc and artery). Some of the imaging techniques restricted analysis to observational mechanics or discrete strain measurement from invasive markers. Full-field local surface strain measurement has been achieved using digital image correlation. Volumetric strain fields have successfully been quantified from in situ X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) studies of bone using digital volume correlation but not in soft tissue due to low X-ray transmission contrast. With the latest developments in micro-CT showing in-line phase contrast capability to resolve native soft tissue microstructure, there is potential for future soft tissue mechanics research where 3D local strain can be quantified. These methods will provide information on the local 3D micromechanical environment experienced by cells in healthy, aged and diseased tissues. It is hoped that future applications of in situ imaging techniques will impact positively on the design and testing of potential tissue replacements or regenerative therapies. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2018 Royal Microscopical Society.

Speed challenge: a case for hardware implementation in soft-computing

Science.gov (United States)

Daud, T.; Stoica, A.; Duong, T.; Keymeulen, D.; Zebulum, R.; Thomas, T.; Thakoor, A.

2000-01-01

For over a decade, JPL has been actively involved in soft computing research on theory, architecture, applications, and electronics hardware. The driving force in all our research activities, in addition to the potential enabling technology promise, has been creation of a niche that imparts orders of magnitude speed advantage by implementation in parallel processing hardware with algorithms made especially suitable for hardware implementation. We review our work on neural networks, fuzzy logic, and evolvable hardware with selected application examples requiring real time response capabilities.

Applications of the soft computing in the automated history matching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, P.C.; Maschio, C.; Schiozer, D.J. [Unicamp (Brazil)

2006-07-01

Reservoir management is a research field in petroleum engineering that optimizes reservoir performance based on environmental, political, economic and technological criteria. Reservoir simulation is based on geological models that simulate fluid flow. Models must be constantly corrected to yield the observed production behaviour. The process of history matching is controlled by the comparison of production data, well test data and measured data from simulations. Parametrization, objective function analysis, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis are important steps in history matching. One of the main challenges facing automated history matching is to develop algorithms that find the optimal solution in multidimensional search spaces. Optimization algorithms can be either global optimizers that work with noisy multi-modal functions, or local optimizers that cannot work with noisy multi-modal functions. The problem with global optimizers is the very large number of function calls, which is an inconvenience due to the long reservoir simulation time. For that reason, techniques such as least squared, thin plane spline, kriging and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been used as substitutes to reservoir simulators. This paper described the use of optimization algorithms to find optimal solution in automated history matching. Several ANN were used, including the generalized regression neural network, fuzzy system with subtractive clustering and radial basis network. The UNIPAR soft computing method was used along with a modified Hooke- Jeeves optimization method. Two case studies with synthetic and real reservoirs are examined. It was concluded that the combination of global and local optimization has the potential to improve the history matching process and that the use of substitute models can reduce computational efforts. 15 refs., 11 figs.

SCHEME (Soft Control Human error Evaluation MEthod) for advanced MCR HRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Inseok; Jung, Wondea; Seong, Poong Hyun

2015-01-01

The Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), Korean Human Reliability Analysis (K-HRA), Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART), A Technique for Human Event Analysis (ATHEANA), Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM), and Simplified Plant Analysis Risk Human Reliability Assessment (SPAR-H) in relation to NPP maintenance and operation. Most of these methods were developed considering the conventional type of Main Control Rooms (MCRs). They are still used for HRA in advanced MCRs even though the operating environment of advanced MCRs in NPPs has been considerably changed by the adoption of new human-system interfaces such as computer-based soft controls. Among the many features in advanced MCRs, soft controls are an important feature because the operation action in NPP advanced MCRs is performed by soft controls. Consequently, those conventional methods may not sufficiently consider the features of soft control execution human errors. To this end, a new framework of a HRA method for evaluating soft control execution human error is suggested by performing the soft control task analysis and the literature reviews regarding widely accepted human error taxonomies. In this study, the framework of a HRA method for evaluating soft control execution human error in advanced MCRs is developed. First, the factors which HRA method in advanced MCRs should encompass are derived based on the literature review, and soft control task analysis. Based on the derived factors, execution HRA framework in advanced MCRs is developed mainly focusing on the features of soft control. Moreover, since most current HRA database deal with operation in conventional type of MCRs and are not explicitly designed to deal with digital HSI, HRA database are developed under lab scale simulation

Soft Computing Optimizer For Intelligent Control Systems Design: The Structure And Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey A. Panfilov

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Soft Computing Optimizer (SCO as a new software tool for design of robust intelligent control systems is described. It is based on the hybrid methodology of soft computing and stochastic simulation. It uses as an input the measured or simulated data about the modeled system. SCO is used to design an optimal fuzzy inference system, which approximates a random behavior of control object with the certain accuracy. The task of the fuzzy inference system construction is reduced to the subtasks such as forming of the linguistic variables for each input and output variable, creation of rule data base, optimization of rule data base and refinement of the parameters of the membership functions. Each task by the corresponding genetic algorithm (with an appropriate fitness function is solved. The result of SCO application is the design of Knowledge Base of a Fuzzy Controller, which contains the value information about developed fuzzy inference system. Such value information can be downloaded into the actual fuzzy controller to perform online fuzzy control. Simulations results of robust fuzzy control of nonlinear dynamic systems and experimental results of application on automotive semi-active suspension control are demonstrated.

Architecture design for soft errors

CERN Document Server

Mukherjee, Shubu

2008-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive description of the architetural techniques to tackle the soft error problem. It covers the new methodologies for quantitative analysis of soft errors as well as novel, cost-effective architectural techniques to mitigate them. To provide readers with a better grasp of the broader problem deffinition and solution space, this book also delves into the physics of soft errors and reviews current circuit and software mitigation techniques.

Hydatid disease of the soft tissues of the lower limb: findings in three cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.; Marco, V.; Zidan, A.; Marco, C.

1993-01-01

Three cases of hydatid disease are reported, all presenting as soft tissue lesions in the lower extremities. All three cases were studied with ultrasound (US), two with computed tomography (CT), and two with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques. Two patients presented with multivesicular lesions which were considered diagnostic of hydatid disease. The third patient showed a lesion with a predominantly solid pattern, closely mimicking a soft-tissue neoplasm. US was not diagnostic, but MR outlined vesicular structures and a fibrous pericyst. Hydatid disease presenting in the soft tissues can therefore be diagnosed with confidence when it shows multivesicular lesions but MR may be the most useful imaging technique when a complex or solid pattern is present. (orig.)

A soft-contact model for computing safety margins in human prehension.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Tarkeshwar; Ambike, Satyajit

2017-10-01

The soft human digit tip forms contact with grasped objects over a finite area and applies a moment about an axis normal to the area. These moments are important for ensuring stability during precision grasping. However, the contribution of these moments to grasp stability is rarely investigated in prehension studies. The more popular hard-contact model assumes that the digits exert a force vector but no free moment on the grasped object. Many sensorimotor studies use this model and show that humans estimate friction coefficients to scale the normal force to grasp objects stably, i.e. the smoother the surface, the tighter the grasp. The difference between the applied normal force and the minimal normal force needed to prevent slipping is called safety margin and this index is widely used as a measure of grasp planning. Here, we define and quantify safety margin using a more realistic contact model that allows digits to apply both forces and moments. Specifically, we adapt a soft-contact model from robotics and demonstrate that the safety margin thus computed is a more accurate and robust index of grasp planning than its hard-contact variant. Previously, we have used the soft-contact model to propose two indices of grasp planning that show how humans account for the shape and inertial properties of an object. A soft-contact based safety margin offers complementary insights by quantifying how humans may account for surface properties of the object and skin tissue during grasp planning and execution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introduction to soft-collinear effective theory

CERN Document Server

Becher, Thomas; Ferroglia, Andrea

2015-01-01

Among resummation techniques for perturbative QCD in the context of collider and flavor physics, soft-collinear effective theory (SCET) has emerged as both a powerful and versatile tool, having been applied to a large variety of processes, from B-meson decays to jet production at the LHC.  This book provides a concise, pedagogical introduction to this technique. It discusses the expansion of Feynman diagrams around the high-energy limit, followed by the explicit construction of the effective Lagrangian - first for a scalar theory, then for QCD. The underlying concepts are illustrated with the quark vector form factor at large momentum transfer, and the formalism is applied to compute soft-gluon resummation and to perform transverse-momentum resummation for the Drell-Yan process utilizing renormalization group evolution in SCET. Finally, the infrared structure of n-point gauge-theory amplitudes is analyzed by relating them to effective-theory operators. This text is suitable for graduate students and non-spe...

Computed tomography in the evaluation of soft tissue tumors. Report in 124 cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torricelli, P; Calo, M; Boriani, S; De Santis, G

1986-01-01

In order to evaluate the role of Computed Tomography (CT) in prediction of nature, staging and follow-up of soft-tessue tumors, the authors examined by CT 124 patients with soft tissue neoplasms who later underwent surgery (116 cases) or fine needle biopsy (8 cases). Comparison between CT and surgical or anatomical results showed that CT was able to correctly predict the benignancy or malignancy of the masses in 76% of cases but it was very seldom able to allow an hystological prediction. On the contrary CT was found to be a very useful tool for pre-therapeutic staging and follow-up of the tumors, because it gave many diagnostic information which influenced therapeutic choiches and strategies. 39 refs.

Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Myoepitheliloma in the Soft Palate: A Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Hun Cheol; Yu, In Kyu; Park, Mi Ja; Jang, Dong Sik

2011-01-01

We report the appearance of myoepithelioma arising from minor salivary glands in the soft palate observed on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CT, the tumor was round with a smooth and partial lobulating contour, and slightly marginal contrast enhancement. On T1-weighted images, the mass had heterogeneous iso-signal intensity compared to the pharyngeal muscle. Additionally, the tumor had heterogeneously high T2 signal intensity with heterogeneously strong enhancement on the Gd-enhanced T1-weighted image. Radiologists should consider myoepithelioma in the radiological differential diagnosis of soft palate tumors.

Soft drink effects on sensorimotor rhythm brain computer interface performance and resting-state spectral power.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundahl, John; Jianjun Meng; He, Jeffrey; Bin He

2016-08-01

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems allow users to directly control computers and other machines by modulating their brain waves. In the present study, we investigated the effect of soft drinks on resting state (RS) EEG signals and BCI control. Eight healthy human volunteers each participated in three sessions of BCI cursor tasks and resting state EEG. During each session, the subjects drank an unlabeled soft drink with either sugar, caffeine, or neither ingredient. A comparison of resting state spectral power shows a substantial decrease in alpha and beta power after caffeine consumption relative to control. Despite attenuation of the frequency range used for the control signal, caffeine average BCI performance was the same as control. Our work provides a useful characterization of caffeine, the world's most popular stimulant, on brain signal frequencies and their effect on BCI performance.

Finding-specific display presets for computed radiography soft-copy reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Andriole, K P; Gould, R G; Webb, W R

1999-05-01

Much work has been done to optimize the display of cross-sectional modality imaging examinations for soft-copy reading (i.e., window/level tissue presets, and format presentations such as tile and stack modes, four-on-one, nine-on-one, etc). Less attention has been paid to the display of digital forms of the conventional projection x-ray. The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of providing presets for computed radiography (CR) soft-copy display, based not on the window/level settings, but on processing applied to the image optimized for visualization of specific findings, pathologies, etc (i.e., pneumothorax, tumor, tube location). It is felt that digital display of CR images based on finding-specific processing presets has the potential to: speed reading of digital projection x-ray examinations on soft copy; improve diagnostic efficacy; standardize display across examination type, clinical scenario, important key findings, and significant negatives; facilitate image comparison; and improve confidence in and acceptance of soft-copy reading. Clinical chest images are acquired using an Agfa-Gevaert (Mortsel, Belgium) ADC 70 CR scanner and Fuji (Stamford, CT) 9000 and AC2 CR scanners. Those demonstrating pertinent findings are transferred over the clinical picture archiving and communications system (PACS) network to a research image processing station (Agfa PS5000), where the optimal image-processing settings per finding, pathologic category, etc, are developed in conjunction with a thoracic radiologist, by manipulating the multiscale image contrast amplification (Agfa MUSICA) algorithm parameters. Soft-copy display of images processed with finding-specific settings are compared with the standard default image presentation for 50 cases of each category. Comparison is scored using a 5-point scale with the positive scale denoting the standard presentation is preferred over the finding-specific processing, the negative scale denoting the finding

Soft Matter Characterization

CERN Document Server

Borsali, Redouane

2008-01-01

Progress in basic soft matter research is driven largely by the experimental techniques available. Much of the work is concerned with understanding them at the microscopic level, especially at the nanometer length scales that give soft matter studies a wide overlap with nanotechnology. This 2 volume reference work, split into 4 parts, presents detailed discussions of many of the major techniques commonly used as well as some of those in current development for studying and manipulating soft matter. The articles are intended to be accessible to the interdisciplinary audience (at the graduate student level and above) that is or will be engaged in soft matter studies or those in other disciplines who wish to view some of the research methods in this fascinating field. Part 1 contains articles with a largely (but, in most cases, not exclusively) theoretical content and/or that cover material relevant to more than one of the techniques covered in subsequent volumes. It includes an introductory chapter on some of t...

Application of computational intelligence to biology

CERN Document Server

Sekhar, Akula

2016-01-01

This book is a contribution of translational and allied research to the proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Soft Computing. It explains how various computational intelligence techniques can be applied to investigate various biological problems. It is a good read for Research Scholars, Engineers, Medical Doctors and Bioinformatics researchers.

Validation of a computer modelled forensic facial reconstruction technique using CT data from live subjects: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Laura J; Khambay, Balvinder; Ayoub, Ashraf; Erolin, Caroline; Rynn, Chris; Wilkinson, Caroline

2014-04-01

Human forensic facial soft tissue reconstructions are used when post-mortem deterioration makes identification difficult by usual means. The aim is to trigger recognition of the in vivo countenance of the individual by a friend or family member. A further use is in the field of archaeology. There are a number of different methods that can be applied to complete the facial reconstruction, ranging from two dimensional drawings, three dimensional clay models and now, with the advances of three dimensional technology, three dimensional computerised modelling. Studies carried out to assess the accuracy of facial reconstructions have produced variable results over the years. Advances in three dimensional imaging techniques in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, particularly cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), now provides an opportunity to utilise the data of live subjects and assess the accuracy of the three dimensional computerised facial reconstruction technique. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of a computer modelled facial reconstruction technique using CBCT data from live subjects. This retrospective pilot study was carried out at the Glasgow Dental Hospital Orthodontic Department and the Centre of Anatomy and Human Identification, Dundee University School of Life Sciences. Ten patients (5 male and 5 female; mean age 23 years) with mild skeletal discrepancies with pre-surgical cone beam CT data (CBCT) were included in this study. The actual and forensic reconstruction soft tissues were analysed using 3D software to look at differences between landmarks, linear and angular measurements and surface meshes. There were no statistical differences for 18 out of the 23 linear and 7 out of 8 angular measurements between the reconstruction and the target (p<0.05). The use of Procrustes superimposition has highlighted potential problems with soft tissue depth and anatomical landmarks' position. Surface mesh analysis showed that this virtual

Avulsion Fracture of the Calcaneus Treated With a Soft Anchor Bridge and Lag Screw Technique: A Report of Two Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Kazushige; Kasama, Kentaro; Akahane, Tsutomu

2016-01-01

The displaced extra-articular avulsion fracture of the calcaneus has been classified as a Böhler type 1c calcaneal fracture, and most cases will require surgical repair. In the present report, we describe 2 patients in whom we performed the soft anchor bridge technique using single loaded suture anchors with lag screws for the repair of Böhler type 1c avulsion fractures of the calcaneus. In one of these patients, clinically relevant osteoporosis complicated the injury. In both cases, bone union was achieved, and by 1.5 months after surgery satisfactory recovery was observed. To our knowledge, the soft anchor bridge technique was first used for the treatment of rotator cuff tears, and the greatest merit of this technique is the ability to generate vertical compression force to the pulled out rotator cuff through the use of knotting sutures. In recent years, the soft anchor bridge technique using 4 suture anchors has also been used for fractures of the greater tuberosity of the humerus, an injury that poses operative difficulties similar to those encountered with an avulsion fracture of the calcaneus owing to the traction force of the rotator cuff and relative weakness of adjacent bone. The outcomes of our patients suggest that the soft anchor bridge technique combined with adjunct lag screws is useful in the fixation of avulsion fractures of the calcaneus. In addition, the result in the elderly patient indicates the possibility of using this technique for patients with osteoporosis. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding soft condensed matter via modeling and computation

CERN Document Server

Shi, An-Chang

2011-01-01

All living organisms consist of soft matter. For this reason alone, it is important to be able to understand and predict the structural and dynamical properties of soft materials such as polymers, surfactants, colloids, granular matter and liquids crystals. To achieve a better understanding of soft matter, three different approaches have to be integrated: experiment, theory and simulation. This book focuses on the third approach - but always in the context of the other two.

A Survey and Proposed Framework on the Soft Biometrics Technique for Human Identification in Intelligent Video Surveillance System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Gu Kim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Biometrics verification can be efficiently used for intrusion detection and intruder identification in video surveillance systems. Biometrics techniques can be largely divided into traditional and the so-called soft biometrics. Whereas traditional biometrics deals with physical characteristics such as face features, eye iris, and fingerprints, soft biometrics is concerned with such information as gender, national origin, and height. Traditional biometrics is versatile and highly accurate. But it is very difficult to get traditional biometric data from a distance and without personal cooperation. Soft biometrics, although featuring less accuracy, can be used much more freely though. Recently, many researchers have been made on human identification using soft biometrics data collected from a distance. In this paper, we use both traditional and soft biometrics for human identification and propose a framework for solving such problems as lighting, occlusion, and shadowing.

A Survey and Proposed Framework on the Soft Biometrics Technique for Human Identification in Intelligent Video Surveillance System

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Gu; Moon, Hae-Min; Chung, Yongwha; Pan, Sung Bum

2012-01-01

Biometrics verification can be efficiently used for intrusion detection and intruder identification in video surveillance systems. Biometrics techniques can be largely divided into traditional and the so-called soft biometrics. Whereas traditional biometrics deals with physical characteristics such as face features, eye iris, and fingerprints, soft biometrics is concerned with such information as gender, national origin, and height. Traditional biometrics is versatile and highly accurate. But it is very difficult to get traditional biometric data from a distance and without personal cooperation. Soft biometrics, although featuring less accuracy, can be used much more freely though. Recently, many researchers have been made on human identification using soft biometrics data collected from a distance. In this paper, we use both traditional and soft biometrics for human identification and propose a framework for solving such problems as lighting, occlusion, and shadowing. PMID:22919273

A survey and proposed framework on the soft biometrics technique for human identification in intelligent video surveillance system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Gu; Moon, Hae-Min; Chung, Yongwha; Pan, Sung Bum

2012-01-01

Biometrics verification can be efficiently used for intrusion detection and intruder identification in video surveillance systems. Biometrics techniques can be largely divided into traditional and the so-called soft biometrics. Whereas traditional biometrics deals with physical characteristics such as face features, eye iris, and fingerprints, soft biometrics is concerned with such information as gender, national origin, and height. Traditional biometrics is versatile and highly accurate. But it is very difficult to get traditional biometric data from a distance and without personal cooperation. Soft biometrics, although featuring less accuracy, can be used much more freely though. Recently, many researchers have been made on human identification using soft biometrics data collected from a distance. In this paper, we use both traditional and soft biometrics for human identification and propose a framework for solving such problems as lighting, occlusion, and shadowing.

Soft Real-Time PID Control on a VME Computer

Science.gov (United States)

Karayan, Vahag; Sander, Stanley; Cageao, Richard

2007-01-01

microPID (uPID) is a computer program for real-time proportional + integral + derivative (PID) control of a translation stage in a Fourier-transform ultraviolet spectrometer. microPID implements a PID control loop over a position profile at sampling rate of 8 kHz (sampling period 125microseconds). The software runs in a strippeddown Linux operating system on a VersaModule Eurocard (VME) computer operating in real-time priority queue using an embedded controller, a 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (D/A) board, and a laser-positioning board (LPB). microPID consists of three main parts: (1) VME device-driver routines, (2) software that administers a custom protocol for serial communication with a control computer, and (3) a loop section that obtains the current position from an LPB-driver routine, calculates the ideal position from the profile, and calculates a new voltage command by use of an embedded PID routine all within each sampling period. The voltage command is sent to the D/A board to control the stage. microPID uses special kernel headers to obtain microsecond timing resolution. Inasmuch as microPID implements a single-threaded process and all other processes are disabled, the Linux operating system acts as a soft real-time system.

Soft Tissue Closure of Grafted Extraction Sockets in the Anterior Maxilla: A Modified Palatal Pedicle Connective Tissue Flap Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

El Chaar, Edgard; Oshman, Sarah; Cicero, Giuseppe; Castano, Alejandro; Dinoi, Cinzia; Soltani, Leila; Lee, Yoonjung Nicole

Localized ridge resorption, the consequence of socket collapse, following tooth extraction in the anterior maxilla can adversely affect esthetics, function, and future implant placement. Immediate grafting of extraction sockets may help preserve natural ridge contours, but a lack of available soft tissue can compromise the final esthetic outcome. The presented modified rotated palatal pedicle connective tissue flap is a useful technique for simultaneous soft tissue coverage and augmentation of grafted sockets to improve esthetic outcome. This article delineates its advantages through the presentation of a four-case series using this new technique.

Wearable Intrinsically Soft, Stretchable, Flexible Devices for Memories and Computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajan, Krishna; Garofalo, Erik; Chiolerio, Alessandro

2018-01-27

A recent trend in the development of high mass consumption electron devices is towards electronic textiles (e-textiles), smart wearable devices, smart clothes, and flexible or printable electronics. Intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible, Wearable Memories and Computing devices (WMCs) bring us closer to sci-fi scenarios, where future electronic systems are totally integrated in our everyday outfits and help us in achieving a higher comfort level, interacting for us with other digital devices such as smartphones and domotics, or with analog devices, such as our brain/peripheral nervous system. WMC will enable each of us to contribute to open and big data systems as individual nodes, providing real-time information about physical and environmental parameters (including air pollution monitoring, sound and light pollution, chemical or radioactive fallout alert, network availability, and so on). Furthermore, WMC could be directly connected to human brain and enable extremely fast operation and unprecedented interface complexity, directly mapping the continuous states available to biological systems. This review focuses on recent advances in nanotechnology and materials science and pays particular attention to any result and promising technology to enable intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible WMC.

Vehicular traffic noise prediction using soft computing approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Daljeet; Nigam, S P; Agrawal, V P; Kumar, Maneek

2016-12-01

A new approach for the development of vehicular traffic noise prediction models is presented. Four different soft computing methods, namely, Generalized Linear Model, Decision Trees, Random Forests and Neural Networks, have been used to develop models to predict the hourly equivalent continuous sound pressure level, Leq, at different locations in the Patiala city in India. The input variables include the traffic volume per hour, percentage of heavy vehicles and average speed of vehicles. The performance of the four models is compared on the basis of performance criteria of coefficient of determination, mean square error and accuracy. 10-fold cross validation is done to check the stability of the Random Forest model, which gave the best results. A t-test is performed to check the fit of the model with the field data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTUMENTAL ASSISTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION TECHNIQUE WITH STATIC STRETCHING IN SUBJECTS WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinod Babu. K

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization and static stretching found to be effective in plantar fasciitis, however the combined effectiveness of these techniques were unknown. The purpose of this study is to find the effect of Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization technique for plantar fascia combined with static stretching of triceps surae for subjects with chronic stage of Plantar Fasciitis on pain intensity, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and functional disability. Methods: An experimental study design, selected subjects with chronic Plantar Fasciitis randomized subjects into each Study and Control group. Total of 40 subject’s data who completed study, 20 in each group, was used for analysis. Control group received conventional exercise while Study group received conventional exercises with Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization combined with static stretching of triceps surae muscle. Outcome measurements such as Intensity of pain using Numerical Pain Rating Scale-101 (NPRS-101, function disability using Foot Function Index Pain Subscale (FFI and ankle dorsiflexion active range of motion using Goniometer was measured before and after 2 weeks of intervention. Results: There is statistically significant improvement in means of NRS-101, ankle dorsiflexion active range of motion and Foot Function Index Pain Subscale after intervention in both groups. When the post-intervention means were compared between Study and Control group after 2 weeks of treatment there is statistically significant difference in means between the groups whereas study group showed greater percentage of improvement than control group. Conclusion: It is concluded that Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization technique combined with static stretching of triceps surae muscle is significantly effective than conventional exercises on reducing pain, improving ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and functional disability for subjects

'Soft Technique' still in use in chest radiography - Pros and Cons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slavchev, A.; Manolov, I.

2004-01-01

In recent years the number of the radiological equipment throughout the country grew immensely. It encounters old installations, new modern devices as well as and this in ever rising degree mainly imported second-hand machines or recycled ones. It is well known that the performance of a medical device and particularly of a X-ray one depends on many factors, some of them being of paramount importance for its life cycle: factory-side set characteristics, mode of operation, daily use (load), quality of service, etc. The 'soft' radiography technique (low radiation - 50 to 85 kV), due to certain conjuncture considerations used at large in this country, is totally contradicting the European criteria for image quality. Something more, it seems to be one of the most essential reasons for the higher radiation exposure of the patients and the staff. The often advocated argument to save the equipment by means of the 'soft technique' is not acceptable and taking into account the present nominal values of the basic radiological parameters/ components has categorically to be rejected. The cardinal task of the engaged service staff consists in installing/guaranteeing the technological conditions fully to meet the European norms whereas the inspector has to monitor, analyze, compare and if necessary to undertake measures to obtain this compliance. It is a matter not only of reliability and availability, the purpose consists rather in a consistent good image quality. The application of the 'hard technique' (high radiation) for chest radiography ensures not only a more complete and more precise diagnostic information but also helps in reducing the irradiation of the patient and the staff and in this manner contributes to lower the medical risk and to raise the medical diagnostic care on a higher level. (authors)

GPU-based real-time soft tissue deformation with cutting and haptic feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Courtecuisse, Hadrien; Jung, Hoeryong; Allard, Jérémie; Duriez, Christian; Lee, Doo Yong; Cotin, Stéphane

2010-12-01

This article describes a series of contributions in the field of real-time simulation of soft tissue biomechanics. These contributions address various requirements for interactive simulation of complex surgical procedures. In particular, this article presents results in the areas of soft tissue deformation, contact modelling, simulation of cutting, and haptic rendering, which are all relevant to a variety of medical interventions. The contributions described in this article share a common underlying model of deformation and rely on GPU implementations to significantly improve computation times. This consistency in the modelling technique and computational approach ensures coherent results as well as efficient, robust and flexible solutions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft-tissue perineurioma of the retroperitoneum in a 63-year-old man, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasumoto Mayumi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Soft-tissue perineuriomas are rare benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors in the subcutis of the extremities and the trunks of young patients. To our knowledge, this the first presentation of the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of a soft-tissue perineurioma in the retroperitoneum with pathologic correlation. Case presentation A 63-year-old Japanese man was referred for assessment of high blood pressure. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined, gradually enhancing tumor without focal degeneration or hemorrhage adjacent to the pancreatic body. Tumor excision with distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was performed, as a malignant tumor of pancreatic origin could not be ruled out. No recurrence has been noted in the 16 months since the operation. Pathologic examination of the tumor revealed a soft-tissue perineurioma of the retroperitoneum. Conclusion Although the definitive diagnosis of soft-tissue perineurioma requires biopsy and immunohistochemical reactivity evaluation, the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings described in this report suggest inclusion of this rare tumor in the differential diagnosis when such findings occur in the retroperitoneum.

Planar Elongation Measurements on Soft Elastomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mette Krog; Skov, Anne Ladegaard; Rasmussen, Henrik K.

2009-01-01

A new fixture to the filament stretch rheometer (FSR) has been developed to measure planar elongation of soft polymeric networks. To validate this new technique, soft polymeric networks of poly(propyleneoxide) (PPO) were investigated during deformation.......A new fixture to the filament stretch rheometer (FSR) has been developed to measure planar elongation of soft polymeric networks. To validate this new technique, soft polymeric networks of poly(propyleneoxide) (PPO) were investigated during deformation....

Soft tissue tumors - imaging methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arlart, I.P.

1985-01-01

Soft Tissue Tumors - Imaging Methods: Imaging methods play an important diagnostic role in soft tissue tumors concerning a preoperative evaluation of localization, size, topographic relationship, dignity, and metastatic disease. The present paper gives an overview about diagnostic methods available today such as ultrasound, thermography, roentgenographic plain films and xeroradiography, radionuclide methods, computed tomography, lymphography, angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Besides sonography particularly computed tomography has the most important diagnostic value in soft tissue tumors. The application of a recently developed method, the magnetic resonance imaging, cannot yet be assessed in its significance. (orig.) [de

Soft error mechanisms, modeling and mitigation

CERN Document Server

Sayil, Selahattin

2016-01-01

This book introduces readers to various radiation soft-error mechanisms such as soft delays, radiation induced clock jitter and pulses, and single event (SE) coupling induced effects. In addition to discussing various radiation hardening techniques for combinational logic, the author also describes new mitigation strategies targeting commercial designs. Coverage includes novel soft error mitigation techniques such as the Dynamic Threshold Technique and Soft Error Filtering based on Transmission gate with varied gate and body bias. The discussion also includes modeling of SE crosstalk noise, delay and speed-up effects. Various mitigation strategies to eliminate SE coupling effects are also introduced. Coverage also includes the reliability of low power energy-efficient designs and the impact of leakage power consumption optimizations on soft error robustness. The author presents an analysis of various power optimization techniques, enabling readers to make design choices that reduce static power consumption an...

Early tumour detection: a transillumination, time-resolved technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behin-Ain, S.; Van Doorn, T.; Patterson, J.

2000-01-01

Full text: Research into transillumination techniques for the detection of tumours in soft tissue has been ongoing for over 70 years. The resolution and contrast, however, remain severely limited by scatter. Single photon detection techniques, with ideally infinite extinction coefficients, have been proposed to accumulate sub-hertz photon transmitted frequencies in the early part of a transmitted pulse. Computer based simulations have been undertaken to examine the theoretical performance requirements of the detector and the resultant image qualities that may be expected with this imaging technique. This paper reports on the computational techniques required for implementing these simulations in an efficient manner. Controlled Monte Carlo (CMC) and Convolution of Layers (CL) techniques were employed to constrain the photon to those having more chance of detection and hence enhance the detection statistics. Extrapolation techniques are proposed to reconstruct the early part of the temporal profile. Computational methods were implemented to evaluate Path Integrals, which are otherwise overly complex to evaluate. CMC and CL reduce the computational time by more than 10 orders of magnitude by only tracking those photons more likely to reach the detector. In the case of an optically thick medium with high scattering coefficient, extrapolation techniques are used to reconstruct the early part of temporal profile. Analytical solutions were found to be too involved for the simplest geometries. However the CL and implementation of computational techniques make Path integrals a useful analytical tool to compliment full Monte Carlo techniques. Results have shown that these methods collectively enable detection of small inhomogeneites within soft tissues. Reduced computation times and full reconstruction of the temporal profile of transmitted photons through optically thick medium enable fast simulations of single photon detectors to be achieved with the above described

REAL TIME PULVERISED COAL FLOW SOFT SENSOR FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS USING EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION TECHNIQUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Raja Singh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Pulverised coal preparation system (Coal mills is the heart of coal-fired power plants. The complex nature of a milling process, together with the complex interactions between coal quality and mill conditions, would lead to immense difficulties for obtaining an effective mathematical model of the milling process. In this paper, vertical spindle coal mills (bowl mill that are widely used in coal-fired power plants, is considered for the model development and its pulverised fuel flow rate is computed using the model. For the steady state coal mill model development, plant measurements such as air-flow rate, differential pressure across mill etc., are considered as inputs/outputs. The mathematical model is derived from analysis of energy, heat and mass balances. An Evolutionary computation technique is adopted to identify the unknown model parameters using on-line plant data. Validation results indicate that this model is accurate enough to represent the whole process of steady state coal mill dynamics. This coal mill model is being implemented on-line in a 210 MW thermal power plant and the results obtained are compared with plant data. The model is found accurate and robust that will work better in power plants for system monitoring. Therefore, the model can be used for online monitoring, fault detection, and control to improve the efficiency of combustion.

Fuzzy classification for strawberry diseases-infection using machine vision and soft-computing techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Altıparmak, Hamit; Al Shahadat, Mohamad; Kiani, Ehsan; Dimililer, Kamil

2018-04-01

Robotic agriculture requires smart and doable techniques to substitute the human intelligence with machine intelligence. Strawberry is one of the important Mediterranean product and its productivity enhancement requires modern and machine-based methods. Whereas a human identifies the disease infected leaves by his eye, the machine should also be capable of vision-based disease identification. The objective of this paper is to practically verify the applicability of a new computer-vision method for discrimination between the healthy and disease infected strawberry leaves which does not require neural network or time consuming trainings. The proposed method was tested under outdoor lighting condition using a regular DLSR camera without any particular lens. Since the type and infection degree of disease is approximated a human brain a fuzzy decision maker classifies the leaves over the images captured on-site having the same properties of human vision. Optimizing the fuzzy parameters for a typical strawberry production area at a summer mid-day in Cyprus produced 96% accuracy for segmented iron deficiency and 93% accuracy for segmented using a typical human instant classification approximation as the benchmark holding higher accuracy than a human eye identifier. The fuzzy-base classifier provides approximate result for decision making on the leaf status as if it is healthy or not.

International Conference on Computer, Communication and Computational Sciences

CERN Document Server

Mishra, Krishn; Tiwari, Shailesh; Singh, Vivek

2017-01-01

Exchange of information and innovative ideas are necessary to accelerate the development of technology. With advent of technology, intelligent and soft computing techniques came into existence with a wide scope of implementation in engineering sciences. Keeping this ideology in preference, this book includes the insights that reflect the ‘Advances in Computer and Computational Sciences’ from upcoming researchers and leading academicians across the globe. It contains high-quality peer-reviewed papers of ‘International Conference on Computer, Communication and Computational Sciences (ICCCCS 2016), held during 12-13 August, 2016 in Ajmer, India. These papers are arranged in the form of chapters. The content of the book is divided into two volumes that cover variety of topics such as intelligent hardware and software design, advanced communications, power and energy optimization, intelligent techniques used in internet of things, intelligent image processing, advanced software engineering, evolutionary and ...

Thermal sensation prediction by soft computing methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Jović, Srđan; Arsić, Nebojša; Vilimonović, Jovana; Petković, Dalibor

2016-12-01

Thermal comfort in open urban areas is very factor based on environmental point of view. Therefore it is need to fulfill demands for suitable thermal comfort during urban planning and design. Thermal comfort can be modeled based on climatic parameters and other factors. The factors are variables and they are changed throughout the year and days. Therefore there is need to establish an algorithm for thermal comfort prediction according to the input variables. The prediction results could be used for planning of time of usage of urban areas. Since it is very nonlinear task, in this investigation was applied soft computing methodology in order to predict the thermal comfort. The main goal was to apply extreme leaning machine (ELM) for forecasting of physiological equivalent temperature (PET) values. Temperature, pressure, wind speed and irradiance were used as inputs. The prediction results are compared with some benchmark models. Based on the results ELM can be used effectively in forecasting of PET. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soft tissue augmentation in skin of color: market growth, available fillers, and successful techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, Cheryl M

2007-01-01

In recent years, people of color have become an increasingly important market force for the cosmetics industry. Product lines have been expanded to accommodate a broader spectrum of skin colors and marketing strategies have been specialized in order to target specific ethnic populations. In addition, it is predicted that people with pigmented skin will eventually comprise a majority of the domestic and international population during the 21st century. Not surprisingly, people of color are increasingly seeking out products and procedures to fight the effects of aging, including an increase in surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Among nonsurgical procedures, soft tissue augmentation has experienced dramatic growth. Today, clinicians are performing more and more of these procedures in people of color. As a result of these shifts in the cosmetics industry, clinicians performing soft tissue augmentation require increased expertise in the treatment of ethnic skin. This article reviews the important differences that exist between the appearance of the aging faces of Caucasians and people of color. In addition, soft tissue augmentation strategies and injection techniques that are specific to skin of color are discussed.

Nanostructured Soft Matter Experiment, Theory, Simulation and Perspectives

CERN Document Server

Zvelindovsky, Andrei V

2007-01-01

This book provides an interdisciplinary overview of a new and broad class of materials under the unifying name Nanostructured Soft Matter. It covers materials ranging from short amphiphilic molecules to block copolymers, proteins, colloids and their composites, microemulsions and bio-inspired systems such as vesicles. The book considers several fundamental questions, including: how self-assembly of various soft materials with internal structure at the nanoscale can be understood, controlled and in future used in the newly emerging field of soft nanotechnology. The book offers readers a view on the subject from different perspectives, combining modern experimental approaches from physical chemistry and physics with various theoretical techniques from physics, mathematics and the most advanced computer modelling. It is the first book of this sort in the field. All chapters are written by leading international experts, bringing together experience from Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Russ...

Multi-energy soft-x-ray technique for impurity transport measurements in the fusion plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clayton, D J; Tritz, K; Stutman, D; Finkenthal, M; Kumar, D; Kaye, S M; LeBlanc, B P; Paul, S; Sabbagh, S A

2012-01-01

A new diagnostic technique was developed to produce high-resolution impurity transport measurements of the steep-gradient edge of fusion plasmas. Perturbative impurity transport measurements were performed for the first time in the NSTX plasma edge (r/a ∼ 0.6 to the SOL) with short neon gas puffs, and the resulting line and continuum emission was measured with the new edge multi-energy soft-x-ray (ME-SXR) diagnostic. Neon transport is modeled with the radial impurity transport code STRAHL and the resulting x-ray emission is computed using the ADAS atomic database. The radial transport coefficient profiles D(r) and v(r), and the particle flux from the gas puff Φ(t), are the free parameters in this model and are varied to find the best fit to experimental x-ray emissivity measurements, with bolometry used to constrain the impurity source. Initial experiments were successful and results were consistent with previous measurements of core impurity transport and neoclassical transport calculations. New diagnostic tools will be implemented on NSTX-U to further improve these transport measurements. (paper)

Real-time haptic cutting of high-resolution soft tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jun; Westermann, Rüdiger; Dick, Christian

2014-01-01

We present our systematic efforts in advancing the computational performance of physically accurate soft tissue cutting simulation, which is at the core of surgery simulators in general. We demonstrate a real-time performance of 15 simulation frames per second for haptic soft tissue cutting of a deformable body at an effective resolution of 170,000 finite elements. This is achieved by the following innovative components: (1) a linked octree discretization of the deformable body, which allows for fast and robust topological modifications of the simulation domain, (2) a composite finite element formulation, which thoroughly reduces the number of simulation degrees of freedom and thus enables to carefully balance simulation performance and accuracy, (3) a highly efficient geometric multigrid solver for solving the linear systems of equations arising from implicit time integration, (4) an efficient collision detection algorithm that effectively exploits the composition structure, and (5) a stable haptic rendering algorithm for computing the feedback forces. Considering that our method increases the finite element resolution for physically accurate real-time soft tissue cutting simulation by an order of magnitude, our technique has a high potential to significantly advance the realism of surgery simulators.

On the testing equipment and experimental techniques for the investigation of the photoviscoelastic behaviour of soft polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, H.

1983-01-01

Creep tests with uniaxial stress and pure shear have been carried out in order to determine the behaviour of soft plastics, which is governed by a non-linear material law, and to apply it to the photoelastic analysis of biaxial stress in plastic components under quasistatic and isothermal loads. The test facility is described as well as the technique applied to correct stress/creep curves for sigma=const. Results are presented for plane and tubular samples of soft PVC and an unsaturated polyester. (orig.) [de

A technique for transferring a patient's smile line to a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidra, Avinash S

2014-08-01

Fixed implant-supported prosthodontic treatment for patients requiring a gingival prosthesis often demands that bone and implant levels be apical to the patient's maximum smile line. This is to avoid the display of the prosthesis-tissue junction (the junction between the gingival prosthesis and natural soft tissues) and prevent esthetic failures. Recording a patient's lip position during maximum smile is invaluable for the treatment planning process. This article presents a simple technique for clinically recording and transferring the patient's maximum smile line to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images for analysis. The technique can help clinicians accurately determine the need for and amount of bone reduction required with respect to the maximum smile line and place implants in optimal positions. Copyright © 2014 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soft and hard computing approaches for real-time prediction of currents in a tide-dominated coastal area

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Charhate, S.B.; Deo, M.C.; SanilKumar, V.

. Owing to the complex real sea conditions, such methods may not always yield satisfactory results. This paper discusses a few alternative approaches based on the soft computing tools of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and genetic programming (GP...

Monitoring asthma control in children with allergies by soft computing of lung function and exhaled nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Pifferi, Massimo; Bush, Andrew; Pioggia, Giovanni; Di Cicco, Maria; Chinellato, Iolanda; Bodini, Alessandro; Macchia, Pierantonio; Boner, Attilio L

2011-02-01

Asthma control is emphasized by new guidelines but remains poor in many children. Evaluation of control relies on subjective patient recall and may be overestimated by health-care professionals. This study assessed the value of spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements, used alone or in combination, in models developed by a machine learning approach in the objective classification of asthma control according to Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines and tested the model in a second group of children with asthma. Fifty-three children with persistent atopic asthma underwent two to six evaluations of asthma control, including spirometry and FeNO. Soft computing evaluation was performed by means of artificial neural networks and principal component analysis. The model was then tested in a cross-sectional study in an additional 77 children with allergic asthma. The machine learning method was not able to distinguish different levels of control using either spirometry or FeNO values alone. However, their use in combination modeled by soft computing was able to discriminate levels of asthma control. In particular, the model is able to recognize all children with uncontrolled asthma and correctly identify 99.0% of children with totally controlled asthma. In the cross-sectional study, the model prospectively identified correctly all the uncontrolled children and 79.6% of the controlled children. Soft computing analysis of spirometry and FeNO allows objective categorization of asthma control status.

Real-time simulation of biological soft tissues: a PGD approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Niroomandi, S; González, D; Alfaro, I; Bordeu, F; Leygue, A; Cueto, E; Chinesta, F

2013-05-01

We introduce here a novel approach for the numerical simulation of nonlinear, hyperelastic soft tissues at kilohertz feedback rates necessary for haptic rendering. This approach is based upon the use of proper generalized decomposition techniques, a generalization of PODs. Proper generalized decomposition techniques can be considered as a means of a priori model order reduction and provides a physics-based meta-model without the need for prior computer experiments. The suggested strategy is thus composed of an offline phase, in which a general meta-model is computed, and an online evaluation phase in which the results are obtained at real time. Results are provided that show the potential of the proposed technique, together with some benchmark test that shows the accuracy of the method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Microarray-based cancer prediction using soft computing approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaosheng; Gotoh, Osamu

2009-05-26

One of the difficulties in using gene expression profiles to predict cancer is how to effectively select a few informative genes to construct accurate prediction models from thousands or ten thousands of genes. We screen highly discriminative genes and gene pairs to create simple prediction models involved in single genes or gene pairs on the basis of soft computing approach and rough set theory. Accurate cancerous prediction is obtained when we apply the simple prediction models for four cancerous gene expression datasets: CNS tumor, colon tumor, lung cancer and DLBCL. Some genes closely correlated with the pathogenesis of specific or general cancers are identified. In contrast with other models, our models are simple, effective and robust. Meanwhile, our models are interpretable for they are based on decision rules. Our results demonstrate that very simple models may perform well on cancerous molecular prediction and important gene markers of cancer can be detected if the gene selection approach is chosen reasonably.

Holiday fun with soft gluons

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

Emissions of soft gluons from energetic particles play an important role in collider processes. While the basic physics of soft emissions is simple, it gives rise to a variety of interesting and intricate phenomena (non-global logs, Glauber phases, super-leading logs, factorization breaking). After an introduction, I will review progress in resummation methods such as Soft-Collinear Effective Theory driven by a better understanding of soft emissions. I will also show some new results for computations of soft-gluon effects in gap-between-jets and isolation-cone cross sections.

Evaluation of Pseudo-Haptic Interactions with Soft Objects in Virtual Environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Li

Full Text Available This paper proposes a pseudo-haptic feedback method conveying simulated soft surface stiffness information through a visual interface. The method exploits a combination of two feedback techniques, namely visual feedback of soft surface deformation and control of the indenter avatar speed, to convey stiffness information of a simulated surface of a soft object in virtual environments. The proposed method was effective in distinguishing different sizes of virtual hard nodules integrated into the simulated soft bodies. To further improve the interactive experience, the approach was extended creating a multi-point pseudo-haptic feedback system. A comparison with regards to (a nodule detection sensitivity and (b elapsed time as performance indicators in hard nodule detection experiments to a tablet computer incorporating vibration feedback was conducted. The multi-point pseudo-haptic interaction is shown to be more time-efficient than the single-point pseudo-haptic interaction. It is noted that multi-point pseudo-haptic feedback performs similarly well when compared to a vibration-based feedback method based on both performance measures elapsed time and nodule detection sensitivity. This proves that the proposed method can be used to convey detailed haptic information for virtual environmental tasks, even subtle ones, using either a computer mouse or a pressure sensitive device as an input device. This pseudo-haptic feedback method provides an opportunity for low-cost simulation of objects with soft surfaces and hard inclusions, as, for example, occurring in ever more realistic video games with increasing emphasis on interaction with the physical environment and minimally invasive surgery in the form of soft tissue organs with embedded cancer nodules. Hence, the method can be used in many low-budget applications where haptic sensation is required, such as surgeon training or video games, either using desktop computers or portable devices, showing

Computational techniques of the simplex method

CERN Document Server

Maros, István

2003-01-01

Computational Techniques of the Simplex Method is a systematic treatment focused on the computational issues of the simplex method. It provides a comprehensive coverage of the most important and successful algorithmic and implementation techniques of the simplex method. It is a unique source of essential, never discussed details of algorithmic elements and their implementation. On the basis of the book the reader will be able to create a highly advanced implementation of the simplex method which, in turn, can be used directly or as a building block in other solution algorithms.

Soft-error tolerance and energy consumption evaluation of embedded computer with magnetic random access memory in practical systems using computer simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Nebashi, Ryusuke; Sakimura, Noboru; Sugibayashi, Tadahiko

2017-08-01

We evaluated the soft-error tolerance and energy consumption of an embedded computer with magnetic random access memory (MRAM) using two computer simulators. One is a central processing unit (CPU) simulator of a typical embedded computer system. We simulated the radiation-induced single-event-upset (SEU) probability in a spin-transfer-torque MRAM cell and also the failure rate of a typical embedded computer due to its main memory SEU error. The other is a delay tolerant network (DTN) system simulator. It simulates the power dissipation of wireless sensor network nodes of the system using a revised CPU simulator and a network simulator. We demonstrated that the SEU effect on the embedded computer with 1 Gbit MRAM-based working memory is less than 1 failure in time (FIT). We also demonstrated that the energy consumption of the DTN sensor node with MRAM-based working memory can be reduced to 1/11. These results indicate that MRAM-based working memory enhances the disaster tolerance of embedded computers.

New trends in computational collective intelligence

CERN Document Server

Kim, Sang-Wook; Trawiński, Bogdan

2015-01-01

This book consists of 20 chapters in which the authors deal with different theoretical and practical aspects of new trends in Collective Computational Intelligence techniques. Computational Collective Intelligence methods and algorithms are one the current trending research topics from areas related to Artificial Intelligence, Soft Computing or Data Mining among others. Computational Collective Intelligence is a rapidly growing field that is most often understood as an AI sub-field dealing with soft computing methods which enable making group decisions and processing knowledge among autonomous units acting in distributed environments. Web-based Systems, Social Networks, and Multi-Agent Systems very often need these tools for working out consistent knowledge states, resolving conflicts and making decisions. The chapters included in this volume cover a selection of topics and new trends in several domains related to Collective Computational Intelligence: Language and Knowledge Processing, Data Mining Methods an...

Soft bilateral filtering volumetric shadows using cube shadow maps.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatam H Ali

Full Text Available Volumetric shadows often increase the realism of rendered scenes in computer graphics. Typical volumetric shadows techniques do not provide a smooth transition effect in real-time with conservation on crispness of boundaries. This research presents a new technique for generating high quality volumetric shadows by sampling and interpolation. Contrary to conventional ray marching method, which requires extensive time, this proposed technique adopts downsampling in calculating ray marching. Furthermore, light scattering is computed in High Dynamic Range buffer to generate tone mapping. The bilateral interpolation is used along a view rays to smooth transition of volumetric shadows with respect to preserving-edges. In addition, this technique applied a cube shadow map to create multiple shadows. The contribution of this technique isreducing the number of sample points in evaluating light scattering and then introducing bilateral interpolation to improve volumetric shadows. This contribution is done by removing the inherent deficiencies significantly in shadow maps. This technique allows obtaining soft marvelous volumetric shadows, having a good performance and high quality, which show its potential for interactive applications.

[Preliminary evaluation on 3-demension changes of facial soft tissue with structure light scanning technique before and after orthognathic surgery of Class III deformities].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Ju-xiang; Jiang, Jiu-hui; Zhao, Yi-jiao; Wang, Yong; Li, Ze; Wang, Ning-ning; Feng, Zhi-min

2015-02-18

To evaluate facial soft tissue 3-deminsion changes of skeletal Class III malocclusion patients after orthognathic surgery using structure light scanning technique. Eight patients [3 males and 5 females, aged (27.08 ± 4.42) years] with Class III dentoskeletal relationship who underwent a bimaxillary orthognathic surgical procedure involving advancement of the maxilla by Le Fort I osteotomy and mandibular setback by bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSO) and genioplasty to correct deformity were included. 3D facial images were obtained by structure light scanner for all the patients 2 weeks preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The facial soft tissue changes were evaluated in 3-dimension. The linear distances and angulation changes for facial soft tissue landmarks were analyzed. The soft tissue volumetric changes were assessed too. There were significant differences in the sagittal and vertical changes of soft tissue landmarks. The greatest amount of soft tissue change was close to lips. There were more volumetric changes in the chin than in the maxilla, and fewer in the forehead. After biomaxillary surgery, there were significant facial soft tissue differences mainly in the sagittal and vertical dimension for skeletal Class III patients. The structure light 3D scanning technique can be accurately used to estimate the soft tissue changes in patients who undergo orthognathic surgery.

An exploratory study of contrast agents for soft tissue visualization by means of high resolution X-ray computed tomography imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauwels, E; Van Loo, D; Cornillie, P; Brabant, L; Van Hoorebeke, L

2013-04-01

High resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT), or microCT, is a promising and already widely used technique in various scientific fields. Also for histological purposes it has great potential. Although microCT has proven to be a valuable technique for the imaging of bone structures, the visualization of soft tissue structures is still an important challenge due to their low inherent X-ray contrast. One way to achieve contrast enhancement is to make use of contrast agents. However, contrary to light and electron microscopy, knowledge about contrast agents and staining procedures is limited for X-ray CT. The purpose of this paper is to identify useful X-ray contrast agents for soft tissue visualization, which can be applied in a simple way and are also suited for samples larger than (1 cm)(3) . And 28 chemical substances have been investigated. All chemicals were applied in the form of concentrated aqueous solutions in which the samples were immersed. First, strips of green Bacon were stained to evaluate contrast enhancement between muscle and adipose tissue. Furthermore it was also tested whether the contrast agents remained fixed in the tissue after staining by re-immersing them in water. Based on the results, 12 contrast agents were selected for further testing on postmortem mice hind legs, containing a variety of different tissues, including muscle, fat, bone, cartilage and tendons. It was evaluated whether the contrast agents allowed a clearer distinction between the different soft tissue structures present. Finally also penetration depth was measured. And 26 chemicals resulted in contrast enhancement between muscle and adipose tissue in the Bacon strips. Mercury(II)chloride (HgCl2 ), phosphotungstic acid (PTA), phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) and ammonium orthomolybdate ((NH4 )2 MoO4 ) remained fixed after re-immersion in water. The penetration tests showed that potassium iodide (KI) and sodium tungstate can be most efficiently used for large samples of the order

Scalable manufacturing processes with soft materials

OpenAIRE

White, Edward; Case, Jennifer; Kramer, Rebecca

2014-01-01

The emerging field of soft robotics will benefit greatly from new scalable manufacturing techniques for responsive materials. Currently, most of soft robotic examples are fabricated one-at-a-time, using techniques borrowed from lithography and 3D printing to fabricate molds. This limits both the maximum and minimum size of robots that can be fabricated, and hinders batch production, which is critical to gain wider acceptance for soft robotic systems. We have identified electrical structures, ...

Active Surfaces and Interfaces of Soft Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiming

A variety of intriguing surface patterns have been observed on developing natural systems, ranging from corrugated surface of white blood cells at nanometer scales to wrinkled dog skins at millimeter scales. To mimetically harness functionalities of natural morphologies, artificial transformative skin systems by using soft active materials have been rationally designed to generate versatile patterns for a variety of engineering applications. The study of the mechanics and design of these dynamic surface patterns on soft active materials are both physically interesting and technologically important. This dissertation starts with studying abundant surface patterns in Nature by constructing a unified phase diagram of surface instabilities on soft materials with minimum numbers of physical parameters. Guided by this integrated phase diagram, an electroactive system is designed to investigate a variety of electrically-induced surface instabilities of elastomers, including electro-creasing, electro-cratering, electro-wrinkling and electro-cavitation. Combing experimental, theoretical and computational methods, the initiation, evolution and transition of these instabilities are analyzed. To apply these dynamic surface instabilities to serving engineering and biology, new techniques of Dynamic Electrostatic Lithography and electroactive anti-biofouling are demonstrated.

Soft computing analysis of the possible correlation between temporal and energy release patterns in seismic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantaras, Anthony; Katsifarakis, Emmanouil; Artzouxaltzis, Xristos; Makris, John; Vallianatos, Filippos; Varley, Martin

2010-05-01

This paper is a preliminary investigation of the possible correlation of temporal and energy release patterns of seismic activity involving the preparation processes of consecutive sizeable seismic events [1,2]. The background idea is that during periods of low-level seismic activity, stress processes in the crust accumulate energy at the seismogenic area whilst larger seismic events act as a decongesting mechanism releasing considerable energy [3,4]. A dynamic algorithm is being developed aiming to identify and cluster pre- and post- seismic events to the main earthquake following on research carried out by Zubkov [5] and Dobrovolsky [6,7]. This clustering technique along with energy release equations dependent on Richter's scale [8,9] allow for an estimate to be drawn regarding the amount of the energy being released by the seismic sequence. The above approach is being implemented as a monitoring tool to investigate the behaviour of the underlying energy management system by introducing this information to various neural [10,11] and soft computing models [1,12,13,14]. The incorporation of intelligent systems aims towards the detection and simulation of the possible relationship between energy release patterns and time-intervals among consecutive sizeable earthquakes [1,15]. Anticipated successful training of the imported intelligent systems may result in a real-time, on-line processing methodology [1,16] capable to dynamically approximate the time-interval between the latest and the next forthcoming sizeable seismic event by monitoring the energy release process in a specific seismogenic area. Indexing terms: pattern recognition, long-term earthquake precursors, neural networks, soft computing, earthquake occurrence intervals References [1] Konstantaras A., Vallianatos F., Varley M.R. and Makris J. P.: ‘Soft computing modelling of seismicity in the southern Hellenic arc', IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, vol. 5 (3), pp. 323-327, 2008 [2] Eneva M. and

Effects of Soft Drinks on Resting State EEG and Brain-Computer Interface Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Jianjun; Mundahl, John; Streitz, Taylor; Maile, Kaitlin; Gulachek, Nicholas; He, Jeffrey; He, Bin

2017-01-01

Motor imagery-based (MI based) brain-computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalography (EEG) allows users to directly control a computer or external device by modulating and decoding the brain waves. A variety of factors could potentially affect the performance of BCI such as the health status of subjects or the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of soft drinks and regular coffee on EEG signals under resting state and on the performance of MI based BCI. Twenty-six healthy human subjects participated in three or four BCI sessions with a resting period in each session. During each session, the subjects drank an unlabeled soft drink with either sugar (Caffeine Free Coca-Cola), caffeine (Diet Coke), neither ingredient (Caffeine Free Diet Coke), or a regular coffee if there was a fourth session. The resting state spectral power in each condition was compared; the analysis showed that power in alpha and beta band after caffeine consumption were decreased substantially compared to control and sugar condition. Although the attenuation of powers in the frequency range used for the online BCI control signal was shown, group averaged BCI online performance after consuming caffeine was similar to those of other conditions. This work, for the first time, shows the effect of caffeine, sugar intake on the online BCI performance and resting state brain signal.

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT): an emerging tool for rapid, high-resolution, 3-D imaging of metazoan soft tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gignac, Paul M; Kley, Nathan J; Clarke, Julia A; Colbert, Matthew W; Morhardt, Ashley C; Cerio, Donald; Cost, Ian N; Cox, Philip G; Daza, Juan D; Early, Catherine M; Echols, M Scott; Henkelman, R Mark; Herdina, A Nele; Holliday, Casey M; Li, Zhiheng; Mahlow, Kristin; Merchant, Samer; Müller, Johannes; Orsbon, Courtney P; Paluh, Daniel J; Thies, Monte L; Tsai, Henry P; Witmer, Lawrence M

2016-06-01

Morphologists have historically had to rely on destructive procedures to visualize the three-dimensional (3-D) anatomy of animals. More recently, however, non-destructive techniques have come to the forefront. These include X-ray computed tomography (CT), which has been used most commonly to examine the mineralized, hard-tissue anatomy of living and fossil metazoans. One relatively new and potentially transformative aspect of current CT-based research is the use of chemical agents to render visible, and differentiate between, soft-tissue structures in X-ray images. Specifically, iodine has emerged as one of the most widely used of these contrast agents among animal morphologists due to its ease of handling, cost effectiveness, and differential affinities for major types of soft tissues. The rapid adoption of iodine-based contrast agents has resulted in a proliferation of distinct specimen preparations and scanning parameter choices, as well as an increasing variety of imaging hardware and software preferences. Here we provide a critical review of the recent contributions to iodine-based, contrast-enhanced CT research to enable researchers just beginning to employ contrast enhancement to make sense of this complex new landscape of methodologies. We provide a detailed summary of recent case studies, assess factors that govern success at each step of the specimen storage, preparation, and imaging processes, and make recommendations for standardizing both techniques and reporting practices. Finally, we discuss potential cutting-edge applications of diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) and the issues that must still be overcome to facilitate the broader adoption of diceCT going forward. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society.

Computed Radiography: An Innovative Inspection Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, William A.; Councill, Donald L.

2002-01-01

Florida Power and Light Company's (FPL) Nuclear Division combined two diverse technologies to create an innovative inspection technique, Computed Radiography, that improves personnel safety and unit reliability while reducing inspection costs. This technique was pioneered in the medical field and applied in the Nuclear Division initially to detect piping degradation due to flow-accelerated corrosion. Component degradation can be detected by this additional technique. This approach permits FPL to reduce inspection costs, perform on line examinations (no generation curtailment), and to maintain or improve both personnel safety and unit reliability. Computed Radiography is a very versatile tool capable of other uses: - improving the external corrosion program by permitting inspections underneath insulation, and - diagnosing system and component problems such as valve positions, without the need to shutdown or disassemble the component. (authors)

Estimating patient-specific soft-tissue properties in a TKA knee.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, Joseph A; Kaufman, Michelle K; Hutter, Erin E; Granger, Jeffrey F; Beal, Matthew D; Piazza, Stephen J; Siston, Robert A

2016-03-01

Surgical technique is one factor that has been identified as critical to success of total knee arthroplasty. Researchers have shown that computer simulations can aid in determining how decisions in the operating room generally affect post-operative outcomes. However, to use simulations to make clinically relevant predictions about knee forces and motions for a specific total knee patient, patient-specific models are needed. This study introduces a methodology for estimating knee soft-tissue properties of an individual total knee patient. A custom surgical navigation system and stability device were used to measure the force-displacement relationship of the knee. Soft-tissue properties were estimated using a parameter optimization that matched simulated tibiofemoral kinematics with experimental tibiofemoral kinematics. Simulations using optimized ligament properties had an average root mean square error of 3.5° across all tests while simulations using generic ligament properties taken from literature had an average root mean square error of 8.4°. Specimens showed large variability among ligament properties regardless of similarities in prosthetic component alignment and measured knee laxity. These results demonstrate the importance of soft-tissue properties in determining knee stability, and suggest that to make clinically relevant predictions of post-operative knee motions and forces using computer simulations, patient-specific soft-tissue properties are needed. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SoftWAXS: a computational tool for modeling wide-angle X-ray solution scattering from biomolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Jaydeep; Park, Sanghyun; Makowski, Lee

2009-10-01

This paper describes a computational approach to estimating wide-angle X-ray solution scattering (WAXS) from proteins, which has been implemented in a computer program called SoftWAXS. The accuracy and efficiency of SoftWAXS are analyzed for analytically solvable model problems as well as for proteins. Key features of the approach include a numerical procedure for performing the required spherical averaging and explicit representation of the solute-solvent boundary and the surface of the hydration layer. These features allow the Fourier transform of the excluded volume and hydration layer to be computed directly and with high accuracy. This approach will allow future investigation of different treatments of the electron density in the hydration shell. Numerical results illustrate the differences between this approach to modeling the excluded volume and a widely used model that treats the excluded-volume function as a sum of Gaussians representing the individual atomic excluded volumes. Comparison of the results obtained here with those from explicit-solvent molecular dynamics clarifies shortcomings inherent to the representation of solvent as a time-averaged electron-density profile. In addition, an assessment is made of how the calculated scattering patterns depend on input parameters such as the solute-atom radii, the width of the hydration shell and the hydration-layer contrast. These results suggest that obtaining predictive calculations of high-resolution WAXS patterns may require sophisticated treatments of solvent.

Wind turbine power coefficient estimation by soft computing methodologies: Comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Petković, Dalibor; Saboohi, Hadi; Anuar, Nor Badrul; Inayat, Irum; Akib, Shatirah; Ćojbašić, Žarko; Nikolić, Vlastimir; Mat Kiah, Miss Laiha; Gani, Abdullah

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Variable speed operation of wind turbine to increase power generation. • Changeability and fluctuation of wind has to be accounted. • To build an effective prediction model of wind turbine power coefficient. • The impact of the variation in the blade pitch angle and tip speed ratio. • Support vector regression methodology application as predictive methodology. - Abstract: Wind energy has become a large contender of traditional fossil fuel energy, particularly with the successful operation of multi-megawatt sized wind turbines. However, reasonable wind speed is not adequately sustainable everywhere to build an economical wind farm. In wind energy conversion systems, one of the operational problems is the changeability and fluctuation of wind. In most cases, wind speed can vacillate rapidly. Hence, quality of produced energy becomes an important problem in wind energy conversion plants. Several control techniques have been applied to improve the quality of power generated from wind turbines. In this study, the polynomial and radial basis function (RBF) are applied as the kernel function of support vector regression (SVR) to estimate optimal power coefficient value of the wind turbines. Instead of minimizing the observed training error, SVR p oly and SVR r bf attempt to minimize the generalization error bound so as to achieve generalized performance. The experimental results show that an improvement in predictive accuracy and capability of generalization can be achieved by the SVR approach in compare to other soft computing methodologies

Electron confinement studies on the EBT-S Bumpy Torus Experiment using soft x-ray techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillis, D.L.; Haste, G.R.; Berry, L.A.

1983-01-01

Soft x-ray bremsstrahlung measurements have been performed on the ELMO Bumpy Torus (EBT-S) plasma to determine the electron temperature T/sub e/ and electron density density n/sub e/ using a calibrated Si(Li) detector over a wide range of operating conditions. The purpose of this paper is to outline the necessary assumptions and essential x-ray techniques that are inherent in soft x-ray measurements in order to investigate the electron heating and confinement properties of EBT-S. In addition, by utilizing the electron density as determined by the soft x-ray measurements, the previous EBT-S confinement analyses have been extended. The steady-state plasma of EBT-S is heated by microwaves using a continuous wave (cw) gyrotron that can operate up to power levels of 200 kW. From the soft x-ray measurements, both the electron temperature and density are found to increase at higher microwave power levels. For operation at microwave power levels of 200 kW, T/sub e/ approaches 1 keV while n/sub e/ approaches 1.2 x 10 12 cm - 3 . In general, confinement properties are found to improve with increased microwave power. The data are compared with neoclassical transport scaling and the electron transport is found to be collisionless (#betta#/Ω<1) as well as neoclassical

Accelerated testing for cosmic soft-error rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziegler, J.F.; Muhlfeld, H.P.; Montrose, C.J.; Curtis, H.W.; O'Gorman, T.J.; Ross, J.M.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the experimental techniques which have been developed at IBM to determine the sensitivity of electronic circuits to cosmic rays at sea level. It relates IBM circuit design and modeling, chip manufacture with process variations, and chip testing for SER sensitivity. This vertical integration from design to final test and with feedback to design allows a complete picture of LSI sensitivity to cosmic rays. Since advanced computers are designed with LSI chips long before the chips have been fabricated, and the system architecture is fully formed before the first chips are functional, it is essential to establish the chip reliability as early as possible. This paper establishes techniques to test chips that are only partly functional (e.g., only 1Mb of a 16Mb memory may be working) and can establish chip soft-error upset rates before final chip manufacturing begins. Simple relationships derived from measurement of more than 80 different chips manufactured over 20 years allow total cosmic soft-error rate (SER) to be estimated after only limited testing. Comparisons between these accelerated test results and similar tests determined by ''field testing'' (which may require a year or more of testing after manufacturing begins) show that the experimental techniques are accurate to a factor of 2

Intelligent Soft Computing on Forex: Exchange Rates Forecasting with Hybrid Radial Basis Neural Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Falat, Lukas; Marcek, Dusan; Durisova, Maria

2016-01-01

This paper deals with application of quantitative soft computing prediction models into financial area as reliable and accurate prediction models can be very helpful in management decision-making process. The authors suggest a new hybrid neural network which is a combination of the standard RBF neural network, a genetic algorithm, and a moving average. The moving average is supposed to enhance the outputs of the network using the error part of the original neural network. Authors test the suggested model on high-frequency time series data of USD/CAD and examine the ability to forecast exchange rate values for the horizon of one day. To determine the forecasting efficiency, they perform a comparative statistical out-of-sample analysis of the tested model with autoregressive models and the standard neural network. They also incorporate genetic algorithm as an optimizing technique for adapting parameters of ANN which is then compared with standard backpropagation and backpropagation combined with K-means clustering algorithm. Finally, the authors find out that their suggested hybrid neural network is able to produce more accurate forecasts than the standard models and can be helpful in eliminating the risk of making the bad decision in decision-making process.

Dynamics of Soft Matter

CERN Document Server

García Sakai, Victoria; Chen, Sow-Hsin

2012-01-01

Dynamics of Soft Matter: Neutron Applications provides an overview of neutron scattering techniques that measure temporal and spatial correlations simultaneously, at the microscopic and/or mesoscopic scale. These techniques offer answers to new questions arising at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Knowledge of the dynamics at these levels is crucial to understanding the soft matter field, which includes colloids, polymers, membranes, biological macromolecules, foams, emulsions towards biological & biomimetic systems, and phenomena involving wetting, friction, adhesion, or micr

Risk assessment through drinking water pathway via uncertainty modeling of contaminant transport using soft computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, D.; Ranade, A.K.; Pandey, M.; Sathyabama, N.; Kumar, Brij

2012-01-01

The basic objective of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is to build guidelines to reduce the associated risk or mitigate the consequences of the reactor accident at its source to prevent deterministic health effects, to reduce the risk of stochastic health effects (eg. cancer and severe hereditary effects) as much as reasonable achievable by implementing protective actions in accordance with IAEA guidance (IAEA Safety Series No. 115, 1996). The measure of exposure being the basic tool to take any appropriate decisions related to risk reduction, EIA is traditionally expressed in terms of radiation exposure to the member of the public. However, models used to estimate the exposure received by the member of the public are governed by parameters some of which are deterministic with relative uncertainty and some of which are stochastic as well as imprecise (insufficient knowledge). In an admixture environment of this type, it is essential to assess the uncertainty of a model to estimate the bounds of the exposure to the public to invoke a decision during an event of nuclear or radiological emergency. With a view to this soft computing technique such as evidence theory based assessment of model parameters is addressed to compute the risk or exposure to the member of the public. The possible pathway of exposure to the member of the public in the aquatic food stream is the drinking of water. Accordingly, this paper presents the uncertainty analysis of exposure via uncertainty analysis of the contaminated water. Evidence theory finally addresses the uncertainty in terms of lower bound as belief measure and upper bound of exposure as plausibility measure. In this work EIA is presented using evidence theory. Data fusion technique is used to aggregate the knowledge on the uncertain information. Uncertainty of concentration and exposure is expressed as an interval of belief, plausibility

Multifractal Analysis of Seismically Induced Soft-Sediment Deformation Structures Imaged by X-Ray Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, Yoshito; Komatsubara, Junko

Unconsolidated soft sediments deform and mix complexly by seismically induced fluidization. Such geological soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDSs) recorded in boring cores were imaged by X-ray computed tomography (CT), which enables visualization of the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of iron-bearing mineral grains as strong X-ray absorbers in the deformed strata. Multifractal analysis was applied to the two-dimensional (2D) CT images with various degrees of deformation and mixing. The results show that the distribution of the iron-bearing mineral grains is multifractal for less deformed/mixed strata and almost monofractal for fully mixed (i.e. almost homogenized) strata. Computer simulations of deformation of real and synthetic digital images were performed using the egg-beater flow model. The simulations successfully reproduced the transformation from the multifractal spectra into almost monofractal spectra (i.e. almost convergence on a single point) with an increase in deformation/mixing intensity. The present study demonstrates that multifractal analysis coupled with X-ray CT and the mixing flow model is useful to quantify the complexity of seismically induced SSDSs, standing as a novel method for the evaluation of cores for seismic risk assessment.

Treatment techniques for the recycling of bottle washing water in the soft drinks industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez Camperos, E; Mijaylova Nacheva, P; Diaz Tapia, E

2004-01-01

The soft drink production is an important sector in the manufacturing industry of Mexico. Water is the main source in the production of soft drinks. Wastewater from bottle washing is almost 50% of the total wastewater generated by this industry. In order to reduce the consumption of water, the water of the last bottle rinse can be reused in to the bottle pre-rinse and pre-washing cycles. This work presents the characterization of the final bottle washing rinse discharge and the treatability study for the most appropriate treatment system for recycling. Average characteristics of the final bottle wash rinse were as follows: Turbidity 40.46 NTU, COD 47.7 mg/L, TSS 56 mg/L, TS 693.6 mg/L, electrical conductivity 1,194 microS/cm. The results of the treatability tests showed that the final rinse water can be used in the pre-rinse and pre-washing after removing the totality of the suspended solids, 80% of the COD and 75% of the dissolved solids. This can be done using the following treatment systems: filtration-adsorption-reverse osmosis, or filtration-adsorption-ion exchange. The installation of these treatment techniques in the soft drink industry would decrease bottle washing water consumption by 50%.

Monitoring the Microgravity Environment Quality On-board the International Space Station Using Soft Computing Techniques. Part 2; Preliminary System Performance Results

Science.gov (United States)

Jules, Kenol; Lin, Paul P.; Weiss, Daniel S.

2002-01-01

and unknown vibratory disturbance sources. Several soft computing techniques such as Kohonen's Self-Organizing Feature Map, Learning Vector Quantization, Back-Propagation Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic were used to design the system.

Rough set soft computing cancer classification and network: one stone, two birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yue

2010-07-15

Gene expression profiling provides tremendous information to help unravel the complexity of cancer. The selection of the most informative genes from huge noise for cancer classification has taken centre stage, along with predicting the function of such identified genes and the construction of direct gene regulatory networks at different system levels with a tuneable parameter. A new study by Wang and Gotoh described a novel Variable Precision Rough Sets-rooted robust soft computing method to successfully address these problems and has yielded some new insights. The significance of this progress and its perspectives will be discussed in this article.

GRAVTool, a Package to Compute Geoid Model by Remove-Compute-Restore Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Marotta, G. S.; Blitzkow, D.; Vidotti, R. M.

2015-12-01

Currently, there are several methods to determine geoid models. They can be based on terrestrial gravity data, geopotential coefficients, astro-geodetic data or a combination of them. Among the techniques to compute a precise geoid model, the Remove-Compute-Restore (RCR) has been widely applied. It considers short, medium and long wavelengths derived from altitude data provided by Digital Terrain Models (DTM), terrestrial gravity data and global geopotential coefficients, respectively. In order to apply this technique, it is necessary to create procedures that compute gravity anomalies and geoid models, by the integration of different wavelengths, and that adjust these models to one local vertical datum. This research presents a developed package called GRAVTool based on MATLAB software to compute local geoid models by RCR technique and its application in a study area. The studied area comprehends the federal district of Brazil, with ~6000 km², wavy relief, heights varying from 600 m to 1340 m, located between the coordinates 48.25ºW, 15.45ºS and 47.33ºW, 16.06ºS. The results of the numerical example on the studied area show the local geoid model computed by the GRAVTool package (Figure), using 1377 terrestrial gravity data, SRTM data with 3 arc second of resolution, and geopotential coefficients of the EIGEN-6C4 model to degree 360. The accuracy of the computed model (σ = ± 0.071 m, RMS = 0.069 m, maximum = 0.178 m and minimum = -0.123 m) matches the uncertainty (σ =± 0.073) of 21 points randomly spaced where the geoid was computed by geometrical leveling technique supported by positioning GNSS. The results were also better than those achieved by Brazilian official regional geoid model (σ = ± 0.099 m, RMS = 0.208 m, maximum = 0.419 m and minimum = -0.040 m).

Mesoscopic modelling and simulation of soft matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Ulf D; Krüger, Timm; Henrich, Oliver

2017-12-20

The deformability of soft condensed matter often requires modelling of hydrodynamical aspects to gain quantitative understanding. This, however, requires specialised methods that can resolve the multiscale nature of soft matter systems. We review a number of the most popular simulation methods that have emerged, such as Langevin dynamics, dissipative particle dynamics, multi-particle collision dynamics, sometimes also referred to as stochastic rotation dynamics, and the lattice-Boltzmann method. We conclude this review with a short glance at current compute architectures for high-performance computing and community codes for soft matter simulation.

Impact of Computed Tomography Image Quality on Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Based on Soft Tissue Registration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrow, Natalya V.; Lawton, Colleen A.; Qi, X. Sharon; Li, X. Allen

2012-01-01

Purpose: In image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), different computed tomography (CT) modalities with varying image quality are being used to correct for interfractional variations in patient set-up and anatomy changes, thereby reducing clinical target volume to the planning target volume (CTV-to-PTV) margins. We explore how CT image quality affects patient repositioning and CTV-to-PTV margins in soft tissue registration-based IGRT for prostate cancer patients. Methods and Materials: Four CT-based IGRT modalities used for prostate RT were considered in this study: MV fan beam CT (MVFBCT) (Tomotherapy), MV cone beam CT (MVCBCT) (MVision; Siemens), kV fan beam CT (kVFBCT) (CTVision, Siemens), and kV cone beam CT (kVCBCT) (Synergy; Elekta). Daily shifts were determined by manual registration to achieve the best soft tissue agreement. Effect of image quality on patient repositioning was determined by statistical analysis of daily shifts for 136 patients (34 per modality). Inter- and intraobserver variability of soft tissue registration was evaluated based on the registration of a representative scan for each CT modality with its corresponding planning scan. Results: Superior image quality with the kVFBCT resulted in reduced uncertainty in soft tissue registration during IGRT compared with other image modalities for IGRT. The largest interobserver variations of soft tissue registration were 1.1 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, and 3.2 mm for kVFBCT, kVCBCT, MVFBCT, and MVCBCT, respectively. Conclusions: Image quality adversely affects the reproducibility of soft tissue-based registration for IGRT and necessitates a careful consideration of residual uncertainties in determining different CTV-to-PTV margins for IGRT using different image modalities.

Impact of Computed Tomography Image Quality on Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Based on Soft Tissue Registration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrow, Natalya V.; Lawton, Colleen A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States); Qi, X. Sharon [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado (United States); Li, X. Allen, E-mail: ali@mcw.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States)

2012-04-01

Purpose: In image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), different computed tomography (CT) modalities with varying image quality are being used to correct for interfractional variations in patient set-up and anatomy changes, thereby reducing clinical target volume to the planning target volume (CTV-to-PTV) margins. We explore how CT image quality affects patient repositioning and CTV-to-PTV margins in soft tissue registration-based IGRT for prostate cancer patients. Methods and Materials: Four CT-based IGRT modalities used for prostate RT were considered in this study: MV fan beam CT (MVFBCT) (Tomotherapy), MV cone beam CT (MVCBCT) (MVision; Siemens), kV fan beam CT (kVFBCT) (CTVision, Siemens), and kV cone beam CT (kVCBCT) (Synergy; Elekta). Daily shifts were determined by manual registration to achieve the best soft tissue agreement. Effect of image quality on patient repositioning was determined by statistical analysis of daily shifts for 136 patients (34 per modality). Inter- and intraobserver variability of soft tissue registration was evaluated based on the registration of a representative scan for each CT modality with its corresponding planning scan. Results: Superior image quality with the kVFBCT resulted in reduced uncertainty in soft tissue registration during IGRT compared with other image modalities for IGRT. The largest interobserver variations of soft tissue registration were 1.1 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, and 3.2 mm for kVFBCT, kVCBCT, MVFBCT, and MVCBCT, respectively. Conclusions: Image quality adversely affects the reproducibility of soft tissue-based registration for IGRT and necessitates a careful consideration of residual uncertainties in determining different CTV-to-PTV margins for IGRT using different image modalities.

Detection of plant leaf diseases using image segmentation and soft computing techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijai Singh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Agricultural productivity is something on which economy highly depends. This is the one of the reasons that disease detection in plants plays an important role in agriculture field, as having disease in plants are quite natural. If proper care is not taken in this area then it causes serious effects on plants and due to which respective product quality, quantity or productivity is affected. For instance a disease named little leaf disease is a hazardous disease found in pine trees in United States. Detection of plant disease through some automatic technique is beneficial as it reduces a large work of monitoring in big farms of crops, and at very early stage itself it detects the symptoms of diseases i.e. when they appear on plant leaves. This paper presents an algorithm for image segmentation technique which is used for automatic detection and classification of plant leaf diseases. It also covers survey on different diseases classification techniques that can be used for plant leaf disease detection. Image segmentation, which is an important aspect for disease detection in plant leaf disease, is done by using genetic algorithm.

Future trends in power plant process computer techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dettloff, K.

1975-01-01

The development of new concepts of the process computer technique has advanced in great steps. The steps are in the three sections: hardware, software, application concept. New computers with a new periphery such as, e.g., colour layer equipment, have been developed in hardware. In software, a decisive step in the sector 'automation software' has been made. Through these components, a step forwards has also been made in the question of incorporating the process computer in the structure of the whole power plant control technique. (orig./LH) [de

Using soft-X-ray energy spectrum to measure electronic temperature Te and primary research with computer data processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jingyao; Zhang Guangyang

1993-01-01

The authors reported the application of SCORPIO--2000 Computer detecting system on a nuclear fusion equipment, to measure the energy spectrum of soft X-ray from which the plasma electronic temperature was calculated. The authors processed systematically the data of the energy area of 1-4 Kev soft X-ray. The program edited was mostly made in FORTRAN, but only one SUBSB was made in assembly language. The program worked normally with convincing operation and easy correction of the data. The result obtained from calculation is the same as what was expected and the diagram obtained is the same as the expected one

Real-time surgical simulation for deformable soft-tissue objects with a tumour using Boundary Element techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, P.; Becker, A. A.; Jones, I. A.; Glover, A. T.; Benford, S. D.; Vloeberghs, M.

2009-08-01

A virtual-reality real-time simulation of surgical operations that incorporates the inclusion of a hard tumour is presented. The software is based on Boundary Element (BE) technique. A review of the BE formulation for real-time analysis of two-domain deformable objects, using the pre-solution technique, is presented. The two-domain BE software is incorporated into a surgical simulation system called VIRS to simulate the initiation of a cut on the surface of the soft tissue and extending the cut deeper until the tumour is reached.

Real-time surgical simulation for deformable soft-tissue objects with a tumour using Boundary Element techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, P; Becker, A A; Jones, I A; Glover, A T; Benford, S D; Vloeberghs, M

2009-01-01

A virtual-reality real-time simulation of surgical operations that incorporates the inclusion of a hard tumour is presented. The software is based on Boundary Element (BE) technique. A review of the BE formulation for real-time analysis of two-domain deformable objects, using the pre-solution technique, is presented. The two-domain BE software is incorporated into a surgical simulation system called VIRS to simulate the initiation of a cut on the surface of the soft tissue and extending the cut deeper until the tumour is reached.

Computer animation algorithms and techniques

CERN Document Server

Parent, Rick

2012-01-01

Driven by the demands of research and the entertainment industry, the techniques of animation are pushed to render increasingly complex objects with ever-greater life-like appearance and motion. This rapid progression of knowledge and technique impacts professional developers, as well as students. Developers must maintain their understanding of conceptual foundations, while their animation tools become ever more complex and specialized. The second edition of Rick Parent's Computer Animation is an excellent resource for the designers who must meet this challenge. The first edition establ

Computational intelligence techniques in health care

CERN Document Server

Zhou, Wengang; Satheesh, P

2016-01-01

This book presents research on emerging computational intelligence techniques and tools, with a particular focus on new trends and applications in health care. Healthcare is a multi-faceted domain, which incorporates advanced decision-making, remote monitoring, healthcare logistics, operational excellence and modern information systems. In recent years, the use of computational intelligence methods to address the scale and the complexity of the problems in healthcare has been investigated. This book discusses various computational intelligence methods that are implemented in applications in different areas of healthcare. It includes contributions by practitioners, technology developers and solution providers.

Real Time Speed Measure while Automobile Braking on Soft Sensing Technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, W B; Li, D S; Lu, Y [China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, 310018 (China)

2006-10-15

Because the braking performance of automobile has close relationship to traffic safety, it is important to detect that. Focusing on the problem that the real time speed is difficult to obtain in detection process, soft sensing technique is introduced in this paper. According to analyzing the relationship of the dynamics equation of a moving automobile, a module of real time speed of braking is set up. By using imitation method with experiment data to get the pressure function of cylinder and analyzing the relationship between the trigging moment of a wheel and the pressure function of brake cylinder, the real time speed is confirmed in good precision. The maximal measurement error of real time speed is 8.7% and the precision can satisfy engineering request.

Real Time Speed Measure while Automobile Braking on Soft Sensing Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, W B; Li, D S; Lu, Y

2006-01-01

Because the braking performance of automobile has close relationship to traffic safety, it is important to detect that. Focusing on the problem that the real time speed is difficult to obtain in detection process, soft sensing technique is introduced in this paper. According to analyzing the relationship of the dynamics equation of a moving automobile, a module of real time speed of braking is set up. By using imitation method with experiment data to get the pressure function of cylinder and analyzing the relationship between the trigging moment of a wheel and the pressure function of brake cylinder, the real time speed is confirmed in good precision. The maximal measurement error of real time speed is 8.7% and the precision can satisfy engineering request

4+D TechnologyTM for nuclear systems soft solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Kune Y.

2010-10-01

The signature in the proposal lies with the NSSS (Nuclear Systems Soft Solutions). NSSS proposed in the 3-dimensional space and time plus cost coordinates, i.e. 4 + dimensional technology, is the backbone of digital engineering in the nuclear system design and management. The NSSS is empowered by Janus (Junctional Analysis Neo dynamic Unit Soft Power), NOTUS (Neo systemic Optimization Technical Unit Soft Power), Venus (Virtual Engineering Neo cybernetic Unit Soft Power), EURUS (Engineering Utilities Research Unit Soft Power) and INUUS (Informative Neo graphic Utilities Unit Soft Power). Janus extracts the geometric data directly from the computer-aided design CAD files to import to multidimensional computational fluid and structural dynamics codes. Janus uses the joint-CAD analysis methods to eliminate the necessity of any pre- and post- processors. Starting from the 3-dimensional CAD, NOTUS contributes to reducing the construction cost of the nuclear power plants by optimizing the component manufacturing procedure and the plant construction process. Planning and scheduling construction projects can thus benefit greatly by integrating traditional management techniques with digital process simulation visualization. The 3-dimensional visualization of construction processes and resulting products intrinsically afford most of the advantages realized by the 4 + D technology. Problems with equipment positioning and manpower congestion in certain areas can readily be visualized prior to the actual operation, thus preventing accidents and safety problems such as collision between two machines and losses in productivity. Venus applied the virtual reality technology in nuclear industry. Virtual reality provides an interactive real time motion with sound and tactile and other forms of feedback. The management and workers can thus comprehend the work process crystal clear by visualizing precisely how activities relate to one another, whereby reducing conflicting

Embodying Soft Wearables Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomico, Oscar; Wilde, Danielle

2016-01-01

of soft wearables. Throughout, we will experiment with how embodied design research techniques might be shared, developed, and used as direct and unmediated vehicles for their own reporting. Rather than engage in oral presentations, participants will lead each other through a proven embodied method...... and knowledge transfer in the context of soft wearables....

Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Imaging Techniques in Arterial Injuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cameron Adler

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Cross-sectional imaging has become a critical aspect in the evaluation of arterial injuries. In particular, angiography using computed tomography (CT is the imaging of choice. A variety of techniques and options are available when evaluating for arterial injuries. Techniques involve contrast bolus, various phases of contrast enhancement, multiplanar reconstruction, volume rendering, and maximum intensity projection. After the images are rendered, a variety of features may be seen that diagnose the injury. This article provides a general overview of the techniques, important findings, and pitfalls in cross sectional imaging of arterial imaging, particularly in relation to computed tomography. In addition, the future directions of computed tomography, including a few techniques in the process of development, is also discussed.

The potential of soft computing methods in NPP instrumentation and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hampel, R.; Chaker, N.; Kaestner, W.; Traichel, A.; Wagenknecht, M.; Gocht, U.

2002-01-01

The method of signal processing by soft computing include the application of fuzzy logic, synthetic neural networks, and evolutionary algorithms. The article contains an outline of the objectives and results of the application of fuzzy logic and methods of synthetic neural networks in nuclear measurement and control. The special requirements to be met by the software in safety-related areas with respect to reliability, evaluation, and validation are described. Possible uses may be in off-line applications in modeling, simulation, and reliability analysis as well as in on-line applications (real-time systems) for instrumentation and control. Safety-related aspects of signal processing are described and analyzed for the fuzzy logic and synthetic neural network concepts. Application are covered in selected examples. (orig.)

Intelligent Soft Computing on Forex: Exchange Rates Forecasting with Hybrid Radial Basis Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukas Falat

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with application of quantitative soft computing prediction models into financial area as reliable and accurate prediction models can be very helpful in management decision-making process. The authors suggest a new hybrid neural network which is a combination of the standard RBF neural network, a genetic algorithm, and a moving average. The moving average is supposed to enhance the outputs of the network using the error part of the original neural network. Authors test the suggested model on high-frequency time series data of USD/CAD and examine the ability to forecast exchange rate values for the horizon of one day. To determine the forecasting efficiency, they perform a comparative statistical out-of-sample analysis of the tested model with autoregressive models and the standard neural network. They also incorporate genetic algorithm as an optimizing technique for adapting parameters of ANN which is then compared with standard backpropagation and backpropagation combined with K-means clustering algorithm. Finally, the authors find out that their suggested hybrid neural network is able to produce more accurate forecasts than the standard models and can be helpful in eliminating the risk of making the bad decision in decision-making process.

Intelligent Soft Computing on Forex: Exchange Rates Forecasting with Hybrid Radial Basis Neural Network

Science.gov (United States)

Marcek, Dusan; Durisova, Maria

2016-01-01

This paper deals with application of quantitative soft computing prediction models into financial area as reliable and accurate prediction models can be very helpful in management decision-making process. The authors suggest a new hybrid neural network which is a combination of the standard RBF neural network, a genetic algorithm, and a moving average. The moving average is supposed to enhance the outputs of the network using the error part of the original neural network. Authors test the suggested model on high-frequency time series data of USD/CAD and examine the ability to forecast exchange rate values for the horizon of one day. To determine the forecasting efficiency, they perform a comparative statistical out-of-sample analysis of the tested model with autoregressive models and the standard neural network. They also incorporate genetic algorithm as an optimizing technique for adapting parameters of ANN which is then compared with standard backpropagation and backpropagation combined with K-means clustering algorithm. Finally, the authors find out that their suggested hybrid neural network is able to produce more accurate forecasts than the standard models and can be helpful in eliminating the risk of making the bad decision in decision-making process. PMID:26977450

Advances in Soft Matter Mechanics

CERN Document Server

Li, Shaofan

2012-01-01

"Advances in Soft Matter Mechanics" is a compilation and selection of recent works in soft matter mechanics by a group of active researchers in the field. The main objectives of this book are first to disseminate the latest developments in soft matter mechanics in the field of applied and computational mechanics, and second to introduce soft matter mechanics as a sub-discipline of soft matter physics. As an important branch of soft matter physics, soft matter mechanics has developed rapidly in recent years. A number of the novel approaches discussed in this book are unique, such as the coarse grained finite element method for modeling colloidal adhesion, entropic elasticity, meshfree simulations of liquid crystal elastomers, simulations of DNA, etc. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in the field of mechanics, condensed matter physics and biomaterials. Dr. Shaofan Li is a professor of the University of California-Berkeley, U.S.A; Dr. Bohua Sun is a professor of Cape Peninsula Universit...

Operator support system using computational intelligence techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bueno, Elaine Inacio; Pereira, Iraci Martinez

2015-01-01

Computational Intelligence Systems have been widely applied in Monitoring and Fault Detection Systems in several processes and in different kinds of applications. These systems use interdependent components ordered in modules. It is a typical behavior of such systems to ensure early detection and diagnosis of faults. Monitoring and Fault Detection Techniques can be divided into two categories: estimative and pattern recognition methods. The estimative methods use a mathematical model, which describes the process behavior. The pattern recognition methods use a database to describe the process. In this work, an operator support system using Computational Intelligence Techniques was developed. This system will show the information obtained by different CI techniques in order to help operators to take decision in real time and guide them in the fault diagnosis before the normal alarm limits are reached. (author)

Operator support system using computational intelligence techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bueno, Elaine Inacio, E-mail: ebueno@ifsp.edu.br [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia de Sao Paulo (IFSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Pereira, Iraci Martinez, E-mail: martinez@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Computational Intelligence Systems have been widely applied in Monitoring and Fault Detection Systems in several processes and in different kinds of applications. These systems use interdependent components ordered in modules. It is a typical behavior of such systems to ensure early detection and diagnosis of faults. Monitoring and Fault Detection Techniques can be divided into two categories: estimative and pattern recognition methods. The estimative methods use a mathematical model, which describes the process behavior. The pattern recognition methods use a database to describe the process. In this work, an operator support system using Computational Intelligence Techniques was developed. This system will show the information obtained by different CI techniques in order to help operators to take decision in real time and guide them in the fault diagnosis before the normal alarm limits are reached. (author)

Measurement of migration of soft tissue by modified Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA): validation of a new technique to monitor rotator cuff tears.

Science.gov (United States)

Cashman, P M M; Baring, T; Reilly, P; Emery, R J H; Amis, A A

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a technique to use Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) to measure migration of soft-tissue structures after rotator cuff repair. RSA stereo films were obtained; images were analysed using a semi-automatic software program allowing 3D viewing of results. RSA imaging experiments were performed to validate the technique, using a glass phantom with implanted RSA beads and an animal model with steel sutures as RSA markers which were moved known distances. Repeated measurements allowed assessment of inter- and intra-observer variability at a maximum of 1.06 mm. RSA analysis of the phantom showed a variation up to 0.22 mm for static and 0.28 mm for dynamic studies. The ovine tissue specimen demonstrated that using steel sutures as RSA markers in soft tissue is feasible, although less accurate than when measuring bone motion. This novel application of RSA to measure soft tissue migration is practicable and can be extended to in vivo studies.

Approximate Computing Techniques for Iterative Graph Algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panyala, Ajay R.; Subasi, Omer; Halappanavar, Mahantesh; Kalyanaraman, Anantharaman; Chavarria Miranda, Daniel G.; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram

2017-12-18

Approximate computing enables processing of large-scale graphs by trading off quality for performance. Approximate computing techniques have become critical not only due to the emergence of parallel architectures but also the availability of large scale datasets enabling data-driven discovery. Using two prototypical graph algorithms, PageRank and community detection, we present several approximate computing heuristics to scale the performance with minimal loss of accuracy. We present several heuristics including loop perforation, data caching, incomplete graph coloring and synchronization, and evaluate their efficiency. We demonstrate performance improvements of up to 83% for PageRank and up to 450x for community detection, with low impact of accuracy for both the algorithms. We expect the proposed approximate techniques will enable scalable graph analytics on data of importance to several applications in science and their subsequent adoption to scale similar graph algorithms.

Material parameter identification and inverse problems in soft tissue biomechanics

CERN Document Server

Evans, Sam

2017-01-01

The articles in this book review hybrid experimental-computational methods applied to soft tissues which have been developed by worldwide specialists in the field. People developing computational models of soft tissues and organs will find solutions for calibrating the material parameters of their models; people performing tests on soft tissues will learn what to extract from the data and how to use these data for their models and people worried about the complexity of the biomechanical behavior of soft tissues will find relevant approaches to address this complexity.

Numerical Computational Technique for Scattering from Underwater Objects

OpenAIRE

T. Ratna Mani; Raj Kumar; Odamapally Vijay Kumar

2013-01-01

This paper presents a computational technique for mono-static and bi-static scattering from underwater objects of different shape such as submarines. The scatter has been computed using finite element time domain (FETD) method, based on the superposition of reflections, from the different elements reaching the receiver at a particular instant in time. The results calculated by this method has been verified with the published results based on ramp response technique. An in-depth parametric s...

PET-MR image fusion in soft tissue sarcoma: accuracy, reliability and practicality of interactive point-based and automated mutual information techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somer, Edward J.R.; Marsden, Paul K.; Benatar, Nigel A.; O'Doherty, Michael J.; Goodey, Joanne; Smith, Michael A.

2003-01-01

The fusion of functional positron emission tomography (PET) data with anatomical magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography images, using a variety of interactive and automated techniques, is becoming commonplace, with the technique of choice dependent on the specific application. The case of PET-MR image fusion in soft tissue is complicated by a lack of conspicuous anatomical features and deviation from the rigid-body model. Here we compare a point-based external marker technique with an automated mutual information algorithm and discuss the practicality, reliability and accuracy of each when applied to the study of soft tissue sarcoma. Ten subjects with suspected sarcoma in the knee, thigh, groin, flank or back underwent MR and PET scanning after the attachment of nine external fiducial markers. In the assessment of the point-based technique, three error measures were considered: fiducial localisation error (FLE), fiducial registration error (FRE) and target registration error (TRE). FLE, which represents the accuracy with which the fiducial points can be located, is related to the FRE minimised by the registration algorithm. The registration accuracy is best characterised by the TRE, which is the distance between corresponding points in each image space after registration. In the absence of salient features within the target volume, the TRE can be measured at fiducials excluded from the registration process. To assess the mutual information technique, PET data, acquired after physically removing the markers, were reconstructed in a variety of ways and registered with MR. Having applied the transform suggested by the algorithm to the PET scan acquired before the markers were removed, the residual distance between PET and MR marker-pairs could be measured. The manual point-based technique yielded the best results (RMS TRE =8.3 mm, max =22.4 mm, min =1.7 mm), performing better than the automated algorithm (RMS TRE =20.0 mm, max =30.5 mm, min =7.7 mm) when

Application of the UV laser printing technique to soft gelatin capsules containing titanium dioxide in the shells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosokawa, Akihiro; Kato, Yoshiteru

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine application of ultraviolet (UV) laser irradiation to printing soft gelatin capsules containing titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) in the shells and to study effect of UV laser power on the color strength of printing on the soft gelatin capsules. Size 6 Oval type soft gelatin capsules of which shells contained 0.685% TiO(2) and 0.005% ferric dioxide were used in this study. The capsules were irradiated pulsed UV laser at a wavelength 355 nm. The color strength of the printed capsules was determined by a spectrophotometer as total color difference (dE). The soft gelatin capsules which contained TiO(2) in the shells could be printed gray by the laser. Many black particles, which were associated with the printing, were formed at the colored parts of the shells. It was found that there were two inflection points in relationship between output laser energy of a pulse and dE. Below the lower point, the capsules were not printed. From the lower point to the upper point, the capsules were printed gray and total color difference of the printing increased linearly in proportion with the output laser energy. Beyond the upper point, total color difference showed saturation because of micro-bubbles formation at the laser irradiated spot. Soft gelatin capsules containing TiO(2) in the shells could be performed stable printing using the UV laser printing technique. Color strength of the printing could be controlled by regulating the laser energy between the two inflection points.

Recovery of material parameters of soft hyperelastic tissue by an inverse spectral technique

KAUST Repository

Gou, Kun

2012-07-01

An inverse spectral method is developed for recovering a spatially inhomogeneous shear modulus for soft tissue. The study is motivated by a novel use of the intravascular ultrasound technique to image arteries. The arterial wall is idealized as a nonlinear isotropic cylindrical hyperelastic body. A boundary value problem is formulated for the response of the arterial wall within a specific class of quasistatic deformations reflective of the response due to imposed blood pressure. Subsequently, a boundary value problem is developed via an asymptotic construction modeling intravascular ultrasound interrogation which generates small amplitude, high frequency time harmonic vibrations superimposed on the static finite deformation. This leads to a system of second order ordinary Sturm-Liouville boundary value problems that are then employed to reconstruct the shear modulus through a nonlinear inverse spectral technique. Numerical examples are demonstrated to show the viability of the method. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of computer-aided auto-ranging technique for a computed radiography system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, M.; Shimura, K.; Nakajima, N.; Kato, H.

1988-01-01

For a computed radiography system, the authors developed a computer-aided autoranging technique in which the clinically useful image data are automatically mapped to the available display range. The preread image data are inspected to determine the location of collimation. A histogram of the pixels inside the collimation is evaluated regarding characteristic values such as maxima and minima, and then the optimal density and contrast are derived for the display image. The effect of the autoranging technique was investigated at several hospitals in Japan. The average rate of films lost due to undesirable density or contrast was about 0.5%

Practical techniques for pediatric computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitz, C.R.; Harwood-Nash, D.C.; Kirks, D.R.; Kaufman, R.A.; Berger, P.E.; Kuhn, J.P.; Siegel, M.J.

1983-01-01

Dr. Donald Kirks has assembled this section on Practical Techniques for Pediatric Computed Tomography. The material is based on a presentation in the Special Interest session at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pediatric Radiology in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in 1982. Meticulous attention to detail and technique is required to ensure an optimal CT examination. CT techniques specifically applicable to infants and children have not been disseminated in the radiology literature and in this respect it may rightly be observed that ''the child is not a small adult''. What follows is a ''cookbook'' prepared by seven participants and it is printed in Pediatric Radiology, in outline form, as a statement of individual preferences for pediatric CT techniques. This outline gives concise explanation of techniques and permits prompt dissemination of information. (orig.)

Computer Assisted Audit Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Iancu

2007-01-01

Full Text Available From the modern point of view, audit takes intoaccount especially the information systems representingmainly the examination performed by a professional asregards the manner for developing an activity by means ofcomparing it to the quality criteria specific to this activity.Having as reference point this very general definition ofauditing, it must be emphasized that the best known segmentof auditing is the financial audit that had a parallel evolutionto the accountancy one.The present day phase of developing the financial audithas as main trait the internationalization of the accountantprofessional. World wide there are multinational companiesthat offer services in the financial auditing, taxing andconsultancy domain. The auditors, natural persons and auditcompanies, take part at the works of the national andinternational authorities for setting out norms in theaccountancy and auditing domain.The computer assisted audit techniques can be classified inseveral manners according to the approaches used by theauditor. The most well-known techniques are comprised inthe following categories: testing data techniques, integratedtest, parallel simulation, revising the program logics,programs developed upon request, generalized auditsoftware, utility programs and expert systems.

Soft theorems from conformal field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipstein, Arthur E.

2015-01-01

Strominger and collaborators recently proposed that soft theorems for gauge and gravity amplitudes can be interpreted as Ward identities of a 2d CFT at null infinity. In this paper, we will consider a specific realization of this CFT known as ambitwistor string theory, which describes 4d Yang-Mills and gravity with any amount of supersymmetry. Using 4d ambtwistor string theory, we derive soft theorems in the form of an infinite series in the soft momentum which are valid to subleading order in gauge theory and sub-subleading order in gravity. Furthermore, we describe how the algebra of soft limits can be encoded in the braiding of soft vertex operators on the worldsheet and point out a simple relation between soft gluon and soft graviton vertex operators which suggests an interesting connection to color-kinematics duality. Finally, by considering ambitwistor string theory on a genus one worldsheet, we compute the 1-loop correction to the subleading soft graviton theorem due to infrared divergences.

A versatile model for soft patchy particles with various patch arrangements.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhan-Wei; Zhu, You-Liang; Lu, Zhong-Yuan; Sun, Zhao-Yan

2016-01-21

We propose a simple and general mesoscale soft patchy particle model, which can felicitously describe the deformable and surface-anisotropic characteristics of soft patchy particles. This model can be used in dynamics simulations to investigate the aggregation behavior and mechanism of various types of soft patchy particles with tunable number, size, direction, and geometrical arrangement of the patches. To improve the computational efficiency of this mesoscale model in dynamics simulations, we give the simulation algorithm that fits the compute unified device architecture (CUDA) framework of NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs). The validation of the model and the performance of the simulations using GPUs are demonstrated by simulating several benchmark systems of soft patchy particles with 1 to 4 patches in a regular geometrical arrangement. Because of its simplicity and computational efficiency, the soft patchy particle model will provide a powerful tool to investigate the aggregation behavior of soft patchy particles, such as patchy micelles, patchy microgels, and patchy dendrimers, over larger spatial and temporal scales.

Comparative Analysis Between Computed and Conventional Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Gabriela Madeira; Barbalho, Jimmy Charles Melo; Dias, Tasiana Guedes de Souza; Santos, Thiago de Santana; Vasconcellos, Ricardo José de Holanda; de Morais, Hécio Henrique Araújo

2015-11-01

The aim of this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was to compare the computed and conventional inferior alveolar nerve block techniques in symmetrically positioned inferior third molars. Both computed and conventional anesthetic techniques were performed in 29 healthy patients (58 surgeries) aged between 18 and 40 years. The anesthetic of choice was 2% lidocaine with 1: 200,000 epinephrine. The Visual Analogue Scale assessed the pain variable after anesthetic infiltration. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using the Likert Scale. Heart and respiratory rates, mean time to perform technique, and the need for additional anesthesia were also evaluated. Pain variable means were higher for the conventional technique as compared with computed, 3.45 ± 2.73 and 2.86 ± 1.96, respectively, but no statistically significant differences were found (P > 0.05). Patient satisfaction showed no statistically significant differences. The average computed technique runtime and the conventional were 3.85 and 1.61 minutes, respectively, showing statistically significant differences (P <0.001). The computed anesthetic technique showed lower mean pain perception, but did not show statistically significant differences when contrasted to the conventional technique.

Application of computer technique in SMCAMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Deming

2001-01-01

A series of applications of computer technique in SMCAMS physics design and magnetic field measurement is described, including digital calculation of electric-magnetic field, beam dynamics, calculation of beam injection and extraction, and mapping and shaping of the magnetic field

Computed tomography of the soft tissues of the shoulder. Pt. 3. Calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dihlmann, W.; Bandick, J.

1988-01-01

Computed tomography of the soft tissue of the shoulder in cases of calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff provides the following information: 1. Localisation of the calcium deposits within the rotator cuff. 2. Contours and density of the calcium deposits correlated with the clinical findings as described by Uhthoff et al. Ill-defined contours and non-homogeneous deposits are associated with more severe clinical features. 3. Computed tomography shows that apatite particles, which are not visible radiologically, may penetrate into the shoulder joint and produce synovitis with an effusion. This is of importance in local therapy.

Soft Computing Methods for Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Design Problems

CERN Document Server

Chauhan, Narendra; Mittal, Ankush

2012-01-01

The growing commercial market of Microwave/ Millimeter wave industry over the past decade has led to the explosion of interests and opportunities for the design and development of microwave components.The design of most microwave components requires the use of commercially available electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools for their analysis. In the design process, the simulations are carried out by varying the design parameters until the desired response is obtained. The optimization of design parameters by manual searching is a cumbersome and time consuming process. Soft computing methods such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Fuzzy Logic (FL) have been widely used by EM researchers for microwave design since last decade. The aim of these methods is to tolerate imprecision, uncertainty, and approximation to achieve robust and low cost solution in a small time frame.  Modeling and optimization are essential parts and powerful tools for the microwave/millimeter wave design. This boo...

Soft tissue healing in alveolar socket preservation technique: histologic evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrini, Gaia; Rasperini, Giulio; Obot, Gregory; Farronato, Davide; Dellavia, Claudia

2014-01-01

After tooth extraction, 14 alveolar sockets were grafted with porous bovine bone mineral particles and covered with non-cross-linked collagen membrane (test group), and 14 alveolar sockets were left uncovered. At 5 and 12 weeks, microvascular density (MVD), collagen content, and amount of lymphocytes (Lym) T and B were analyzed in soft tissue. At 5 weeks, MVD was significantly lower and Lym T was significantly higher in tests than in controls (P healing process of the soft tissue.

Application of computer technique in the reconstruction of Chinese ancient buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Deren; Yang, Jie; Zhu, Yixuan

2003-01-01

This paper offers an introduction of computer assemble and simulation of ancient building. A pioneer research work was carried out by investigators of surveying and mapping describing ancient Chinese timber buildings by 3D frame graphs with computers. But users can know the structural layers and the assembly process of these buildings if the frame graphs are processed further with computer. This can be implemented by computer simulation technique. This technique display the raw data on the screen of a computer and interactively manage them by combining technologies from computer graphics and image processing, multi-media technology, artificial intelligence, highly parallel real-time computation technique and human behavior science. This paper presents the implement procedure of simulation for large-sized wooden buildings as well as 3D dynamic assembly of these buildings under the 3DS MAX environment. The results of computer simulation are also shown in the paper.

Introduction to noise-resilient computing

CERN Document Server

Yanushkevich, Svetlana N; Tangim, Golam

2013-01-01

Noise abatement is the key problem of small-scaled circuit design. New computational paradigms are needed -- as these circuits shrink, they become very vulnerable to noise and soft errors. In this lecture, we present a probabilistic computation framework for improving the resiliency of logic gates and circuits under random conditions induced by voltage or current fluctuation. Among many probabilistic techniques for modeling such devices, only a few models satisfy the requirements of efficient hardware implementation -- specifically, Boltzman machines and Markov Random Field (MRF) models. These

Soft tissue molding technique in cleft lip and palate patient using laser surgery in combination with orthodontic appliance: A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Theerasopon, Pornpat; Wangsrimongkol, Tasanee; Sattayut, Sajee

2017-03-31

Although surgical treatment protocols for cleft lip and palate patients have been established, many patients still have some soft tissue defects after complete healing from surgical interventions. These are excess soft tissue, high attached fraena and firmed tethering scares. These soft tissue defects resulted shallowing of vestibule, restricted tooth movement, compromised periodontal health and trended to limit the maxillary growth. The aim of this case report was to present a method of correcting soft tissue defects after conventional surgery in cleft lip and palate patient by using combined laser surgery and orthodontic appliance. A bilateral cleft lip and palate patient with a clinical problem of shallow upper anterior vestibule after alveolar bone graft received a vestibular extension by using CO 2 laser with ablation and vaporization techniques at 4 W and continuous wave. A customized orthodontic appliance, called a buccal shield, was placed immediately after surgery and retained for 1 month to 3 months until complete soft tissue healing. The procedures were performed 2 episodes. Both interventions used the same CO 2 laser procedure. The first treatment resulted in partial re-attachment of soft tissue at surgical area. The second laser operation with the proper design of buccal shield providing passive contact with more extended flange resulting in a favorable outcome from 1 year follow up. Then the corrective orthodontic treatment could be continued effectively. The CO 2 laser surgery was a proper treatment for correcting soft tissue defects and the design of buccal shield was a key for success in molding surgical soft tissue.

Live theater on a virtual stage: incorporating soft skills and teamwork in computer graphics education.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweppe, M; Geigel, J

2011-01-01

Industry has increasingly emphasized the need for "soft" or interpersonal skills development and team-building experience in the college curriculum. Here, we discuss our experiences with providing such opportunities via a collaborative project called the Virtual Theater. In this joint project between the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Design and Department of Computer Science, the goal is to enable live performance in a virtual space with participants in different physical locales. Students work in teams, collaborating with other students in and out of their disciplines.

Basic human error probabilities in advanced MCRs when using soft control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, In Seok; Seong, Poong Hyun; Kang, Hyun Gook; Lee, Seung Jun

2012-01-01

In a report on one of the renowned HRA methods, Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), it is pointed out that 'The paucity of actual data on human performance continues to be a major problem for estimating HEPs and performance times in nuclear power plant (NPP) task'. However, another critical difficulty is that most current HRA databases deal with operation in conventional type of MCRs. With the adoption of new human system interfaces that are based on computer based technologies, the operation environment of MCRs in NPPs has changed. The MCRs including these digital and computer technologies, such as large display panels, computerized procedures, soft controls, and so on, are called advanced MCRs. Because of the different interfaces, different Basic Human Error Probabilities (BHEPs) should be considered in human reliability analyses (HRAs) for advanced MCRs. This study carries out an empirical analysis of human error considering soft controls. The aim of this work is not only to compile a database using the simulator for advanced MCRs but also to compare BHEPs with those of a conventional MCR database

Soft x-ray-controlled dose deposition in yeast cells: techniques, model, and biological assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Milani, Marziale; Batani, Dimitri; Conti, Aldo; Masini, Alessandra; Costato, Michele; Pozzi, Achille; Turcu, I. C. Edmond

1996-12-01

A procedure is presented to release soft x-rays onto yeast cell membrane allegedly damaging the resident enzymatic processes connected with fermentation. The damage is expected to be restricted to regulating fermentation processes without interference with respiration. By this technique fermentation is followed leading to CO2 production, and respiration resulting in global pressure measurements. A solid state pressure sensor system has been developed linked to a data acquisition system. Yeast cells cultures have been investigated at different concentrations and with different nutrients. A non-monotone response in CO2 production as a function of the delivered x-ray dose is observed.

Review of RDC Soft Computing Techniques for Accurate Measurement of Resolver Rotor Angle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandra Mohan Reddy Sivappagari

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A resolver is a position sensor or transducer that measures the instantaneous angular position of the rotating shaft to which it is attached. Resolver produces two amplitude modulated signals; SIN and COS as output signals. These two signals need to be demodulated and converted to digital signals before they can be used for control. There are several techniques available in the literature to measure the rotor shaft angle. This paper focuses on the design of both hardware and software based resolver to digital converter (RDC techniques available in the literature. This literature review helps the researchers to know about all these methods and plan future work on RDCs to improve the angle tracking performance.

Use of Soft Computing Technologies for a Qualitative and Reliable Engine Control System for Propulsion Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Trevino, Luis; Brown, Terry; Crumbley, R. T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to improve overall vehicle system safety, reliability, and rocket engine performance by development of a qualitative and reliable engine control system (QRECS). Specifically, this will be addressed by enhancing rocket engine control using SCT, innovative data mining tools, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall's Flight Software Group (FSG). The principle goals for addressing the issue of quality are to improve software management, software development time, software maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering, all relative to addressing the issue of reliability. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion (system level), software engineering for embedded flight software systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, data mining, and Bayesian belief networks); some of which are briefed in this paper. For this effort, the targeted demonstration rocket engine testbed is the MC-1 engine (formerly FASTRAC) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed (MAST) laboratory that currently resides at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, building 4476, and is managed by the Avionics Department. A brief plan of action for design, development, implementation, and testing a Phase One effort for QRECS is given, along with expected results. Phase One will focus on development of a Smart Start Engine Module and a Mainstage Engine Module for proper engine start and mainstage engine operations. The overall intent is to demonstrate that by

Soft behavior of a closed massless state in superstring and universality in the soft behavior of the dilaton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vecchia, Paolo Di [The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen,Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Nordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 23, SE-10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Marotta, Raffaele [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo ed. 6, via Cintia, 80126, Napoli (Italy); Mojaza, Matin [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam (Germany)

2016-12-06

We consider the tree-level scattering amplitudes in the NS-NS (Neveu-Schwarz) massless sector of closed superstrings in the case where one external state becomes soft. We compute the amplitudes generically for any number of dimensions and any number and kind of the massless closed states through the subsubleading order in the soft expansion. We show that, when the soft state is a graviton or a dilaton, the full result can be expressed as a soft theorem factorizing the amplitude in a soft and a hard part. This behavior is similar to what has previously been observed in field theory and in the bosonic string. Differently from the bosonic string, the supersymmetric soft theorem for the graviton has no string corrections at subsubleading order. The dilaton soft theorem, on the other hand, is found to be universally free of string corrections in any string theory.

Soft behavior of a closed massless state in superstring and universality of the soft behavior of the dilaton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

di Vecchia, Paolo; Marotta, Raffaele; Mojaza, Matin

2016-01-01

We consider the tree-level scattering amplitudes in the NS-NS (Neveu-Schwarz) massless sector of closed superstrings in the case where one external state becomes soft. We compute the amplitudes generically for any number of dimensions and any number and kind of the massless closed states through...... the subsubleading order in the soft expansion. We show that, when the soft state is a graviton or a dilaton, the full result can be expressed as a soft theorem factorizing the amplitude in a soft and a hard part. This behavior is similar to what has previously been observed in field theory and in the bosonic string....... Differently from the bosonic string, the supersymmetric soft theorem for the graviton has no string corrections at subsubleading order. The dilaton soft theorem, on the other hand, is found to be universally free of string corrections in any string theory....

THE COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES FOR PREDICTIONS - ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

OpenAIRE

Mary Violeta Bar

2014-01-01

The computational intelligence techniques are used in problems which can not be solved by traditional techniques when there is insufficient data to develop a model problem or when they have errors.Computational intelligence, as he called Bezdek (Bezdek, 1992) aims at modeling of biological intelligence. Artificial Neural Networks( ANNs) have been applied to an increasing number of real world problems of considerable complexity. Their most important advantage is solving problems that are too c...

New computing techniques in physics research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becks, Karl-Heinz; Perret-Gallix, Denis

1994-01-01

New techniques were highlighted by the ''Third International Workshop on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems for High Energy and Nuclear Physics'' in Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany, from October 4 to 8. It was the third workshop in the series; the first was held in Lyon in 1990 and the second at France-Telecom site near La Londe les Maures in 1992. This series of workshops covers a broad spectrum of problems. New, highly sophisticated experiments demand new techniques in computing, in hardware as well as in software. Software Engineering Techniques could in principle satisfy the needs for forthcoming accelerator experiments. The growing complexity of detector systems demands new techniques in experimental error diagnosis and repair suggestions; Expert Systems seem to offer a way of assisting the experimental crew during data-taking

Simplified Metrics Calculation for Soft Bit Detection in DVB-T2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Perez-Calderon

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The constellation rotation and cyclic quadrature component delay (RQD technique has been adopted in the second generation terrestrial digital video broadcasting (DVB-T2 standard. It improves the system performance under severe propagation conditions, but introduces serious complexity problems in the hardware implementation of the detection process. In this paper, we present a simplified scheme that greatly reduces the complexity of the demapper by simplifying the soft bit metrics computation having a negligible overall system performance loss.

FPGAs and parallel architectures for aerospace applications soft errors and fault-tolerant design

CERN Document Server

Rech, Paolo

2016-01-01

This book introduces the concepts of soft errors in FPGAs, as well as the motivation for using commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) FPGAs in mission-critical and remote applications, such as aerospace.  The authors describe the effects of radiation in FPGAs, present a large set of soft-error mitigation techniques that can be applied in these circuits, as well as methods for qualifying these circuits under radiation.  Coverage includes radiation effects in FPGAs, fault-tolerant techniques for FPGAs, use of COTS FPGAs in aerospace applications, experimental data of FPGAs under radiation, FPGA embedded processors under radiation, and fault injection in FPGAs. Since dedicated parallel processing architectures such as GPUs have become more desirable in aerospace applications due to high computational power, GPU analysis under radiation is also discussed. ·         Discusses features and drawbacks of reconfigurability methods for FPGAs, focused on aerospace applications; ·         Explains how radia...

Foreign body extraction from soft tissue by using CT and fluoroscopic guidance: a new technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amoretti, Nicolas; Marcy, Pierre-Yves; Lesbats-Jacquot, Virginie; Fonquerne, Marie-Eve; Maratos, Yvonne [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Radiology Department, Nice (France); Hauger, Olivier [Hopital Pellegrin, Unite d' Imagerie Osteo-articulaire, CHU de Bordeaux (France); Hovorka, Istvan; Boileau, Pascal [Centre Hopitalier Universitaire de Nice, Orthopaedic Department, Nice (France)

2010-01-15

We report on a new minimally invasive technique for the retrieval of a surgical pin fragment after accidental migration into the soft tissue of the shoulder in two patients. The technique is performed under local anaesthesia and uses combined CT and fluoroscopic guidance. The materials used were simple, combining a bone biopsy needle and an endoscopy clamp. Pin displacement was confirmed under fluoroscopic guidance and the clamp was used to withdraw the pin to the cutaneous entry point under CT (step-by-step) guidance. The CT slices provide perfect visualisation of the vascular or nervous structures as well as perfect positioning of the extremity of the trocar relative to the material to be removed. This intervention avoids a second surgical intervention with a longer incision and avoided repeated general anaesthesia. (orig.)

Bones - joints - soft tissues II. 7. rev. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dihlmann, W.; Frommhold, W.

1991-01-01

With the publication of the 2nd part to Volume VI, 'Bones - joints - soft tissues', the 7th edition of 'Diagnostic radiology in the hospital and medical practice' is complete. The advances made particularly during the past decade in the field of diagnostic radiology have made it neccesary for all the individual sections to be completely revised. Recently developed methods of imaging like sonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance tomography are increasingly used as a replacement for or, at least, an adjunct to conventional X-ray procedures. Owing to the development and continuous refinement of related methods of intervention the gap between mere diagnostic applications and therapeutic uses of radiology could eventually be closed. The issues mainly discussed in this volume are bone fractures and healing, bone transplantation, osteopathy and osteoarthropathy, fibrous dyplasia or Albright's disease, Pagetoid osteitis, genetically transmitted constitutional disorders of the skeleton and soft tissue changes. While in the key sections on bone fractures and healing, osteopathy and osteoarthropathy as well as constitutional genetic disorders X-ray techniques are still described as the prevailing method of diagnosis, diseases of soft tissues now are much more commonly diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. (orig./MG) With 2248 figs., 59 tabs [de

An empirical study on the basic human error probabilities for NPP advanced main control room operation using soft control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Inseok; Kim, Ar Ryum; Harbi, Mohamed Ali Salem Al; Lee, Seung Jun; Kang, Hyun Gook; Seong, Poong Hyun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The operation environment of MCRs in NPPs has changed by adopting new HSIs. ► The operation action in NPP Advanced MCRs is performed by soft control. ► Different basic human error probabilities (BHEPs) should be considered. ► BHEPs in a soft control operation environment are investigated empirically. ► This work will be helpful to verify if soft control has positive or negative effects. -- Abstract: By adopting new human–system interfaces that are based on computer-based technologies, the operation environment of main control rooms (MCRs) in nuclear power plants (NPPs) has changed. The MCRs that include these digital and computer technologies, such as large display panels, computerized procedures, soft controls, and so on, are called Advanced MCRs. Among the many features in Advanced MCRs, soft controls are an important feature because the operation action in NPP Advanced MCRs is performed by soft control. Using soft controls such as mouse control, touch screens, and so on, operators can select a specific screen, then choose the controller, and finally manipulate the devices. However, because of the different interfaces between soft control and hardwired conventional type control, different basic human error probabilities (BHEPs) should be considered in the Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) for advanced MCRs. Although there are many HRA methods to assess human reliabilities, such as Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), Accident Sequence Evaluation Program (ASEP), Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART), Human Event Repository and Analysis (HERA), Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR), Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM), and so on, these methods have been applied to conventional MCRs, and they do not consider the new features of advance MCRs such as soft controls. As a result, there is an insufficient database for assessing human reliabilities in advanced

Imaging of musculoskeletal soft tissue infections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turecki, Marcin B.; Taljanovic, Mihra S.; Holden, Dean A.; Hunter, Tim B.; Rogers, Lee F. [University of Arizona HSC, Department of Radiology, Tucson, AZ (United States); Stubbs, Alana Y. [Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Department of Radiology, Tucson, AZ (United States); Graham, Anna R. [University of Arizona HSC, Department of Pathology, Tucson, AZ (United States)

2010-10-15

Prompt and appropriate imaging work-up of the various musculoskeletal soft tissue infections aids early diagnosis and treatment and decreases the risk of complications resulting from misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. The signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal soft tissue infections can be nonspecific, making it clinically difficult to distinguish between disease processes and the extent of disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of soft tissue infections. Computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, radiography and nuclear medicine studies are considered ancillary. This manuscript illustrates representative images of superficial and deep soft tissue infections such as infectious cellulitis, superficial and deep fasciitis, including the necrotizing fasciitis, pyomyositis/soft tissue abscess, septic bursitis and tenosynovitis on different imaging modalities, with emphasis on MRI. Typical histopathologic findings of soft tissue infections are also presented. The imaging approach described in the manuscript is based on relevant literature and authors' personal experience and everyday practice. (orig.)

Imaging of musculoskeletal soft tissue infections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turecki, Marcin B.; Taljanovic, Mihra S.; Holden, Dean A.; Hunter, Tim B.; Rogers, Lee F.; Stubbs, Alana Y.; Graham, Anna R.

2010-01-01

Prompt and appropriate imaging work-up of the various musculoskeletal soft tissue infections aids early diagnosis and treatment and decreases the risk of complications resulting from misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. The signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal soft tissue infections can be nonspecific, making it clinically difficult to distinguish between disease processes and the extent of disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of soft tissue infections. Computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, radiography and nuclear medicine studies are considered ancillary. This manuscript illustrates representative images of superficial and deep soft tissue infections such as infectious cellulitis, superficial and deep fasciitis, including the necrotizing fasciitis, pyomyositis/soft tissue abscess, septic bursitis and tenosynovitis on different imaging modalities, with emphasis on MRI. Typical histopathologic findings of soft tissue infections are also presented. The imaging approach described in the manuscript is based on relevant literature and authors' personal experience and everyday practice. (orig.)

Soft computing based on hierarchical evaluation approach and criteria interdependencies for energy decision-making problems: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gitinavard, Hossein; Mousavi, S. Meysam; Vahdani, Behnam

2017-01-01

In numerous real-world energy decision problems, decision makers often encounter complex environments, in which existent imprecise data and uncertain information lead us to make an appropriate decision. In this paper, a new soft computing group decision-making approach is introduced based on novel compromise ranking method and interval-valued hesitant fuzzy sets (IVHFSs) for energy decision-making problems under multiple criteria. In the proposed approach, the assessment information is provided by energy experts or decision makers based on interval-valued hesitant fuzzy elements under incomplete criteria weights. In this respect, a new ranking index is presented respecting to interval-valued hesitant fuzzy Hamming distance measure to prioritize energy candidates, and criteria weights are computed based on an extended maximizing deviation method by considering the preferences experts' judgments about the relative importance of each criterion. Also, a decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is extended under an IVHF-environment to compute the interdependencies between and within the selected criteria in the hierarchical structure. Accordingly, to demonstrate the applicability of the presented approach a case study and a practical example are provided regarding to hierarchical structure and criteria interdependencies relations for renewable energy and energy policy selection problems. Hence, the obtained computational results are compared with a fuzzy decision-making method from the recent literature based on some comparison parameters to show the advantages and constraints of the proposed approach. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is prepared to indicate effects of different criteria weights on ranking results to present the robustness or sensitiveness of the proposed soft computing approach versus the relative importance of criteria. - Highlights: • Introducing a novel interval-valued hesitant fuzzy compromise ranking method. • Presenting

Automatic Generation of Agents using Reusable Soft Computing Code Libraries to develop Multi Agent System for Healthcare

OpenAIRE

Priti Srinivas Sajja

2015-01-01

This paper illustrates architecture for a multi agent system in healthcare domain. The architecture is generic and designed in form of multiple layers. One of the layers of the architecture contains many proactive, co-operative and intelligent agents such as resource management agent, query agent, pattern detection agent and patient management agent. Another layer of the architecture is a collection of libraries to auto-generate code for agents using soft computing techni...

Soft tissue technique - lateral view of the foot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seyss, R.

1980-02-01

For exact anatomic analysis, radiographs are made of and correlated with anatomic sections of a cadaver foot. Three regions are being differentiated: The dorsal and the plantar and the calcaneal region. Normal findings are being presented as well as some pathologic soft tissue changes with special emphasis on the syndrome of 'high edge calcaneus'.

Soft tissue technique - lateral view of the foot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seyss, R.

1980-01-01

For exact anatomic analysis, radiographs are made of and correlated with anatomic sections of a cadaver foot. Three regions are being differentiated: The dorsal and the plantar and the calcaneal region. Normal findings are being presented as well as some pathologic soft tissue changes with special emphasis on the syndrome of 'high edge calcaneus'. (orig.) [de

Proceedings of the workshop on X-ray computed microtomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-02-01

This report consists of vugraphs from the nine presentations at the conference. Titles of the presentations are: CMT: Applications and Techniques; Computer Microtomography Using X-rays from Third Generation Synchrotron X-ray; Approaches to Soft-X-ray Nanotomography; Diffraction Enhanced Tomography; X-ray Computed Microtomography Applications at the NSLS; XCMT Applications in Forestry and Forest Products; 3DMA: Investigating Three Dimensional Pore Geometry from High Resolution Images; X-ray Computed Microtomography Studies of Volcanic Rock; and 3-D Visualization of Tomographic Volumes.

Proceedings of the workshop on X-ray computed microtomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-02-01

This report consists of vugraphs from the nine presentations at the conference. Titles of the presentations are: CMT: Applications and Techniques; Computer Microtomography Using X-rays from Third Generation Synchrotron X-ray; Approaches to Soft-X-ray Nanotomography; Diffraction Enhanced Tomography; X-ray Computed Microtomography Applications at the NSLS; XCMT Applications in Forestry and Forest Products; 3DMA: Investigating Three Dimensional Pore Geometry from High Resolution Images; X-ray Computed Microtomography Studies of Volcanic Rock; and 3-D Visualization of Tomographic Volumes

New coding technique for computer generated holograms.

Science.gov (United States)

Haskell, R. E.; Culver, B. C.

1972-01-01

A coding technique is developed for recording computer generated holograms on a computer controlled CRT in which each resolution cell contains two beam spots of equal size and equal intensity. This provides a binary hologram in which only the position of the two dots is varied from cell to cell. The amplitude associated with each resolution cell is controlled by selectively diffracting unwanted light into a higher diffraction order. The recording of the holograms is fast and simple.

Techniques involving extreme environment, nondestructive techniques, computer methods in metals research, and data analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunshah, R.F.

1976-01-01

A number of different techniques which range over several different aspects of materials research are covered in this volume. They are concerned with property evaluation of 4 0 K and below, surface characterization, coating techniques, techniques for the fabrication of composite materials, computer methods, data evaluation and analysis, statistical design of experiments and non-destructive test techniques. Topics covered in this part include internal friction measurements; nondestructive testing techniques; statistical design of experiments and regression analysis in metallurgical research; and measurement of surfaces of engineering materials

[Development of computer aided forming techniques in manufacturing scaffolds for bone tissue engineering].

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xuelei; Dong, Fuhui

2011-12-01

To review recent advance in the research and application of computer aided forming techniques for constructing bone tissue engineering scaffolds. The literature concerning computer aided forming techniques for constructing bone tissue engineering scaffolds in recent years was reviewed extensively and summarized. Several studies over last decade have focused on computer aided forming techniques for bone scaffold construction using various scaffold materials, which is based on computer aided design (CAD) and bone scaffold rapid prototyping (RP). CAD include medical CAD, STL, and reverse design. Reverse design can fully simulate normal bone tissue and could be very useful for the CAD. RP techniques include fused deposition modeling, three dimensional printing, selected laser sintering, three dimensional bioplotting, and low-temperature deposition manufacturing. These techniques provide a new way to construct bone tissue engineering scaffolds with complex internal structures. With rapid development of molding and forming techniques, computer aided forming techniques are expected to provide ideal bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

Double soft theorem for perturbative gravity

OpenAIRE

Saha, Arnab

2016-01-01

Following up on the recent work of Cachazo, He and Yuan \\cite{arXiv:1503.04816 [hep-th]}, we derive the double soft graviton theorem in perturbative gravity. We show that the double soft theorem derived using CHY formula precisely matches with the perturbative computation involving Feynman diagrams. In particular, we find how certain delicate limits of Feynman diagrams play an important role in obtaining this equivalence.

[Cardiac computed tomography: new applications of an evolving technique].

Science.gov (United States)

Martín, María; Corros, Cecilia; Calvo, Juan; Mesa, Alicia; García-Campos, Ana; Rodríguez, María Luisa; Barreiro, Manuel; Rozado, José; Colunga, Santiago; de la Hera, Jesús M; Morís, César; Luyando, Luis H

2015-01-01

During the last years we have witnessed an increasing development of imaging techniques applied in Cardiology. Among them, cardiac computed tomography is an emerging and evolving technique. With the current possibility of very low radiation studies, the applications have expanded and go further coronariography In the present article we review the technical developments of cardiac computed tomography and its new applications. Copyright © 2014 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Soft Decision Analyzer

Science.gov (United States)

Lansdowne, Chatwin; Steele, Glen; Zucha, Joan; Schlesinger, Adam

2013-01-01

We describe the benefit of using closed-loop measurements for a radio receiver paired with a counterpart transmitter. We show that real-time analysis of the soft decision output of a receiver can provide rich and relevant insight far beyond the traditional hard-decision bit error rate (BER) test statistic. We describe a Soft Decision Analyzer (SDA) implementation for closed-loop measurements on single- or dual- (orthogonal) channel serial data communication links. The analyzer has been used to identify, quantify, and prioritize contributors to implementation loss in live-time during the development of software defined radios. This test technique gains importance as modern receivers are providing soft decision symbol synchronization as radio links are challenged to push more data and more protocol overhead through noisier channels, and software-defined radios (SDRs) use error-correction codes that approach Shannon's theoretical limit of performance.

Formal Analysis of Soft Errors using Theorem Proving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofiène Tahar

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Modeling and analysis of soft errors in electronic circuits has traditionally been done using computer simulations. Computer simulations cannot guarantee correctness of analysis because they utilize approximate real number representations and pseudo random numbers in the analysis and thus are not well suited for analyzing safety-critical applications. In this paper, we present a higher-order logic theorem proving based method for modeling and analysis of soft errors in electronic circuits. Our developed infrastructure includes formalized continuous random variable pairs, their Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF properties and independent standard uniform and Gaussian random variables. We illustrate the usefulness of our approach by modeling and analyzing soft errors in commonly used dynamic random access memory sense amplifier circuits.

Application of a soft computing technique in predicting the percentage of shear force carried by walls in a rectangular channel with non-homogeneous roughness.

Science.gov (United States)

Khozani, Zohreh Sheikh; Bonakdari, Hossein; Zaji, Amir Hossein

2016-01-01

Two new soft computing models, namely genetic programming (GP) and genetic artificial algorithm (GAA) neural network (a combination of modified genetic algorithm and artificial neural network methods) were developed in order to predict the percentage of shear force in a rectangular channel with non-homogeneous roughness. The ability of these methods to estimate the percentage of shear force was investigated. Moreover, the independent parameters' effectiveness in predicting the percentage of shear force was determined using sensitivity analysis. According to the results, the GP model demonstrated superior performance to the GAA model. A comparison was also made between the GP program determined as the best model and five equations obtained in prior research. The GP model with the lowest error values (root mean square error ((RMSE) of 0.0515) had the best function compared with the other equations presented for rough and smooth channels as well as smooth ducts. The equation proposed for rectangular channels with rough boundaries (RMSE of 0.0642) outperformed the prior equations for smooth boundaries.

Inference of cancer-specific gene regulatory networks using soft computing rules.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaosheng; Gotoh, Osamu

2010-03-24

Perturbations of gene regulatory networks are essentially responsible for oncogenesis. Therefore, inferring the gene regulatory networks is a key step to overcoming cancer. In this work, we propose a method for inferring directed gene regulatory networks based on soft computing rules, which can identify important cause-effect regulatory relations of gene expression. First, we identify important genes associated with a specific cancer (colon cancer) using a supervised learning approach. Next, we reconstruct the gene regulatory networks by inferring the regulatory relations among the identified genes, and their regulated relations by other genes within the genome. We obtain two meaningful findings. One is that upregulated genes are regulated by more genes than downregulated ones, while downregulated genes regulate more genes than upregulated ones. The other one is that tumor suppressors suppress tumor activators and activate other tumor suppressors strongly, while tumor activators activate other tumor activators and suppress tumor suppressors weakly, indicating the robustness of biological systems. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of cancer.

POD for Real-Time Simulation of Hyperelastic Soft Biological Tissue Using the Point Collocation Method of Finite Spheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suleiman Banihani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The point collocation method of finite spheres (PCMFS is used to model the hyperelastic response of soft biological tissue in real time within the framework of virtual surgery simulation. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD model order reduction (MOR technique was used to achieve reduced-order model of the problem, minimizing computational cost. The PCMFS is a physics-based meshfree numerical technique for real-time simulation of surgical procedures where the approximation functions are applied directly on the strong form of the boundary value problem without the need for integration, increasing computational efficiency. Since computational speed has a significant role in simulation of surgical procedures, the proposed technique was able to model realistic nonlinear behavior of organs in real time. Numerical results are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new methodology through a comparison between full and reduced analyses for several nonlinear problems. It is shown that the proposed technique was able to achieve good agreement with the full model; moreover, the computational and data storage costs were significantly reduced.

Soft start technique for diesel generator sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fredlund, Lars

1986-01-01

A diesel motor in a nuclear power plant should be of a well-proven design. It is designed for long periods of trouble-free duty, but not for the frequent and rapid test starts called for by the technical specifications. In order to decrease the dynamic forces and thermal stresses, a soft-start scheme has been implemented. By limiting the fuel injection the diesel generator will reach full speed in appr. 30 seconds. The fuel limiter is a pneumatic cylinder which mechanically limits the travel of the terminal shaft of the governor. (author)

Soft start technique for diesel generator sets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fredlund, Lars [Swedish State Power Board, Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant, S-430 22, Vaeroebacka (Sweden)

1986-02-15

A diesel motor in a nuclear power plant should be of a well-proven design. It is designed for long periods of trouble-free duty, but not for the frequent and rapid test starts called for by the technical specifications. In order to decrease the dynamic forces and thermal stresses, a soft-start scheme has been implemented. By limiting the fuel injection the diesel generator will reach full speed in appr. 30 seconds. The fuel limiter is a pneumatic cylinder which mechanically limits the travel of the terminal shaft of the governor. (author)

Review of soft tissue augmentation in the face

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Newman

2009-08-01

Full Text Available James NewmanFacial Plastic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CAFacial Plastic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USAAbstract: A primary pillar of facial rejuvenation is the replacement of soft tissue atrophy via a variety of augmentation techniques. The techniques can be classified into three categories, skeletal onlay grafts, subcutaneous volumizers, and dermal fillers. While onlay grafts and subcutaneous volumizers have the most persistent results, the emergence of improved dermal fillers in the past 5 years has become increasingly popular. An accurate diagnosis of the level(s of soft tissue atrophy in the face needs to be made prior to selection of the category or combination of techniques. In the younger patient, the selection of a dermal filler or combination of fillers can be adequate for treatment. A comparison of the composition and characteristics of the available dermal fillers are discussed in detail to assist the clinician in understanding the actual mechanism of soft tissue augmentation. In the more advanced aging face, a combination of the three categories may be necessary to produce optimal results. Just as dermal fillers have become more differentiated to increase their longevity, the non-injectible long-lasting implants are becoming more developed to mimic accurate viscoelastic properties of the facial soft tissues. All three classes of augmentation techniques can provide patients with very satisfactory results as part of overall facial rejuvenation.Keywords: soft tissue, dermal fillers, facial implants, facial augmentation

Experimental investigation of halogen-bond hard-soft acid-base complementarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Riel, Asia Marie S; Jessop, Morly J; Decato, Daniel A; Massena, Casey J; Nascimento, Vinicius R; Berryman, Orion B

2017-04-01

The halogen bond (XB) is a topical noncovalent interaction of rapidly increasing importance. The XB employs a `soft' donor atom in comparison to the `hard' proton of the hydrogen bond (HB). This difference has led to the hypothesis that XBs can form more favorable interactions with `soft' bases than HBs. While computational studies have supported this suggestion, solution and solid-state data are lacking. Here, XB soft-soft complementarity is investigated with a bidentate receptor that shows similar associations with neutral carbonyls and heavy chalcogen analogs. The solution speciation and XB soft-soft complementarity is supported by four crystal structures containing neutral and anionic soft Lewis bases.

Bipolar soft connected, bipolar soft disconnected and bipolar soft compact spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Shabir

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Bipolar soft topological spaces are mathematical expressions to estimate interpretation of data frameworks. Bipolar soft theory considers the core features of data granules. Bipolarity is important to distinguish between positive information which is guaranteed to be possible and negative information which is forbidden or surely false. Connectedness and compactness are the most important fundamental topological properties. These properties highlight the main features of topological spaces and distinguish one topology from another. Taking this into account, we explore the bipolar soft connectedness, bipolar soft disconnectedness and bipolar soft compactness properties for bipolar soft topological spaces. Moreover, we introduce the notion of bipolar soft disjoint sets, bipolar soft separation, and bipolar soft hereditary property and study on bipolar soft connected and disconnected spaces. By giving the detailed picture of bipolar soft connected and disconnected spaces we investigate bipolar soft compact spaces and derive some results related to this concept.

[Axial computer tomography of the neurocranium (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Stöppler, L

1977-05-27

Computer tomography (CT), a new radiographic examination technique, is very highly efficient, for it has high informative content with little stress for the patient. In contrast to the conventional X-ray technology, CT succeeds, by direct presentation of the structure of the soft parts, in obtaining information which comes close to that of macroscopic neuropathology. The capacity and limitations of the method at the present stage of development are reported. Computer tomography cannot displace conventional neuroradiological methods of investigation, although it is rightly presented as a screening method and helps towards selective use. Indications, technical integration and handling of CT are prerequisites for the exhaustive benefit of the excellent new technique.

Evolutionary computation techniques a comparative perspective

CERN Document Server

Cuevas, Erik; Oliva, Diego

2017-01-01

This book compares the performance of various evolutionary computation (EC) techniques when they are faced with complex optimization problems extracted from different engineering domains. Particularly focusing on recently developed algorithms, it is designed so that each chapter can be read independently. Several comparisons among EC techniques have been reported in the literature, however, they all suffer from one limitation: their conclusions are based on the performance of popular evolutionary approaches over a set of synthetic functions with exact solutions and well-known behaviors, without considering the application context or including recent developments. In each chapter, a complex engineering optimization problem is posed, and then a particular EC technique is presented as the best choice, according to its search characteristics. Lastly, a set of experiments is conducted in order to compare its performance to other popular EC methods.

CT discography for cervical soft disc hernia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwasa, Kenichi; Mizutani, Shigeru; Morimoto, Hiroyuki; Yamada, Hidehito; Iwasa, Satoru

1985-03-01

In this study the effectiveness of computed tomographic discography (CTD) in diagnosing cervical soft disc hernia was evaluated. Twenty-five intervertebral discs of 15 cases with cervical soft disc hernia were examined with a discography and then a CT scan. Results of the CT scan were as follows: three discs were protruded, 12 discs were prolapsed, 6 discs were extruded, and 4 discs were sequestrated. The findings were helpful in determining the location of soft disc hernias between the median and posterolateral discs. They were also valuable in classifying types of hernias and surgical approaches.

Computational techniques in tribology and material science at the atomic level

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrante, J.; Bozzolo, G. H.

1992-01-01

Computations in tribology and material science at the atomic level present considerable difficulties. Computational techniques ranging from first-principles to semi-empirical and their limitations are discussed. Example calculations of metallic surface energies using semi-empirical techniques are presented. Finally, application of the methods to calculation of adhesion and friction are presented.

Description of EMX computer code. System for measuring soft X rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marty, D.A.; Smeulders, P.; Launois, D.

1978-07-01

After briefly describing the system for measuring soft X rays implanted in TFR 600, the objectives and principles of the E.M.X calculation programme are presented. This model is divided into two distinct parts. The ultimate aim of EMX 1, the first part, is to build the soft X ray photo of a plasma with varied characteristics, seen through a certain collimation system (in this case a slit). That of EMX 2, the second part, is to filter the previously built soft X ray photo, by means of the system of absorbents belonging to the measuring system and to calculate the currents generated by each detector aimed at a plasma chord. The first calculation results are commented and discussed [fr

Comparison of radiographic technique by computer simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brochi, M.A.C.; Ghilardi Neto, T.

1989-01-01

A computational algorithm to compare radiographic techniques (KVp, mAs and filters) is developed based in the fixation of parameters that defines the images, such as optical density and constrast. Before the experience, the results were used in a radiography of thorax. (author) [pt

3D printing of soft-matter to open a new era of soft-matter MEMS/robotics (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2017-04-01

3D printing technology is becoming useful and applicable by the progress of information and communication technology (ICT). It means 3D printer is a kind of useful robot for additive manufacturing and is controlled by computer with human-friendly software. Once user starts to use 3D printing of soft-matter, one can immediately understand computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) technology will be more important and applicable for soft-matter systems. User can easily design soft-matter objects and 3D-print them. User can easily apply 3D-printed soft-matter objects to develop new research and application on MEMS and robotics. Here we introduce the recent progress of 3D printing (i.e. additive manufacturing), especially focusing on our 3D gel printing. We are trying to develop new advanced research and applications of 3D gel printer, including GEL-MECHANICS, GEL-PHOTONICS, and GEL-ROBOTICS. In the gel-mechanics, we are developing new gel materials for mechanical engineering. Some gels have high-mechanical strength and shape memory properties. In the gel-photonics. We are applying our original characterizing system, named `Scanning Microscopic Light Scattering (SMILS)', to analyze 3D printed gel materials. In the gel-robotics, we focus on 3D printing of soft parts for soft-robotics made form gel materials, like gel finger. Also we are challenging to apply 3D gel printing to start new company, to innovate new businesses in county side, and to create new 3D-printed foods.

APPLYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES TO HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenwald, Diane H.

1988-01-01

A description is given of UIMS (User Interface Management System), a system using a variety of artificial intelligence techniques to build knowledge-based user interfaces combining functionality and information from a variety of computer systems that maintain, test, and configure customer telephone...... and data networks. Three artificial intelligence (AI) techniques used in UIMS are discussed, namely, frame representation, object-oriented programming languages, and rule-based systems. The UIMS architecture is presented, and the structure of the UIMS is explained in terms of the AI techniques....

Soft X-ray beam induced current technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watts, B; Ade, H [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Queen, D; Hellman, F [Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Kilcoyne, A L D; Tyliszczak, T, E-mail: benjamin.watts@gmail.co [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab., Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2009-09-01

Direct mapping of the charge transport efficiency of polymer solar cell devices using a soft X-ray beam induced current (SoXBIC) method is described. By fabricating a polymer solar cell on an x-ray transparent substrate, we demonstrate the ability to map polymer composition and nanoscale structure within an operating solar cell device and to simultaneously measure the local charge transport efficiency via the short-circuit current. A simple model is calculated and compared to experimental SoXBIC data of a PFB:F8BT bulk-heterojunction device in order to gain greater insight into the device operation and physics.

Soft tissue augmentation techniques and materials used in the oral cavity : an overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolff, J.; Farré-Guasch, E.; Sándor, G.K.; Gibbs, S.; Jager, D.J.; Forouzanfar, T.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Oral soft tissue augmentation or grafting procedures are often necessary to achieve proper wound closure after deficits resulting from tumor excision, clefts, trauma, dental implants, and tooth recessions. Materials and Methods: Autologous soft tissue grafts still remain the gold standard

Computer-Assisted Technique for Surgical Tooth Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hosamuddin Hamza

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Surgical tooth extraction is a common procedure in dentistry. However, numerous extraction cases show a high level of difficulty in practice. This difficulty is usually related to inadequate visualization, improper instrumentation, or other factors related to the targeted tooth (e.g., ankyloses or presence of bony undercut. Methods. In this work, the author presents a new technique for surgical tooth extraction based on 3D imaging, computer planning, and a new concept of computer-assisted manufacturing. Results. The outcome of this work is a surgical guide made by 3D printing of plastics and CNC of metals (hybrid outcome. In addition, the conventional surgical cutting tools (surgical burs are modified with a number of stoppers adjusted to avoid any excessive drilling that could harm bone or other vital structures. Conclusion. The present outcome could provide a minimally invasive technique to overcome the routine complications facing dental surgeons in surgical extraction procedures.

Computational Intelligence Techniques for New Product Design

CERN Document Server

Chan, Kit Yan; Dillon, Tharam S

2012-01-01

Applying computational intelligence for product design is a fast-growing and promising research area in computer sciences and industrial engineering. However, there is currently a lack of books, which discuss this research area. This book discusses a wide range of computational intelligence techniques for implementation on product design. It covers common issues on product design from identification of customer requirements in product design, determination of importance of customer requirements, determination of optimal design attributes, relating design attributes and customer satisfaction, integration of marketing aspects into product design, affective product design, to quality control of new products. Approaches for refinement of computational intelligence are discussed, in order to address different issues on product design. Cases studies of product design in terms of development of real-world new products are included, in order to illustrate the design procedures, as well as the effectiveness of the com...

COGNITIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS AS A MEANS OF "SOFT" MODELING IN PROBLEMS OF RESTORATION OF FUNCTIONS OF TWO VARIABLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.N. Khomchenko

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The paper considers the problem of bi-cubic interpolation on the final element of serendipity family. With cognitive-graphical analysis the rigid model of Ergatoudis, Irons and Zenkevich (1968 compared with alternative models, obtained by the methods: direct geometric design, a weighted averaging of the basis polynomials, systematic generation of bases (advanced Taylor procedure. The emphasis is placed on the phenomenon of "gravitational repulsion" (Zenkevich paradox. The causes of rising of inadequate physical spectra nodal loads on serendipity elements of higher orders are investigated. Soft modeling allows us to build a lot of serendipity elements of bicubic interpolation, and you do not even need to know the exact form of the rigid model. The different interpretations of integral characteristics of the basis polynomials: geometrical, physical, probability are offered. Under the soft model in the theory of interpolation of function of two variables implies the model amenable to change through the choice of basis. Such changes in the family of Lagrangian finite elements of higher orders are excluded (hard simulation. Standard models of serendipity family (Zenkevich were also tough. It was found that the "responsibility" for the rigidity of serendipity model rests on ruled surfaces (zero Gaussian curvature - conoids that predominate in the base set. Cognitive portraits zero lines of standard serendipity surfaces suggested that in order to "mitigate" of serendipity pattern conoid should better be replaced by surfaces of alternating Gaussian curvature. The article shows the alternative (soft bases of serendipity models. The work is devoted to solving scientific and technological problems aimed at the creation, dissemination and use of cognitive computer graphics in teaching and learning. The results are of interest to students of specialties: "Computer Science and Information Technologies", "System Analysis", "Software Engineering", as well as

Computer technique for evaluating collimator performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rollo, F.D.

1975-01-01

A computer program has been developed to theoretically evaluate the overall performance of collimators used with radioisotope scanners and γ cameras. The first step of the program involves the determination of the line spread function (LSF) and geometrical efficiency from the fundamental parameters of the collimator being evaluated. The working equations can be applied to any plane of interest. The resulting LSF is applied to subroutine computer programs which compute corresponding modulation transfer function and contrast efficiency functions. The latter function is then combined with appropriate geometrical efficiency data to determine the performance index function. The overall computer program allows one to predict from the physical parameters of the collimator alone how well the collimator will reproduce various sized spherical voids of activity in the image plane. The collimator performance program can be used to compare the performance of various collimator types, to study the effects of source depth on collimator performance, and to assist in the design of collimators. The theory of the collimator performance equation is discussed, a comparison between the experimental and theoretical LSF values is made, and examples of the application of the technique are presented

A Soft Computing Approach to Crack Detection and Impact Source Identification with Field-Programmable Gate Array Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arati M. Dixit

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The real-time nondestructive testing (NDT for crack detection and impact source identification (CDISI has attracted the researchers from diverse areas. This is apparent from the current work in the literature. CDISI has usually been performed by visual assessment of waveforms generated by a standard data acquisition system. In this paper we suggest an automation of CDISI for metal armor plates using a soft computing approach by developing a fuzzy inference system to effectively deal with this problem. It is also advantageous to develop a chip that can contribute towards real time CDISI. The objective of this paper is to report on efforts to develop an automated CDISI procedure and to formulate a technique such that the proposed method can be easily implemented on a chip. The CDISI fuzzy inference system is developed using MATLAB’s fuzzy logic toolbox. A VLSI circuit for CDISI is developed on basis of fuzzy logic model using Verilog, a hardware description language (HDL. The Xilinx ISE WebPACK9.1i is used for design, synthesis, implementation, and verification. The CDISI field-programmable gate array (FPGA implementation is done using Xilinx’s Spartan 3 FPGA. SynaptiCAD’s Verilog Simulators—VeriLogger PRO and ModelSim—are used as the software simulation and debug environment.

Tensor-Train Split-Operator Fourier Transform (TT-SOFT) Method: Multidimensional Nonadiabatic Quantum Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Samuel M; Batista, Victor S

2017-09-12

We introduce the "tensor-train split-operator Fourier transform" (TT-SOFT) method for simulations of multidimensional nonadiabatic quantum dynamics. TT-SOFT is essentially the grid-based SOFT method implemented in dynamically adaptive tensor-train representations. In the same spirit of all matrix product states, the tensor-train format enables the representation, propagation, and computation of observables of multidimensional wave functions in terms of the grid-based wavepacket tensor components, bypassing the need of actually computing the wave function in its full-rank tensor product grid space. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the TT-SOFT method as applied to propagation of 24-dimensional wave packets, describing the S 1 /S 2 interconversion dynamics of pyrazine after UV photoexcitation to the S 2 state. Our results show that the TT-SOFT method is a powerful computational approach for simulations of quantum dynamics of polyatomic systems since it avoids the exponential scaling problem of full-rank grid-based representations.

A review of metaheuristic scheduling techniques in cloud computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mala Kalra

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing has become a buzzword in the area of high performance distributed computing as it provides on-demand access to shared pool of resources over Internet in a self-service, dynamically scalable and metered manner. Cloud computing is still in its infancy, so to reap its full benefits, much research is required across a broad array of topics. One of the important research issues which need to be focused for its efficient performance is scheduling. The goal of scheduling is to map tasks to appropriate resources that optimize one or more objectives. Scheduling in cloud computing belongs to a category of problems known as NP-hard problem due to large solution space and thus it takes a long time to find an optimal solution. There are no algorithms which may produce optimal solution within polynomial time to solve these problems. In cloud environment, it is preferable to find suboptimal solution, but in short period of time. Metaheuristic based techniques have been proved to achieve near optimal solutions within reasonable time for such problems. In this paper, we provide an extensive survey and comparative analysis of various scheduling algorithms for cloud and grid environments based on three popular metaheuristic techniques: Ant Colony Optimization (ACO, Genetic Algorithm (GA and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO, and two novel techniques: League Championship Algorithm (LCA and BAT algorithm.

The separate universe approach to soft limits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kenton, Zachary; Mulryne, David J., E-mail: z.a.kenton@qmul.ac.uk, E-mail: d.mulryne@qmul.ac.uk [School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2016-10-01

We develop a formalism for calculating soft limits of n -point inflationary correlation functions using separate universe techniques. Our method naturally allows for multiple fields and leads to an elegant diagrammatic approach. As an application we focus on the trispectrum produced by inflation with multiple light fields, giving explicit formulae for all possible single- and double-soft limits. We also investigate consistency relations and present an infinite tower of inequalities between soft correlation functions which generalise the Suyama-Yamaguchi inequality.

Application of computational intelligence techniques for load shedding in power systems: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laghari, J.A.; Mokhlis, H.; Bakar, A.H.A.; Mohamad, Hasmaini

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The power system blackout history of last two decades is presented. • Conventional load shedding techniques, their types and limitations are presented. • Applications of intelligent techniques in load shedding are presented. • Intelligent techniques include ANN, fuzzy logic, ANFIS, genetic algorithm and PSO. • The discussion and comparison between these techniques are provided. - Abstract: Recent blackouts around the world question the reliability of conventional and adaptive load shedding techniques in avoiding such power outages. To address this issue, reliable techniques are required to provide fast and accurate load shedding to prevent collapse in the power system. Computational intelligence techniques, due to their robustness and flexibility in dealing with complex non-linear systems, could be an option in addressing this problem. Computational intelligence includes techniques like artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic control, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system, and particle swarm optimization. Research in these techniques is being undertaken in order to discover means for more efficient and reliable load shedding. This paper provides an overview of these techniques as applied to load shedding in a power system. This paper also compares the advantages of computational intelligence techniques over conventional load shedding techniques. Finally, this paper discusses the limitation of computational intelligence techniques, which restricts their usage in load shedding in real time

The Complex Neutrosophic Soft Expert Relation and Its Multiple Attribute Decision-Making Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf Al-Quran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a novel soft computing technique, called the complex neutrosophic soft expert relation (CNSER, to evaluate the degree of interaction between two hybrid models called complex neutrosophic soft expert sets (CNSESs. CNSESs are used to represent two-dimensional data that are imprecise, uncertain, incomplete and indeterminate. Moreover, it has a mechanism to incorporate the parameter set and the opinions of all experts in one model, thus making it highly suitable for use in decision-making problems where the time factor plays a key role in determining the final decision. The complex neutrosophic soft expert set and complex neutrosophic soft expert relation are both defined. Utilizing the properties of CNSER introduced, an empirical study is conducted on the relationship between the variability of the currency exchange rate and Malaysian exports and the time frame (phase of the interaction between these two variables. This study is supported further by an algorithm to determine the type and the degree of this relationship. A comparison between different existing relations and CNSER to show the ascendancy of our proposed CNSER is provided. Then, the notion of the inverse, complement and composition of CNSERs along with some related theorems and properties are introduced. Finally, we define the symmetry, transitivity and reflexivity of CNSERs, as well as the equivalence relation and equivalence classes on CNSESs. Some interesting properties are also obtained.

Soft tissue augmentation 2006: filler fantasy.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Arnold William

2006-01-01

As an increasing number of patients seek esthetic improvement through minimally invasive procedures, interest in soft tissue augmentation and filling agents is at an all-time high. One reason for this interest is the availability of botulinum toxin type A, which works superbly in the upper face. The rejuvenation of the upper face has created much interest in injectable filling agents and implant techniques that work equally well in the restoration of the lower face. One of the central tenets of soft tissue augmentation is the concept of the three-dimensional face. The youthful face has a soft, full appearance, as opposed to the flat, pulled, two-dimensional look often achieved by more traditional surgical approaches. Injectable filling agents can augment and even at times, replace pulling. Additionally, with the lip as the focal center of the lower face, subtle lip enhancement is here to stay, and is in fact, the number one indication for injectable fillers. Moreover, minimally invasive soft tissue augmentation offers cosmetic enhancement without the cost and recovery time associated with more invasive procedures. As more and more physicians take interest in minimally invasive surgery, courses in cosmetic surgery techniques are becoming increasingly popular at the medical meetings of many specialties. Today, physicians have a much larger armamentarium of techniques and materials with which to improve facial contours, ameliorate wrinkles, and provide esthetic rejuvenation to the face. For a substance or device to be amenable for soft tissue augmentation in the medical community, it must meet certain criteria. It must have both a high "use" potential, producing cosmetically pleasing results with a minimum undesirable reactions, and have a low abuse potential in that widespread or incorrect or indiscriminate use would not result in significant morbidity. It must be nonteratogenic, noncarcinogenic, and nonmigratory. In addition, the agent must provide predictable

3D printing of soft robotic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wallin, T. J.; Pikul, J.; Shepherd, R. F.

2018-06-01

Soft robots are capable of mimicking the complex motion of animals. Soft robotic systems are defined by their compliance, which allows for continuous and often responsive localized deformation. These features make soft robots especially interesting for integration with human tissues, for example, the implementation of biomedical devices, and for robotic performance in harsh or uncertain environments, for example, exploration in confined spaces or locomotion on uneven terrain. Advances in soft materials and additive manufacturing technologies have enabled the design of soft robots with sophisticated capabilities, such as jumping, complex 3D movements, gripping and releasing. In this Review, we examine the essential soft material properties for different elements of soft robots, highlighting the most relevant polymer systems. Advantages and limitations of different additive manufacturing processes, including 3D printing, fused deposition modelling, direct ink writing, selective laser sintering, inkjet printing and stereolithography, are discussed, and the different techniques are investigated for their application in soft robotic fabrication. Finally, we explore integrated robotic systems and give an outlook for the future of the field and remaining challenges.

CT discography for cervical soft disc hernia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasa, Kenichi; Mizutani, Shigeru; Morimoto, Hiroyuki; Yamada, Hidehito; Iwasa, Satoru

1985-01-01

In this study the effectiveness of computed tomographic discography (CTD) in diagnosing cervical soft disc hernia was evaluated. Twenty-five interververtebral discs of 15 cases with cervical soft disc hernia were examined with a discography and then a CT scan. Results of the CT scan were as follows: three discs were protruded, 12 discs were prolapsed, 6 discs were extruded, and 4 discs were sequestrated. The findings were helpful in determining the location of soft disc hernians between the median and posterolateral discs. They were also valuable in classifying types of hernians and surgical aproaches. (author)

A pseudo-discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (PDART) prior image-based suppression of high density artifacts in computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pua, Rizza; Park, Miran; Wi, Sunhee; Cho, Seungryong, E-mail: scho@kaist.ac.kr

2016-12-21

We propose a hybrid metal artifact reduction (MAR) approach for computed tomography (CT) that is computationally more efficient than a fully iterative reconstruction method, but at the same time achieves superior image quality to the interpolation-based in-painting techniques. Our proposed MAR method, an image-based artifact subtraction approach, utilizes an intermediate prior image reconstructed via PDART to recover the background information underlying the high density objects. For comparison, prior images generated by total-variation minimization (TVM) algorithm, as a realization of fully iterative approach, were also utilized as intermediate images. From the simulation and real experimental results, it has been shown that PDART drastically accelerates the reconstruction to an acceptable quality of prior images. Incorporating PDART-reconstructed prior images in the proposed MAR scheme achieved higher quality images than those by a conventional in-painting method. Furthermore, the results were comparable to the fully iterative MAR that uses high-quality TVM prior images. - Highlights: • An accelerated reconstruction method, PDART, is proposed for exterior problems. • With a few iterations, soft prior image was reconstructed from the exterior data. • PDART framework has enabled an efficient hybrid metal artifact reduction in CT.

Information granularity, big data, and computational intelligence

CERN Document Server

Chen, Shyi-Ming

2015-01-01

The recent pursuits emerging in the realm of big data processing, interpretation, collection and organization have emerged in numerous sectors including business, industry, and government organizations. Data sets such as customer transactions for a mega-retailer, weather monitoring, intelligence gathering, quickly outpace the capacities of traditional techniques and tools of data analysis. The 3V (volume, variability and velocity) challenges led to the emergence of new techniques and tools in data visualization, acquisition, and serialization. Soft Computing being regarded as a plethora of technologies of fuzzy sets (or Granular Computing), neurocomputing and evolutionary optimization brings forward a number of unique features that might be instrumental to the development of concepts and algorithms to deal with big data. This carefully edited volume provides the reader with an updated, in-depth material on the emerging principles, conceptual underpinnings, algorithms and practice of Computational Intelligenc...

Modeling with data tools and techniques for scientific computing

CERN Document Server

Klemens, Ben

2009-01-01

Modeling with Data fully explains how to execute computationally intensive analyses on very large data sets, showing readers how to determine the best methods for solving a variety of different problems, how to create and debug statistical models, and how to run an analysis and evaluate the results. Ben Klemens introduces a set of open and unlimited tools, and uses them to demonstrate data management, analysis, and simulation techniques essential for dealing with large data sets and computationally intensive procedures. He then demonstrates how to easily apply these tools to the many threads of statistical technique, including classical, Bayesian, maximum likelihood, and Monte Carlo methods

Inference of Cancer-specific Gene Regulatory Networks Using Soft Computing Rules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaosheng Wang

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Perturbations of gene regulatory networks are essentially responsible for oncogenesis. Therefore, inferring the gene regulatory networks is a key step to overcoming cancer. In this work, we propose a method for inferring directed gene regulatory networks based on soft computing rules, which can identify important cause-effect regulatory relations of gene expression. First, we identify important genes associated with a specific cancer (colon cancer using a supervised learning approach. Next, we reconstruct the gene regulatory networks by inferring the regulatory relations among the identified genes, and their regulated relations by other genes within the genome. We obtain two meaningful findings. One is that upregulated genes are regulated by more genes than downregulated ones, while downregulated genes regulate more genes than upregulated ones. The other one is that tumor suppressors suppress tumor activators and activate other tumor suppressors strongly, while tumor activators activate other tumor activators and suppress tumor suppressors weakly, indicating the robustness of biological systems. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of cancer.

COOBBO: A Novel Opposition-Based Soft Computing Algorithm for TSP Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingzheng Xu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a novel definition of opposite path. Its core feature is that the sequence of candidate paths and the distances between adjacent nodes in the tour are considered simultaneously. In a sense, the candidate path and its corresponding opposite path have the same (or similar at least distance to the optimal path in the current population. Based on an accepted framework for employing opposition-based learning, Oppositional Biogeography-Based Optimization using the Current Optimum, called COOBBO algorithm, is introduced to solve traveling salesman problems. We demonstrate its performance on eight benchmark problems and compare it with other optimization algorithms. Simulation results illustrate that the excellent performance of our proposed algorithm is attributed to the distinct definition of opposite path. In addition, its great strength lies in exploitation for enhancing the solution accuracy, not exploration for improving the population diversity. Finally, by comparing different version of COOBBO, another conclusion is that each successful opposition-based soft computing algorithm needs to adjust and remain a good balance between backward adjacent node and forward adjacent node.

Soft biometrics in conjunction with optics based biohashing

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Nirmala; Sinha, Aloka

2011-02-01

Biometric systems are gaining importance because of increased reliability for authentication and identification. A biometric recognition technique has been proposed earlier, in which biohashing code has been generated by using a joint transform correlator. The main drawback of the base biohashing method is the low performance of the technique when an "impostor" steals the pseudo-random numbers of the genuine and tries to authenticate as genuine. In the proposed technique, soft biometrics of the same person has been used to improve the discrimination between the genuine and the impostor populations. The soft biometrics are those characteristics that provide some information about the individual, but lack the distinctiveness and permanence to sufficiently differentiate between any two individuals. In the enrolment process, biohash code of the target face images has been integrated with the different soft biometrics of the same person. The obtained code has been stored for verification. In the verification process, biohash code of the face image to be verified is again diffused with the soft biometric of the person. The obtained code is matched with the stored code of the target. The receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the equal error rate (EER) have been used to evaluate the performance of the technique. A detailed study has been carried out to find out the optimum values of the weighting factor for the diffusion process.

Intelligent computer-generated tumor volumetrics: New automated technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macrea, K.; Fishman, E.K.

1987-01-01

Slice data from scanners are placed in a 3D array in one-to-one correspondence with their physical origins. The organ of interest is isolated using ''soft'' scan (CT, MR, etc.) number windows and geometric information. Voxels at the ''edges'' of ''soft'' windows contribute fractionally. The organ's position is used, as is its ''shape,'' especially if adjacent tissues have similar scan numbers; then smooth boundary curve fitting is also used. The total of (fractionally) contributing voxels is proportional to the organ volume. The total contributing voxels in the subregion with ''soft'' tumor tissue type yields the tumor volume

Facial soft-tissue asymmetry in three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography images of children with surgically corrected unilateral clefts.

Science.gov (United States)

Starbuck, John Marlow; Ghoneima, Ahmed; Kula, Katherine

2014-03-01

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a relatively common craniofacial malformation involving bony and soft-tissue disruptions of the nasolabial and dentoalveolar regions. The combination of CL/P and subsequent craniofacial surgeries to close the cleft and improve appearance of the cutaneous upper lip and nose can cause scarring and muscle pull, possibly resulting in soft-tissue depth asymmetries across the face. We tested the hypothesis that tissue depths in children with unilateral CL/P exhibit differences in symmetry across the sides of the face. Twenty-eight tissue depths were measured on cone-beam computed tomography images of children with unilateral CL/P (n = 55), aged 7 to 17 years, using Dolphin software (version 11.5). Significant differences in tissue depth symmetry were found around the cutaneous upper lip and nose in patients with unilateral CL/P.

Soft-Matter Printed Circuit Board with UV Laser Micropatterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Tong; Markvicka, Eric J; Jin, Yichu; Majidi, Carmel

2017-07-05

When encapsulated in elastomer, micropatterned traces of Ga-based liquid metal (LM) can function as elastically deformable circuit wiring that provides mechanically robust electrical connectivity between solid-state elements (e.g., transistors, processors, and sensor nodes). However, LM-microelectronics integration is currently limited by challenges in rapid fabrication of LM circuits and the creation of vias between circuit terminals and the I/O pins of packaged electronics. In this study, we address both with a unique layup for soft-matter electronics in which traces of liquid-phase Ga-In eutectic (EGaIn) are patterned with UV laser micromachining (UVLM). The terminals of the elastomer-sealed LM circuit connect to the surface mounted chips through vertically aligned columns of EGaIn-coated Ag-Fe 2 O 3 microparticles that are embedded within an interfacial elastomer layer. The processing technique is compatible with conventional UVLM printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping and exploits the photophysical ablation of EGaIn on an elastomer substrate. Potential applications to wearable computing and biosensing are demonstrated with functional implementations in which soft-matter PCBs are populated with surface-mounted microelectronics.

Cloud computing and digital media fundamentals, techniques, and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Kuan-Ching; Shih, Timothy K

2014-01-01

Cloud Computing and Digital Media: Fundamentals, Techniques, and Applications presents the fundamentals of cloud and media infrastructure, novel technologies that integrate digital media with cloud computing, and real-world applications that exemplify the potential of cloud computing for next-generation digital media. It brings together technologies for media/data communication, elastic media/data storage, security, authentication, cross-network media/data fusion, interdevice media interaction/reaction, data centers, PaaS, SaaS, and more.The book covers resource optimization for multimedia clo

Soft Active Materials for Actuation, Sensing, and Electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Rebecca Krone

Future generations of robots, electronics, and assistive medical devices will include systems that are soft and elastically deformable, allowing them to adapt their morphology in unstructured environments. This will require soft active materials for actuation, circuitry, and sensing of deformation and contact pressure. The emerging field of soft robotics utilizes these soft active materials to mimic the inherent compliance of natural soft-bodied systems. As the elasticity of robot components increases, the challenges for functionality revert to basic questions of fabrication, materials, and design - whereas such aspects are far more developed for traditional rigid-bodied systems. This thesis will highlight preliminary materials and designs that address the need for soft actuators and sensors, as well as emerging fabrication techniques for manufacturing stretchable circuits and devices based on liquid-embedded elastomers.

Fusion of neural computing and PLS techniques for load estimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, M.; Xue, H.; Cheng, X. [Northwestern Polytechnical Univ., Xi' an (China); Zhang, W. [Xi' an Inst. of Post and Telecommunication, Xi' an (China)

2007-07-01

A method to predict the electric load of a power system in real time was presented. The method is based on neurocomputing and partial least squares (PLS). Short-term load forecasts for power systems are generally determined by conventional statistical methods and Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques such as neural computing. However, statistical modeling methods often require the input of questionable distributional assumptions, and neural computing is weak, particularly in determining topology. In order to overcome the problems associated with conventional techniques, the authors developed a CI hybrid model based on neural computation and PLS techniques. The theoretical foundation for the designed CI hybrid model was presented along with its application in a power system. The hybrid model is suitable for nonlinear modeling and latent structure extracting. It can automatically determine the optimal topology to maximize the generalization. The CI hybrid model provides faster convergence and better prediction results compared to the abductive networks model because it incorporates a load conversion technique as well as new transfer functions. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the hybrid model, load forecasting was performed on a data set obtained from the Puget Sound Power and Light Company. Compared with the abductive networks model, the CI hybrid model reduced the forecast error by 32.37 per cent on workday, and by an average of 27.18 per cent on the weekend. It was concluded that the CI hybrid model has a more powerful predictive ability. 7 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

In vivo X-Ray Computed Tomographic Imaging of Soft Tissue with Native, Intravenous, or Oral Contrast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Matthew Leevy

2013-05-01

Full Text Available X-ray Computed Tomography (CT is one of the most commonly utilized anatomical imaging modalities for both research and clinical purposes. CT combines high-resolution, three-dimensional data with relatively fast acquisition to provide a solid platform for non-invasive human or specimen imaging. The primary limitation of CT is its inability to distinguish many soft tissues based on native contrast. While bone has high contrast within a CT image due to its material density from calcium phosphate, soft tissue is less dense and many are homogenous in density. This presents a challenge in distinguishing one type of soft tissue from another. A couple exceptions include the lungs as well as fat, both of which have unique densities owing to the presence of air or bulk hydrocarbons, respectively. In order to facilitate X-ray CT imaging of other structures, a range of contrast agents have been developed to selectively identify and visualize the anatomical properties of individual tissues. Most agents incorporate atoms like iodine, gold, or barium because of their ability to absorb X-rays, and thus impart contrast to a given organ system. Here we review the strategies available to visualize lung, fat, brain, kidney, liver, spleen, vasculature, gastrointestinal tract, and liver tissues of living mice using either innate contrast, or commercial injectable or ingestible agents with selective perfusion. Further, we demonstrate how each of these approaches will facilitate the non-invasive, longitudinal, in vivo imaging of pre-clinical disease models at each anatomical site.

In vivo X-Ray Computed Tomographic Imaging of Soft Tissue with Native, Intravenous, or Oral Contrast

Science.gov (United States)

Wathen, Connor A.; Foje, Nathan; van Avermaete, Tony; Miramontes, Bernadette; Chapaman, Sarah E.; Sasser, Todd A.; Kannan, Raghuraman; Gerstler, Steven; Leevy, W. Matthew

2013-01-01

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is one of the most commonly utilized anatomical imaging modalities for both research and clinical purposes. CT combines high-resolution, three-dimensional data with relatively fast acquisition to provide a solid platform for non-invasive human or specimen imaging. The primary limitation of CT is its inability to distinguish many soft tissues based on native contrast. While bone has high contrast within a CT image due to its material density from calcium phosphate, soft tissue is less dense and many are homogenous in density. This presents a challenge in distinguishing one type of soft tissue from another. A couple exceptions include the lungs as well as fat, both of which have unique densities owing to the presence of air or bulk hydrocarbons, respectively. In order to facilitate X-ray CT imaging of other structures, a range of contrast agents have been developed to selectively identify and visualize the anatomical properties of individual tissues. Most agents incorporate atoms like iodine, gold, or barium because of their ability to absorb X-rays, and thus impart contrast to a given organ system. Here we review the strategies available to visualize lung, fat, brain, kidney, liver, spleen, vasculature, gastrointestinal tract, and liver tissues of living mice using either innate contrast, or commercial injectable or ingestible agents with selective perfusion. Further, we demonstrate how each of these approaches will facilitate the non-invasive, longitudinal, in vivo imaging of pre-clinical disease models at each anatomical site. PMID:23711461

Advances in data representation for hard/soft information fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Rimland, Jeffrey C.; Coughlin, Dan; Hall, David L.; Graham, Jacob L.

2012-06-01

Information fusion is becoming increasingly human-centric. While past systems typically relegated humans to the role of analyzing a finished fusion product, current systems are exploring the role of humans as integral elements in a modular and extensible distributed framework where many tasks can be accomplished by either human or machine performers. For example, "participatory sensing" campaigns give humans the role of "soft sensors" by uploading their direct observations or as "soft sensor platforms" by using mobile devices to record human-annotated, GPS-encoded high quality photographs, video, or audio. Additionally, the role of "human-in-the-loop", in which individuals or teams using advanced human computer interface (HCI) tools such as stereoscopic 3D visualization, haptic interfaces, or aural "sonification" interfaces can help to effectively engage the innate human capability to perform pattern matching, anomaly identification, and semantic-based contextual reasoning to interpret an evolving situation. The Pennsylvania State University is participating in a Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program funded by the U.S. Army Research Office to investigate fusion of hard and soft data in counterinsurgency (COIN) situations. In addition to the importance of this research for Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), many of the same challenges and techniques apply to health and medical informatics, crisis management, crowd-sourced "citizen science", and monitoring environmental concerns. One of the key challenges that we have encountered is the development of data formats, protocols, and methodologies to establish an information architecture and framework for the effective capture, representation, transmission, and storage of the vastly heterogeneous data and accompanying metadata -- including capabilities and characteristics of human observers, uncertainty of human observations, "soft" contextual data, and information pedigree

Development of a computational system for radiotherapic planning with the IMRT technique applied to the MCNP computer code with 3D graphic interface for voxel models; Desenvolvimento de um sistema computacional para o planejamento radioterapico com a tecnica IMRT aplicado ao codigo MCNP com interface grafica 3D para modelos de voxel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonseca, Telma Cristina Ferreira

2009-07-01

The Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - IMRT is an advanced treatment technique used worldwide in oncology medicine branch. On this master proposal was developed a software package for simulating the IMRT protocol, namely SOFT-RT which attachment the research group 'Nucleo de Radiacoes Ionizantes' - NRI at UFMG. The computational system SOFT-RT allows producing the absorbed dose simulation of the radiotherapic treatment through a three-dimensional voxel model of the patient. The SISCODES code, from NRI, research group, helps in producing the voxel model of the interest region from a set of CT or MRI digitalized images. The SOFT-RT allows also the rotation and translation of the model about the coordinate system axis for better visualization of the model and the beam. The SOFT-RT collects and exports the necessary parameters to MCNP code which will carry out the nuclear radiation transport towards the tumor and adjacent healthy tissues for each orientation and position of the beam planning. Through three-dimensional visualization of voxel model of a patient, it is possible to focus on a tumoral region preserving the whole tissues around them. It takes in account where exactly the radiation beam passes through, which tissues are affected and how much dose is applied in both tissues. The Out-module from SOFT-RT imports the results and express the dose response superimposing dose and voxel model in gray scale in a three-dimensional graphic representation. The present master thesis presents the new computational system of radiotherapic treatment - SOFT-RT code which has been developed using the robust and multi-platform C{sup ++} programming language with the OpenGL graphics packages. The Linux operational system was adopted with the goal of running it in an open source platform and free access. Preliminary simulation results for a cerebral tumor case will be reported as well as some dosimetric evaluations. (author)

Development of a computational system for radiotherapic planning with the IMRT technique applied to the MCNP computer code with 3D graphic interface for voxel models; Desenvolvimento de um sistema computacional para o planejamento radioterapico com a tecnica IMRT aplicado ao codigo MCNP com interface grafica 3D para modelos de voxel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonseca, Telma Cristina Ferreira

2009-07-01

The Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - IMRT is an advanced treatment technique used worldwide in oncology medicine branch. On this master proposal was developed a software package for simulating the IMRT protocol, namely SOFT-RT which attachment the research group 'Nucleo de Radiacoes Ionizantes' - NRI at UFMG. The computational system SOFT-RT allows producing the absorbed dose simulation of the radiotherapic treatment through a three-dimensional voxel model of the patient. The SISCODES code, from NRI, research group, helps in producing the voxel model of the interest region from a set of CT or MRI digitalized images. The SOFT-RT allows also the rotation and translation of the model about the coordinate system axis for better visualization of the model and the beam. The SOFT-RT collects and exports the necessary parameters to MCNP code which will carry out the nuclear radiation transport towards the tumor and adjacent healthy tissues for each orientation and position of the beam planning. Through three-dimensional visualization of voxel model of a patient, it is possible to focus on a tumoral region preserving the whole tissues around them. It takes in account where exactly the radiation beam passes through, which tissues are affected and how much dose is applied in both tissues. The Out-module from SOFT-RT imports the results and express the dose response superimposing dose and voxel model in gray scale in a three-dimensional graphic representation. The present master thesis presents the new computational system of radiotherapic treatment - SOFT-RT code which has been developed using the robust and multi-platform C{sup ++} programming language with the OpenGL graphics packages. The Linux operational system was adopted with the goal of running it in an open source platform and free access. Preliminary simulation results for a cerebral tumor case will be reported as well as some dosimetric evaluations. (author)

Nonlinear machine learning in soft materials engineering and design

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Andrew

The inherently many-body nature of molecular folding and colloidal self-assembly makes it challenging to identify the underlying collective mechanisms and pathways governing system behavior, and has hindered rational design of soft materials with desired structure and function. Fundamentally, there exists a predictive gulf between the architecture and chemistry of individual molecules or colloids and the collective many-body thermodynamics and kinetics. Integrating machine learning techniques with statistical thermodynamics provides a means to bridge this divide and identify emergent folding pathways and self-assembly mechanisms from computer simulations or experimental particle tracking data. We will survey a few of our applications of this framework that illustrate the value of nonlinear machine learning in understanding and engineering soft materials: the non-equilibrium self-assembly of Janus colloids into pinwheels, clusters, and archipelagos; engineering reconfigurable ''digital colloids'' as a novel high-density information storage substrate; probing hierarchically self-assembling onjugated asphaltenes in crude oil; and determining macromolecular folding funnels from measurements of single experimental observables. We close with an outlook on the future of machine learning in soft materials engineering, and share some personal perspectives on working at this disciplinary intersection. We acknowledge support for this work from a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (Grant No. DMR-1350008) and the Donors of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF #54240-DNI6).

[IOP measurement through frequent-replacement soft contact lenses].

Science.gov (United States)

Touboul, J

2008-07-01

Intraocular pressure (IOP) can be measured through soft contact lenses with an air-puff tonometer. These measurements seemed accurate for low-power negative lenses. For positive soft contact lenses, IOP is overestimated. The measurement of IOP through a soft contact lens is acceptable in clinical practice only for glaucoma screening. In glaucomatous patients or patients with ocular hypertension, IOP measurements should be performed without a contact lens. The main technique for IOP measurement remains Goldmann applanation tonometry.

Multisensory softness perceived compliance from multiple sources of information

CERN Document Server

Luca, Massimiliano Di

2014-01-01

Offers a unique multidisciplinary overview of how humans interact with soft objects and how multiple sensory signals are used to perceive material properties, with an emphasis on object deformability. The authors describe a range of setups that have been employed to study and exploit sensory signals involved in interactions with compliant objects as well as techniques to simulate and modulate softness - including a psychophysical perspective of the field. Multisensory Softness focuses on the cognitive mechanisms underlying the use of multiple sources of information in softness perception. D

Glass transition of soft colloids

Science.gov (United States)

Philippe, Adrian-Marie; Truzzolillo, Domenico; Galvan-Myoshi, Julian; Dieudonné-George, Philippe; Trappe, Véronique; Berthier, Ludovic; Cipelletti, Luca

2018-04-01

We explore the glassy dynamics of soft colloids using microgels and charged particles interacting by steric and screened Coulomb interactions, respectively. In the supercooled regime, the structural relaxation time τα of both systems grows steeply with volume fraction, reminiscent of the behavior of colloidal hard spheres. Computer simulations confirm that the growth of τα on approaching the glass transition is independent of particle softness. By contrast, softness becomes relevant at very large packing fractions when the system falls out of equilibrium. In this nonequilibrium regime, τα depends surprisingly weakly on packing fraction, and time correlation functions exhibit a compressed exponential decay consistent with stress-driven relaxation. The transition to this novel regime coincides with the onset of an anomalous decrease in local order with increasing density typical of ultrasoft systems. We propose that these peculiar dynamics results from the combination of the nonequilibrium aging dynamics expected in the glassy state and the tendency of colloids interacting through soft potentials to refluidize at high packing fractions.

Microwave tomography for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues: feasibility assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semenov, Serguei; Kellam, James; Althausen, Peter; Williams, Thomas; Abubakar, Aria; Bulyshev, Alexander; Sizov, Yuri

2007-01-01

It is important to assess the viability of extremity soft tissues, as this component is often the determinant of the final outcome of fracture treatment. Microwave tomography (MWT) and sensing might be able to provide a fast and mobile assessment of such properties. MWT imaging of extremities possesses a complicated, nonlinear, high dielectric contrast inverse problem of diffraction tomography. There is a high dielectric contrast between bone and soft tissue in the extremities. A contrast between soft tissue abnormalities is less pronounced when compared with the high bone-soft tissue contrast. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of MWT for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues, i.e. to detect a relatively small contrast within soft tissues in closer proximity to high contrast boney areas. Both experimental studies and computer simulation were performed. Experiments were conducted using live pigs with compromised blood flow and compartment syndrome within an extremity. A whole 2D tomographic imaging cycle at 1 GHz was computer simulated and images were reconstructed using the Newton, MR-CSI and modified Born methods. Results of experimental studies demonstrate that microwave technology is sensitive to changes in the soft tissue blood content and elevated compartment pressure. It was demonstrated that MWT is feasible for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues, circulatory-related changes, blood flow and elevated compartment pressure

Percutaneous computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy of soft tissue tumors: results and correlation with surgical specimen analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chojniak, Rubens; Grigio, Henrique Ramos; Bitencourt, Almir Galvao Vieira; Pinto, Paula Nicole Vieira; Tyng, Chiang J.; Cunha, Isabela Werneck da; Aguiar Junior, Samuel; Lopes, Ademar, E-mail: chojniak@uol.com.br [Hospital A.C. Camargo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-09-15

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided core needle biopsy of soft tissue tumors in obtaining appropriate samples for histological analysis, and compare its diagnosis with the results of the surgical pathology as available. Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed medical records, imaging and histological reports of 262 patients with soft-tissue tumors submitted to CT-guided core needle biopsy in an oncologic reference center between 2003 and 2009. Results: Appropriate samples were obtained in 215 (82.1%) out of the 262 patients. The most prevalent tumors were sarcomas (38.6%), metastatic carcinomas (28.8%), benign mesenchymal tumors (20.5%) and lymphomas (9.3%). Histological grading was feasible in 92.8% of sarcoma patients, with the majority of them (77.9%) being classified as high grade tumors. Out of the total sample, 116 patients (44.3%) underwent surgical excision and diagnosis confirmation. Core biopsy demonstrated 94.6% accuracy in the identification of sarcomas, with 96.4% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity. A significant intermethod agreement about histological grading was observed between core biopsy and surgical resection (p < 0.001; kappa = 0.75). Conclusion: CT-guided core needle biopsy demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of soft tissue tumors as well as in the histological grading of sarcomas, allowing an appropriate therapeutic planning (author)

Reptile Soft Tissue Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Girolamo, Nicola; Mans, Christoph

2016-01-01

The surgical approach to reptiles can be challenging. Reptiles have unique physiologic, anatomic, and pathologic differences. This may result in frustrating surgical experiences. However, recent investigations provided novel, less invasive, surgical techniques. The purpose of this review was to describe the technical aspects behind soft tissue surgical techniques that have been used in reptiles, so as to provide a general guideline for veterinarians working with reptiles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method Based on Neutrosophic Soft Rough Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Akram

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Soft sets (SSs, neutrosophic sets (NSs, and rough sets (RSs are different mathematical models for handling uncertainties, but they are mutually related. In this research paper, we introduce the notions of soft rough neutrosophic sets (SRNSs and neutrosophic soft rough sets (NSRSs as hybrid models for soft computing. We describe a mathematical approach to handle decision-making problems in view of NSRSs. We also present an efficient algorithm of our proposed hybrid model to solve decision-making problems.

The Soft Seal disposable laryngeal mask airway in adults: comparison of two insertion techniques without intra-oral manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuvaki, B; Küçükgüçlü, S; Iyilikçi, L; Tuncali, B E; Cinar, O

2008-10-01

We investigated whether insertion of the disposable Soft Seal laryngeal mask airway (SSLM) was successful without intra-oral digital manipulation. One hundred patients undergoing anaesthesia using the SSLM were randomly assigned into two groups. Insertion was performed by either a direct or a rotational technique, both without intra-oral digital manipulation. The primary outcome measure was successful insertion at first attempt. Other outcomes included insertion time, fibreoptic assessment of the airway view and airway morbidity. The first attempt success rate was higher (98%) with the direct technique than with the rotational technique (75%; p = 0.002) but insertion time was faster with the latter method (mean [range] 15 [8-50] s) than with the direct method (20 [8-56] s; p = 0.035). Fibreoptic assessment and airway morbidity were similar in both groups. We conclude that the SSLM can be successfully inserted without intra-oral digital manipulation.

Intravenous contrast media application using cone-beam computed tomography in a rabbit model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Min Sung; Kim, Bok Yeol; Choi, Hwa Young [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

2015-03-15

This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing soft tissue lesions and vascular structures using contrast-enhanced cone-beam computed tomography (CE-CBCT) after the intravenous administration of a contrast medium in an animal model. CBCT was performed on six rabbits after a contrast medium was administered using an injection dose of 2 mL/kg body weight and an injection rate of 1 mL/s via the ear vein or femoral vein under general anesthesia. Artificial soft tissue lesions were created through the transplantation of autologous fatty tissue into the salivary gland. Volume rendering reconstruction, maximum intensity projection, and multiplanar reconstruction images were reconstructed and evaluated in order to visualize soft tissue contrast and vascular structures. The contrast enhancement of soft tissue was possible using all contrast medium injection parameters. An adequate contrast medium injection parameter for facilitating effective CE-CBCT was a 5-mL injection before exposure combined with a continuous 5-mL injection during scanning. Artificial soft tissue lesions were successfully created in the animals. The CE-CBCT images demonstrated adequate opacification of the soft tissues and vascular structures. Despite limited soft tissue resolution, the opacification of vascular structures was observed and artificial soft tissue lesions were visualized with sufficient contrast to the surrounding structures. The vascular structures and soft tissue lesions appeared well delineated in the CE-CBCT images, which was probably due to the superior spatial resolution of CE-CBCT compared to other techniques, such as multislice computed tomography.

Intravenous contrast media application using cone-beam computed tomography in a rabbit model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min Sung; Kim, Bok Yeol; Choi, Hwa Young

2015-01-01

This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing soft tissue lesions and vascular structures using contrast-enhanced cone-beam computed tomography (CE-CBCT) after the intravenous administration of a contrast medium in an animal model. CBCT was performed on six rabbits after a contrast medium was administered using an injection dose of 2 mL/kg body weight and an injection rate of 1 mL/s via the ear vein or femoral vein under general anesthesia. Artificial soft tissue lesions were created through the transplantation of autologous fatty tissue into the salivary gland. Volume rendering reconstruction, maximum intensity projection, and multiplanar reconstruction images were reconstructed and evaluated in order to visualize soft tissue contrast and vascular structures. The contrast enhancement of soft tissue was possible using all contrast medium injection parameters. An adequate contrast medium injection parameter for facilitating effective CE-CBCT was a 5-mL injection before exposure combined with a continuous 5-mL injection during scanning. Artificial soft tissue lesions were successfully created in the animals. The CE-CBCT images demonstrated adequate opacification of the soft tissues and vascular structures. Despite limited soft tissue resolution, the opacification of vascular structures was observed and artificial soft tissue lesions were visualized with sufficient contrast to the surrounding structures. The vascular structures and soft tissue lesions appeared well delineated in the CE-CBCT images, which was probably due to the superior spatial resolution of CE-CBCT compared to other techniques, such as multislice computed tomography.

High strain-rate soft material characterization via inertial cavitation

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Jonathan B.; Barajas, Carlos; Henann, David L.; Johnsen, Eric; Franck, Christian

2018-03-01

Mechanical characterization of soft materials at high strain-rates is challenging due to their high compliance, slow wave speeds, and non-linear viscoelasticity. Yet, knowledge of their material behavior is paramount across a spectrum of biological and engineering applications from minimizing tissue damage in ultrasound and laser surgeries to diagnosing and mitigating impact injuries. To address this significant experimental hurdle and the need to accurately measure the viscoelastic properties of soft materials at high strain-rates (103-108 s-1), we present a minimally invasive, local 3D microrheology technique based on inertial microcavitation. By combining high-speed time-lapse imaging with an appropriate theoretical cavitation framework, we demonstrate that this technique has the capability to accurately determine the general viscoelastic material properties of soft matter as compliant as a few kilopascals. Similar to commercial characterization algorithms, we provide the user with significant flexibility in evaluating several constitutive laws to determine the most appropriate physical model for the material under investigation. Given its straightforward implementation into most current microscopy setups, we anticipate that this technique can be easily adopted by anyone interested in characterizing soft material properties at high loading rates including hydrogels, tissues and various polymeric specimens.

Enhancing performance of next generation FSO communication systems using soft computing-based predictions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazaura, Kamugisha; Omae, Kazunori; Suzuki, Toshiji; Matsumoto, Mitsuji; Mutafungwa, Edward; Korhonen, Timo O; Murakami, Tadaaki; Takahashi, Koichi; Matsumoto, Hideki; Wakamori, Kazuhiko; Arimoto, Yoshinori

2006-06-12

The deterioration and deformation of a free-space optical beam wave-front as it propagates through the atmosphere can reduce the link availability and may introduce burst errors thus degrading the performance of the system. We investigate the suitability of utilizing soft-computing (SC) based tools for improving performance of free-space optical (FSO) communications systems. The SC based tools are used for the prediction of key parameters of a FSO communications system. Measured data collected from an experimental FSO communication system is used as training and testing data for a proposed multi-layer neural network predictor (MNNP) used to predict future parameter values. The predicted parameters are essential for reducing transmission errors by improving the antenna's accuracy of tracking data beams. This is particularly essential for periods considered to be of strong atmospheric turbulence. The parameter values predicted using the proposed tool show acceptable conformity with original measurements.

Soft thermal contributions to 3-loop gauge coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Laine, M.; Schicho, P.; Schröder, Y.

2018-05-01

We analyze 3-loop contributions to the gauge coupling felt by ultrasoft ("magnetostatic") modes in hot Yang-Mills theory. So-called soft/hard terms, originating from dimension-six operators within the soft effective theory, are shown to cancel 1097/1098 of the IR divergence found in a recent determination of the hard 3-loop contribution to the soft gauge coupling. The remaining 1/1098 originates from ultrasoft/hard contributions, induced by dimension-six operators in the ultrasoft effective theory. Soft 3-loop contributions are likewise computed, and are found to be IR divergent, rendering the ultrasoft gauge coupling non-perturbative at relative order O({α}s^{3/2}) . We elaborate on the implications of these findings for effective theory studies of physical observables in thermal QCD.

Imaging of soft tissue sarcomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanel, D.; Le Treut, A.

1988-01-01

Modern imaging of soft tissue sarcomas now includes ultrasounds, CT and MRI. These new techniques allow a better evaluation of initial local extension, of the response to treatment and are able to detect local recurrences early [fr

Effective action of softly broken supersymmetric theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groot Nibbelink, S.; Nyawelo, T.S

2006-12-01

We study the renormalization of (softly) broken supersymmetric theories at the one loop level in detail. We perform this analysis in a superspace approach in which the supersymmetry breaking interactions are parameterized using spurion insertions. We comment on the uniqueness of this parameterization. We compute the one loop renormalization of such theories by calculating superspace vacuum graphs with multiple spurion insertions. To preform this computation efficiently we develop algebraic properties of spurion operators, that naturally arise because the spurions are often surrounded by superspace projection operators. Our results are general apart from the restrictions that higher super covariant derivative terms and some finite effects due to non-commutativity of superfield dependent mass matrices are ignored. One of the soft potentials induces renormalization of the Kaehler potential. (author)

One-loop soft theorems via dual superconformal symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brandhuber, Andreas; Hughes, Edward; Spence, Bill; Travaglini, Gabriele [Centre for Research in String Theory, School of Physics and Astronomy,Queen Mary University of London,Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2016-03-14

We study soft theorems at one loop in planar N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory through finite order in the infrared regulator and to subleading order in the soft parameter δ. In particular, we derive a universal constraint from dual superconformal symmetry, which we use to bootstrap subleading log δ behaviour. Moreover, we determine the complete infrared-finite subleading soft contribution of n-point MHV amplitudes using momentum twistors. Finally, we compute the subleading log δ behaviour of one-loop NMHV ratio functions at six and seven points, finding that universality holds within but not between helicity sectors.

Visualization of Minkowski operations by computer graphics techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roerdink, J.B.T.M.; Blaauwgeers, G.S.M.; Serra, J; Soille, P

1994-01-01

We consider the problem of visualizing 3D objects defined as a Minkowski addition or subtraction of elementary objects. It is shown that such visualizations can be obtained by using techniques from computer graphics such as ray tracing and Constructive Solid Geometry. Applications of the method are

Experimental data processing techniques by a personal computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Kiyokata; Tsuda, Kenzo; Abe, Yoshihiko; Kojima, Tsuyoshi; Nishikawa, Akira; Shimura, Hitoshi; Hyodo, Hiromi; Yamagishi, Shigeru.

1989-01-01

A personal computer (16-bit, about 1 MB memory) can be used at a low cost in the experimental data processing. This report surveys the important techniques on A/D and D/A conversion, display, store and transfer of the experimental data. It is also discussed the items to be considered in the software. Practical softwares programed BASIC and Assembler language are given as examples. Here, we present some techniques to get faster process in BASIC language and show that the system composed of BASIC and Assembler is useful in a practical experiment. The system performance such as processing speed and flexibility in setting operation condition will depend strongly on programming language. We have made test for processing speed by some typical programming languages; BASIC(interpreter), C, FORTRAN and Assembler. As for the calculation, FORTRAN has the best performance which is comparable to or better than Assembler even in the personal computer. (author)

Granular, soft and fuzzy approaches for intelligent systems dedicated to professor Ronald R. Yager

CERN Document Server

Filev, Dimitar; Beliakov, Gleb

2017-01-01

This book offers a comprehensive report on the state-of-the art in the broadly-intended field of “intelligent systems”. After introducing key theoretical issues, it describes a number of promising models for data and system analysis, decision making, and control. It discusses important theories, including possibility theory, the Dempster-Shafer theory, the theory of approximate reasoning, as well as computing with words, together with novel applications in various areas, such as information aggregation and fusion, linguistic data summarization, participatory learning, systems modeling, and many others. By presenting the methods in their application contexts, the book shows how granular computing, soft computing and fuzzy logic techniques can provide novel, efficient solutions to real-world problems. It is dedicated to Professor Ronald R. Yager for his great scientific and scholarly achievements, and for his long-lasting service to the fuzzy logic, and the artificial and computational intelligence communit...

Fabrication of ridge waveguide structure from photosensitive TiO2/ormosil hybrid films by using an ultraviolet soft imprint technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xuehua; Que, Wenxiu; Chen, Jing; Gao, Tianxi; Hu, Jiaxing; Liu, Weiguo

2013-01-01

Photosensitive TiO 2 /organically modified silane hybrid films were prepared by combining a low-temperature sol–gel process with a spin-coating technique. Optical properties and photochemical activities of the as-prepared hybrid sol–gel films under different UV irradiation time were characterized and monitored by prism coupling technique, UV–visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Surface morphology of the hybrid films was also observed by an atomic force microscopy. Advantages for fabrication of ridge waveguide structure based on the photosensitive hybrid films were demonstrated by an ultraviolet soft imprint technique. Effects of imprint force, imprint time, and UV irradiation time on high replication fidelity of the ridge waveguide structure were also investigated. An altitude replication fidelity of 99.7% can be obtained when the imprint force of 2 MPa, imprint time of 30 min and UV irradiation time of 45 min were chosen. Scanning electron microscopy and surface profiler were used to characterize the morphological and surface profile properties of the as fabricated ridge waveguide structure. Results indicate that the as-prepared photosensitive hybrid materials have great applicability for the fabrication of micro-optical elements and advantage as the imprint layer under the ultraviolet soft imprint technique. - Highlights: ► Photosensitive TiO 2 /ormosil hybrid film is prepared by a sol–gel process. ► Optical properties of the films change a little with UV exposure time. ► Photo-chemical property of the film changes a lot with UV exposure time. ► The imprint force and time, and the UV exposure time affect the imprint fidelity. ► A fidelity value of 99.7% is obtained under an optimized condition

Damage Models for Soft Tissues: A Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenguang

Damage to soft tissues in the human body has been investigated for applications in healthcare, sports, and biomedical engineering. This paper reviews and classifies damage models for soft tissues to summarize achievements, identify new directions, and facilitate finite element analysis. The main ideas of damage modeling methods are illustrated and interpreted. A few key issues related to damage models, such as experimental data curve-fitting, computational effort, connection between damage and fractures/cracks, damage model applications, and fracture/crack extension simulation, are discussed. Several new challenges in the field are identified and outlined. This review can be useful for developing more advanced damage models and extending damage modeling methods to a variety of soft tissues.

Phase-Contrast Hounsfield Units of Fixated and Non-Fixated Soft-Tissue Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Willner, Marian; Fior, Gabriel; Marschner, Mathias; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Schock, Jonathan; Braun, Christian; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Noël, Peter B.; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia

2015-01-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging is a novel technology that achieves high soft-tissue contrast. Although its clinical impact is still under investigation, the technique may potentially improve clinical diagnostics. In conventional attenuation-based X-ray computed tomography, radiological diagnostics are quantified by Hounsfield units. Corresponding Hounsfield units for phase-contrast imaging have been recently introduced, enabling a setup-independent comparison and standardized interpretation of imaging results. Thus far, the experimental values of few tissue types have been reported; these values have been determined from fixated tissue samples. This study presents phase-contrast Hounsfield units for various types of non-fixated human soft tissues. A large variety of tissue specimens ranging from adipose, muscle and connective tissues to liver, kidney and pancreas tissues were imaged by a grating interferometer with a rotating-anode X-ray tube and a photon-counting detector. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of formalin fixation on the quantitative phase-contrast imaging results. PMID:26322638

Hamstrings tendon graft preparation for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the WhipKnotTM soft tissue cinch technique.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amin Masoumiganjgah

2012-04-01

Full Text Available BackgroundAppropriate graft tension and secure graft incorporation inbone tunnels are essential for successful anterior cruciateligament (ACL reconstruction using hamstrings tendonautografts. The WhipKnot™ soft tissue cinch, introduced bySmith and Nephew in 2004, is an alternative option to thecommonly used whipstitch technique during preparation ofthe hamstring autograft in ACL reconstruction.AimsTo investigate the effectiveness of the WhipKnot™ softtissue cinch and technique during the preparation of thetendon graft for ACL reconstruction.MethodA total of 33 ACL reconstruction operations performedbetween February 2011 and December 2011 were includedin this study. These were performed by a single seniorsurgeon who used the Whipknot™ technique for thepreparation of each graft. Four were used for eachoperation; two for each end of the harvested hamstringstendons, including semitendinosus and gracilis tendonsrespectively.ResultsIn total, 132 WhipKnots were used during the kneeoperations. Use of the WhipKnot™ technique resulted insuccessful graft preparations, tensioning and effective graftplacement in the tibial and femoral tunnels in almost allinstances. Only one case of WhipKnot™ failure (slippagewas recorded.ConclusionThese results indicate that the Whipknot™ technique is asafe, reliable and practical option for the preparation of thehamstrings autografts.

Low-dose computed tomographic imaging in orbital trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, A.; Whitehouse, R.W. (Manchester Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology)

1993-08-01

The authors review findings in 75 computed tomographic (CT) examinations of 66 patients with orbital trauma who were imaged using a low-radiation-dose CT technique. Imaging was performed using a dynamic scan mode and exposure factors of 120 kVp and 80 mAs resulting in a skin dose of 11 mGy with an effective dose-equivalent of 0.22 mSv. Image quality was diagnostic in all cases and excellent in 73 examinations. Soft-tissue abnormalities within the orbit including muscle adhesions were well demonstrated both on primary axial and reconstructed multiplanar images. The benefits of multiplanar reconstructions are stressed and the contribution of soft-tissue injuries to symptomatic diplopia examined. (author).

Unraveling the nature of electric field- and stress- induced structural transformations in soft PZT by a new powder poling technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalyani, Ajay Kumar; V, Lalitha K; James, Ajit R; Fitch, Andy; Ranjan, Rajeev

2015-02-25

A 'powder-poling' technique was developed to study electric field induced structural transformations in ferroelectrics exhibiting a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). The technique was employed on soft PZT exhibiting a large longitudinal piezoelectric response (d(33) ∼ 650 pC N(-1)). It was found that electric poling brings about a considerable degree of irreversible tetragonal to monoclinic transformation. The same transformation was achieved after subjecting the specimen to mechanical stress, which suggests an equivalence of stress and electric field with regard to the structural mechanism in MPB compositions. The electric field induced structural transformation was also found to be accompanied by a decrease in the spatial coherence of polarization.

High thermal conductivity in soft elastomers with elongated liquid metal inclusions

OpenAIRE

Bartlett, Michael D.; Kazem, Navid; Powell-Palm, Matthew J.; Huang, Xiaonan; Sun, Wenhuan; Malen, Jonathan A.; Majidi, Carmel

2017-01-01

Efficient thermal transport is critical for applications ranging from electronics and energy to advanced manufacturing and transportation; it is essential in emerging domains like wearable computing and soft robotics, which require thermally conductive materials that are also soft and stretchable. However, heat transport within soft materials is limited by the dynamics of phonon transport, which results in a trade-off between thermal conductivity and compliance. We overcome this by engineerin...

Evaluation of two iterative techniques for reducing metal artifacts in computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Boas, F Edward; Fleischmann, Dominik

2011-06-01

To evaluate two methods for reducing metal artifacts in computed tomography (CT)--the metal deletion technique (MDT) and the selective algebraic reconstruction technique (SART)--and compare these methods with filtered back projection (FBP) and linear interpolation (LI). The institutional review board approved this retrospective HIPAA-compliant study; informed patient consent was waived. Simulated projection data were calculated for a phantom that contained water, soft tissue, bone, and iron. Clinical projection data were obtained retrospectively from 11 consecutively identified CT scans with metal streak artifacts, with a total of 178 sections containing metal. Each scan was reconstructed using FBP, LI, SART, and MDT. The simulated scans were evaluated quantitatively by calculating the average error in Hounsfield units for each pixel compared with the original phantom. Two radiologists who were blinded to the reconstruction algorithms used qualitatively evaluated the clinical scans, ranking the overall severity of artifacts for each algorithm. P values for comparisons of the image quality ranks were calculated from the binomial distribution. The simulations showed that MDT reduces artifacts due to photon starvation, beam hardening, and motion and does not introduce new streaks between metal and bone. MDT had the lowest average error (76% less than FBP, 42% less than LI, 17% less than SART). Blinded comparison of the clinical scans revealed that MDT had the best image quality 100% of the time (95% confidence interval: 72%, 100%). LI had the second best image quality, and SART and FBP had the worst image quality. On images from two CT scans, as compared with images generated by the scanner, MDT revealed information of potential clinical importance. For a wide range of scans, MDT yields reduced metal streak artifacts and better-quality images than does FBP, LI, or SART. http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101782/-/DC1. RSNA, 2011

Magnetism and metallurgy of soft magnetic materials

CERN Document Server

Chen, Chih-Wen

2011-01-01

Soft magnetic materials are economically and technologically the most important of all magnetic materials. In particular, the development of new materials and novel applications for the computer and telecommunications industries during the past few decades has immensely broadened the scope and altered the nature of soft magnetic materials. In addition to metallic substances, nonmetallic compounds and amorphous thin films are coming increasingly important. This thorough, well-organized volume - on of the most comprehensive treatments available - offers a coherent, logical presentation of the p

Soft tissue deformation estimation by spatio-temporal Kalman filter finite element method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarahmadian, Mehran; Zhong, Yongmin; Gu, Chengfan; Shin, Jaehyun

2018-01-01

Soft tissue modeling plays an important role in the development of surgical training simulators as well as in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries. It has been known that while the traditional Finite Element Method (FEM) promises the accurate modeling of soft tissue deformation, it still suffers from a slow computational process. This paper presents a Kalman filter finite element method to model soft tissue deformation in real time without sacrificing the traditional FEM accuracy. The proposed method employs the FEM equilibrium equation and formulates it as a filtering process to estimate soft tissue behavior using real-time measurement data. The model is temporally discretized using the Newmark method and further formulated as the system state equation. Simulation results demonstrate that the computational time of KF-FEM is approximately 10 times shorter than the traditional FEM and it is still as accurate as the traditional FEM. The normalized root-mean-square error of the proposed KF-FEM in reference to the traditional FEM is computed as 0.0116. It is concluded that the proposed method significantly improves the computational performance of the traditional FEM without sacrificing FEM accuracy. The proposed method also filters noises involved in system state and measurement data.

A simulation model for visitors’ thermal comfort at urban public squares using non-probabilistic binary-linear classifier through soft-computing methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kariminia, Shahab; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Hashim, Roslan; Saberi, Ahmadreza; Petković, Dalibor; Roy, Chandrabhushan; Motamedi, Shervin

2016-01-01

Sustaining outdoor life in cities is decreasing because of the recent rapid urbanisation without considering climate-responsive urban design concepts. Such inadvertent climatic modifications at the indoor level have imposed considerable demand on the urban energy resources. It is important to provide comfortable ambient climate at open urban squares. Researchers need to predict the comfortable conditions at such outdoor squares. The main objective of this study is predict the visitors' outdoor comfort indices by using a developed computational model termed as SVM-WAVELET (Support Vector Machines combined with Discrete Wavelet Transform algorithm). For data collection, the field study was conducted in downtown Isfahan, Iran (51°41′ E, 32°37′ N) with hot and arid summers. Based on different environmental elements, four separate locations were monitored across two public squares. Meteorological data were measured simultaneously by surveying the visitors' thermal sensations. According to the subjects' thermal feeling and their characteristics, their level of comfort was estimated. Further, the adapted computational model was used to estimate the visitors’ thermal sensations in terms of thermal comfort indices. The SVM-WAVELET results indicate that R"2 value for input parameters, including Thermal Sensation, PMW (The predicted mean vote), PET (physiologically equivalent temperature), SET (standard effective temperature) and T_m_r_t were estimated at 0.482, 0.943, 0.988, 0.969 and 0.840, respectively. - Highlights: • To explore the visitors' thermal sensation at urban public squares. • This article introduces findings of outdoor comfort prediction. • The developed SVM-WAVELET soft-computing technique was used. • SVM-WAVELET estimation results are more reliable and accurate.

Computing dispersion curves of elastic/viscoelastic transversely-isotropic bone plates coupled with soft tissue and marrow using semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Vu-Hieu; Tran, Tho N H T; Sacchi, Mauricio D; Naili, Salah; Le, Lawrence H

2017-08-01

We present a semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) scheme for accurately computing the velocity dispersion and attenuation in a trilayered system consisting of a transversely-isotropic (TI) cortical bone plate sandwiched between the soft tissue and marrow layers. The soft tissue and marrow are mimicked by two fluid layers of finite thickness. A Kelvin-Voigt model accounts for the absorption of all three biological domains. The simulated dispersion curves are validated by the results from the commercial software DISPERSE and published literature. Finally, the algorithm is applied to a viscoelastic trilayered TI bone model to interpret the guided modes of an ex-vivo experimental data set from a bone phantom. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer-aided classification of lung nodules on computed tomography images via deep learning technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua KL

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Kai-Lung Hua,1 Che-Hao Hsu,1 Shintami Chusnul Hidayati,1 Wen-Huang Cheng,2 Yu-Jen Chen3 1Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 2Research Center for Information Technology Innovation, Academia Sinica, 3Department of Radiation Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Abstract: Lung cancer has a poor prognosis when not diagnosed early and unresectable lesions are present. The management of small lung nodules noted on computed tomography scan is controversial due to uncertain tumor characteristics. A conventional computer-aided diagnosis (CAD scheme requires several image processing and pattern recognition steps to accomplish a quantitative tumor differentiation result. In such an ad hoc image analysis pipeline, every step depends heavily on the performance of the previous step. Accordingly, tuning of classification performance in a conventional CAD scheme is very complicated and arduous. Deep learning techniques, on the other hand, have the intrinsic advantage of an automatic exploitation feature and tuning of performance in a seamless fashion. In this study, we attempted to simplify the image analysis pipeline of conventional CAD with deep learning techniques. Specifically, we introduced models of a deep belief network and a convolutional neural network in the context of nodule classification in computed tomography images. Two baseline methods with feature computing steps were implemented for comparison. The experimental results suggest that deep learning methods could achieve better discriminative results and hold promise in the CAD application domain. Keywords: nodule classification, deep learning, deep belief network, convolutional neural network

Bone tissue engineering scaffolding: computer-aided scaffolding techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Thavornyutikarn, Boonlom; Chantarapanich, Nattapon; Sitthiseripratip, Kriskrai; Thouas, George A; Chen, Qizhi

Tissue engineering is essentially a technique for imitating nature. Natural tissues consist of three components: cells, signalling systems (e.g. growth factors) and extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM forms a scaffold for its cells. Hence, the engineered tissue construct is an artificial scaffold populated with living cells and signalling molecules. A huge effort has been invested in bone tissue engineering, in which a highly porous scaffold plays a critical role in guiding bone and vascular tissue growth and regeneration in three dimensions. In the last two decades, numerous scaffolding techniques have been developed to fabricate highly interconnective, porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. This review provides an update on the progress of foaming technology of biomaterials, with a special attention being focused on computer-aided manufacturing (Andrade et al. 2002) techniques. This article starts with a brief introduction of tissue engineering (Bone tissue engineering and scaffolds) and scaffolding materials (Biomaterials used in bone tissue engineering). After a brief reviews on conventional scaffolding techniques (Conventional scaffolding techniques), a number of CAM techniques are reviewed in great detail. For each technique, the structure and mechanical integrity of fabricated scaffolds are discussed in detail. Finally, the advantaged and disadvantage of these techniques are compared (Comparison of scaffolding techniques) and summarised (Summary).

Measuring techniques in emission computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jordan, K.; Knoop, B.

1988-01-01

The chapter reviews the historical development of the emission computed tomography and its basic principles, proceeds to SPECT and PET, special techniques of emission tomography, and concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the mathematical fundamentals of the reconstruction and the quantitative activity determination in vivo, dealing with radon transformation and the projection slice theorem, methods of image reconstruction such as analytical and algebraic methods, limiting conditions in real systems such as limited number of measured data, noise enhancement, absorption, stray radiation, and random coincidence. (orig./HP) With 111 figs., 6 tabs [de

Investigation of kinetics and thermodynamics of DNA hybridization by means of 2-D fluorescence spectroscopy and soft/hard modeling techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ebrahimi, Sara; Kompany-Zareh, Mohsen, E-mail: kmpz@dr.com

2016-02-04

Reversible hybridization reaction plays a key role in fundamental biological processes, in many laboratory techniques, and also in DNA based sensing devices. Comprehensive investigation of this process is, therefore, essential for the development of more sophisticated applications. Kinetics and thermodynamics of the hybridization reaction, as a second order process, are systematically investigated with the aid of the soft and hard chemometric methods. Labeling two complementary 21 mer DNA single strands with FAM and Texas red fluorophores, enabled recording of the florescence excitation−emission matrices during the experiments which led to three-way data sets. The presence of fluorescence resonance energy transfer in excitation and emission modes and the closure in concentration mode, made the three-way data arrays rank deficient. To acquire primary chemical information, restricted Tucker3 as a soft method was employed. Herein a model-based method, hard restricted trilinear decomposition, is introduced for in depth analysis of rank deficient three-way data sets. By employing proposed hard method, the nonlinear model parameters as well as the correct profiles could be estimated. In addition, a simple constraint is presented to extract chemically reasonable output profiles regarding the core elements of restricted Tucker3 model. - Highlights: • Hard restricted trilinear decomposition (HrTD) was introduced for model-based analysis of three-way rank deficient data. • DNA hybridization was investigated by two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy and soft/hard multi-way techniques. • Restricted Tucker3 analysis enabled accurate estimation of pure FRET profiles in the hybridized form. • HrTD was successfully employed to estimate kinetic and equilibrium parameters of DNA hybridization system. • The performance of the proposed methods in response to different physical stimuli was successfully evaluated.

Computational Intelligence based techniques for islanding detection of distributed generation in distribution network: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laghari, J.A.; Mokhlis, H.; Karimi, M.; Bakar, A.H.A.; Mohamad, Hasmaini

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Unintentional and intentional islanding, their causes, and solutions are presented. • Remote, passive, active and hybrid islanding detection techniques are discussed. • The limitation of these techniques in accurately detect islanding are discussed. • Computational intelligence techniques ability in detecting islanding is discussed. • Review of ANN, fuzzy logic control, ANFIS, Decision tree techniques is provided. - Abstract: Accurate and fast islanding detection of distributed generation is highly important for its successful operation in distribution networks. Up to now, various islanding detection technique based on communication, passive, active and hybrid methods have been proposed. However, each technique suffers from certain demerits that cause inaccuracies in islanding detection. Computational intelligence based techniques, due to their robustness and flexibility in dealing with complex nonlinear systems, is an option that might solve this problem. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of computational intelligence based techniques applied for islanding detection of distributed generation. Moreover, the paper compares the accuracies of computational intelligence based techniques over existing techniques to provide a handful of information for industries and utility researchers to determine the best method for their respective system

Soft lithography of ceramic patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Göbel, Ole; Nedelcu, M.; Steiner, U.

2007-01-01

Polymer-based precursor solutions are patterned using a soft-lithographic patterning technique to yield sub-micrometer-sized ceramic patterns. By using a polymer-metal-nitrate solution as a lithographic resist, we demonstrate a micromolding procedure using a simple rubber stamp that yields a

A Systematic Approach for Soft Sensor Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Bao; Recke, Bodil; Renaudat, Philippe

2007-01-01

This paper presents a systematic approach based on robust statistical techniques for development of a data-driven soft sensor, which is an important component of the process analytical technology (PAT) and is essential for effective quality control. The data quality is obviously of essential...... significance for a data-driven soft sensor. Therefore, preprocessing procedures for process measurements are described in detail. First, a template is defined based on one or more key process variables to handle missing data related to severe operation interruptions. Second, a univariate, followed...... reveal the effectiveness of the systematic framework in deriving data-driven soft sensors that provide reasonably reliable one-step-ahead predictions....

On Some Nonclassical Algebraic Properties of Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Interval-valued fuzzy soft sets realize a hybrid soft computing model in a general framework. Both Molodtsov's soft sets and interval-valued fuzzy sets can be seen as special cases of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets. In this study, we first compare four different types of interval-valued fuzzy soft subsets and reveal the relations among them. Then we concentrate on investigating some nonclassical algebraic properties of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets under the soft product operations. We show that some fundamental algebraic properties including the commutative and associative laws do not hold in the conventional sense, but hold in weaker forms characterized in terms of the relation =L. We obtain a number of algebraic inequalities of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets characterized by interval-valued fuzzy soft inclusions. We also establish the weak idempotent law and the weak absorptive law of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets using interval-valued fuzzy soft J-equal relations. It is revealed that the soft product operations ∧ and ∨ of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets do not always have similar algebraic properties. Moreover, we find that only distributive inequalities described by the interval-valued fuzzy soft L-inclusions hold for interval-valued fuzzy soft sets. PMID:25143964

On Some Nonclassical Algebraic Properties of Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyan Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Interval-valued fuzzy soft sets realize a hybrid soft computing model in a general framework. Both Molodtsov’s soft sets and interval-valued fuzzy sets can be seen as special cases of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets. In this study, we first compare four different types of interval-valued fuzzy soft subsets and reveal the relations among them. Then we concentrate on investigating some nonclassical algebraic properties of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets under the soft product operations. We show that some fundamental algebraic properties including the commutative and associative laws do not hold in the conventional sense, but hold in weaker forms characterized in terms of the relation =L. We obtain a number of algebraic inequalities of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets characterized by interval-valued fuzzy soft inclusions. We also establish the weak idempotent law and the weak absorptive law of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets using interval-valued fuzzy soft J-equal relations. It is revealed that the soft product operations ∧ and ∨ of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets do not always have similar algebraic properties. Moreover, we find that only distributive inequalities described by the interval-valued fuzzy soft L-inclusions hold for interval-valued fuzzy soft sets.

On some nonclassical algebraic properties of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoyan; Feng, Feng; Zhang, Hui

2014-01-01

Interval-valued fuzzy soft sets realize a hybrid soft computing model in a general framework. Both Molodtsov's soft sets and interval-valued fuzzy sets can be seen as special cases of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets. In this study, we first compare four different types of interval-valued fuzzy soft subsets and reveal the relations among them. Then we concentrate on investigating some nonclassical algebraic properties of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets under the soft product operations. We show that some fundamental algebraic properties including the commutative and associative laws do not hold in the conventional sense, but hold in weaker forms characterized in terms of the relation = L . We obtain a number of algebraic inequalities of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets characterized by interval-valued fuzzy soft inclusions. We also establish the weak idempotent law and the weak absorptive law of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets using interval-valued fuzzy soft J-equal relations. It is revealed that the soft product operations ∧ and ∨ of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets do not always have similar algebraic properties. Moreover, we find that only distributive inequalities described by the interval-valued fuzzy soft L-inclusions hold for interval-valued fuzzy soft sets.

Tissue Friendly Pendulum: Soft Liner to prevent Tissue Irritation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddharth Shashidhar Revankar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Palatal mucosal irritation is commonly encountered with the Pendulum appliance. The efficiency of soft liners in reducing tissue irritation has been well documented in the field of prosthodontics. The following article describes an innovative technique where soft liner can be used to reduce palatal mucosal irritation caused by pendulum appliance.

Dermal fillers for facial soft tissue augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dastoor, Sarosh F; Misch, Carl E; Wang, Hom-Lay

2007-01-01

Nowadays, patients are demanding not only enhancement to their dental (micro) esthetics, but also their overall facial (macro) esthetics. Soft tissue augmentation via dermal filling agents may be used to correct facial defects such as wrinkles caused by age, gravity, and trauma; thin lips; asymmetrical facial appearances; buccal fold depressions; and others. This article will review the pathogenesis of facial wrinkles, history, techniques, materials, complications, and clinical controversies regarding dermal fillers for soft tissue augmentation.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahil Aggarwal, BS

2018-04-01

Full Text Available History of present illness: A 71-year-old woman with a history of metastatic ovarian cancer presented with sudden onset, rapidly progressing painful rash in the genital region and lower abdominal wall. She was febrile to 103°F, heart rate was 114 beats per minute, and respiratory rate was 24 per minute. Her exam was notable for a toxic-appearing female with extensive areas of erythema, tenderness, and induration to her lower abdomen, intertriginous areas, and perineum with intermittent segments of crepitus without hemorrhagic bullae or skin breakdown. Significant findings: Computed tomography (CT of the abdominal and pelvis with intravenous (IV contrast revealed inflammatory changes, including gas and fluid collections within the ventral abdominal wall extending to the vulva, consistent with a necrotizing soft tissue infection. Discussion: Necrotizing fasciitis is a serious infection of the skin and soft tissues that requires an early diagnosis to reduce morbidity and mortality. Classified into several subtypes based on the type of microbial infection, necrotizing fasciitis can rapidly progress to septic shock or death if left untreated.1 Diagnosing necrotizing fasciitis requires a high index of suspicion based on patient risk factors, presentation, and exam findings. Definitive treatment involves prompt surgical exploration and debridement coupled with IV antibiotics.2,3 Clinical characteristics such as swelling, disproportionate pain, erythema, crepitus, and necrotic tissue should be a guide to further diagnostic tests.4 Unfortunately, lab values such as white blood cell count and lactate imaging studies have high sensitivity but low specificity, making the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis still largely a clinical one.4,5 CT is a reliable method to exclude the diagnosis of necrotizing soft tissue infections (sensitivity of 100%, but is only moderately reliable in correctly identifying such infections (specificity of 81%.5 Given the emergent

Radiologic diagnosis of malignant soft-tissue tumors of the extremities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, P.E.; Friedmann, G.

1983-01-01

In malignant soft-tissue tumors of the extremities the radiologist is asked to define size and extent of the lesion and it's relationship to adjacent structures. The assessment of the nature of the lesion is of utmost importance, however, the contribution of the different imaging modalities varies considerably. In a review article the current roles of conventional radiography, xeroradiography, real-time ultrasonography, computed tomography and arteriography in the diagnostic workup of malignant soft-tissue tumors of the extremities are discussed. The statements made are based upon own comparative studies as well as on a review of the literature. In the assessment of the nature of a soft-tissue mass the contribution of all radiologic imaging methods is rather limited, although arteriography may add valuable information if performed complementary to CT. Real-time ultrasonography is well suited to define size, location and extent of peripheral soft-tissue masses. It is therefore recommended as the first imaging method and for follow-up studies. Equivocal findings by real-time sonography and new cases for treatment planning must be confirmed by computed tomography which proved to be the most reliable and the best reproducible imaging method for soft-tissue tumors of the extremities. (orig.)

Bones - joints - soft tissues II. 7. rev. ed. Knochen - Gelenke - Weichteile II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dihlmann, W. (Roentgeninstitut, Allgemeines Krankenhaus Barmbek, Hamburg (Germany)); Frommhold, W. (Radiologische Klinik, Tuebingen Univ. (Germany)) (eds.)

1991-01-01

With the publication of the 2nd part to Volume VI, 'Bones - joints - soft tissues', the 7th edition of 'Diagnostic radiology in the hospital and medical practice' is complete. The advances made particularly during the past decade in the field of diagnostic radiology have made it neccesary for all the individual sections to be completely revised. Recently developed methods of imaging like sonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance tomography are increasingly used as a replacement for or, at least, an adjunct to conventional X-ray procedures. Owing to the development and continuous refinement of related methods of intervention the gap between mere diagnostic applications and therapeutic uses of radiology could eventually be closed. The issues mainly discussed in this volume are bone fractures and healing, bone transplantation, osteopathy and osteoarthropathy, fibrous dyplasia or Albright's disease, Pagetoid osteitis, genetically transmitted constitutional disorders of the skeleton and soft tissue changes. While in the key sections on bone fractures and healing, osteopathy and osteoarthropathy as well as constitutional genetic disorders X-ray techniques are still described as the prevailing method of diagnosis, diseases of soft tissues now are much more commonly diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. (orig./MG) With 2248 figs., 59 tabs.

Measurement of central nickel density in Doublet III plasmas with a soft x-ray diode array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groebner, R.J.; Jahns, G.L.; Ejima, S.; Hsieh, C.L.

1985-01-01

An array of soft x-ray diodes has been used to obtain central nickel densities for discharges in the Doublet III tokamak, during operation with an inconel primary limiter, in which nickel L-line radiation dominated the diode signals. The nature of the diode signals is determined primarily by comparison with soft x-ray spectra. The contribution of the continuum portion of the spectra to the central diode signal can be calculated and compared to the observed signal. When the diode signal is dominated by nickel L-line emission, the observed signal is considerably larger than the calculated continuum contribution. Chordal data from the array of diodes are inverted to provide the spatial profile of soft x-ray emission. Because the diodes are absolute detectors of radiation, the soft x-ray emission profile is used to obtain the absolute nickel concentration and density profile in the center of the plasma. A computer code, including over 100 nickel L-line transitions, has been developed to obtain the nickel density. The nickel L-line cooling rate, calculated with the code, is presented. The nickel density obtained by this technique agrees well with that obtained from the K/sub α/ line intensity measured with a soft x-ray spectrometer and that obtained from a bolometric measurement of central radiated power coupled with a coronal equilibrium model of the radiation

SOFT AND SOFTER HANDOVER PERFORMANCE OF CDMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lina wati

2010-12-01

Full Text Available One of telecommunication providers in Indonesia applies CDMA2000 1x technology. The technology hasmany advantages such as larger channel capacity of BTS (Base Transceiver Station. On the other hand, thecapacity depends on user’s density. Therefore to guarantee voice connection when user or mobile station (MS isalways moving from one cell to others, handover technique is needed. However the technique can be failed for manyreasons. Therefore impact of call attempt on softer and soft handover performance is investigated. Hence the paperexamined soft – softer handover performance of CDMA in BTS (Base Transceiver Station, BSC, and Sectors inboth sub-urban and rural areas in Denpasar, Bali with area code of 0361.The research has been done in rural and suburban area with call area code ‘0361’. The analyses includedregression and simple linear correlation applications. The results showed that number of call attempts affected thefailure of soft and softer handover technique dominantly. Generally, average level of success both handover in bothrural and suburban area were about 99% which are above KPI (Key Performance Indicator reference at 98.50%.However in rural area, other factors such as blocking called attempt and error called number have caused the softerhandover failure.

Satellite based Ocean Forecasting, the SOFT project

Science.gov (United States)

Stemmann, L.; Tintoré, J.; Moneris, S.

2003-04-01

The knowledge of future oceanic conditions would have enormous impact on human marine related areas. For such reasons, a number of international efforts are being carried out to obtain reliable and manageable ocean forecasting systems. Among the possible techniques that can be used to estimate the near future states of the ocean, an ocean forecasting system based on satellite imagery is developped through the Satelitte based Ocean ForecasTing project (SOFT). SOFT, established by the European Commission, considers the development of a forecasting system of the ocean space-time variability based on satellite data by using Artificial Intelligence techniques. This system will be merged with numerical simulation approaches, via assimilation techniques, to get a hybrid SOFT-numerical forecasting system of improved performance. The results of the project will provide efficient forecasting of sea-surface temperature structures, currents, dynamic height, and biological activity associated to chlorophyll fields. All these quantities could give valuable information on the planning and management of human activities in marine environments such as navigation, fisheries, pollution control, or coastal management. A detailed identification of present or new needs and potential end-users concerned by such an operational tool is being performed. The project would study solutions adapted to these specific needs.

Skin and soft-tissue infec tions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2010-06-01

Jun 1, 2010 ... Patients with skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) often initially present to family physicians. ..... Nosocomial infections are often caused by MRSA or mixed .... site infections are good hand hygiene, good surgical technique.

Soft, curved electrode systems capable of integration on the auricle as a persistent brain–computer interface

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, James J. S.; Lee, Dong Sup; Lee, Jung Woo; Lee, Woosik; Kwon, Ohjin; Won, Phillip; Jung, Sung-Young; Cheng, Huanyu; Jeong, Jae-Woong; Akce, Abdullah; Umunna, Stephen; Na, Ilyoun; Kwon, Yong Ho; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Liu, ZhuangJian; Paik, Ungyu; Huang, Yonggang; Bretl, Timothy; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Rogers, John A.

2015-01-01

Recent advances in electrodes for noninvasive recording of electroencephalograms expand opportunities collecting such data for diagnosis of neurological disorders and brain–computer interfaces. Existing technologies, however, cannot be used effectively in continuous, uninterrupted modes for more than a few days due to irritation and irreversible degradation in the electrical and mechanical properties of the skin interface. Here we introduce a soft, foldable collection of electrodes in open, fractal mesh geometries that can mount directly and chronically on the complex surface topology of the auricle and the mastoid, to provide high-fidelity and long-term capture of electroencephalograms in ways that avoid any significant thermal, electrical, or mechanical loading of the skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the fundamental aspects of the bending and stretching mechanics that enable this type of intimate integration on the highly irregular and textured surfaces of the auricle. Cell level tests and thermal imaging studies establish the biocompatibility and wearability of such systems, with examples of high-quality measurements over periods of 2 wk with devices that remain mounted throughout daily activities including vigorous exercise, swimming, sleeping, and bathing. Demonstrations include a text speller with a steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain–computer interface and elicitation of an event-related potential (P300 wave). PMID:25775550

Soft, curved electrode systems capable of integration on the auricle as a persistent brain-computer interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, James J S; Lee, Dong Sup; Lee, Jung Woo; Lee, Woosik; Kwon, Ohjin; Won, Phillip; Jung, Sung-Young; Cheng, Huanyu; Jeong, Jae-Woong; Akce, Abdullah; Umunna, Stephen; Na, Ilyoun; Kwon, Yong Ho; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Liu, ZhuangJian; Paik, Ungyu; Huang, Yonggang; Bretl, Timothy; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Rogers, John A

2015-03-31

Recent advances in electrodes for noninvasive recording of electroencephalograms expand opportunities collecting such data for diagnosis of neurological disorders and brain-computer interfaces. Existing technologies, however, cannot be used effectively in continuous, uninterrupted modes for more than a few days due to irritation and irreversible degradation in the electrical and mechanical properties of the skin interface. Here we introduce a soft, foldable collection of electrodes in open, fractal mesh geometries that can mount directly and chronically on the complex surface topology of the auricle and the mastoid, to provide high-fidelity and long-term capture of electroencephalograms in ways that avoid any significant thermal, electrical, or mechanical loading of the skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the fundamental aspects of the bending and stretching mechanics that enable this type of intimate integration on the highly irregular and textured surfaces of the auricle. Cell level tests and thermal imaging studies establish the biocompatibility and wearability of such systems, with examples of high-quality measurements over periods of 2 wk with devices that remain mounted throughout daily activities including vigorous exercise, swimming, sleeping, and bathing. Demonstrations include a text speller with a steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain-computer interface and elicitation of an event-related potential (P300 wave).

Nonparametric Online Learning Control for Soft Continuum Robot: An Enabling Technique for Effective Endoscopic Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kit-Hang; Fu, Denny K.C.; Leong, Martin C.W.; Chow, Marco; Fu, Hing-Choi; Althoefer, Kaspar; Sze, Kam Yim; Yeung, Chung-Kwong

2017-01-01

Abstract Bioinspired robotic structures comprising soft actuation units have attracted increasing research interest. Taking advantage of its inherent compliance, soft robots can assure safe interaction with external environments, provided that precise and effective manipulation could be achieved. Endoscopy is a typical application. However, previous model-based control approaches often require simplified geometric assumptions on the soft manipulator, but which could be very inaccurate in the presence of unmodeled external interaction forces. In this study, we propose a generic control framework based on nonparametric and online, as well as local, training to learn the inverse model directly, without prior knowledge of the robot's structural parameters. Detailed experimental evaluation was conducted on a soft robot prototype with control redundancy, performing trajectory tracking in dynamically constrained environments. Advanced element formulation of finite element analysis is employed to initialize the control policy, hence eliminating the need for random exploration in the robot's workspace. The proposed control framework enabled a soft fluid-driven continuum robot to follow a 3D trajectory precisely, even under dynamic external disturbance. Such enhanced control accuracy and adaptability would facilitate effective endoscopic navigation in complex and changing environments. PMID:29251567

Teachers of Advertising Media Courses Describe Techniques, Show Computer Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Lancaster, Kent M.; Martin, Thomas C.

1989-01-01

Reports on a survey of university advertising media teachers regarding textbooks and instructional aids used, teaching techniques, computer applications, student placement, instructor background, and faculty publishing. (SR)

Bone and soft tissue ischemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berquist, T.H.; Brown, M.L.; Joyce, J.W.; Johnson, K.A.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses clinical features and imaging techniques for ischemic necrosis, a common problem in the foot, particularly in diabetics and patients with other vascular diseases. Necrosis of bone and soft tissues will be considered separately as the underlying etiology and imaging evaluation differ considerably

ANALYSIS OF PARAMETERIZATION VALUE REDUCTION OF SOFT SETS AND ITS ALGORITHM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Adam Taheir Mohammed

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the parameterization value reduction of soft sets and its algorithm in decision making are studied and described. It is based on parameterization reduction of soft sets. The purpose of this study is to investigate the inherited disadvantages of parameterization reduction of soft sets and its algorithm. The algorithms presented in this study attempt to reduce the value of least parameters from soft set. Through the analysis, two techniques have been described. Through this study, it is found that parameterization reduction of soft sets and its algorithm has yielded a different and inconsistency in suboptimal result.

Alpha particle induced soft errors in NMOS RAMs: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, P.M.; Wilkins, B.R.

1987-01-01

The paper aims to explain the alpha particle induced soft error phenomenon using the NMOS dynamic random access memory (RAM) as a model. It discusses some of the many techniques experimented with by manufacturers to overcome the problem, and gives a review of the literature covering most aspects of soft errors in dynamic RAMs. Finally, the soft error performance of current dynamic RAM and static RAM products from several manufacturers are compared. (author)

Fabrication of ridge waveguide structure from photosensitive TiO{sub 2}/ormosil hybrid films by using an ultraviolet soft imprint technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xuehua [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Que, Wenxiu, E-mail: wxque@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Chen, Jing; Gao, Tianxi; Hu, Jiaxing [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Liu, Weiguo [Micro-optoelectronic Systems Laboratories, Xi' an Technological University, Xi' an 710032, Shaanxi (China)

2013-03-01

Photosensitive TiO{sub 2}/organically modified silane hybrid films were prepared by combining a low-temperature sol–gel process with a spin-coating technique. Optical properties and photochemical activities of the as-prepared hybrid sol–gel films under different UV irradiation time were characterized and monitored by prism coupling technique, UV–visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Surface morphology of the hybrid films was also observed by an atomic force microscopy. Advantages for fabrication of ridge waveguide structure based on the photosensitive hybrid films were demonstrated by an ultraviolet soft imprint technique. Effects of imprint force, imprint time, and UV irradiation time on high replication fidelity of the ridge waveguide structure were also investigated. An altitude replication fidelity of 99.7% can be obtained when the imprint force of 2 MPa, imprint time of 30 min and UV irradiation time of 45 min were chosen. Scanning electron microscopy and surface profiler were used to characterize the morphological and surface profile properties of the as fabricated ridge waveguide structure. Results indicate that the as-prepared photosensitive hybrid materials have great applicability for the fabrication of micro-optical elements and advantage as the imprint layer under the ultraviolet soft imprint technique. - Highlights: ► Photosensitive TiO{sub 2}/ormosil hybrid film is prepared by a sol–gel process. ► Optical properties of the films change a little with UV exposure time. ► Photo-chemical property of the film changes a lot with UV exposure time. ► The imprint force and time, and the UV exposure time affect the imprint fidelity. ► A fidelity value of 99.7% is obtained under an optimized condition.

Soft tissue-preserving computer-aided impression: a novel concept using ultrasonic 3D-scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollborn, Thorsten; Habor, Daniel; Pekam, Fabrice Chuembou; Heger, Stefan; Marotti, Juliana; Reich, Sven; Wolfart, Stefan; Tinschert, Joachim; Radermacher, Klaus

2014-01-01

Subgingival preparations are often affected by blood and saliva during impression taking, regardless of whether one is using compound impression techniques or intraoral digital scanning methods. The latter are currently based on optical principles and therefore also need clean and dry surfaces. In contrast, ultrasonic waves are able to non-invasively penetrate gingiva, saliva, and blood, leading to decisive advantages, as cleaning and drying of the oral cavity becomes unnecessary. In addition, the application of ultrasound may facilitate the detection of subgingival structures without invasive manipulation, thereby reducing the risk of secondary infection and treatment time, and increasing patient comfort. Ultrasound devices commonly available for medical application and for the testing of materials are only suitable to a limited extent, as their resolution, precision, and design do not fulfill the requirements for intraoral scanning. The aim of this article is to describe the development of a novel ultrasound technology that enables soft tissue-preserving digital impressions of preparations for the CAD/CAM-based production of dental prostheses. The concept and development of the high-resolution ultrasound technique and the corresponding intraoral scanning system, as well as the integration into the CAD/CAM process chain, is presented.

Quantification and validation of soft tissue deformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosbech, Thomas Hammershaimb; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Christensen, Lars Bager

2009-01-01

We present a model for soft tissue deformation derived empirically from 10 pig carcases. The carcasses are subjected to deformation from a known single source of pressure located at the skin surface, and the deformation is quantified by means of steel markers injected into the tissue. The steel...... markers are easy to distinguish from the surrounding soft tissue in 3D computed tomography images. By tracking corresponding markers using methods from point-based registration, we are able to accurately quantify the magnitude and propagation of the induced deformation. The deformation is parameterised...

Unified commutation-pruning technique for efficient computation of composite DFTs

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Palazuelos, David E.; Medina-Melendrez, Modesto Gpe.; Torres-Roman, Deni L.; Shkvarko, Yuriy V.

2015-12-01

An efficient computation of a composite length discrete Fourier transform (DFT), as well as a fast Fourier transform (FFT) of both time and space data sequences in uncertain (non-sparse or sparse) computational scenarios, requires specific processing algorithms. Traditional algorithms typically employ some pruning methods without any commutations, which prevents them from attaining the potential computational efficiency. In this paper, we propose an alternative unified approach with automatic commutations between three computational modalities aimed at efficient computations of the pruned DFTs adapted for variable composite lengths of the non-sparse input-output data. The first modality is an implementation of the direct computation of a composite length DFT, the second one employs the second-order recursive filtering method, and the third one performs the new pruned decomposed transform. The pruned decomposed transform algorithm performs the decimation in time or space (DIT) data acquisition domain and, then, decimation in frequency (DIF). The unified combination of these three algorithms is addressed as the DFTCOMM technique. Based on the treatment of the combinational-type hypotheses testing optimization problem of preferable allocations between all feasible commuting-pruning modalities, we have found the global optimal solution to the pruning problem that always requires a fewer or, at most, the same number of arithmetic operations than other feasible modalities. The DFTCOMM method outperforms the existing competing pruning techniques in the sense of attainable savings in the number of required arithmetic operations. It requires fewer or at most the same number of arithmetic operations for its execution than any other of the competing pruning methods reported in the literature. Finally, we provide the comparison of the DFTCOMM with the recently developed sparse fast Fourier transform (SFFT) algorithmic family. We feature that, in the sensing scenarios with

Random sampling technique for ultra-fast computations of molecular opacities for exoplanet atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Min, M.

2017-10-01

Context. Opacities of molecules in exoplanet atmospheres rely on increasingly detailed line-lists for these molecules. The line lists available today contain for many species up to several billions of lines. Computation of the spectral line profile created by pressure and temperature broadening, the Voigt profile, of all of these lines is becoming a computational challenge. Aims: We aim to create a method to compute the Voigt profile in a way that automatically focusses the computation time into the strongest lines, while still maintaining the continuum contribution of the high number of weaker lines. Methods: Here, we outline a statistical line sampling technique that samples the Voigt profile quickly and with high accuracy. The number of samples is adjusted to the strength of the line and the local spectral line density. This automatically provides high accuracy line shapes for strong lines or lines that are spectrally isolated. The line sampling technique automatically preserves the integrated line opacity for all lines, thereby also providing the continuum opacity created by the large number of weak lines at very low computational cost. Results: The line sampling technique is tested for accuracy when computing line spectra and correlated-k tables. Extremely fast computations ( 3.5 × 105 lines per second per core on a standard current day desktop computer) with high accuracy (≤1% almost everywhere) are obtained. A detailed recipe on how to perform the computations is given.

Immersion radiography for enhancement of soft tissue contrast - experimental study and clinical application -

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Soo; Kang, Heung Sik; Kim, Chu Wan

1986-01-01

Detection and evaluation of early soft tissue changes are important in rheumatoid arthritis or other joint diseases. The most important factors for radiologic demonstration of soft tissue changes are resolving power and the optimization of contrast differences between structures representing skin and subcutaneous tissue densities. Phantom study was done by using combination of immersion technique and mammography to get the most reliable method for improvement of soft tissue contrast without deterioration of resolution. Clinical application was also done in 5 normal volunteers and 5 rheumatoid patients. The results indicate that soft tissue contrast, especially between skin and subcutaneous tissues can be significantly improved with combination of immersion technique and mammography with 50% ethanol in both phantom and clinical study.

A survey of energy saving techniques for mobile computers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Havinga, Paul J.M.

1997-01-01

Portable products such as pagers, cordless and digital cellular telephones, personal audio equipment, and laptop computers are increasingly being used. Because these applications are battery powered, reducing power consumption is vital. In this report we first give a survey of techniques for

Soft computing trends in nuclear energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paramasivan, B.

2012-01-01

In spite of so many advancements in the power and energy sector over the last two decades, its survival to cater quality power with due consideration for planning, coordination, marketing, safety, stability, optimality and reliability is still believed to remain critical. Though it appears simple from the outside, yet the internal structure of large scale power systems is so complex that event management and decision making requires a formidable preliminary preparation, which gets still worsened in the presence of uncertainties and contingencies. These aspects have attracted several researchers to carryout continued research in this field and their valued contributions have been significantly helping the newcomers in understanding the evolutionary growth in this sector, starting from phenomena, tools, methodologies to strategies so as to ensure smooth, stable, safe, reliable and economic operation. The usage of soft computing would accelerate interaction between the energy and technology research community with an aim to foster unified development in the next generation. Monitoring the mechanical impact of a loose (detached or drifting) part in the reactor coolant system of a nuclear power plant is one of the essential functions for operation and maintenance of the plant. Large data tables are generated during this monitoring process. This data can be 'mined' to reveal latent patterns of interest to operation and maintenance. Rough set theory has been applied successfully to data mining. It can be used in the nuclear power industry and elsewhere to identify classes in datasets, finding dependencies in relations and discovering rules which are hidden in databases. An important role may be played by nuclear energy, provided that major safety, waste and proliferation issues affecting current nuclear reactors are satisfactorily addressed. In this respect, a large effort is under way since a few years towards the development of advanced nuclear systems that would use

How would it be to live in a soft space..

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramsgaard Thomsen, Mette

2011-01-01

that take place within and without it freezing it within an eternal time. In ‘How would it be to live in a soft space…’ our aim is to query a performative architecture, an architecture held in time through an activation of its materials. Engaging material through computation the works define soft...... on a series of parallel levels that twine in and amongst each other. Soft is a tectonic inquiry into the adaptable, the crafted and the motile as well as a cultural question into what a home could be....

Computer Aided Measurement Laser (CAML): technique to quantify post-mastectomy lymphoedema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)