On the Performance Evaluation of 3D Reconstruction Techniques from a Sequence of Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eid, Ahmed; Farag, Aly

2005-12-01

The performance evaluation of 3D reconstruction techniques is not a simple problem to solve. This is not only due to the increased dimensionality of the problem but also due to the lack of standardized and widely accepted testing methodologies. This paper presents a unified framework for the performance evaluation of different 3D reconstruction techniques. This framework includes a general problem formalization, different measuring criteria, and a classification method as a first step in standardizing the evaluation process. Performance characterization of two standard 3D reconstruction techniques, stereo and space carving, is also presented. The evaluation is performed on the same data set using an image reprojection testing methodology to reduce the dimensionality of the evaluation domain. Also, different measuring strategies are presented and applied to the stereo and space carving techniques. These measuring strategies have shown consistent results in quantifying the performance of these techniques. Additional experiments are performed on the space carving technique to study the effect of the number of input images and the camera pose on its performance.

Segmentation of large periapical lesions toward dental computer-aided diagnosis in cone-beam CT scans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rysavy, Steven; Flores, Arturo; Enciso, Reyes; Okada, Kazunori

2008-03-01

This paper presents an experimental study for assessing the applicability of general-purpose 3D segmentation algorithms for analyzing dental periapical lesions in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. In the field of Endodontics, clinical studies have been unable to determine if a periapical granuloma can heal with non-surgical methods. Addressing this issue, Simon et al. recently proposed a diagnostic technique which non-invasively classifies target lesions using CBCT. Manual segmentation exploited in their study, however, is too time consuming and unreliable for real world adoption. On the other hand, many technically advanced algorithms have been proposed to address segmentation problems in various biomedical and non-biomedical contexts, but they have not yet been applied to the field of dentistry. Presented in this paper is a novel application of such segmentation algorithms to the clinically-significant dental problem. This study evaluates three state-of-the-art graph-based algorithms: a normalized cut algorithm based on a generalized eigen-value problem, a graph cut algorithm implementing energy minimization techniques, and a random walks algorithm derived from discrete electrical potential theory. In this paper, we extend the original 2D formulation of the above algorithms to segment 3D images directly and apply the resulting algorithms to the dental CBCT images. We experimentally evaluate quality of the segmentation results for 3D CBCT images, as well as their 2D cross sections. The benefits and pitfalls of each algorithm are highlighted.

HERO - A 3D general relativistic radiative post-processor for accretion discs around black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yucong; Narayan, Ramesh; Sadowski, Aleksander; Psaltis, Dimitrios

2015-08-01

HERO (Hybrid Evaluator for Radiative Objects) is a 3D general relativistic radiative transfer code which has been tailored to the problem of analysing radiation from simulations of relativistic accretion discs around black holes. HERO is designed to be used as a post-processor. Given some fixed fluid structure for the disc (i.e. density and velocity as a function of position from a hydrodynamic or magnetohydrodynamic simulation), the code obtains a self-consistent solution for the radiation field and for the gas temperatures using the condition of radiative equilibrium. The novel aspect of HERO is that it combines two techniques: (1) a short-characteristics (SC) solver that quickly converges to a self-consistent disc temperature and radiation field, with (2) a long-characteristics (LC) solver that provides a more accurate solution for the radiation near the photosphere and in the optically thin regions. By combining these two techniques, we gain both the computational speed of SC and the high accuracy of LC. We present tests of HERO on a range of 1D, 2D, and 3D problems in flat space and show that the results agree well with both analytical and benchmark solutions. We also test the ability of the code to handle relativistic problems in curved space. Finally, we discuss the important topic of ray defects, a major limitation of the SC method, and describe our strategy for minimizing the induced error.

Radiation effect of neutrons produced by D-D side reactions on a D-3He fusion reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahmani, J.

2017-04-01

One of the most important characteristics in D-3He fusion reactors is neutron production via D-D side reactions. The neutrons can activate structural material, degrading them and ultimately converting them into high-level radioactive waste, while it is really costly and difficult to remove them. The neutrons from a fusion reactor could also be used to make weapons-grade nuclear material, rendering such types of fusion reactors a serious proliferation hazard. A related problem is the presence of radioactive elements such as tritium in D-3He plasma, either as fuel for or as products of the nuclear reactions; substantial quantities of radioactive elements would not only pose a general health risk, but tritium in particular would also be another proliferation hazard. The problems of neutron radiation and radioactive element production are especially interconnected because both would result from the D-D side reaction. Therefore, the presentation approach for reducing neutrons via D-D nuclear side reactions in a D-3He fusion reactor is very important. For doing this research, energy losses and neutron power fraction in D-3He fusion reactors are investigated. Calculations show neutrons produced by the D-D nuclear side reaction could be reduced by changing to a more 3He-rich fuel mixture, but then the bremsstrahlung power loss fraction would increase in the D-3He fusion reactor.

Non-extensive Statistics to the Cosmological Lithium Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, S. Q.; He, J. J.; Parikh, A.; Kahl, D.; Bertulani, C. A.; Kajino, T.; Mathews, G. J.; Zhao, G.

2017-01-01

Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) theory predicts the abundances of the light elements D, 3He, 4He, and 7Li produced in the early universe. The primordial abundances of D and 4He inferred from observational data are in good agreement with predictions, however, BBN theory overestimates the primordial 7Li abundance by about a factor of three. This is the so-called “cosmological lithium problem.” Solutions to this problem using conventional astrophysics and nuclear physics have not been successful over the past few decades, probably indicating the presence of new physics during the era of BBN. We have investigated the impact on BBN predictions of adopting a generalized distribution to describe the velocities of nucleons in the framework of Tsallis non-extensive statistics. This generalized velocity distribution is characterized by a parameter q, and reduces to the usually assumed Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for q = 1. We find excellent agreement between predicted and observed primordial abundances of D, 4He, and 7Li for 1.069 ≤ q ≤ 1.082, suggesting a possible new solution to the cosmological lithium problem.

Work Strategies: The Development and Testing of a Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

strategies (e.g., Craik & Lockhart , 1972); hemispheric process - -7 ing differences (e.g., Seamon & Gazzaniga, 1973); problem-solving strategies (e.g...Charness, N. (1931). Aging and skilled problem solving. 3ournal of Experimental Psychology: General, 110, 21-38. Craik , F. I. \\., & Lockhart , R. S...1972). Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, L1, 671-684. 3ansereau, D. F., McDonald

The 3D elliptic restricted three-body problem: periodic orbits which bifurcate from limiting restricted problems. Complex instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ollé, Mercè; Pacha, Joan R.

1999-11-01

In the present work we use certain isolated symmetric periodic orbits found in some limiting Restricted Three-Body Problems to obtain, by numerical continuation, families of symmetric periodic orbits of the more general Spatial Elliptic Restricted Three Body Problem. In particular, the Planar Isosceles Restricted Three Body Problem, the Sitnikov Problem and the MacMillan problem are considered. A stability study for the periodic orbits of the families obtained - specially focused to detect transitions to complex instability - is also made.

On Efficient Deployment of Wireless Sensors for Coverage and Connectivity in Constrained 3D Space.

PubMed

Wu, Chase Q; Wang, Li

2017-10-10

Sensor networks have been used in a rapidly increasing number of applications in many fields. This work generalizes a sensor deployment problem to place a minimum set of wireless sensors at candidate locations in constrained 3D space to k -cover a given set of target objects. By exhausting the combinations of discreteness/continuousness constraints on either sensor locations or target objects, we formulate four classes of sensor deployment problems in 3D space: deploy sensors at Discrete/Continuous Locations (D/CL) to cover Discrete/Continuous Targets (D/CT). We begin with the design of an approximate algorithm for DLDT and then reduce DLCT, CLDT, and CLCT to DLDT by discretizing continuous sensor locations or target objects into a set of divisions without sacrificing sensing precision. Furthermore, we consider a connected version of each problem where the deployed sensors must form a connected network, and design an approximation algorithm to minimize the number of deployed sensors with connectivity guarantee. For performance comparison, we design and implement an optimal solution and a genetic algorithm (GA)-based approach. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed deployment algorithms consistently outperform the GA-based heuristic and achieve a close-to-optimal performance in small-scale problem instances and a significantly superior overall performance than the theoretical upper bound.

A 1D-2D Shallow Water Equations solver for discontinuous porosity field based on a Generalized Riemann Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, Alessia; Vacondio, Renato; Dazzi, Susanna; Mignosa, Paolo

2017-09-01

A novel augmented Riemann Solver capable of handling porosity discontinuities in 1D and 2D Shallow Water Equation (SWE) models is presented. With the aim of accurately approximating the porosity source term, a Generalized Riemann Problem is derived by adding an additional fictitious equation to the SWEs system and imposing mass and momentum conservation across the porosity discontinuity. The modified Shallow Water Equations are theoretically investigated, and the implementation of an augmented Roe Solver in a 1D Godunov-type finite volume scheme is presented. Robust treatment of transonic flows is ensured by introducing an entropy fix based on the wave pattern of the Generalized Riemann Problem. An Exact Riemann Solver is also derived in order to validate the numerical model. As an extension of the 1D scheme, an analogous 2D numerical model is also derived and validated through test cases with radial symmetry. The capability of the 1D and 2D numerical models to capture different wave patterns is assessed against several Riemann Problems with different wave patterns.

Easy way to determine quantitative spatial resolution distribution for a general inverse problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, M.; Feng, M.

2013-12-01

The spatial resolution computation of a solution was nontrivial and more difficult than solving an inverse problem. Most geophysical studies, except for tomographic studies, almost uniformly neglect the calculation of a practical spatial resolution. In seismic tomography studies, a qualitative resolution length can be indicatively given via visual inspection of the restoration of a synthetic structure (e.g., checkerboard tests). An effective strategy for obtaining quantitative resolution length is to calculate Backus-Gilbert resolution kernels (also referred to as a resolution matrix) by matrix operation. However, not all resolution matrices can provide resolution length information, and the computation of resolution matrix is often a difficult problem for very large inverse problems. A new class of resolution matrices, called the statistical resolution matrices (An, 2012, GJI), can be directly determined via a simple one-parameter nonlinear inversion performed based on limited pairs of random synthetic models and their inverse solutions. The total procedure were restricted to forward/inversion processes used in the real inverse problem and were independent of the degree of inverse skill used in the solution inversion. Spatial resolution lengths can be directly given during the inversion. Tests on 1D/2D/3D model inversion demonstrated that this simple method can be at least valid for a general linear inverse problem.

3D hierarchical interface-enriched finite element method: Implementation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soghrati, Soheil; Ahmadian, Hossein

2015-10-01

A hierarchical interface-enriched finite element method (HIFEM) is proposed for the mesh-independent treatment of 3D problems with intricate morphologies. The HIFEM implements a recursive algorithm for creating enrichment functions that capture gradient discontinuities in nonconforming finite elements cut by arbitrary number and configuration of materials interfaces. The method enables the mesh-independent simulation of multiphase problems with materials interfaces that are in close proximity or contact while providing a straightforward general approach for evaluating the enrichments. In this manuscript, we present a detailed discussion on the implementation issues and required computational geometry considerations associated with the HIFEM approximation of thermal and mechanical responses of 3D problems. A convergence study is provided to investigate the accuracy and convergence rate of the HIFEM and compare them with standard FEM benchmark solutions. We will also demonstrate the application of this mesh-independent method for simulating the thermal and mechanical responses of two composite materials systems with complex microstructures.

On Born's Conjecture about Optimal Distribution of Charges for an Infinite Ionic Crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bétermin, Laurent; Knüpfer, Hans

2018-04-01

We study the problem for the optimal charge distribution on the sites of a fixed Bravais lattice. In particular, we prove Born's conjecture about the optimality of the rock salt alternate distribution of charges on a cubic lattice (and more generally on a d-dimensional orthorhombic lattice). Furthermore, we study this problem on the two-dimensional triangular lattice and we prove the optimality of a two-component honeycomb distribution of charges. The results hold for a class of completely monotone interaction potentials which includes Coulomb-type interactions for d≥3 . In a more general setting, we derive a connection between the optimal charge problem and a minimization problem for the translated lattice theta function.

A three dimensional immersed smoothed finite element method (3D IS-FEM) for fluid-structure interaction problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhi-Qian; Liu, G. R.; Khoo, Boo Cheong

2013-02-01

A three-dimensional immersed smoothed finite element method (3D IS-FEM) using four-node tetrahedral element is proposed to solve 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems. The 3D IS-FEM is able to determine accurately the physical deformation of the nonlinear solids placed within the incompressible viscous fluid governed by Navier-Stokes equations. The method employs the semi-implicit characteristic-based split scheme to solve the fluid flows and smoothed finite element methods to calculate the transient dynamics responses of the nonlinear solids based on explicit time integration. To impose the FSI conditions, a novel, effective and sufficiently general technique via simple linear interpolation is presented based on Lagrangian fictitious fluid meshes coinciding with the moving and deforming solid meshes. In the comparisons to the referenced works including experiments, it is clear that the proposed 3D IS-FEM ensures stability of the scheme with the second order spatial convergence property; and the IS-FEM is fairly independent of a wide range of mesh size ratio.

A Nonrigid Kernel-Based Framework for 2D-3D Pose Estimation and 2D Image Segmentation

PubMed Central

Sandhu, Romeil; Dambreville, Samuel; Yezzi, Anthony; Tannenbaum, Allen

2013-01-01

In this work, we present a nonrigid approach to jointly solving the tasks of 2D-3D pose estimation and 2D image segmentation. In general, most frameworks that couple both pose estimation and segmentation assume that one has exact knowledge of the 3D object. However, under nonideal conditions, this assumption may be violated if only a general class to which a given shape belongs is given (e.g., cars, boats, or planes). Thus, we propose to solve the 2D-3D pose estimation and 2D image segmentation via nonlinear manifold learning of 3D embedded shapes for a general class of objects or deformations for which one may not be able to associate a skeleton model. Thus, the novelty of our method is threefold: First, we present and derive a gradient flow for the task of nonrigid pose estimation and segmentation. Second, due to the possible nonlinear structures of one’s training set, we evolve the preimage obtained through kernel PCA for the task of shape analysis. Third, we show that the derivation for shape weights is general. This allows us to use various kernels, as well as other statistical learning methodologies, with only minimal changes needing to be made to the overall shape evolution scheme. In contrast with other techniques, we approach the nonrigid problem, which is an infinite-dimensional task, with a finite-dimensional optimization scheme. More importantly, we do not explicitly need to know the interaction between various shapes such as that needed for skeleton models as this is done implicitly through shape learning. We provide experimental results on several challenging pose estimation and segmentation scenarios. PMID:20733218

Executive functions and behavioral problems in deaf and hard-of-hearing students at general and special schools.

PubMed

Hintermair, Manfred

2013-01-01

In this study, behavioral problems of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) school-aged children are discussed in the context of executive functioning and communicative competence. Teachers assessed the executive functions of a sample of 214 D/HH students from general schools and schools for the deaf, using a German version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF-D). This was complemented by a questionnaire that measured communicative competence and behavioral problems (German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ-D). The results in nearly all the scales show a significantly higher problem rate for executive functions in the group of D/HH students compared with a normative sample of hearing children. In the D/HH group, students at general schools had better scores on most scales than students at schools for the deaf. Regression analysis reveals the importance of executive functions and communicative competence for behavioral problems. The relevance of the findings for pedagogical work is discussed. A specific focus on competencies such as self-efficacy or self-control in educational concepts for D/HH students seems to be necessary in addition to extending language competencies.

General relativistic hydrodynamics with Adaptive-Mesh Refinement (AMR) and modeling of accretion disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donmez, Orhan

We present a general procedure to solve the General Relativistic Hydrodynamical (GRH) equations with Adaptive-Mesh Refinement (AMR) and model of an accretion disk around a black hole. To do this, the GRH equations are written in a conservative form to exploit their hyperbolic character. The numerical solutions of the general relativistic hydrodynamic equations is done by High Resolution Shock Capturing schemes (HRSC), specifically designed to solve non-linear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws. These schemes depend on the characteristic information of the system. We use Marquina fluxes with MUSCL left and right states to solve GRH equations. First, we carry out different test problems with uniform and AMR grids on the special relativistic hydrodynamics equations to verify the second order convergence of the code in 1D, 2 D and 3D. Second, we solve the GRH equations and use the general relativistic test problems to compare the numerical solutions with analytic ones. In order to this, we couple the flux part of general relativistic hydrodynamic equation with a source part using Strang splitting. The coupling of the GRH equations is carried out in a treatment which gives second order accurate solutions in space and time. The test problems examined include shock tubes, geodesic flows, and circular motion of particle around the black hole. Finally, we apply this code to the accretion disk problems around the black hole using the Schwarzschild metric at the background of the computational domain. We find spiral shocks on the accretion disk. They are observationally expected results. We also examine the star-disk interaction near a massive black hole. We find that when stars are grounded down or a hole is punched on the accretion disk, they create shock waves which destroy the accretion disk.

3D engineered fiberboard : engineering analysis of a new building product

Treesearch

John F. Hunt; Jerrold E. Winandy

2003-01-01

In many forests across the United States, the high forest fuel loadings are contributing to our recent forest fire problems. Many fire-prone timber stands are generally far from traditional timber markets or the timber is not economically valuable enough to cover the costs of removal. To help address this problem, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory has developed a...

Health-Related Quality of Life of the General German Population in 2015: Results from the EQ-5D-5L.

PubMed

Huber, Manuel B; Felix, Julia; Vogelmann, Martin; Leidl, Reiner

2017-04-16

The EQ-5D-5L is a widely used generic instrument to measure health-related quality of life. This study evaluates health perception in a representative sample of the general German population from 2015. To compare results over time, a component analysis technique was used that separates changes in the description and valuation of health states. The whole sample and also subgroups, stratified by sociodemographic parameters as well as disease affliction, were analyzed. In total, 2040 questionnaires (48.4% male, mean age 47.3 year) were included. The dimension with the lowest number of reported problems was self-care (93.0% without problems), and the dimension with the highest proportion of impairment was pain/discomfort (71.2% without problems). Some 64.3% of the study population were identified as problem-free. The visual analog scale (VAS) mean for all participants was 85.1. Low education was connected with significantly lower VAS scores, but the effect was small. Depression, heart disease, and diabetes had a strong significant negative effect on reported VAS means. Results were slightly better than those in a similar 2012 survey; the most important driver was the increase in the share of the study population that reported to be problem-free. In international comparisons, health perception of the general German population is relatively high and, compared with previous German studies, fairly stable over recent years. Elderly and sick people continue to report significant reductions in perceived health states.

The boundary element method applied to 3D magneto-electro-elastic dynamic problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igumnov, L. A.; Markov, I. P.; Kuznetsov, Iu A.

2017-11-01

Due to the coupling properties, the magneto-electro-elastic materials possess a wide number of applications. They exhibit general anisotropic behaviour. Three-dimensional transient analyses of magneto-electro-elastic solids can hardly be found in the literature. 3D direct boundary element formulation based on the weakly-singular boundary integral equations in Laplace domain is presented in this work for solving dynamic linear magneto-electro-elastic problems. Integral expressions of the three-dimensional fundamental solutions are employed. Spatial discretization is based on a collocation method with mixed boundary elements. Convolution quadrature method is used as a numerical inverse Laplace transform scheme to obtain time domain solutions. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the capability of the proposed approach to treat highly dynamic problems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haghighat, A.; Sjoden, G.E.; Wagner, J.C.

In the past 10 yr, the Penn State Transport Theory Group (PSTTG) has concentrated its efforts on developing accurate and efficient particle transport codes to address increasing needs for efficient and accurate simulation of nuclear systems. The PSTTG's efforts have primarily focused on shielding applications that are generally treated using multigroup, multidimensional, discrete ordinates (S{sub n}) deterministic and/or statistical Monte Carlo methods. The difficulty with the existing public codes is that they require significant (impractical) computation time for simulation of complex three-dimensional (3-D) problems. For the S{sub n} codes, the large memory requirements are handled through the use of scratchmore » files (i.e., read-from and write-to-disk) that significantly increases the necessary execution time. Further, the lack of flexible features and/or utilities for preparing input and processing output makes these codes difficult to use. The Monte Carlo method becomes impractical because variance reduction (VR) methods have to be used, and normally determination of the necessary parameters for the VR methods is very difficult and time consuming for a complex 3-D problem. For the deterministic method, the authors have developed the 3-D parallel PENTRAN (Parallel Environment Neutral-particle TRANsport) code system that, in addition to a parallel 3-D S{sub n} solver, includes pre- and postprocessing utilities. PENTRAN provides for full phase-space decomposition, memory partitioning, and parallel input/output to provide the capability of solving large problems in a relatively short time. Besides having a modular parallel structure, PENTRAN has several unique new formulations and features that are necessary for achieving high parallel performance. For the Monte Carlo method, the major difficulty currently facing most users is the selection of an effective VR method and its associated parameters. For complex problems, generally, this process is very time consuming and may be complicated due to the possibility of biasing the results. In an attempt to eliminate this problem, the authors have developed the A{sup 3}MCNP (automated adjoint accelerated MCNP) code that automatically prepares parameters for source and transport biasing within a weight-window VR approach based on the S{sub n} adjoint function. A{sup 3}MCNP prepares the necessary input files for performing multigroup, 3-D adjoint S{sub n} calculations using TORT.« less

Convergence acceleration of the Proteus computer code with multigrid methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demuren, A. O.; Ibraheem, S. O.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to implement convergence acceleration techniques based on the multigrid concept in the two-dimensional and three-dimensional versions of the Proteus computer code. The first section presents a review of the relevant literature on the implementation of the multigrid methods in computer codes for compressible flow analysis. The next two sections present detailed stability analysis of numerical schemes for solving the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, based on conventional von Neumann analysis and the bi-grid analysis, respectively. The next section presents details of the computational method used in the Proteus computer code. Finally, the multigrid implementation and applications to several two-dimensional and three-dimensional test problems are presented. The results of the present study show that the multigrid method always leads to a reduction in the number of iterations (or time steps) required for convergence. However, there is an overhead associated with the use of multigrid acceleration. The overhead is higher in 2-D problems than in 3-D problems, thus overall multigrid savings in CPU time are in general better in the latter. Savings of about 40-50 percent are typical in 3-D problems, but they are about 20-30 percent in large 2-D problems. The present multigrid method is applicable to steady-state problems and is therefore ineffective in problems with inherently unstable solutions.

NON-EXTENSIVE STATISTICS TO THE COSMOLOGICAL LITHIUM PROBLEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hou, S. Q.; He, J. J.; Parikh, A.

Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) theory predicts the abundances of the light elements D, {sup 3}He, {sup 4}He, and {sup 7}Li produced in the early universe. The primordial abundances of D and {sup 4}He inferred from observational data are in good agreement with predictions, however, BBN theory overestimates the primordial {sup 7}Li abundance by about a factor of three. This is the so-called “cosmological lithium problem.” Solutions to this problem using conventional astrophysics and nuclear physics have not been successful over the past few decades, probably indicating the presence of new physics during the era of BBN. We have investigated themore » impact on BBN predictions of adopting a generalized distribution to describe the velocities of nucleons in the framework of Tsallis non-extensive statistics. This generalized velocity distribution is characterized by a parameter q , and reduces to the usually assumed Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution for q  = 1. We find excellent agreement between predicted and observed primordial abundances of D, {sup 4}He, and {sup 7}Li for 1.069 ≤  q  ≤ 1.082, suggesting a possible new solution to the cosmological lithium problem.« less

A comparison of the scaling properties of the English, Spanish, French, and Chinese EQ-5D descriptive systems.

PubMed

Luo, Nan; Li, Minghui; Chevalier, Julie; Lloyd, Andrew; Herdman, Michael

2013-10-01

To compare the scaling properties of the English, Spanish, French, and Chinese versions of the EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L descriptive systems. Members of the general populations in the UK, Spain, France, and China were interviewed to measure the severity of health problems represented by the response labels used in the EQ-5D descriptive systems using a visual analog scale. Multiple linear regression models were used to compare the perceived label severity across the four language groups. Severity scores for labels from each EQ-5D-5L dimension scale were compared with each other to assess ordinality. EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L labels used for describing different levels of health problems were rated differently, while those describing the same level of health problems were rated similarly. For example, the deviation of any group mean from the grand severity mean score for the label 'slight(ly)' was no larger than 5 points on a 0-100 scale for all five EQ-5D dimensions (p > 0.05 for all, t tests). Label ratings violating hypothesized ordinality of the EQ-5D-5L scales were observed in only a small proportion of respondents. Our study provided some preliminary evidence supporting the ordinality and equivalence of the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L descriptive systems across four major languages.

Generalized three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann color-gradient method for immiscible two-phase pore-scale imbibition and drainage in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclaire, Sébastien; Parmigiani, Andrea; Malaspinas, Orestis; Chopard, Bastien; Latt, Jonas

2017-03-01

This article presents a three-dimensional numerical framework for the simulation of fluid-fluid immiscible compounds in complex geometries, based on the multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method to model the fluid dynamics and the color-gradient approach to model multicomponent flow interaction. New lattice weights for the lattices D3Q15, D3Q19, and D3Q27 that improve the Galilean invariance of the color-gradient model as well as for modeling the interfacial tension are derived and provided in the Appendix. The presented method proposes in particular an approach to model the interaction between the fluid compound and the solid, and to maintain a precise contact angle between the two-component interface and the wall. Contrarily to previous approaches proposed in the literature, this method yields accurate solutions even in complex geometries and does not suffer from numerical artifacts like nonphysical mass transfer along the solid wall, which is crucial for modeling imbibition-type problems. The article also proposes an approach to model inflow and outflow boundaries with the color-gradient method by generalizing the regularized boundary conditions. The numerical framework is first validated for three-dimensional (3D) stationary state (Jurin's law) and time-dependent (Washburn's law and capillary waves) problems. Then, the usefulness of the method for practical problems of pore-scale flow imbibition and drainage in porous media is demonstrated. Through the simulation of nonwetting displacement in two-dimensional random porous media networks, we show that the model properly reproduces three main invasion regimes (stable displacement, capillary fingering, and viscous fingering) as well as the saturating zone transition between these regimes. Finally, the ability to simulate immiscible two-component flow imbibition and drainage is validated, with excellent results, by numerical simulations in a Berea sandstone, a frequently used benchmark case used in this field, using a complex geometry that originates from a 3D scan of a porous sandstone. The methods presented in this article were implemented in the open-source PALABOS library, a general C++ matrix-based library well adapted for massive fluid flow parallel computation.

Approaches to Numerical Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Inverno, Ray

2005-07-01

Introduction Ray d'Inverno; Preface C. J. S. Clarke; Part I. Theoretical Approaches: 1. Numerical relativity on a transputer array Ray d'Inverno; 2. Some aspects of the characteristic initial value problem in numerical relativity Nigel Bishop; 3. The characteristic initial value problem in general relativity J. M. Stewart; 4. Algebraic approachs to the characteristic initial value problem in general relativity Jõrg Frauendiener; 5. On hyperboidal hypersurfaces Helmut Friedrich; 6. The initial value problem on null cones J. A. Vickers; 7. Introduction to dual-null dynamics S. A. Hayward; 8. On colliding plane wave space-times J. B. Griffiths; 9. Boundary conditions for the momentum constraint Niall O Murchadha; 10. On the choice of matter model in general relativity A. D. Rendall; 11. A mathematical approach to numerical relativity J. W. Barrett; 12. Making sense of the effects of rotation in general relativity J. C. Miller; 13. Stability of charged boson stars and catastrophe theory Franz E. Schunck, Fjodor V. Kusmartsev and Eckehard W. Mielke; Part II. Practical Approaches: 14. Numerical asymptotics R. Gómez and J. Winicour; 15. Instabilities in rapidly rotating polytropes Scott C. Smith and Joan M. Centrella; 16. Gravitational radiation from coalescing binary neutron stars Ken-Ichi Oohara and Takashi Nakamura; 17. 'Critical' behaviour in massless scalar field collapse M. W. Choptuik; 18. Goudunov-type methods applied to general relativistic gravitational collapse José Ma. Ibánez, José Ma. Martí, Juan A. Miralles and J. V. Romero; 19. Astrophysical sources of gravitational waves and neutrinos Silvano Bonazzola, Eric Gourgoulhon, Pawel Haensel and Jean-Alain Marck; 20. Gravitational radiation from triaxial core collapse Jean-Alain Marck and Silvano Bonazzola; 21. A vacuum fully relativistic 3D numerical code C. Bona and J. Massó; 22. Solution of elliptic equations in numerical relativity using multiquadrics M. R. Dubal, S. R. Oliveira and R. A. Matzner; 23. Self-gravitating thin disks around rotating black holes A. Lanza; 24. An ADI and causal reconnection Gabrielle D. Allen and Bernard F. Schutz; 25. Time-symmetric ADI and causal reconnection Miguel Alcubierre and Bernard F. Schutz; 26. The numerical study of topological defects E. P. S. Shellard; 27. Computations of bubble growth during the cosmological quark-hadron transition J. C. Miller and O. Pantano; 28. Initial data of axisymmetric gravitational waves with a cosmological constant Ken-Ichi Nakao, Kei-Ichi Maeda, Takashi Nakamura and Ken-Ichi Oohara.

Robotic Online Path Planning on Point Cloud.

PubMed

Liu, Ming

2016-05-01

This paper deals with the path-planning problem for mobile wheeled- or tracked-robot which drive in 2.5-D environments, where the traversable surface is usually considered as a 2-D-manifold embedded in a 3-D ambient space. Specially, we aim at solving the 2.5-D navigation problem using raw point cloud as input. The proposed method is independent of traditional surface parametrization or reconstruction methods, such as a meshing process, which generally has high-computational complexity. Instead, we utilize the output of 3-D tensor voting framework on the raw point clouds. The computation of tensor voting is accelerated by optimized implementation on graphics computation unit. Based on the tensor voting results, a novel local Riemannian metric is defined using the saliency components, which helps the modeling of the latent traversable surface. Using the proposed metric, we prove that the geodesic in the 3-D tensor space leads to rational path-planning results by experiments. Compared to traditional methods, the results reveal the advantages of the proposed method in terms of smoothing the robot maneuver while considering the minimum travel distance.

Efficient dual approach to distance metric learning.

PubMed

Shen, Chunhua; Kim, Junae; Liu, Fayao; Wang, Lei; van den Hengel, Anton

2014-02-01

Distance metric learning is of fundamental interest in machine learning because the employed distance metric can significantly affect the performance of many learning methods. Quadratic Mahalanobis metric learning is a popular approach to the problem, but typically requires solving a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem, which is computationally expensive. The worst case complexity of solving an SDP problem involving a matrix variable of size D×D with O(D) linear constraints is about O(D(6.5)) using interior-point methods, where D is the dimension of the input data. Thus, the interior-point methods only practically solve problems exhibiting less than a few thousand variables. Because the number of variables is D(D+1)/2, this implies a limit upon the size of problem that can practically be solved around a few hundred dimensions. The complexity of the popular quadratic Mahalanobis metric learning approach thus limits the size of problem to which metric learning can be applied. Here, we propose a significantly more efficient and scalable approach to the metric learning problem based on the Lagrange dual formulation of the problem. The proposed formulation is much simpler to implement, and therefore allows much larger Mahalanobis metric learning problems to be solved. The time complexity of the proposed method is roughly O(D(3)), which is significantly lower than that of the SDP approach. Experiments on a variety of data sets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves an accuracy comparable with the state of the art, but is applicable to significantly larger problems. We also show that the proposed method can be applied to solve more general Frobenius norm regularized SDP problems approximately.

Dissipative closures for statistical moments, fluid moments, and subgrid scales in plasma turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Stephen Andrew

1997-11-01

Closures are necessary in the study physical systems with large numbers of degrees of freedom when it is only possible to compute a small number of modes. The modes that are to be computed, the resolved modes, are coupled to unresolved modes that must be estimated. This thesis focuses on dissipative closures models for two problems that arises in the study of plasma turbulence: the fluid moment closure problem and the subgrid scale closure problem. The fluid moment closures of Hammett and Perkins (1990) were originally applied to a one-dimensional kinetic equation, the Vlasov equation. These closures are generalized in this thesis and applied to the stochastic oscillator problem, a standard paradigm problem for statistical closures. The linear theory of the Hammett- Perkins closures is shown to converge with increasing numbers of moments. A novel parameterized hyperviscosity is proposed for two- dimensional drift-wave turbulence. The magnitude and exponent of the hyperviscosity are expressed as functions of the large scale advection velocity. Traditionally hyperviscosities are applied to simulations with a fixed exponent that must be arbitrarily chosen. Expressing the exponent as a function of the simulation parameters eliminates this ambiguity. These functions are parameterized by comparing the hyperviscous dissipation to the subgrid dissipation calculated from direct numerical simulations. Tests of the parameterization demonstrate that it performs better than using no additional damping term or than using a standard hyperviscosity. Heuristic arguments are presented to extend this hyperviscosity model to three-dimensional (3D) drift-wave turbulence where eddies are highly elongated along the field line. Preliminary results indicate that this generalized 3D hyperviscosity is capable of reducing the resolution requirements for 3D gyrofluid turbulence simulations.

Modular Approaches to Earth Science Scientific Computing: 3D Electromagnetic Induction Modeling as an Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tandon, K.; Egbert, G.; Siripunvaraporn, W.

2003-12-01

We are developing a modular system for three-dimensional inversion of electromagnetic (EM) induction data, using an object oriented programming approach. This approach allows us to modify the individual components of the inversion scheme proposed, and also reuse the components for variety of problems in earth science computing howsoever diverse they might be. In particular, the modularity allows us to (a) change modeling codes independently of inversion algorithm details; (b) experiment with new inversion algorithms; and (c) modify the way prior information is imposed in the inversion to test competing hypothesis and techniques required to solve an earth science problem. Our initial code development is for EM induction equations on a staggered grid, using iterative solution techniques in 3D. An example illustrated here is an experiment with the sensitivity of 3D magnetotelluric inversion to uncertainties in the boundary conditions required for regional induction problems. These boundary conditions should reflect the large-scale geoelectric structure of the study area, which is usually poorly constrained. In general for inversion of MT data, one fixes boundary conditions at the edge of the model domain, and adjusts the earth?s conductivity structure within the modeling domain. Allowing for errors in specification of the open boundary values is simple in principle, but no existing inversion codes that we are aware of have this feature. Adding a feature such as this is straightforward within the context of the modular approach. More generally, a modular approach provides an efficient methodology for setting up earth science computing problems to test various ideas. As a concrete illustration relevant to EM induction problems, we investigate the sensitivity of MT data near San Andreas Fault at Parkfield (California) to uncertainties in the regional geoelectric structure.

Multi-blocking strategies for the INS3D incompressible Navier-Stokes code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatlin, Boyd

1990-01-01

With the continuing development of bigger and faster supercomputers, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a useful tool for real-world engineering design and analysis. However, the number of grid points necessary to resolve realistic flow fields numerically can easily exceed the memory capacity of available computers. In addition, geometric shapes of flow fields, such as those in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) power head, may be impossible to fill with continuous grids upon which to obtain numerical solutions to the equations of fluid motion. The solution to this dilemma is simply to decompose the computational domain into subblocks of manageable size. Computer codes that are single-block by construction can be modified to handle multiple blocks, but ad-hoc changes in the FORTRAN have to be made for each geometry treated. For engineering design and analysis, what is needed is generalization so that the blocking arrangement can be specified by the user. INS3D is a computer program for the solution of steady, incompressible flow problems. It is used frequently to solve engineering problems in the CFD Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center. INS3D uses an implicit solution algorithm and the concept of artificial compressibility to provide the necessary coupling between the pressure field and the velocity field. The development of generalized multi-block capability in INS3D is described.

Effective one-dimensional approach to the source reconstruction problem of three-dimensional inverse optoacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stritzel, J.; Melchert, O.; Wollweber, M.; Roth, B.

2017-09-01

The direct problem of optoacoustic signal generation in biological media consists of solving an inhomogeneous three-dimensional (3D) wave equation for an initial acoustic stress profile. In contrast, the more defiant inverse problem requires the reconstruction of the initial stress profile from a proper set of observed signals. In this article, we consider an effectively 1D approach, based on the assumption of a Gaussian transverse irradiation source profile and plane acoustic waves, in which the effects of acoustic diffraction are described in terms of a linear integral equation. The respective inverse problem along the beam axis can be cast into a Volterra integral equation of the second kind for which we explore here efficient numerical schemes in order to reconstruct initial stress profiles from observed signals, constituting a methodical progress of computational aspects of optoacoustics. In this regard, we explore the validity as well as the limits of the inversion scheme via numerical experiments, with parameters geared toward actual optoacoustic problem instances. The considered inversion input consists of synthetic data, obtained in terms of the effectively 1D approach, and, more generally, a solution of the 3D optoacoustic wave equation. Finally, we also analyze the effect of noise and different detector-to-sample distances on the optoacoustic signal and the reconstructed pressure profiles.

Spectral-element simulations of wave propagation in complex exploration-industry models: Mesh generation and forward simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nissen-Meyer, T.; Luo, Y.; Morency, C.; Tromp, J.

2008-12-01

Seismic-wave propagation in exploration-industry settings has seen major research and development efforts for decades, yet large-scale applications have often been limited to 2D or 3D finite-difference, (visco- )acoustic wave propagation due to computational limitations. We explore the possibility of including all relevant physical signatures in the wavefield using the spectral- element method (SPECFEM3D, SPECFEM2D), thereby accounting for acoustic, (visco-)elastic, poroelastic, anisotropic wave propagation in meshes which honor all crucial discontinuities. Mesh design is the crux of the problem, and we use CUBIT (Sandia Laboratories) to generate unstructured quadrilateral 2D and hexahedral 3D meshes for these complex background models. While general hexahedral mesh generation is an unresolved problem, we are able to accommodate most of the relevant settings (e.g., layer-cake models, salt bodies, overthrusting faults, and strong topography) with respectively tailored workflows. 2D simulations show localized, characteristic wave effects due to these features that shall be helpful in designing survey acquisition geometries in a relatively economic fashion. We address some of the fundamental issues this comprehensive modeling approach faces regarding its feasibility: Assessing geological structures in terms of the necessity to honor the major structural units, appropriate velocity model interpolation, quality control of the resultant mesh, and computational cost for realistic settings up to frequencies of 40 Hz. The solution to this forward problem forms the basis for subsequent 2D and 3D adjoint tomography within this context, which is the subject of a companion paper.

Sleep Problems and Life Satisfaction as Predictors of Health in Men with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies.

PubMed

Fjermestad, Krister W; Stokke, Simen

2018-01-01

More knowledge is needed about men with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA). We present self-reported data from 53 men with SCA (M age = 36.8 years, SD = 12.3, range 19-67). The Health Survey-Short Form (SF-36) measured eight health domains (physical functioning, role-physical, role-emotional, vitality, emotional health, social functioning, pain, general health). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measured sleep problems. The Personal Wellbeing Index measured satisfaction with eight life domains. Compared to norms, SCA reported poorer health (mean d = -0.80) and more sleep problems (mean d = -0.85). Differences between SCA and norms on personal well-being were small, except lower health satisfaction in SCA (d = -1.06). Seven of eight regression models predicting the SF-36 domains from life satisfaction and sleep problems were significant (explained variance 12.2% to 46.2%), except physical functioning (ns). Clinical assessment/intervention for a broad range of health and sleep problems is indicated for men with SCA.

Development of BEM for ceramic composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerjee, P. K.; Dargush, G. F.; Henry, D. P.

1988-01-01

Progress is summarized in the development of a boundary element code BEST3D, designed for the micromechanical studies of advanced ceramic composites. Additional effort was made in generalizing the implementation to allow the program to be applicable to real problems in the aerospace industry.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singleton, Jr., Robert

This report documents the implementation of several related 1D heat flow problems in the verification package ExactPack [1]. In particular, the planar sandwich class defined in Ref. [2], as well as the classes PlanarSandwichHot, PlanarSandwichHalf, and other generalizations of the planar sandwich problem, are defined and documented here. A rather general treatment of 1D heat flow is presented, whose main results have been implemented in the class Rod1D. All planar sandwich classes are derived from the parent class Rod1D.

Core-collapse supernovae as supercomputing science: A status report toward six-dimensional simulations with exact Boltzmann neutrino transport in full general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotake, Kei; Sumiyoshi, Kohsuke; Yamada, Shoichi; Takiwaki, Tomoya; Kuroda, Takami; Suwa, Yudai; Nagakura, Hiroki

2012-08-01

This is a status report on our endeavor to reveal the mechanism of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) by large-scale numerical simulations. Multi-dimensionality of the supernova engine, general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics, energy and lepton number transport by neutrinos emitted from the forming neutron star, as well as nuclear interactions there, are all believed to play crucial roles in repelling infalling matter and producing energetic explosions. These ingredients are non-linearly coupled with one another in the dynamics of core collapse, bounce, and shock expansion. Serious quantitative studies of CCSNe hence make extensive numerical computations mandatory. Since neutrinos are neither in thermal nor in chemical equilibrium in general, their distributions in the phase space should be computed. This is a six-dimensional (6D) neutrino transport problem and quite a challenge, even for those with access to the most advanced numerical resources such as the "K computer". To tackle this problem, we have embarked on efforts on multiple fronts. In particular, we report in this paper our recent progresses in the treatment of multidimensional (multi-D) radiation hydrodynamics. We are currently proceeding on two different paths to the ultimate goal. In one approach, we employ an approximate but highly efficient scheme for neutrino transport and treat 3D hydrodynamics and/or general relativity rigorously; some neutrino-driven explosions will be presented and quantitative comparisons will be made between 2D and 3D models. In the second approach, on the other hand, exact, but so far Newtonian, Boltzmann equations are solved in two and three spatial dimensions; we will show some example test simulations. We will also address the perspectives of exascale computations on the next generation supercomputers.

Vision and Action

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

Recent results from Cognitive Neurophysiology-the discipline which is concerned, among other topics, with the study of visual agnosia (a condition...and A. Newell. GPS: A Case Study in Generality and Problem Solving. Academic Press, New York, 1969. [13] M. Farah. Visual Agnosia : Diesorders of Object...A Case Study of Visual Agnosia . Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1992. [31] D. Jacobs. Space efficient 3d model indexing. In Proc. IEEE

Equilibium and Stability of Spherical Vlasov Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, D. C.; Chacon, L.; Finn, J. M.

2002-04-01

Collisionless systems with inverse square interaction potentials and possible background confining potentials are considered for the case of spherical symmetry and in the Vlasov limit. The equilibrium is the most general, with single-particle distribution function dependence on both total energy E and total angular momentum L. A new formulation of the full integral-equation stability problem is developed. For a general spherical harmonic perturbation potential, the 3D stability problem is reduced to a 2D problem in an arbitrary central plane of motion, then to a small number of coupled 1D problems involving only the radius. Normal modes depend only on the total mode number l, as is shown directly by this new formulation, with all m degenerate. This method has been used for the Coulomb (repulsive) case.[1] An equilibrium family with uniform central (electron) density is found, and the low-frequency response computed to show that these solutions may provide stable confinement of a massive second (ion) species. These methods may be applied to a particle bunch in the beam frame, and some stability results appropriate to this case are presented. Application to the gravitational (attractive) case is also described, and some initial analytic results are presented. [1] D. C. Barnes, L. Chacón, J. M. Finn, “Equilibrium and Low-frequency Stability of a Uniform Density, Collisionless, Spherical Vlasov System,” submitted to Phys. of Plasmas (2002).

Numerical electromagnetic frequency domain analysis with discrete exterior calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shu C.; Chew, Weng Cho

2017-12-01

In this paper, we perform a numerical analysis in frequency domain for various electromagnetic problems based on discrete exterior calculus (DEC) with an arbitrary 2-D triangular or 3-D tetrahedral mesh. We formulate the governing equations in terms of DEC for 3-D and 2-D inhomogeneous structures, and also show that the charge continuity relation is naturally satisfied. Then we introduce a general construction for signed dual volume to incorporate material information and take into account the case when circumcenters fall outside triangles or tetrahedrons, which may lead to negative dual volume without Delaunay triangulation. Then we examine the boundary terms induced by the dual mesh and provide a systematical treatment of various boundary conditions, including perfect magnetic conductor (PMC), perfect electric conductor (PEC), Dirichlet, periodic, and absorbing boundary conditions (ABC) within this method. An excellent agreement is achieved through the numerical calculation of several problems, including homogeneous waveguides, microstructured fibers, photonic crystals, scattering by a 2-D PEC, and resonant cavities.

Quality of life following hip fractures: results from the Norwegian hip fracture register.

PubMed

Gjertsen, Jan-Erik; Baste, Valborg; Fevang, Jonas M; Furnes, Ove; Engesæter, Lars Birger

2016-07-07

Patient-reported health-related quality of life is an important outcome measure when assessing the quality of hip fracture surgery. The frequently used EQ-5D index score has unfortunately important limitations. One alternative can be to assess the distribution of each of the five dimensions of the patients' descriptive health profile. The objective of this paper was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after hip fractures. Data from hip fracture operations from 2005 through 2012 were obtained from The Norwegian Hip Fracture Register. Patient reported HRQoL, (EQ-5D-3L) was collected from patients preoperatively and at four and twelve months postoperatively n = 10325. At each follow-up the distribution of the EQ-5D-3L and mean pain VAS was calculated. Generally, a higher proportion of patients reported problems in all 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L at all follow-ups compared to preoperative. Also a high proportion of patients with no preoperative problems reported problems after surgery; At 4 and 12 months follow-ups 71 % and 58 % of the patients reported walking problems, and 65 % and 59 % of the patients reported pain respectively. Patients with femoral neck fractures and the youngest patients (age < 70 years) reported least problems both preoperatively and at all follow-ups. A hip fracture has a dramatic impact on the patients' HRQoL, and the deterioration in HRQoL sustained also one year after the fracture. Separate use of the descriptive profile of the EQ-5D is informative when assessing quality of life after hip fracture surgery.

Geometry and Photometry in 3D Visual Recognition

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-01

Maybank 1990, Horn 1990, Horn 1991). The question, therefore, is why look for alternative representations of structure? There are three major problems...1975, Lenz and Tsai 1987, Faugeras, Luong and Maybank 1992). The third problem is related to the way shape is typically represented under the perspec...1985, Faugeras and Maybank 1990, Hildreth 1991, Horn 1990, Faugeras 1992, Faugeras, Luong and Maybank 1992). In general, the epipoles can be recovered

Problem Solving Skills Training for Parents of Children with Chronic Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Palermo, Tonya M.; Law, Emily F.; Bromberg, Maggie; Fales, Jessica; Eccleston, Christopher; Wilson, Anna C.

2016-01-01

This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of parental problem solving skills training (PSST) compared to treatment as usual (TAU) on improving parental mental health symptoms, physical health and well-being, and parenting behaviors. Effects of parent PSST on child outcomes (pain, emotional and physical functioning) were also examined. Participants included 61 parents of children aged 10–17 years with chronic pain randomized to PSST (n = 31) or TAU (n = 30). Parents receiving PSST participated in 4–6 individual sessions of training in problem solving skills. Outcomes were assessed at pre-treatment, immediately post-treatment, and at 3-month follow up. Feasibility was determined by therapy session attendance, therapist ratings, and parent treatment acceptability ratings. Feasibility of PSST delivery in this population was demonstrated by high compliance with therapy attendance, excellent retention, high therapist ratings of treatment engagement, and high parent ratings of treatment acceptability. PSST was associated with post-treatment improvements in parental depression (d = −0.68), general mental health (d = 0.64), and pain catastrophizing (d = −0.48), as well as in child depression (d = −0.49), child general anxiety (d = −0.56), and child pain-specific anxiety (d = −0.82). Several effects were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Findings demonstrate that PSST is feasible and acceptable to parents of youth with chronic pain. Treatment outcome analyses show promising but mixed patterns of effects of PSST on parent and child mental health outcomes. Further rigorous trials of PSST are needed to extend these pilot results. PMID:26845525

Loop Braiding Statistics and Interacting Fermionic Symmetry-Protected Topological Phases in Three Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Meng; Tantivasadakarn, Nathanan; Wang, Chenjie

2018-01-01

We study Abelian braiding statistics of loop excitations in three-dimensional gauge theories with fermionic particles and the closely related problem of classifying 3D fermionic symmetry-protected topological (FSPT) phases with unitary symmetries. It is known that the two problems are related by turning FSPT phases into gauge theories through gauging the global symmetry of the former. We show that there exist certain types of Abelian loop braiding statistics that are allowed only in the presence of fermionic particles, which correspond to 3D "intrinsic" FSPT phases, i.e., those that do not stem from bosonic SPT phases. While such intrinsic FSPT phases are ubiquitous in 2D systems and in 3D systems with antiunitary symmetries, their existence in 3D systems with unitary symmetries was not confirmed previously due to the fact that strong interaction is necessary to realize them. We show that the simplest unitary symmetry to support 3D intrinsic FSPT phases is Z2×Z4. To establish the results, we first derive a complete set of physical constraints on Abelian loop braiding statistics. Solving the constraints, we obtain all possible Abelian loop braiding statistics in 3D gauge theories, including those that correspond to intrinsic FSPT phases. Then, we construct exactly soluble state-sum models to realize the loop braiding statistics. These state-sum models generalize the well-known Crane-Yetter and Dijkgraaf-Witten models.

Efficient Nonlinear Low-Order Models for Atmospheric and Climate Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grady, Kevin A.

The governing equations of atmospheric and climate dynamics present enormous mathematical challenges when studied analytically. Following the pioneering work of Kolmogorov, Lorenz, and Obukhov, a popular approach to handle these difficult partial differential equations (PDEs) is to approximate them with finite systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), called low-order models (LOMs). One such LOM is the celebrated Lorenz (1963) model of just three ODEs, but attempts to extend it to larger, more realistic models of atmospheric dynamics have sometimes led to LOMs exhibiting unphysical behavior, such as a lack of energy conservation in the dissipationless limit. These behaviors can be avoided by constructing LOMs using 3-mode nonlinear dynamical systems known in mechanics as Volterra gyrostats, the simplest one being equivalent to the Lorenz model. Gyrostatic LOMs guarantee energy conservation, suggesting they may offer a general framework for deriving efficient LOMs for atmospheric and climate dynamics. This study explores the use of gyrostatic LOMs in three important related problems of atmospheric dynamics. The first is 2D Rayleigh-Benard convection (RBC), where an algorithm for studying gyrostatic LOMs was developed. Before now this had to be done manually, limiting the LOMs that could be studied as well as their size. This algorithm permits the study of LOMs larger than previously possible as well as their conservation properties. It was used here to demonstrate that all physically sound LOMs for this problem from recent publications have a gyrostatic form. The second problem is the interplay of buoyancy and shear in the formation of rolls versus cells in mesoscale shallow convection (MSC). A gyrostatic LOM for 3D RBC with the ability to parameterize buoyancy and shear was developed using an adopted version of the algorithm for 2D RBC. This model was run for hundreds of different combinations of buoyancy and shear, with the results generally matching those of other observational and modeling studies. The third problem is convection driven by internal heating, where the algorithm developed for 2D RBC was applied to derive several gyrostatic LOMs. In general these LOMs were shown to match reasonably well with the actual physics of this problem.

General design method for 3-dimensional, potential flow fields. Part 2: Computer program DIN3D1 for simple, unbranched ducts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanitz, J. D.

1985-01-01

The general design method for three-dimensional, potential, incompressible or subsonic-compressible flow developed in part 1 of this report is applied to the design of simple, unbranched ducts. A computer program, DIN3D1, is developed and five numerical examples are presented: a nozzle, two elbows, an S-duct, and the preliminary design of a side inlet for turbomachines. The two major inputs to the program are the upstream boundary shape and the lateral velocity distribution on the duct wall. As a result of these inputs, boundary conditions are overprescribed and the problem is ill posed. However, it appears that there are degrees of compatibility between these two major inputs and that, for reasonably compatible inputs, satisfactory solutions can be obtained. By not prescribing the shape of the upstream boundary, the problem presumably becomes well posed, but it is not clear how to formulate a practical design method under this circumstance. Nor does it appear desirable, because the designer usually needs to retain control over the upstream (or downstream) boundary shape. The problem is further complicated by the fact that, unlike the two-dimensional case, and irrespective of the upstream boundary shape, some prescribed lateral velocity distributions do not have proper solutions.

4D computerized ionospheric tomography by using GPS measurements and IRI-Plas model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuna, Hakan; Arikan, Feza; Arikan, Orhan

2016-07-01

Ionospheric imaging is an important subject in ionospheric studies. GPS based TEC measurements provide very accurate information about the electron density values in the ionosphere. However, since the measurements are generally very sparse and non-uniformly distributed, computation of 3D electron density estimation from measurements alone is an ill-defined problem. Model based 3D electron density estimations provide physically feasible distributions. However, they are not generally compliant with the TEC measurements obtained from GPS receivers. In this study, GPS based TEC measurements and an ionosphere model known as International Reference Ionosphere Extended to Plasmasphere (IRI-Plas) are employed together in order to obtain a physically accurate 3D electron density distribution which is compliant with the real measurements obtained from a GPS satellite - receiver network. Ionospheric parameters input to the IRI-Plas model are perturbed in the region of interest by using parametric perturbation models such that the synthetic TEC measurements calculated from the resultant 3D electron density distribution fit to the real TEC measurements. The problem is considered as an optimization problem where the optimization parameters are the parameters of the parametric perturbation models. Proposed technique is applied over Turkey, on both calm and storm days of the ionosphere. Results show that the proposed technique produces 3D electron density distributions which are compliant with IRI-Plas model, GPS TEC measurements and ionosonde measurements. The effect of the GPS receiver station number on the performance of the proposed technique is investigated. Results showed that 7 GPS receiver stations in a region as large as Turkey is sufficient for both calm and storm days of the ionosphere. Since the ionization levels in the ionosphere are highly correlated in time, the proposed technique is extended to the time domain by applying Kalman based tracking and smoothing approaches onto the obtained results. Combining Kalman methods with the proposed 3D CIT technique creates a robust 4D ionospheric electron density estimation model, and has the advantage of decreasing the computational cost of the proposed method. Results applied on both calm and storm days of the ionosphere show that, new technique produces more robust solutions especially when the number of GPS receiver stations in the region is small. This study is supported by TUBITAK 114E541, 115E915 and Joint TUBITAK 114E092 and AS CR 14/001 projects.

Weighted SGD for ℓp Regression with Randomized Preconditioning*

PubMed Central

Yang, Jiyan; Chow, Yin-Lam; Ré, Christopher; Mahoney, Michael W.

2018-01-01

In recent years, stochastic gradient descent (SGD) methods and randomized linear algebra (RLA) algorithms have been applied to many large-scale problems in machine learning and data analysis. SGD methods are easy to implement and applicable to a wide range of convex optimization problems. In contrast, RLA algorithms provide much stronger performance guarantees but are applicable to a narrower class of problems. We aim to bridge the gap between these two methods in solving constrained overdetermined linear regression problems—e.g., ℓ2 and ℓ1 regression problems. We propose a hybrid algorithm named pwSGD that uses RLA techniques for preconditioning and constructing an importance sampling distribution, and then performs an SGD-like iterative process with weighted sampling on the preconditioned system.By rewriting a deterministic ℓp regression problem as a stochastic optimization problem, we connect pwSGD to several existing ℓp solvers including RLA methods with algorithmic leveraging (RLA for short).We prove that pwSGD inherits faster convergence rates that only depend on the lower dimension of the linear system, while maintaining low computation complexity. Such SGD convergence rates are superior to other related SGD algorithm such as the weighted randomized Kaczmarz algorithm.Particularly, when solving ℓ1 regression with size n by d, pwSGD returns an approximate solution with ε relative error in the objective value in 𝒪(log n·nnz(A)+poly(d)/ε2) time. This complexity is uniformly better than that of RLA methods in terms of both ε and d when the problem is unconstrained. In the presence of constraints, pwSGD only has to solve a sequence of much simpler and smaller optimization problem over the same constraints. In general this is more efficient than solving the constrained subproblem required in RLA.For ℓ2 regression, pwSGD returns an approximate solution with ε relative error in the objective value and the solution vector measured in prediction norm in 𝒪(log n·nnz(A)+poly(d) log(1/ε)/ε) time. We show that for unconstrained ℓ2 regression, this complexity is comparable to that of RLA and is asymptotically better over several state-of-the-art solvers in the regime where the desired accuracy ε, high dimension n and low dimension d satisfy d ≥ 1/ε and n ≥ d2/ε. We also provide lower bounds on the coreset complexity for more general regression problems, indicating that still new ideas will be needed to extend similar RLA preconditioning ideas to weighted SGD algorithms for more general regression problems. Finally, the effectiveness of such algorithms is illustrated numerically on both synthetic and real datasets, and the results are consistent with our theoretical findings and demonstrate that pwSGD converges to a medium-precision solution, e.g., ε = 10−3, more quickly. PMID:29782626

Variational formulation of hybrid problems for fully 3-D transonic flow with shocks in rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Gao-Lian

1991-01-01

Based on previous research, the unified variable domain variational theory of hybrid problems for rotor flow is extended to fully 3-D transonic rotor flow with shocks, unifying and generalizing the direct and inverse problems. Three variational principles (VP) families were established. All unknown boundaries and flow discontinuities (such as shocks, free trailing vortex sheets) are successfully handled via functional variations with variable domain, converting almost all boundary and interface conditions, including the Rankine Hugoniot shock relations, into natural ones. This theory provides a series of novel ways for blade design or modification and a rigorous theoretical basis for finite element applications and also constitutes an important part of the optimal design theory of rotor bladings. Numerical solutions to subsonic flow by finite elements with self-adapting nodes given in Refs., show good agreement with experimental results.

A New Method for 3D Radiative Transfer with Adaptive Grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folini, D.; Walder, R.; Psarros, M.; Desboeufs, A.

2003-01-01

We present a new method for 3D NLTE radiative transfer in moving media, including an adaptive grid, along with some test examples and first applications. The central features of our approach we briefly outline in the following. For the solution of the radiative transfer equation, we make use of a generalized mean intensity approach. In this approach, the transfer eqation is solved directly, instead of using the moments of the transfer equation, thus avoiding the associated closure problem. In a first step, a system of equations for the transfer of each directed intensity is set up, using short characteristics. Next, the entity of systems of equations for each directed intensity is re-formulated in the form of one system of equations for the angle-integrated mean intensity. This system then is solved by a modern, fast BiCGStab iterative solver. An additional advantage of this procedure is that convergence rates barely depend on the spatial discretization. For the solution of the rate equations we use Housholder transformations. Lines are treated by a 3D generalization of the well-known Sobolev-approximation. The two parts, solution of the transfer equation and solution of the rate equations, are iteratively coupled. We recently have implemented an adaptive grid, which allows for recursive refinement on a cell-by-cell basis. The spatial resolution, which is always a problematic issue in 3D simulations, we can thus locally reduce or augment, depending on the problem to be solved.

(Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG)) Fiscal Year 2017 Oversight Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

the DoD has made progress in acquisition program management, but the DoD continues to experience programmatic problems , such as cost overruns and...later than originally planned, which results in increased expenses in DoD’s acquisition programs. Part of the problem is that weapons manufacturers...manner. The DoD OIG has also identified significant problems with past performance reporting across the DoD. The Federal Acquisition Regulations

Geometrically nonlinear analysis of layered composite plates and shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, W. C.; Reddy, J. N.

1983-01-01

A degenerated three dimensional finite element, based on the incremental total Lagrangian formulation of a three dimensional layered anisotropic medium was developed. Its use in the geometrically nonlinear, static and dynamic, analysis of layered composite plates and shells is demonstrated. A two dimenisonal finite element based on the Sanders shell theory with the von Karman (nonlinear) strains was developed. It is shown that the deflections obtained by the 2D shell element deviate from those obtained by the more accurate 3D element for deep shells. The 3D degenerated element can be used to model general shells that are not necessarily doubly curved. The 3D degenerated element is computationally more demanding than the 2D shell theory element for a given problem. It is found that the 3D element is an efficient element for the analysis of layered composite plates and shells undergoing large displacements and transient motion.

Automatic correspondence detection in mammogram and breast tomosynthesis images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrhardt, Jan; Krüger, Julia; Bischof, Arpad; Barkhausen, Jörg; Handels, Heinz

2012-02-01

Two-dimensional mammography is the major imaging modality in breast cancer detection. A disadvantage of mammography is the projective nature of this imaging technique. Tomosynthesis is an attractive modality with the potential to combine the high contrast and high resolution of digital mammography with the advantages of 3D imaging. In order to facilitate diagnostics and treatment in the current clinical work-flow, correspondences between tomosynthesis images and previous mammographic exams of the same women have to be determined. In this paper, we propose a method to detect correspondences in 2D mammograms and 3D tomosynthesis images automatically. In general, this 2D/3D correspondence problem is ill-posed, because a point in the 2D mammogram corresponds to a line in the 3D tomosynthesis image. The goal of our method is to detect the "most probable" 3D position in the tomosynthesis images corresponding to a selected point in the 2D mammogram. We present two alternative approaches to solve this 2D/3D correspondence problem: a 2D/3D registration method and a 2D/2D mapping between mammogram and tomosynthesis projection images with a following back projection. The advantages and limitations of both approaches are discussed and the performance of the methods is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using a software phantom and clinical breast image data. Although the proposed 2D/3D registration method can compensate for moderate breast deformations caused by different breast compressions, this approach is not suitable for clinical tomosynthesis data due to the limited resolution and blurring effects perpendicular to the direction of projection. The quantitative results show that the proposed 2D/2D mapping method is capable of detecting corresponding positions in mammograms and tomosynthesis images automatically for 61 out of 65 landmarks. The proposed method can facilitate diagnosis, visual inspection and comparison of 2D mammograms and 3D tomosynthesis images for the physician.

Effects of Preventative Tutoring on the Mathematical Problem Solving of Third-Grade Students With Math and Reading Difficulties.

PubMed

Fuchs, Lynn S; Seethaler, Pamela M; Powell, Sarah R; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L; Fletcher, Jack M

2008-01-01

This study assessed the effects of preventative tutoring on the math problem solving of third-grade students with math and reading difficulties. Students (n = 35) were assigned randomly to continue in their general education math program or to receive secondary preventative tutoring 3 times per week, 30 min per session, for 12 weeks. Schema-broadening tutoring taught students to (a) focus on the mathematical structure of 3 problem types; (b) recognize problems as belonging to those 3 problem-type schemas; (c) solve the 3 word-problem types; and (d) transfer solution methods to problems that include irrelevant information, 2-digit operands, missing information in the first or second positions in the algebraic equation, or relevant information in charts, graphs, and pictures. Also, students were taught to perform the calculation and algebraic skills foundational for problem solving. Analyses of variance revealed statistically significant effects on a wide range of word problems, with large effect sizes. Findings support the efficacy of the tutoring protocol for preventing word-problem deficits among third-grade students with math and reading deficits.

Effects of Preventative Tutoring on the Mathematical Problem Solving of Third-Grade Students With Math and Reading Difficulties

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Lynn S.; Seethaler, Pamela M.; Powell, Sarah R.; Fuchs, Douglas; Hamlett, Carol L.; Fletcher, Jack M.

2009-01-01

This study assessed the effects of preventative tutoring on the math problem solving of third-grade students with math and reading difficulties. Students (n = 35) were assigned randomly to continue in their general education math program or to receive secondary preventative tutoring 3 times per week, 30 min per session, for 12 weeks. Schema-broadening tutoring taught students to (a) focus on the mathematical structure of 3 problem types; (b) recognize problems as belonging to those 3 problem-type schemas; (c) solve the 3 word-problem types; and (d) transfer solution methods to problems that include irrelevant information, 2-digit operands, missing information in the first or second positions in the algebraic equation, or relevant information in charts, graphs, and pictures. Also, students were taught to perform the calculation and algebraic skills foundational for problem solving. Analyses of variance revealed statistically significant effects on a wide range of word problems, with large effect sizes. Findings support the efficacy of the tutoring protocol for preventing word-problem deficits among third-grade students with math and reading deficits. PMID:20209074

Newly-Developed 3D GRMHD Code and its Application to Jet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mizuno, Y.; Nishikawa, K.-I.; Koide, S.; Hardee, P.; Fishman, G. J.

2006-01-01

We have developed a new three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code by using a conservative, high-resolution shock-capturing scheme. The numerical fluxes are calculated using the HLL approximate Riemann solver scheme. The flux-interpolated constrained transport scheme is used to maintain a divergence-free magnetic field. We have performed various 1-dimensional test problems in both special and general relativity by using several reconstruction methods and found that the new 3D GRMHD code shows substantial improvements over our previous model. The . preliminary results show the jet formations from a geometrically thin accretion disk near a non-rotating and a rotating black hole. We will discuss the jet properties depended on the rotation of a black hole and the magnetic field strength.

Magic cards: a new augmented-reality approach.

PubMed

Demuynck, Olivier; Menendez, José Manuel

2013-01-01

Augmented reality (AR) commonly uses markers for detection and tracking. Such multimedia applications associate each marker with a virtual 3D model stored in the memory of the camera-equipped device running the application. Application users are limited in their interactions, which require knowing how to design and program 3D objects. This generally prevents them from developing their own entertainment AR applications. The Magic Cards application solves this problem by offering an easy way to create and manage an unlimited number of virtual objects that are encoded on special markers.

[Patient expectations about decision-making for various health problems].

PubMed

Delgado, Ana; López-Fernández, Luis Andrés; de Dios Luna, Juan; Saletti Cuesta, Lorena; Gil Garrido, Natalia; Puga González, Almudena

2010-01-01

To identify patient expectations of clinical decision-making at consultations with their general practitioners for distinct health problems and to determine the patient and general practitioner characteristics related to these expectations, with special focus on gender. We performed a multicenter cross-sectional study in 360 patients who were interviewed at home. Data on patients' sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and satisfaction were gathered. General practitioners supplied information on their gender and postgraduate training in family medicine. A questionnaire was used to collect data on patients' expectations that their general practitioner at consultations with their general practitioner for five problems or hypothetical clinical scenarios (strong chest pain/cold with fever/abnormal discharge/depression or sadness/severe family problem). Patients were asked to indicate their preference that decisions on diagnosis and treatment be taken by: a) the general practitioner alone; b) the general practitioner, taking account of the patient's opinion; c) the patient, taking account of the general practitioner's opinion and d) the patient alone. A logistic regression was performed for clinical decision-making. The response rate was 90%. The mean age was 47.3 + or - 16.5 years and 51% were female. Patients' expectations that their general practitioner listen, explain and take account of their opinions were higher than their expectations of participating in decision-making, depending on the problem in question: 32% wished to participate in chest pain and 49% in family problems. Women had lower expectations of participating in depression and family problems. Patients with female general practitioners had higher expectations of participating in family problems and colds. Most patients wished to be listened to, informed and taken into account by their general practitioners and, to a lesser extent, wished to take decisions autonomously, especially for biomedical problems. Copyright 2009 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Weighted SGD for ℓ p Regression with Randomized Preconditioning.

PubMed

Yang, Jiyan; Chow, Yin-Lam; Ré, Christopher; Mahoney, Michael W

2016-01-01

In recent years, stochastic gradient descent (SGD) methods and randomized linear algebra (RLA) algorithms have been applied to many large-scale problems in machine learning and data analysis. SGD methods are easy to implement and applicable to a wide range of convex optimization problems. In contrast, RLA algorithms provide much stronger performance guarantees but are applicable to a narrower class of problems. We aim to bridge the gap between these two methods in solving constrained overdetermined linear regression problems-e.g., ℓ 2 and ℓ 1 regression problems. We propose a hybrid algorithm named pwSGD that uses RLA techniques for preconditioning and constructing an importance sampling distribution, and then performs an SGD-like iterative process with weighted sampling on the preconditioned system.By rewriting a deterministic ℓ p regression problem as a stochastic optimization problem, we connect pwSGD to several existing ℓ p solvers including RLA methods with algorithmic leveraging (RLA for short).We prove that pwSGD inherits faster convergence rates that only depend on the lower dimension of the linear system, while maintaining low computation complexity. Such SGD convergence rates are superior to other related SGD algorithm such as the weighted randomized Kaczmarz algorithm.Particularly, when solving ℓ 1 regression with size n by d , pwSGD returns an approximate solution with ε relative error in the objective value in (log n ·nnz( A )+poly( d )/ ε 2 ) time. This complexity is uniformly better than that of RLA methods in terms of both ε and d when the problem is unconstrained. In the presence of constraints, pwSGD only has to solve a sequence of much simpler and smaller optimization problem over the same constraints. In general this is more efficient than solving the constrained subproblem required in RLA.For ℓ 2 regression, pwSGD returns an approximate solution with ε relative error in the objective value and the solution vector measured in prediction norm in (log n ·nnz( A )+poly( d ) log(1/ ε )/ ε ) time. We show that for unconstrained ℓ 2 regression, this complexity is comparable to that of RLA and is asymptotically better over several state-of-the-art solvers in the regime where the desired accuracy ε , high dimension n and low dimension d satisfy d ≥ 1/ ε and n ≥ d 2 / ε . We also provide lower bounds on the coreset complexity for more general regression problems, indicating that still new ideas will be needed to extend similar RLA preconditioning ideas to weighted SGD algorithms for more general regression problems. Finally, the effectiveness of such algorithms is illustrated numerically on both synthetic and real datasets, and the results are consistent with our theoretical findings and demonstrate that pwSGD converges to a medium-precision solution, e.g., ε = 10 -3 , more quickly.

A model selection approach for robust spatio-temporal analysis of dynamics in 4D fluorescence videomicroscopy.

PubMed

Bechar, Ikhlef; Trubuil, Alain

2006-01-01

We describe a novel automatic approach for vesicle trafficking analysis in 3D+T videomicroscopy. Tracking individually objects in time in 3D+T videomicroscopy is known to be a very tedious job and leads generally to unreliable results. So instead, our method proceeds by first identifying trafficking regions in the 3D volume and next analysing at them the vesicle trafficking. The latter is viewed as significant change in the fluorescence of a region in the image. We embed the problem in a model selection framework and we resolve it using dynamic programming. We applied the proposed approach to analyse the vesicle dynamics related to the trafficking of the RAB6A protein between the Golgi apparatus and ER cell compartments.

Magnetic Reconnection and the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knoll, D. A.; Chacon, L.; Brackbill, J. U.; Lapenta, G.

2002-11-01

Results are presented from a continuing study of magnetic reconnection caused by the evolution of a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. To date we have studied 3-D compressible, subsonic and and sub-Alfvenic flow, with differential rotation (a gradient in vorticity parallel to the initial magnetic field) [1,2], as well as 2-D incompressible super-Alfvenic flow [3]. In both cases localized transient reconnection is observed on the Kelvin-Helmholtz time scale, and results indicate that the observed reconnection rate is insensitive to resistivity. In the present study we extend both the 2-D and the 3-D results found in [1,2,3]. In the extension of the 2-D work we focus on the fundamental differences in the nonlinear evolution of a low S simulation (S = 200) and a higher S simulation (S = 10,000). In the 3-D work we study the effects of a density discontinuity (present in [1] and not in [2]), along with study the effects of initial curved field lines in the absence of differential rotation. This basic plasma physics problem has possible application to dayside magnetosphere reconnection as a theoretical model for flux transfer events [1]. The general problem also has possible application to solar physics as it could provide a trigger mechanism for some class of coronal mass ejections. Both applications will be briefly discussed. [1] J.U. Brackbill and D.A. Knoll, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 86 (2001). [2] D.A. Knoll and J.U. Brackbill, Physics of Plasmas, to appear (2002) [3] D.A. Knoll and L. Chacon, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88 (2002).

3-D discrete shearlet transform and video processing.

PubMed

Negi, Pooran Singh; Labate, Demetrio

2012-06-01

In this paper, we introduce a digital implementation of the 3-D shearlet transform and illustrate its application to problems of video denoising and enhancement. The shearlet representation is a multiscale pyramid of well-localized waveforms defined at various locations and orientations, which was introduced to overcome the limitations of traditional multiscale systems in dealing with multidimensional data. While the shearlet approach shares the general philosophy of curvelets and surfacelets, it is based on a very different mathematical framework, which is derived from the theory of affine systems and uses shearing matrices rather than rotations. This allows a natural transition from the continuous setting to the digital setting and a more flexible mathematical structure. The 3-D digital shearlet transform algorithm presented in this paper consists in a cascade of a multiscale decomposition and a directional filtering stage. The filters employed in this decomposition are implemented as finite-length filters, and this ensures that the transform is local and numerically efficient. To illustrate its performance, the 3-D discrete shearlet transform is applied to problems of video denoising and enhancement, and compared against other state-of-the-art multiscale techniques, including curvelets and surfacelets.

Generalization Technique for 2D+SCALE Dhe Data Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, Hairi; Rahman, Alias Abdul; Boguslawski, Pawel

2016-10-01

Different users or applications need different scale model especially in computer application such as game visualization and GIS modelling. Some issues has been raised on fulfilling GIS requirement of retaining the details while minimizing the redundancy of the scale datasets. Previous researchers suggested and attempted to add another dimension such as scale or/and time into a 3D model, but the implementation of scale dimension faces some problems due to the limitations and availability of data structures and data models. Nowadays, various data structures and data models have been proposed to support variety of applications and dimensionality but lack research works has been conducted in terms of supporting scale dimension. Generally, the Dual Half Edge (DHE) data structure was designed to work with any perfect 3D spatial object such as buildings. In this paper, we attempt to expand the capability of the DHE data structure toward integration with scale dimension. The description of the concept and implementation of generating 3D-scale (2D spatial + scale dimension) for the DHE data structure forms the major discussion of this paper. We strongly believed some advantages such as local modification and topological element (navigation, query and semantic information) in scale dimension could be used for the future 3D-scale applications.

Geometry of Thin Nematic Elastomer Sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aharoni, Hillel; Sharon, Eran; Kupferman, Raz

A thin sheet of nematic elastomer attains 3D configurations depending on the nematic director field upon heating. In this talk we describe the intrinsic geometry of such a sheet, and derive an expression for the metric induced by general smooth nematic director fields. Furthermore, we investigate the reverse problem of constructing a director field that induces a specified 2D geometry. We provide an explicit analytical recipe for constructing any surface of revolution using this method. We demonstrate how the design of an arbitrary 2D geometry is accessible using approximate numerical methods.

Improvement of the 2D/1D Method in MPACT Using the Sub-Plane Scheme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graham, Aaron M; Collins, Benjamin S; Downar, Thomas

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Michigan are jointly developing the MPACTcode to be the primary neutron transport code for the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA). To solve the transport equation, MPACT uses the 2D/1D method, which decomposes the problem into a stack of 2D planes that are then coupled with a 1D axial calculation. MPACT uses the Method of Characteristics for the 2D transport calculations and P3 for the 1D axial calculations, then accelerates the solution using the 3D Coarse mesh Finite Dierence (CMFD) method. Increasing the number of 2D MOC planes will increase the accuracymore » of the alculation, but will increase the computational burden of the calculations and can cause slow convergence or instability. To prevent these problems while maintaining accuracy, the sub-plane scheme has been implemented in MPACT. This method sub-divides the MOC planes into sub-planes, refining the 1D P3 and 3D CMFD calculations without increasing the number of 2D MOC planes. To test the sub-plane scheme, three of the VERA Progression Problems were selected: Problem 3, a single assembly problem; Problem 4, a 3x3 assembly problem with control rods and pyrex burnable poisons; and Problem 5, a quarter core problem. These three problems demonstrated that the sub-plane scheme can accurately produce intra-plane axial flux profiles that preserve the accuracy of the fine mesh solution. The eigenvalue dierences are negligibly small, and dierences in 3D power distributions are less than 0.1% for realistic axial meshes. Furthermore, the convergence behavior with the sub-plane scheme compares favorably with the conventional 2D/1D method, and the computational expense is decreased for all calculations due to the reduction in expensive MOC calculations.« less

Coupled Dictionary Learning for the Detail-Enhanced Synthesis of 3-D Facial Expressions.

PubMed

Liang, Haoran; Liang, Ronghua; Song, Mingli; He, Xiaofei

2016-04-01

The desire to reconstruct 3-D face models with expressions from 2-D face images fosters increasing interest in addressing the problem of face modeling. This task is important and challenging in the field of computer animation. Facial contours and wrinkles are essential to generate a face with a certain expression; however, these details are generally ignored or are not seriously considered in previous studies on face model reconstruction. Thus, we employ coupled radius basis function networks to derive an intermediate 3-D face model from a single 2-D face image. To optimize the 3-D face model further through landmarks, a coupled dictionary that is related to 3-D face models and their corresponding 3-D landmarks is learned from the given training set through local coordinate coding. Another coupled dictionary is then constructed to bridge the 2-D and 3-D landmarks for the transfer of vertices on the face model. As a result, the final 3-D face can be generated with the appropriate expression. In the testing phase, the 2-D input faces are converted into 3-D models that display different expressions. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach to facial expression synthesis can obtain model details more effectively than previous methods can.

On relativistic generalization of Perelman's W-entropy and thermodynamic description of gravitational fields and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruchin, Vyacheslav; Vacaru, Olivia; Vacaru, Sergiu I.

2017-03-01

Using double 2+2 and 3+1 nonholonomic fibrations on Lorentz manifolds, we extend the concept of W-entropy for gravitational fields in general relativity (GR). Such F- and W-functionals were introduced in the Ricci flow theory of three dimensional (3-d) Riemannian metrics by Perelman (the entropy formula for the Ricci flow and its geometric applications. arXiv:math.DG/0211159). Non-relativistic 3-d Ricci flows are characterized by associated statistical thermodynamical values determined by W-entropy. Generalizations for geometric flows of 4-d pseudo-Riemannian metrics are considered for models with local thermodynamical equilibrium and separation of dissipative and non-dissipative processes in relativistic hydrodynamics. The approach is elaborated in the framework of classical field theories (relativistic continuum and hydrodynamic models) without an underlying kinetic description, which will be elaborated in other work. The 3+1 splitting allows us to provide a general relativistic definition of gravitational entropy in the Lyapunov-Perelman sense. It increases monotonically as structure forms in the Universe. We can formulate a thermodynamic description of exact solutions in GR depending, in general, on all spacetime coordinates. A corresponding 2+2 splitting with nonholonomic deformation of linear connection and frame structures is necessary for generating in very general form various classes of exact solutions of the Einstein and general relativistic geometric flow equations. Finally, we speculate on physical macrostates and microstate interpretations of the W-entropy in GR, geometric flow theories and possible connections to string theory (a second unsolved problem also contained in Perelman's work) in Polyakov's approach.

Explicit parametric solutions of lattice structures with proper generalized decomposition (PGD) - Applications to the design of 3D-printed architectured materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibileau, Alberto; Auricchio, Ferdinando; Morganti, Simone; Díez, Pedro

2018-01-01

Architectured materials (or metamaterials) are constituted by a unit-cell with a complex structural design repeated periodically forming a bulk material with emergent mechanical properties. One may obtain specific macro-scale (or bulk) properties in the resulting architectured material by properly designing the unit-cell. Typically, this is stated as an optimal design problem in which the parameters describing the shape and mechanical properties of the unit-cell are selected in order to produce the desired bulk characteristics. This is especially pertinent due to the ease manufacturing of these complex structures with 3D printers. The proper generalized decomposition provides explicit parametic solutions of parametric PDEs. Here, the same ideas are used to obtain parametric solutions of the algebraic equations arising from lattice structural models. Once the explicit parametric solution is available, the optimal design problem is a simple post-process. The same strategy is applied in the numerical illustrations, first to a unit-cell (and then homogenized with periodicity conditions), and in a second phase to the complete structure of a lattice material specimen.

On making cuts for magnetic scalar potentials in multiply connected regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotiuga, P. R.

1987-04-01

The problem of making cuts is of importance to scalar potential formulations of three-dimensional eddy current problems. Its heuristic solution has been known for a century [J. C. Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed. (Clarendon, Oxford, 1981), Chap. 1, Article 20] and in the last decade, with the use of finite element methods, a restricted combinatorial variant has been proposed and solved [M. L. Brown, Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 20, 665 (1984)]. This problem, in its full generality, has never received a rigorous mathematical formulation. This paper presents such a formulation and outlines a rigorous proof of existence. The technique used in the proof expose the incredible intricacy of the general problem and the restrictive assumptions of Brown [Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 20, 665 (1984)]. Finally, the results make rigorous Kotiuga's (Ph. D. Thesis, McGill University, Montreal, 1984) heuristic interpretation of cuts and duality theorems via intersection matrices.

Parallel PAB3D: Experiences with a Prototype in MPI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guerinoni, Fabio; Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.; Pao, S. Paul

1998-01-01

PAB3D is a three-dimensional Navier Stokes solver that has gained acceptance in the research and industrial communities. It takes as computational domain, a set disjoint blocks covering the physical domain. This is the first report on the implementation of PAB3D using the Message Passing Interface (MPI), a standard for parallel processing. We discuss briefly the characteristics of tile code and define a prototype for testing. The principal data structure used for communication is derived from preprocessing "patching". We describe a simple interface (COMMSYS) for MPI communication, and some general techniques likely to be encountered when working on problems of this nature. Last, we identify levels of improvement from the current version and outline future work.

The modular approach enables a fully ab initio simulation of the contacts between 3D and 2D materials.

PubMed

Fediai, Artem; Ryndyk, Dmitry A; Cuniberti, Gianaurelio

2016-10-05

Up to now, the electrical properties of the contacts between 3D metals and 2D materials have never been computed at a fully ab initio level due to the huge number of atomic orbitals involved in a current path from an electrode to a pristine 2D material. As a result, there are still numerous open questions and controversial theories on the electrical properties of systems with 3D/2D interfaces-for example, the current path and the contact length scalability. Our work provides a first-principles solution to this long-standing problem with the use of the modular approach, a method which rigorously combines a Green function formalism with the density functional theory (DFT) for this particular contact type. The modular approach is a general approach valid for any 3D/2D contact. As an example, we apply it to the most investigated among 3D/2D contacts-metal/graphene contacts-and show its abilities and consistency by comparison with existing experimental data. As it is applicable to any 3D/2D interface, the modular approach allows the engineering of 3D/2D contacts with the pre-defined electrical properties.

Composite Beam Theory with Material Nonlinearities and Progressive Damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Fang

Beam has historically found its broad applications. Nowadays, many engineering constructions still rely on this type of structure which could be made of anisotropic and heterogeneous materials. These applications motivate the development of beam theory in which the impact of material nonlinearities and damage on the global constitutive behavior has been a focus in recent years. Reliable predictions of these nonlinear beam responses depend on not only the quality of the material description but also a comprehensively generalized multiscale methodology which fills the theoretical gaps between the scales in an efficient yet high-fidelity manner. The conventional beam modeling methodologies which are built upon ad hoc assumptions are in lack of such reliability in need. Therefore, the focus of this dissertation is to create a reliable yet efficient method and the corresponding tool for composite beam modeling. A nonlinear beam theory is developed based on the Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG) using the variational asymptotic method (VAM). The three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear continuum problem is rigorously reduced to a one-dimensional (1D) beam model and a two-dimensional (2D) cross-sectional analysis featuring both geometric and material nonlinearities by exploiting the small geometric parameter which is an inherent geometric characteristic of the beam. The 2D nonlinear cross-sectional analysis utilizes the 3D material models to homogenize the beam cross-sectional constitutive responses considering the nonlinear elasticity and progressive damage. The results from such a homogenization are inputs as constitutive laws into the global nonlinear 1D beam analysis. The theoretical foundation is formulated without unnecessary kinematic assumptions. Curvilinear coordinates and vector calculus are utilized to build the 3D deformation gradient tensor, of which the components are formulated in terms of cross-sectional coordinates, generalized beam strains, unknown warping functions, and the 3D spatial gradients of these warping functions. Asymptotic analysis of the extended Hamiltonian's principle suggests dropping the terms of axial gradients of the warping functions. As a result, the solid mechanics problem resolved into a 3D continuum is dimensionally reduced to a problem of solving the warping functions on a 2D cross-sectional field by minimizing the information loss. The present theory is implemented using the finite element method (FEM) in Variational Asymptotic Beam Sectional Analysis (VABS), a general-purpose cross-sectional analysis tool. An iterative method is applied to solve the finite warping field for the classical-type model in the form of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The deformation gradient tensor is directly used to enable the capability of dealing with finite deformation, various strain definitions, and several types of material constitutive laws regarding the nonlinear elasticity and progressive damage. Analytical and numerical examples are given for various problems including the trapeze effect, Poynting effect, Brazier effect, extension-bending coupling effect, and free edge damage. By comparison with the predictions from 3D finite element analyses (FEA), 2D FEA based on plane stress assumptions, and experimental data, the structural and material responses are proven to be rigorously captured by the present theory and the computational cost is significantly reduced. Due to the semi-analytical feature of the code developed, the unrealistic numerical issues widely seen in the conventional FEA with strain softening material behaviors are prevented by VABS. In light of these intrinsic features, the nonlinear elastic and inelastic 3D material models can be economically calibrated by data-matching the VABS predictions directly with the experimental measurements from slender coupons. Furthermore, the global behavior of slender composite structures in meters can also be effectively characterized by VABS without unnecessary loss of important information of its local laminae in micrometers.

TEMPEST/N33.5. Computational Fluid Dynamics Package For Incompressible, 3D, Time Dependent Pro

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trent, Dr.D.S.; Eyler, Dr.L.L.

TEMPESTN33.5 provides numerical solutions to general incompressible flow problems with coupled heat transfer in fluids and solids. Turbulence is created with a k-e model and gas, liquid or solid constituents may be included with the bulk flow. Problems may be modeled in Cartesian or cylindrical coordinates. Limitations include incompressible flow, Boussinesq approximation, and passive constituents. No direct steady state solution is available; steady state is obtained as the limit of a transient.

Renormalization Group Studies and Monte Carlo Simulation for Quantum Spin Systems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Ching-Yan

We have discussed the extended application of various real space renormalization group methods to the quantum spin systems. At finite temperature, we extended both the reliability and range of application of the decimation renormalization group method (DRG) for calculating the thermal and magnetic properties of low-dimensional quantum spin chains, in which we have proposed general models of the three-state Potts model and the general Heisenberg model. Some interesting finite-temperature behavior of the models has been obtained. We also proposed a general formula for the critical properties of the n-dimensional q-state Potts model by using a modified migdal-Kadanoff approach which is in very good agreement with all available results for general q and d. For high-spin systems, we have investigated the famous Haldane's prediction by using a modified block renormalization group approach in spin -1over2, spin-1 and spin-3 over2 cases. Our result supports Haldane's prediction and a novel property of the spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet has been predicted. A modified quantum monte Carlo simulation approach has been developed in this study which we use to treat quantum interacting problems (we only work on quantum spin systems in this study) without the "negative sign problem". We also obtain with the Monte Carlo approach the numerical derivative directly. Furthermore, using this approach we have obtained the energy spectrum and the thermodynamic properties of the antiferromagnetic q-state Potts model, and have studied the q-color problem with the result which supports Mattis' recent conjecture of entropy for the n -dimensional q-state Potts antiferromagnet. We also find a general solution for the q-color problem in d dimensions.

Universal inverse design of surfaces with thin nematic elastomer sheets.

PubMed

Aharoni, Hillel; Xia, Yu; Zhang, Xinyue; Kamien, Randall D; Yang, Shu

2018-06-21

Programmable shape-shifting materials can take different physical forms to achieve multifunctionality in a dynamic and controllable manner. Although morphing a shape from 2D to 3D via programmed inhomogeneous local deformations has been demonstrated in various ways, the inverse problem-finding how to program a sheet in order for it to take an arbitrary desired 3D shape-is much harder yet critical to realize specific functions. Here, we address this inverse problem in thin liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) sheets, where the shape is preprogrammed by precise and local control of the molecular orientation of the liquid crystal monomers. We show how blueprints for arbitrary surface geometries can be generated using approximate numerical methods and how local extrinsic curvatures can be generated to assist in properly converting these geometries into shapes. Backed by faithfully alignable and rapidly lockable LCE chemistry, we precisely embed our designs in LCE sheets using advanced top-down microfabrication techniques. We thus successfully produce flat sheets that, upon thermal activation, take an arbitrary desired shape, such as a face. The general design principles presented here for creating an arbitrary 3D shape will allow for exploration of unmet needs in flexible electronics, metamaterials, aerospace and medical devices, and more.

The SPS interference problem-electronic system effects and mitigation techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juroshek, J. R.

1980-01-01

The potential for interference between solar power satellites (SPS) and other Earth satellite operations was examined along with interference problems involving specific electronic devices. Conclusions indicate that interference is likely in the 2500 MHz to 2690 MHz direct broadcast satellite band adjacent to SPS. Estimates of the adjacent channel noise from SPS in this band are as high as -124 dBc/4 kHz and -100 dBc/MHz, where dBc represents decibels relative to the total power in the fundamental. A second potential problem is the 7350 MHz, 3d harmonic from SPS that falls within the 7300 MHz to 7450 MHz space to Earth, government, satellite assignment. Catastrophic failures can be produced in integrated circuits when the microwave power levels coupled into inputs and power leads reach 1 to 100 watts. The failures are typically due to bonding wire melting, metallization failures, and junction shorting. Nondestructive interaction or interference, however, generally occurs with coupled power levels of the order of 10 milliwatts. This integration is due to the rectification of microwave energy by the numerous pn junctions within these circuits.

ACCURATE ORBITAL INTEGRATION OF THE GENERAL THREE-BODY PROBLEM BASED ON THE D'ALEMBERT-TYPE SCHEME

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minesaki, Yukitaka

2013-03-15

We propose an accurate orbital integration scheme for the general three-body problem that retains all conserved quantities except angular momentum. The scheme is provided by an extension of the d'Alembert-type scheme for constrained autonomous Hamiltonian systems. Although the proposed scheme is merely second-order accurate, it can precisely reproduce some periodic, quasiperiodic, and escape orbits. The Levi-Civita transformation plays a role in designing the scheme.

NASA-VOF3D: A three-dimensional computer program for incompressible flows with free surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrey, M. D.; Mjolsness, R. C.; Stein, L. R.

1987-07-01

Presented is the NASA-VOF3D three-dimensional, transient, free-surface hydrodynamics program. This three-dimensional extension of NASA-VOF2D will, in principle, permit treatment in full three-dimensional generality of the wide variety of applications that could be treated by NASA-VOF2D only within the two-dimensional idealization. In particular, it, like NASA-VOF2D, is specifically designed to calculate confined flows in a low g environment. The code is presently restricted to cylindrical geometry. The code is based on the fractional volume-of-fluid method and allows multiple free surfaces with surface tension and wall adhesion. It also has a partial cell treatment that allows curved boundaries and internal obstacles. This report provides a brief discussion of the numerical method, a code listing, and some sample problems.

Core-Collapse Supernovae Explored by Multi-D Boltzmann Hydrodynamic Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumiyoshi, Kohsuke; Nagakura, Hiroki; Iwakami, Wakana; Furusawa, Shun; Matsufuru, Hideo; Imakura, Akira; Yamada, Shoichi

We report the latest results of numerical simulations of core-collapse supernovae by solving multi-D neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics with Boltzmann equations. One of the longstanding issues of the explosion mechanism of supernovae has been uncertainty in the approximations of the neutrino transfer in multi-D such as the diffusion approximation and ray-by-ray method. The neutrino transfer is essential, together with 2D/3D hydrodynamical instabilities, to evaluate the neutrino heating behind the shock wave for successful explosions and to predict the neutrino burst signals. We tackled this difficult problem by utilizing our solver of the 6D Boltzmann equation for neutrinos in 3D space and 3D neutrino momentum space coupled with multi-D hydrodynamics adding special and general relativistic extensions. We have performed a set of 2D core-collapse simulations from 11M ⊙ and 15M ⊙ stars on K-computer in Japan by following long-term evolution over 400 ms after bounce to reveal the outcome from the full Boltzmann hydrodynamic simulations with a sophisticated equation of state with multi-nuclear species and updated rates for electron captures on nuclei.

Efficient sequential and parallel algorithms for finding edit distance based motifs.

PubMed

Pal, Soumitra; Xiao, Peng; Rajasekaran, Sanguthevar

2016-08-18

Motif search is an important step in extracting meaningful patterns from biological data. The general problem of motif search is intractable and there is a pressing need to develop efficient, exact and approximation algorithms to solve this problem. In this paper, we present several novel, exact, sequential and parallel algorithms for solving the (l,d) Edit-distance-based Motif Search (EMS) problem: given two integers l,d and n biological strings, find all strings of length l that appear in each input string with atmost d errors of types substitution, insertion and deletion. One popular technique to solve the problem is to explore for each input string the set of all possible l-mers that belong to the d-neighborhood of any substring of the input string and output those which are common for all input strings. We introduce a novel and provably efficient neighborhood exploration technique. We show that it is enough to consider the candidates in neighborhood which are at a distance exactly d. We compactly represent these candidate motifs using wildcard characters and efficiently explore them with very few repetitions. Our sequential algorithm uses a trie based data structure to efficiently store and sort the candidate motifs. Our parallel algorithm in a multi-core shared memory setting uses arrays for storing and a novel modification of radix-sort for sorting the candidate motifs. The algorithms for EMS are customarily evaluated on several challenging instances such as (8,1), (12,2), (16,3), (20,4), and so on. The best previously known algorithm, EMS1, is sequential and in estimated 3 days solves up to instance (16,3). Our sequential algorithms are more than 20 times faster on (16,3). On other hard instances such as (9,2), (11,3), (13,4), our algorithms are much faster. Our parallel algorithm has more than 600 % scaling performance while using 16 threads. Our algorithms have pushed up the state-of-the-art of EMS solvers and we believe that the techniques introduced in this paper are also applicable to other motif search problems such as Planted Motif Search (PMS) and Simple Motif Search (SMS).

Task Assignment and Path Planning for Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Using 3D Dubins Curves †

PubMed Central

Zhang, Meiyan; Zheng, Yahong Rosa

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the task assignment and path planning problem for multiple AUVs in three dimensional (3D) underwater wireless sensor networks where nonholonomic motion constraints of underwater AUVs in 3D space are considered. The multi-target task assignment and path planning problem is modeled by the Multiple Traveling Sales Person (MTSP) problem and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to solve the MTSP problem with Euclidean distance as the cost function and the Tour Hop Balance (THB) or Tour Length Balance (TLB) constraints as the stop criterion. The resulting tour sequences are mapped to 2D Dubins curves in the X−Y plane, and then interpolated linearly to obtain the Z coordinates. We demonstrate that the linear interpolation fails to achieve G1 continuity in the 3D Dubins path for multiple targets. Therefore, the interpolated 3D Dubins curves are checked against the AUV dynamics constraint and the ones satisfying the constraint are accepted to finalize the 3D Dubins curve selection. Simulation results demonstrate that the integration of the 3D Dubins curve with the MTSP model is successful and effective for solving the 3D target assignment and path planning problem. PMID:28696377

Task Assignment and Path Planning for Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Using 3D Dubins Curves †.

PubMed

Cai, Wenyu; Zhang, Meiyan; Zheng, Yahong Rosa

2017-07-11

This paper investigates the task assignment and path planning problem for multiple AUVs in three dimensional (3D) underwater wireless sensor networks where nonholonomic motion constraints of underwater AUVs in 3D space are considered. The multi-target task assignment and path planning problem is modeled by the Multiple Traveling Sales Person (MTSP) problem and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to solve the MTSP problem with Euclidean distance as the cost function and the Tour Hop Balance (THB) or Tour Length Balance (TLB) constraints as the stop criterion. The resulting tour sequences are mapped to 2D Dubins curves in the X - Y plane, and then interpolated linearly to obtain the Z coordinates. We demonstrate that the linear interpolation fails to achieve G 1 continuity in the 3D Dubins path for multiple targets. Therefore, the interpolated 3D Dubins curves are checked against the AUV dynamics constraint and the ones satisfying the constraint are accepted to finalize the 3D Dubins curve selection. Simulation results demonstrate that the integration of the 3D Dubins curve with the MTSP model is successful and effective for solving the 3D target assignment and path planning problem.

Fusion of 3D laser scanner and depth images for obstacle recognition in mobile applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budzan, Sebastian; Kasprzyk, Jerzy

2016-02-01

The problem of obstacle detection and recognition or, generally, scene mapping is one of the most investigated problems in computer vision, especially in mobile applications. In this paper a fused optical system using depth information with color images gathered from the Microsoft Kinect sensor and 3D laser range scanner data is proposed for obstacle detection and ground estimation in real-time mobile systems. The algorithm consists of feature extraction in the laser range images, processing of the depth information from the Kinect sensor, fusion of the sensor information, and classification of the data into two separate categories: road and obstacle. Exemplary results are presented and it is shown that fusion of information gathered from different sources increases the effectiveness of the obstacle detection in different scenarios, and it can be used successfully for road surface mapping.

Generalized pixel profiling and comparative segmentation with application to arteriovenous malformation segmentation.

PubMed

Babin, D; Pižurica, A; Bellens, R; De Bock, J; Shang, Y; Goossens, B; Vansteenkiste, E; Philips, W

2012-07-01

Extraction of structural and geometric information from 3-D images of blood vessels is a well known and widely addressed segmentation problem. The segmentation of cerebral blood vessels is of great importance in diagnostic and clinical applications, with a special application in diagnostics and surgery on arteriovenous malformations (AVM). However, the techniques addressing the problem of the AVM inner structure segmentation are rare. In this work we present a novel method of pixel profiling with the application to segmentation of the 3-D angiography AVM images. Our algorithm stands out in situations with low resolution images and high variability of pixel intensity. Another advantage of our method is that the parameters are set automatically, which yields little manual user intervention. The results on phantoms and real data demonstrate its effectiveness and potentials for fine delineation of AVM structure. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new fast direct solver for the boundary element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, S.; Liu, Y. J.

2017-09-01

A new fast direct linear equation solver for the boundary element method (BEM) is presented in this paper. The idea of the new fast direct solver stems from the concept of the hierarchical off-diagonal low-rank matrix. The hierarchical off-diagonal low-rank matrix can be decomposed into the multiplication of several diagonal block matrices. The inverse of the hierarchical off-diagonal low-rank matrix can be calculated efficiently with the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury formula. In this paper, a more general and efficient approach to approximate the coefficient matrix of the BEM with the hierarchical off-diagonal low-rank matrix is proposed. Compared to the current fast direct solver based on the hierarchical off-diagonal low-rank matrix, the proposed method is suitable for solving general 3-D boundary element models. Several numerical examples of 3-D potential problems with the total number of unknowns up to above 200,000 are presented. The results show that the new fast direct solver can be applied to solve large 3-D BEM models accurately and with better efficiency compared with the conventional BEM.

A general CPL-AdS methodology for fixing dynamic parameters in dual environments.

PubMed

Huang, De-Shuang; Jiang, Wen

2012-10-01

The algorithm of Continuous Point Location with Adaptive d-ary Search (CPL-AdS) strategy exhibits its efficiency in solving stochastic point location (SPL) problems. However, there is one bottleneck for this CPL-AdS strategy which is that, when the dimension of the feature, or the number of divided subintervals for each iteration, d is large, the decision table for elimination process is almost unavailable. On the other hand, the larger dimension of the features d can generally make this CPL-AdS strategy avoid oscillation and converge faster. This paper presents a generalized universal decision formula to solve this bottleneck problem. As a matter of fact, this decision formula has a wider usage beyond handling out this SPL problems, such as dealing with deterministic point location problems and searching data in Single Instruction Stream-Multiple Data Stream based on Concurrent Read and Exclusive Write parallel computer model. Meanwhile, we generalized the CPL-AdS strategy with an extending formula, which is capable of tracking an unknown dynamic parameter λ in both informative and deceptive environments. Furthermore, we employed different learning automata in the generalized CPL-AdS method to find out if faster learning algorithm will lead to better realization of the generalized CPL-AdS method. All of these aforementioned contributions are vitally important whether in theory or in practical applications. Finally, extensive experiments show that our proposed approaches are efficient and feasible.

A Protocol for Real-time 3D Single Particle Tracking.

PubMed

Hou, Shangguo; Welsher, Kevin

2018-01-03

Real-time three-dimensional single particle tracking (RT-3D-SPT) has the potential to shed light on fast, 3D processes in cellular systems. Although various RT-3D-SPT methods have been put forward in recent years, tracking high speed 3D diffusing particles at low photon count rates remains a challenge. Moreover, RT-3D-SPT setups are generally complex and difficult to implement, limiting their widespread application to biological problems. This protocol presents a RT-3D-SPT system named 3D Dynamic Photon Localization Tracking (3D-DyPLoT), which can track particles with high diffusive speed (up to 20 µm 2 /s) at low photon count rates (down to 10 kHz). 3D-DyPLoT employs a 2D electro-optic deflector (2D-EOD) and a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens to drive a single focused laser spot dynamically in 3D. Combined with an optimized position estimation algorithm, 3D-DyPLoT can lock onto single particles with high tracking speed and high localization precision. Owing to the single excitation and single detection path layout, 3D-DyPLoT is robust and easy to set up. This protocol discusses how to build 3D-DyPLoT step by step. First, the optical layout is described. Next, the system is calibrated and optimized by raster scanning a 190 nm fluorescent bead with the piezoelectric nanopositioner. Finally, to demonstrate real-time 3D tracking ability, 110 nm fluorescent beads are tracked in water.

Proceedings of the Image Understanding Workshop (18th) Held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 6-8 April 1988. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

solution to a information. There is thus a biological motivation for investi- specific problem, e.g., solving the visual obstacle avoidance gating the...narticular practically motivated aspect of the image, known as the optical flow, does not necessarily the general problem. correspond to the 2-D motion...on (Z Z * "inexact" vision jThom8fi] The obvious motivation stems from a = X tancosa b - Z tan3sina; (1) the fact that an obstacle in relative motion

On domain symmetry and its use in homogenization

DOE PAGES

Barbarosie, Cristian A.; Tortorelli, Daniel A.; Watts, Seth E.

2017-03-08

The present study focuses on solving partial differential equations in domains exhibiting symmetries and periodic boundary conditions for the purpose of homogenization. We show in a systematic manner how the symmetry can be exploited to significantly reduce the complexity of the problem and the computational burden. This is especially relevant in inverse problems, when one needs to solve the partial differential equation (the primal problem) many times in an optimization algorithm. The main motivation of our study is inverse homogenization used to design architected composite materials with novel properties which are being fabricated at ever increasing rates thanks to recentmore » advances in additive manufacturing. For example, one may optimize the morphology of a two-phase composite unit cell to achieve isotropic homogenized properties with maximal bulk modulus and minimal Poisson ratio. Typically, the isotropy is enforced by applying constraints to the optimization problem. However, in two dimensions, one can alternatively optimize the morphology of an equilateral triangle and then rotate and reflect the triangle to form a space filling D 3 symmetric hexagonal unit cell that necessarily exhibits isotropic homogenized properties. One can further use this D 3 symmetry to reduce the computational expense by performing the “unit strain” periodic boundary condition simulations on the single triangle symmetry sector rather than the six fold larger hexagon. In this paper we use group representation theory to derive the necessary periodic boundary conditions on the symmetry sectors of unit cells. The developments are done in a general setting, and specialized to the two-dimensional dihedral symmetries of the abelian D 2, i.e. orthotropic, square unit cell and nonabelian D 3, i.e. trigonal, hexagon unit cell. We then demonstrate how this theory can be applied by evaluating the homogenized properties of a two-phase planar composite over the triangle symmetry sector of a D 3 symmetric hexagonal unit cell.« less

Multidimensional Space-Time Methodology for Development of Planetary and Space Sciences, S-T Data Management and S-T Computational Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andonov, Zdravko

This R&D represent innovative multidimensional 6D-N(6n)D Space-Time (S-T) Methodology, 6D-6nD Coordinate Systems, 6D Equations, new 6D strategy and technology for development of Planetary Space Sciences, S-T Data Management and S-T Computational To-mography. . . The Methodology is actual for brain new RS Microwaves' Satellites and Compu-tational Tomography Systems development, aimed to defense sustainable Earth, Moon, & Sun System evolution. Especially, extremely important are innovations for monitoring and protec-tion of strategic threelateral system H-OH-H2O Hydrogen, Hydroxyl and Water), correspond-ing to RS VHRS (Very High Resolution Systems) of 1.420-1.657-22.089GHz microwaves. . . One of the Greatest Paradox and Challenge of World Science is the "transformation" of J. L. Lagrange 4D Space-Time (S-T) System to H. Minkovski 4D S-T System (O-X,Y,Z,icT) for Einstein's "Theory of Relativity". As a global result: -In contemporary Advanced Space Sciences there is not real adequate 4D-6D Space-Time Coordinate System and 6D Advanced Cosmos Strategy & Methodology for Multidimensional and Multitemporal Space-Time Data Management and Tomography. . . That's one of the top actual S-T Problems. Simple and optimal nD S-T Methodology discovery is extremely important for all Universities' Space Sci-ences' Education Programs, for advances in space research and especially -for all young Space Scientists R&D!... The top ten 21-Century Challenges ahead of Planetary and Space Sciences, Space Data Management and Computational Space Tomography, important for successfully de-velopment of Young Scientist Generations, are following: 1. R&D of W. R. Hamilton General Idea for transformation all Space Sciences to Time Sciences, beginning with 6D Eukonal for 6D anisotropic mediums & velocities. Development of IERS Earth & Space Systems (VLBI; LLR; GPS; SLR; DORIS Etc.) for Planetary-Space Data Management & Computational Planetary & Space Tomography. 2. R&D of S. W. Hawking Paradigm for 2D Complex Time and Quan-tum Wave Cosmology Paradigm for Decision of the Main Problem of Contemporary Physics. 3. R&D of Einstein-Minkowski Geodesies' Paradigm in the 4D-Space-Time Continuum to 6D-6nD Space-Time Continuum Paradigms and 6D S-T Equations. . . 4. R&D of Erwin Schrüdinger 4D S-T Universe' Evolutional Equation; It's David Bohm 4D generalization for anisotropic mediums and innovative 6D -for instantaneously quantum measurement -Bohm-Schrüdinger 6D S-T Universe' Evolutional Equation. 5. R&D of brain new 6D Planning of S-T Experi-ments, brain new 6D Space Technicks and Space Technology Generalizations, especially for 6D RS VHRS Research, Monitoring and 6D Computational Tomography. 6. R&D of "6D Euler-Poisson Equations" and "6D Kolmogorov Turbulence Theory" for GeoDynamics and for Space Dynamics as evolution of Gauss-Riemann Paradigms. 7. R&D of N. Boneff NASA RD for Asteroid "Eros" & Space Science' Laws Evolution. 8. R&D of H. Poincare Paradigm for Nature and Cosmos as 6D Group of Transferences. 9. R&D of K. Popoff N-Body General Problem & General Thermodynamic S-T Theory as Einstein-Prigogine-Landau' Paradigms Development. ü 10. R&D of 1st GUT since 1958 by N. S. Kalitzin (Kalitzin N. S., 1958: Uber eine einheitliche Feldtheorie. ZAHeidelberg-ARI, WZHUmnR-B., 7 (2), 207-215) and "Multitemporal Theory of Relativity" -With special applications to Photon Rockets and all Space-Time R&D. GENERAL CONCLUSION: Multidimensional Space-Time Methodology is advance in space research, corresponding to the IAF-IAA-COSPAR Innovative Strategy and R&D Programs -UNEP, UNDP, GEOSS, GMES, Etc.

A method of boundary equations for unsteady hyperbolic problems in 3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petropavlovsky, S.; Tsynkov, S.; Turkel, E.

2018-07-01

We consider interior and exterior initial boundary value problems for the three-dimensional wave (d'Alembert) equation. First, we reduce a given problem to an equivalent operator equation with respect to unknown sources defined only at the boundary of the original domain. In doing so, the Huygens' principle enables us to obtain the operator equation in a form that involves only finite and non-increasing pre-history of the solution in time. Next, we discretize the resulting boundary equation and solve it efficiently by the method of difference potentials (MDP). The overall numerical algorithm handles boundaries of general shape using regular structured grids with no deterioration of accuracy. For long simulation times it offers sub-linear complexity with respect to the grid dimension, i.e., is asymptotically cheaper than the cost of a typical explicit scheme. In addition, our algorithm allows one to share the computational cost between multiple similar problems. On multi-processor (multi-core) platforms, it benefits from what can be considered an effective parallelization in time.

Moving from Batch to Field Using the RT3D Reactive Transport Modeling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clement, T. P.; Gautam, T. R.

2002-12-01

The public domain reactive transport code RT3D (Clement, 1997) is a general-purpose numerical code for solving coupled, multi-species reactive transport in saturated groundwater systems. The code uses MODFLOW to simulate flow and several modules of MT3DMS to simulate the advection and dispersion processes. RT3D employs the operator-split strategy which allows the code solve the coupled reactive transport problem in a modular fashion. The coupling between reaction and transport is defined through a separate module where the reaction equations are specified. The code supports a versatile user-defined reaction option that allows users to define their own reaction system through a Fortran-90 subroutine, known as the RT3D-reaction package. Further a utility code, known as BATCHRXN, allows the users to independently test and debug their reaction package. To analyze a new reaction system at a batch scale, users should first run BATCHRXN to test the ability of their reaction package to model the batch data. After testing, the reaction package can simply be ported to the RT3D environment to study the model response under 1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional transport conditions. This paper presents example problems that demonstrate the methods for moving from batch to field-scale simulations using BATCHRXN and RT3D codes. The first example describes a simple first-order reaction system for simulating the sequential degradation of Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its daughter products. The second example uses a relatively complex reaction system for describing the multiple degradation pathways of Tetrachloroethane (PCA) and its daughter products. References 1) Clement, T.P, RT3D - A modular computer code for simulating reactive multi-species transport in 3-Dimensional groundwater aquifers, Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Research Report, PNNL-SA-28967, September, 1997. Available at: http://bioprocess.pnl.gov/rt3d.htm.

Stereopsis and 3D surface perception by spiking neurons in laminar cortical circuits: a method for converting neural rate models into spiking models.

PubMed

Cao, Yongqiang; Grossberg, Stephen

2012-02-01

A laminar cortical model of stereopsis and 3D surface perception is developed and simulated. The model shows how spiking neurons that interact in hierarchically organized laminar circuits of the visual cortex can generate analog properties of 3D visual percepts. The model describes how monocular and binocular oriented filtering interact with later stages of 3D boundary formation and surface filling-in in the LGN and cortical areas V1, V2, and V4. It proposes how interactions between layers 4, 3B, and 2/3 in V1 and V2 contribute to stereopsis, and how binocular and monocular information combine to form 3D boundary and surface representations. The model suggests how surface-to-boundary feedback from V2 thin stripes to pale stripes helps to explain how computationally complementary boundary and surface formation properties lead to a single consistent percept, eliminate redundant 3D boundaries, and trigger figure-ground perception. The model also shows how false binocular boundary matches may be eliminated by Gestalt grouping properties. In particular, the disparity filter, which helps to solve the correspondence problem by eliminating false matches, is realized using inhibitory interneurons as part of the perceptual grouping process by horizontal connections in layer 2/3 of cortical area V2. The 3D sLAMINART model simulates 3D surface percepts that are consciously seen in 18 psychophysical experiments. These percepts include contrast variations of dichoptic masking and the correspondence problem, the effect of interocular contrast differences on stereoacuity, Panum's limiting case, the Venetian blind illusion, stereopsis with polarity-reversed stereograms, da Vinci stereopsis, and perceptual closure. The model hereby illustrates a general method of unlumping rate-based models that use the membrane equations of neurophysiology into models that use spiking neurons, and which may be embodied in VLSI chips that use spiking neurons to minimize heat production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IFLA General Conference, 1987. Division of Management and Technology. Conservation Section. Round Table on Audiovisual Media. Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Federation of Library Associations, The Hague (Netherlands).

The eight papers in this collection focus on the preservation of both print and nonprint library materials: (1) "Properties and Problems of Modern Papers" (D. J. Priest, United Kingdom); (2) "On the Origin of Papermaking in the Light of Scientific Research on Recent Archaeological Discoveries" (Jixing Pan, China); (3) "Researches in New…

Application of Parallel Time-Implicit Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods to Hypersonic Nonequilibrium Flow Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

heating prediction to grid alignment along the shock . . . . . . . . 36 1-12 Large variation in heating predictions for 3D hypersonic flow over cylinder...100 4-12 Taylor Vortex problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 4-13 Taylor Vortex problem: 3D ...149 6-16 3D contours for temperature, T for MIG and US3D for only O2 test case . . . . 150 6-17 Stagnation line plots for only

Generalized centripetal force law and quantization of motion constrained on 2D surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Q. H.; Zhang, J.; Lian, D. K.; Hu, L. D.; Li, Z.

2017-03-01

For a particle of mass μ moves on a 2D surface f(x) = 0 embedded in 3D Euclidean space of coordinates x, there is an open and controversial problem whether the Dirac's canonical quantization scheme for the constrained motion allows for the geometric potential that has been experimentally confirmed. We note that the Dirac's scheme hypothesizes that the symmetries indicated by classical brackets among positions x and momenta p and Hamiltonian Hc remain in quantum mechanics, i.e., the following Dirac brackets [ x ,Hc ] D and [ p ,Hc ] D holds true after quantization, in addition to the fundamental ones [ x , x ] D, [ x , p ] D and [ p , p ] D. This set of hypotheses implies that the Hamiltonian operator is simultaneously determined during the quantization. The quantum mechanical relations corresponding to the classical mechanical ones p / μ =[ x ,Hc ] D directly give the geometric momenta. The time t derivative of the momenta p ˙ =[ p ,Hc ] D in classical mechanics is in fact the generalized centripetal force law for particle on the 2D surface, which in quantum mechanics permits both the geometric momenta and the geometric potential.

An equivalent domain integral method for three-dimensional mixed-mode fracture problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivakumar, K. N.; Raju, I. S.

1991-01-01

A general formulation of the equivalent domain integral (EDI) method for mixed mode fracture problems in cracked solids is presented. The method is discussed in the context of a 3-D finite element analysis. The J integral consists of two parts: the volume integral of the crack front potential over a torus enclosing the crack front and the crack surface integral due to the crack front potential plus the crack face loading. In mixed mode crack problems the total J integral is split into J sub I, J sub II, and J sub III representing the severity of the crack front in three modes of deformations. The direct and decomposition methods are used to separate the modes. These two methods were applied to several mixed mode fracture problems, were analyzed, and results were found to agree well with those available in the literature. The method lends itself to be used as a post-processing subroutine in a general purpose finite element program.

An equivalent domain integral method for three-dimensional mixed-mode fracture problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivakumar, K. N.; Raju, I. S.

1992-01-01

A general formulation of the equivalent domain integral (EDI) method for mixed mode fracture problems in cracked solids is presented. The method is discussed in the context of a 3-D finite element analysis. The J integral consists of two parts: the volume integral of the crack front potential over a torus enclosing the crack front and the crack surface integral due to the crack front potential plus the crack face loading. In mixed mode crack problems the total J integral is split into J sub I, J sub II, and J sub III representing the severity of the crack front in three modes of deformations. The direct and decomposition methods are used to separate the modes. These two methods were applied to several mixed mode fracture problems, were analyzed, and results were found to agree well with those available in the literature. The method lends itself to be used as a post-processing subroutine in a general purpose finite element program.

Self-Calibration of Cone-Beam CT Geometry Using 3D-2D Image Registration: Development and Application to Task-Based Imaging with a Robotic C-Arm

PubMed Central

Ouadah, S.; Stayman, J. W.; Gang, G.; Uneri, A.; Ehtiati, T.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2015-01-01

Purpose Robotic C-arm systems are capable of general noncircular orbits whose trajectories can be driven by the particular imaging task. However obtaining accurate calibrations for reconstruction in such geometries can be a challenging problem. This work proposes a method to perform a unique geometric calibration of an arbitrary C-arm orbit by registering 2D projections to a previously acquired 3D image to determine the transformation parameters representing the system geometry. Methods Experiments involved a cone-beam CT (CBCT) bench system, a robotic C-arm, and three phantoms. A robust 3D-2D registration process was used to compute the 9 degree of freedom (DOF) transformation between each projection and an existing 3D image by maximizing normalized gradient information with a digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) of the 3D volume. The quality of the resulting “self-calibration” was evaluated in terms of the agreement with an established calibration method using a BB phantom as well as image quality in the resulting CBCT reconstruction. Results The self-calibration yielded CBCT images without significant difference in spatial resolution from the standard (“true”) calibration methods (p-value >0.05 for all three phantoms), and the differences between CBCT images reconstructed using the “self” and “true” calibration methods were on the order of 10−3 mm−1. Maximum error in magnification was 3.2%, and back-projection ray placement was within 0.5 mm. Conclusion The proposed geometric “self” calibration provides a means for 3D imaging on general non-circular orbits in CBCT systems for which a geometric calibration is either not available or not reproducible. The method forms the basis of advanced “task-based” 3D imaging methods now in development for robotic C-arms. PMID:26388661

48 CFR 29.101 - Resolving tax problems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... (d) Before purchasing goods or services from a foreign source, the contracting officer should consult... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Resolving tax problems. 29... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS TAXES General 29.101 Resolving tax problems. (a) Contract tax problems are...

3D Medical Collaboration Technology to Enhance Emergency Healthcare

PubMed Central

Welch, Greg; Sonnenwald, Diane H; Fuchs, Henry; Cairns, Bruce; Mayer-Patel, Ketan; Söderholm, Hanna M.; Yang, Ruigang; State, Andrei; Towles, Herman; Ilie, Adrian; Ampalam, Manoj; Krishnan, Srinivas; Noel, Vincent; Noland, Michael; Manning, James E.

2009-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) videoconferencing has been explored widely in the past 15–20 years to support collaboration in healthcare. Two issues that arise in most evaluations of 2D videoconferencing in telemedicine are the difficulty obtaining optimal camera views and poor depth perception. To address these problems, we are exploring the use of a small array of cameras to reconstruct dynamic three-dimensional (3D) views of a remote environment and of events taking place within. The 3D views could be sent across wired or wireless networks to remote healthcare professionals equipped with fixed displays or with mobile devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs). The remote professionals’ viewpoints could be specified manually or automatically (continuously) via user head or PDA tracking, giving the remote viewers head-slaved or hand-slaved virtual cameras for monoscopic or stereoscopic viewing of the dynamic reconstructions. We call this idea remote 3D medical collaboration. In this article we motivate and explain the vision for 3D medical collaboration technology; we describe the relevant computer vision, computer graphics, display, and networking research; we present a proof-of-concept prototype system; and we present evaluation results supporting the general hypothesis that 3D remote medical collaboration technology could offer benefits over conventional 2D videoconferencing in emergency healthcare. PMID:19521951

3D medical collaboration technology to enhance emergency healthcare.

PubMed

Welch, Gregory F; Sonnenwald, Diane H; Fuchs, Henry; Cairns, Bruce; Mayer-Patel, Ketan; Söderholm, Hanna M; Yang, Ruigang; State, Andrei; Towles, Herman; Ilie, Adrian; Ampalam, Manoj K; Krishnan, Srinivas; Noel, Vincent; Noland, Michael; Manning, James E

2009-04-19

Two-dimensional (2D) videoconferencing has been explored widely in the past 15-20 years to support collaboration in healthcare. Two issues that arise in most evaluations of 2D videoconferencing in telemedicine are the difficulty obtaining optimal camera views and poor depth perception. To address these problems, we are exploring the use of a small array of cameras to reconstruct dynamic three-dimensional (3D) views of a remote environment and of events taking place within. The 3D views could be sent across wired or wireless networks to remote healthcare professionals equipped with fixed displays or with mobile devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs). The remote professionals' viewpoints could be specified manually or automatically (continuously) via user head or PDA tracking, giving the remote viewers head-slaved or hand-slaved virtual cameras for monoscopic or stereoscopic viewing of the dynamic reconstructions. We call this idea remote 3D medical collaboration. In this article we motivate and explain the vision for 3D medical collaboration technology; we describe the relevant computer vision, computer graphics, display, and networking research; we present a proof-of-concept prototype system; and we present evaluation results supporting the general hypothesis that 3D remote medical collaboration technology could offer benefits over conventional 2D videoconferencing in emergency healthcare.

Pose-free structure from motion using depth from motion constraints.

PubMed

Zhang, Ji; Boutin, Mireille; Aliaga, Daniel G

2011-10-01

Structure from motion (SFM) is the problem of recovering the geometry of a scene from a stream of images taken from unknown viewpoints. One popular approach to estimate the geometry of a scene is to track scene features on several images and reconstruct their position in 3-D. During this process, the unknown camera pose must also be recovered. Unfortunately, recovering the pose can be an ill-conditioned problem which, in turn, can make the SFM problem difficult to solve accurately. We propose an alternative formulation of the SFM problem with fixed internal camera parameters known a priori. In this formulation, obtained by algebraic variable elimination, the external camera pose parameters do not appear. As a result, the problem is better conditioned in addition to involving much fewer variables. Variable elimination is done in three steps. First, we take the standard SFM equations in projective coordinates and eliminate the camera orientations from the equations. We then further eliminate the camera center positions. Finally, we also eliminate all 3-D point positions coordinates, except for their depths with respect to the camera center, thus obtaining a set of simple polynomial equations of degree two and three. We show that, when there are merely a few points and pictures, these "depth-only equations" can be solved in a global fashion using homotopy methods. We also show that, in general, these same equations can be used to formulate a pose-free cost function to refine SFM solutions in a way that is more accurate than by minimizing the total reprojection error, as done when using the bundle adjustment method. The generalization of our approach to the case of varying internal camera parameters is briefly discussed. © 2011 IEEE

A Physics-Based Engineering Methodology for Calculating Soft Error Rates of Bulk CMOS and SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Integrated Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulkerson, David E.

2010-02-01

This paper describes a new methodology for characterizing the electrical behavior and soft error rate (SER) of CMOS and SiGe HBT integrated circuits that are struck by ions. A typical engineering design problem is to calculate the SER of a critical path that commonly includes several circuits such as an input buffer, several logic gates, logic storage, clock tree circuitry, and an output buffer. Using multiple 3D TCAD simulations to solve this problem is too costly and time-consuming for general engineering use. The new and simple methodology handles the problem with ease by simple SPICE simulations. The methodology accurately predicts the measured threshold linear energy transfer (LET) of a bulk CMOS SRAM. It solves for circuit currents and voltage spikes that are close to those predicted by expensive 3D TCAD simulations. It accurately predicts the measured event cross-section vs. LET curve of an experimental SiGe HBT flip-flop. The experimental cross section vs. frequency behavior and other subtle effects are also accurately predicted.

An integrated guidance and control approach in three-dimensional space for hypersonic missile constrained by impact angles.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaodong; Huang, Wanwei; Du, Lifu

2017-01-01

A new robust three-dimensional integrated guidance and control (3D-IGC) approach is investigated for sliding-to-turn (STT) hypersonic missile, which encounters high uncertainties and strict impact angle constraints. First, a nonlinear state-space model with more generality is established facing to the design of 3D-IGC law. With regard to the as-built nonlinear system, a robust dynamic inversion control (RDIC) approach is proposed to overcome the robustness deficiency of traditional DIC, and then it is applied to construct the basic 3D-IGC law combining with backstepping method. In order to avoid the problems of "explosion of terms" and high-frequency chattering, an improved 3D-IGC law is further proposed by introducing dynamic surface control and continuous approximation approaches. From the computer simulation on a hypersonic missile, the proposed 3D-IGC law not only guarantees the stable flight, but also presents the precise control on terminal locations and impact angles. Moreover, it possesses smooth control output and strong robustness. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A 3D Scan Model and Thermal Image Data Fusion Algorithms for 3D Thermography in Medicine

PubMed Central

Klima, Ondrej

2017-01-01

Objectives At present, medical thermal imaging is still considered a mere qualitative tool enabling us to distinguish between but lacking the ability to quantify the physiological and nonphysiological states of the body. Such a capability would, however, facilitate solving the problem of medical quantification, whose presence currently manifests itself within the entire healthcare system. Methods A generally applicable method to enhance captured 3D spatial data carrying temperature-related information is presented; in this context, all equations required for other data fusions are derived. The method can be utilized for high-density point clouds or detailed meshes at a high resolution but is conveniently usable in large objects with sparse points. Results The benefits of the approach are experimentally demonstrated on 3D thermal scans of injured subjects. We obtained diagnostic information inaccessible via traditional methods. Conclusion Using a 3D model and thermal image data fusion allows the quantification of inflammation, facilitating more precise injury and illness diagnostics or monitoring. The technique offers a wide application potential in medicine and multiple technological domains, including electrical and mechanical engineering. PMID:29250306

SDG Fermion-Pair Algebraic SO(12) and Sp(10) Models and Their Boson Realizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navratil, P.; Geyer, H. B.; Dobes, J.; Dobaczewski, J.

1995-11-01

It is shown how the boson mapping formalism may be applied as a useful many-body tool to solve a fermion problem. This is done in the context of generalized Ginocchio models for which we introduce S-, D-, and G-pairs of fermions and subsequently construct the sdg-boson realizations of the generalized Dyson type. The constructed SO(12) and Sp(10) fermion models are solved beyond the explicit symmetry limits. Phase transitions to rotational structures are obtained also in situations where there is no underlying SU(3) symmetry.

Methodology for sensitivity analysis, approximate analysis, and design optimization in CFD for multidisciplinary applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Arthur C., III; Hou, Gene W.

1993-01-01

In this study involving advanced fluid flow codes, an incremental iterative formulation (also known as the delta or correction form) together with the well-known spatially-split approximate factorization algorithm, is presented for solving the very large sparse systems of linear equations which are associated with aerodynamic sensitivity analysis. For smaller 2D problems, a direct method can be applied to solve these linear equations in either the standard or the incremental form, in which case the two are equivalent. Iterative methods are needed for larger 2D and future 3D applications, however, because direct methods require much more computer memory than is currently available. Iterative methods for solving these equations in the standard form are generally unsatisfactory due to an ill-conditioning of the coefficient matrix; this problem can be overcome when these equations are cast in the incremental form. These and other benefits are discussed. The methodology is successfully implemented and tested in 2D using an upwind, cell-centered, finite volume formulation applied to the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. Results are presented for two sample airfoil problems: (1) subsonic low Reynolds number laminar flow; and (2) transonic high Reynolds number turbulent flow.

Open-source software platform for medical image segmentation applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namías, R.; D'Amato, J. P.; del Fresno, M.

2017-11-01

Segmenting 2D and 3D images is a crucial and challenging problem in medical image analysis. Although several image segmentation algorithms have been proposed for different applications, no universal method currently exists. Moreover, their use is usually limited when detection of complex and multiple adjacent objects of interest is needed. In addition, the continually increasing volumes of medical imaging scans require more efficient segmentation software design and highly usable applications. In this context, we present an extension of our previous segmentation framework which allows the combination of existing explicit deformable models in an efficient and transparent way, handling simultaneously different segmentation strategies and interacting with a graphic user interface (GUI). We present the object-oriented design and the general architecture which consist of two layers: the GUI at the top layer, and the processing core filters at the bottom layer. We apply the framework for segmenting different real-case medical image scenarios on public available datasets including bladder and prostate segmentation from 2D MRI, and heart segmentation in 3D CT. Our experiments on these concrete problems show that this framework facilitates complex and multi-object segmentation goals while providing a fast prototyping open-source segmentation tool.

A finite element solver for 3-D compressible viscous flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, K. C.; Reddy, J. N.; Nayani, S.

1990-01-01

Computation of the flow field inside a space shuttle main engine (SSME) requires the application of state of the art computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technology. Several computer codes are under development to solve 3-D flow through the hot gas manifold. Some algorithms were designed to solve the unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations, either by implicit or explicit factorization methods, using several hundred or thousands of time steps to reach a steady state solution. A new iterative algorithm is being developed for the solution of the implicit finite element equations without assembling global matrices. It is an efficient iteration scheme based on a modified nonlinear Gauss-Seidel iteration with symmetric sweeps. The algorithm is analyzed for a model equation and is shown to be unconditionally stable. Results from a series of test problems are presented. The finite element code was tested for couette flow, which is flow under a pressure gradient between two parallel plates in relative motion. Another problem that was solved is viscous laminar flow over a flat plate. The general 3-D finite element code was used to compute the flow in an axisymmetric turnaround duct at low Mach numbers.

Parameter estimation in 3D affine and similarity transformation: implementation of variance component estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri-Simkooei, A. R.

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) coordinate transformations, generally consisting of origin shifts, axes rotations, scale changes, and skew parameters, are widely used in many geomatics applications. Although in some geodetic applications simplified transformation models are used based on the assumption of small transformation parameters, in other fields of applications such parameters are indeed large. The algorithms of two recent papers on the weighted total least-squares (WTLS) problem are used for the 3D coordinate transformation. The methodology can be applied to the case when the transformation parameters are generally large of which no approximate values of the parameters are required. Direct linearization of the rotation and scale parameters is thus not required. The WTLS formulation is employed to take into consideration errors in both the start and target systems on the estimation of the transformation parameters. Two of the well-known 3D transformation methods, namely affine (12, 9, and 8 parameters) and similarity (7 and 6 parameters) transformations, can be handled using the WTLS theory subject to hard constraints. Because the method can be formulated by the standard least-squares theory with constraints, the covariance matrix of the transformation parameters can directly be provided. The above characteristics of the 3D coordinate transformation are implemented in the presence of different variance components, which are estimated using the least squares variance component estimation. In particular, the estimability of the variance components is investigated. The efficacy of the proposed formulation is verified on two real data sets.

Note about a pure spin-connection formulation of general relativity and spin-2 duality in (A)dS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basile, Thomas; Bekaert, Xavier; Boulanger, Nicolas

2016-06-01

We investigate the problem of finding a pure spin-connection formulation of general relativity with nonvanishing cosmological constant. We first revisit the problem at the linearized level and find that the pure spin-connection, quadratic Lagrangian, takes a form reminiscent to Weyl gravity, given by the square of a Weyl-like tensor. Upon Hodge dualization, we show that the dual gauge field in (A )dSD transforms under G L (D ) in the same representation as a massive graviton in the flat spacetime of the same dimension. We give a detailed proof that the physical degrees of freedom indeed correspond to a massless graviton propagating around the (anti-) de Sitter background and finally speculate about a possible nonlinear pure-connection theory dual to general relativity with cosmological constant.

SOCIO-CULTURAL PROBLEMS AND THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (PH.D. THESIS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ABDEL-HAMID FAWZI ABDEL-AZIZ

IN THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC, MANY GRADUATES OF AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS HAVE NOT BECOME ESTABLISHED IN FARMING. THIS STUDY WAS MADE TO (1) EXAMINE THE FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE DECISION TO ENTER UPON FARMING, (2) PROPOSE THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE AGENT FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, AND (3) PROVIDE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL…

Relationship between late-life depression and life stressors: large-scale cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the Japanese general population.

PubMed

Kaji, Tatsuhiko; Mishima, Kazuo; Kitamura, Shingo; Enomoto, Minori; Nagase, Yukihiro; Li, Lan; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Ohida, Takashi; Nishikawa, Toru; Uchiyama, Makoto

2010-08-01

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship between late-life depression and daily life stress in a representative sample of 10 969 Japanese subjects. Data on 10 969 adults aged > or =50 who participated in the Active Survey of Health and Welfare in 2000, were analyzed. The self-administered questionnaire included items on 21 reasons for life stressors and the magnitude of stress, as well as the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The relationship between the incidence of life stressors and mild-moderate (D(16)) and severe (D(26)) depressive symptoms was examined using logistic regression analysis. A total of 21.9% of subjects had D(16) symptoms, and 9.3% had D(26) symptoms. Further, increased age and being female were associated with more severe depressive state. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the strongest relationship between both the incidence of D(16) and D(26) symptoms and life stressors stemmed from 'having no one to talk to' (odds ratio = 3.3 and 5.0, respectively). Late-life depression was also associated with 'loss of purpose in life', 'separation/divorce', 'having nothing to do', 'health/illness/care of self', and 'debt'. There is a relationship between late-life depression and diminished social relationships, experiences involving loss of purpose in life or human relationships, and health problems in the Japanese general population.

Stereoscopic image production: live, CGI, and integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criado, Enrique

2006-02-01

This paper shortly describes part of the experience gathered in more than 10 years of stereoscopic movie production, some of the most common problems found and the solutions, with more or less fortune, we applied to solve those problems. Our work is mainly focused in the entertainment market, theme parks, museums, and other cultural related locations and events. In our movies, we have been forced to develop our own devices to permit correct stereo shooting (stereoscopic rigs) or stereo monitoring (real-time), and to solve problems found with conventional film editing, compositing and postproduction software. Here, we discuss stereo lighting, monitoring, special effects, image integration (using dummies and more), stereo-camera parameters, and other general 3-D movie production aspects.

PIXIE3D: A Parallel, Implicit, eXtended MHD 3D Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacon, Luis

2006-10-01

We report on the development of PIXIE3D, a 3D parallel, fully implicit Newton-Krylov extended MHD code in general curvilinear geometry. PIXIE3D employs a second-order, finite-volume-based spatial discretization that satisfies remarkable properties such as being conservative, solenoidal in the magnetic field to machine precision, non-dissipative, and linearly and nonlinearly stable in the absence of physical dissipation. PIXIE3D employs fully-implicit Newton-Krylov methods for the time advance. Currently, second-order implicit schemes such as Crank-Nicolson and BDF2 (2^nd order backward differentiation formula) are available. PIXIE3D is fully parallel (employs PETSc for parallelism), and exhibits excellent parallel scalability. A parallel, scalable, MG preconditioning strategy, based on physics-based preconditioning ideas, has been developed for resistive MHD, and is currently being extended to Hall MHD. In this poster, we will report on progress in the algorithmic formulation for extended MHD, as well as the the serial and parallel performance of PIXIE3D in a variety of problems and geometries. L. Chac'on, Comput. Phys. Comm., 163 (3), 143-171 (2004) L. Chac'on et al., J. Comput. Phys. 178 (1), 15- 36 (2002); J. Comput. Phys., 188 (2), 573-592 (2003) L. Chac'on, 32nd EPS Conf. Plasma Physics, Tarragona, Spain, 2005 L. Chac'on et al., 33rd EPS Conf. Plasma Physics, Rome, Italy, 2006

Virtual and concrete manipulatives: a comparison of approaches for solving mathematics problems for students with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Bouck, Emily C; Satsangi, Rajiv; Doughty, Teresa Taber; Courtney, William T

2014-01-01

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are included in general education classes and expected to participate in general education content, such as mathematics. Yet, little research explores academically-based mathematics instruction for this population. This single subject alternating treatment design study explored the effectiveness of concrete (physical objects that can be manipulated) and virtual (3-D objects from the Internet that can be manipulated) manipulatives to teach single- and double-digit subtraction skills. Participants in this study included three elementary-aged students (ages ranging from 6 to 10) diagnosed with ASD. Students were selected from a clinic-based setting, where all participants received medically necessary intensive services provided via one-to-one, trained therapists. Both forms of manipulatives successfully assisted students in accurately and independently solving subtraction problem. However, all three students demonstrated greater accuracy and faster independence with the virtual manipulatives as compared to the concrete manipulatives. Beyond correctly solving the subtraction problems, students were also able to generalize their learning of subtraction through concrete and virtual manipulatives to more real-world applications.

Solution of the weighted symmetric similarity transformations based on quaternions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercan, H.; Akyilmaz, O.; Aydin, C.

2017-12-01

A new method through Gauss-Helmert model of adjustment is presented for the solution of the similarity transformations, either 3D or 2D, in the frame of errors-in-variables (EIV) model. EIV model assumes that all the variables in the mathematical model are contaminated by random errors. Total least squares estimation technique may be used to solve the EIV model. Accounting for the heteroscedastic uncertainty both in the target and the source coordinates, that is the more common and general case in practice, leads to a more realistic estimation of the transformation parameters. The presented algorithm can handle the heteroscedastic transformation problems, i.e., positions of the both target and the source points may have full covariance matrices. Therefore, there is no limitation such as the isotropic or the homogenous accuracy for the reference point coordinates. The developed algorithm takes the advantage of the quaternion definition which uniquely represents a 3D rotation matrix. The transformation parameters: scale, translations, and the quaternion (so that the rotation matrix) along with their covariances, are iteratively estimated with rapid convergence. Moreover, prior least squares (LS) estimation of the unknown transformation parameters is not required to start the iterations. We also show that the developed method can also be used to estimate the 2D similarity transformation parameters by simply treating the problem as a 3D transformation problem with zero (0) values assigned for the z-components of both target and source points. The efficiency of the new algorithm is presented with the numerical examples and comparisons with the results of the previous studies which use the same data set. Simulation experiments for the evaluation and comparison of the proposed and the conventional weighted LS (WLS) method is also presented.

Parallel image reconstruction for 3D positron emission tomography from incomplete 2D projection data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, Thomas M.; Ricci, Anthony R.; Dahlbom, Magnus; Cherry, Simon R.; Hoffman, Edward T.

1993-07-01

The problem of excessive computational time in 3D Positron Emission Tomography (3D PET) reconstruction is defined, and we present an approach for solving this problem through the construction of an inexpensive parallel processing system and the adoption of the FAVOR algorithm. Currently, the 3D reconstruction of the 610 images of a total body procedure would require 80 hours and the 3D reconstruction of the 620 images of a dynamic study would require 110 hours. An inexpensive parallel processing system for 3D PET reconstruction is constructed from the integration of board level products from multiple vendors. The system achieves its computational performance through the use of 6U VME four i860 processor boards, the processor boards from five manufacturers are discussed from our perspective. The new 3D PET reconstruction algorithm FAVOR, FAst VOlume Reconstructor, that promises a substantial speed improvement is adopted. Preliminary results from parallelizing FAVOR are utilized in formulating architectural improvements for this problem. In summary, we are addressing the problem of excessive computational time in 3D PET image reconstruction, through the construction of an inexpensive parallel processing system and the parallelization of a 3D reconstruction algorithm that uses the incomplete data set that is produced by current PET systems.

Analytical and numerical analyses for a penny-shaped crack embedded in an infinite transversely isotropic multi-ferroic composite medium: semi-permeable electro-magnetic boundary condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, R.-F.; Wu, T.-H.; Li, X.-Y.; Chen, W.-Q.

2018-06-01

The problem of a penny-shaped crack embedded in an infinite space of transversely isotropic multi-ferroic composite medium is investigated. The crack is assumed to be subjected to uniformly distributed mechanical, electric and magnetic loads applied symmetrically on the upper and lower crack surfaces. The semi-permeable (limited-permeable) electro-magnetic boundary condition is adopted. By virtue of the generalized method of potential theory and the general solutions, the boundary integro-differential equations governing the mode I crack problem, which are of nonlinear nature, are established and solved analytically. Exact and complete coupling magneto-electro-elastic field is obtained in terms of elementary functions. Important parameters in fracture mechanics on the crack plane, e.g., the generalized crack surface displacements, the distributions of generalized stresses at the crack tip, the generalized stress intensity factors and the energy release rate, are explicitly presented. To validate the present solutions, a numerical code by virtue of finite element method is established for 3D crack problems in the framework of magneto-electro-elasticity. To evaluate conveniently the effect of the medium inside the crack, several empirical formulae are developed, based on the numerical results.

A generalized Condat's algorithm of 1D total variation regularization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makovetskii, Artyom; Voronin, Sergei; Kober, Vitaly

2017-09-01

A common way for solving the denosing problem is to utilize the total variation (TV) regularization. Many efficient numerical algorithms have been developed for solving the TV regularization problem. Condat described a fast direct algorithm to compute the processed 1D signal. Also there exists a direct algorithm with a linear time for 1D TV denoising referred to as the taut string algorithm. The Condat's algorithm is based on a dual problem to the 1D TV regularization. In this paper, we propose a variant of the Condat's algorithm based on the direct 1D TV regularization problem. The usage of the Condat's algorithm with the taut string approach leads to a clear geometric description of the extremal function. Computer simulation results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm for restoration of degraded signals.

Application of velocity filtering to optical-flow passive ranging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barniv, Yair

1992-01-01

The performance of the velocity filtering method as applied to optical-flow passive ranging under real-world conditions is evaluated. The theory of the 3-D Fourier transform as applied to constant-speed moving points is reviewed, and the space-domain shift-and-add algorithm is derived from the general 3-D matched filtering formulation. The constant-speed algorithm is then modified to fit the actual speed encountered in the optical flow application, and the passband of that filter is found in terms of depth (sensor/object distance) so as to cover any given range of depths. Two algorithmic solutions for the problems associated with pixel interpolation and object expansion are developed, and experimental results are presented.

Simulation and Analysis of Converging Shock Wave Test Problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramsey, Scott D.; Shashkov, Mikhail J.

2012-06-21

Results and analysis pertaining to the simulation of the Guderley converging shock wave test problem (and associated code verification hydrodynamics test problems involving converging shock waves) in the LANL ASC radiation-hydrodynamics code xRAGE are presented. One-dimensional (1D) spherical and two-dimensional (2D) axi-symmetric geometric setups are utilized and evaluated in this study, as is an instantiation of the xRAGE adaptive mesh refinement capability. For the 2D simulations, a 'Surrogate Guderley' test problem is developed and used to obviate subtleties inherent to the true Guderley solution's initialization on a square grid, while still maintaining a high degree of fidelity to the originalmore » problem, and minimally straining the general credibility of associated analysis and conclusions.« less

3D controlled electrorotation of conducting tri-axial ellipsoidal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weis Goldstein, Ben; Miloh, Touvia

2017-05-01

We present a theoretical study of 3D electrorotation of ideally polarizable (metallic) nano∖micro-orthotropic particles that are freely suspended in an unbounded monovalent symmetric electrolyte. The metallic tri-axial ellipsoidal particle is subjected to three independent uniform AC electric fields acting along the three principal axes of the particle. The analysis of the electrokinetic problem is carried under the Poisson-Nernst-Planck approximation and the standard "weak" field assumption. For simplicity, we consider the electric double layer as thin and the Dukhin number to be small. Both nonlinear phenomena of dielectrophoresis induced by the dipole-moment within the particle and the induced-charge electrophoresis caused by the Coulombic force density within the Debye layer in the solute surrounding the conducting particle are analytically analyzed by linearization, constructing approximate expressions for the total dipolophoresis angular particle motion for various geometries. The analytical expressions thus obtained are valid for an arbitrary tri-axial orthotropic (exhibiting three planes of symmetry) particle, excited by an arbitrary ambient three-dimensional AC electric field of constant amplitude. The present study is general in the sense that by choosing different geometric parameters of the ellipsoidal particle, the corresponding nonlinear electrostatic problem governed by the Robin (mixed-type) boundary condition can be reduced to common nano-shapes including spheres, slender rods (needles), prolate and oblate spheroids, as well as flat disks. Furthermore, by controlling the parameters (amplitudes and phases) of the forcing electric field, one can reduce the present general 3D electrokinetic model to the familiar planar electro-rotation (ROT) and electro-orientation (EOR) cases.

Numerical Optimization Strategy for Determining 3D Flow Fields in Microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eden, Alex; Sigurdson, Marin; Mezic, Igor; Meinhart, Carl

2015-11-01

We present a hybrid experimental-numerical method for generating 3D flow fields from 2D PIV experimental data. An optimization algorithm is applied to a theory-based simulation of an alternating current electrothermal (ACET) micromixer in conjunction with 2D PIV data to generate an improved representation of 3D steady state flow conditions. These results can be used to investigate mixing phenomena. Experimental conditions were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics to solve the temperature and velocity fields, as well as the quasi-static electric fields. The governing equations were based on a theoretical model for ac electrothermal flows. A Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm was used to achieve a better fit by minimizing the error between 2D PIV experimental velocity data and numerical simulation results at the measurement plane. By applying this hybrid method, the normalized RMS velocity error between the simulation and experimental results was reduced by more than an order of magnitude. The optimization algorithm altered 3D fluid circulation patterns considerably, providing a more accurate representation of the 3D experimental flow field. This method can be generalized to a wide variety of flow problems. This research was supported by the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies through grant W911NF-09-0001 from the U.S. Army Research Office.

Implementation of a computationally efficient least-squares algorithm for highly under-determined three-dimensional diffuse optical tomography problems.

PubMed

Yalavarthy, Phaneendra K; Lynch, Daniel R; Pogue, Brian W; Dehghani, Hamid; Paulsen, Keith D

2008-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) diffuse optical tomography is known to be a nonlinear, ill-posed and sometimes under-determined problem, where regularization is added to the minimization to allow convergence to a unique solution. In this work, a generalized least-squares (GLS) minimization method was implemented, which employs weight matrices for both data-model misfit and optical properties to include their variances and covariances, using a computationally efficient scheme. This allows inversion of a matrix that is of a dimension dictated by the number of measurements, instead of by the number of imaging parameters. This increases the computation speed up to four times per iteration in most of the under-determined 3D imaging problems. An analytic derivation, using the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury identity, is shown for this efficient alternative form and it is proven to be equivalent, not only analytically, but also numerically. Equivalent alternative forms for other minimization methods, like Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and Tikhonov, are also derived. Three-dimensional reconstruction results indicate that the poor recovery of quantitatively accurate values in 3D optical images can also be a characteristic of the reconstruction algorithm, along with the target size. Interestingly, usage of GLS reconstruction methods reduces error in the periphery of the image, as expected, and improves by 20% the ability to quantify local interior regions in terms of the recovered optical contrast, as compared to LM methods. Characterization of detector photo-multiplier tubes noise has enabled the use of the GLS method for reconstructing experimental data and showed a promise for better quantification of target in 3D optical imaging. Use of these new alternative forms becomes effective when the ratio of the number of imaging property parameters exceeds the number of measurements by a factor greater than 2.

3-D Forward modeling of Induced Polarization Effects of Transient Electromagnetic Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Ji, Y.; Guan, S.; Li, D.; Wang, A.

2017-12-01

In transient electromagnetic (TEM) detection, Induced polarization (IP) effects are so important that they cannot be ignored. The authors simulate the three-dimensional (3-D) induced polarization effects in time-domain directly by applying the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) based on Cole-Cole model. Due to the frequency dispersion characteristics of the electrical conductivity, the computations of convolution in the generalized Ohm's law of fractional order system makes the forward modeling particularly complicated. Firstly, we propose a method to approximate the fractional order function of Cole-Cole model using a lower order rational transfer function based on error minimum theory in the frequency domain. In this section, two auxiliary variables are introduced to transform nonlinear least square fitting problem of the fractional order system into a linear programming problem, thus avoiding having to solve a system of equations and nonlinear problems. Secondly, the time-domain expression of Cole-Cole model is obtained by using Inverse Laplace transform. Then, for the calculation of Ohm's law, we propose an e-index auxiliary equation of conductivity to transform the convolution to non-convolution integral; in this section, the trapezoid rule is applied to compute the integral. We then substitute the recursion equation into Maxwell's equations to derive the iterative equations of electromagnetic field using the FDTD method. Finally, we finish the stimulation of 3-D model and evaluate polarization parameters. The results are compared with those obtained from the digital filtering solution of the analytical equation in the homogeneous half space, as well as with the 3-D model results from the auxiliary ordinary differential equation method (ADE). Good agreements are obtained across the three methods. In terms of the 3-D model, the proposed method has higher efficiency and lower memory requirements as execution times and memory usage were reduced by 20% compared with ADE method.

Evaluation of Optimal Formulas for Gravitational Tensors up to Gravitational Curvatures of a Tesseroid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiao-Le; Shen, Wen-Bin

2018-01-01

The forward modeling of the topographic effects of the gravitational parameters in the gravity field is a fundamental topic in geodesy and geophysics. Since the gravitational effects, including for instance the gravitational potential (GP), the gravity vector (GV) and the gravity gradient tensor (GGT), of the topographic (or isostatic) mass reduction have been expanded by adding the gravitational curvatures (GC) in geoscience, it is crucial to find efficient numerical approaches to evaluate these effects. In this paper, the GC formulas of a tesseroid in Cartesian integral kernels are derived in 3D/2D forms. Three generally used numerical approaches for computing the topographic effects (e.g., GP, GV, GGT, GC) of a tesseroid are studied, including the Taylor Series Expansion (TSE), Gauss-Legendre Quadrature (GLQ) and Newton-Cotes Quadrature (NCQ) approaches. Numerical investigations show that the GC formulas in Cartesian integral kernels are more efficient if compared to the previously given GC formulas in spherical integral kernels: by exploiting the 3D TSE second-order formulas, the computational burden associated with the former is 46%, as an average, of that associated with the latter. The GLQ behaves better than the 3D/2D TSE and NCQ in terms of accuracy and computational time. In addition, the effects of a spherical shell's thickness and large-scale geocentric distance on the GP, GV, GGT and GC functionals have been studied with the 3D TSE second-order formulas as well. The relative approximation errors of the GC functionals are larger with the thicker spherical shell, which are the same as those of the GP, GV and GGT. Finally, the very-near-area problem and polar singularity problem have been considered by the numerical methods of the 3D TSE, GLQ and NCQ. The relative approximation errors of the GC components are larger than those of the GP, GV and GGT, especially at the very near area. Compared to the GC formulas in spherical integral kernels, these new GC formulas can avoid the polar singularity problem.

Optimization of atmospheric transport models on HPC platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Cruz, Raúl; Folch, Arnau; Farré, Pau; Cabezas, Javier; Navarro, Nacho; Cela, José María

2016-12-01

The performance and scalability of atmospheric transport models on high performance computing environments is often far from optimal for multiple reasons including, for example, sequential input and output, synchronous communications, work unbalance, memory access latency or lack of task overlapping. We investigate how different software optimizations and porting to non general-purpose hardware architectures improve code scalability and execution times considering, as an example, the FALL3D volcanic ash transport model. To this purpose, we implement the FALL3D model equations in the WARIS framework, a software designed from scratch to solve in a parallel and efficient way different geoscience problems on a wide variety of architectures. In addition, we consider further improvements in WARIS such as hybrid MPI-OMP parallelization, spatial blocking, auto-tuning and thread affinity. Considering all these aspects together, the FALL3D execution times for a realistic test case running on general-purpose cluster architectures (Intel Sandy Bridge) decrease by a factor between 7 and 40 depending on the grid resolution. Finally, we port the application to Intel Xeon Phi (MIC) and NVIDIA GPUs (CUDA) accelerator-based architectures and compare performance, cost and power consumption on all the architectures. Implications on time-constrained operational model configurations are discussed.

Constraints to solve parallelogram grid problems in 2D non separable linear canonical transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Liang; Healy, John J.; Muniraj, Inbarasan; Cui, Xiao-Guang; Malallah, Ra'ed; Ryle, James P.; Sheridan, John T.

2017-05-01

The 2D non-separable linear canonical transform (2D-NS-LCT) can model a range of various paraxial optical systems. Digital algorithms to evaluate the 2D-NS-LCTs are important in modeling the light field propagations and also of interest in many digital signal processing applications. In [Zhao 14] we have reported that a given 2D input image with rectangular shape/boundary, in general, results in a parallelogram output sampling grid (generally in an affine coordinates rather than in a Cartesian coordinates) thus limiting the further calculations, e.g. inverse transform. One possible solution is to use the interpolation techniques; however, it reduces the speed and accuracy of the numerical approximations. To alleviate this problem, in this paper, some constraints are derived under which the output samples are located in the Cartesian coordinates. Therefore, no interpolation operation is required and thus the calculation error can be significantly eliminated.

Synthesis multi-projector content for multi-projector three dimension display using a layered representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Chen; Ren, Bin; Guo, Longfei; Dou, Wenhua

2014-11-01

Multi-projector three dimension display is a promising multi-view glass-free three dimension (3D) display technology, can produce full colour high definition 3D images on its screen. One key problem of multi-projector 3D display is how to acquire the source images of projector array while avoiding pseudoscopic problem. This paper analysis the displaying characteristics of multi-projector 3D display first and then propose a projector content synthetic method using tetrahedral transform. A 3D video format that based on stereo image pair and associated disparity map is presented, it is well suit for any type of multi-projector 3D display and has advantage in saving storage usage. Experiment results show that our method solved the pseudoscopic problem.

Three-dimensional tomographic imaging for dynamic radiation behavior study using infrared imaging video bolometers in large helical device plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sano, Ryuichi; Iwama, Naofumi; Peterson, Byron J.

A three-dimensional (3D) tomography system using four InfraRed imaging Video Bolometers (IRVBs) has been designed with a helical periodicity assumption for the purpose of plasma radiation measurement in the large helical device. For the spatial inversion of large sized arrays, the system has been numerically and experimentally examined using the Tikhonov regularization with the criterion of minimum generalized cross validation, which is the standard solver of inverse problems. The 3D transport code EMC3-EIRENE for impurity behavior and related radiation has been used to produce phantoms for numerical tests, and the relative calibration of the IRVB images has been carried outmore » with a simple function model of the decaying plasma in a radiation collapse. The tomography system can respond to temporal changes in the plasma profile and identify the 3D dynamic behavior of radiation, such as the radiation enhancement that starts from the inboard side of the torus, during the radiation collapse. The reconstruction results are also consistent with the output signals of a resistive bolometer. These results indicate that the designed 3D tomography system is available for the 3D imaging of radiation. The first 3D direct tomographic measurement of a magnetically confined plasma has been achieved.« less

The program FANS-3D (finite analytic numerical simulation 3-dimensional) and its applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bravo, Ramiro H.; Chen, Ching-Jen

1992-01-01

In this study, the program named FANS-3D (Finite Analytic Numerical Simulation-3 Dimensional) is presented. FANS-3D was designed to solve problems of incompressible fluid flow and combined modes of heat transfer. It solves problems with conduction and convection modes of heat transfer in laminar flow, with provisions for radiation and turbulent flows. It can solve singular or conjugate modes of heat transfer. It also solves problems in natural convection, using the Boussinesq approximation. FANS-3D was designed to solve heat transfer problems inside one, two and three dimensional geometries that can be represented by orthogonal planes in a Cartesian coordinate system. It can solve internal and external flows using appropriate boundary conditions such as symmetric, periodic and user specified.

Conservative boundary conditions for 3D gas dynamics problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerasimov, B. P.; Karagichev, A. B.; Semushin, S. A.

1986-01-01

A method is described for 3D-gas dynamics computer simulation in regions of complicated shape by means of nonadjusted rectangular grids providing unified treatment of various problems. Some test problem computation results are given.

Deep imitation learning for 3D navigation tasks.

PubMed

Hussein, Ahmed; Elyan, Eyad; Gaber, Mohamed Medhat; Jayne, Chrisina

2018-01-01

Deep learning techniques have shown success in learning from raw high-dimensional data in various applications. While deep reinforcement learning is recently gaining popularity as a method to train intelligent agents, utilizing deep learning in imitation learning has been scarcely explored. Imitation learning can be an efficient method to teach intelligent agents by providing a set of demonstrations to learn from. However, generalizing to situations that are not represented in the demonstrations can be challenging, especially in 3D environments. In this paper, we propose a deep imitation learning method to learn navigation tasks from demonstrations in a 3D environment. The supervised policy is refined using active learning in order to generalize to unseen situations. This approach is compared to two popular deep reinforcement learning techniques: deep-Q-networks and Asynchronous actor-critic (A3C). The proposed method as well as the reinforcement learning methods employ deep convolutional neural networks and learn directly from raw visual input. Methods for combining learning from demonstrations and experience are also investigated. This combination aims to join the generalization ability of learning by experience with the efficiency of learning by imitation. The proposed methods are evaluated on 4 navigation tasks in a 3D simulated environment. Navigation tasks are a typical problem that is relevant to many real applications. They pose the challenge of requiring demonstrations of long trajectories to reach the target and only providing delayed rewards (usually terminal) to the agent. The experiments show that the proposed method can successfully learn navigation tasks from raw visual input while learning from experience methods fail to learn an effective policy. Moreover, it is shown that active learning can significantly improve the performance of the initially learned policy using a small number of active samples.

Fully-coupled analysis of jet mixing problems. Three-dimensional PNS model, SCIP3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, D. E.; Sinha, N.; Dash, S. M.

1988-01-01

Numerical procedures formulated for the analysis of 3D jet mixing problems, as incorporated in the computer model, SCIP3D, are described. The overall methodology closely parallels that developed in the earlier 2D axisymmetric jet mixing model, SCIPVIS. SCIP3D integrates the 3D parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) jet mixing equations, cast in mapped cartesian or cylindrical coordinates, employing the explicit MacCormack Algorithm. A pressure split variant of this algorithm is employed in subsonic regions with a sublayer approximation utilized for treating the streamwise pressure component. SCIP3D contains both the ks and kW turbulence models, and employs a two component mixture approach to treat jet exhausts of arbitrary composition. Specialized grid procedures are used to adjust the grid growth in accordance with the growth of the jet, including a hybrid cartesian/cylindrical grid procedure for rectangular jets which moves the hybrid coordinate origin towards the flow origin as the jet transitions from a rectangular to circular shape. Numerous calculations are presented for rectangular mixing problems, as well as for a variety of basic unit problems exhibiting overall capabilities of SCIP3D.

Exploring 3D optimal channel networks by multiple organizing principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Emanuele; Bizzi, Simone; Cominola, Andrea; Castelletti, Andrea; Paik, Kyungrock

2017-04-01

Catchment topography and flow networks are shaped by the interactions of water and sediment across various spatial and temporal scales. The complexity of these processes hinders the development of models able to assess the validity of general principles governing such phenomena. The theory of Optimal Channel Networks (OCNs) proved that it is possible to generate drainage networks statistically comparable to those observed in nature by minimizing the energy spent by the water flowing through them. So far, the OCN theory has been developed for planar 2D domains, assuming equal energy expenditure per unit area of channel and, correspondingly, a constant slope-discharge relationship. In this work, we apply the OCN theory to 3D problems by introducing a multi-principle minimization starting from an artificial digital elevation model of pyramidal shape. The OCN theory assumption of constant slope-area relationship is relaxed and embedded into a second-order principle. The modelled 3D channel networks achieve lower total energy expenditure corresponding to 2D sub-optimal OCNs bound to specific slope-area relationships. This is the first time we are able to explore accessible 3D OCNs starting from a general DEM. By contrasting the modelled 3D OCNs and natural river networks, we found statistical similarities of two indexes, namely the area exponent index and the profile concavity index. Among the wide range of alternative and sub-optimal river networks, a minimum degree of 3D network organization is found to guarantee the indexes values within the natural range. These networks simultaneously possess topological and topographic properties of real river networks. We found a pivotal functional link between slope-area relationship and accessible sub-optimal 2D river network paths, which suggests that geological and climate conditions producing slope-area relationships in natural basins co-determine the degree of optimality of accessible network paths.

On the Quality of Velocity Interpolation Schemes for Marker-In-Cell Methods on 3-D Staggered Grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaus, B.; Pusok, A. E.; Popov, A.

2015-12-01

The marker-in-cell method is generally considered to be a flexible and robust method to model advection of heterogenous non-diffusive properties (i.e. rock type or composition) in geodynamic problems or incompressible Stokes problems. In this method, Lagrangian points carrying compositional information are advected with the ambient velocity field on an immobile, Eulerian grid. However, velocity interpolation from grid points to marker locations is often performed without preserving the zero divergence of the velocity field at the interpolated locations (i.e. non-conservative). Such interpolation schemes can induce non-physical clustering of markers when strong velocity gradients are present (Jenny et al., 2001) and this may, eventually, result in empty grid cells, a serious numerical violation of the marker-in-cell method. Solutions to this problem include: using larger mesh resolutions and/or marker densities, or repeatedly controlling the marker distribution (i.e. inject/delete), but which does not have an established physical background. To remedy this at low computational costs, Jenny et al. (2001) and Meyer and Jenny (2004) proposed a simple, conservative velocity interpolation (CVI) scheme for 2-D staggered grid, while Wang et al. (2015) extended the formulation to 3-D finite element methods. Here, we follow up with these studies and report on the quality of velocity interpolation methods for 2-D and 3-D staggered grids. We adapt the formulations from both Jenny et al. (2001) and Wang et al. (2015) for use on 3-D staggered grids, where the velocity components have different node locations as compared to finite element, where they share the same node location. We test the different interpolation schemes (CVI and non-CVI) in combination with different advection schemes (Euler, RK2 and RK4) and with/out marker control on Stokes problems with strong velocity gradients, which are discretized using a finite difference method. We show that a conservative formulation reduces the dispersion or clustering of markers and that the density of markers remains steady over time without the need of additional marker control. Jenny et al. (2001, J Comp Phys, 166, 218-252 Meyer and Jenny (2004), Proc Appl Math Mech, 4, 466-467 Wang et al. (2015), G3, Vol.16 Funding was provided by the ERC Starting Grant #258830.

Electroelastic fields in a layered piezoelectric cylindrical shell under dynamic load

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saviz, M. R.; Shakeri, M.; Yas, M. H.

2007-10-01

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate layerwise theory for the analysis of thick laminated piezoelectric shell structures. A general finite element formulation using the layerwise theory is developed for a laminated cylindrical shell with piezoelectric layers, subjected to dynamic loads. The quadratic approximation of the displacement and electric potential in the thickness direction is considered. The governing equations are reduced to two-dimensional (2D) differential equations. The three-dimensional (3D) elasticity solution is also presented. The resulting equations are solved by a proper finite element method. The numerical results for static loading are compared with exact solutions of benchmark problems. Numerical examples of the dynamic problem are presented. The convergence is studied, as is the influence of the electromechanical coupling on the axisymmetric free-vibration characteristics of a thick cylinder.

Effects of blurring and vertical misalignment on visual fatigue of stereoscopic displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Sangwook; Lee, Chulhee

2015-03-01

In this paper, we investigate two error issues in stereo images, which may produce visual fatigue. When two cameras are used to produce 3D video sequences, vertical misalignment can be a problem. Although this problem may not occur in professionally produced 3D programs, it is still a major issue in many low-cost 3D programs. Recently, efforts have been made to produce 3D video programs using smart phones or tablets, which may present the vertical alignment problem. Also, in 2D-3D conversion techniques, the simulated frame may have blur effects, which can also introduce visual fatigue in 3D programs. In this paper, to investigate the relationship between these two errors (vertical misalignment and blurring in one image), we performed a subjective test using simulated 3D video sequences that include stereo video sequences with various vertical misalignments and blurring in a stereo image. We present some analyses along with objective models to predict the degree of visual fatigue from vertical misalignment and blurring.

Characteristic Evolution and Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winicour, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

I review the development of numerical evolution codes for general relativity based upon the characteristic initial-value problem. Progress in characteristic evolution is traced from the early stage of 1D feasibility studies to 2D-axisymmetric codes that accurately simulate the oscillations and gravitational collapse of relativistic stars and to current 3D codes that provide pieces of a binary black-hole spacetime. Cauchy codes have now been successful at simulating all aspects of the binary black-hole problem inside an artificially constructed outer boundary. A prime application of characteristic evolution is to extend such simulations to null infinity where the waveform from the binary inspiral and merger can be unambiguously computed. This has now been accomplished by Cauchy-characteristic extraction, where data for the characteristic evolution is supplied by Cauchy data on an extraction worldtube inside the artificial outer boundary. The ultimate application of characteristic evolution is to eliminate the role of this outer boundary by constructing a global solution via Cauchy-characteristic matching. Progress in this direction is discussed.

Solution Strategies for Constant Acceleration Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheaton, S. M.; Binder, P.-M.

2017-01-01

We discuss strategies for the general solution of single-step 1D constant acceleration problems. In a slightly restricted form, these problems have five variables (?"x," "v[subscript 0]," "v," "a" and "t") and two independent equations, so three variables must be given to solve for the other two,…

Thermodynamic limit of random partitions and dispersionless Toda hierarchy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takasaki, Kanehisa; Nakatsu, Toshio

2012-01-01

We study the thermodynamic limit of random partition models for the instanton sum of 4D and 5D supersymmetric U(1) gauge theories deformed by some physical observables. The physical observables correspond to external potentials in the statistical model. The partition function is reformulated in terms of the density function of Maya diagrams. The thermodynamic limit is governed by a limit shape of Young diagrams associated with dominant terms in the partition function. The limit shape is characterized by a variational problem, which is further converted to a scalar-valued Riemann-Hilbert problem. This Riemann-Hilbert problem is solved with the aid of a complex curve, which may be thought of as the Seiberg-Witten curve of the deformed U(1) gauge theory. This solution of the Riemann-Hilbert problem is identified with a special solution of the dispersionless Toda hierarchy that satisfies a pair of generalized string equations. The generalized string equations for the 5D gauge theory are shown to be related to hidden symmetries of the statistical model. The prepotential and the Seiberg-Witten differential are also considered.

Learning in 3-D Multiuser Virtual Environments: Exploring the Use of Unique 3-D Attributes for Online Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omale, Nicholas; Hung, Wei-Chen; Luetkehans, Lara; Cooke-Plagwitz, Jessamine

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present the results of a study conducted to investigate how the attributes of 3-D technology such as avatars, 3-D space, and comic style bubble dialogue boxes affect participants' social, cognitive, and teaching presences in a blended problem-based learning environment. The community of inquiry model was adopted…

Simultaneous elastic parameter inversion in 2-D/3-D TTI medium combined later arrival times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Chao-ying; Wang, Tao; Yang, Shang-bei; Li, Xing-wang; Huang, Guo-jiao

2016-04-01

Traditional traveltime inversion for anisotropic medium is, in general, based on a "weak" assumption in the anisotropic property, which simplifies both the forward part (ray tracing is performed once only) and the inversion part (a linear inversion solver is possible). But for some real applications, a general (both "weak" and "strong") anisotropic medium should be considered. In such cases, one has to develop a ray tracing algorithm to handle with the general (including "strong") anisotropic medium and also to design a non-linear inversion solver for later tomography. Meanwhile, it is constructive to investigate how much the tomographic resolution can be improved by introducing the later arrivals. For this motivation, we incorporated our newly developed ray tracing algorithm (multistage irregular shortest-path method) for general anisotropic media with a non-linear inversion solver (a damped minimum norm, constrained least squares problem with a conjugate gradient approach) to formulate a non-linear inversion solver for anisotropic medium. This anisotropic traveltime inversion procedure is able to combine the later (reflected) arrival times. Both 2-D/3-D synthetic inversion experiments and comparison tests show that (1) the proposed anisotropic traveltime inversion scheme is able to recover the high contrast anomalies and (2) it is possible to improve the tomographic resolution by introducing the later (reflected) arrivals, but not as expected in the isotropic medium, because the different velocity (qP, qSV and qSH) sensitivities (or derivatives) respective to the different elastic parameters are not the same but are also dependent on the inclination angle.

2-dimensional implicit hydrodynamics on adaptive grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stökl, A.; Dorfi, E. A.

2007-12-01

We present a numerical scheme for two-dimensional hydrodynamics computations using a 2D adaptive grid together with an implicit discretization. The combination of these techniques has offered favorable numerical properties applicable to a variety of one-dimensional astrophysical problems which motivated us to generalize this approach for two-dimensional applications. Due to the different topological nature of 2D grids compared to 1D problems, grid adaptivity has to avoid severe grid distortions which necessitates additional smoothing parameters to be included into the formulation of a 2D adaptive grid. The concept of adaptivity is described in detail and several test computations demonstrate the effectivity of smoothing. The coupled solution of this grid equation together with the equations of hydrodynamics is illustrated by computation of a 2D shock tube problem.

3D geometric modeling and simulation of laser propagation through turbulence with plenoptic functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chensheng; Nelson, William; Davis, Christopher C.

2014-10-01

Plenoptic functions are functions that preserve all the necessary light field information of optical events. Theoretical work has demonstrated that geometric based plenoptic functions can serve equally well in the traditional wave propagation equation known as the "scalar stochastic Helmholtz equation". However, in addressing problems of 3D turbulence simulation, the dominant methods using phase screen models have limitations both in explaining the choice of parameters (on the transverse plane) in real-world measurements, and finding proper correlations between neighboring phase screens (the Markov assumption breaks down). Though possible corrections to phase screen models are still promising, the equivalent geometric approach based on plenoptic functions begins to show some advantages. In fact, in these geometric approaches, a continuous wave problem is reduced to discrete trajectories of rays. This allows for convenience in parallel computing and guarantees conservation of energy. Besides the pairwise independence of simulated rays, the assigned refractive index grids can be directly tested by temperature measurements with tiny thermoprobes combined with other parameters such as humidity level and wind speed. Furthermore, without loss of generality one can break the causal chain in phase screen models by defining regional refractive centers to allow rays that are less affected to propagate through directly. As a result, our work shows that the 3D geometric approach serves as an efficient and accurate method in assessing relevant turbulence problems with inputs of several environmental measurements and reasonable guesses (such as Cn 2 levels). This approach will facilitate analysis and possible corrections in lateral wave propagation problems, such as image de-blurring, prediction of laser propagation over long ranges, and improvement of free space optic communication systems. In this paper, the plenoptic function model and relevant parallel algorithm computing will be presented, and its primary results and applications are demonstrated.

Programmable Calculator Use in Undergraduate Dynamics, Vibrations, and Elementary Structures Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutchins, M. A.

1982-01-01

Presents programmable calculator solutions to selected problems, including area moments of inertia and principal values, the 2-D principal stress problem, C.G. and pitch inertia computations, 3-D eigenvalue problems, 3 DOF vibrations, and a complex flutter determinant. (SK)

Observer for a thick layer of solid deuterium-tritium using backlit optical shadowgraphy and interferometry.

PubMed

Choux, Alexandre; Busvelle, Eric; Gauthier, Jean Paul; Pascal, Ghislain

2007-11-20

Our work is in the context of the French "laser mégajoule" project, about fusion by inertial confinement. The project leads to the problem of characterizing the inner surface, of the approximately spherical target, by optical shadowgraphy techniques. Our work is entirely based on the basic idea that optical shadowgraphy produces "caustics" of systems of optical rays, which contain a great deal of 3D information about the surface to be characterized. We develop a method of 3D reconstruction based upon this idea plus a "small perturbations" technique. Although computations are made in the special "spherical" case, the method is in fact general and may be extended to several other situations.

Rapid Deployment Logistics: Lebanon, 1958

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

planning. In case of a general conflict, the 1st Infantry Division and 82d Airborne Division would also join STRAC. 7 Wet ...was aware of the problem and had long been researching different methods of cargo handling. Roll-on and roll-off ships provided one solution. In 1954...battalion land.ng team, or b, combining both methods . Basically, the forces were to deter 3- stop hostilities between Israel and Arab E’tates, r2

Development of BEM for ceramic composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, D. P.; Banerjee, P. K.; Dargush, G. F.

1990-01-01

Details on the progress made during the first three years of a five-year program towards the development of a boundary element code are presented. This code was designed for the micromechanical studies of advance ceramic composites. Additional effort was made in generalizing the implementation to allow the program to be applicable to real problems in the aerospace industry. The ceramic composite formulations developed were implemented in the three-dimensional boundary element computer code BEST3D. BEST3D was adopted as the base for the ceramic composite program, so that many of the enhanced features of this general purpose boundary element code could by utilized. Some of these facilities include sophisticated numerical integration, the capability of local definition of boundary conditions, and the use of quadratic shape functions for modeling geometry and field variables on the boundary. The multi-region implementation permits a body to be modeled in substructural parts; thus dramatically reducing the cost of the analysis. Furthermore, it allows a body consisting of regions of different ceramic matrices and inserts to be studied.

Evaluation of the 3d Urban Modelling Capabilities in Geographical Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogru, A. O.; Seker, D. Z.

2010-12-01

Geographical Information System (GIS) Technology, which provides successful solutions to basic spatial problems, is currently widely used in 3 dimensional (3D) modeling of physical reality with its developing visualization tools. The modeling of large and complicated phenomenon is a challenging problem in terms of computer graphics currently in use. However, it is possible to visualize that phenomenon in 3D by using computer systems. 3D models are used in developing computer games, military training, urban planning, tourism and etc. The use of 3D models for planning and management of urban areas is very popular issue of city administrations. In this context, 3D City models are produced and used for various purposes. However the requirements of the models vary depending on the type and scope of the application. While a high level visualization, where photorealistic visualization techniques are widely used, is required for touristy and recreational purposes, an abstract visualization of the physical reality is generally sufficient for the communication of the thematic information. The visual variables, which are the principle components of cartographic visualization, such as: color, shape, pattern, orientation, size, position, and saturation are used for communicating the thematic information. These kinds of 3D city models are called as abstract models. Standardization of technologies used for 3D modeling is now available by the use of CityGML. CityGML implements several novel concepts to support interoperability, consistency and functionality. For example it supports different Levels-of-Detail (LoD), which may arise from independent data collection processes and are used for efficient visualization and efficient data analysis. In one CityGML data set, the same object may be represented in different LoD simultaneously, enabling the analysis and visualization of the same object with regard to different degrees of resolution. Furthermore, two CityGML data sets containing the same object in different LoD may be combined and integrated. In this study GIS tools used for 3D modeling issues were examined. In this context, the availability of the GIS tools for obtaining different LoDs of CityGML standard. Additionally a 3D GIS application that covers a small part of the city of Istanbul was implemented for communicating the thematic information rather than photorealistic visualization by using 3D model. An abstract model was created by using a commercial GIS software modeling tools and the results of the implementation were also presented in the study.

Quality Assessment and Comparison of Smartphone and Leica C10 Laser Scanner Based Point Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirmacek, Beril; Lindenbergh, Roderik; Wang, Jinhu

2016-06-01

3D urban models are valuable for urban map generation, environment monitoring, safety planning and educational purposes. For 3D measurement of urban structures, generally airborne laser scanning sensors or multi-view satellite images are used as a data source. However, close-range sensors (such as terrestrial laser scanners) and low cost cameras (which can generate point clouds based on photogrammetry) can provide denser sampling of 3D surface geometry. Unfortunately, terrestrial laser scanning sensors are expensive and trained persons are needed to use them for point cloud acquisition. A potential effective 3D modelling can be generated based on a low cost smartphone sensor. Herein, we show examples of using smartphone camera images to generate 3D models of urban structures. We compare a smartphone based 3D model of an example structure with a terrestrial laser scanning point cloud of the structure. This comparison gives us opportunity to discuss the differences in terms of geometrical correctness, as well as the advantages, disadvantages and limitations in data acquisition and processing. We also discuss how smartphone based point clouds can help to solve further problems with 3D urban model generation in a practical way. We show that terrestrial laser scanning point clouds which do not have color information can be colored using smartphones. The experiments, discussions and scientific findings might be insightful for the future studies in fast, easy and low-cost 3D urban model generation field.

Exploratory Study of Dimensions of Health-related Quality of Life in the General Population of South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Seon-Ha; Jo, Min-Woo; Ock, Minsu; Lee, Sang-Il

2017-11-01

This study aimed to explore dimensions in addition to the 5 dimensions of the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) that could satisfactorily explain variation in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population of South Korea. Domains related to HRQoL were searched through a review of existing HRQoL instruments. Among the 28 potential dimensions, the 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L and 7 additional dimensions (vision, hearing, communication, cognitive function, social relationships, vitality, and sleep) were included. A representative sample of 600 subjects was selected for the survey, which was administered through face-to-face interviews. Subjects were asked to report problems in 12 health dimensions at 5 levels, as well as their self-rated health status using the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and a 5-point Likert scale. Among subjects who reported no problems for any of the parameters in the EQ-5D-5L, we analyzed the frequencies of problems in the additional dimensions. A linear regression model with the EQ-VAS as the dependent variable was performed to identify additional significant dimensions. Among respondents who reported full health on the EQ-5D-5L (n=365), 32% reported a problem for at least 1 additional dimension, and 14% reported worse than moderate self-rated health. Regression analysis revealed a R2 of 0.228 for the original EQ-5D-5L dimensions, 0.200 for the new dimensions, and 0.263 for the 12 dimensions together. Among the added dimensions, vitality and sleep were significantly associated with EQ-VAS scores. This study identified significant dimensions for assessing self-rated health among members of the general public, in addition to the 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L. These dimensions could be considered for inclusion in a new preference-based instrument or for developing a country-specific HRQoL instrument.

Top-d Rank Aggregation in Web Meta-search Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Qizhi; Xiao, Han; Zhu, Shanfeng

In this paper, we consider the rank aggregation problem for information retrieval over Web making use of a kind of metric, the coherence, which considers both the normalized Kendall-τ distance and the size of overlap between two partial rankings. In general, the top-d coherence aggregation problem is defined as: given collection of partial rankings Π = {τ 1,τ 2, ⋯ , τ K }, how to find a final ranking π with specific length d, which maximizes the total coherence Φ(π,Pi)=sum_{i=1}^K Φ(π,tau_i). The corresponding complexity and algorithmic issues are discussed in this paper. Our main technical contribution is a polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) for a restricted top-d coherence aggregation problem.

An Early Quantum Computing Proposal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Stephen Russell; Alexander, Francis Joseph; Barros, Kipton Marcos

The D-Wave 2X is the third generation of quantum processing created by D-Wave. NASA (with Google and USRA) and Lockheed Martin (with USC), both own D-Wave systems. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) purchased a D-Wave 2X in November 2015. The D-Wave 2X processor contains (nominally) 1152 quantum bits (or qubits) and is designed to specifically perform quantum annealing, which is a well-known method for finding a global minimum of an optimization problem. This methodology is based on direct execution of a quantum evolution in experimental quantum hardware. While this can be a powerful method for solving particular kinds of problems,more » it also means that the D-Wave 2X processor is not a general computing processor and cannot be programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks. It is a highly specialized processor, well beyond what NNSA currently thinks of as an “advanced architecture.”A D-Wave is best described as a quantum optimizer. That is, it uses quantum superposition to find the lowest energy state of a system by repeated doses of power and settling stages. The D-Wave produces multiple solutions to any suitably formulated problem, one of which is the lowest energy state solution (global minimum). Mapping problems onto the D-Wave requires defining an objective function to be minimized and then encoding that function in the Hamiltonian of the D-Wave system. The quantum annealing method is then used to find the lowest energy configuration of the Hamiltonian using the current D-Wave Two, two-level, quantum processor. This is not always an easy thing to do, and the D-Wave Two has significant limitations that restrict problem sizes that can be run and algorithmic choices that can be made. Furthermore, as more people are exploring this technology, it has become clear that it is very difficult to come up with general approaches to optimization that can both utilize the D-Wave and that can do better than highly developed algorithms on conventional computers for specific applications. These are all fundamental challenges that must be overcome for the D-Wave, or similar, quantum computing technology to be broadly applicable.« less

Impact of severe haemophilia A on patients' health status: results from the guardian(™) 1 clinical trial of turoctocog alfa (NovoEight(®) ).

PubMed

Ozelo, M; Chowdary, P; Regnault, A; Busk, A K

2015-07-01

Haemophilia and its treatment interfere with patients' life and may affect adherence to treatment. This study explored the impact of severe haemophilia A on patients' health status, especially in young adults (YA), using data from guardian(™) 1, a multinational, open-label, non-controlled phase 3 trial investigating safety and efficacy of turoctocog alfa (NovoEight(®) ) in previously treated patients aged 12 years and older with severe haemophilia A (FVIII ≤ 1%). Health status was assessed using the EuroQoL-5 dimensions (EQ-5D-3L), covering 5 dimensions of health (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) measuring self-rated overall health status. EQ-5D was administered pretreatment (screening/baseline) and posttreatment (end-of-trial). Baseline responses to the EQ-5D dimensions and VAS were described overall and by age and compared to reference values from UK general population. Guardian(™) 1 included 150 patients (16 adolescents, 83 YA aged 16-29 and 51 adults aged 30+). All five dimensions of patients' health status were impacted at baseline. The percentage of haemophilia patients reporting problems was consistently significantly greater than age-matched general population reference values. Likewise, for all age groups mean baseline EQ-5D VAS score was significantly lower for haemophilia patients (YA: 78.0) than for the general population (YA aged 18-29: 87.3). The health status of patients with severe haemophilia A entering guardian(™) 1 was markedly poorer than that of the general population, particularly regarding mobility and pain. YA patients reported better health status than older patients, but considerably lower than that of the general YA population. © 2015 The Authors. Haemophilia Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Covariant Uniform Acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Yaakov; Scarr, Tzvi

2013-04-01

We derive a 4D covariant Relativistic Dynamics Equation. This equation canonically extends the 3D relativistic dynamics equation , where F is the 3D force and p = m0γv is the 3D relativistic momentum. The standard 4D equation is only partially covariant. To achieve full Lorentz covariance, we replace the four-force F by a rank 2 antisymmetric tensor acting on the four-velocity. By taking this tensor to be constant, we obtain a covariant definition of uniformly accelerated motion. This solves a problem of Einstein and Planck. We compute explicit solutions for uniformly accelerated motion. The solutions are divided into four Lorentz-invariant types: null, linear, rotational, and general. For null acceleration, the worldline is cubic in the time. Linear acceleration covariantly extends 1D hyperbolic motion, while rotational acceleration covariantly extends pure rotational motion. We use Generalized Fermi-Walker transport to construct a uniformly accelerated family of inertial frames which are instantaneously comoving to a uniformly accelerated observer. We explain the connection between our approach and that of Mashhoon. We show that our solutions of uniformly accelerated motion have constant acceleration in the comoving frame. Assuming the Weak Hypothesis of Locality, we obtain local spacetime transformations from a uniformly accelerated frame K' to an inertial frame K. The spacetime transformations between two uniformly accelerated frames with the same acceleration are Lorentz. We compute the metric at an arbitrary point of a uniformly accelerated frame. We obtain velocity and acceleration transformations from a uniformly accelerated system K' to an inertial frame K. We introduce the 4D velocity, an adaptation of Horwitz and Piron s notion of "off-shell." We derive the general formula for the time dilation between accelerated clocks. We obtain a formula for the angular velocity of a uniformly accelerated object. Every rest point of K' is uniformly accelerated, and its acceleration is a function of the observer's acceleration and its position. We obtain an interpretation of the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac equation as an acceleration transformation from K' to K.

Three-dimensional generalization of the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem to wave and particle scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarubin, Alexander M.

1993-07-01

Coherence properties of primary partially coherent radiations (light, X-rays and particles) elastically scattered from a 3D object consisting of a collection of electrons and nuclei are analyzed in the Fresnel diffraction region and in the far field. The behaviour of the cross-spectral density of the scattered radiation transverse and along to the local direction of propagation is shown to be described by respectively the 3D Fourier and Fresnel transform of the generalized radiance function of a scattering secondary source associated with the object. A relativistic correct expression is derived for the mutual coherence function of radiation which takes account of the dispersive propagation of particle beams in vacuum. An effect of the spatial coherence of radiation on the temporal one is found; in the Fresnel diffraction region, in distinction to the field, both the longitudinal spatial coherence and the spectral width of radiation affect the longitudinal coherence. A solution of the 3D inverse scattering problem for partially coherent radiation is presented. It is shown that squared modulus of the scattering potential and its 2D projections can be reconstructed from measurements of the modulus and phase of the degree of transverse spatial coherence of the scattered radiation. The results provide a theoretical basis for new methods of image formation and structure analysis in X-ray, electron, ion, and neutron optics.

PLANS: A finite element program for nonlinear analysis of structures. Volume 1: Theoretical manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pifko, A.; Levine, H. S.; Armen, H., Jr.

1975-01-01

The PLANS system is described which is a finite element program for nonlinear analysis. The system represents a collection of special purpose computer programs each associated with a distinct physical problem class. Modules of PLANS specifically referenced and described in detail include: (1) REVBY, for the plastic analysis of bodies of revolution; (2) OUT-OF-PLANE, for the plastic analysis of 3-D built-up structures where membrane effects are predominant; (3) BEND, for the plastic analysis of built-up structures where bending and membrane effects are significant; (4) HEX, for the 3-D elastic-plastic analysis of general solids; and (5) OUT-OF-PLANE-MG, for material and geometrically nonlinear analysis of built-up structures. The SATELLITE program for data debugging and plotting of input geometries is also described. The theoretical foundations upon which the analysis is based are presented. Discussed are the form of the governing equations, the methods of solution, plasticity theories available, a general system description and flow of the programs, and the elements available for use.

BEST3D user's manual: Boundary Element Solution Technology, 3-Dimensional Version 3.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The theoretical basis and programming strategy utilized in the construction of the computer program BEST3D (boundary element solution technology - three dimensional) and detailed input instructions are provided for the use of the program. An extensive set of test cases and sample problems is included in the manual and is also available for distribution with the program. The BEST3D program was developed under the 3-D Inelastic Analysis Methods for Hot Section Components contract (NAS3-23697). The overall objective of this program was the development of new computer programs allowing more accurate and efficient three-dimensional thermal and stress analysis of hot section components, i.e., combustor liners, turbine blades, and turbine vanes. The BEST3D program allows both linear and nonlinear analysis of static and quasi-static elastic problems and transient dynamic analysis for elastic problems. Calculation of elastic natural frequencies and mode shapes is also provided.

Using a general problem-solving strategy to promote transfer.

PubMed

Youssef-Shalala, Amina; Ayres, Paul; Schubert, Carina; Sweller, John

2014-09-01

Cognitive load theory was used to hypothesize that a general problem-solving strategy based on a make-as-many-moves-as-possible heuristic could facilitate problem solutions for transfer problems. In four experiments, school students were required to learn about a topic through practice with a general problem-solving strategy, through a conventional problem solving strategy or by studying worked examples. In Experiments 1 and 2 using junior high school students learning geometry, low knowledge students in the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher on near or far transfer tests than the conventional problem-solving group. In Experiment 3, an advantage for a general problem-solving group over a group presented worked examples was obtained on far transfer tests using the same curriculum materials, again presented to junior high school students. No differences between conditions were found in Experiments 1, 2, or 3 using test problems similar to the acquisition problems. Experiment 4 used senior high school students studying economics and found the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher than the conventional problem-solving group on both similar and transfer tests. It was concluded that the general problem-solving strategy was helpful for novices, but not for students that had access to domain-specific knowledge. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Improving automated 3D reconstruction methods via vision metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toschi, Isabella; Nocerino, Erica; Hess, Mona; Menna, Fabio; Sargeant, Ben; MacDonald, Lindsay; Remondino, Fabio; Robson, Stuart

2015-05-01

This paper aims to provide a procedure for improving automated 3D reconstruction methods via vision metrology. The 3D reconstruction problem is generally addressed using two different approaches. On the one hand, vision metrology (VM) systems try to accurately derive 3D coordinates of few sparse object points for industrial measurement and inspection applications; on the other, recent dense image matching (DIM) algorithms are designed to produce dense point clouds for surface representations and analyses. This paper strives to demonstrate a step towards narrowing the gap between traditional VM and DIM approaches. Efforts are therefore intended to (i) test the metric performance of the automated photogrammetric 3D reconstruction procedure, (ii) enhance the accuracy of the final results and (iii) obtain statistical indicators of the quality achieved in the orientation step. VM tools are exploited to integrate their main functionalities (centroid measurement, photogrammetric network adjustment, precision assessment, etc.) into the pipeline of 3D dense reconstruction. Finally, geometric analyses and accuracy evaluations are performed on the raw output of the matching (i.e. the point clouds) by adopting a metrological approach. The latter is based on the use of known geometric shapes and quality parameters derived from VDI/VDE guidelines. Tests are carried out by imaging the calibrated Portable Metric Test Object, designed and built at University College London (UCL), UK. It allows assessment of the performance of the image orientation and matching procedures within a typical industrial scenario, characterised by poor texture and known 3D/2D shapes.

Mathematical visualization process of junior high school students in solving a contextual problem based on cognitive style

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utomo, Edy Setiyo; Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

2017-08-01

The aim of this research was to describe the mathematical visualization process of Junior High School students in solving contextual problems based on cognitive style. Mathematical visualization process in this research was seen from aspects of image generation, image inspection, image scanning, and image transformation. The research subject was the students in the eighth grade based on GEFT test (Group Embedded Figures Test) adopted from Within to determining the category of cognitive style owned by the students namely field independent or field dependent and communicative. The data collection was through visualization test in contextual problem and interview. The validity was seen through time triangulation. The data analysis referred to the aspect of mathematical visualization through steps of categorization, reduction, discussion, and conclusion. The results showed that field-independent and field-dependent subjects were difference in responding to contextual problems. The field-independent subject presented in the form of 2D and 3D, while the field-dependent subject presented in the form of 3D. Both of the subjects had different perception to see the swimming pool. The field-independent subject saw from the top, while the field-dependent subject from the side. The field-independent subject chose to use partition-object strategy, while the field-dependent subject chose to use general-object strategy. Both the subjects did transformation in an object rotation to get the solution. This research is reference to mathematical curriculum developers of Junior High School in Indonesia. Besides, teacher could develop the students' mathematical visualization by using technology media or software, such as geogebra, portable cabri in learning.

3D change detection - Approaches and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Rongjun; Tian, Jiaojiao; Reinartz, Peter

2016-12-01

Due to the unprecedented technology development of sensors, platforms and algorithms for 3D data acquisition and generation, 3D spaceborne, airborne and close-range data, in the form of image based, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) based point clouds, Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and 3D city models, become more accessible than ever before. Change detection (CD) or time-series data analysis in 3D has gained great attention due to its capability of providing volumetric dynamics to facilitate more applications and provide more accurate results. The state-of-the-art CD reviews aim to provide a comprehensive synthesis and to simplify the taxonomy of the traditional remote sensing CD techniques, which mainly sit within the boundary of 2D image/spectrum analysis, largely ignoring the particularities of 3D aspects of the data. The inclusion of 3D data for change detection (termed 3D CD), not only provides a source with different modality for analysis, but also transcends the border of traditional top-view 2D pixel/object-based analysis to highly detailed, oblique view or voxel-based geometric analysis. This paper reviews the recent developments and applications of 3D CD using remote sensing and close-range data, in support of both academia and industry researchers who seek for solutions in detecting and analyzing 3D dynamics of various objects of interest. We first describe the general considerations of 3D CD problems in different processing stages and identify CD types based on the information used, being the geometric comparison and geometric-spectral analysis. We then summarize relevant works and practices in urban, environment, ecology and civil applications, etc. Given the broad spectrum of applications and different types of 3D data, we discuss important issues in 3D CD methods. Finally, we present concluding remarks in algorithmic aspects of 3D CD.

The EGS4 Code System: Solution of Gamma-ray and Electron Transport Problems

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Nelson, W. R.; Namito, Yoshihito

1990-03-01

In this paper we present an overview of the EGS4 Code System -- a general purpose package for the Monte Carlo simulation of the transport of electrons and photons. During the last 10-15 years EGS has been widely used to design accelerators and detectors for high-energy physics. More recently the code has been found to be of tremendous use in medical radiation physics and dosimetry. The problem-solving capabilities of EGS4 will be demonstrated by means of a variety of practical examples. To facilitate this review, we will take advantage of a new add-on package, called SHOWGRAF, to display particle trajectories in complicated geometries. These are shown as 2-D laser pictures in the written paper and as photographic slides of a 3-D high-resolution color monitor during the oral presentation. 11 refs., 15 figs.

A comparison of individual and social time trade-off values for health states in the general population.

PubMed

Burström, Kristina; Johannesson, Magnus; Diderichsen, Finn

2006-05-01

This study aimed to compare directly elicited individual time trade-off (TTO) values in a general population sample with the social values derived using the UK EQ-5D index tariff. In the Stockholm County 1998 postal Public Health Survey (n=4950, 20-88 years), the EQ-5D self-classifier, a TTO and a rating scale (RS) question were included (n=2549 for all three questions). The mean TTO (EQ-5D) value was 0.943 (0.890) in the youngest age-group and 0.699 (0.733) in the oldest age-group. The difference between TTO and EQ-5D values was greater in more severe health status groups was. The same equation as for the UK EQ-5D index tariff was estimated for TTO and RS and resulted in significant and consistent coefficients for nearly all dimensions. The coefficients for moderate problems were closer to the EQ-5D index tariff than the coefficients for severe problems. Age was also significant after controlling for the EQ-5D dimensions (p<0.05). The results suggest that individual and social TTO values differ systematically and that the difference is greater the more severe the health status is. The social EQ-5D index tariff may also underestimate the severity in health status at older ages; age appears to correlate with additional health problems not captured by the EQ-5D classification.

Wide-range measurement of thermal effusivity using molybdenum thin film with low thermal conductivity for thermal microscopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, Shugo; Matsui, Genzou; Ohta, Hiromichi; Hatori, Kimihito; Taguchi, Kohei; Yamamoto, Suguru

2017-07-01

Thermal microscopes are a useful technology to investigate the spatial distribution of the thermal transport properties of various materials. However, for high thermal effusivity materials, the estimated values of thermophysical parameters based on the conventional 1D heat flow model are known to be higher than the values of materials in the literature. Here, we present a new procedure to solve the problem which calculates the theoretical temperature response with the 3D heat flow and measures reference materials which involve known values of thermal effusivity and heat capacity. In general, a complicated numerical iterative method and many thermophysical parameters are required for the calculation in the 3D heat flow model. Here, we devised a simple procedure by using a molybdenum (Mo) thin film with low thermal conductivity on the sample surface, enabling us to measure over a wide thermal effusivity range for various materials.

Covariance Matrix Estimation for the Cryo-EM Heterogeneity Problem*

PubMed Central

Katsevich, E.; Katsevich, A.; Singer, A.

2015-01-01

In cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a microscope generates a top view of a sample of randomly oriented copies of a molecule. The problem of single particle reconstruction (SPR) from cryo-EM is to use the resulting set of noisy two-dimensional projection images taken at unknown directions to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the molecule. In some situations, the molecule under examination exhibits structural variability, which poses a fundamental challenge in SPR. The heterogeneity problem is the task of mapping the space of conformational states of a molecule. It has been previously suggested that the leading eigenvectors of the covariance matrix of the 3D molecules can be used to solve the heterogeneity problem. Estimating the covariance matrix is challenging, since only projections of the molecules are observed, but not the molecules themselves. In this paper, we formulate a general problem of covariance estimation from noisy projections of samples. This problem has intimate connections with matrix completion problems and high-dimensional principal component analysis. We propose an estimator and prove its consistency. When there are finitely many heterogeneity classes, the spectrum of the estimated covariance matrix reveals the number of classes. The estimator can be found as the solution to a certain linear system. In the cryo-EM case, the linear operator to be inverted, which we term the projection covariance transform, is an important object in covariance estimation for tomographic problems involving structural variation. Inverting it involves applying a filter akin to the ramp filter in tomography. We design a basis in which this linear operator is sparse and thus can be tractably inverted despite its large size. We demonstrate via numerical experiments on synthetic datasets the robustness of our algorithm to high levels of noise. PMID:25699132

On the integrability of the motion of 3D-Swinging Atwood machine and related problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmandouh, A. A.

2016-03-01

In the present article, we study the problem of the motion of 3D- Swinging Atwood machine. A new integrable case for this problem is announced. We point out a new integrable case describing the motion of a heavy particle on a titled cone.

A comparative assessment of generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problems among AIDS and other orphaned children in India.

PubMed

Sg, Prem Kumar; G, Anil Kumar; Sp, Ramgopal; V, Venkata Srinivas; Dandona, Rakhi

2016-09-21

Data on mental health among orphaned children in India are scanty. We compared the generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problems and their associated risk factors among children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and those due to other reasons in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Four hundred orphaned children aged 12 to 16 years residing in orphanages in Hyderabad were sampled, half being AIDS orphans (COA) and the rest orphaned due to other reasons (COO). Interviews were done using standardized scales to assess generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problems. A score >8, >4, and >5 was considered as indicator of generalized anxiety, conduct problem and peer relationship problem, respectively. Variations in the intensity of these three conditions due to possible factors including co-existing depression were assessed using multiple classification analysis (MCA). A total of 396 (99.3 %) orphans participated of whom 199 (50.3 %) were COA. The mean generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problem scores were 11.1 (SD 5.2), 3.8 (SD 2.5) and 3.8 (SD 2.5) for COA; and 7.6 (SD 4), 2.6 (SD 2) and 2.3 (SD 1.8) for COO, respectively. Among COA, the prevalence of generalized anxiety score of >8 was 74.4 % (95 % CI 67.8-80.0 %), of conduct problem score of >4 was 33.2 % (95 % CI 26.9-40.1 %), and of peer relationship problem score of >5 was 27.6 %, (95 % CI 21.8-34.3 %), with these being significantly lower in COO. In MCA, a higher mean depression score had the highest effect on the intensity of generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problem (Beta 0.477; 0.379 and 0.453 respectively); being COA and a girl had the most impact on generalized anxiety (0.100 and 0.115, respectively). A significantly high proportion of AIDS orphans deal with generalized anxiety, conduct and peer relationship problem as compared with other orphans highlighting the need to address the poor mental health of orphans in India.

Solving the transient water age distribution problem in environmental flow systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornaton, F. J.

2011-12-01

The temporal evolution of groundwater age and its frequency distributions can display important changes as flow regimes vary due to the natural change in climate and hydrologic conditions and/or to human induced pressures on the resource to satisfy the water demand. Groundwater age being nowadays frequently used to investigate reservoir properties and recharge conditions, special attention needs to be put on the way this property is characterized, would it be using isotopic methods, multiple tracer techniques, or mathematical modelling. Steady-state age frequency distributions can be modelled using standard numerical techniques, since the general balance equation describing age transport under steady-state flow conditions is exactly equivalent to a standard advection-dispersion equation. The time-dependent problem is however described by an extended transport operator that incorporates an additional coordinate for water age. The consequence is that numerical solutions can hardly be achieved, especially for real 3-D applications over large time periods of interest. The absence of any robust method has thus left us in the quantitative hydrogeology community dodging the issue of transience. Novel algorithms for solving the age distribution problem under time-varying flow regimes are presented and, for some specific configurations, extended to the problem of generalized component exposure time. The solution strategy is based on the combination of the Laplace Transform technique applied to the age (or exposure time) coordinate with standard time-marching schemes. The method is well-suited for groundwater problems with possible density-dependency of fluid flow (e.g. coupled flow and heat/salt concentration problems), but also presents significance to the homogeneous flow (compressible case) problem. The approach is validated using 1-D analytical solutions and exercised on some demonstration problems that are relevant to topical issues in groundwater age, including analysis of transfer times in the vadose zone, aquifer-aquitard interactions and the induction of transient age distributions when a well pump is started.

Three-dimensional curvilinear device reconstruction from two fluoroscopic views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delmas, Charlotte; Berger, Marie-Odile; Kerrien, Erwan; Riddell, Cyril; Trousset, Yves; Anxionnat, René; Bracard, Serge

2015-03-01

In interventional radiology, navigating devices under the sole guidance of fluoroscopic images inside a complex architecture of tortuous and narrow vessels like the cerebral vascular tree is a difficult task. Visualizing the device in 3D could facilitate this navigation. For curvilinear devices such as guide-wires and catheters, a 3D reconstruction may be achieved using two simultaneous fluoroscopic views, as available on a biplane acquisition system. The purpose of this paper is to present a new automatic three-dimensional curve reconstruction method that has the potential to reconstruct complex 3D curves and does not require a perfect segmentation of the endovascular device. Using epipolar geometry, our algorithm translates the point correspondence problem into a segment correspondence problem. Candidate 3D curves can be formed and evaluated independently after identifying all possible combinations of compatible 3D segments. Correspondence is then inherently solved by looking in 3D space for the most coherent curve in terms of continuity and curvature. This problem can be cast into a graph problem where the most coherent curve corresponds to the shortest path of a weighted graph. We present quantitative results of curve reconstructions performed from numerically simulated projections of tortuous 3D curves extracted from cerebral vascular trees affected with brain arteriovenous malformations as well as fluoroscopic image pairs of a guide-wire from both phantom and clinical sets. Our method was able to select the correct 3D segments in 97.5% of simulated cases thus demonstrating its ability to handle complex 3D curves and can deal with imperfect 2D segmentation.

What is 3D good for? A review of human performance on stereoscopic 3D displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntire, John P.; Havig, Paul R.; Geiselman, Eric E.

2012-06-01

This work reviews the human factors-related literature on the task performance implications of stereoscopic 3D displays, in order to point out the specific performance benefits (or lack thereof) one might reasonably expect to observe when utilizing these displays. What exactly is 3D good for? Relative to traditional 2D displays, stereoscopic displays have been shown to enhance performance on a variety of depth-related tasks. These tasks include judging absolute and relative distances, finding and identifying objects (by breaking camouflage and eliciting perceptual "pop-out"), performing spatial manipulations of objects (object positioning, orienting, and tracking), and navigating. More cognitively, stereoscopic displays can improve the spatial understanding of 3D scenes or objects, improve memory/recall of scenes or objects, and improve learning of spatial relationships and environments. However, for tasks that are relatively simple, that do not strictly require depth information for good performance, where other strong cues to depth can be utilized, or for depth tasks that lie outside the effective viewing volume of the display, the purported performance benefits of 3D may be small or altogether absent. Stereoscopic 3D displays come with a host of unique human factors problems including the simulator-sickness-type symptoms of eyestrain, headache, fatigue, disorientation, nausea, and malaise, which appear to effect large numbers of viewers (perhaps as many as 25% to 50% of the general population). Thus, 3D technology should be wielded delicately and applied carefully; and perhaps used only as is necessary to ensure good performance.

Multi-resolution Shape Analysis via Non-Euclidean Wavelets: Applications to Mesh Segmentation and Surface Alignment Problems.

PubMed

Kim, Won Hwa; Chung, Moo K; Singh, Vikas

2013-01-01

The analysis of 3-D shape meshes is a fundamental problem in computer vision, graphics, and medical imaging. Frequently, the needs of the application require that our analysis take a multi-resolution view of the shape's local and global topology, and that the solution is consistent across multiple scales. Unfortunately, the preferred mathematical construct which offers this behavior in classical image/signal processing, Wavelets, is no longer applicable in this general setting (data with non-uniform topology). In particular, the traditional definition does not allow writing out an expansion for graphs that do not correspond to the uniformly sampled lattice (e.g., images). In this paper, we adapt recent results in harmonic analysis, to derive Non-Euclidean Wavelets based algorithms for a range of shape analysis problems in vision and medical imaging. We show how descriptors derived from the dual domain representation offer native multi-resolution behavior for characterizing local/global topology around vertices. With only minor modifications, the framework yields a method for extracting interest/key points from shapes, a surprisingly simple algorithm for 3-D shape segmentation (competitive with state of the art), and a method for surface alignment (without landmarks). We give an extensive set of comparison results on a large shape segmentation benchmark and derive a uniqueness theorem for the surface alignment problem.

General methodology for simultaneous representation and discrimination of multiple object classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukder, Ashit; Casasent, David P.

1998-03-01

We address a new general method for linear and nonlinear feature extraction for simultaneous representation and classification. We call this approach the maximum representation and discrimination feature (MRDF) method. We develop a novel nonlinear eigenfeature extraction technique to represent data with closed-form solutions and use it to derive a nonlinear MRDF algorithm. Results of the MRDF method on synthetic databases are shown and compared with results from standard Fukunaga-Koontz transform and Fisher discriminant function methods. The method is also applied to an automated product inspection problem and for classification and pose estimation of two similar objects under 3D aspect angle variations.

Job and Family Stress as Predictors of Pilot Health, Job Satisfaction and Performance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

occupational stress and job satisfaction , on balance, the data falls in favour of a significant inverse relationship between the two. It was decided - 21 - that... relationships between the items and mental health. These indicated that generally, pilots were worried about problem identification, i.e. perceived stress ...AD-A142 7?S d AND FAMILY STRESS AS PlEOICINCOF PILOT HEALTH JOE 1/.3 SATISFACTION ANO..AUI UNIVERSITY OF MANOESTER INSI OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOOGY

United States Air Force Graduate Student Research Program. Program Technical rept. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

placing scalp electrodes in a bipolar arrangement. An additional problem we faced in the F4 study was time- loc ::ing the ERP to the eliciting...and Leo Jehl of OEHL for their help with halide and metal analysis that was invalubae to this project. John Barnaby, Will Robinson, Chris Ritter, and...a patient teacher of statistical methods. Dr Eric D. Grassman and Dr Leo Spaccavento explained many technical cardiological points and were generally

Evaluation of an interactive science publishing tool: toward enabling three-dimensional analysis of medical images.

PubMed

Rinewalt, Daniel; Williams, Betsy W; Reeves, Anthony P; Shah, Palmi; Hong, Edward; Mulshine, James L

2015-03-01

Higher resolution medical imaging platforms are rapidly emerging, but there is a challenge in applying these tools in a clinically meaningful way. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a novel three-dimensional (3D) software imaging environment, known as interactive science publishing (ISP), in appraising 3D computed tomography images and to compare this approach with traditional planar (2D) imaging in a series of lung cancer cases. Twenty-four physician volunteers at different levels of training across multiple specialties were recruited to evaluate eight lung cancer-related clinical vignettes. The volunteers were asked to compare the performance of traditional 2D versus the ISP 3D imaging in assessing different visualization environments for diagnostic and measurement processes and to further evaluate the ISP tool in terms of general satisfaction, usability, and probable applicability. Volunteers were satisfied with both imaging methods; however, the 3D environment had significantly higher ratings. Measurement performance was comparable using both traditional 2D and 3D image evaluation. Physicians not trained in 2D measurement approaches versus those with such training demonstrated better performance with ISP and preferred working in the ISP environment. Recent postgraduates with only modest self-administered training performed equally well on 3D and 2D cases. This suggests that the 3D environment has no reduction in accuracy over the conventional 2D approach, while providing the advantage of a digital environment for cross-disciplinary interaction for shared problem solving. Exploration of more effective, efficient, self-directed training could potentially result in further improvement in image evaluation proficiency and potentially decrease training costs. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Cauchy problem with general discontinuous initial data along a smooth curve for 2-d Euler system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuxing; Li, Dening

2014-09-01

We study the Cauchy problems for the isentropic 2-d Euler system with discontinuous initial data along a smooth curve. All three singularities are present in the solution: shock wave, rarefaction wave and contact discontinuity. We show that the usual restrictive high order compatibility conditions for the initial data are automatically satisfied. The local existence of piecewise smooth solution containing all three waves is established.

A majorized Newton-CG augmented Lagrangian-based finite element method for 3D restoration of geological models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Peipei; Wang, Chengjing; Dai, Xiaoxia

2016-04-01

In this paper, we propose a majorized Newton-CG augmented Lagrangian-based finite element method for 3D elastic frictionless contact problems. In this scheme, we discretize the restoration problem via the finite element method and reformulate it to a constrained optimization problem. Then we apply the majorized Newton-CG augmented Lagrangian method to solve the optimization problem, which is very suitable for the ill-conditioned case. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method is a very efficient algorithm for various large-scale 3D restorations of geological models, especially for the restoration of geological models with complicated faults.

D Point Cloud Model Colorization by Dense Registration of Digital Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crombez, N.; Caron, G.; Mouaddib, E.

2015-02-01

Architectural heritage is a historic and artistic property which has to be protected, preserved, restored and must be shown to the public. Modern tools like 3D laser scanners are more and more used in heritage documentation. Most of the time, the 3D laser scanner is completed by a digital camera which is used to enrich the accurate geometric informations with the scanned objects colors. However, the photometric quality of the acquired point clouds is generally rather low because of several problems presented below. We propose an accurate method for registering digital images acquired from any viewpoints on point clouds which is a crucial step for a good colorization by colors projection. We express this image-to-geometry registration as a pose estimation problem. The camera pose is computed using the entire images intensities under a photometric visual and virtual servoing (VVS) framework. The camera extrinsic and intrinsic parameters are automatically estimated. Because we estimates the intrinsic parameters we do not need any informations about the camera which took the used digital image. Finally, when the point cloud model and the digital image are correctly registered, we project the 3D model in the digital image frame and assign new colors to the visible points. The performance of the approach is proven in simulation and real experiments on indoor and outdoor datasets of the cathedral of Amiens, which highlight the success of our method, leading to point clouds with better photometric quality and resolution.

The method of space-time conservation element and solution element-applications to one-dimensional and two-dimensional time-marching flow problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung; Wang, Xiao-Yen; Chow, Chuen-Yen

1995-01-01

A nontraditional numerical method for solving conservation laws is being developed. The new method is designed from a physicist's perspective, i.e., its development is based more on physics than numerics. Even though it uses only the simplest approximation techniques, a 2D time-marching Euler solver developed recently using the new method is capable of generating nearly perfect solutions for a 2D shock reflection problem used by Helen Yee and others. Moreover, a recent application of this solver to computational aeroacoustics (CAA) problems reveals that: (1) accuracy of its results is comparable to that of a 6th order compact difference scheme even though nominally the current solver is only of 2nd-order accuracy; (2) generally, the non-reflecting boundary condition can be implemented in a simple way without involving characteristic variables; and (3) most importantly, the current solver is capable of handling both continuous and discontinuous flows very well and thus provides a unique numerical tool for solving those flow problems where the interactions between sound waves and shocks are important, such as the noise field around a supersonic over- or under-expansion jet.

2D and 3D Traveling Salesman Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haxhimusa, Yll; Carpenter, Edward; Catrambone, Joseph; Foldes, David; Stefanov, Emil; Arns, Laura; Pizlo, Zygmunt

2011-01-01

When a two-dimensional (2D) traveling salesman problem (TSP) is presented on a computer screen, human subjects can produce near-optimal tours in linear time. In this study we tested human performance on a real and virtual floor, as well as in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space. Human performance on the real floor is as good as that on a…

An adjoint view on flux consistency and strong wall boundary conditions to the Navier–Stokes equations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stück, Arthur, E-mail: arthur.stueck@dlr.de

2015-11-15

Inconsistent discrete expressions in the boundary treatment of Navier–Stokes solvers and in the definition of force objective functionals can lead to discrete-adjoint boundary treatments that are not a valid representation of the boundary conditions to the corresponding adjoint partial differential equations. The underlying problem is studied for an elementary 1D advection–diffusion problem first using a node-centred finite-volume discretisation. The defect of the boundary operators in the inconsistently defined discrete-adjoint problem leads to oscillations and becomes evident with the additional insight of the continuous-adjoint approach. A homogenisation of the discretisations for the primal boundary treatment and the force objective functional yieldsmore » second-order functional accuracy and eliminates the defect in the discrete-adjoint boundary treatment. Subsequently, the issue is studied for aerodynamic Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes problems in conjunction with a standard finite-volume discretisation on median-dual grids and a strong implementation of noslip walls, found in many unstructured general-purpose flow solvers. Going out from a base-line discretisation of force objective functionals which is independent of the boundary treatment in the flow solver, two improved flux-consistent schemes are presented; based on either body wall-defined or farfield-defined control-volumes they resolve the dual inconsistency. The behaviour of the schemes is investigated on a sequence of grids in 2D and 3D.« less

A Methodology for Validation of High Resolution Combat Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

TELEOLOGICAL PROBLEM ................................ 7 C. EPISTEMOLOGICAL PROBLEM ............................. 8 D. UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE...theoretical issues. "The Teleological Problem"--How a model by its nature formulates an explicit cause-and-effect relationship that excludes other...34experts" in establishing the standard for reality. Generalization from personal experience is often hampered by the parochial aspects of the

A quasi-3D wire approach to model pulmonary airflow in human airways.

PubMed

Kannan, Ravishekar; Chen, Z J; Singh, Narender; Przekwas, Andrzej; Delvadia, Renishkumar; Tian, Geng; Walenga, Ross

2017-07-01

The models used for modeling the airflow in the human airways are either 0-dimensional compartmental or full 3-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. In the former, airways are treated as compartments, and the computations are performed with several assumptions, thereby generating a low-fidelity solution. The CFD method displays extremely high fidelity since the solution is obtained by solving the conservation equations in a physiologically consistent geometry. However, CFD models (1) require millions of degrees of freedom to accurately describe the geometry and to reduce the discretization errors, (2) have convergence problems, and (3) require several days to simulate a few breathing cycles. In this paper, we present a novel, fast-running, and robust quasi-3D wire model for modeling the airflow in the human lung airway. The wire mesh is obtained by contracting the high-fidelity lung airway surface mesh to a system of connected wires, with well-defined radii. The conservation equations are then solved in each wire. These wire meshes have around O(1000) degrees of freedom and hence are 3000 to 25 000 times faster than their CFD counterparts. The 3D spatial nature is also preserved since these wires are contracted out of the actual lung STL surface. The pressure readings between the 2 approaches showed minor difference (maximum error = 15%). In general, this formulation is fast and robust, allows geometric changes, and delivers high-fidelity solutions. Hence, this approach has great potential for more complicated problems including modeling of constricted/diseased lung sections and for calibrating the lung flow resistances through parameter inversion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Efficient Analysis of Complex Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kapania, Rakesh K.

2000-01-01

Last various accomplishments achieved during this project are : (1) A Survey of Neural Network (NN) applications using MATLAB NN Toolbox on structural engineering especially on equivalent continuum models (Appendix A). (2) Application of NN and GAs to simulate and synthesize substructures: 1-D and 2-D beam problems (Appendix B). (3) Development of an equivalent plate-model analysis method (EPA) for static and vibration analysis of general trapezoidal built-up wing structures composed of skins, spars and ribs. Calculation of all sorts of test cases and comparison with measurements or FEA results. (Appendix C). (4) Basic work on using second order sensitivities on simulating wing modal response, discussion of sensitivity evaluation approaches, and some results (Appendix D). (5) Establishing a general methodology of simulating the modal responses by direct application of NN and by sensitivity techniques, in a design space composed of a number of design points. Comparison is made through examples using these two methods (Appendix E). (6) Establishing a general methodology of efficient analysis of complex wing structures by indirect application of NN: the NN-aided Equivalent Plate Analysis. Training of the Neural Networks for this purpose in several cases of design spaces, which can be applicable for actual design of complex wings (Appendix F).

Daily Stress, Hearing-Specific Stress and Coping: Self-reports from Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children and Children With Auditory Processing Disorder.

PubMed

Eschenbeck, Heike; Gillé, Vera; Heim-Dreger, Uwe; Schock, Alexandra; Schott, Andrea

2017-01-01

This study evaluated stressors and coping strategies in 70 children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) or with auditory processing disorder (APD) attending Grades 5 and 6 of a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Everyday general stressors and more hearing-specific stressors were examined in a hearing-specific modified stress and coping questionnaire. Reports were compared with normative data for hearing children. Regarding everyday general stressors, stress levels for children who are D/HH or with APD did not differ from those of hearing children. Within children with hearing problems, everyday stressors were experienced as more stressful than hearing-specific stressors. For coping strategies, differences between children with hearing problems (D/HH, APD) and hearing children were shown (i.e., problem solving, anger-related emotion regulation). Girls scored higher in seeking social support whereas boys reported higher amounts of media use as a way of coping. Differences regarding stress and coping between children who are D/HH and children with APD were minor; D/HH children reported more social support seeking. Implications for assessment and resource promotion are discussed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Thin-layer and full Navier-Stokes calculations for turbulent supersonic flow over a cone at an angle of attack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Crawford F.; Podleski, Steve D.

1993-01-01

The proper use of a computational fluid dynamics code requires a good understanding of the particular code being applied. In this report the application of CFL3D, a thin-layer Navier-Stokes code, is compared with the results obtained from PARC3D, a full Navier-Stokes code. In order to gain an understanding of the use of this code, a simple problem was chosen in which several key features of the code could be exercised. The problem chosen is a cone in supersonic flow at an angle of attack. The issues of grid resolution, grid blocking, and multigridding with CFL3D are explored. The use of multigridding resulted in a significant reduction in the computational time required to solve the problem. Solutions obtained are compared with the results using the full Navier-Stokes equations solver PARC3D. The results obtained with the CFL3D code compared well with the PARC3D solutions.

3D lens-free time-lapse microscopy for 3D cell culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdeu, Anthony; Momey, Fabien; Laperrousaz, Bastien; Bordy, Thomas; Gidrol, Xavier; Dinten, Jean-Marc; Picollet-D'hahan, Nathalie; Allier, Cédric

2017-07-01

We propose a new imaging platform based on lens-free time-lapse microscopy for 3D cell culture and its dedicated algorithm lying on a fully 3D regularized inverse problem approach. First 3D+t results are presented

2D to 3D conversion implemented in different hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos-Diaz, Eduardo; Gonzalez-Huitron, Victor; Ponomaryov, Volodymyr I.; Hernandez-Fragoso, Araceli

2015-02-01

Conversion of available 2D data for release in 3D content is a hot topic for providers and for success of the 3D applications, in general. It naturally completely relies on virtual view synthesis of a second view given by original 2D video. Disparity map (DM) estimation is a central task in 3D generation but still follows a very difficult problem for rendering novel images precisely. There exist different approaches in DM reconstruction, among them manually and semiautomatic methods that can produce high quality DMs but they demonstrate hard time consuming and are computationally expensive. In this paper, several hardware implementations of designed frameworks for an automatic 3D color video generation based on 2D real video sequence are proposed. The novel framework includes simultaneous processing of stereo pairs using the following blocks: CIE L*a*b* color space conversions, stereo matching via pyramidal scheme, color segmentation by k-means on an a*b* color plane, and adaptive post-filtering, DM estimation using stereo matching between left and right images (or neighboring frames in a video), adaptive post-filtering, and finally, the anaglyph 3D scene generation. Novel technique has been implemented on DSP TMS320DM648, Matlab's Simulink module over a PC with Windows 7, and using graphic card (NVIDIA Quadro K2000) demonstrating that the proposed approach can be applied in real-time processing mode. The time values needed, mean Similarity Structural Index Measure (SSIM) and Bad Matching Pixels (B) values for different hardware implementations (GPU, Single CPU, and DSP) are exposed in this paper.

Force sensing using 3D displacement measurements in linear elastic bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xinzeng; Hui, Chung-Yuen

2016-07-01

In cell traction microscopy, the mechanical forces exerted by a cell on its environment is usually determined from experimentally measured displacement by solving an inverse problem in elasticity. In this paper, an innovative numerical method is proposed which finds the "optimal" traction to the inverse problem. When sufficient regularization is applied, we demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the widely used approach using Green's functions. Motivated by real cell experiments, the equilibrium condition of a slowly migrating cell is imposed as a set of equality constraints on the unknown traction. Our validation benchmarks demonstrate that the numeric solution to the constrained inverse problem well recovers the actual traction when the optimal regularization parameter is used. The proposed method can thus be applied to study general force sensing problems, which utilize displacement measurements to sense inaccessible forces in linear elastic bodies with a priori constraints.

3D Compton scattering imaging and contour reconstruction for a class of Radon transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigaud, Gaël; Hahn, Bernadette N.

2018-07-01

Compton scattering imaging is a nascent concept arising from the current development of high-sensitive energy detectors and is devoted to exploit the scattering radiation to image the electron density of the studied medium. Such detectors are able to collect incoming photons in terms of energy. This paper introduces potential 3D modalities in Compton scattering imaging (CSI). The associated measured data are modeled using a class of generalized Radon transforms. The study of this class of operators leads to build a filtered back-projection kind algorithm preserving the contours of the sought-for function and offering a fast approach to partially solve the associated inverse problems. Simulation results including Poisson noise demonstrate the potential of this new imaging concept as well as the proposed image reconstruction approach.

Solvability of a fourth-order boundary value problem with periodic boundary conditions II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, Chaitan P.

1991-01-01

Lemore » t f : [ 0 , 1 ] × R 4 → R be a function satisfying Caratheodory's conditions and e ( x ) ∈ L 1 [ 0 , 1 ] . This paper is concerned with the solvability of the fourth-order fully quasilinear boundary value problem d 4 u d x 4 + f ( x , u ( x ) , u ′ ( x ) , u ″ ( x ) , u ‴ ( x ) ) = e ( x ) ,    0 < x < 1 , with u ( 0 ) − u ( 1 ) = u ′ ( 0 ) − u ′ ( 1 ) = u ″ ( 0 ) - u ″ ( 1 ) = u ‴ ( 0 ) - u ‴ ( 1 ) = 0 . This problem was studied earlier by the author in the special case when f was of the form f ( x , u ( x ) ) , i.e., independent of u ′ ( x ) , u ″ ( x ) , u ‴ ( x ) . It turns out that the earlier methods do not apply in this general case. The conditions need to be related to both of the linear eigenvalue problems d 4 u d x 4 = λ 4 u and d 4 u d x 4 = − λ 2 d 2 u d x 2 with periodic boundary conditions.« less

MolProbity: all-atom contacts and structure validation for proteins and nucleic acids

PubMed Central

Davis, Ian W.; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Chen, Vincent B.; Block, Jeremy N.; Kapral, Gary J.; Wang, Xueyi; Murray, Laura W.; Arendall, W. Bryan; Snoeyink, Jack; Richardson, Jane S.; Richardson, David C.

2007-01-01

MolProbity is a general-purpose web server offering quality validation for 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids and complexes. It provides detailed all-atom contact analysis of any steric problems within the molecules as well as updated dihedral-angle diagnostics, and it can calculate and display the H-bond and van der Waals contacts in the interfaces between components. An integral step in the process is the addition and full optimization of all hydrogen atoms, both polar and nonpolar. New analysis functions have been added for RNA, for interfaces, and for NMR ensembles. Additionally, both the web site and major component programs have been rewritten to improve speed, convenience, clarity and integration with other resources. MolProbity results are reported in multiple forms: as overall numeric scores, as lists or charts of local problems, as downloadable PDB and graphics files, and most notably as informative, manipulable 3D kinemage graphics shown online in the KiNG viewer. This service is available free to all users at http://molprobity.biochem.duke.edu. PMID:17452350

The Methodology of Interactive Parametric Modelling of Construction Site Facilities in BIM Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlovská, Mária; Čabala, Jozef; Struková, Zuzana

2014-11-01

Information technology is becoming a strong tool in different industries, including construction. The recent trend of buildings designing is leading up to creation of the most comprehensive virtual building model (Building Information Model) in order to solve all the problems relating to the project as early as in the designing phase. Building information modelling is a new way of approaching to the design of building projects documentation. Currently, the building site layout as a part of the building design documents has a very little support in the BIM environment. Recently, the research of designing the construction process conditions has centred on improvement of general practice in planning and on new approaches to construction site layout planning. The state of art in field of designing the construction process conditions indicated an unexplored problem related to connection of knowledge system with construction site facilities (CSF) layout through interactive modelling. The goal of the paper is to present the methodology for execution of 3D construction site facility allocation model (3D CSF-IAM), based on principles of parametric and interactive modelling.

The mismatch between the health research and development (R&D) that is needed and the R&D that is undertaken: an overview of the problem, the causes, and solutions

PubMed Central

Viergever, Roderik F.

2013-01-01

One of the most pressing global health problems is that there is a mismatch between the health research and development (R&D) that is needed and that which is undertaken. The dependence of health R&D on market incentives in the for-profit private sector and the lack of coordination by public and philanthropic funders on global R&D priorities have resulted in a global health R&D landscape that neglects certain products and populations and is characterised, more generally, by a distribution that is not ‘needs-driven’. This article provides an overview of the mismatch, its causes, and solutions. PMID:24119660

3D Visualization as a Communicative Aid in Pharmaceutical Advice-Giving over Distance

PubMed Central

Dahlbäck, Nils; Petersson, Göran Ingemar

2011-01-01

Background Medication misuse results in considerable problems for both patient and society. It is a complex problem with many contributing factors, including timely access to product information. Objective To investigate the value of 3-dimensional (3D) visualization paired with video conferencing as a tool for pharmaceutical advice over distance in terms of accessibility and ease of use for the advice seeker. Methods We created a Web-based communication service called AssistancePlus that allows an advisor to demonstrate the physical handling of a complex pharmaceutical product to an advice seeker with the aid of 3D visualization and audio/video conferencing. AssistancePlus was tested in 2 separate user studies performed in a usability lab, under realistic settings and emulating a real usage situation. In the first study, 10 pharmacy students were assisted by 2 advisors from the Swedish National Co-operation of Pharmacies’ call centre on the use of an asthma inhaler. The student-advisor interview sessions were filmed on video to qualitatively explore their experience of giving and receiving advice with the aid of 3D visualization. In the second study, 3 advisors from the same call centre instructed 23 participants recruited from the general public on the use of 2 products: (1) an insulin injection pen, and (2) a growth hormone injection syringe. First, participants received advice on one product in an audio-recorded telephone call and for the other product in a video-recorded AssistancePlus session (product order balanced). In conjunction with the AssistancePlus session, participants answered a questionnaire regarding accessibility, perceived expressiveness, and general usefulness of 3D visualization for advice-giving over distance compared with the telephone and were given a short interview focusing on their experience of the 3D features. Results In both studies, participants found the AssistancePlus service helpful in providing clear and exact instructions. In the second study, directly comparing AssistancePlus and the telephone, AssistancePlus was judged positively for ease of communication (P = .001), personal contact (P = .001), explanatory power (P < .001), and efficiency (P < .001). Participants in both studies said that they would welcome this type of service as an alternative to the telephone and to face-to-face interaction when a physical meeting is not possible or not convenient. However, although AssistancePlus was considered as easy to use as the telephone, they would choose AssistancePlus over the telephone only when the complexity of the question demanded the higher level of expressiveness it offers. For simpler questions, a simpler service was preferred. Conclusions 3D visualization paired with video conferencing can be useful for advice-giving over distance, specifically for issues that require a higher level of communicative expressiveness than the telephone can offer. 3D-supported advice-giving can increase the range of issues that can be handled over distance and thus improve access to product information. PMID:21771714

A three-dimensional method-of-characteristics solute-transport model (MOC3D)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konikow, Leonard F.; Goode, D.J.; Hornberger, G.Z.

1996-01-01

This report presents a model, MOC3D, that simulates three-dimensional solute transport in flowing ground water. The model computes changes in concentration of a single dissolved chemical constituent over time that are caused by advective transport, hydrodynamic dispersion (including both mechanical dispersion and diffusion), mixing (or dilution) from fluid sources, and mathematically simple chemical reactions (including linear sorption, which is represented by a retardation factor, and decay). The transport model is integrated with MODFLOW, a three-dimensional ground-water flow model that uses implicit finite-difference methods to solve the transient flow equation. MOC3D uses the method of characteristics to solve the transport equation on the basis of the hydraulic gradients computed with MODFLOW for a given time step. This implementation of the method of characteristics uses particle tracking to represent advective transport and explicit finite-difference methods to calculate the effects of other processes. However, the explicit procedure has several stability criteria that may limit the size of time increments for solving the transport equation; these are automatically determined by the program. For improved efficiency, the user can apply MOC3D to a subgrid of the primary MODFLOW grid that is used to solve the flow equation. However, the transport subgrid must have uniform grid spacing along rows and columns. The report includes a description of the theoretical basis of the model, a detailed description of input requirements and output options, and the results of model testing and evaluation. The model was evaluated for several problems for which exact analytical solutions are available and by benchmarking against other numerical codes for selected complex problems for which no exact solutions are available. These test results indicate that the model is very accurate for a wide range of conditions and yields minimal numerical dispersion for advection-dominated problems. Mass-balance errors are generally less than 10 percent, and tend to decrease and stabilize with time.

A relational extension of the notion of motifs: application to the common 3D protein substructures searching problem.

PubMed

Pisanti, Nadia; Soldano, Henry; Carpentier, Mathilde; Pothier, Joel

2009-12-01

The geometrical configurations of atoms in protein structures can be viewed as approximate relations among them. Then, finding similar common substructures within a set of protein structures belongs to a new class of problems that generalizes that of finding repeated motifs. The novelty lies in the addition of constraints on the motifs in terms of relations that must hold between pairs of positions of the motifs. We will hence denote them as relational motifs. For this class of problems, we present an algorithm that is a suitable extension of the KMR paradigm and, in particular, of the KMRC as it uses a degenerate alphabet. Our algorithm contains several improvements that become especially useful when-as it is required for relational motifs-the inference is made by partially overlapping shorter motifs, rather than concatenating them. The efficiency, correctness and completeness of the algorithm is ensured by several non-trivial properties that are proven in this paper. The algorithm has been applied in the important field of protein common 3D substructure searching. The methods implemented have been tested on several examples of protein families such as serine proteases, globins and cytochromes P450 additionally. The detected motifs have been compared to those found by multiple structural alignments methods.

A 3D terrain reconstruction method of stereo vision based quadruped robot navigation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Zhuo; Zhu, Ying; Liang, Guanhao

2017-01-01

To provide 3D environment information for the quadruped robot autonomous navigation system during walking through rough terrain, based on the stereo vision, a novel 3D terrain reconstruction method is presented. In order to solve the problem that images collected by stereo sensors have large regions with similar grayscale and the problem that image matching is poor at real-time performance, watershed algorithm and fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm are combined for contour extraction. Aiming at the problem of error matching, duel constraint with region matching and pixel matching is established for matching optimization. Using the stereo matching edge pixel pairs, the 3D coordinate algorithm is estimated according to the binocular stereo vision imaging model. Experimental results show that the proposed method can yield high stereo matching ratio and reconstruct 3D scene quickly and efficiently.

BUCKY instruction manual, version 3.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James P.

1994-01-01

The computer program BUCKY is a p-version finite element package for the solution of structural problems. The current version of BUCKY solves the 2-D plane stress, 3-D plane stress plasticity, 3-D axisymmetric, Mindlin and Kirchoff plate bending, and buckling problems. The p-version of the finite element method is a highly accurate version of the traditional finite element method. Example cases are presented to show the accuracy and application of BUCKY.

A shape prior-based MRF model for 3D masseter muscle segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majeed, Tahir; Fundana, Ketut; Lüthi, Marcel; Beinemann, Jörg; Cattin, Philippe

2012-02-01

Medical image segmentation is generally an ill-posed problem that can only be solved by incorporating prior knowledge. The ambiguities arise due to the presence of noise, weak edges, imaging artifacts, inhomogeneous interior and adjacent anatomical structures having similar intensity profile as the target structure. In this paper we propose a novel approach to segment the masseter muscle using the graph-cut incorporating additional 3D shape priors in CT datasets, which is robust to noise; artifacts; and shape deformations. The main contribution of this paper is in translating the 3D shape knowledge into both unary and pairwise potentials of the Markov Random Field (MRF). The segmentation task is casted as a Maximum-A-Posteriori (MAP) estimation of the MRF. Graph-cut is then used to obtain the global minimum which results in the segmentation of the masseter muscle. The method is tested on 21 CT datasets of the masseter muscle, which are noisy with almost all possessing mild to severe imaging artifacts such as high-density artifacts caused by e.g. the very common dental fillings and dental implants. We show that the proposed technique produces clinically acceptable results to the challenging problem of muscle segmentation, and further provide a quantitative and qualitative comparison with other methods. We statistically show that adding additional shape prior into both unary and pairwise potentials can increase the robustness of the proposed method in noisy datasets.

Modularized seismic full waveform inversion based on waveform sensitivity kernels - The software package ASKI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumacher, Florian; Friederich, Wolfgang; Lamara, Samir; Gutt, Phillip; Paffrath, Marcel

2015-04-01

We present a seismic full waveform inversion concept for applications ranging from seismological to enineering contexts, based on sensitivity kernels for full waveforms. The kernels are derived from Born scattering theory as the Fréchet derivatives of linearized frequency-domain full waveform data functionals, quantifying the influence of elastic earth model parameters and density on the data values. For a specific source-receiver combination, the kernel is computed from the displacement and strain field spectrum originating from the source evaluated throughout the inversion domain, as well as the Green function spectrum and its strains originating from the receiver. By storing the wavefield spectra of specific sources/receivers, they can be re-used for kernel computation for different specific source-receiver combinations, optimizing the total number of required forward simulations. In the iterative inversion procedure, the solution of the forward problem, the computation of sensitivity kernels and the derivation of a model update is held completely separate. In particular, the model description for the forward problem and the description of the inverted model update are kept independent. Hence, the resolution of the inverted model as well as the complexity of solving the forward problem can be iteratively increased (with increasing frequency content of the inverted data subset). This may regularize the overall inverse problem and optimizes the computational effort of both, solving the forward problem and computing the model update. The required interconnection of arbitrary unstructured volume and point grids is realized by generalized high-order integration rules and 3D-unstructured interpolation methods. The model update is inferred solving a minimization problem in a least-squares sense, resulting in Gauss-Newton convergence of the overall inversion process. The inversion method was implemented in the modularized software package ASKI (Analysis of Sensitivity and Kernel Inversion), which provides a generalized interface to arbitrary external forward modelling codes. So far, the 3D spectral-element code SPECFEM3D (Tromp, Komatitsch and Liu, 2008) and the 1D semi-analytical code GEMINI (Friederich and Dalkolmo, 1995) in both, Cartesian and spherical framework are supported. The creation of interfaces to further forward codes is planned in the near future. ASKI is freely available under the terms of the GPL at www.rub.de/aski . Since the independent modules of ASKI must communicate via file output/input, large storage capacities need to be accessible conveniently. Storing the complete sensitivity matrix to file, however, permits the scientist full manual control over each step in a customized procedure of sensitivity/resolution analysis and full waveform inversion. In the presentation, we will show some aspects of the theory behind the full waveform inversion method and its practical realization by the software package ASKI, as well as synthetic and real-data applications from different scales and geometries.

Approximation Methods in Multidimensional Filter Design and Related Problems Encountered in Multidimensional System Design.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-21

zero , it is necessary that B M(0) be nonzero. In the case considered here, B M(0) is taken to be nonsingula and withot loss of generality it may be set...452. (c.51 D. Levin, " General order Padd type rational approximants defined from a double power series," J. Inst. Maths. Applics., 18, 1976, pp. 1-8...common zeros in the closed unit bidisc, U- 2 . The 2-D setting provides a nice theoretical framework for generalization of these stabilization results to

Accuracy of 1D microvascular flow models in the limit of low Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Pindera, Maciej Z; Ding, Hui; Athavale, Mahesh M; Chen, Zhijian

2009-05-01

We describe results of numerical simulations of steady flows in tubes with branch bifurcations using fully 3D and reduced 1D geometries. The intent is to delineate the range of validity of reduced models used for simulations of flows in microcapillary networks, as a function of the flow Reynolds number Re. Results from model problems indicate that for Re less than 1 and possibly as high as 10, vasculatures may be represented by strictly 1D Poiseuille flow geometries with flow variation in the axial dimensions only. In that range flow rate predictions in the different branches generated by 1D and 3D models differ by a constant factor, independent of Re. When the cross-sectional areas of the branches are constant these differences are generally small and appear to stem from an uncertainty of how the individual branch lengths are defined. This uncertainty can be accounted for by a simple geometrical correction. For non-constant cross-sections the differences can be much more significant. If additional corrections for the presence of branch junctions and flow area variations are not taken into account in 1D models of complex vasculatures, the resultant flow predictions should be interpreted with caution.

Control of minimum member size in parameter-free structural shape optimization by a medial axis approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Oliver; Steinmann, Paul

2018-06-01

We introduce a manufacturing constraint for controlling the minimum member size in structural shape optimization problems, which is for example of interest for components fabricated in a molding process. In a parameter-free approach, whereby the coordinates of the FE boundary nodes are used as design variables, the challenging task is to find a generally valid definition for the thickness of non-parametric geometries in terms of their boundary nodes. Therefore we use the medial axis, which is the union of all points with at least two closest points on the boundary of the domain. Since the effort for the exact computation of the medial axis of geometries given by their FE discretization highly increases with the number of surface elements we use the distance function instead to approximate the medial axis by a cloud of points. The approximation is demonstrated on three 2D examples. Moreover, the formulation of a minimum thickness constraint is applied to a sensitivity-based shape optimization problem of one 2D and one 3D model.

Control of minimum member size in parameter-free structural shape optimization by a medial axis approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Oliver; Steinmann, Paul

2017-09-01

We introduce a manufacturing constraint for controlling the minimum member size in structural shape optimization problems, which is for example of interest for components fabricated in a molding process. In a parameter-free approach, whereby the coordinates of the FE boundary nodes are used as design variables, the challenging task is to find a generally valid definition for the thickness of non-parametric geometries in terms of their boundary nodes. Therefore we use the medial axis, which is the union of all points with at least two closest points on the boundary of the domain. Since the effort for the exact computation of the medial axis of geometries given by their FE discretization highly increases with the number of surface elements we use the distance function instead to approximate the medial axis by a cloud of points. The approximation is demonstrated on three 2D examples. Moreover, the formulation of a minimum thickness constraint is applied to a sensitivity-based shape optimization problem of one 2D and one 3D model.

VERA and VERA-EDU 3.5 Release Notes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sieger, Matt; Salko, Robert K.; Kochunas, Brendan M.

The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications components included in this distribution include selected computational tools and supporting infrastructure that solve neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, fuel performance, and coupled neutronics-thermal hydraulics problems. The infrastructure components provide a simplified common user input capability and provide for the physics integration with data transfer and coupled-physics iterative solution algorithms. Neutronics analysis can be performed for 2D lattices, 2D core and 3D core problems for pressurized water reactor geometries that can be used to calculate criticality and fission rate distributions by pin for input fuel compositions. MPACT uses the Method of Characteristics transport approach for 2D problems.more » For 3D problems, MPACT uses the 2D/1D method which uses 2D MOC in a radial plane and diffusion or SPn in the axial direction. MPACT includes integrated cross section capabilities that provide problem-specific cross sections generated using the subgroup methodology. The code can be executed both 2D and 3D problems in parallel to reduce overall run time. A thermal-hydraulics capability is provided with CTF (an updated version of COBRA-TF) that allows thermal-hydraulics analyses for single and multiple assemblies using the simplified VERA common input. This distribution also includes coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics capabilities to allow calculations using MPACT coupled with CTF. The VERA fuel rod performance component BISON calculates, on a 2D or 3D basis, fuel rod temperature, fuel rod internal pressure, free gas volume, clad integrity and fuel rod waterside diameter. These capabilities allow simulation of power cycling, fuel conditioning and deconditioning, high burnup performance, power uprate scoping studies, and accident performance. Input/Output capabilities include the VERA Common Input (VERAIn) script which converts the ASCII common input file to the intermediate XML used to drive all of the physics codes in the VERA Core Simulator (VERA-CS). VERA component codes either input the VERA XML format directly, or provide a preprocessor which can convert the XML into native input. VERAView is an interactive graphical interface for the visualization and engineering analyses of output data from VERA. The python-based software is easy to install and intuitive to use, and provides instantaneous 2D and 3D images, 1D plots, and alpha-numeric data from VERA multi-physics simulations. Testing within CASL has focused primarily on Westinghouse four-loop reactor geometries and conditions with example problems included in the distribution.« less

Integration of a 3D perspective view in the navigation display: featuring pilot's mental model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrecht, L.; Schmerwitz, S.

2015-05-01

Synthetic vision systems (SVS) appear as spreading technology in the avionic domain. Several studies prove enhanced situational awareness when using synthetic vision. Since the introduction of synthetic vision a steady change and evolution started concerning the primary flight display (PFD) and the navigation display (ND). The main improvements of the ND comprise the representation of colored ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS), weather radar, and TCAS information. Synthetic vision seems to offer high potential to further enhance cockpit display systems. Especially, concerning the current trend having a 3D perspective view in a SVS-PFD while leaving the navigational content as well as methods of interaction unchanged the question arouses if and how the gap between both displays might evolve to a serious problem. This issue becomes important in relation to the transition and combination of strategic and tactical flight guidance. Hence, pros and cons of 2D and 3D views generally as well as the gap between the egocentric perspective 3D view of the PFD and the exocentric 2D top and side view of the ND will be discussed. Further a concept for the integration of a 3D perspective view, i.e., bird's eye view, in synthetic vision ND will be presented. The combination of 2D and 3D views in the ND enables a better correlation of the ND and the PFD. Additionally, this supports the building of pilot's mental model. The authors believe it will improve the situational and spatial awareness. It might prove to further raise the safety margin when operating in mountainous areas.

Knot Invariants and Cellular Automata

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-04

behavior might be found in a naturally associated two dimensional statistical mechanics model. The Boltzmann weight TV’b := exp[-/3E(a,b, c ,d)] can be...the Yang-Baxter (star-triangle) equation [10,11]: +, b ) C I k( ) = ± )tI k I The relevance of this result to our problem is the following. The two com...J. Baxter and P. J. Forrester, "Eight-vertex SOS model and generalized Rogers- Ramanujan -type identities," J. Stat. Phys. 35 (1934) 193-266. [13] L. H

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruiz Pestana, Luis; Mardirossian, Narbe; Head-Gordon, Martin

We have used ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) to characterize water properties using two meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) functionals, M06-L-D3 and B97M-rV, and compared their performance against a standard GGA corrected for dispersion, revPBE-D3, at ambient conditions (298 K, and 1 g cm –3 or 1 atm). Simulations of the equilibrium density, radial distribution functions, self-diffusivity, the infrared spectrum, liquid dipole moments, and characterizations of the hydrogen bond network show that all three functionals have overcome the problem of the early AIMD simulations that erroneously found ambient water to be highly structured, but they differ substantially among themselves in agreementmore » with experiment on this range of water properties. We show directly using water cluster data up through the pentamer that revPBE-D3 benefits from a cancellation of its intrinsic functional error by running classical trajectories, whereas the meta-GGA functionals are demonstrably more accurate and would require the simulation of nuclear quantum effects to realize better agreement with all cluster and condensed phase properties.« less

Structure and Reversibility of 2D von Neumann Cellular Automata Over Triangular Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uguz, Selman; Redjepov, Shovkat; Acar, Ecem; Akin, Hasan

2017-06-01

Even though the fundamental main structure of cellular automata (CA) is a discrete special model, the global behaviors at many iterative times and on big scales could be a close, nearly a continuous, model system. CA theory is a very rich and useful phenomena of dynamical model that focuses on the local information being relayed to the neighboring cells to produce CA global behaviors. The mathematical points of the basic model imply the computable values of the mathematical structure of CA. After modeling the CA structure, an important problem is to be able to move forwards and backwards on CA to understand their behaviors in more elegant ways. A possible case is when CA is to be a reversible one. In this paper, we investigate the structure and the reversibility of two-dimensional (2D) finite, linear, triangular von Neumann CA with null boundary case. It is considered on ternary field ℤ3 (i.e. 3-state). We obtain their transition rule matrices for each special case. For given special triangular information (transition) rule matrices, we prove which triangular linear 2D von Neumann CAs are reversible or not. It is known that the reversibility cases of 2D CA are generally a much challenged problem. In the present study, the reversibility problem of 2D triangular, linear von Neumann CA with null boundary is resolved completely over ternary field. As far as we know, there is no structure and reversibility study of von Neumann 2D linear CA on triangular lattice in the literature. Due to the main CA structures being sufficiently simple to investigate in mathematical ways, and also very complex to obtain in chaotic systems, it is believed that the present construction can be applied to many areas related to these CA using any other transition rules.

Three-dimensional fingerprint recognition by using convolution neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qianyu; Gao, Nan; Zhang, Zonghua

2018-01-01

With the development of science and technology and the improvement of social information, fingerprint recognition technology has become a hot research direction and been widely applied in many actual fields because of its feasibility and reliability. The traditional two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint recognition method relies on matching feature points. This method is not only time-consuming, but also lost three-dimensional (3D) information of fingerprint, with the fingerprint rotation, scaling, damage and other issues, a serious decline in robustness. To solve these problems, 3D fingerprint has been used to recognize human being. Because it is a new research field, there are still lots of challenging problems in 3D fingerprint recognition. This paper presents a new 3D fingerprint recognition method by using a convolution neural network (CNN). By combining 2D fingerprint and fingerprint depth map into CNN, and then through another CNN feature fusion, the characteristics of the fusion complete 3D fingerprint recognition after classification. This method not only can preserve 3D information of fingerprints, but also solves the problem of CNN input. Moreover, the recognition process is simpler than traditional feature point matching algorithm. 3D fingerprint recognition rate by using CNN is compared with other fingerprint recognition algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed 3D fingerprint recognition method has good recognition rate and robustness.

Exploratory Study of Dimensions of Health-related Quality of Life in the General Population of South Korea

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to explore dimensions in addition to the 5 dimensions of the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) that could satisfactorily explain variation in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population of South Korea. Methods Domains related to HRQoL were searched through a review of existing HRQoL instruments. Among the 28 potential dimensions, the 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L and 7 additional dimensions (vision, hearing, communication, cognitive function, social relationships, vitality, and sleep) were included. A representative sample of 600 subjects was selected for the survey, which was administered through face-to-face interviews. Subjects were asked to report problems in 12 health dimensions at 5 levels, as well as their self-rated health status using the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and a 5-point Likert scale. Among subjects who reported no problems for any of the parameters in the EQ-5D-5L, we analyzed the frequencies of problems in the additional dimensions. A linear regression model with the EQ-VAS as the dependent variable was performed to identify additional significant dimensions. Results Among respondents who reported full health on the EQ-5D-5L (n=365), 32% reported a problem for at least 1 additional dimension, and 14% reported worse than moderate self-rated health. Regression analysis revealed a R2 of 0.228 for the original EQ-5D-5L dimensions, 0.200 for the new dimensions, and 0.263 for the 12 dimensions together. Among the added dimensions, vitality and sleep were significantly associated with EQ-VAS scores. Conclusions This study identified significant dimensions for assessing self-rated health among members of the general public, in addition to the 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L. These dimensions could be considered for inclusion in a new preference-based instrument or for developing a country-specific HRQoL instrument. PMID:29207449

Dynamic extreme learning machine and its approximation capability.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Lan, Yuan; Huang, Guang-Bin; Xu, Zong-Ben; Soh, Yeng Chai

2013-12-01

Extreme learning machines (ELMs) have been proposed for generalized single-hidden-layer feedforward networks which need not be neuron alike and perform well in both regression and classification applications. The problem of determining the suitable network architectures is recognized to be crucial in the successful application of ELMs. This paper first proposes a dynamic ELM (D-ELM) where the hidden nodes can be recruited or deleted dynamically according to their significance to network performance, so that not only the parameters can be adjusted but also the architecture can be self-adapted simultaneously. Then, this paper proves in theory that such D-ELM using Lebesgue p-integrable hidden activation functions can approximate any Lebesgue p-integrable function on a compact input set. Simulation results obtained over various test problems demonstrate and verify that the proposed D-ELM does a good job reducing the network size while preserving good generalization performance.

Bending analysis of a general cross-ply laminate using 3D elasticity solution and layerwise theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdani Sarvestani, H.; Naghashpour, A.; Heidari-Rarani, M.

2015-12-01

In this study, the analytical solution of interlaminar stresses near the free edges of a general (symmetric and unsymmetric layups) cross-ply composite laminate subjected to pure bending loading is presented based on Reddy's layerwise theory (LWT) for the first time. First, the reduced form of displacement field is obtained for a general cross-ply composite laminate subjected to a bending moment by elasticity theory. Then, first-order shear deformation theory of plates and LWT is utilized to determine the global and local deformation parameters appearing in the displacement fields, respectively. One of the main advantages of the developed solution based on the LWT is exact prediction of interlaminar stresses at the boundary layer regions. To show the accuracy of this solution, three-dimensional elasticity bending problem of a laminated composite is solved for special set of boundary conditions as well. Finally, LWT results are presented for edge-effect problems of several symmetric and unsymmetric cross-ply laminates under the bending moment. The obtained results indicate high stress gradients of interlaminar stresses near the edges of laminates.

Eigenvector synchronization, graph rigidity and the molecule problemR

PubMed Central

Cucuringu, Mihai; Singer, Amit; Cowburn, David

2013-01-01

The graph realization problem has received a great deal of attention in recent years, due to its importance in applications such as wireless sensor networks and structural biology. In this paper, we extend the previous work and propose the 3D-As-Synchronized-As-Possible (3D-ASAP) algorithm, for the graph realization problem in ℝ3, given a sparse and noisy set of distance measurements. 3D-ASAP is a divide and conquer, non-incremental and non-iterative algorithm, which integrates local distance information into a global structure determination. Our approach starts with identifying, for every node, a subgraph of its 1-hop neighborhood graph, which can be accurately embedded in its own coordinate system. In the noise-free case, the computed coordinates of the sensors in each patch must agree with their global positioning up to some unknown rigid motion, that is, up to translation, rotation and possibly reflection. In other words, to every patch, there corresponds an element of the Euclidean group, Euc(3), of rigid transformations in ℝ3, and the goal was to estimate the group elements that will properly align all the patches in a globally consistent way. Furthermore, 3D-ASAP successfully incorporates information specific to the molecule problem in structural biology, in particular information on known substructures and their orientation. In addition, we also propose 3D-spectral-partitioning (SP)-ASAP, a faster version of 3D-ASAP, which uses a spectral partitioning algorithm as a pre-processing step for dividing the initial graph into smaller subgraphs. Our extensive numerical simulations show that 3D-ASAP and 3D-SP-ASAP are very robust to high levels of noise in the measured distances and to sparse connectivity in the measurement graph, and compare favorably with similar state-of-the-art localization algorithms. PMID:24432187

Generalized Grover's Algorithm for Multiple Phase Inversion States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrnes, Tim; Forster, Gary; Tessler, Louis

2018-02-01

Grover's algorithm is a quantum search algorithm that proceeds by repeated applications of the Grover operator and the Oracle until the state evolves to one of the target states. In the standard version of the algorithm, the Grover operator inverts the sign on only one state. Here we provide an exact solution to the problem of performing Grover's search where the Grover operator inverts the sign on N states. We show the underlying structure in terms of the eigenspectrum of the generalized Hamiltonian, and derive an appropriate initial state to perform the Grover evolution. This allows us to use the quantum phase estimation algorithm to solve the search problem in this generalized case, completely bypassing the Grover algorithm altogether. We obtain a time complexity of this case of √{D /Mα }, where D is the search space dimension, M is the number of target states, and α ≈1 , which is close to the optimal scaling.

A framework for discrete stochastic simulation on 3D moving boundary domains

DOE PAGES

Drawert, Brian; Hellander, Stefan; Trogdon, Michael; ...

2016-11-14

We have developed a method for modeling spatial stochastic biochemical reactions in complex, three-dimensional, and time-dependent domains using the reaction-diffusion master equation formalism. In particular, we look to address the fully coupled problems that arise in systems biology where the shape and mechanical properties of a cell are determined by the state of the biochemistry and vice versa. To validate our method and characterize the error involved, we compare our results for a carefully constructed test problem to those of a microscale implementation. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by simulating a model of polarization and shmoo formationmore » during the mating of yeast. The method is generally applicable to problems in systems biology where biochemistry and mechanics are coupled, and spatial stochastic effects are critical.« less

Directed electromagnetic wave propagation in 1D metamaterial: Projecting operators method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ampilogov, Dmitrii; Leble, Sergey

2016-07-01

We consider a boundary problem for 1D electrodynamics modeling of a pulse propagation in a metamaterial medium. We build and apply projecting operators to a Maxwell system in time domain that allows to split the linear propagation problem to directed waves for a material relations with general dispersion. Matrix elements of the projectors act as convolution integral operators. For a weak nonlinearity we generalize the linear results still for arbitrary dispersion and derive the system of interacting right/left waves with combined (hybrid) amplitudes. The result is specified for the popular metamaterial model with Drude formula for both permittivity and permeability coefficients. We also discuss and investigate stationary solutions of the system related to some boundary regimes.

76 FR 19661 - Response to Petition From New Jersey Regarding SO2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-07

... will be needed in certain States to address PM 2.5 nonattainment and maintenance problems in other States. See 75 FR 45129-21 (discussing the air quality problems and the specific NAAQS addressed by the... North Carolina v. EPA, 531 F.3d 896, modified on reh'g, 550 F.3d 1176 (DC Cir. 2006). The problems...

Intuitive Visualization of Transient Flow: Towards a Full 3D Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, Isabel; Schröder, Simon; Seidel, Torsten; König, Christoph

2015-04-01

Visualization of geoscientific data is a challenging task especially when targeting a non-professional audience. In particular, the graphical presentation of transient vector data can be a significant problem. With STRING Fraunhofer ITWM (Kaiserslautern, Germany) in collaboration with delta h Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (Witten, Germany) developed a commercial software for intuitive 2D visualization of 3D flow problems. Through the intuitive character of the visualization experts can more easily transport their findings to non-professional audiences. In STRING pathlets moving with the flow provide an intuition of velocity and direction of both steady-state and transient flow fields. The visualization concept is based on the Lagrangian view of the flow which means that the pathlets' movement is along the direction given by pathlines. In order to capture every detail of the flow an advanced method for intelligent, time-dependent seeding of the pathlets is implemented based on ideas of the Finite Pointset Method (FPM) originally conceived at and continuously developed by Fraunhofer ITWM. Furthermore, by the same method pathlets are removed during the visualization to avoid visual cluttering. Additional scalar flow attributes, for example concentration or potential, can either be mapped directly to the pathlets or displayed in the background of the pathlets on the 2D visualization plane. The extensive capabilities of STRING are demonstrated with the help of different applications in groundwater modeling. We will discuss the strengths and current restrictions of STRING which have surfaced during daily use of the software, for example by delta h. Although the software focusses on the graphical presentation of flow data for non-professional audiences its intuitive visualization has also proven useful to experts when investigating details of flow fields. Due to the popular reception of STRING and its limitation to 2D, the need arises for the extension to a full 3D tool. Currently STRING can generate animations of single 2D cuts, either planar or curved surfaces, through 3D simulation domains. To provide a general tool for experts enabling also direct exploration and analysis of large 3D flow fields the software needs to be extended to intuitive as well as interactive visualizations of entire 3D flow domains. The current research concerning this project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Germany), is presented.

A Review on Stereoscopic 3D: Home Entertainment for the Twenty First Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karajeh, Huda; Maqableh, Mahmoud; Masa'deh, Ra'ed

2014-12-01

In the last few years, stereoscopic developed very rapidly and employed in many different fields such as entertainment. Due to the importance of entertainment aspect of stereoscopic 3D (S3D) applications, a review of the current state of S3D development in entertainment technology is conducted. In this paper, a novel survey of the stereoscopic entertainment aspects is presented by discussing the significant development of a 3D cinema, the major development of 3DTV, the issues related to 3D video content and 3D video games. Moreover, we reviewed some problems that can be caused in the viewers' visual system from watching stereoscopic contents. Some stereoscopic viewers are not satisfied as they are frustrated from wearing glasses, have visual fatigue, complain from unavailability of 3D contents, and/or complain from some sickness. Therefore, we will discuss stereoscopic visual discomfort and to what extend the viewer will have an eye fatigue while watching 3D contents or playing 3D games. The suggested solutions in the literature for this problem are discussed.

Generalized five-dimensional dynamic and spectral factor analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

El Fakhri, Georges; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Zimmerman, Robert E.

2006-04-15

We have generalized the spectral factor analysis and the factor analysis of dynamic sequences (FADS) in SPECT imaging to a five-dimensional general factor analysis model (5D-GFA), where the five dimensions are the three spatial dimensions, photon energy, and time. The generalized model yields a significant advantage in terms of the ratio of the number of equations to that of unknowns in the factor analysis problem in dynamic SPECT studies. We solved the 5D model using a least-squares approach. In addition to the traditional non-negativity constraints, we constrained the solution using a priori knowledge of both time and energy, assuming thatmore » primary factors (spectra) are Gaussian-shaped with full-width at half-maximum equal to gamma camera energy resolution. 5D-GFA was validated in a simultaneous pre-/post-synaptic dual isotope dynamic phantom study where {sup 99m}Tc and {sup 123}I activities were used to model early Parkinson disease studies. 5D-GFA was also applied to simultaneous perfusion/dopamine transporter (DAT) dynamic SPECT in rhesus monkeys. In the striatal phantom, 5D-GFA yielded significantly more accurate and precise estimates of both primary {sup 99m}Tc (bias=6.4%{+-}4.3%) and {sup 123}I (-1.7%{+-}6.9%) time activity curves (TAC) compared to conventional FADS (biases=15.5%{+-}10.6% in {sup 99m}Tc and 8.3%{+-}12.7% in {sup 123}I, p<0.05). Our technique was also validated in two primate dynamic dual isotope perfusion/DAT transporter studies. Biases of {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO and {sup 123}I-DAT activity estimates with respect to estimates obtained in the presence of only one radionuclide (sequential imaging) were significantly lower with 5D-GFA (9.4%{+-}4.3% for {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO and 8.7%{+-}4.1% for {sup 123}I-DAT) compared to biases greater than 15% for volumes of interest (VOI) over the reconstructed volumes (p<0.05). 5D-GFA is a novel and promising approach in dynamic SPECT imaging that can also be used in other modalities. It allows accurate and precise dynamic analysis while compensating for Compton scatter and cross-talk.« less

On the Quality of Velocity Interpolation Schemes for Marker-in-Cell Method and Staggered Grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pusok, Adina E.; Kaus, Boris J. P.; Popov, Anton A.

2017-03-01

The marker-in-cell method is generally considered a flexible and robust method to model the advection of heterogenous non-diffusive properties (i.e., rock type or composition) in geodynamic problems. In this method, Lagrangian points carrying compositional information are advected with the ambient velocity field on an Eulerian grid. However, velocity interpolation from grid points to marker locations is often performed without considering the divergence of the velocity field at the interpolated locations (i.e., non-conservative). Such interpolation schemes can induce non-physical clustering of markers when strong velocity gradients are present (Journal of Computational Physics 166:218-252, 2001) and this may, eventually, result in empty grid cells, a serious numerical violation of the marker-in-cell method. To remedy this at low computational costs, Jenny et al. (Journal of Computational Physics 166:218-252, 2001) and Meyer and Jenny (Proceedings in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics 4:466-467, 2004) proposed a simple, conservative velocity interpolation scheme for 2-D staggered grid, while Wang et al. (Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 16(6):2015-2023, 2015) extended the formulation to 3-D finite element methods. Here, we adapt this formulation for 3-D staggered grids (correction interpolation) and we report on the quality of various velocity interpolation methods for 2-D and 3-D staggered grids. We test the interpolation schemes in combination with different advection schemes on incompressible Stokes problems with strong velocity gradients, which are discretized using a finite difference method. Our results suggest that a conservative formulation reduces the dispersion and clustering of markers, minimizing the need of unphysical marker control in geodynamic models.

A maximum entropy principle for inferring the distribution of 3D plasmoids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lingam, Manasvi; Comisso, Luca

The principle of maximum entropy, a powerful and general method for inferring the distribution function given a set of constraints, is applied to deduce the overall distribution of 3D plasmoids (flux ropes/tubes) for systems where resistive MHD is applicable and large numbers of plasmoids are produced. The analysis is undertaken for the 3D case, with mass, total flux, and velocity serving as the variables of interest, on account of their physical and observational relevance. The distribution functions for the mass, width, total flux, and helicity exhibit a power-law behavior with exponents of -4/3, -2, -3, and -2, respectively, for smallmore » values, whilst all of them display an exponential falloff for large values. In contrast, the velocity distribution, as a function of v=|v|, is shown to be flat for v→0, and becomes a power law with an exponent of -7/3 for v→∞. Most of these results are nearly independent of the free parameters involved in this specific problem. In conclusion, a preliminary comparison of our results with the observational evidence is presented, and some of the ensuing space and astrophysical implications are briefly discussed.« less

A maximum entropy principle for inferring the distribution of 3D plasmoids

DOE PAGES

Lingam, Manasvi; Comisso, Luca

2018-01-18

The principle of maximum entropy, a powerful and general method for inferring the distribution function given a set of constraints, is applied to deduce the overall distribution of 3D plasmoids (flux ropes/tubes) for systems where resistive MHD is applicable and large numbers of plasmoids are produced. The analysis is undertaken for the 3D case, with mass, total flux, and velocity serving as the variables of interest, on account of their physical and observational relevance. The distribution functions for the mass, width, total flux, and helicity exhibit a power-law behavior with exponents of -4/3, -2, -3, and -2, respectively, for smallmore » values, whilst all of them display an exponential falloff for large values. In contrast, the velocity distribution, as a function of v=|v|, is shown to be flat for v→0, and becomes a power law with an exponent of -7/3 for v→∞. Most of these results are nearly independent of the free parameters involved in this specific problem. In conclusion, a preliminary comparison of our results with the observational evidence is presented, and some of the ensuing space and astrophysical implications are briefly discussed.« less

Generalized source Finite Volume Method for radiative transfer equation in participating media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Biao; Xu, Chuan-Long; Wang, Shi-Min

2017-03-01

Temperature monitoring is very important in a combustion system. In recent years, non-intrusive temperature reconstruction has been explored intensively on the basis of calculating arbitrary directional radiative intensities. In this paper, a new method named Generalized Source Finite Volume Method (GSFVM) was proposed. It was based on radiative transfer equation and Finite Volume Method (FVM). This method can be used to calculate arbitrary directional radiative intensities and is proven to be accurate and efficient. To verify the performance of this method, six test cases of 1D, 2D, and 3D radiative transfer problems were investigated. The numerical results show that the efficiency of this method is close to the radial basis function interpolation method, but the accuracy and stability is higher than that of the interpolation method. The accuracy of the GSFVM is similar to that of the Backward Monte Carlo (BMC) algorithm, while the time required by the GSFVM is much shorter than that of the BMC algorithm. Therefore, the GSFVM can be used in temperature reconstruction and improvement on the accuracy of the FVM.

Neurocognitive dysfunction in problem gamblers with co-occurring antisocial personality disorder.

PubMed

Blum, Austin W; Leppink, Eric W; Grant, Jon E

2017-07-01

Problem gamblers with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) may represent a distinct problem gambling subtype, but the neurocognitive profile of individuals affected by both disorders is poorly characterized. Non-treatment-seeking young adults (18-29years) who gambled ≥5 times in the preceding year were recruited from the general community. Problem gamblers (defined as those meeting ≥1 DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder) with a lifetime history of ASPD (N=26) were identified using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and compared with controls (N=266) using questionnaire-based impulsivity scales and objective computerized neuropsychological tasks. Findings were uncorrected for multiple comparisons. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Problem gambling with ASPD was associated with significantly elevated gambling disorder symptoms, lower quality of life, greater psychiatric comorbidity, higher impulsivity questionnaire scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (d=0.4) and Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire (d=0.5), and impaired cognitive flexibility (d=0.4), executive planning (d=0.4), and an aspect of decision-making (d=0.6). Performance on measures of response inhibition, risk adjustment, and quality of decision making did not differ significantly between groups. These preliminary findings, though in need of replication, support the characterization of problem gambling with ASPD as a subtype of problem gambling associated with higher rates of impulsivity and executive function deficits. Taken together, these results may have treatment implications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of an internet-based problem-solving training for teachers: results of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Ebert, David Daniel; Lehr, Dirk; Boß, Leif; Riper, Heleen; Cuijpers, Pim; Andersson, Gerhard; Thiart, Hanne; Heber, Elena; Berking, Matthias

2014-11-01

The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the efficacy of internet-based problem-solving training (iPST) for employees in the educational sector (teachers) with depressive symptoms. The results of training were compared to those of a waitlist control group (WLC). One-hundred and fifty teachers with elevated depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D ≥16) were assigned to either the iPST or WLC group. The iPST consisted of five lessons, including problem-solving and rumination techniques. Symptoms were assessed before the intervention began and in follow-up assessments after seven weeks, three months, and six months. The primary outcome was depressive symptom severity (CES-D). Secondary outcomes included general and work-specific self-efficacy, perceived stress, pathological worries, burnout symptoms, general physical and mental health, and absenteeism. iPST participants displayed a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms after the intervention (d=0.59, 95% CI 0.26-0.92), after three months (d=0.37, 95% CI 0.05-0.70) and after six months (d=0.38, 95% CI 0.05-0.70) compared to the control group. The iPST participants also displayed significantly higher improvements in secondary outcomes. However, workplace absenteeism was not significantly affected. iPST is effective in reducing symptoms of depression among teachers. Disseminated on a large scale, iPST could contribute to reducing the burden of stress-related mental health problems among teachers. Future studies should evaluate iPST approaches for use in other working populations.

Stability of Blowup for a 1D Model of Axisymmetric 3D Euler Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, Tam; Kiselev, Alexander; Xu, Xiaoqian

2016-10-01

The question of the global regularity versus finite- time blowup in solutions of the 3D incompressible Euler equation is a major open problem of modern applied analysis. In this paper, we study a class of one-dimensional models of the axisymmetric hyperbolic boundary blow-up scenario for the 3D Euler equation proposed by Hou and Luo (Multiscale Model Simul 12:1722-1776, 2014) based on extensive numerical simulations. These models generalize the 1D Hou-Luo model suggested in Hou and Luo Luo and Hou (2014), for which finite-time blowup has been established in Choi et al. (arXiv preprint. arXiv:1407.4776, 2014). The main new aspects of this work are twofold. First, we establish finite-time blowup for a model that is a closer approximation of the three-dimensional case than the original Hou-Luo model, in the sense that it contains relevant lower-order terms in the Biot-Savart law that have been discarded in Hou and Luo Choi et al. (2014). Secondly, we show that the blow-up mechanism is quite robust, by considering a broader family of models with the same main term as in the Hou-Luo model. Such blow-up stability result may be useful in further work on understanding the 3D hyperbolic blow-up scenario.

Sensor fusion of phase measuring profilometry and stereo vision for three-dimensional inspection of electronic components assembled on printed circuit boards.

PubMed

Hong, Deokhwa; Lee, Hyunki; Kim, Min Young; Cho, Hyungsuck; Moon, Jeon Il

2009-07-20

Automatic optical inspection (AOI) for printed circuit board (PCB) assembly plays a very important role in modern electronics manufacturing industries. Well-developed inspection machines in each assembly process are required to ensure the manufacturing quality of the electronics products. However, generally almost all AOI machines are based on 2D image-analysis technology. In this paper, a 3D-measurement-method-based AOI system is proposed consisting of a phase shifting profilometer and a stereo vision system for assembled electronic components on a PCB after component mounting and the reflow process. In this system information from two visual systems is fused to extend the shape measurement range limited by 2pi phase ambiguity of the phase shifting profilometer, and finally to maintain fine measurement resolution and high accuracy of the phase shifting profilometer with the measurement range extended by the stereo vision. The main purpose is to overcome the low inspection reliability problem of 2D-based inspection machines by using 3D information of components. The 3D shape measurement results on PCB-mounted electronic components are shown and compared with results from contact and noncontact 3D measuring machines. Based on a series of experiments, the usefulness of the proposed sensor system and its fusion technique are discussed and analyzed in detail.

Discussion of Source Reconstruction Models Using 3D MCG Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melis, Massimo De; Uchikawa, Yoshinori

In this study we performed the source reconstruction of magnetocardiographic signals generated by the human heart activity to localize the site of origin of the heart activation. The localizations were performed in a four compartment model of the human volume conductor. The analyses were conducted on normal subjects and on a subject affected by the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Different models of the source activation were used to evaluate whether a general model of the current source can be applied in the study of the cardiac inverse problem. The data analyses were repeated using normal and vector component data of the MCG. The results show that a distributed source model has the better accuracy in performing the source reconstructions, and that 3D MCG data allow finding smaller differences between the different source models.

Documentation for the “XT3D” option in the Node Property Flow (NPF) Package of MODFLOW 6

USGS Publications Warehouse

Provost, Alden M.; Langevin, Christian D.; Hughes, Joseph D.

2017-08-10

This report describes the “XT3D” option in the Node Property Flow (NPF) Package of MODFLOW 6. The XT3D option extends the capabilities of MODFLOW by enabling simulation of fully three-dimensional anisotropy on regular or irregular grids in a way that properly takes into account the full, three-dimensional conductivity tensor. It can also improve the accuracy of groundwater-flow simulations in cases in which the model grid violates certain geometric requirements. Three example problems demonstrate the use of the XT3D option to simulate groundwater flow on irregular grids and through three-dimensional porous media with anisotropic hydraulic conductivity.Conceptually, the XT3D method of estimating flow between two MODFLOW 6 model cells can be viewed in terms of three main mathematical steps: construction of head-gradient estimates by interpolation; construction of fluid-flux estimates by application of the full, three-dimensional form of Darcy’s Law, in which the conductivity tensor can be heterogeneous and anisotropic; and construction of the flow expression by enforcement of continuity of flow across the cell interface. The resulting XT3D flow expression, which relates the flow across the cell interface to the values of heads computed at neighboring nodes, is the sum of terms in which conductance-like coefficients multiply head differences, as in the conductance-based flow expression the NPF Package uses by default. However, the XT3D flow expression contains terms that involve “neighbors of neighbors” of the two cells for which the flow is being calculated. These additional terms have no analog in the conductance-based formulation. When assembled into matrix form, the XT3D formulation results in a larger stencil than the conductance-based formulation; that is, each row of the coefficient matrix generally contains more nonzero elements. The “RHS” suboption can be used to avoid expanding the stencil by placing the additional terms on the right-hand side of the matrix equation and evaluating them at the previous iteration or time step.The XT3D option can be an alternative to the Ghost-Node Correction (GNC) Package. However, the XT3D formulation is typically more computationally intensive than the conductance-based formulation the NPF Package uses by default, either with or without ghost nodes. Before deciding whether to use the GNC Package or XT3D option for production runs, the user should consider whether the conductance-based formulation alone can provide acceptable accuracy for the particular problem being solved.

Fabrication of 3D polymer photonic crystals for near-IR applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Peng; Qiu, Liang; Shi, Shouyuan; Schneider, Garrett J.; Prather, Dennis W.; Sharkawy, Ahmed; Kelmelis, Eric

2008-02-01

Photonic crystals[1, 2] have stirred enormous research interest and became a growing enterprise in the last 15 years. Generally, PhCs consist of periodic structures that possess periodicity comparable with the wavelength that the PhCs are designed to modulate. If material and periodic pattern are properly selected, PhCs can be applied to many applications based on their unique properties, including photonic band gaps (PBG)[3], self-collimation[4], super prism[5], etc. Strictly speaking, PhCs need to possess periodicity in three dimensions to maximize their advantageous capabilities. However, many current research is based on scaled two-dimensional PhCs, mainly due to the difficulty of fabrication such three-dimensional PhCs. Many approaches have been explored for the fabrication of 3D photonic crystals, including layer-by-layer surface micromachining[6], glancing angle deposition[7], 3D micro-sculpture method[8], self-assembly[9] and lithographical methods[10-12]. Among them, lithographic methods became increasingly accepted due to low costs and precise control over the photonic crystal structure. There are three mostly developed lithographical methods, namely X-ray lithography[10], holographic lithography[11] and two-photon polymerization[12]. Although significant progress has been made in developing these lithography-based technologies, these approaches still suffer from significant disadvantages. X-ray lithography relies on an expensive radiation source. Holographic lithography lacks the flexibility to create engineered defects, and multi-photon polymerization is not suitable for parallel fabrication. In our previous work, we developed a multi-layer photolithography processes[13, 14] that is based on multiple resist application and enhanced absorption upon exposure. Using a negative lift-off resist (LOR) and 254nm DUV source, we have demonstrated fabrication of 3D arbitrary structures with feature size of several microns. However, severe intermixing problem occurred as we reduced the lattice constant for near-IR applications. In this work, we address this problem by employing SU8. The exposure is vertically confined by using a mismatched 220nm DUV source. Intermixing problem is eliminated due to more densely crosslinked resist molecules. Using this method, we have demonstrated 3D "woodpile" structure with 1.55μm lattice constant and a 2mm-by-2mm pattern area.

An Investigation of Conformal Field Theory: Understanding the Conformal and Weyl Symmetries and Constraining Theories with Energy Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prilepina, Valentina V.

This thesis represents an investigation of topics in conformal field theory (CFT). Here we discuss three new contributions to this area. The first one relates to the famous problem of scale versus conformal invariance in d = 4. We give an argument that rules out a serious loophole present in relevant arguments for the conjecture that scale implies conformal invariance in 4D local unitary quantum field theories, namely that the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T could potentially be a generalized free field. Our argument hinges on the observation that any 4D unitary theory endowed with scale but not conformal invariance necessarily has a non-vanishing anomaly for global scale transformations. We show that this anomaly cannot be reproduced if T is a generalized free field unless a dimension-2 scalar operator is present in the theory. In the case that the theory does contain such an operator, we demonstrate that it can be exploited to redefine or "improve" Tmunu such that there is always at least one possible improvement of T which is not a generalized free field. This argument thus essentially excludes this option in a 4D unitary scale but not conformally invariant theory. Our next contribution relates to using energy positivity conditions to place constraints on conformal field theories. We propose a new special kind of weak energy condition with spacetime averaging over a finite region of length scale L to suppress quantum fluctuations. Our Spacetime Averaged Weak Energy Condition (SAWEC) is a novel completely local inequality closely related to the positivity of total energy. It is a proposed bound on the energy density of the form T00 ≥ -C/L4, where L is the size of the smearing region, and C is a positive theory-dependent constant. We motivate this condition as a fundamental consistency requirement for any 4D quantum field theory. We argue that violation of this statement would have serious undesirable consequences for a theory. In particular, the theory would contain states indistinguishable from states of negative total energy by any local measurement, which would lead to unphysical instabilities. We apply the condition to 4D and 3D CFTs and derive bounds on the OPE coefficients of these theories. Interestingly, these conditions imply the positivity of the 2-point function of the energy-momentum tensor. Our 4D bounds are weaker than the "conformal collider" constraints of Hofman and Maldacena, which were rigorously established fairly recently. All calculations were carried out in momentum space using Wightman correlation functions. These methods may also be interesting on their own. The third contribution relates to the problem of the enhancement of conformal invariance in flat spacetime to Weyl invariance in curved spacetime. We restrict attention to all unitary quantum field theories and put forward a compelling argument for the statement that for all spacetime dimensions d ≤ 10, conformal invariance in flat spacetime implies Weyl invariance in a general curved background metric. In addition, we examine possible curvature corrections to the Weyl transformation laws of operators and show that these corrections are in fact absent for sufficiently low operator dimension and spin. In particular, we demonstrate this for an important class of operators, namely relevant scalar operators in d ≤ 6, and find that the Weyl transformations of these operators are the standard ones. Moreover, we find a class of consistent 'anomalous' curvature corrections proportional to the Weyl (Cotton) tensor in d > 3 (d = 3) spacetime dimensions. The arguments rely on algebraic consistency conditions reminiscent of the famous Wess-Zumino consistency conditions employed for the classification of Weyl anomalies. We anticipate that they can be extended to higher spacetime dimensions and for more general operators at the price of higher algebraic complexity.

Topological defects in alternative theories to cosmic inflation and string cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Stephon H. S.

The physics of the Early Universe is described in terms of the inflationary paradigm, which is based on a marriage between Einstein's general theory of relativity minimally coupled to quantum field theory. Inflation was posed to solve some of the outstanding problems of the Standard Big Bang Cosmology (SBB) such as the horizon, formation of structure and monopole problems. Despite its observational and theoretical successes, inflation is plagued with fine tuning and initial singularity problems. On the other hand, superstring/M theory, a theory of quantum gravity, possesses symmetries which naturally avoid space-time singularities. This thesis investigates alternative theories to cosmic inflation for solving the initial singularity, horizon and monopole problems, making use of topological defects. It was proposed by Dvali, Liu and Vaschaspati that the monopole problem can be solved without inflation if domain walls "sweep" up the monopoles in the early universe, thus reducing their number density significantly. Necessary for this mechanism to work is the presence of an attractive force between the monopole and the domain wall as well as a channel for the monopole's unwinding. We show numerically and analytically in two field theory models that for global defects the attraction is a universal result but the unwinding is model specific. The second part of this thesis investigates a string/M theory inspired model for solving the horizon problem. It was proposed by Moffat, Albrecht and Magueijo that the horizon problem is solved with a "phase transition" associated with a varying speed of light before the surface of last scattering. We provide a string/M theory mechanism based on assuming that our space-time is a D-3 brane probing a bulk supergravity black hole bulk background. This mechanism provides the necessary time variation of the velocity of light to solve the horizon problem. We suggest a mechanism which stablilizes the speed of light on the D-3 brane. We finally address the cosmological initial singularity problem using the target space duality inherent in string/M theory. It was suggested by Brandenberger and Vafa that superstring theory can solve the singularity problem and in addition explain why only three spatial dimensions can become large. We show that under specific conditions this mechanism still persists when including the effects of D-branes.

Heritage House Maintenance Using 3d City Model Application Domain Extension Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd, Z. H.; Ujang, U.; Liat Choon, T.

2017-11-01

Heritage house is part of the architectural heritage of Malaysia that highly valued. Many efforts by the Department of Heritage to preserve this heritage house such as monitoring the damage problems of heritage house. The damage problems of heritage house might be caused by wooden decay, roof leakage and exfoliation of wall. One of the initiatives for maintaining and documenting this heritage house is through Three-dimensional (3D) of technology. 3D city models are widely used now and much used by researchers for management and analysis. CityGML is a standard tool that usually used by researchers to exchange, storing and managing virtual 3D city models either geometric and semantic information. Moreover, it also represent multi-scale of 3D model in five level of details (LoDs) whereby each of level give a distinctive functions. The extension of CityGML was recently introduced and can be used for problems monitoring and the number of habitants of a house.

Parallelized modelling and solution scheme for hierarchically scaled simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padovan, Joe

1995-01-01

This two-part paper presents the results of a benchmarked analytical-numerical investigation into the operational characteristics of a unified parallel processing strategy for implicit fluid mechanics formulations. This hierarchical poly tree (HPT) strategy is based on multilevel substructural decomposition. The Tree morphology is chosen to minimize memory, communications and computational effort. The methodology is general enough to apply to existing finite difference (FD), finite element (FEM), finite volume (FV) or spectral element (SE) based computer programs without an extensive rewrite of code. In addition to finding large reductions in memory, communications, and computational effort associated with a parallel computing environment, substantial reductions are generated in the sequential mode of application. Such improvements grow with increasing problem size. Along with a theoretical development of general 2-D and 3-D HPT, several techniques for expanding the problem size that the current generation of computers are capable of solving, are presented and discussed. Among these techniques are several interpolative reduction methods. It was found that by combining several of these techniques that a relatively small interpolative reduction resulted in substantial performance gains. Several other unique features/benefits are discussed in this paper. Along with Part 1's theoretical development, Part 2 presents a numerical approach to the HPT along with four prototype CFD applications. These demonstrate the potential of the HPT strategy.

Distance preservation in color image transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santini, Simone

1999-12-01

Most current image processing systems work on color images, and color is a precious perceptual clue for determining image similarity. Working with color images, however, is not the sam thing as working with images taking values in a 3D Euclidean space. Not only are color spaces bounded, but the characteristics of the observer endow the space with a 'perceptual' metric that in general does not correspond to the metric naturally inherited from R3. This paper studies the problem of filtering color images abstractly. It begins by determining the properties of the color sum and color product operations such that he desirable properties of orthonormal bases will be preserved. The paper then defines a general scheme, based on the action of the additive group on the color space, by which operations that satisfy the required properties can be defined.

Validation and Comparison of 2D and 3D Codes for Nearshore Motion of Long Waves Using Benchmark Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velioǧlu, Deniz; Cevdet Yalçıner, Ahmet; Zaytsev, Andrey

2016-04-01

Tsunamis are huge waves with long wave periods and wave lengths that can cause great devastation and loss of life when they strike a coast. The interest in experimental and numerical modeling of tsunami propagation and inundation increased considerably after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake. In this study, two numerical codes, FLOW 3D and NAMI DANCE, that analyze tsunami propagation and inundation patterns are considered. Flow 3D simulates linear and nonlinear propagating surface waves as well as long waves by solving three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (3D-NS) equations. NAMI DANCE uses finite difference computational method to solve 2D depth-averaged linear and nonlinear forms of shallow water equations (NSWE) in long wave problems, specifically tsunamis. In order to validate these two codes and analyze the differences between 3D-NS and 2D depth-averaged NSWE equations, two benchmark problems are applied. One benchmark problem investigates the runup of long waves over a complex 3D beach. The experimental setup is a 1:400 scale model of Monai Valley located on the west coast of Okushiri Island, Japan. Other benchmark problem is discussed in 2015 National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) Annual meeting in Portland, USA. It is a field dataset, recording the Japan 2011 tsunami in Hilo Harbor, Hawaii. The computed water surface elevation and velocity data are compared with the measured data. The comparisons showed that both codes are in fairly good agreement with each other and benchmark data. The differences between 3D-NS and 2D depth-averaged NSWE equations are highlighted. All results are presented with discussions and comparisons. Acknowledgements: Partial support by Japan-Turkey Joint Research Project by JICA on earthquakes and tsunamis in Marmara Region (JICA SATREPS - MarDiM Project), 603839 ASTARTE Project of EU, UDAP-C-12-14 project of AFAD Turkey, 108Y227, 113M556 and 213M534 projects of TUBITAK Turkey, RAPSODI (CONCERT_Dis-021) of CONCERT-Japan Joint Call and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality are all acknowledged.

Nonlinear dynamics of 3D beams of fast magnetosonic waves propagating in the ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belashov, V. Yu.; Belashova, E. S.

2016-11-01

On the basis of the model of the three-dimensional (3D) generalized Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation for magnetic field h = B / B the formation, stability, and dynamics of 3D soliton-like structures, such as the beams of fast magnetosonic (FMS) waves generated in ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma at a low-frequency branch of oscillations when β = 4 πnT/ B 2 ≪ 1 and β > 1, are studied. The study takes into account the highest dispersion correction determined by values of the plasma parameters and the angle θ = ( B, k), which plays a key role in the FMS beam propagation at those angles to the magnetic field that are close to π/2. The stability of multidimensional solutions is studied by an investigation of the Hamiltonian boundness under its deformations on the basis of solving of the corresponding variational problem. The evolution and dynamics of the 3D FMS wave beam are studied by the numerical integration of equations with the use of specially developed methods. The results can be interpreted in terms of the self-focusing phenomenon, as the formation of a stationary beam and the scattering and self-focusing of the solitary beam of FMS waves. These cases were studied with a detailed investigation of all evolutionary stages of the 3D FMS wave beams in the ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma.

On a strong solution of the non-stationary Navier-Stokes equations under slip or leak boundary conditions of friction type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashiwabara, Takahito

Strong solutions of the non-stationary Navier-Stokes equations under non-linearized slip or leak boundary conditions are investigated. We show that the problems are formulated by a variational inequality of parabolic type, to which uniqueness is established. Using Galerkin's method and deriving a priori estimates, we prove global and local existence for 2D and 3D slip problems respectively. For leak problems, under no-leak assumption at t=0 we prove local existence in 2D and 3D cases. Compatibility conditions for initial states play a significant role in the estimates.

Certified Nurse Assistant Certification Examination Test Booklet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonnot, Lois; And Others

This document contains four certification examinations (Forms A-D) for a certified nurse assistant in Missouri. Each of the four test booklets contains general instructions for completing the information section of the answer sheet, general instructions for taking the certification examination, and 100 questions. All test problems are in a…

An assessment of RELAP5-3D using the Edwards-O'Brien Blowdown problem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomlinson, E.T.; Aumiller, D.L.

1999-07-01

The RELAP5-3D (version bt) computer code was used to assess the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Standard Problem 1 (Edwards-O'Brien Blowdown Test). The RELAP5-3D standard installation problem based on the Edwards-O'Brien Blowdown Test was modified to model the appropriate initial conditions and to represent the proper location of the instruments present in the experiment. The results obtained using the modified model are significantly different from the original calculation indicating the need to model accurately the experimental conditions if an accurate assessment of the calculational model is to be obtained.

Predicting non-square 2D dice probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pender, G. A. T.; Uhrin, M.

2014-07-01

The prediction of the final state probabilities of a general cuboid randomly thrown onto a surface is a problem that naturally arises in the minds of men and women familiar with regular cubic dice and the basic concepts of probability. Indeed, it was considered by Newton in 1664 (Newton 1967 The Mathematical Papers of Issac Newton vol I (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) pp 60-1). In this paper we make progress on the 2D problem (which can be realized in 3D by considering a long cuboid, or alternatively a rectangular cross-sectioned dreidel). For the two-dimensional case we suggest that the ratio of the probabilities of landing on each of the two sides is given by \\frac{\\sqrt{{{k}^{2}}+{{l}^{2}}}-k}{\\sqrt{{{k}^{2}}+{{l}^{2}}}-l}\\frac{arctan \\frac{l}{k}}{arctan \\frac{k}{l}} where k and l are the lengths of the two sides. We test this theory both experimentally and computationally, and find good agreement between our theory, experimental and computational results. Our theory is known, from its derivation, to be an approximation for particularly bouncy or ‘grippy’ surfaces where the die rolls through many revolutions before settling. On real surfaces we would expect (and we observe) that the true probability ratio for a 2D die is a somewhat closer to unity than predicted by our theory. This problem may also have wider relevance in the testing of physics engines.

3D kinematics using dual quaternions: theory and applications in neuroscience

PubMed Central

Leclercq, Guillaume; Lefèvre, Philippe; Blohm, Gunnar

2013-01-01

In behavioral neuroscience, many experiments are developed in 1 or 2 spatial dimensions, but when scientists tackle problems in 3-dimensions (3D), they often face problems or new challenges. Results obtained for lower dimensions are not always extendable in 3D. In motor planning of eye, gaze or arm movements, or sensorimotor transformation problems, the 3D kinematics of external (stimuli) or internal (body parts) must often be considered: how to describe the 3D position and orientation of these objects and link them together? We describe how dual quaternions provide a convenient way to describe the 3D kinematics for position only (point transformation) or for combined position and orientation (through line transformation), easily modeling rotations, translations or screw motions or combinations of these. We also derive expressions for the velocities of points and lines as well as the transformation velocities. Then, we apply these tools to a motor planning task for manual tracking and to the modeling of forward and inverse kinematics of a seven-dof three-link arm to show the interest of dual quaternions as a tool to build models for these kinds of applications. PMID:23443667

Application of a distributed network in computational fluid dynamic simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, Manish; Feng, Jinzhang; Merkle, Charles L.; Deshpande, Ashish

1994-01-01

A general-purpose 3-D, incompressible Navier-Stokes algorithm is implemented on a network of concurrently operating workstations using parallel virtual machine (PVM) and compared with its performance on a CRAY Y-MP and on an Intel iPSC/860. The problem is relatively computationally intensive, and has a communication structure based primarily on nearest-neighbor communication, making it ideally suited to message passing. Such problems are frequently encountered in computational fluid dynamics (CDF), and their solution is increasingly in demand. The communication structure is explicitly coded in the implementation to fully exploit the regularity in message passing in order to produce a near-optimal solution. Results are presented for various grid sizes using up to eight processors.

3D transient electromagnetic simulation using a modified correspondence principle for wave and diffusion fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Y.; Ji, Y.; Egbert, G. D.

2015-12-01

The fictitious time domain method (FTD), based on the correspondence principle for wave and diffusion fields, has been developed and used over the past few years primarily for marine electromagnetic (EM) modeling. Here we present results of our efforts to apply the FTD approach to land and airborne TEM problems which can reduce the computer time several orders of magnitude and preserve high accuracy. In contrast to the marine case, where sources are in the conductive sea water, we must model the EM fields in the air; to allow for topography air layers must be explicitly included in the computational domain. Furthermore, because sources for most TEM applications generally must be modeled as finite loops, it is useful to solve directly for the impulse response appropriate to the problem geometry, instead of the point-source Green functions typically used for marine problems. Our approach can be summarized as follows: (1) The EM diffusion equation is transformed to a fictitious wave equation. (2) The FTD wave equation is solved with an explicit finite difference time-stepping scheme, with CPML (Convolutional PML) boundary conditions for the whole computational domain including the air and earth , with FTD domain source corresponding to the actual transmitter geometry. Resistivity of the air layers is kept as low as possible, to compromise between efficiency (longer fictitious time step) and accuracy. We have generally found a host/air resistivity contrast of 10-3 is sufficient. (3)A "Modified" Fourier Transform (MFT) allow us recover system's impulse response from the fictitious time domain to the diffusion (frequency) domain. (4) The result is multiplied by the Fourier transformation （FT） of the real source current avoiding time consuming convolutions in the time domain. (5) The inverse FT is employed to get the final full waveform and full time response of the system in the time domain. In general, this method can be used to efficiently solve most time-domain EM simulation problems for non-point sources.

3D Data Acquisition Platform for Human Activity Understanding

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-02

address fundamental research problems of representation and invariant description of3D data, human motion modeling and applications of human activity analysis, and computational optimization of large-scale 3D data.

3D Data Acquisition Platform for Human Activity Understanding

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-02

address fundamental research problems of representation and invariant description of 3D data, human motion modeling and applications of human activity analysis, and computational optimization of large-scale 3D data.

Dual-color 3D superresolution microscopy by combined spectral-demixing and biplane imaging.

PubMed

Winterflood, Christian M; Platonova, Evgenia; Albrecht, David; Ewers, Helge

2015-07-07

Multicolor three-dimensional (3D) superresolution techniques allow important insight into the relative organization of cellular structures. While a number of innovative solutions have emerged, multicolor 3D techniques still face significant technical challenges. In this Letter we provide a straightforward approach to single-molecule localization microscopy imaging in three dimensions and two colors. We combine biplane imaging and spectral-demixing, which eliminates a number of problems, including color cross-talk, chromatic aberration effects, and problems with color registration. We present 3D dual-color images of nanoscopic structures in hippocampal neurons with a 3D compound resolution routinely achieved only in a single color. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized fictitious methods for fluid-structure interactions: Analysis and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yue; Baek, Hyoungsu; Karniadakis, George Em

2013-07-01

We present a new fictitious pressure method for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems in incompressible flow by generalizing the fictitious mass and damping methods we published previously in [1]. The fictitious pressure method involves modification of the fluid solver whereas the fictitious mass and damping methods modify the structure solver. We analyze all fictitious methods for simplified problems and obtain explicit expressions for the optimal reduction factor (convergence rate index) at the FSI interface [2]. This analysis also demonstrates an apparent similarity of fictitious methods to the FSI approach based on Robin boundary conditions, which have been found to be very effective in FSI problems. We implement all methods, including the semi-implicit Robin based coupling method, in the context of spectral element discretization, which is more sensitive to temporal instabilities than low-order methods. However, the methods we present here are simple and general, and hence applicable to FSI based on any other spatial discretization. In numerical tests, we verify the selection of optimal values for the fictitious parameters for simplified problems and for vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) even at zero mass ratio ("for-ever-resonance"). We also develop an empirical a posteriori analysis for complex geometries and apply it to 3D patient-specific flexible brain arteries with aneurysms for very large deformations. We demonstrate that the fictitious pressure method enhances stability and convergence, and is comparable or better in most cases to the Robin approach or the other fictitious methods.

Crashworthiness simulations with DYNA3D

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schauer, D.A.; Hoover, C.G.; Kay, G.J.

1996-04-01

Current progress in parallel algorithm research and applications in vehicle crash simulation is described for the explicit, finite element algorithms in DYNA3D. Problem partitioning methods and parallel algorithms for contact at material interfaces are the two challenging algorithm research problems that are addressed. Two prototype parallel contact algorithms have been developed for treating the cases of local and arbitrary contact. Demonstration problems for local contact are crashworthiness simulations with 222 locally defined contact surfaces and a vehicle/barrier collision modeled with arbitrary contact. A simulation of crash tests conducted for a vehicle impacting a U-channel small sign post embedded in soilmore » has been run on both the serial and parallel versions of DYNA3D. A significant reduction in computational time has been observed when running these problems on the parallel version. However, to achieve maximum efficiency, complex problems must be appropriately partitioned, especially when contact dominates the computation.« less

Geometric Reasoning for Automated Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Bradley J.; Knight, Russell L.; Broderick, Daniel

2012-01-01

An important aspect of mission planning for NASA s operation of the International Space Station is the allocation and management of space for supplies and equipment. The Stowage, Configuration Analysis, and Operations Planning teams collaborate to perform the bulk of that planning. A Geometric Reasoning Engine is developed in a way that can be shared by the teams to optimize item placement in the context of crew planning. The ISS crew spends (at the time of this writing) a third or more of their time moving supplies and equipment around. Better logistical support and optimized packing could make a significant impact on operational efficiency of the ISS. Currently, computational geometry and motion planning do not focus specifically on the optimized orientation and placement of 3D objects based on multiple distance and containment preferences and constraints. The software performs reasoning about the manipulation of 3D solid models in order to maximize an objective function based on distance. It optimizes for 3D orientation and placement. Spatial placement optimization is a general problem and can be applied to object packing or asset relocation.

Non-lambertian reflectance modeling and shape recovery of faces using tensor splines.

PubMed

Kumar, Ritwik; Barmpoutis, Angelos; Banerjee, Arunava; Vemuri, Baba C

2011-03-01

Modeling illumination effects and pose variations of a face is of fundamental importance in the field of facial image analysis. Most of the conventional techniques that simultaneously address both of these problems work with the Lambertian assumption and thus fall short of accurately capturing the complex intensity variation that the facial images exhibit or recovering their 3D shape in the presence of specularities and cast shadows. In this paper, we present a novel Tensor-Spline-based framework for facial image analysis. We show that, using this framework, the facial apparent BRDF field can be accurately estimated while seamlessly accounting for cast shadows and specularities. Further, using local neighborhood information, the same framework can be exploited to recover the 3D shape of the face (to handle pose variation). We quantitatively validate the accuracy of the Tensor Spline model using a more general model based on the mixture of single-lobed spherical functions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique by presenting extensive experimental results for face relighting, 3D shape recovery, and face recognition using the Extended Yale B and CMU PIE benchmark data sets.

Regularity of the 3D Navier-Stokes equations with viewpoint of 2D flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Hyeong-Ohk

2018-04-01

The regularity of 2D Navier-Stokes flow is well known. In this article we study the relationship of 3D and 2D flow, and the regularity of the 3D Naiver-Stokes equations with viewpoint of 2D equations. We consider the problem in the Cartesian and in the cylindrical coordinates.

Development of Gentle Slope Light Guide Structure in a 3.4 μm Pixel Pitch Global Shutter CMOS Image Sensor with Multiple Accumulation Shutter Technology.

PubMed

Sekine, Hiroshi; Kobayashi, Masahiro; Onuki, Yusuke; Kawabata, Kazunari; Tsuboi, Toshiki; Matsuno, Yasushi; Takahashi, Hidekazu; Inoue, Shunsuke; Ichikawa, Takeshi

2017-12-09

CMOS image sensors (CISs) with global shutter (GS) function are strongly required in order to avoid image degradation. However, CISs with GS function have generally been inferior to the rolling shutter (RS) CIS in performance, because they have more components. This problem is remarkable in small pixel pitch. The newly developed 3.4 µm pitch GS CIS solves this problem by using multiple accumulation shutter technology and the gentle slope light guide structure. As a result, the developed GS pixel achieves 1.8 e - temporal noise and 16,200 e - full well capacity with charge domain memory in 120 fps operation. The sensitivity and parasitic light sensitivity are 28,000 e - /lx·s and -89 dB, respectively. Moreover, the incident light angle dependence of sensitivity and parasitic light sensitivity are improved by the gentle slope light guide structure.

Density functional plus dynamical mean-field theory of the metal-insulator transition in early transition-metal oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hung T.; Ai, Xinyuan; Millis, Andrew J.; Marianetti, Chris A.

2014-09-01

The combination of density functional theory and single-site dynamical mean-field theory, using both Hartree and full continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solvers, is used to study the metal-insulator phase diagram of perovskite transition-metal oxides of the form ABO3 with a rare-earth ion A =Sr, La, Y and transition metal B =Ti, V, Cr. The correlated subspace is constructed from atomiclike d orbitals defined using maximally localized Wannier functions derived from the full p-d manifold; for comparison, results obtained using a projector method are also given. Paramagnetic DFT + DMFT computations using full charge self-consistency along with the standard "fully localized limit" (FLL) double counting are shown to incorrectly predict that LaTiO3, YTiO3, LaVO3, and SrMnO3 are metals. A more general examination of the dependence of physical properties on the mean p-d energy splitting, the occupancy of the correlated d states, the double-counting correction, and the lattice structure demonstrates the importance of charge-transfer physics even in the early transition-metal oxides and elucidates the factors underlying the failure of the standard approximations. If the double counting is chosen to produce a p-d splitting consistent with experimental spectra, single-site dynamical mean-field theory provides a reasonable account of the materials properties. The relation of the results to those obtained from "d-only" models in which the correlation problem is based on the frontier orbital p-d antibonding bands is determined. It is found that if an effective interaction U is properly chosen the d-only model provides a good account of the physics of the d1 and d2 materials.

Evolution of the single-mode Rayleigh-Taylor instability under the influence of time-dependent accelerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramaprabhu, P.; Karkhanis, V.; Banerjee, R.; Varshochi, H.; Khan, M.; Lawrie, A. G. W.

2016-01-01

From nonlinear models and direct numerical simulations we report on several findings of relevance to the single-mode Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability driven by time-varying acceleration histories. The incompressible, direct numerical simulations (DNSs) were performed in two (2D) and three dimensions (3D), and at a range of density ratios of the fluid combinations (characterized by the Atwood number). We investigated several acceleration histories, including acceleration profiles of the general form g (t ) ˜tn , with n ≥0 and acceleration histories reminiscent of the linear electric motor experiments. For the 2D flow, results from numerical simulations compare well with a 2D potential flow model and solutions to a drag-buoyancy model reported as part of this work. When the simulations are extended to three dimensions, bubble and spike growth rates are in agreement with the so-called level 2 and level 3 models of Mikaelian [K. O. Mikaelian, Phys. Rev. E 79, 065303(R) (2009), 10.1103/PhysRevE.79.065303], and with corresponding 3D drag-buoyancy model solutions derived in this article. Our generalization of the RT problem to study variable g (t ) affords us the opportunity to investigate the appropriate scaling for bubble and spike amplitudes under these conditions. We consider two candidates, the displacement Z and width s2, but find the appropriate scaling is dependent on the density ratios between the fluids—at low density ratios, bubble and spike amplitudes are explained by both s2 and Z , while at large density differences the displacement collapses the spike data. Finally, for all the acceleration profiles studied here, spikes enter a free-fall regime at lower Atwood numbers than predicted by all the models.

Multi-scale modeling of tsunami flows and tsunami-induced forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, X.; Motley, M. R.; LeVeque, R. J.; Gonzalez, F. I.

2016-12-01

The modeling of tsunami flows and tsunami-induced forces in coastal communities with the incorporation of the constructed environment is challenging for many numerical modelers because of the scale and complexity of the physical problem. A two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged model can be efficient for modeling of waves offshore but may not be accurate enough to predict the complex flow with transient variance in vertical direction around constructed environments on land. On the other hand, using a more complex three-dimensional model is much more computational expensive and can become impractical due to the size of the problem and the meshing requirements near the built environment. In this study, a 2D depth-integrated model and a 3D Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model are built to model a 1:50 model-scale, idealized community, representative of Seaside, OR, USA, for which existing experimental data is available for comparison. Numerical results from the two numerical models are compared with each other as well as experimental measurement. Both models predict the flow parameters (water level, velocity, and momentum flux in the vicinity of the buildings) accurately, in general, except for time period near the initial impact, where the depth-averaged models can fail to capture the complexities in the flow. Forces predicted using direct integration of predicted pressure on structural surfaces from the 3D model and using momentum flux from the 2D model with constructed environment are compared, which indicates that force prediction from the 2D model is not always reliable in such a complicated case. Force predictions from integration of the pressure are also compared with forces predicted from bare earth momentum flux calculations to reveal the importance of incorporating the constructed environment in force prediction models.

3D first-arrival traveltime tomography with modified total variation regularization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wenbin; Zhang, Jie

2018-02-01

Three-dimensional (3D) seismic surveys have become a major tool in the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. 3D seismic first-arrival traveltime tomography is a robust method for near-surface velocity estimation. A common approach for stabilizing the ill-posed inverse problem is to apply Tikhonov regularization to the inversion. However, the Tikhonov regularization method recovers smooth local structures while blurring the sharp features in the model solution. We present a 3D first-arrival traveltime tomography method with modified total variation (MTV) regularization to preserve sharp velocity contrasts and improve the accuracy of velocity inversion. To solve the minimization problem of the new traveltime tomography method, we decouple the original optimization problem into two following subproblems: a standard traveltime tomography problem with the traditional Tikhonov regularization and a L2 total variation problem. We apply the conjugate gradient method and split-Bregman iterative method to solve these two subproblems, respectively. Our synthetic examples show that the new method produces higher resolution models than the conventional traveltime tomography with Tikhonov regularization. We apply the technique to field data. The stacking section shows significant improvements with static corrections from the MTV traveltime tomography.

Stochastic search, optimization and regression with energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannah, Lauren A.

Designing clean energy systems will be an important task over the next few decades. One of the major roadblocks is a lack of mathematical tools to economically evaluate those energy systems. However, solutions to these mathematical problems are also of interest to the operations research and statistical communities in general. This thesis studies three problems that are of interest to the energy community itself or provide support for solution methods: R&D portfolio optimization, nonparametric regression and stochastic search with an observable state variable. First, we consider the one stage R&D portfolio optimization problem to avoid the sequential decision process associated with the multi-stage. The one stage problem is still difficult because of a non-convex, combinatorial decision space and a non-convex objective function. We propose a heuristic solution method that uses marginal project values---which depend on the selected portfolio---to create a linear objective function. In conjunction with the 0-1 decision space, this new problem can be solved as a knapsack linear program. This method scales well to large decision spaces. We also propose an alternate, provably convergent algorithm that does not exploit problem structure. These methods are compared on a solid oxide fuel cell R&D portfolio problem. Next, we propose Dirichlet Process mixtures of Generalized Linear Models (DPGLM), a new method of nonparametric regression that accommodates continuous and categorical inputs, and responses that can be modeled by a generalized linear model. We prove conditions for the asymptotic unbiasedness of the DP-GLM regression mean function estimate. We also give examples for when those conditions hold, including models for compactly supported continuous distributions and a model with continuous covariates and categorical response. We empirically analyze the properties of the DP-GLM and why it provides better results than existing Dirichlet process mixture regression models. We evaluate DP-GLM on several data sets, comparing it to modern methods of nonparametric regression like CART, Bayesian trees and Gaussian processes. Compared to existing techniques, the DP-GLM provides a single model (and corresponding inference algorithms) that performs well in many regression settings. Finally, we study convex stochastic search problems where a noisy objective function value is observed after a decision is made. There are many stochastic search problems whose behavior depends on an exogenous state variable which affects the shape of the objective function. Currently, there is no general purpose algorithm to solve this class of problems. We use nonparametric density estimation to take observations from the joint state-outcome distribution and use them to infer the optimal decision for a given query state. We propose two solution methods that depend on the problem characteristics: function-based and gradient-based optimization. We examine two weighting schemes, kernel-based weights and Dirichlet process-based weights, for use with the solution methods. The weights and solution methods are tested on a synthetic multi-product newsvendor problem and the hour-ahead wind commitment problem. Our results show that in some cases Dirichlet process weights offer substantial benefits over kernel based weights and more generally that nonparametric estimation methods provide good solutions to otherwise intractable problems.

Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

1 Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization David N. Ford...2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Potential Cost Savings with 3D Printing Combined With 3D Imaging and CPLM for Fleet Maintenance and Revitalization 5a...Manufacturing ( 3D printing ) 2 Research Context Problem: Learning curve savings forecasted in SHIPMAIN maintenance initiative have not materialized

Multi Sensor Data Integration for AN Accurate 3d Model Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhatkuli, S.; Satoh, T.; Tachibana, K.

2015-05-01

The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel technique of data integration between two different data sets, i.e. laser scanned RGB point cloud and oblique imageries derived 3D model, to create a 3D model with more details and better accuracy. In general, aerial imageries are used to create a 3D city model. Aerial imageries produce an overall decent 3D city models and generally suit to generate 3D model of building roof and some non-complex terrain. However, the automatically generated 3D model, from aerial imageries, generally suffers from the lack of accuracy in deriving the 3D model of road under the bridges, details under tree canopy, isolated trees, etc. Moreover, the automatically generated 3D model from aerial imageries also suffers from undulated road surfaces, non-conforming building shapes, loss of minute details like street furniture, etc. in many cases. On the other hand, laser scanned data and images taken from mobile vehicle platform can produce more detailed 3D road model, street furniture model, 3D model of details under bridge, etc. However, laser scanned data and images from mobile vehicle are not suitable to acquire detailed 3D model of tall buildings, roof tops, and so forth. Our proposed approach to integrate multi sensor data compensated each other's weakness and helped to create a very detailed 3D model with better accuracy. Moreover, the additional details like isolated trees, street furniture, etc. which were missing in the original 3D model derived from aerial imageries could also be integrated in the final model automatically. During the process, the noise in the laser scanned data for example people, vehicles etc. on the road were also automatically removed. Hence, even though the two dataset were acquired in different time period the integrated data set or the final 3D model was generally noise free and without unnecessary details.

Physically-Based Modelling and Real-Time Simulation of Fluids.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jim Xiong

1995-01-01

Simulating physically realistic complex fluid behaviors presents an extremely challenging problem for computer graphics researchers. Such behaviors include the effects of driving boats through water, blending differently colored fluids, rain falling and flowing on a terrain, fluids interacting in a Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS), etc. Such capabilities are useful in computer art, advertising, education, entertainment, and training. We present a new method for physically-based modeling and real-time simulation of fluids in computer graphics and dynamic virtual environments. By solving the 2D Navier -Stokes equations using a CFD method, we map the surface into 3D using the corresponding pressures in the fluid flow field. This achieves realistic real-time fluid surface behaviors by employing the physical governing laws of fluids but avoiding extensive 3D fluid dynamics computations. To complement the surface behaviors, we calculate fluid volume and external boundary changes separately to achieve full 3D general fluid flow. To simulate physical activities in a DIS, we introduce a mechanism which uses a uniform time scale proportional to the clock-time and variable time-slicing to synchronize physical models such as fluids in the networked environment. Our approach can simulate many different fluid behaviors by changing the internal or external boundary conditions. It can model different kinds of fluids by varying the Reynolds number. It can simulate objects moving or floating in fluids. It can also produce synchronized general fluid flows in a DIS. Our model can serve as a testbed to simulate many other fluid phenomena which have never been successfully modeled previously.

A General Set of Procedures for Constructivist Instructional Design: The New R2D2 Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Jerry; Wright, Kristen Egeland

2000-01-01

Describes the R2D2 (Reflective, Recursive Design and Development) model of constructivist instructional design. Highlights include participatory teams; progressive problem solution; phronesis, or contextual understanding; dissemination, including summative evaluation; and a new paradigm that shifts from the industrial age to the information age.…

Integration by parts and Pohozaev identities for space-dependent fractional-order operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grubb, Gerd

2016-08-01

Consider a classical elliptic pseudodifferential operator P on Rn of order 2a (0 < a < 1) with even symbol. For example, P = A(x , D) a where A (x , D) is a second-order strongly elliptic differential operator; the fractional Laplacian (- Δ) a is a particular case. For solutions u of the Dirichlet problem on a bounded smooth subset Ω ⊂Rn, we show an integration-by-parts formula with a boundary integral involving (d-a u)|∂Ω, where d (x) = dist (x , ∂ Ω). This extends recent results of Ros-Oton, Serra and Valdinoci, to operators that are x-dependent, nonsymmetric, and have lower-order parts. We also generalize their formula of Pohozaev-type, that can be used to prove unique continuation properties, and nonexistence of nontrivial solutions of semilinear problems. An illustration is given with P =(- Δ +m2) a. The basic step in our analysis is a factorization of P, P ∼P-P+, where we set up a calculus for the generalized pseudodifferential operators P± that come out of the construction.

A QoS Aware Resource Allocation Strategy for 3D A/V Streaming in OFDMA Based Wireless Systems

PubMed Central

Chung, Young-uk; Choi, Yong-Hoon; Park, Suwon; Lee, Hyukjoon

2014-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) video is expected to be a “killer app” for OFDMA-based broadband wireless systems. The main limitation of 3D video streaming over a wireless system is the shortage of radio resources due to the large size of the 3D traffic. This paper presents a novel resource allocation strategy to address this problem. In the paper, the video-plus-depth 3D traffic type is considered. The proposed resource allocation strategy focuses on the relationship between 2D video and the depth map, handling them with different priorities. It is formulated as an optimization problem and is solved using a suboptimal heuristic algorithm. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme provides a better quality of service compared to conventional schemes. PMID:25250377

Validation of a High-Order Prefactored Compact Scheme on Nonlinear Flows with Complex Geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hixon, Ray; Mankbadi, Reda R.; Povinelli, L. A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Three benchmark problems are solved using a sixth-order prefactored compact scheme employing an explicit 10th-order filter with optimized fourth-order Runge-Kutta time stepping. The problems solved are the following: (1) propagation of sound waves through a transonic nozzle; (2) shock-sound interaction; and (3) single airfoil gust response. In the first two problems, the spatial accuracy of the scheme is tested on a stretched grid, and the effectiveness of boundary conditions is shown. The solution stability and accuracy near a shock discontinuity is shown as well. Also, 1-D nonlinear characteristic boundary conditions will be evaluated. In the third problem, a nonlinear Euler solver will be used that solves the equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates using the chain rule transformation. This work, continuing earlier work on flat-plate cascades and Joukowski airfoils, will focus mainly on the effect of the grid and boundary conditions on the accuracy of the solution. The grids were generated using a commercially available grid generator, GridPro/az3000.

XMDS2: Fast, scalable simulation of coupled stochastic partial differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Graham R.; Hope, Joseph J.; Johnsson, Mattias T.

2013-01-01

XMDS2 is a cross-platform, GPL-licensed, open source package for numerically integrating initial value problems that range from a single ordinary differential equation up to systems of coupled stochastic partial differential equations. The equations are described in a high-level XML-based script, and the package generates low-level optionally parallelised C++ code for the efficient solution of those equations. It combines the advantages of high-level simulations, namely fast and low-error development, with the speed, portability and scalability of hand-written code. XMDS2 is a complete redesign of the XMDS package, and features support for a much wider problem space while also producing faster code. Program summaryProgram title: XMDS2 Catalogue identifier: AENK_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AENK_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License, version 2 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 872490 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 45522370 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Python and C++. Computer: Any computer with a Unix-like system, a C++ compiler and Python. Operating system: Any Unix-like system; developed under Mac OS X and GNU/Linux. RAM: Problem dependent (roughly 50 bytes per grid point) Classification: 4.3, 6.5. External routines: The external libraries required are problem-dependent. Uses FFTW3 Fourier transforms (used only for FFT-based spectral methods), dSFMT random number generation (used only for stochastic problems), MPI message-passing interface (used only for distributed problems), HDF5, GNU Scientific Library (used only for Bessel-based spectral methods) and a BLAS implementation (used only for non-FFT-based spectral methods). Nature of problem: General coupled initial-value stochastic partial differential equations. Solution method: Spectral method with method-of-lines integration Running time: Determined by the size of the problem

Evaluating Sparse Linear System Solvers on Scalable Parallel Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

42 3.4 Residual history of WSO banded preconditioner for problem 2D 54019 HIGHK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43...3.5 Residual history of WSO banded preconditioner for problem Appu 43 3.6 Residual history of WSO banded preconditioner for problem ASIC 680k...44 3.7 Residual history of WSO banded preconditioner for problem BUN- DLE1

Boundary element modelling of dynamic behavior of piecewise homogeneous anisotropic elastic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igumnov, L. A.; Markov, I. P.; Litvinchuk, S. Yu

2018-04-01

A traditional direct boundary integral equations method is applied to solve three-dimensional dynamic problems of piecewise homogeneous linear elastic solids. The materials of homogeneous parts are considered to be generally anisotropic. The technique used to solve the boundary integral equations is based on the boundary element method applied together with the Radau IIA convolution quadrature method. A numerical example of suddenly loaded 3D prismatic rod consisting of two subdomains with different anisotropic elastic properties is presented to verify the accuracy of the proposed formulation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vahala, G.; Tracy, E.

During the past year, the authors have concentrated on (1) divertor physics, (2) thermo-lattice Boltzmann (TLBE) approach to turbulence, and (3) phase space techniques in gyro-resonance problems in collaboration with Dieter Sigmar (MIT), Sergei Krasheninnikov (MIT), Linda Vahala (ODU), Joseph Morrison (AS and M/NASA-Langley), Pavol Pavlo and Josef Preinhaelter (institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) and Allan Kaufman (LBL/U.C.Berkeley). Using a 2-equation compressible closure model with a 2D mean flow, the authors are investigating the effects of 3D neutral turbulence on reducing the heat load to the divertor plate by various toroidal cavity geometries. These studies are beingmore » extended to examine 3D mean flows. Thermal Lattice Boltzmann (TLBE) methods are being investigated to handle 3D turbulent flows in nontrivial geometries. It is planned to couple the TLBE collisional regime to the weakly collisional regime and so be able to tackle divertor physics. In the application of phase space techniques to minority-ion RF heating, resonance heating is treated as a multi-stage process. A generalization of the Case-van Kampen analysis is presented for multi-dimensional non-uniform plasmas. Effects such as particle trapping and the ray propagation dynamics in tokamak geometry can now be handled using Weyl calculus.« less

Disturb-Free Three-Dimensional Vertical Floating Gate NAND with Separated-Sidewall Control Gate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Moon-Sik; Endoh, Tetsuo

2012-02-01

Recently, the three-dimensional (3D) vertical floating gate (FG) type NAND cell arrays with the sidewall control gate (SCG) structure are receiving attention to overcome the reliability issues of charge trap (CT) type 3D NAND. In order to achieve the multilevel cell (MLC) operation for lower bit cost in 3D NAND, it is important to eliminate reliability issues, such as the Vth distribution with interference and disturbance problems and Vth shift with retention issues. In this paper, we intensively investigated the disturbance problems of the 3D vertical FG type NAND cell with separated-sidewall control gate (S-SCG) structure for the reliable MLC operation. Above all, we successfully demonstrate the fully suppressed disturbance problems, such as indirect programming of the unselected cells, hot electron injection of the edge cells and direct influence to the neighboring passing cells, by using the S-SCG with 30 nm pillar size.

Application of Stereo Vision to the Reconnection Scaling Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klarenbeek, Johnny; Sears, Jason A.; Gao, Kevin W.

The measurement and simulation of the three-dimensional structure of magnetic reconnection in astrophysical and lab plasmas is a challenging problem. At Los Alamos National Laboratory we use the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) to model 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) relaxation of plasma filled tubes. These magnetic flux tubes are called flux ropes. In RSX, the 3D structure of the flux ropes is explored with insertable probes. Stereo triangulation can be used to compute the 3D position of a probe from point correspondences in images from two calibrated cameras. While common applications of stereo triangulation include 3D scene reconstruction and robotics navigation, wemore » will investigate the novel application of stereo triangulation in plasma physics to aid reconstruction of 3D data for RSX plasmas. Several challenges will be explored and addressed, such as minimizing 3D reconstruction errors in stereo camera systems and dealing with point correspondence problems.« less

An Overview of Integrated Logistic Support in Medical Material Programs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

OF MEDICAL INTEGRATED LOGISTIC SUPPORT ----------------- 7 B. PROBLEM DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVE ------------ 9 C. GENERAL APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY...SYSTEM ---------------------- 61 C. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ------------------------- 63 D. RECOMMENDATIONS ----------------------------- 73 E. CONCLUSION...21 Technological advancement has caused major changes in medicine and dentistry in the last several decades. Inten- sive care units, computerized axial

Development of a Dynamic Time Sharing Scheduled Environment Final Report CRADA No. TC-824-94E

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jette, M.; Caliga, D.

Massively parallel computers, such as the Cray T3D, have historically supported resource sharing solely with space sharing. In that method, multiple problems are solved by executing them on distinct processors. This project developed a dynamic time- and space-sharing scheduler to achieve greater interactivity and throughput than could be achieved with space-sharing alone. CRI and LLNL worked together on the design, testing, and review aspects of this project. There were separate software deliverables. CFU implemented a general purpose scheduling system as per the design specifications. LLNL ported the local gang scheduler software to the LLNL Cray T3D. In this approach, processorsmore » are allocated simultaneously to aU components of a parallel program (in a “gang”). Program execution is preempted as needed to provide for interactivity. Programs are also reIocated to different processors as needed to efficiently pack the computer’s torus of processors. In phase one, CRI developed an interface specification after discussions with LLNL for systemlevel software supporting a time- and space-sharing environment on the LLNL T3D. The two parties also discussed interface specifications for external control tools (such as scheduling policy tools, system administration tools) and applications programs. CRI assumed responsibility for the writing and implementation of all the necessary system software in this phase. In phase two, CRI implemented job-rolling on the Cray T3D, a mechanism for preempting a program, saving its state to disk, and later restoring its state to memory for continued execution. LLNL ported its gang scheduler to the LLNL T3D utilizing the CRI interface implemented in phases one and two. During phase three, the functionality and effectiveness of the LLNL gang scheduler was assessed to provide input to CRI time- and space-sharing, efforts. CRI will utilize this information in the development of general schedulers suitable for other sites and future architectures.« less

Generalized Detectability for Discrete Event Systems

PubMed Central

Shu, Shaolong; Lin, Feng

2011-01-01

In our previous work, we investigated detectability of discrete event systems, which is defined as the ability to determine the current and subsequent states of a system based on observation. For different applications, we defined four types of detectabilities: (weak) detectability, strong detectability, (weak) periodic detectability, and strong periodic detectability. In this paper, we extend our results in three aspects. (1) We extend detectability from deterministic systems to nondeterministic systems. Such a generalization is necessary because there are many systems that need to be modeled as nondeterministic discrete event systems. (2) We develop polynomial algorithms to check strong detectability. The previous algorithms are based on observer whose construction is of exponential complexity, while the new algorithms are based on a new automaton called detector. (3) We extend detectability to D-detectability. While detectability requires determining the exact state of a system, D-detectability relaxes this requirement by asking only to distinguish certain pairs of states. With these extensions, the theory on detectability of discrete event systems becomes more applicable in solving many practical problems. PMID:21691432

STARS: A general-purpose finite element computer program for analysis of engineering structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, K. K.

1984-01-01

STARS (Structural Analysis Routines) is primarily an interactive, graphics-oriented, finite-element computer program for analyzing the static, stability, free vibration, and dynamic responses of damped and undamped structures, including rotating systems. The element library consists of one-dimensional (1-D) line elements, two-dimensional (2-D) triangular and quadrilateral shell elements, and three-dimensional (3-D) tetrahedral and hexahedral solid elements. These elements enable the solution of structural problems that include truss, beam, space frame, plane, plate, shell, and solid structures, or any combination thereof. Zero, finite, and interdependent deflection boundary conditions can be implemented by the program. The associated dynamic response analysis capability provides for initial deformation and velocity inputs, whereas the transient excitation may be either forces or accelerations. An effective in-core or out-of-core solution strategy is automatically employed by the program, depending on the size of the problem. Data input may be at random within a data set, and the program offers certain automatic data-generation features. Input data are formatted as an optimal combination of free and fixed formats. Interactive graphics capabilities enable convenient display of nodal deformations, mode shapes, and element stresses.

Refraction statics and seismic imaging: 2-D versus 3-D solutions in the Western Desert of Egypt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

El-Emam, A.; Nessim, M.

1994-12-31

Careful review of old geophysical and geological data from the Western Desert of Egypt led to the decision of shooting a 3-D seismic survey targeted to solve some of the encountered geophysical problems such as difficulty of tracing the very thin pay zone, identifying the stratigraphic plays and the main two problems of the seismic method in the Western Desert which are statics and poor imaging. In a case history form illustrated by examples, the result of the 3-D solutions will be shown. Furthermore, an analytical approach will be undertaken to clarify and highlight the sources of those geophysical problemsmore » and how the 3-D solution helped in resolving them.« less

Automatic detection of artifacts in converted S3D video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bokov, Alexander; Vatolin, Dmitriy; Zachesov, Anton; Belous, Alexander; Erofeev, Mikhail

2014-03-01

In this paper we present algorithms for automatically detecting issues specific to converted S3D content. When a depth-image-based rendering approach produces a stereoscopic image, the quality of the result depends on both the depth maps and the warping algorithms. The most common problem with converted S3D video is edge-sharpness mismatch. This artifact may appear owing to depth-map blurriness at semitransparent edges: after warping, the object boundary becomes sharper in one view and blurrier in the other, yielding binocular rivalry. To detect this problem we estimate the disparity map, extract boundaries with noticeable differences, and analyze edge-sharpness correspondence between views. We pay additional attention to cases involving a complex background and large occlusions. Another problem is detection of scenes that lack depth volume: we present algorithms for detecting at scenes and scenes with at foreground objects. To identify these problems we analyze the features of the RGB image as well as uniform areas in the depth map. Testing of our algorithms involved examining 10 Blu-ray 3D releases with converted S3D content, including Clash of the Titans, The Avengers, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The algorithms we present enable improved automatic quality assessment during the production stage.

Inner ear problems of Thai priest at Priest Hospital.

PubMed

Karnchanakas, Taweporn; Tantanavat, Are; Sinsakontavat, Jamjan

2008-01-01

The inner ear problems of Thai priest at Priest Hospital had never been reported previously, so Department of Ear Nose Throat try to correlate the metebotic disorder with inner ear problems. 1) To study the fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (T. Chol), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG), the factors expected to involve in inner ear problems of priests at Priest Hospital. 2) To compare the FBS, T. Chol, HDL, LDL, and TG of priests with inner ear problems at Priest Hospital. 3) To find the percentage of abnormal from FBS, T. Chol, LDL, and TG. The study using 83 sampling of priests with inner ear problems and 107 priests as a controlled group. The research instruments used to collect data was the questionnaire which composed of general information, physical, ear-nose-throat and neurological examination, pure tone audiometry, brainstem evoke response audiometry (BERA) and the blood tests:FBS, T. Chol, TG, and LDL. The inner ear problems were composed of: 1) Dizziness 2) Hearing Loss 3) Tinnitus Aurium. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data from questionnaires and utilized frequency, percentage, standard deviation (S.D.) and t-test to achieve desired results. Priest at middle age and elderly with inner ear problems had greater FBS and TG than expected values of the control group. The middle age and elderly priests who had greater FBS and TG than expected values were sick with inner ear problems that causing dizziness, hearing loss and tinnitus aurium.

Measuring functional developmental delay in infants and young children: prevalence rates from the NHIS-D.

PubMed

Simpson, Gloria A; Colpe, Lisa; Greenspan, Stanley

2003-01-01

In order to measure the prevalence of developmental delay among US infants and children, two types of questions were asked of parents in the 1994-95 National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS-D). To measure functional delay (FD), questions from the Functional Developmental Growth Chart (FDQ), which measures specific age-appropriate tasks, were used. General delay (GD) was defined using the general type of questions about developmental delay that had been used in previous surveys. Using a nationally representative sample of 15 291 infants and children aged 4-59 months from the NHIS-D, analyses revealed that, according to these questions, approximately 3.3% had FD and 3.4% of the children had GD. However, only one-third of the children were identified by both sets of questions. Thus, two-thirds of the children identified as having FD were not recognised by their parents as having a delay. Conversely, many parents responded to the GD questions indicating that their child had a delay, but failed to indicate that their child had a functional problem. In addition, only 17% of the children with FD and 31% of those with GD were receiving special services. Multivariable logistic regression analyses found that children with both FD and GD were more likely to be male and to be living in families with incomes below 200% of the poverty level. The findings suggest that the general types of developmental delay questions used in national surveys may not identify children with functional delays. As parents failed to identify these children, it is possible that many of these children may be slipping through paediatric surveillance. Further research to evaluate the use of these measures in population surveys is recommended.

Discrete restricted four-body problem: Existence of proof of equilibria and reproducibility of periodic orbits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minesaki, Yukitaka

2015-01-01

We propose the discrete-time restricted four-body problem (d-R4BP), which approximates the orbits of the restricted four-body problem (R4BP). The d-R4BP is given as a special case of the discrete-time chain regularization of the general N-body problem published in Minesaki. Moreover, we analytically prove that the d-R4BP yields the correct orbits corresponding to the elliptic relative equilibrium solutions of the R4BP when the three primaries form an equilateral triangle at any time. Such orbits include the orbit of a relative equilibrium solution already discovered by Baltagiannis and Papadakis. Until the proof in this work, there has been no discrete analog thatmore » preserves the orbits of elliptic relative equilibrium solutions in the R4BP. For a long time interval, the d-R4BP can precisely compute some stable periodic orbits in the Sun–Jupiter–Trojan asteroid–spacecraft system that cannot necessarily be reproduced by other generic integrators.« less

Large-scale additive manufacturing with bioinspired cellulosic materials.

PubMed

Sanandiya, Naresh D; Vijay, Yadunund; Dimopoulou, Marina; Dritsas, Stylianos; Fernandez, Javier G

2018-06-05

Cellulose is the most abundant and broadly distributed organic compound and industrial by-product on Earth. However, despite decades of extensive research, the bottom-up use of cellulose to fabricate 3D objects is still plagued with problems that restrict its practical applications: derivatives with vast polluting effects, use in combination with plastics, lack of scalability and high production cost. Here we demonstrate the general use of cellulose to manufacture large 3D objects. Our approach diverges from the common association of cellulose with green plants and it is inspired by the wall of the fungus-like oomycetes, which is reproduced introducing small amounts of chitin between cellulose fibers. The resulting fungal-like adhesive material(s) (FLAM) are strong, lightweight and inexpensive, and can be molded or processed using woodworking techniques. We believe this first large-scale additive manufacture with ubiquitous biological polymers will be the catalyst for the transition to environmentally benign and circular manufacturing models.

New Multi-group Transport Neutronics (PHISICS) Capabilities for RELAP5-3D and its Application to Phase I of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW Benchmark

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerhard Strydom; Cristian Rabiti; Andrea Alfonsi

2012-10-01

PHISICS is a neutronics code system currently under development at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Its goal is to provide state of the art simulation capability to reactor designers. The different modules for PHISICS currently under development are a nodal and semi-structured transport core solver (INSTANT), a depletion module (MRTAU) and a cross section interpolation (MIXER) module. The INSTANT module is the most developed of the mentioned above. Basic functionalities are ready to use, but the code is still in continuous development to extend its capabilities. This paper reports on the effort of coupling the nodal kinetics code package PHISICSmore » (INSTANT/MRTAU/MIXER) to the thermal hydraulics system code RELAP5-3D, to enable full core and system modeling. This will enable the possibility to model coupled (thermal-hydraulics and neutronics) problems with more options for 3D neutron kinetics, compared to the existing diffusion theory neutron kinetics module in RELAP5-3D (NESTLE). In the second part of the paper, an overview of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW benchmark is given. This benchmark has been approved by the OECD, and is based on the General Atomics 350 MW Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (MHTGR) design. The benchmark includes coupled neutronics thermal hydraulics exercises that require more capabilities than RELAP5-3D with NESTLE offers. Therefore, the MHTGR benchmark makes extensive use of the new PHISICS/RELAP5-3D coupling capabilities. The paper presents the preliminary results of the three steady state exercises specified in Phase I of the benchmark using PHISICS/RELAP5-3D.« less

Mining biological information from 3D short time-series gene expression data: the OPTricluster algorithm.

PubMed

Tchagang, Alain B; Phan, Sieu; Famili, Fazel; Shearer, Heather; Fobert, Pierre; Huang, Yi; Zou, Jitao; Huang, Daiqing; Cutler, Adrian; Liu, Ziying; Pan, Youlian

2012-04-04

Nowadays, it is possible to collect expression levels of a set of genes from a set of biological samples during a series of time points. Such data have three dimensions: gene-sample-time (GST). Thus they are called 3D microarray gene expression data. To take advantage of the 3D data collected, and to fully understand the biological knowledge hidden in the GST data, novel subspace clustering algorithms have to be developed to effectively address the biological problem in the corresponding space. We developed a subspace clustering algorithm called Order Preserving Triclustering (OPTricluster), for 3D short time-series data mining. OPTricluster is able to identify 3D clusters with coherent evolution from a given 3D dataset using a combinatorial approach on the sample dimension, and the order preserving (OP) concept on the time dimension. The fusion of the two methodologies allows one to study similarities and differences between samples in terms of their temporal expression profile. OPTricluster has been successfully applied to four case studies: immune response in mice infected by malaria (Plasmodium chabaudi), systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana, similarities and differences between inner and outer cotyledon in Brassica napus during seed development, and to Brassica napus whole seed development. These studies showed that OPTricluster is robust to noise and is able to detect the similarities and differences between biological samples. Our analysis showed that OPTricluster generally outperforms other well known clustering algorithms such as the TRICLUSTER, gTRICLUSTER and K-means; it is robust to noise and can effectively mine the biological knowledge hidden in the 3D short time-series gene expression data.

3D Face Modeling Using the Multi-Deformable Method

PubMed Central

Hwang, Jinkyu; Yu, Sunjin; Kim, Joongrock; Lee, Sangyoun

2012-01-01

In this paper, we focus on the problem of the accuracy performance of 3D face modeling techniques using corresponding features in multiple views, which is quite sensitive to feature extraction errors. To solve the problem, we adopt a statistical model-based 3D face modeling approach in a mirror system consisting of two mirrors and a camera. The overall procedure of our 3D facial modeling method has two primary steps: 3D facial shape estimation using a multiple 3D face deformable model and texture mapping using seamless cloning that is a type of gradient-domain blending. To evaluate our method's performance, we generate 3D faces of 30 individuals and then carry out two tests: accuracy test and robustness test. Our method shows not only highly accurate 3D face shape results when compared with the ground truth, but also robustness to feature extraction errors. Moreover, 3D face rendering results intuitively show that our method is more robust to feature extraction errors than other 3D face modeling methods. An additional contribution of our method is that a wide range of face textures can be acquired by the mirror system. By using this texture map, we generate realistic 3D face for individuals at the end of the paper. PMID:23201976

Standard deviations of composition measurements in atom probe analyses. Part I conventional 1D atom probe.

PubMed

Danoix, F; Grancher, G; Bostel, A; Blavette, D

2007-09-01

Atom probe is a very powerful instrument to measure concentrations on a sub nanometric scale [M.K. Miller, G.D.W. Smith, Atom Probe Microanalysis, Principles and Applications to Materials Problems, Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh, 1989]. Atom probe is therefore a unique tool to study and characterise finely decomposed metallic materials. Composition profiles or 3D mapping can be realised by gathering elemental composition measurements. As the detector efficiency is generally not equal to 1, the measured compositions are only estimates of actual values. The variance of the estimates depends on which information is to be estimated. It can be calculated when the detection process is known. These two papers are devoted to give complete analytical derivation and expressions of the variance on composition measurements in several situations encountered when using atom probe. In the first paper, we will concentrate on the analytical derivation of the variance when estimation of compositions obtained from a conventional one dimension (1D) atom probe is considered. In particular, the existing expressions, and the basic hypotheses on which they rely, will be reconsidered, and complete analytical demonstrations established. In the second companion paper, the case of 3D atom probe will be treated, highlighting how the knowledge of the 3D position of detected ions modifies the analytical derivation of the variance of local composition data.

Feature-based three-dimensional registration for repetitive geometry in machine vision

PubMed Central

Gong, Yuanzheng; Seibel, Eric J.

2016-01-01

As an important step in three-dimensional (3D) machine vision, 3D registration is a process of aligning two or multiple 3D point clouds that are collected from different perspectives together into a complete one. The most popular approach to register point clouds is to minimize the difference between these point clouds iteratively by Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. However, ICP does not work well for repetitive geometries. To solve this problem, a feature-based 3D registration algorithm is proposed to align the point clouds that are generated by vision-based 3D reconstruction. By utilizing texture information of the object and the robustness of image features, 3D correspondences can be retrieved so that the 3D registration of two point clouds is to solve a rigid transformation. The comparison of our method and different ICP algorithms demonstrates that our proposed algorithm is more accurate, efficient and robust for repetitive geometry registration. Moreover, this method can also be used to solve high depth uncertainty problem caused by little camera baseline in vision-based 3D reconstruction. PMID:28286703

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of liquid water using high quality meta-GGA functionals

DOE PAGES

Ruiz Pestana, Luis; Mardirossian, Narbe; Head-Gordon, Martin; ...

2017-02-27

We have used ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) to characterize water properties using two meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) functionals, M06-L-D3 and B97M-rV, and compared their performance against a standard GGA corrected for dispersion, revPBE-D3, at ambient conditions (298 K, and 1 g cm –3 or 1 atm). Simulations of the equilibrium density, radial distribution functions, self-diffusivity, the infrared spectrum, liquid dipole moments, and characterizations of the hydrogen bond network show that all three functionals have overcome the problem of the early AIMD simulations that erroneously found ambient water to be highly structured, but they differ substantially among themselves in agreementmore » with experiment on this range of water properties. We show directly using water cluster data up through the pentamer that revPBE-D3 benefits from a cancellation of its intrinsic functional error by running classical trajectories, whereas the meta-GGA functionals are demonstrably more accurate and would require the simulation of nuclear quantum effects to realize better agreement with all cluster and condensed phase properties.« less

Parallel Program Systems for the Analysis of Wave Processes in Elastic-Plastic, Granular, Porous and Multi-Blocky Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadovskaya, Oxana; Sadovskii, Vladimir

2017-04-01

Under modeling the wave propagation processes in geomaterials (granular and porous media, soils and rocks) it is necessary to take into account the structural inhomogeneity of these materials. Parallel program systems for numerical solution of 2D and 3D problems of the dynamics of deformable media with constitutive relationships of rather general form on the basis of universal mathematical model describing small strains of elastic, elastic-plastic, granular and porous materials are worked out. In the case of an elastic material, the model is reduced to the system of equations, hyperbolic by Friedrichs, written in terms of velocities and stresses in a symmetric form. In the case of an elastic-plastic material, the model is a special formulation of the Prandtl-Reuss theory in the form of variational inequality with one-sided constraints on the stress tensor. Generalization of the model to describe granularity and the collapse of pores is obtained by means of the rheological approach, taking into account different resistance of materials to tension and compression. Rotational motion of particles in the material microstructure is considered within the framework of a mathematical model of the Cosserat continuum. Computational domain may have a blocky structure, composed of an arbitrary number of layers, strips in a layer and blocks in a strip from different materials with self-consistent curvilinear interfaces. At the external boundaries of computational domain the main types of dissipative boundary conditions in terms of velocities, stresses or mixed boundary conditions can be given. Shock-capturing algorithm is proposed for implementation of the model on supercomputers with cluster architecture. It is based on the two-cyclic splitting method with respect to spatial variables and the special procedures of the stresses correction to take into account plasticity, granularity or porosity of a material. An explicit monotone ENO-scheme is applied for solving one-dimensional systems of equations at the stages of splitting method. The parallelizing of computations is carried out using the MPI library and the SPMD technology. The data exchange between processors occurs at step "predictor" of the finite-difference scheme. Program systems allow simulate the propagation of waves produced by external mechanical effects in a medium, aggregated of arbitrary number of heterogeneous blocks. Some computations of dynamic problems with and without taking into account the moment properties of a material were performed on clusters of ICM SB RAS (Krasnoyarsk) and JSCC RAS (Moscow). Parallel program systems 2Dyn_Granular, 3Dyn_Granular, 2Dyn_Cosserat, 3Dyn_Cosserat and 2Dyn_Blocks_MPI for numerical solution of 2D and 3D elastic-plastic problems of the dynamics of granular media and problems of the Cosserat elasticity theory, as well as for modeling of the dynamic processes in multi-blocky media with pliant viscoelastic, porous and fluid-saturated interlayers on cluster systems were registered by Rospatent.

A trial of a self-assessment tool of problems following treatment of colorectal cancer: a prospective study in Australia primary care.

PubMed

Ngune, I; Jiwa, M; McManus, A; Parsons, R; Hodder, R

2016-01-01

Patients treated for colorectal cancer (CRC) experience considerable physical, social and psychological morbidity. In this study, 66 participants with stages I-III CRC were enrolled in this study. Participants completed the self-assessment tool for patients (SATp) over a 5-month period and visited a general practitioner with a copy of their SATp to assist in the management of any problems associated with CRC treatment. General practitioners' notes were reviewed for management actions. Of the 66 participants, 57 visited a general practitioner over the 5-month study period. A total of 547 problems were identified (median 7; IQR: 3-12.25). Participants with physical problems were more likely to consult their general practitioner (OR: 1.84, CI: 1.05-3.21, P = 0.03) compared to those with psychological problems. The number of problems experienced by participants did not have any influence on the decision to visit a general practitioner. Psychological problems (P < 0.01) significantly reduced over the 5-month study period. Regular use of the SATp facilitates the identification of long-term CRC treatment-related problems. Some of these problems could then be addressed in primary care. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Numerical Analysis of 2-D and 3-D MHD Flows Relevant to Fusion Applications

DOE PAGES

Khodak, Andrei

2017-08-21

Here, the analysis of many fusion applications such as liquid-metal blankets requires application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for electrically conductive liquids in geometrically complex regions and in the presence of a strong magnetic field. A current state of the art general purpose CFD code allows modeling of the flow in complex geometric regions, with simultaneous conjugated heat transfer analysis in liquid and surrounding solid parts. Together with a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) capability, the general purpose CFD code will be a valuable tool for the design and optimization of fusion devices. This paper describes an introduction of MHD capability intomore » the general purpose CFD code CFX, part of the ANSYS Workbench. The code was adapted for MHD problems using a magnetic induction approach. CFX allows introduction of user-defined variables using transport or Poisson equations. For MHD adaptation of the code three additional transport equations were introduced for the components of the magnetic field, in addition to the Poisson equation for electric potential. The Lorentz force is included in the momentum transport equation as a source term. Fusion applications usually involve very strong magnetic fields, with values of the Hartmann number of up to tens of thousands. In this situation a system of MHD equations become very rigid with very large source terms and very strong variable gradients. To increase system robustness, special measures were introduced during the iterative convergence process, such as linearization using source coefficient for momentum equations. The MHD implementation in general purpose CFD code was tested against benchmarks, specifically selected for liquid-metal blanket applications. Results of numerical simulations using present implementation closely match analytical solutions for a Hartmann number of up to 1500 for a 2-D laminar flow in the duct of square cross section, with conducting and nonconducting walls. Results for a 3-D test case are also included.« less

Numerical Analysis of 2-D and 3-D MHD Flows Relevant to Fusion Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khodak, Andrei

Here, the analysis of many fusion applications such as liquid-metal blankets requires application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for electrically conductive liquids in geometrically complex regions and in the presence of a strong magnetic field. A current state of the art general purpose CFD code allows modeling of the flow in complex geometric regions, with simultaneous conjugated heat transfer analysis in liquid and surrounding solid parts. Together with a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) capability, the general purpose CFD code will be a valuable tool for the design and optimization of fusion devices. This paper describes an introduction of MHD capability intomore » the general purpose CFD code CFX, part of the ANSYS Workbench. The code was adapted for MHD problems using a magnetic induction approach. CFX allows introduction of user-defined variables using transport or Poisson equations. For MHD adaptation of the code three additional transport equations were introduced for the components of the magnetic field, in addition to the Poisson equation for electric potential. The Lorentz force is included in the momentum transport equation as a source term. Fusion applications usually involve very strong magnetic fields, with values of the Hartmann number of up to tens of thousands. In this situation a system of MHD equations become very rigid with very large source terms and very strong variable gradients. To increase system robustness, special measures were introduced during the iterative convergence process, such as linearization using source coefficient for momentum equations. The MHD implementation in general purpose CFD code was tested against benchmarks, specifically selected for liquid-metal blanket applications. Results of numerical simulations using present implementation closely match analytical solutions for a Hartmann number of up to 1500 for a 2-D laminar flow in the duct of square cross section, with conducting and nonconducting walls. Results for a 3-D test case are also included.« less

EQ-5D-3L as a health measure of Brazilian adult population.

PubMed

Menezes, Renata de Miranda; Andrade, Mônica Viegas; Noronha, Kenya Valéria Micaela de Souza; Kind, Paul

2015-11-01

This study explores the use of EQ-5D-3L as a measure of population health status in a Brazilian region with significant socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological heterogeneity. Data came from a study of 3363 literate individuals aged between 18 and 64 years living in urban areas of the state of Minas Gerais. Descriptive analysis and logistic and OLS regression models were performed to analyze the relationship between EQ-5D-3L (descriptive system and EQ VAS) and other health (self-assessed health status and 8 self-reported diagnosed chronic diseases), socioeconomic (educational level and economic class), and demographic (gender and age) measures. Additionally, a grade of membership (GoM) analysis was performed to identify multidimensional health profiles. A total of 76 health statuses were identified in the Brazilian population. The most prevalent one is full health (44 % of the sample). Elderly people, women, and individuals with poor health and lower socioeconomic conditions generally report more health problems in the EQ-5D-3L dimensions. The GoM analysis demonstrated that health status of older individuals is associated with the socioeconomic condition. Arthritis exhibited the strongest association with the EQ-5D-3L instrument. The results indicate that EQ-5D-3L is a good measure of health status for the Brazilian population. The instrument has a good discriminatory capacity in terms of demographic, socioeconomic, and health measures. The high prevalence of individuals with full health may indicate the presence of ceiling effect. However, this prevalence is smaller than that in other countries.

3-D bioprinting law regulation perspectives.

PubMed

Pashkov, Vitalii; Harkusha, Andrii

Achieved level of technical progress moves us closer and closer to practical use of 3-d bioprinting technologies in real life. Such perspective raise a wide variety of crucial legal issues from the acceptable model of regulation of the science and its' societal effects to problems of the commercialization of the technology and potential restrictions of its use. Some key points on concept of legal regulation of abovementioned sphere is a base of this study. Scientific discussion on 3-D bioprinting, European Union`s and US experience in patenting of 3-D bioprinting technologies, European Medicine Agency (EMA) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, European Medical Technology Industry Association (EUCOMED) Acts. Article is based on dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and comprehensive research methods. General debate of last few years comes down to an attempt to resolve hesitation between legal attempts for regulation of 3-D biobrinting and concept of complete prohibition of such activities. An adequate response to the mentioned challenge is a reasonable position between some aspects of prohibition and self-regulation, resulting in a moderate number of regulations and standards for developing and marketing. Such regulations may concern an intellectual property (IP) rights, regulation of distribution, premarket restrictions, control mechanism etc. Scientific approach and regulatory settlement of 3-D bioprinting sphere must unite to achieve a fair balance between the interests of humanity and of individuals - on the one hand, and development of science and business benefits for stakeholders - on the other. The main instruments for this must be balanced regulation of intellectual property (IP) rights, regulation of access and distribution, premarket restrictions, control mechanism etc.

FEMFLOW3D; a finite-element program for the simulation of three-dimensional aquifers; version 1.0

USGS Publications Warehouse

Durbin, Timothy J.; Bond, Linda D.

1998-01-01

This document also includes model validation, source code, and example input and output files. Model validation was performed using four test problems. For each test problem, the results of a model simulation with FEMFLOW3D were compared with either an analytic solution or the results of an independent numerical approach. The source code, written in the ANSI x3.9-1978 FORTRAN standard, and the complete input and output of an example problem are listed in the appendixes.

An implicit dispersive transport algorithm for the US Geological Survey MOC3D solute-transport model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kipp, K.L.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Hornberger, G.Z.

1998-01-01

This report documents an extension to the U.S. Geological Survey MOC3D transport model that incorporates an implicit-in-time difference approximation for the dispersive transport equation, including source/sink terms. The original MOC3D transport model (Version 1) uses the method of characteristics to solve the transport equation on the basis of the velocity field. The original MOC3D solution algorithm incorporates particle tracking to represent advective processes and an explicit finite-difference formulation to calculate dispersive fluxes. The new implicit procedure eliminates several stability criteria required for the previous explicit formulation. This allows much larger transport time increments to be used in dispersion-dominated problems. The decoupling of advective and dispersive transport in MOC3D, however, is unchanged. With the implicit extension, the MOC3D model is upgraded to Version 2. A description of the numerical method of the implicit dispersion calculation, the data-input requirements and output options, and the results of simulator testing and evaluation are presented. Version 2 of MOC3D was evaluated for the same set of problems used for verification of Version 1. These test results indicate that the implicit calculation of Version 2 matches the accuracy of Version 1, yet is more efficient than the explicit calculation for transport problems that are characterized by a grid Peclet number less than about 1.0.

Einsteinian cubic gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, Pablo; Cano, Pablo A.

2016-11-01

We drastically simplify the problem of linearizing a general higher-order theory of gravity. We reduce it to the evaluation of its Lagrangian on a particular Riemann tensor depending on two parameters, and the computation of two derivatives with respect to one of those parameters. We use our method to construct a D -dimensional cubic theory of gravity which satisfies the following properties: (1) it shares the spectrum of Einstein gravity, i.e., it only propagates a transverse and massless graviton on a maximally symmetric background; (2) it is defined in the same way in general dimensions; (3) it is neither trivial nor topological in four dimensions. Up to cubic order in curvature, the only previously known theories satisfying the first two requirements are the Lovelock ones. We show that, up to cubic order, there exists only one additional theory satisfying requirements (1) and (2). Interestingly, this theory is, along with Einstein gravity, the only one which also satisfies (3).

Investigation of the spectral properties and magnetism of BiFeO3 by dynamical mean-field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Souvik; Iuşan, Diana; Thunström, Patrik; Kvashnin, Yaroslav O.; Hellsvik, Johan; Pereiro, Manuel; Delin, Anna; Knut, Ronny; Phuyal, Dibya; Lindblad, Andreas; Karis, Olof; Sanyal, Biplab; Eriksson, Olle

2018-03-01

Using the local density approximation plus dynamical mean-field theory (LDA+DMFT), we have computed the valence-band photoelectron spectra and magnetic excitation spectra of BiFeO3, one of the most studied multiferroics. Within the DMFT approach, the local impurity problem is tackled by the exact diagonalization solver. The solution of the impurity problem within the LDA+DMFT method for the paramagnetic and magnetically ordered phases produces result in agreement with the experimental data on electronic and magnetic structures. For comparison, we also present results obtained by the LDA +U approach which is commonly used to compute the physical properties of this compound. Our LDA+DMFT derived electronic spectra match adequately with the experimental hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy for Fe 3 d states, whereas the LDA +U method fails to capture the general features of the measured spectra. This indicates the importance of accurately incorporating the dynamical aspect of electronic correlation among Fe 3 d orbitals to reproduce the experimental excitation spectra. Specifically, the LDA+DMFT derived density of states exhibits a significant amount of Fe 3 d states at the position of Bi lone pairs, implying that the latter are not alone in the spectral scenario. This fact might modify our interpretation about the origin of ferroelectric polarization in this material. Our study demonstrates that the combination of orbital cross sections for the constituent elements and broadening schemes for the spectral functions are crucial to explain the detailed structures of the experimental electronic spectra. Our magnetic excitation spectra computed from the LDA+DMFT result conform well with the inelastic neutron scattering data.

Extending ALE3D, an Arbitrarily Connected hexahedral 3D Code, to Very Large Problem Size (U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, A L

2010-12-15

As the number of compute units increases on the ASC computers, the prospect of running previously unimaginably large problems is becoming a reality. In an arbitrarily connected 3D finite element code, like ALE3D, one must provide a unique identification number for every node, element, face, and edge. This is required for a number of reasons, including defining the global connectivity array required for domain decomposition, identifying appropriate communication patterns after domain decomposition, and determining the appropriate load locations for implicit solvers, for example. In most codes, the unique identification number is defined as a 32-bit integer. Thus the maximum valuemore » available is 231, or roughly 2.1 billion. For a 3D geometry consisting of arbitrarily connected hexahedral elements, there are approximately 3 faces for every element, and 3 edges for every node. Since the nodes and faces need id numbers, using 32-bit integers puts a hard limit on the number of elements in a problem at roughly 700 million. The first solution to this problem would be to replace 32-bit signed integers with 32-bit unsigned integers. This would increase the maximum size of a problem by a factor of 2. This provides some head room, but almost certainly not one that will last long. Another solution would be to replace all 32-bit int declarations with 64-bit long long declarations. (long is either a 32-bit or a 64-bit integer, depending on the OS). The problem with this approach is that there are only a few arrays that actually need to extended size, and thus this would increase the size of the problem unnecessarily. In a future computing environment where CPUs are abundant but memory relatively scarce, this is probably the wrong approach. Based on these considerations, we have chosen to replace only the global identifiers with the appropriate 64-bit integer. The problem with this approach is finding all the places where data that is specified as a 32-bit integer needs to be replaced with the 64-bit integer. that need to be replaced. In the rest of this paper we describe the techniques used to facilitate this transformation, issues raised, and issues still to be addressed. This poster will describe the reasons, methods, issues associated with extending the ALE3D code to run problems larger than 700 million elements.« less

[Linguistic validation of the "Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women"].

PubMed

Baudelot-Berrogain, Nathalie; Roquejoffre, Stéphanie; Gamé, Xavier; Mallet, Richard; Mouzin, Marc; Bertrand, Nicolas; Plante, Pierre; Sarramon, Jean-Pierre; Rischmann, Pascal; Malavaud, Bernard

2006-04-01

Application to the study of sexuality in a population of 93 French women. This study was designed to linguistically validate the French version of the BISF-W (Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women) which provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of female sexuality according to 7 dimensions. This version was then used to study the impact of recognized factors of sexual dysfunction on a control population. The BISF-W a self-administered quality of life questionnaire developed by Rosen, was translated and linguistically validated. This questionnaire comprises 22 questions in 7 dimensions investigating all aspects of female sexuality: D1 (desire), D2 (arousal), D3 (frequency of sexual activity), D4 (receptiveness), 05 (pleasure, orgasm), D6 (relational satisfaction), D7 (problems affecting sexuality), Composite Score (CS) D1+D2+D3+D4+D5+D6+07. The French version was administered to a study population of 93 women: 49 derived from gynaecology or urology departments and 44 derived from the general population. We calculated and compared the scores of the various dimensions of the BISF-W according to factors able to modify sexuality, such as menopause, age or parity. The results of our study show an alteration of the various dimensions of sexuality in elderly patients (D2, D5, D6, CS; p<0.05) or postmenopausal patients (D2, D5, D6, CS, p<0.05) and in multiparous women. The French version of the BISF-W gives results in line with the literature and demonstrates changes of sexuality as a function of the above mentioned variables.

Algebraic independence results for reciprocal sums of Fibonacci and Lucas numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Martin

2011-09-01

Let Fn and Ln denote the Fibonacci and Lucas numbers, respectively. D. Duverney, Ke. Nishioka, Ku. Nishioka and I. Shiokawa proved that the values of the Fibonacci zeta function ζF(2s) = Σn = 1∞Fn-2s are transcendental for any s∈N using Nesterenko's theorem on Ramanujan functions P(q), Q(q), and R(q). They obtained similar results for the Lucas zeta function ζL(2s) = Σn = 1∞Ln-2s and some related series. Later, C. Elsner, S. Shimomura and I. Shiokawa found conditions for the algebraic independence of these series. In my PhD thesis I generalized their approach and treated the following problem: We investigate all subsets of { ∑ n = 1∞1/Fn2s1, ∑ n = 1∞(-1)n+1/Fn2s2, ∑ n = 1∞1/Ln2s3, ∑ n = 1∞(-1)n+1/Ln2s4:s1,s2,s3,s4∈N} and decide on their algebraic independence over Q. Actually this is a special case of a more general theorem for reciprocal sums of binary recurrent sequences.

Lq -Lp optimization for multigrid fluorescence tomography of small animals using simplified spherical harmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edjlali, Ehsan; Bérubé-Lauzière, Yves

2018-01-01

We present the first Lq -Lp optimization scheme for fluorescence tomographic imaging. This is then applied to small animal imaging. Fluorescence tomography is an ill-posed, and in full generality, a nonlinear problem that seeks to image the 3D concentration distribution of a fluorescent agent inside a biological tissue. Standard candidates for regularization to deal with the ill-posedness of the image reconstruction problem include L1 and L2 regularization. In this work, a general Lq -Lp regularization framework (Lq discrepancy function - Lp regularization term) is introduced for fluorescence tomographic imaging. A method to calculate the gradient for this general framework is developed which allows evaluating the performance of different cost functions/regularization schemes in solving the fluorescence tomographic problem. The simplified spherical harmonics approximation is used to accurately model light propagation inside the tissue. Furthermore, a multigrid mesh is utilized to decrease the dimension of the inverse problem and reduce the computational cost of the solution. The inverse problem is solved iteratively using an lm-BFGS quasi-Newton optimization method. The simulations are performed under different scenarios of noisy measurements. These are carried out on the Digimouse numerical mouse model with the kidney being the target organ. The evaluation of the reconstructed images is performed both qualitatively and quantitatively using several metrics including QR, RMSE, CNR, and TVE under rigorous conditions. The best reconstruction results under different scenarios are obtained with an L1.5 -L1 scheme with premature termination of the optimization process. This is in contrast to approaches commonly found in the literature relying on L2 -L2 schemes.

Closed, analytic, boson realizations for Sp(4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Abraham; Zhang, Qing-Ying

1986-08-01

The problem of determing a boson realization for an arbitrary irrep of the unitary simplectic algebra Sp(2d) [or of the corresponding discrete unitary irreps of the unbounded algebra Sp(2d,R)] has been solved completely in recent papers by Deenen and Quesne [J. Deenen and C. Quesne, J. Math. Phys. 23, 878, 2004 (1982); 25, 1638 (1984); 26, 2705 (1985)] and by Moshinsky and co-workers [O. Castaños, E. Chacón, M. Moshinsky, and C. Quesne, J. Math. Phys. 26, 2107 (1985); M. Moshinsky, ``Boson realization of symplectic algebras,'' to be published]. This solution is not known in closed analytic form except for d=1 and for special classes of irreps for d>1. A different method of obtaining a boson realization that solves the full problem for Sp(4) is described. The method utilizes the chain Sp(2d)⊇SU(2)×SU(2) ×ṡṡṡ×SU(2) (d times), which, for d≥4, does not provide a complete set of quantum numbers. Though a simple solution of the missing label problem can be given, this solution does not help in the construction of a mapping algorithm for general d.

The DEP-6D, a new preference-based measure to assess health states of dependency.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Míguez, E; Abellán-Perpiñán, J M; Alvarez, X C; González, X M; Sampayo, A R

2016-03-01

In medical literature there are numerous multidimensional scales to measure health states for dependence in activities of daily living. However, these scales are not preference-based and are not able to yield QALYs. On the contrary, the generic preference-based measures are not sensitive enough to measure changes in dependence states. The objective of this paper is to propose a new dependency health state classification system, called DEP-6D, and to estimate its value set in such a way that it can be used in QALY calculations. DEP-6D states are described as a combination of 6 attributes (eat, incontinence, personal care, mobility, housework and cognition problems), with 3-4 levels each. A sample of 312 Spanish citizens was surveyed in 2011 to estimate the DEP-6D preference-scoring algorithm. Each respondent valued six out of the 24 states using time trade-off questions. After excluding those respondents who made two or more inconsistencies (6% out of the sample), each state was valued between 66 and 77 times. The responses present a high internal and external consistency. A random effect model accounting for main effects was the preferred model to estimate the scoring algorithm. The DEP-6D describes, in general, more severe problems than those usually described by means of generic preference-based measures. The minimum score predicted by the DEP-6D algorithm is -0.84, which is considerably lower than the minimum value predicted by the EQ-5D and SF-6D algorithms. The DEP-6D value set is based on community preferences. Therefore it is consistent with the so-called 'societal perspective'. Moreover, DEP-6D preference weights can be used in QALY calculations and cost-utility analysis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of a transformation model to derive general population-based utility: Mapping the pruritus-visual analog scale (VAS) to the EQ-5D utility.

PubMed

Park, Sun-Young; Park, Eun-Ja; Suh, Hae Sun; Ha, Dongmun; Lee, Eui-Kyung

2017-08-01

Although nonpreference-based disease-specific measures are widely used in clinical studies, they cannot generate utilities for economic evaluation. A solution to this problem is to estimate utilities from disease-specific instruments using the mapping function. This study aimed to develop a transformation model for mapping the pruritus-visual analog scale (VAS) to the EuroQol 5-Dimension 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) utility index in pruritus. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample (n = 268) drawn from the general population of South Korea. Data were randomly divided into 2 groups, one for estimating and the other for validating mapping models. To select the best model, we developed and compared 3 separate models using demographic information and the pruritus-VAS as independent variables. The predictive performance was assessed using the mean absolute deviation and root mean square error in a separate dataset. Among the 3 models, model 2 using age, age squared, sex, and the pruritus-VAS as independent variables had the best performance based on the goodness of fit and model simplicity, with a log likelihood of 187.13. The 3 models had similar precision errors based on mean absolute deviation and root mean square error in the validation dataset. No statistically significant difference was observed between the mean observed and predicted values in all models. In conclusion, model 2 was chosen as the preferred mapping model. Outcomes measured as the pruritus-VAS can be transformed into the EQ-5D-3L utility index using this mapping model, which makes an economic evaluation possible when only pruritus-VAS data are available. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Jacobi's Principle and Hertz' Definition of Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treder, Hans-J.; Bleyer, Ulrich; Liebscher, Dierck-E.

This article should remind the interest which D.D.Ivanenko always had in the fundamental questions of Mach's ideas for founding the physics of inertia. Even today, we have no generally accepted idea yet how to quantify the general demand for a theory, in which the existence and not only the amount of inertia of a body is determined by the configuration of the surrounding universe. The actual discussion centers around the problem of introducing time in theoretical constructions without time, and this paper shall be a contribution to this dicussion…

Dual-scale topology optoelectronic processor.

PubMed

Marsden, G C; Krishnamoorthy, A V; Esener, S C; Lee, S H

1991-12-15

The dual-scale topology optoelectronic processor (D-STOP) is a parallel optoelectronic architecture for matrix algebraic processing. The architecture can be used for matrix-vector multiplication and two types of vector outer product. The computations are performed electronically, which allows multiplication and summation concepts in linear algebra to be generalized to various nonlinear or symbolic operations. This generalization permits the application of D-STOP to many computational problems. The architecture uses a minimum number of optical transmitters, which thereby reduces fabrication requirements while maintaining area-efficient electronics. The necessary optical interconnections are space invariant, minimizing space-bandwidth requirements.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tokola, Ryan A; Mikkilineni, Aravind K; Boehnen, Chris Bensing

Despite being increasingly easy to acquire, 3D data is rarely used for face-based biometrics applications beyond identification. Recent work in image-based demographic biometrics has enjoyed much success, but these approaches suffer from the well-known limitations of 2D representations, particularly variations in illumination, texture, and pose, as well as a fundamental inability to describe 3D shape. This paper shows that simple 3D shape features in a face-based coordinate system are capable of representing many biometric attributes without problem-specific models or specialized domain knowledge. The same feature vector achieves impressive results for problems as diverse as age estimation, gender classification, and racemore » classification.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Starchenko, S. V., E-mail: sstarchenko@mail.ru

The optimum (to my mind) scaling of the combined thermal and compositional convection in a rapidly rotating plane layer is proposed.This scaling follows from self-consistent estimates of typical physical quantities. Similarity coefficients are introduced for the ratio convection dissipation/convection generation (s) and the ratio thermal convection/compositional convection (r). The third new and most important coefficient δ is the ratio of the characteristic size normal to the axis of rotation to the layer thickness. The faster the rotation, the lower δ. In the case of the liquid Earth core, δ ~ 10{sup –3} substitutes for the generally accepted Ekman number (Emore » ~ 10{sup –15}) and s ~ 10{sup –6} substitutes for the inverse Rayleigh number 1/Ra ~ 10{sup –30}. It is found that, at turbulent transport coefficients, number s and the Prandtl number are on the order of unity for any objects and δ is independent of transport coefficients. As a result of expansion in powers of δ, an initially 3D system of six variables is simplified to an almost 2D system of four variables without δ. The problem of convection excitation in the main volume is algebraically solved and this problem for critical values is analytically solved. Dispersion relations and general expressions for critical wavenumbers, numbers s (which determine Rayleigh numbers), other critical parameters, and asymptotic solutions are derived. Numerical estimates are made for the liquid cores in the planets that resemble the Earth. Further possible applications of the results obtained are proposed for the interior of planets, moons, their oceans, stars, and experimental objects.« less

Population norms for the EQ-5D index scores using Singapore preference weights.

PubMed

Abdin, Edimansyah; Subramaniam, Mythily; Vaingankar, Janhavi Ajit; Luo, Nan; Chong, Siow Ann

2015-06-01

To provide norms for the EQ-5D index scores based on Singapore preference weights according to age, sex, ethnicity, and language version and compare the EQ-5D index scores for respondents with and without psychiatric disorders and chronic medical conditions. The Singapore Mental Health Study was a cross-sectional epidemiological survey of a nationally representative sample of the resident (citizens and permanent residents) population in Singapore. The diagnoses of psychiatric disorders were established using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 (CIDI 3.0). Index scores were derived using the Singapore preference weights. In general, the mean EQ-5D index score using Singapore preference weights decreased with increased age. The EQ-5D Malay version reported lower mean EQ-5D index than the English version. In multivariate analysis, the mean EQ-5D index for respondents with MDD, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, GAD, OCD, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis or rheumatism, neurological condition, stroke or major paralysis, heart attack, back problems, stomach ulcer, kidney failure, migraine headaches, and chronic lung disease was significantly lower than those without these conditions. These findings support the use of the Singapore preference weights for EQ-5D valuations when measuring health-related quality of life and comparing the health burden of psychiatric and chronic physical conditions among adults in Singapore.

Visualization of volumetric seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spickermann, Dela; Böttinger, Michael; Ashfaq Ahmed, Khawar; Gajewski, Dirk

2015-04-01

Mostly driven by demands of high quality subsurface imaging, highly specialized tools and methods have been developed to support the processing, visualization and interpretation of seismic data. 3D seismic data acquisition and 4D time-lapse seismic monitoring are well-established techniques in academia and industry, producing large amounts of data to be processed, visualized and interpreted. In this context, interactive 3D visualization methods proved to be valuable for the analysis of 3D seismic data cubes - especially for sedimentary environments with continuous horizons. In crystalline and hard rock environments, where hydraulic stimulation techniques may be applied to produce geothermal energy, interpretation of the seismic data is a more challenging problem. Instead of continuous reflection horizons, the imaging targets are often steep dipping faults, causing a lot of diffractions. Without further preprocessing these geological structures are often hidden behind the noise in the data. In this PICO presentation we will present a workflow consisting of data processing steps, which enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, followed by a visualization step based on the use the commercially available general purpose 3D visualization system Avizo. Specifically, we have used Avizo Earth, an extension to Avizo, which supports the import of seismic data in SEG-Y format and offers easy access to state-of-the-art 3D visualization methods at interactive frame rates, even for large seismic data cubes. In seismic interpretation using visualization, interactivity is a key requirement for understanding complex 3D structures. In order to enable an easy communication of the insights gained during the interactive visualization process, animations of the visualized data were created which support the spatial understanding of the data.

High-Fidelity Roadway Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Jie; Papelis, Yiannis; Shen, Yuzhong; Unal, Ozhan; Cetin, Mecit

2010-01-01

Roads are an essential feature in our daily lives. With the advances in computing technologies, 2D and 3D road models are employed in many applications, such as computer games and virtual environments. Traditional road models were generated by professional artists manually using modeling software tools such as Maya and 3ds Max. This approach requires both highly specialized and sophisticated skills and massive manual labor. Automatic road generation based on procedural modeling can create road models using specially designed computer algorithms or procedures, reducing the tedious manual editing needed for road modeling dramatically. But most existing procedural modeling methods for road generation put emphasis on the visual effects of the generated roads, not the geometrical and architectural fidelity. This limitation seriously restricts the applicability of the generated road models. To address this problem, this paper proposes a high-fidelity roadway generation method that takes into account road design principles practiced by civil engineering professionals, and as a result, the generated roads can support not only general applications such as games and simulations in which roads are used as 3D assets, but also demanding civil engineering applications, which requires accurate geometrical models of roads. The inputs to the proposed method include road specifications, civil engineering road design rules, terrain information, and surrounding environment. Then the proposed method generates in real time 3D roads that have both high visual and geometrical fidelities. This paper discusses in details the procedures that convert 2D roads specified in shape files into 3D roads and civil engineering road design principles. The proposed method can be used in many applications that have stringent requirements on high precision 3D models, such as driving simulations and road design prototyping. Preliminary results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Exploring the Use of Three-Dimensional Multi-User Virtual Environments for Online Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omale, Nicholas M.

2010-01-01

This exploratory case study examines how three media attributes in 3-D MUVEs--avatars, 3-D spaces and bubble dialogue boxes--affect interaction in an online problem-based learning (PBL) activity. The study participants were eleven undergraduate students enrolled in a 200-level, three-credit-hour technology integration course at a Midwestern…

General Reevaluation and Environmental Impact Statement for Flood Control and Related Purposes, Sheyenne River, North Dakota. Volume 2. Technical Appendixes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

21 PRIME ANT) INI(I’t !AEMI.A!;D; D-22 U.S. FIS1! AND .II.Pll SERVICE WETIAND EiSEMENT PROGRAM D-22 WILD AND S(:.NI f’ Rff RiS D-23 AEStET]I CS D-23...Kindred Dam Area D-26 L.evves and Diversion/West Fargo D-27 Baldhill Dam Area D-27 Diversions to Wild Rice River D-27 Diversion - M-6) D-27 Channel...and citizens committee input. * A list of the alternatives that address the fish and wild - life objettives and that would hellp solve the problems and

2.5-D frequency-domain viscoelastic wave modelling using finite-element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jian-guo; Huang, Xing-xing; Liu, Wei-fang; Zhao, Wei-jun; Song, Jian-yong; Xiong, Bin; Wang, Shang-xu

2017-10-01

2-D seismic modelling has notable dynamic information discrepancies with field data because of the implicit line-source assumption, whereas 3-D modelling suffers from a huge computational burden. The 2.5-D approach is able to overcome both of the aforementioned limitations. In general, the earth model is treated as an elastic material, but the real media is viscous. In this study, we develop an accurate and efficient frequency-domain finite-element method (FEM) for modelling 2.5-D viscoelastic wave propagation. To perform the 2.5-D approach, we assume that the 2-D viscoelastic media are based on the Kelvin-Voigt rheological model and a 3-D point source. The viscoelastic wave equation is temporally and spatially Fourier transformed into the frequency-wavenumber domain. Then, we systematically derive the weak form and its spatial discretization of 2.5-D viscoelastic wave equations in the frequency-wavenumber domain through the Galerkin weighted residual method for FEM. Fixing a frequency, the 2-D problem for each wavenumber is solved by FEM. Subsequently, a composite Simpson formula is adopted to estimate the inverse Fourier integration to obtain the 3-D wavefield. We implement the stiffness reduction method (SRM) to suppress artificial boundary reflections. The results show that this absorbing boundary condition is valid and efficient in the frequency-wavenumber domain. Finally, three numerical models, an unbounded homogeneous medium, a half-space layered medium and an undulating topography medium, are established. Numerical results validate the accuracy and stability of 2.5-D solutions and present the adaptability of finite-element method to complicated geographic conditions. The proposed 2.5-D modelling strategy has the potential to address modelling studies on wave propagation in real earth media in an accurate and efficient way.

Pressure-temperature phase diagram of a charge-ordered organic conductor studied by C13 NMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itou, T.; Miyagawa, K.; Nakamura, J.; Kanoda, K.; Hiraki, K.; Takahashi, T.

2014-07-01

We performed C13 NMR measurements on the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) charge-ordered system (DI-DCNQI)2Ag under ambient and applied pressure to clarify the pressure-temperature phase diagram. For pressures up to 15 kbar, the NMR spectra exhibit complicated splitting at low temperatures, indicating a "generalized 3D Wigner crystal" state. In this pressure region, we find that increased pressure causes a decrease in the charge disproportionation ratio, along with a decrease in the transition temperature of the generalized 3D Wigner crystal. In the high-pressure region, near 20 kbar, where a 1D confined liquid crosses over to a 3D Fermi liquid at high temperatures, the ground state is replaced by a nonmagnetic insulating state that is qualitatively different from the generalized 3D Wigner crystal.

Task-based learning versus problem-oriented lecture in neurology continuing medical education.

PubMed

Vakani, Farhan; Jafri, Wasim; Ahmad, Amina; Sonawalla, Aziz; Sheerani, Mughis

2014-01-01

To determine whether general practitioners learned better with task-based learning or problem-oriented lecture in a Continuing Medical Education (CME) set-up. Quasi-experimental study. The Aga Khan University, Karachi campus, from April to June 2012. Fifty-nine physicians were given a choice to opt for either Task-based Learning (TBL) or Problem Oriented Lecture (PBL) in a continuing medical education set-up about headaches. The TBL group had 30 participants divided into 10 small groups, and were assigned case-based tasks. The lecture group had 29 participants. Both groups were given a pre and a post-test. Pre/post assessment was done using one-best MCQs. The reliability coefficient of scores for both the groups was estimated through Cronbach's alpha. An item analysis for difficulty and discriminatory indices was calculated for both the groups. Paired t-test was used to determine the difference between pre- and post-test scores of both groups. Independent t-test was used to compare the impact of the two teaching methods in terms of learning through scores produced by MCQ test. Cronbach's alpha was 0.672 for the lecture group and 0.881 for TBL group. Item analysis for difficulty (p) and discriminatory indexes (d) was obtained for both groups. The results for the lecture group showed pre-test (p) = 42% vs. post-test (p) = 43%; pre- test (d) = 0.60 vs. post-test (d) = 0.40. The TBL group showed pre -test (p) = 48% vs. post-test (p) = 70%; pre-test (d) = 0.69 vs. post-test (d) = 0.73. Lecture group pre-/post-test mean scores were (8.52 ± 2.95 vs. 12.41 ± 2.65; p < 0.001), where TBL group showed (9.70 ± 3.65 vs. 14 ± 3.99; p < 0.001). Independent t-test exhibited an insignificant difference at baseline (lecture 8.52 ± 2.95 vs. TBL 9.70 ± 3.65; p = 0.177). The post-scores were not statistically different lecture 12.41 ± 2.65 vs. TBL 14 ± 3.99; p = 0.07). Both delivery methods were found to be equally effective, showing statistically insignificant differences. However, TBL groups' post-test higher mean scores and radical increase in the post-test difficulty index demonstrated improved learning through TBL delivery and calls for further exploration of longitudinal studies in the context of CME.

Emotional and behavioural problems in children with visual impairment, intellectual and multiple disabilities.

PubMed

Alimovic, S

2013-02-01

Children with multiple impairments have more complex developmental problems than children with a single impairment. We compared children, aged 4 to 11 years, with intellectual disability (ID) and visual impairment to children with single ID, single visual impairment and typical development on 'Child Behavior Check List/4-18' (CBCL/4-18), Parent Report. Children with ID and visual impairment had more emotional and behavioural problems than other groups of children: with single impairment and with typical development (F = 23.81; d.f.1/d.f.2 = 3/156; P < 0.001). All children with special needs had more emotional and behavioural problems than children with typical development. The highest difference was found in attention problems syndrome (F = 30.45; d.f.1/d.f.2 = 3/156; P < 0.001) where all groups of children with impairments had more problems. Children with visual impairment, with and without ID, had more somatic complaints than children with normal vision. Intellectual disability had greater influence on prevalence and kind of emotional and behavioural problems in children than visual impairment. © 2012 The Author. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Reformulation of the covering and quantizer problems as ground states of interacting particles.

PubMed

Torquato, S

2010-11-01

It is known that the sphere-packing problem and the number-variance problem (closely related to an optimization problem in number theory) can be posed as energy minimizations associated with an infinite number of point particles in d-dimensional Euclidean space R(d) interacting via certain repulsive pair potentials. We reformulate the covering and quantizer problems as the determination of the ground states of interacting particles in R(d) that generally involve single-body, two-body, three-body, and higher-body interactions. This is done by linking the covering and quantizer problems to certain optimization problems involving the "void" nearest-neighbor functions that arise in the theory of random media and statistical mechanics. These reformulations, which again exemplify the deep interplay between geometry and physics, allow one now to employ theoretical and numerical optimization techniques to analyze and solve these energy minimization problems. The covering and quantizer problems have relevance in numerous applications, including wireless communication network layouts, the search of high-dimensional data parameter spaces, stereotactic radiation therapy, data compression, digital communications, meshing of space for numerical analysis, and coding and cryptography, among other examples. In the first three space dimensions, the best known solutions of the sphere-packing and number-variance problems (or their "dual" solutions) are directly related to those of the covering and quantizer problems, but such relationships may or may not exist for d≥4 , depending on the peculiarities of the dimensions involved. Our reformulation sheds light on the reasons for these similarities and differences. We also show that disordered saturated sphere packings provide relatively thin (economical) coverings and may yield thinner coverings than the best known lattice coverings in sufficiently large dimensions. In the case of the quantizer problem, we derive improved upper bounds on the quantizer error using sphere-packing solutions, which are generally substantially sharper than an existing upper bound in low to moderately large dimensions. We also demonstrate that disordered saturated sphere packings yield relatively good quantizers. Finally, we remark on possible applications of our results for the detection of gravitational waves.

Hybrid General Pattern Search and Simulated Annealing for Industrail Production Planning Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasant, P.; Barsoum, N.

2010-06-01

In this paper, the hybridization of GPS (General Pattern Search) method and SA (Simulated Annealing) incorporated in the optimization process in order to look for the global optimal solution for the fitness function and decision variables as well as minimum computational CPU time. The real strength of SA approach been tested in this case study problem of industrial production planning. This is due to the great advantage of SA for being easily escaping from trapped in local minima by accepting up-hill move through a probabilistic procedure in the final stages of optimization process. Vasant [1] in his Ph. D thesis has provided 16 different techniques of heuristic and meta-heuristic in solving industrial production problems with non-linear cubic objective functions, eight decision variables and 29 constraints. In this paper, fuzzy technological problems have been solved using hybrid techniques of general pattern search and simulated annealing. The simulated and computational results are compared to other various evolutionary techniques.

Analysis of waveguides containing EMCs (electromagnetic conductors) or PEMCs (perfect electromagnetic conductors)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudêncio, Filipa R.; Matos, Sérgio A.; Paiva, Carlos R.

2014-11-01

The concept of a perfect electromagnetic conductor (PEMC) was introduced to generalize and unify two well-known and apparently disjoint concepts in electromagnetics: the perfect electric conductor (PEC) and the perfect magnetic conductor (PMC). Although the PEMC has proven a fertile tool in electromagnetic analyses dealing with new and complex boundaries, its corresponding definition as a medium has, nevertheless, raised several problems. In fact, according to its initial 3D definition, the PEMC cannot be considered a unique and well-defined medium: it leads to extraneous fields without physical meaning. By using a previously published generalization of a PEMC that regards this concept both as a boundary and as a medium - which was dubbed an MIM (Minkowskian isotropic medium) and acts, in practice, as an actual electromagnetic conductor (EMC) - it is herein presented a straightforward analysis of waveguides containing PEMCs that readily and systematically follows from the general framework of waveguides containing EMCs.

Payload and General Support Computer (PGSC) Detailed Test Objective (DTO) number 795 postflight report: STS-41

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adolf, Jurine A.; Beberness, Benjamin J.; Holden, Kritina L.

1991-01-01

Since 1983, the Space Transportation System (STS) had routinely flown the GRiD 1139 (80286) laptop computer as a portable onboard computing resource. In the spring of 1988, the GRiD 1530, an 80386 based machine, was chosen to replace the GRiD 1139. Human factors ground evaluations and detailed test objectives (DTO) examined the usability of the available display types under different lighting conditions and various angle deviations. All proved unsuitable due to either flight qualification of usability problems. In 1990, an Electroluminescent (EL) display for the GRiD 1530 became flight qualified and another DTO was undertaken to examine this display on-orbit. Under conditions of indirect sunlight and low ambient light, the readability of the text and graphics was only limited by the observer's distance from the display. Although a problem of direct sunlight viewing still existed, there were no problems with large angular deviations nor dark adaptation. No further evaluations were deemed necessary. The GRiD 1530 with the EL display was accepted by the STS program as the new standard for the PGSC.

Extension of a three-dimensional viscous wing flow analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, Bernard C.; Chen, Shyi-Yaung; Thoren, Stephen J.; Shamroth, Stephen J.

1990-01-01

Three-dimensional unsteady viscous effects can significantly influence the performance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. These effects are important in both flows about helicopter rotors in forward flight and flows about 3-D (swept and tapered) supercritical wings. A computational procedure for calculating such flow field is developed, and therefore would be of great value in the design process as well as in understanding the corresponding flow phenomena. The procedure is based upon an alternating direction technique employing the Linearized Block Implicit method for solving 3-D viscous flow problems. In order to demonstrate the viability of this method, 2-D and 3-D problems are computed. These include the flow over a 2-D NACA 0012 airfoil under steady and oscillating conditions, and the steady, skewed, 3-D flow on a flat plate. Although actual 3-D flows over wings were not obtained, the ground work was laid for considering such flows. The description of the computational procedure and results are given.

Acoustic design criteria in a general system for structural optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brama, Torsten

1990-01-01

Passenger comfort is of great importance in most transport vehicles. For instance, in the new generation of regional turboprop aircraft, a low noise level is vital to be competitive on the market. The possibilities to predict noise levels analytically has improved rapidly in recent years. This will make it possible to take acoustic design criteria into account in early project stages. The development of the ASKA FE-system to include also acoustic analysis has been carried out at Saab Aircraft Division and the Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden in a joint project. New finite elements have been developed to model the free fluid, porous damping materials, and the interaction between the fluid and structural degrees of freedom. The FE approach to the acoustic analysis is best suited for lower frequencies up to a few hundred Hz. For accurate analysis of interior cabin noise, large 3-D FE-models are built, but 2-D models are also considered to be useful for parametric studies and optimization. The interest is here focused on the introduction of an acoustic design criteria in the general structural optimization system OPTSYS available at the Saab Aircraft Division. The first implementation addresses a somewhat limited class of problems. The problems solved are formulated: Minimize the structural weight by modifying the dimensions of the structure while keeping the noise level in the cavity and other structural design criteria within specified limits.

Encoding probabilistic brain atlases using Bayesian inference.

PubMed

Van Leemput, Koen

2009-06-01

This paper addresses the problem of creating probabilistic brain atlases from manually labeled training data. Probabilistic atlases are typically constructed by counting the relative frequency of occurrence of labels in corresponding locations across the training images. However, such an "averaging" approach generalizes poorly to unseen cases when the number of training images is limited, and provides no principled way of aligning the training datasets using deformable registration. In this paper, we generalize the generative image model implicitly underlying standard "average" atlases, using mesh-based representations endowed with an explicit deformation model. Bayesian inference is used to infer the optimal model parameters from the training data, leading to a simultaneous group-wise registration and atlas estimation scheme that encompasses standard averaging as a special case. We also use Bayesian inference to compare alternative atlas models in light of the training data, and show how this leads to a data compression problem that is intuitive to interpret and computationally feasible. Using this technique, we automatically determine the optimal amount of spatial blurring, the best deformation field flexibility, and the most compact mesh representation. We demonstrate, using 2-D training datasets, that the resulting models are better at capturing the structure in the training data than conventional probabilistic atlases. We also present experiments of the proposed atlas construction technique in 3-D, and show the resulting atlases' potential in fully-automated, pulse sequence-adaptive segmentation of 36 neuroanatomical structures in brain MRI scans.

Modal expansions in periodic photonic systems with material loss and dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Christian; Busch, Kurt; Mortensen, N. Asger

2018-03-01

We study band-structure properties of periodic optical systems composed of lossy and intrinsically dispersive materials. To this end, we develop an analytical framework based on adjoint modes of a lossy periodic electromagnetic system and show how the problem of linearly dependent eigenmodes in the presence of material dispersion can be overcome. We then formulate expressions for the band-structure derivative (∂ ω )/(∂ k ) (complex group velocity) and the local and total density of transverse optical states. Our exact expressions hold for 3D periodic arrays of materials with arbitrary dispersion properties and in general need to be evaluated numerically. They can be generalized to systems with two, one, or no directions of periodicity provided the fields are localized along nonperiodic directions. Possible applications are photonic crystals, metamaterials, metasurfaces composed of highly dispersive materials such as metals or lossless photonic crystals, and metamaterials or metasurfaces strongly coupled to resonant perturbations such as quantum dots or excitons in 2D materials. For illustration purposes, we analytically evaluate our expressions for some simple systems consisting of lossless dielectrics with one sharp Lorentzian material resonance added. By combining several Lorentz poles, this provides an avenue to perturbatively treat quite general material loss bands in photonic crystals.

Synthesis of image sequences for Korean sign language using 3D shape model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Mun-Ho; Choi, Chang-Seok; Kim, Chang-Seok; Jeon, Joon-Hyeon

1995-05-01

This paper proposes a method for offering information and realizing communication to the deaf-mute. The deaf-mute communicates with another person by means of sign language, but most people are unfamiliar with it. This method enables to convert text data into the corresponding image sequences for Korean sign language (KSL). Using a general 3D shape model of the upper body leads to generating the 3D motions of KSL. It is necessary to construct the general 3D shape model considering the anatomical structure of the human body. To obtain a personal 3D shape model, this general model is to adjust to the personal base images. Image synthesis for KSL consists of deforming a personal 3D shape model and texture-mapping the personal images onto the deformed model. The 3D motions for KSL have the facial expressions and the 3D movements of the head, trunk, arms and hands and are parameterized for easily deforming the model. These motion parameters of the upper body are extracted from a skilled signer's motion for each KSL and are stored to the database. Editing the parameters according to the inputs of text data yields to generate the image sequences of 3D motions.

User's manual for MMLE3, a general FORTRAN program for maximum likelihood parameter estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maine, R. E.; Iliff, K. W.

1980-01-01

A user's manual for the FORTRAN IV computer program MMLE3 is described. It is a maximum likelihood parameter estimation program capable of handling general bilinear dynamic equations of arbitrary order with measurement noise and/or state noise (process noise). The theory and use of the program is described. The basic MMLE3 program is quite general and, therefore, applicable to a wide variety of problems. The basic program can interact with a set of user written problem specific routines to simplify the use of the program on specific systems. A set of user routines for the aircraft stability and control derivative estimation problem is provided with the program.

Caracterisation des proprietes acoustiques des materiaux poreux a cellules ouvertes et a matrice rigide ou souple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salissou, Yacoubou

L'objectif global vise par les travaux de cette these est d'ameliorer la caracterisation des proprietes macroscopiques des materiaux poreux a structure rigide ou souple par des approches inverses et indirectes basees sur des mesures acoustiques faites en tube d'impedance. La precision des approches inverses et indirectes utilisees aujourd'hui est principalement limitee par la qualite des mesures acoustiques obtenues en tube d'impedance. En consequence, cette these se penche sur quatre problemes qui aideront a l'atteinte de l'objectif global precite. Le premier probleme porte sur une caracterisation precise de la porosite ouverte des materiaux poreux. Cette propriete en est une de passage permettant de lier la mesure des proprietes dynamiques acoustiques d'un materiau poreux aux proprietes effectives de sa phase fluide decrite par les modeles semi-phenomenologiques. Le deuxieme probleme traite de l'hypothese de symetrie des materiaux poreux selon leur epaisseur ou un index et un critere sont proposes pour quantifier l'asymetrie d'un materiau. Cette hypothese est souvent source d'imprecision des methodes de caracterisation inverses et indirectes en tube d'impedance. Le critere d'asymetrie propose permet ainsi de s'assurer de l'applicabilite et de la precision de ces methodes pour un materiau donne. Le troisieme probleme vise a mieux comprendre le probleme de transmission sonore en tube d'impedance en presentant pour la premiere fois un developpement exact du probleme par decomposition d'ondes. Ce developpement permet d'etablir clairement les limites des nombreuses methodes existantes basees sur des tubes de transmission a 2, 3 ou 4 microphones. La meilleure comprehension de ce probleme de transmission est importante puisque c'est par ce type de mesures que des methodes permettent d'extraire successivement la matrice de transfert d'un materiau poreux et ses proprietes dynamiques intrinseques comme son impedance caracteristique et son nombre d'onde complexe. Enfin, le quatrieme probleme porte sur le developpement d'une nouvelle methode de transmission exacte a 3 microphones applicable a des materiaux ou systemes symetriques ou non. Dans le cas symetrique, on montre que cette approche permet une nette amelioration de la caracterisation des proprietes dynamiques intrinseques d'un materiau. Mots cles. materiaux poreux, tube d'impedance, transmission sonore, absorption sonore, impedance acoustique, symetrie, porosite, matrice de transfert.

Operator priming and generalization of practice in adults' simple arithmetic.

PubMed

Chen, Yalin; Campbell, Jamie I D

2016-04-01

There is a renewed debate about whether educated adults solve simple addition problems (e.g., 2 + 3) by direct fact retrieval or by fast, automatic counting-based procedures. Recent research testing adults' simple addition and multiplication showed that a 150-ms preview of the operator (+ or ×) facilitated addition, but not multiplication, suggesting that a general addition procedure was primed by the + sign. In Experiment 1 (n = 36), we applied this operator-priming paradigm to rule-based problems (0 + N = N, 1 × N = N, 0 × N = 0) and 1 + N problems with N ranging from 0 to 9. For the rule-based problems, we found both operator-preview facilitation and generalization of practice (e.g., practicing 0 + 3 sped up unpracticed 0 + 8), the latter being a signature of procedure use; however, we also found operator-preview facilitation for 1 + N in the absence of generalization, which implies the 1 + N problems were solved by fact retrieval but nonetheless were facilitated by an operator preview. Thus, the operator preview effect does not discriminate procedure use from fact retrieval. Experiment 2 (n = 36) investigated whether a population with advanced mathematical training-engineering and computer science students-would show generalization of practice for nonrule-based simple addition problems (e.g., 1 + 4, 4 + 7). The 0 + N problems again presented generalization, whereas no nonzero problem type did; but all nonzero problems sped up when the identical problems were retested, as predicted by item-specific fact retrieval. The results pose a strong challenge to the generality of the proposal that skilled adults' simple addition is based on fast procedural algorithms, and instead support a fact-retrieval model of fast addition performance. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

26 CFR 301.6104(d)-0 - Table of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 301.6104(d)-3 as follows: § 301.6104(d)-1Public inspection and distribution of applications for tax exemption and annual information returns of tax-exempt organizations. (a) In general. (b) Definitions. (1) Tax-exempt organization. (2) Private foundation. (3) Application for tax exemption. (i) In general...

Transient neonatal hypercalcaemia secondary to excess maternal vitamin D intake: too much of a good thing.

PubMed

Reynolds, Adam; O'Connell, Susan M; Kenny, Louise Clare; Dempsey, Eugene

2017-07-06

We report a case of transient neonatal hypercalcaemia secondary to excess maternal vitamin D intake in pregnancy. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in pregnancy are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but there is no definite benefit to supplementation. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recommends routine supplementation with vitamin D 3 400 IU/day, but higher dose preparations usually recommended for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency are readily available over the counter. This case highlights the risks of excess supplementation, especially at higher doses and in women without evidence of vitamin D deficiency. The amount used in this case was at the upper end of the generally accepted safe dose range, but still less than that commonly recognised to cause problems. Neonatal hypercalcaemia is a potentially serious condition. The current local or national recommendations for vitamin D supplementation and the possible adverse effects of excess vitamin D consumption should be clearly communicated to pregnant women. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Efficient Modeling of Gravity Fields Caused by Sources with Arbitrary Geometry and Arbitrary Density Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Leyuan

2018-01-01

We present a brief review of gravity forward algorithms in Cartesian coordinate system, including both space-domain and Fourier-domain approaches, after which we introduce a truly general and efficient algorithm, namely the convolution-type Gauss fast Fourier transform (Conv-Gauss-FFT) algorithm, for 2D and 3D modeling of gravity potential and its derivatives due to sources with arbitrary geometry and arbitrary density distribution which are defined either by discrete or by continuous functions. The Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm is based on the combined use of a hybrid rectangle-Gaussian grid and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. Since the gravity forward problem in Cartesian coordinate system can be expressed as continuous convolution-type integrals, we first approximate the continuous convolution by a weighted sum of a series of shifted discrete convolutions, and then each shifted discrete convolution, which is essentially a Toeplitz system, is calculated efficiently and accurately by combining circulant embedding with the FFT algorithm. Synthetic and real model tests show that the Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm can obtain high-precision forward results very efficiently for almost any practical model, and it works especially well for complex 3D models when gravity fields on large 3D regular grids are needed.

D Capturing Performances of Low-Cost Range Sensors for Mass-Market Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidi, G.; Gonizzi, S.; Micoli, L.

2016-06-01

Since the advent of the first Kinect as motion controller device for the Microsoft XBOX platform (November 2010), several similar active and low-cost range sensing devices have been introduced on the mass-market for several purposes, including gesture based interfaces, 3D multimedia interaction, robot navigation, finger tracking, 3D body scanning for garment design and proximity sensors for automotive. However, given their capability to generate a real time stream of range images, these has been used in some projects also as general purpose range devices, with performances that for some applications might be satisfying. This paper shows the working principle of the various devices, analyzing them in terms of systematic errors and random errors for exploring the applicability of them in standard 3D capturing problems. Five actual devices have been tested featuring three different technologies: i) Kinect V1 by Microsoft, Structure Sensor by Occipital, and Xtion PRO by ASUS, all based on different implementations of the Primesense sensor; ii) F200 by Intel/Creative, implementing the Realsense pattern projection technology; Kinect V2 by Microsoft, equipped with the Canesta TOF Camera. A critical analysis of the results tries first of all to compare them, and secondarily to focus the range of applications for which such devices could actually work as a viable solution.

48 CFR 229.101 - Resolving tax problems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Resolving tax problems..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS TAXES General 229.101 Resolving tax problems. (a... information on fuel excise taxes, see PGI 229.101(b). (c) For guidance on directing a contractor to litigate...

Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates' Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment.

PubMed

Prevost, Luanna B; Lemons, Paula P

2016-01-01

This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. © 2016 L. B. Prevost and P. P. Lemons. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Results of comparative RBMK neutron computation using VNIIEF codes (cell computation, 3D statics, 3D kinetics). Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grebennikov, A.N.; Zhitnik, A.K.; Zvenigorodskaya, O.A.

1995-12-31

In conformity with the protocol of the Workshop under Contract {open_quotes}Assessment of RBMK reactor safety using modern Western Codes{close_quotes} VNIIEF performed a neutronics computation series to compare western and VNIIEF codes and assess whether VNIIEF codes are suitable for RBMK type reactor safety assessment computation. The work was carried out in close collaboration with M.I. Rozhdestvensky and L.M. Podlazov, NIKIET employees. The effort involved: (1) cell computations with the WIMS, EKRAN codes (improved modification of the LOMA code) and the S-90 code (VNIIEF Monte Carlo). Cell, polycell, burnup computation; (2) 3D computation of static states with the KORAT-3D and NEUmore » codes and comparison with results of computation with the NESTLE code (USA). The computations were performed in the geometry and using the neutron constants presented by the American party; (3) 3D computation of neutron kinetics with the KORAT-3D and NEU codes. These computations were performed in two formulations, both being developed in collaboration with NIKIET. Formulation of the first problem maximally possibly agrees with one of NESTLE problems and imitates gas bubble travel through a core. The second problem is a model of the RBMK as a whole with imitation of control and protection system controls (CPS) movement in a core.« less

Pechukas-Yukawa approach to the evolution of the quantum state of a parametrically perturbed system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qureshi, Mumnuna A.; Zhong, Johnny; Qureshi, Zihad; Mason, Peter; Betouras, Joseph J.; Zagoskin, Alexandre M.

2018-03-01

We consider the evolution of the quantum states of a Hamiltonian that is parametrically perturbed via a term proportional to the adiabatic parameter λ (t ) . Starting with the Pechukas-Yukawa mapping of the energy eigenvalue evolution in a generalized Calogero-Sutherland model of a one-dimensional classical gas, we consider the adiabatic approximation with two different expansions of the quantum state in powers of d λ /d t and compare them with a direct numerical simulation. We show that one of these expansions (Magnus series) is especially convenient for the description of nonadiabatic evolution of the system. Applying the expansion to the exact cover 3-satisfiability problem, we obtain the occupation dynamics, which provides insight into the population of states and sources of decoherence in a quantum system.

Implementing a 3D printing service in a biomedical library

PubMed Central

Walker, Verma

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is opening new opportunities in biomedicine by enabling creative problem solving, faster prototyping of ideas, advances in tissue engineering, and customized patient solutions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library purchased a Makerbot Replicator 2 3D printer to give scientists a chance to try out this technology. To launch the service, the library offered training, conducted a survey on service model preferences, and tracked usage and class attendance. 3D printing was very popular, with new lab equipment prototypes being the most common model type. Most survey respondents indicated they would use the service again and be willing to pay for models. There was high interest in training for 3D modeling, which has a steep learning curve. 3D printers also require significant care and repairs. NIH scientists are using 3D printing to improve their research, and it is opening new avenues for problem solving in labs. Several scientists found the 3D printer so helpful they bought one for their labs. Having a printer in a central and open location like a library can help scientists, doctors, and students learn how to use this technology in their work. PMID:28096747

Reconstruction of Consistent 3d CAD Models from Point Cloud Data Using a Priori CAD Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bey, A.; Chaine, R.; Marc, R.; Thibault, G.; Akkouche, S.

2011-09-01

We address the reconstruction of 3D CAD models from point cloud data acquired in industrial environments, using a pre-existing 3D model as an initial estimate of the scene to be processed. Indeed, this prior knowledge can be used to drive the reconstruction so as to generate an accurate 3D model matching the point cloud. We more particularly focus our work on the cylindrical parts of the 3D models. We propose to state the problem in a probabilistic framework: we have to search for the 3D model which maximizes some probability taking several constraints into account, such as the relevancy with respect to the point cloud and the a priori 3D model, and the consistency of the reconstructed model. The resulting optimization problem can then be handled using a stochastic exploration of the solution space, based on the random insertion of elements in the configuration under construction, coupled with a greedy management of the conflicts which efficiently improves the configuration at each step. We show that this approach provides reliable reconstructed 3D models by presenting some results on industrial data sets.

Implementing a 3D printing service in a biomedical library.

PubMed

Walker, Verma

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is opening new opportunities in biomedicine by enabling creative problem solving, faster prototyping of ideas, advances in tissue engineering, and customized patient solutions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library purchased a Makerbot Replicator 2 3D printer to give scientists a chance to try out this technology. To launch the service, the library offered training, conducted a survey on service model preferences, and tracked usage and class attendance. 3D printing was very popular, with new lab equipment prototypes being the most common model type. Most survey respondents indicated they would use the service again and be willing to pay for models. There was high interest in training for 3D modeling, which has a steep learning curve. 3D printers also require significant care and repairs. NIH scientists are using 3D printing to improve their research, and it is opening new avenues for problem solving in labs. Several scientists found the 3D printer so helpful they bought one for their labs. Having a printer in a central and open location like a library can help scientists, doctors, and students learn how to use this technology in their work.

A comparison of the EQ-5D-3L and ICECAP-O in an older post-acute patient population relative to the general population.

PubMed

Couzner, Leah; Crotty, Maria; Norman, Richard; Ratcliffe, Julie

2013-08-01

The measurement and valuation of quality of life forms a major component of economic evaluation in health care and is a major issue in health services research. However, differing approaches exist in the measurement and valuation of quality of life from a health economics perspective. While some instruments such as the EQ-5D-3L focus on health-related quality of life alone, others assess quality of life in broader terms, for example, the newly developed ICECAP-O. The aim of this study was to utilize two generic preference-based instruments, the EQ-5D-3L and the ICECAP-O, to measure and value the quality of life of older adult patients receiving post-acute care. An additional objective was to compare the values obtained by each instrument with those generated from two community-based general population samples. Data were collected from a clinical patient population of older adults receiving post-acute outpatient rehabilitation or residential transition care and two Australian general population samples of individuals residing in the general community. The individual responses to the ICECAP-O and EQ-5D-3L instruments were scored using recently developed Australian general population algorithms. Empirical comparisons were made of the resulting patient and general population sample values for the total population and dis-aggregated according to age (65-79 and 80+ years) and gender. A total of 1,260 participants aged 65-99 years (n = 86 clinical patient sample, n = 385 EQ-5D-3L general population sample, n = 789 ICECAP-O general population sample) completed one or both of the EQ-5D-3L and ICECAP-O instruments. As expected, the patient group demonstrated lower quality of life than the general population sample as measured by both quality-of-life instruments. The difference in values between the patient and general population groups was found to be far more pronounced for the EQ-5D-3L than for the ICECAP-O. The ICECAP-O was associated with a mean difference in values of 0.04 (patient group mean 0.753, SD 0.18; general population group mean 0.795, SD 0.17, respectively, p = 0.033). In contrast, the EQ-5D-3L was associated with a mean difference in values of 0.19 (patient group mean 0.595, SD 0.20; general population group mean 0.789, SD 0.02, respectively, p ≤ 0.001). The study findings illustrate the magnitude of the difference in patient and general population values according to the instrument utilized, and highlight the differences in both the theoretical underpinnings and valuation algorithms for the EQ-5D-3L and ICECAP-O instruments. Further empirical work is required in larger samples and alternative patient groups to investigate the generalizability of the findings presented here.

Distorting general relativity: gravity's rainbow and f(R) theories at work

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garattini, Remo, E-mail: Remo.Garattini@unibg.it

2013-06-01

We compute the Zero Point Energy in a spherically symmetric background combining the high energy distortion of Gravity's Rainbow with the modification induced by a f(R) theory. Here f(R) is a generic analytic function of the Ricci curvature scalar R in 4D and in 3D. The explicit calculation is performed for a Schwarzschild metric. Due to the spherically symmetric property of the Schwarzschild metric we can compare the effects of the modification induced by a f(R) theory in 4D and in 3D. We find that the final effect of the combined theory is to have finite quantities that shift themore » Zero Point Energy. In this context we setup a Sturm-Liouville problem with the cosmological constant considered as the associated eigenvalue. The eigenvalue equation is a reformulation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation which is analyzed by means of a variational approach based on gaussian trial functionals. With the help of a canonical decomposition, we find that the relevant contribution to one loop is given by the graviton quantum fluctuations around the given background. A final discussion on the connection of our result with the observed cosmological constant is also reported.« less

43. GENERAL PLAN OF TANK, Y&D No. 107721 Scales 3/16' ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

43. GENERAL PLAN OF TANK, Y&D No. 107721 Scales 3/16' and 3/4' = 1'; July 2, 1929 - U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London Submarine Escape Training Tank, Albacore & Darter Roads, Groton, New London County, CT

Constraining Mass Anomalies Using Trans-dimensional Gravity Inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, K.; Montesi, L.; Lekic, V.

2016-12-01

The density structure of planetary interiors constitutes a key constraint on their composition, temperature, and dynamics. This has motivated the development of non-invasive methods to infer 3D distribution of density anomalies within a planet's interior using gravity observations made from the surface or orbit. On Earth, this information can be supplemented by seismic and electromagnetic observations, but such data are generally not available on other planets and inferences must be made from gravity observations alone. Unfortunately, inferences of density anomalies from gravity are non-unique and even the dimensionality of the problem - i.e., the number of density anomalies detectable in the planetary interior - is unknown. In this project, we use the Reversible Jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) algorithm to approach gravity inversions in a trans-dimensional way, that is, considering the magnitude of the mass, the latitude, longitude, depth and number of anomalies itself as unknowns to be constrained by the observed gravity field at the surface of a planet. Our approach builds upon previous work using trans-dimensional gravity inversions in which the density contrast between the anomaly and the surrounding material is known. We validate the algorithm by analyzing a synthetic gravity field produced by a known density structure and comparing the retrieved and input density structures. We find excellent agreement between the input and retrieved structure when working in 1D and 2D domains. However, in 3D domains, comprehensive exploration of the much larger space of possible models makes search efficiency a key ingredient in successful gravity inversion. We find that upon a sufficiently long RJMCMC run, it is possible to use statistical information to recover a predicted model that matches the real model. We argue that even more complex problems, such as those involving real gravity acceleration data of a planet as the constraint, our trans-dimensional gravity inversion algorithm provides a good option to overcome the problem of non-uniqueness while achieving parsimony in gravity inversions.

A laminar cortical model of stereopsis and 3D surface perception: closure and da Vinci stereopsis.

PubMed

Cao, Yongqiang; Grossberg, Stephen

2005-01-01

A laminar cortical model of stereopsis and 3D surface perception is developed and simulated. The model describes how monocular and binocular oriented filtering interact with later stages of 3D boundary formation and surface filling-in in the LGN and cortical areas V1, V2, and V4. It proposes how interactions between layers 4, 3B, and 2/3 in V1 and V2 contribute to stereopsis, and how binocular and monocular information combine to form 3D boundary and surface representations. The model includes two main new developments: (1) It clarifies how surface-to-boundary feedback from V2 thin stripes to pale stripes helps to explain data about stereopsis. This feedback has previously been used to explain data about 3D figure-ground perception. (2) It proposes that the binocular false match problem is subsumed under the Gestalt grouping problem. In particular, the disparity filter, which helps to solve the correspondence problem by eliminating false matches, is realized using inhibitory interneurons as part of the perceptual grouping process by horizontal connections in layer 2/3 of cortical area V2. The enhanced model explains all the psychophysical data previously simulated by Grossberg and Howe (2003), such as contrast variations of dichoptic masking and the correspondence problem, the effect of interocular contrast differences on stereoacuity, Panum's limiting case, the Venetian blind illusion, stereopsis with polarity-reversed stereograms, and da Vinci stereopsis. It also explains psychophysical data about perceptual closure and variations of da Vinci stereopsis that previous models cannot yet explain.

3D gravity inversion and uncertainty assessment of basement relief via Particle Swarm Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallero, J. L. G.; Fernández-Martínez, J. L.; Bonvalot, S.; Fudym, O.

2017-04-01

Nonlinear gravity inversion in sedimentary basins is a classical problem in applied geophysics. Although a 2D approximation is widely used, 3D models have been also proposed to better take into account the basin geometry. A common nonlinear approach to this 3D problem consists in modeling the basin as a set of right rectangular prisms with prescribed density contrast, whose depths are the unknowns. Then, the problem is iteratively solved via local optimization techniques from an initial model computed using some simplifications or being estimated using prior geophysical models. Nevertheless, this kind of approach is highly dependent on the prior information that is used, and lacks from a correct solution appraisal (nonlinear uncertainty analysis). In this paper, we use the family of global Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) optimizers for the 3D gravity inversion and model appraisal of the solution that is adopted for basement relief estimation in sedimentary basins. Synthetic and real cases are illustrated, showing that robust results are obtained. Therefore, PSO seems to be a very good alternative for 3D gravity inversion and uncertainty assessment of basement relief when used in a sampling while optimizing approach. That way important geological questions can be answered probabilistically in order to perform risk assessment in the decisions that are made.

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T: Increasing Reading Independence for Students with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milner, Diane Hansen

2017-01-01

Due to their unique brain profile, children with dyslexia struggle with acquiring basic literacy skills. Even after basic reading skills have been learned students with dyslexia may still struggle greatly with generalizing their skills to new contexts. Researchers have found that 75 percent of children identified with reading problems in third…

MINEMOTION3D: A new set of Programs for Predicting Ground Motion From Explosions in Complex 3D Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibuleac, I. M.; Bonner, J. L.; Orrey, J. L.; Yang, X.

2004-12-01

Predicting ground motion from complicated mining explosions is important for mines developing new blasting programs in regions where vibrations must be kept below certain levels. Additionally, predicting ground motion from mining explosions in complex 3D media is important for moment estimation for nuclear test treaty monitoring. Both problems have been addressed under the development of a new series of numerical prediction programs called MINEMOTION3D including 1) Generalized Fourier Methods to generate Green's functions in 3D media for a moment tensor source implementation and 2) MineSeis3D, a program that simulates seismograms for delay-fired mining explosions with a linear relationship between signals from small size individual shots. To test the programs, local recordings (5 - 23 km) of three production shots at a mine in northern Minnesota were compared to synthetic waveforms in 3D media. A non-zero value of the moment tensor component M12 was considered, to introduce a horizontal spall component into the waveform synthesis when the Green's functions were generated for each model. Methods using seismic noise crosscorrelation for improved inter-element subsurface structure estimation were also evaluated. Comparison of the observed and synthetic waveforms shows promising results. The shape and arrival times of the normalized synthetic and observed waveforms are similar for most of the stations. The synthetic and observed waveform amplitude fit is best for the vertical components in the mean 3D model and worst for the transversal components. The observed effect of spall on the waveform spectra was weak in the case of fragmentation delay fired commercial explosions. Commercial applications of the code could provide data needed for designing explosions which do not exceed ground vibration requirements posed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining.

PLOT3D Export Tool for Tecplot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alter, Stephen

2010-01-01

The PLOT3D export tool for Tecplot solves the problem of modified data being impossible to output for use by another computational science solver. The PLOT3D Exporter add-on enables the use of the most commonly available visualization tools to engineers for output of a standard format. The exportation of PLOT3D data from Tecplot has far reaching effects because it allows for grid and solution manipulation within a graphical user interface (GUI) that is easily customized with macro language-based and user-developed GUIs. The add-on also enables the use of Tecplot as an interpolation tool for solution conversion between different grids of different types. This one add-on enhances the functionality of Tecplot so significantly, it offers the ability to incorporate Tecplot into a general suite of tools for computational science applications as a 3D graphics engine for visualization of all data. Within the PLOT3D Export Add-on are several functions that enhance the operations and effectiveness of the add-on. Unlike Tecplot output functions, the PLOT3D Export Add-on enables the use of the zone selection dialog in Tecplot to choose which zones are to be written by offering three distinct options - output of active, inactive, or all zones (grid blocks). As the user modifies the zones to output with the zone selection dialog, the zones to be written are similarly updated. This enables the use of Tecplot to create multiple configurations of a geometry being analyzed. For example, if an aircraft is loaded with multiple deflections of flaps, by activating and deactivating different zones for a specific flap setting, new specific configurations of that aircraft can be easily generated by only writing out specific zones. Thus, if ten flap settings are loaded into Tecplot, the PLOT3D Export software can output ten different configurations, one for each flap setting.

Toward a virtual reconstruction of an antique three-dimensional marble puzzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benamar, Fatima Zahra; Fauvet, Eric; Hostein, Antony; Laligant, Olivier; Truchetet, Frederic

2017-01-01

The reconstruction of broken objects is an important field of research for many applications, such as art restoration, surgery, forensics, and solving puzzles. In archaeology, the reconstruction of broken artifacts is a very time-consuming task due to the handling of fractured objects, which are generally fragile. However, it can now be supported by three-dimensional (3-D) data acquisition devices and computer processing. Those techniques are very useful in this domain because they allow the remote handling of very accurate models of fragile parts, they permit the extensive testing of reconstruction solutions, and they provide access to the parts for the entire research community. An interesting problem has recently been proposed by archaeologists in the form of a huge puzzle composed of a thousand fragments of Pentelic marble of different sizes found in Autun (France), and all attempts to reconstruct the puzzle during the last two centuries have failed. Archaeologists are sure that some fragments are missing and that some of the ones we have come from different slabs. We propose an inexpensive transportable system for 3-D acquisition setup and a 3-D reconstruction method that is applied to this Roman inscription but is also relevant to other applications.

RUBE: an XML-based architecture for 3D process modeling and model fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fishwick, Paul A.

2002-07-01

Information fusion is a critical problem for science and engineering. There is a need to fuse information content specified as either data or model. We frame our work in terms of fusing dynamic and geometric models, to create an immersive environment where these models can be juxtaposed in 3D, within the same interface. The method by which this is accomplished fits well into other eXtensible Markup Language (XML) approaches to fusion in general. The task of modeling lies at the heart of the human-computer interface, joining the human to the system under study through a variety of sensory modalities. I overview modeling as a key concern for the Defense Department and the Air Force, and then follow with a discussion of past, current, and future work. Past work began with a package with C and has progressed, in current work, to an implementation in XML. Our current work is defined within the RUBE architecture, which is detailed in subsequent papers devoted to key components. We have built RUBE as a next generation modeling framework using our prior software, with research opportunities in immersive 3D and tangible user interfaces.

Stereo sequence transmission via conventional transmission channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ho-Keun; Kim, Chul-Hwan; Han, Kyu-Phil; Ha, Yeong-Ho

2003-05-01

This paper proposes a new stereo sequence transmission technique using digital watermarking for compatibility with conventional 2D digital TV. We, generally, compress and transmit image sequence using temporal-spatial redundancy between stereo images. It is difficult for users with conventional digital TV to watch the transmitted 3D image sequence because many 3D image compression methods are different. To solve such a problem, in this paper, we perceive the concealment of new information of digital watermarking and conceal information of the other stereo image into three channels of the reference image. The main target of the technique presented is to let the people who have conventional DTV watch stereo movies at the same time. This goal is reached by considering the response of human eyes to color information and by using digital watermarking. To hide right images into left images effectively, bit-change in 3 color channels and disparity estimation according to the value of estimated disparity are performed. The proposed method assigns the displacement information of right image to each channel of YCbCr on DCT domain. Each LSB bit on YCbCr channels is changed according to the bits of disparity information. The performance of the presented methods is confirmed by several computer experiments.

An Exact, Compressible One-Dimensional Riemann Solver for General, Convex Equations of State

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamm, James Russell

2015-03-05

This note describes an algorithm with which to compute numerical solutions to the one- dimensional, Cartesian Riemann problem for compressible flow with general, convex equations of state. While high-level descriptions of this approach are to be found in the literature, this note contains most of the necessary details required to write software for this problem. This explanation corresponds to the approach used in the source code that evaluates solutions for the 1D, Cartesian Riemann problem with a JWL equation of state in the ExactPack package [16, 29]. Numerical examples are given with the proposed computational approach for a polytropic equationmore » of state and for the JWL equation of state.« less

Multiple crack detection in 3D using a stable XFEM and global optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agathos, Konstantinos; Chatzi, Eleni; Bordas, Stéphane P. A.

2018-02-01

A numerical scheme is proposed for the detection of multiple cracks in three dimensional (3D) structures. The scheme is based on a variant of the extended finite element method (XFEM) and a hybrid optimizer solution. The proposed XFEM variant is particularly well-suited for the simulation of 3D fracture problems, and as such serves as an efficient solution to the so-called forward problem. A set of heuristic optimization algorithms are recombined into a multiscale optimization scheme. The introduced approach proves effective in tackling the complex inverse problem involved, where identification of multiple flaws is sought on the basis of sparse measurements collected near the structural boundary. The potential of the scheme is demonstrated through a set of numerical case studies of varying complexity.

Parallel 3D-TLM algorithm for simulation of the Earth-ionosphere cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toledo-Redondo, Sergio; Salinas, Alfonso; Morente-Molinera, Juan Antonio; Méndez, Antonio; Fornieles, Jesús; Portí, Jorge; Morente, Juan Antonio

2013-03-01

A parallel 3D algorithm for solving time-domain electromagnetic problems with arbitrary geometries is presented. The technique employed is the Transmission Line Modeling (TLM) method implemented in Shared Memory (SM) environments. The benchmarking performed reveals that the maximum speedup depends on the memory size of the problem as well as multiple hardware factors, like the disposition of CPUs, cache, or memory. A maximum speedup of 15 has been measured for the largest problem. In certain circumstances of low memory requirements, superlinear speedup is achieved using our algorithm. The model is employed to model the Earth-ionosphere cavity, thus enabling a study of the natural electromagnetic phenomena that occur in it. The algorithm allows complete 3D simulations of the cavity with a resolution of 10 km, within a reasonable timescale.

Field lens multiplexing in holographic 3D displays by using Bragg diffraction based volume gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fütterer, G.

2016-11-01

Applications, which can profit from holographic 3D displays, are the visualization of 3D data, computer-integrated manufacturing, 3D teleconferencing and mobile infotainment. However, one problem of holographic 3D displays, which are e.g. based on space bandwidth limited reconstruction of wave segments, is to realize a small form factor. Another problem is to provide a reasonable large volume for the user placement, which means to provide an acceptable freedom of movement. Both problems should be solved without decreasing the image quality of virtual and real object points, which are generated within the 3D display volume. A diffractive optical design using thick hologram gratings, which can be referred to as Bragg diffraction based volume gratings, can provide a small form factor and high definition natural viewing experience of 3D objects. A large collimated wave can be provided by an anamorphic backlight unit. The complex valued spatial light modulator add local curvatures to the wave field he is illuminated with. The modulated wave field is focused onto to the user plane by using a volume grating based field lens. Active type liquid crystal gratings provide 1D fine tracking of approximately +/- 8° deg. Diffractive multiplex has to be implemented for each color and for a set of focus functions providing coarse tracking. Boundary conditions of the diffractive multiplexing are explained. This is done in regards to the display layout and by using the coupled wave theory (CWT). Aspects of diffractive cross talk and its suppression will be discussed including longitudinal apodized volume gratings.

A Comparison of the Behavior of Functional/Basis Set Combinations for Hydrogen-Bonding in the Water Dimer with Emphasis on Basis Set Superposition Error

PubMed Central

Plumley, Joshua A.; Dannenberg, J. J.

2011-01-01

We evaluate the performance of nine functionals (B3LYP, M05, M05-2X, M06, M06-2X, B2PLYP, B2PLYPD, X3LYP, B97D and MPWB1K) in combination with 16 basis sets ranging in complexity from 6-31G(d) to aug-cc-pV5Z for the calculation of the H-bonded water dimer with the goal of defining which combinations of functionals and basis sets provide a combination of economy and accuracy for H-bonded systems. We have compared the results to the best non-DFT molecular orbital calculations and to experimental results. Several of the smaller basis sets lead to qualitatively incorrect geometries when optimized on a normal potential energy surface (PES). This problem disappears when the optimization is performed on a counterpoise corrected PES. The calculated ΔE's with the largest basis sets vary from -4.42 (B97D) to -5.19 (B2PLYPD) kcal/mol for the different functionals. Small basis sets generally predict stronger interactions than the large ones. We found that, due to error compensation, the smaller basis sets gave the best results (in comparison to experimental and high level non-DFT MO calculations) when combined with a functional that predicts a weak interaction with the largest basis set. Since many applications are complex systems and require economical calculations, we suggest the following functional/basis set combinations in order of increasing complexity and cost: 1) D95(d,p) with B3LYP, B97D, M06 or MPWB1k; 2) 6-311G(d,p) with B3LYP; 3) D95++(d,p) with B3LYP, B97D or MPWB1K; 4)6-311++G(d,p) with B3LYP or B97D; and 5) aug-cc-pVDZ with M05-2X, M06-2X or X3LYP. PMID:21328398

A comparison of the behavior of functional/basis set combinations for hydrogen-bonding in the water dimer with emphasis on basis set superposition error.

PubMed

Plumley, Joshua A; Dannenberg, J J

2011-06-01

We evaluate the performance of ten functionals (B3LYP, M05, M05-2X, M06, M06-2X, B2PLYP, B2PLYPD, X3LYP, B97D, and MPWB1K) in combination with 16 basis sets ranging in complexity from 6-31G(d) to aug-cc-pV5Z for the calculation of the H-bonded water dimer with the goal of defining which combinations of functionals and basis sets provide a combination of economy and accuracy for H-bonded systems. We have compared the results to the best non-density functional theory (non-DFT) molecular orbital (MO) calculations and to experimental results. Several of the smaller basis sets lead to qualitatively incorrect geometries when optimized on a normal potential energy surface (PES). This problem disappears when the optimization is performed on a counterpoise (CP) corrected PES. The calculated interaction energies (ΔEs) with the largest basis sets vary from -4.42 (B97D) to -5.19 (B2PLYPD) kcal/mol for the different functionals. Small basis sets generally predict stronger interactions than the large ones. We found that, because of error compensation, the smaller basis sets gave the best results (in comparison to experimental and high-level non-DFT MO calculations) when combined with a functional that predicts a weak interaction with the largest basis set. As many applications are complex systems and require economical calculations, we suggest the following functional/basis set combinations in order of increasing complexity and cost: (1) D95(d,p) with B3LYP, B97D, M06, or MPWB1k; (2) 6-311G(d,p) with B3LYP; (3) D95++(d,p) with B3LYP, B97D, or MPWB1K; (4) 6-311++G(d,p) with B3LYP or B97D; and (5) aug-cc-pVDZ with M05-2X, M06-2X, or X3LYP. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Image Science Research for Speckle-based LADAR (Speckle Research for 3D Imaging LADAR)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-03

INVARIANT + FERGUS, TORRALBA, AND FREEMAN. MIT-CSAIL-TR-2006-058 MAP DETECTOR PATTERN FOR EACH POINT IN OBJECT SPACE DEBLURRING PROBLEM IMPULSE RESPONSE...GENERALIZED THEORY FOR THE LOGARITHMIC ASPHERE ( )( ) it e φ ρρ −= IMPULSE RESPONSE (PSF) 2 2 2 2 0 0 22 2( ) 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 ( ; ) 2 ( ) i s i i t R...ascent; γ=1, Burch, Skilling, Gull; Loops needed Noise deviation Area of PSF New parameter L σ A γ COMPARISON OF MAXIMUM ENTROPY METHODS † † W. CHI

Problems with the Small Business Administration’s Merit Appraisal and Compensation System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-21

TAD-AI07 181 GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC FEDERAL PERS-ETC F/6 5/9 PROBLEMS WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’S MERIT APPRAIS--ETC(U...Adninistrator, Small Business Administration Dear Mr. Car D Subjec::/ Problems with the Small Business Administra- tjon’s Merit Appraisal and Compensation...System, (rLP68 8i 71). We reviewed the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) performance appraisal/merit pay program as part of our review of

D Visibility Analysis in Urban Environment - Cognition Research Based on Vge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, T. P.; Lin, H.; Hu, M. Y.

2013-09-01

The author in this research attempts to illustrate a measurable relationship between the physical environment and human's visual perception, including the distance, visual angle impact and visual field (a 3D isovist conception) against human's cognition way, by using a 3D visibility analysis method based on the platform of Virtual Geographic Environment (VGE). The whole project carries out in the CUHK campus (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), by adopting a virtual 3D model of the whole campus and survey in real world. A possible model for the simulation of human cognition in urban spaces is expected to be the output of this research, such as what the human perceive from the environment, how their feelings and behaviours are and how they affect the surrounding world. Kevin Lynch raised 5 elements of urban design in 1960s, which are "vitality, sense, fit, access and control". As the development of urban design, several problems around the human's cognitive and behaviour have come out. Due to the restriction of sensing knowledge in urban spaces, the research among the "sense" and the "fit" of urban design were not quite concerned in recent decades. The geo-spatial cognition field comes into being in 1997 and developed in recent 15 years, which made great effort in way-finding and urban behaviour simulation based on the platform of GIS (geographic information system) or VGE. The platform of VGE is recognized as a proper tool for the analysis of human's perception in urban places, because of its efficient 3D spatial data management and excellent 3D visualization for output result. This article will generally describe the visibility analysis method based on the 3D VGE platform. According to the uncertainty and variety of human perception existed in this research, the author attempts to arrange a survey of observer investigation and validation for the analysis results. Four figures related with space and human's perception will be mainly concerned in this proposal: openness, permeability, environmental pressure and visibility, and these will also be used as the identification for different type of spaces. Generally, the author is aiming at contributing a possible way to understand the reason of human's cognition in geo-spatial area, and provides efficient mathematical model between spatial information and visual perception to the related research field.

A two-level generative model for cloth representation and shape from shading.

PubMed

Han, Feng; Zhu, Song-Chun

2007-07-01

In this paper, we present a two-level generative model for representing the images and surface depth maps of drapery and clothes. The upper level consists of a number of folds which will generate the high contrast (ridge) areas with a dictionary of shading primitives (for 2D images) and fold primitives (for 3D depth maps). These primitives are represented in parametric forms and are learned in a supervised learning phase using 3D surfaces of clothes acquired through photometric stereo. The lower level consists of the remaining flat areas which fill between the folds with a smoothness prior (Markov random field). We show that the classical ill-posed problem-shape from shading (SFS) can be much improved by this two-level model for its reduced dimensionality and incorporation of middle-level visual knowledge, i.e., the dictionary of primitives. Given an input image, we first infer the folds and compute a sketch graph using a sketch pursuit algorithm as in the primal sketch [10], [11]. The 3D folds are estimated by parameter fitting using the fold dictionary and they form the "skeleton" of the drapery/cloth surfaces. Then, the lower level is computed by conventional SFS method using the fold areas as boundary conditions. The two levels interact at the final stage by optimizing a joint Bayesian posterior probability on the depth map. We show a number of experiments which demonstrate more robust results in comparison with state-of-the-art work. In a broader scope, our representation can be viewed as a two-level inhomogeneous MRF model which is applicable to general shape-from-X problems. Our study is an attempt to revisit Marr's idea [23] of computing the 2(1/2)D sketch from primal sketch. In a companion paper [2], we study shape from stereo based on a similar two-level generative sketch representation.

Optimal damping profile ratios for stabilization of perfectly matched layers in general anisotropic media

DOE PAGES

Gao, Kai; Huang, Lianjie

2017-11-13

Conventional perfectly matched layers (PML) can be unstable for certain kinds of anisotropic media. Multi-axial PML removes such instability using nonzero damping coe cients in the directions tangential with the PML interface. While using non-zero damping pro le ratios can stabilize PML, it is important to obtain the smallest possible damping pro le ratios to minimize arti cial re ections caused by these non-zero ratios, particularly for 3D general anisotropic media. Using the eigenvectors of the PML system matrix, we develop a straightforward and e cient numerical algorithm to determine the optimal damping pro le ratios to stabilize PML inmore » 2D and 3D general anisotropic media. Numerical examples show that our algorithm provides optimal damping pro le ratios to ensure the stability of PML and complex-frequency-shifted PML for elastic-wave modeling in 2D and 3D general anisotropic media.« less

Optimal damping profile ratios for stabilization of perfectly matched layers in general anisotropic media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Kai; Huang, Lianjie

Conventional perfectly matched layers (PML) can be unstable for certain kinds of anisotropic media. Multi-axial PML removes such instability using nonzero damping coe cients in the directions tangential with the PML interface. While using non-zero damping pro le ratios can stabilize PML, it is important to obtain the smallest possible damping pro le ratios to minimize arti cial re ections caused by these non-zero ratios, particularly for 3D general anisotropic media. Using the eigenvectors of the PML system matrix, we develop a straightforward and e cient numerical algorithm to determine the optimal damping pro le ratios to stabilize PML inmore » 2D and 3D general anisotropic media. Numerical examples show that our algorithm provides optimal damping pro le ratios to ensure the stability of PML and complex-frequency-shifted PML for elastic-wave modeling in 2D and 3D general anisotropic media.« less

Case report of asthma associated with 3D printing.

PubMed

House, R; Rajaram, N; Tarlo, S M

2017-12-02

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is being increasingly used in manufacturing and by small business entrepreneurs and home hobbyists. Exposure to airborne emissions during 3D printing raises the issue of whether there may be adverse health effects associated with these emissions. We present a case of a worker who developed asthma while using 3D printers, which illustrates that respiratory problems may be associated with 3D printer emissions. The patient was a 28-year-old self-employed businessman with a past history of asthma in childhood, which had resolved completely by the age of eight. He started using 10 fused deposition modelling 3D printers with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene filaments in a small work area of approximately 3000 cubic feet. Ten days later, he began to experience recurrent chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing at work. After 3 months, his work environment was modified by reducing the number of printers, changing to polylactic acid filaments and using an air purifier with an high-efficiency particulate air filter and organic cartridge. His symptoms improved gradually, although he still needed periodic treatment with a salbutamol inhaler. While still symptomatic, a methacholine challenge indicated a provocation concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) of 4 mg/ml, consistent with mild asthma. Eventually, his symptoms resolved completely and a second methacholine challenge after symptom resolution was normal (PC20 > 16 mg/ml). This case indicates that workers may develop respiratory problems, including asthma when using 3D printers. Further investigation of the specific airborne emissions and health problems from 3D printing is warranted. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A modified sparse reconstruction method for three-dimensional synthetic aperture radar image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ziqiang; Ji, Kefeng; Song, Haibo; Zou, Huanxin

2018-03-01

There is an increasing interest in three-dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radar (3-D SAR) imaging from observed sparse scattering data. However, the existing 3-D sparse imaging method requires large computing times and storage capacity. In this paper, we propose a modified method for the sparse 3-D SAR imaging. The method processes the collection of noisy SAR measurements, usually collected over nonlinear flight paths, and outputs 3-D SAR imagery. Firstly, the 3-D sparse reconstruction problem is transformed into a series of 2-D slices reconstruction problem by range compression. Then the slices are reconstructed by the modified SL0 (smoothed l0 norm) reconstruction algorithm. The improved algorithm uses hyperbolic tangent function instead of the Gaussian function to approximate the l0 norm and uses the Newton direction instead of the steepest descent direction, which can speed up the convergence rate of the SL0 algorithm. Finally, numerical simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. It is shown that our method, compared with existing 3-D sparse imaging method, performs better in reconstruction quality and the reconstruction time.

Viewpoint Invariant Gesture Recognition and 3D Hand Pose Estimation Using RGB-D

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doliotis, Paul

2013-01-01

The broad application domain of the work presented in this thesis is pattern classification with a focus on gesture recognition and 3D hand pose estimation. One of the main contributions of the proposed thesis is a novel method for 3D hand pose estimation using RGB-D. Hand pose estimation is formulated as a database retrieval problem. The proposed…

General tensor discriminant analysis and gabor features for gait recognition.

PubMed

Tao, Dacheng; Li, Xuelong; Wu, Xindong; Maybank, Stephen J

2007-10-01

The traditional image representations are not suited to conventional classification methods, such as the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), because of the under sample problem (USP): the dimensionality of the feature space is much higher than the number of training samples. Motivated by the successes of the two dimensional LDA (2DLDA) for face recognition, we develop a general tensor discriminant analysis (GTDA) as a preprocessing step for LDA. The benefits of GTDA compared with existing preprocessing methods, e.g., principal component analysis (PCA) and 2DLDA, include 1) the USP is reduced in subsequent classification by, for example, LDA; 2) the discriminative information in the training tensors is preserved; and 3) GTDA provides stable recognition rates because the alternating projection optimization algorithm to obtain a solution of GTDA converges, while that of 2DLDA does not. We use human gait recognition to validate the proposed GTDA. The averaged gait images are utilized for gait representation. Given the popularity of Gabor function based image decompositions for image understanding and object recognition, we develop three different Gabor function based image representations: 1) the GaborD representation is the sum of Gabor filter responses over directions, 2) GaborS is the sum of Gabor filter responses over scales, and 3) GaborSD is the sum of Gabor filter responses over scales and directions. The GaborD, GaborS and GaborSD representations are applied to the problem of recognizing people from their averaged gait images.A large number of experiments were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness (recognition rate) of gait recognition based on first obtaining a Gabor, GaborD, GaborS or GaborSD image representation, then using GDTA to extract features and finally using LDA for classification. The proposed methods achieved good performance for gait recognition based on image sequences from the USF HumanID Database. Experimental comparisons are made with nine state of the art classification methods in gait recognition.

Evolution of robustness to damage in artificial 3-dimensional development.

PubMed

Joachimczak, Michał; Wróbel, Borys

2012-09-01

GReaNs is an Artificial Life platform we have built to investigate the general principles that guide evolution of multicellular development and evolution of artificial gene regulatory networks. The embryos develop in GReaNs in a continuous 3-dimensional (3D) space with simple physics. The developmental trajectories are indirectly encoded in linear genomes. The genomes are not limited in size and determine the topology of gene regulatory networks that are not limited in the number of nodes. The expression of the genes is continuous and can be modified by adding environmental noise. In this paper we evolved development of structures with a specific shape (an ellipsoid) and asymmetrical pattering (a 3D pattern inspired by the French flag problem), and investigated emergence of the robustness to damage in development and the emergence of the robustness to noise. Our results indicate that both types of robustness are related, and that including noise during evolution promotes higher robustness to damage. Interestingly, we have observed that some evolved gene regulatory networks rely on noise for proper behaviour. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microfluidics for Cancer Nanomedicine: From Fabrication to Evaluation.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Zhu, Yifeng; Shen, Youqing

2018-05-27

Self-assembled drug delivery systems (sDDSs), made from nanocarriers and drugs, are one of the major types of nanomedicines, many of which are in clinical use, under preclinical investigation, or in clinical trials. One of the hurdles of this type of nanomedicine in real applications is the inherent complexity of their fabrication processes, which generally lack precise control over the sDDS structures and the batch-to-batch reproducibility. Furthermore, the classic 2D in vitro cell model, monolayer cell culture, has been used to evaluate sDDSs. However, 2D cell culture cannot adequately replicate in vivo tissue-level structures and their highly complex dynamic 3D environments, nor can it simulate their functions. Thus, evaluations using 2D cell culture often cannot correctly correlate with sDDS behaviors and effects in humans. Microfluidic technology offers novel solutions to overcome these problems and facilitates studying the structure-performance relationships for sDDS developments. In this Review, recent advances in microfluidics for 1) fabrication of sDDSs with well-defined physicochemical properties, such as size, shape, rigidity, and drug-loading efficiency, and 2) fabrication of 3D-cell cultures as "tissue/organ-on-a-chip" platforms for evaluations of sDDS biological performance are in focus. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Itinerant Deaf Educator and General Educator Perceptions of the D/HH Push-in Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinsky, Rebecca J.

2013-01-01

A qualitative case study using the deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) push-in model was conducted on the perceptions of 3 itinerant deaf educators and 3 general educators working in 1 school district. Participants worked in pairs of 1 deaf educator and 1 general educator at 3 elementary schools. Open-ended research questions guided the study, which…

Energy-landscape paving for prediction of face-centered-cubic hydrophobic-hydrophilic lattice model proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingfa; Song, Beibei; Liu, Zhaoxia; Huang, Weibo; Sun, Yuanyuan; Liu, Wenjie

2013-11-01

Protein structure prediction (PSP) is a classical NP-hard problem in computational biology. The energy-landscape paving (ELP) method is a class of heuristic global optimization algorithm, and has been successfully applied to solving many optimization problems with complex energy landscapes in the continuous space. By putting forward a new update mechanism of the histogram function in ELP and incorporating the generation of initial conformation based on the greedy strategy and the neighborhood search strategy based on pull moves into ELP, an improved energy-landscape paving (ELP+) method is put forward. Twelve general benchmark instances are first tested on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) face-centered-cubic (fcc) hydrophobic-hydrophilic (HP) lattice models. The lowest energies by ELP+ are as good as or better than those of other methods in the literature for all instances. Then, five sets of larger-scale instances, denoted by S, R, F90, F180, and CASP target instances on the 3D FCC HP lattice model are tested. The proposed algorithm finds lower energies than those by the five other methods in literature. Not unexpectedly, this is particularly pronounced for the longer sequences considered. Computational results show that ELP+ is an effective method for PSP on the fcc HP lattice model.

3D Data Acquisition Platform for Human Activity Understanding

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-02

3D data. The support for the acquisition of such research instrumentation have significantly facilitated our current and future research and educate ...SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: In this project, we incorporated motion capture devices, 3D vision sensors, and EMG sensors to cross validate...multimodality data acquisition, and address fundamental research problems of representation and invariant description of 3D data, human motion modeling and

Comparison of a 3-D GPU-Assisted Maxwell Code and Ray Tracing for Reflectometry on ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gady, Sarah; Kubota, Shigeyuki; Johnson, Irena

2015-11-01

Electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in magnetized plasmas are important diagnostics for high temperature plasmas. 1-D and 2-D full-wave codes are standard tools for measurements of the electron density profile and fluctuations; however, ray tracing results have shown that beam propagation in tokamak plasmas is inherently a 3-D problem. The GPU-Assisted Maxwell Code utilizes the FDTD (Finite-Difference Time-Domain) method for solving the Maxwell equations with the cold plasma approximation in a 3-D geometry. Parallel processing with GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units) is used to accelerate the computation. Previously, we reported on initial comparisons of the code results to 1-D numerical and analytical solutions, where the size of the computational grid was limited by the on-board memory of the GPU. In the current study, this limitation is overcome by using domain decomposition and an additional GPU. As a practical application, this code is used to study the current design of the ITER Low Field Side Reflectometer (LSFR) for the Equatorial Port Plug 11 (EPP11). A detailed examination of Gaussian beam propagation in the ITER edge plasma will be presented, as well as comparisons with ray tracing. This work was made possible by funding from the Department of Energy for the Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program. This work is supported by the US DOE Contract No.DE-AC02-09CH11466 and DE-FG02-99-ER54527.

A reconstruction method of intra-ventricular blood flow using color flow ultrasound: a simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jaeseong; Ahn, Chi Young; Jeon, Kiwan; Choi, Jung-il; Lee, Changhoon; Seo, Jin Keun

2015-03-01

A reconstruction method is proposed here to quantify the distribution of blood flow velocity fields inside the left ventricle from color Doppler echocardiography measurement. From 3D incompressible Navier- Stokes equation, a 2D incompressible Navier-Stokes equation with a mass source term is derived to utilize the measurable color flow ultrasound data in a plane along with the moving boundary condition. The proposed model reflects out-of-plane blood flows on the imaging plane through the mass source term. For demonstrating a feasibility of the proposed method, we have performed numerical simulations of the forward problem and numerical analysis of the reconstruction method. First, we construct a 3D moving LV region having a specific stroke volume. To obtain synthetic intra-ventricular flows, we performed a numerical simulation of the forward problem of Navier-Stokes equation inside the 3D moving LV, computed 3D intra-ventricular velocity fields as a solution of the forward problem, projected the 3D velocity fields on the imaging plane and took the inner product of the 2D velocity fields on the imaging plane and scanline directional velocity fields for synthetic scanline directional projected velocity at each position. The proposed method utilized the 2D synthetic projected velocity data for reconstructing LV blood flow. By computing the difference between synthetic flow and reconstructed flow fields, we obtained the averaged point-wise errors of 0.06 m/s and 0.02 m/s for u- and v-components, respectively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bridge, Pete, E-mail: pete.bridge@qut.edu.au; Gunn, Therese; Kastanis, Lazaros

A novel realistic 3D virtual reality (VR) application has been developed to allow medical imaging students at Queensland University of Technology to practice radiographic techniques independently outside the usual radiography laboratory. A flexible agile development methodology was used to create the software rapidly and effectively. A 3D gaming environment and realistic models were used to engender presence in the software while tutor-determined gold standards enabled students to compare their performance and learn in a problem-based learning pedagogy. Students reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived value and the software enabled up to 40 concurrent users to prepare for clinical practice.more » Student feedback also indicated that they found 3D to be of limited value in the desktop version compared to the usual 2D approach. A randomised comparison between groups receiving software-based and traditional practice measured performance in a formative role play with real equipment. The results of this work indicated superior performance with the equipment for the VR trained students (P = 0.0366) and confirmed the value of VR for enhancing 3D equipment-based problem-solving skills. Students practising projection techniques virtually performed better at role play assessments than students practising in a traditional radiography laboratory only. The application particularly helped with 3D equipment configuration, suggesting that teaching 3D problem solving is an ideal use of such medical equipment simulators. Ongoing development work aims to establish the role of VR software in preparing students for clinical practice with a range of medical imaging equipment.« less

Economic volatility in childhood and subsequent adolescent mental health problems: a longitudinal population-based study of adolescents

PubMed Central

Bøe, Tormod; Skogen, Jens Christoffer; Sivertsen, Børge; Hysing, Mari; Petrie, Keith J; Dearing, Eric; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of the current paper was to investigate the association between the patterns of duration, timing and sequencing of exposure to low family income during childhood, and symptoms of mental health problems in adolescence. Setting Survey administered to a large population-based sample of Norwegian adolescents. Participants Survey data from 9154 participants of 16–19 years age (53% participation rate; 52.7% girls) were linked to registry-based information about childhood family income from tax return data. Outcome measures Mental health outcomes were symptoms of emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, peer problems and general mental health problems measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, symptoms of depression measured with Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) measured with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Results Latent class analysis and the BCH approach in Mplus were used to examine associations between patterns of poverty exposure and mental health outcomes. Four latent classes of poverty exposure emerged from the analysis. Participants moving into poverty (2.3%), out of poverty (3.5%) or those chronically poor (3.1%) had more symptoms of mental health problems (Cohen’s d=16-.50) than those with no poverty exposure (91.1%). This pattern was, however, not found for symptoms of ADHD. The pattern of results was confirmed in robustness checks using observed data. Conclusions Exposure to poverty in childhood was found to be associated with most mental health problems in adolescence. There was no strong suggestion of any timing or sequencing effects in the patterns of associations. PMID:28928191

Numerical analysis of laminar and turbulent incompressible flows using the finite element Fluid Dynamics Analysis Package (FIDAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohn, Jeong L.

1988-01-01

The purpose of the study is the evaluation of the numerical accuracy of FIDAP (Fluid Dynamics Analysis Package). Accordingly, four test problems in laminar and turbulent incompressible flows are selected and the computational results of these problems compared with other numerical solutions and/or experimental data. These problems include: (1) 2-D laminar flow inside a wall-driven cavity; (2) 2-D laminar flow over a backward-facing step; (3) 2-D turbulent flow over a backward-facing step; and (4) 2-D turbulent flow through a turn-around duct.

HEROIC: 3D general relativistic radiative post-processor with comptonization for black hole accretion discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayan, Ramesh; Zhu, Yucong; Psaltis, Dimitrios; Saḑowski, Aleksander

2016-03-01

We describe Hybrid Evaluator for Radiative Objects Including Comptonization (HEROIC), an upgraded version of the relativistic radiative post-processor code HERO described in a previous paper, but which now Includes Comptonization. HEROIC models Comptonization via the Kompaneets equation, using a quadratic approximation for the source function in a short characteristics radiation solver. It employs a simple form of accelerated lambda iteration to handle regions of high scattering opacity. In addition to solving for the radiation field, HEROIC also solves for the gas temperature by applying the condition of radiative equilibrium. We present benchmarks and tests of the Comptonization module in HEROIC with simple 1D and 3D scattering problems. We also test the ability of the code to handle various relativistic effects using model atmospheres and accretion flows in a black hole space-time. We present two applications of HEROIC to general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations of accretion discs. One application is to a thin accretion disc around a black hole. We find that the gas below the photosphere in the multidimensional HEROIC solution is nearly isothermal, quite different from previous solutions based on 1D plane parallel atmospheres. The second application is to a geometrically thick radiation-dominated accretion disc accreting at 11 times the Eddington rate. Here, the multidimensional HEROIC solution shows that, for observers who are on axis and look down the polar funnel, the isotropic equivalent luminosity could be more than 10 times the Eddington limit, even though the spectrum might still look thermal and show no signs of relativistic beaming.

Radar studies of the atmosphere using spatial and frequency diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Tian-You

This work provides results from a thorough investigation of atmospheric radar imaging including theory, numerical simulations, observational verification, and applications. The theory is generalized to include the existing imaging techniques of coherent radar imaging (CRI) and range imaging (RIM), which are shown to be special cases of three-dimensional imaging (3D Imaging). Mathematically, the problem of atmospheric radar imaging is posed as an inverse problem. In this study, the Fourier, Capon, and maximum entropy (MaxEnt) methods are proposed to solve the inverse problem. After the introduction of the theory, numerical simulations are used to test, validate, and exercise these techniques. Statistical comparisons of the three methods of atmospheric radar imaging are presented for various signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), receiver configuration, and frequency sampling. The MaxEnt method is shown to generally possess the best performance for low SNR. The performance of the Capon method approaches the performance of the MaxEnt method for high SNR. In limited cases, the Capon method actually outperforms the MaxEnt method. The Fourier method generally tends to distort the model structure due to its limited resolution. Experimental justification of CRI and RIM is accomplished using the Middle and Upper (MU) Atmosphere Radar in Japan and the SOUnding SYstem (SOUSY) in Germany, respectively. A special application of CRI to the observation of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) is used to show direct evidence of wave steepening and possibly explain gravity wave variations associated with PMSE.

Generalized Eigenvalues for pairs on heritian matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rublein, George

1988-01-01

A study was made of certain special cases of a generalized eigenvalue problem. Let A and B be nxn matrics. One may construct a certain polynomial, P(A,B, lambda) which specializes to the characteristic polynomial of B when A equals I. In particular, when B is hermitian, that characteristic polynomial, P(I,B, lambda) has real roots, and one can ask: are the roots of P(A,B, lambda) real when B is hermitian. We consider the case where A is positive definite and show that when N equals 3, the roots are indeed real. The basic tools needed in the proof are Shur's theorem on majorization for eigenvalues of hermitian matrices and the interlacing theorem for the eigenvalues of a positive definite hermitian matrix and one of its principal (n-1)x(n-1) minors. The method of proof first reduces the general problem to one where the diagonal of B has a certain structure: either diag (B) = diag (1,1,1) or diag (1,1,-1), or else the 2 x 2 principal minors of B are all 1. According as B has one of these three structures, we use an appropriate method to replace A by a positive diagonal matrix. Since it can be easily verified that P(D,B, lambda) has real roots, the result follows. For other configurations of B, a scaling and a continuity argument are used to prove the result in general.

Generation of Multilayered 3D Structures of HepG2 Cells Using a Bio-printing Technique.

PubMed

Jeon, Hyeryeon; Kang, Kyojin; Park, Su A; Kim, Wan Doo; Paik, Seung Sam; Lee, Sang-Hun; Jeong, Jaemin; Choi, Dongho

2017-01-15

Chronic liver disease is a major widespread cause of death, and whole liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver diseases. However, many problems, including donor shortage, surgical complications and cost, hinder their usage. Recently, tissue-engineering technology provided a potential breakthrough for solving these problems. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been used to mimic tissues and organs suitable for transplantation, but applications for the liver have been rare. A 3D bioprinting system was used to construct 3D printed hepatic structures using alginate. HepG2 cells were cultured on these 3D structures for 3 weeks and examined by fluorescence microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry. The expression of liverspecific markers was quantified on days 1, 7, 14, and 21. The cells grew well on the alginate scaffold, and liver-specific gene expression increased. The cells grew more extensively in 3D culture than two-dimensional culture and exhibited better structural aspects of the liver, indicating that the 3D bioprinting method recapitulates the liver architecture. The 3D bioprinting of hepatic structures appears feasible. This technology may become a major tool and provide a bridge between basic science and the clinical challenges for regenerative medicine of the liver.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of mouse primary hepatocytes to generate 3D hepatic structure.

PubMed

Kim, Yohan; Kang, Kyojin; Jeong, Jaemin; Paik, Seung Sam; Kim, Ji Sook; Park, Su A; Kim, Wan Doo; Park, Jisun; Choi, Dongho

2017-02-01

The major problem in producing artificial livers is that primary hepatocytes cannot be cultured for many days. Recently, 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology draws attention and this technology regarded as a useful tool for current cell biology. By using the 3D bio-printing, these problems can be resolved. To generate 3D bio-printed structures (25 mm × 25 mm), cells-alginate constructs were fabricated by 3D bio-printing system. Mouse primary hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of 6-8 weeks old mice by a 2-step collagenase method. Samples of 4 × 10 7 hepatocytes with 80%-90% viability were printed with 3% alginate solution, and cultured with well-defined culture medium for primary hepatocytes. To confirm functional ability of hepatocytes cultured on 3D alginate scaffold, we conducted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence with hepatic marker genes. Isolated primary hepatocytes were printed with alginate. The 3D printed hepatocytes remained alive for 14 days. Gene expression levels of Albumin , HNF-4α and Foxa3 were gradually increased in the 3D structures. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the primary hepatocytes produced hepatic-specific proteins over the same period of time. Our research indicates that 3D bio-printing technique can be used for long-term culture of primary hepatocytes. It can therefore be used for drug screening and as a potential method of producing artificial livers.

Stereoscopic 3D graphics generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhi; Liu, Jianping; Zan, Y.

1997-05-01

Stereoscopic display technology is one of the key techniques of areas such as simulation, multimedia, entertainment, virtual reality, and so on. Moreover, stereoscopic 3D graphics generation is an important part of stereoscopic 3D display system. In this paper, at first, we describe the principle of stereoscopic display and summarize some methods to generate stereoscopic 3D graphics. Secondly, to overcome the problems which came from the methods of user defined models (such as inconvenience, long modifying period and so on), we put forward the vector graphics files defined method. Thus we can design more directly; modify the model simply and easily; generate more conveniently; furthermore, we can make full use of graphics accelerator card and so on. Finally, we discuss the problem of how to speed up the generation.

An explicit analytical solution for sound propagation in a three-dimensional penetrable wedge with small apex angle.

PubMed

Petrov, Pavel S; Sturm, Frédéric

2016-03-01

A problem of sound propagation in a shallow-water waveguide with a weakly sloping penetrable bottom is considered. The adiabatic mode parabolic equations are used to approximate the solution of the three-dimensional (3D) Helmholtz equation by modal decomposition of the acoustic pressure field. The mode amplitudes satisfy parabolic equations that admit analytical solutions in the special case of the 3D wedge. Using the analytical formula for modal amplitudes, an explicit and remarkably simple expression for the acoustic pressure in the wedge is obtained. The proposed solution is validated by the comparison with a solution of the 3D penetrable wedge problem obtained using a fully 3D parabolic equation that includes a leading-order cross term correction.

Internal and external 2-d boundary layer flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, M. E.; Kays, W. M.

1978-01-01

Computer program computes general two dimensional turbulent boundary-layer flow using finite-difference techniques. Structure allows for user modification to accommodate unique problems. Program should prove useful in many applications where accurate boundary-layer flow calculations are required.

On the breakdown of asymptotic Poincare invariance in D = 3 Einstein gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deser, S.

1985-01-01

It is shown through a series of calculations that neither momentum nor boosts are definable for finite energy solutions of Einstein gravity in D = 3. The contrast between the effects of Lorentz transformations on the corresponding metrics for D = 3 and D = 4 gravity is demonstrated, and some comparisons with the vector gauge treatment of the problem are offered.

Butterfly effect in 3D gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qaemmaqami, Mohammad M.

2017-11-01

We study the butterfly effect by considering shock wave solutions near the horizon of the anti-de Sitter black hole in some three-dimensional gravity models including 3D Einstein gravity, minimal massive 3D gravity, new massive gravity, generalized massive gravity, Born-Infeld 3D gravity, and new bigravity. We calculate the butterfly velocities of these models and also we consider the critical points and different limits in some of these models. By studying the butterfly effect in the generalized massive gravity, we observe a correspondence between the butterfly velocities and right-left moving degrees of freedom or the central charges of the dual 2D conformal field theories.

Unified bulk-boundary correspondence for band insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhim, Jun-Won; Bardarson, Jens H.; Slager, Robert-Jan

2018-03-01

The bulk-boundary correspondence, a topic of intensive research interest over the past decades, is one of the quintessential ideas in the physics of topological quantum matter. Nevertheless, it has not been proven in all generality and has in certain scenarios even been shown to fail, depending on the boundary profiles of the terminated system. Here, we introduce bulk numbers that capture the exact number of in-gap modes, without any such subtleties in one spatial dimension. Similarly, based on these 1D bulk numbers, we define a new 2D winding number, which we call the pole winding number, that specifies the number of robust metallic surface bands in the gap as well as their topological character. The underlying general methodology relies on a simple continuous extrapolation from the bulk to the boundary, while tracking the evolution of Green's function's poles in the vicinity of the bulk band edges. As a main result we find that all the obtained numbers can be applied to the known insulating phases in a unified manner regardless of the specific symmetries. Additionally, from a computational point of view, these numbers can be effectively evaluated without any gauge fixing problems. In particular, we directly apply our bulk-boundary correspondence construction to various systems, including 1D examples without a traditional bulk-boundary correspondence, and predict the existence of boundary modes on various experimentally studied graphene edges, such as open boundaries and grain boundaries. Finally, we sketch the 3D generalization of the pole winding number by in the context of topological insulators.

Deformed D1D5 CFT: A Holographic Probe of Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardine, Ian Theodore

One of the big unsolved questions in gravity research is the black hole information problem. This problem, which pits the unitarity of quantum field theory against smooth classical spacetime, must have a solution in a complete theory of quantum gravity. This thesis will explore aspects of one approach to this problem in the context of string theory. The approach imagines black hole microstates as string theoretic objects. We look at a prototype system, the D1D5 system, and exploit holography to examine the dual conformal field theory (CFT). Specifically, we examine the CFT deformed from the free orbifold point, dual to a very stringy bulk, using a twisted operator that will take us towards the point with the supergravity description. The effects of twisted operators in the CFT are key to understanding physical processes such as emission and thermalization in black hole microstates. We will propose a component twist method for examining the effects of bare twist operators for higher twists in the continuum limit. Our method builds higher twists from simple 2-cycle twists, whose effects are known. We will find that, in this limit, the coefficients describing general states will follow a conjectured general functional form. We then explore the deformed CFT directly by examining operator mixing for untwisted operators. We will exploit the operator product expansion on the covering space, where twist operators of the orbifold are resolved. We use this to examine the mixing of a general supergravity operator, specifically examine the dilaton, and finish with the mixing of a non-supersymmetric candidate operator. We conjecture that this method could be extended to include twisted operators. We will also examine the mixing of the non-supersymmetric candidate operator by examining three point functions. To automate the lengthy and repetitive computations, we wrote a Mathematica package to compute correlation functions and OPEs in the D1D5 CFT. We will explain some of the main functions of this package and how it can be applied to computations. Finally, we will end with a short discussion on future directions.

Large-Scale Partial-Duplicate Image Retrieval and Its Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-23

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The explosive growth of Internet Media (partial-duplicate/similar images, 3D objects, 3D models, etc.) sheds bright...light on many promising applications in forensics, surveillance, 3D animation, mobile visual search, and 3D model/object search. Compared with the...and stable spatial configuration. Compared with the general 2D objects, 3D models/objects consist of 3D data information (typically a list of

NIF Ignition Target 3D Point Design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, O; Marinak, M; Milovich, J

2008-11-05

We have developed an input file for running 3D NIF hohlraums that is optimized such that it can be run in 1-2 days on parallel computers. We have incorporated increasing levels of automation into the 3D input file: (1) Configuration controlled input files; (2) Common file for 2D and 3D, different types of capsules (symcap, etc.); and (3) Can obtain target dimensions, laser pulse, and diagnostics settings automatically from NIF Campaign Management Tool. Using 3D Hydra calculations to investigate different problems: (1) Intrinsic 3D asymmetry; (2) Tolerance to nonideal 3D effects (e.g. laser power balance, pointing errors); and (3) Syntheticmore » diagnostics.« less

Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life of Chinese Adults in Heilongjiang Using EQ-5D-3L.

PubMed

Huang, Weidong; Yu, Hongjuan; Liu, Chaojie; Liu, Guoxiang; Wu, Qunhong; Zhou, Jin; Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Xiaowen; Shi, Linmei; Xu, Xiaoxue

2017-02-23

This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Heilongjiang adult populations by using the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire and to identify factors associated with HRQOL. Data from the National Health Services Survey (NHSS) 2008 in Heilongjiang province were obtained. Results of EQ-5D-3L questionnaires completed by 11,523 adult respondents (18 years or older) were converted to health index scores using a recently developed Chinese value set. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression models were established to determine demographic, socioeconomic, health, and lifestyle factors that were associated with HRQOL and reported problems in the five dimensions of EQ-5D-3L. The Heilongjiang population had a mean EQ-5D-3L index score of 0.959. Lower EQ-5D-3L index scores were associated with older age, lower levels of education, chronic conditions, temporary accommodation, poverty, unemployment, and lack of regular physical activities. Older respondents and those who were unemployed, had chronic conditions, and lived in poverty were more likely to report problems in all of the five health dimensions. Higher educational attainment was associated with lower odds of reporting health problems in mobility, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Low socioeconomic status is associated with poor HRQOL. Regional population norms for EQ-5D-3L are needed for health economic studies due to great socioeconomic disparities across regions in China. Overall, the Heilongjiang population has a similar level of HRQOL compared with the national average.

Quantifying uncertainty and computational complexity for pore-scale simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C.; Yuan, Z.; Wang, P.; Yang, X.; Zhenyan, L.

2016-12-01

Pore-scale simulation is an essential tool to understand the complex physical process in many environmental problems, from multi-phase flow in the subsurface to fuel cells. However, in practice, factors such as sample heterogeneity, data sparsity and in general, our insufficient knowledge of the underlying process, render many simulation parameters and hence the prediction results uncertain. Meanwhile, most pore-scale simulations (in particular, direct numerical simulation) incur high computational cost due to finely-resolved spatio-temporal scales, which further limits our data/samples collection. To address those challenges, we propose a novel framework based on the general polynomial chaos (gPC) and build a surrogate model representing the essential features of the underlying system. To be specific, we apply the novel framework to analyze the uncertainties of the system behavior based on a series of pore-scale numerical experiments, such as flow and reactive transport in 2D heterogeneous porous media and 3D packed beds. Comparing with recent pore-scale uncertainty quantification studies using Monte Carlo techniques, our new framework requires fewer number of realizations and hence considerably reduce the overall computational cost, while maintaining the desired accuracy.

INS3D - NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF THE INCOMPRESSIBLE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL GENERALIZED CURVILINEAR COORDINATES (DEC RISC ULTRIX VERSION)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biyabani, S. R.

1994-01-01

INS3D computes steady-state solutions to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The INS3D approach utilizes pseudo-compressibility combined with an approximate factorization scheme. This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been verified on problems such as flow through a channel, flow over a backwardfacing step and flow over a circular cylinder. Three dimensional cases include flow over an ogive cylinder, flow through a rectangular duct, wind tunnel inlet flow, cylinder-wall juncture flow and flow through multiple posts mounted between two plates. INS3D uses a pseudo-compressibility approach in which a time derivative of pressure is added to the continuity equation, which together with the momentum equations form a set of four equations with pressure and velocity as the dependent variables. The equations' coordinates are transformed for general three dimensional applications. The equations are advanced in time by the implicit, non-iterative, approximately-factored, finite-difference scheme of Beam and Warming. The numerical stability of the scheme depends on the use of higher-order smoothing terms to damp out higher-frequency oscillations caused by second-order central differencing. The artificial compressibility introduces pressure (sound) waves of finite speed (whereas the speed of sound would be infinite in an incompressible fluid). As the solution converges, these pressure waves die out, causing the derivation of pressure with respect to time to approach zero. Thus, continuity is satisfied for the incompressible fluid in the steady state. Computational efficiency is achieved using a diagonal algorithm. A block tri-diagonal option is also available. When a steady-state solution is reached, the modified continuity equation will satisfy the divergence-free velocity field condition. INS3D is capable of handling several different types of boundaries encountered in numerical simulations, including solid-surface, inflow and outflow, and far-field boundaries. Three machine versions of INS3D are available. INS3D for the CRAY is written in CRAY FORTRAN for execution on a CRAY X-MP under COS, INS3D for the IBM is written in FORTRAN 77 for execution on an IBM 3090 under the VM or MVS operating system, and INS3D for DEC RISC-based systems is written in RISC FORTRAN for execution on a DEC workstation running RISC ULTRIX 3.1 or later. The CRAY version has a central memory requirement of 730279 words. The central memory requirement for the IBM is 150Mb. The memory requirement for the DEC RISC ULTRIX version is 3Mb of main memory. INS3D was developed in 1987. The port to the IBM was done in 1990. The port to the DECstation 3100 was done in 1991. CRAY is a registered trademark of Cray Research Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. DEC, DECstation, and ULTRIX are trademarks of the Digital Equipment Corporation.

INS3D - NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF THE INCOMPRESSIBLE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL GENERALIZED CURVILINEAR COORDINATES (CRAY VERSION)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, S. E.

1994-01-01

INS3D computes steady-state solutions to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The INS3D approach utilizes pseudo-compressibility combined with an approximate factorization scheme. This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been verified on problems such as flow through a channel, flow over a backwardfacing step and flow over a circular cylinder. Three dimensional cases include flow over an ogive cylinder, flow through a rectangular duct, wind tunnel inlet flow, cylinder-wall juncture flow and flow through multiple posts mounted between two plates. INS3D uses a pseudo-compressibility approach in which a time derivative of pressure is added to the continuity equation, which together with the momentum equations form a set of four equations with pressure and velocity as the dependent variables. The equations' coordinates are transformed for general three dimensional applications. The equations are advanced in time by the implicit, non-iterative, approximately-factored, finite-difference scheme of Beam and Warming. The numerical stability of the scheme depends on the use of higher-order smoothing terms to damp out higher-frequency oscillations caused by second-order central differencing. The artificial compressibility introduces pressure (sound) waves of finite speed (whereas the speed of sound would be infinite in an incompressible fluid). As the solution converges, these pressure waves die out, causing the derivation of pressure with respect to time to approach zero. Thus, continuity is satisfied for the incompressible fluid in the steady state. Computational efficiency is achieved using a diagonal algorithm. A block tri-diagonal option is also available. When a steady-state solution is reached, the modified continuity equation will satisfy the divergence-free velocity field condition. INS3D is capable of handling several different types of boundaries encountered in numerical simulations, including solid-surface, inflow and outflow, and far-field boundaries. Three machine versions of INS3D are available. INS3D for the CRAY is written in CRAY FORTRAN for execution on a CRAY X-MP under COS, INS3D for the IBM is written in FORTRAN 77 for execution on an IBM 3090 under the VM or MVS operating system, and INS3D for DEC RISC-based systems is written in RISC FORTRAN for execution on a DEC workstation running RISC ULTRIX 3.1 or later. The CRAY version has a central memory requirement of 730279 words. The central memory requirement for the IBM is 150Mb. The memory requirement for the DEC RISC ULTRIX version is 3Mb of main memory. INS3D was developed in 1987. The port to the IBM was done in 1990. The port to the DECstation 3100 was done in 1991. CRAY is a registered trademark of Cray Research Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. DEC, DECstation, and ULTRIX are trademarks of the Digital Equipment Corporation.

Generalized method calculating the effective diffusion coefficient in periodic channels.

PubMed

Kalinay, Pavol

2015-01-07

The method calculating the effective diffusion coefficient in an arbitrary periodic two-dimensional channel, presented in our previous paper [P. Kalinay, J. Chem. Phys. 141, 144101 (2014)], is generalized to 3D channels of cylindrical symmetry, as well as to 2D or 3D channels with particles driven by a constant longitudinal external driving force. The next possible extensions are also indicated. The former calculation was based on calculus in the complex plane, suitable for the stationary diffusion in 2D domains. The method is reformulated here using standard tools of functional analysis, enabling the generalization.

Phase retrieval from local measurements in two dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwen, Mark; Preskitt, Brian; Saab, Rayan; Viswanathan, Aditya

2017-08-01

The phase retrieval problem has appeared in a multitude of applications for decades. While ad hoc solutions have existed since the early 1970s, recent developments have provided algorithms that offer promising theoretical guarantees under increasingly realistic assumptions. Motivated by ptychographic imaging, we generalize a recent result on phase retrieval of a one dimensional objective vector x ∈ ℂd to recover a two dimensional sample Q ∈ ℂd x d from phaseless measurements, using a tensor product formulation to extend the previous work.

Long-term impact of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes on social life, quality of life and sexuality.

PubMed

Mellerio, H; Guilmin-Crépon, S; Jacquin, P; Labéguerie, M; Lévy-Marchal, C; Alberti, C

2015-12-01

This study describes the socio-professional outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexuality of adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D). The study participants (n=388), recruited from a nationwide registry (age: 28.5 ± 3.1 years; T1D duration: 17.0 ± 2.7 years), completed a questionnaire (198 items); the results were compared with the French general population using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and Z scores matched for age, gender and period with/without education levels and patterns of family life. Linear regression models also investigated correlates of SF-36 Physical (PCS) and Mental Composite Scores (MCS). Compared with the French general population, education levels of people with T1D were similar, with 68.6% having at least a high-school diploma or higher (SIR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.93; 1.20), as were also their patterns of family life. Unemployment was higher in T1D women (15.3%, SIR: 1.50, 1.00; 2.05), but not in T1D men (8.6%, SIR: 0.96, 0.51; 1.57). Social discrimination was more common (SIR: 5.64, 4.64; 6.62), and frequency of daily alcohol consumption was higher (SIR: men, 3.34, 2.38; 4.54; women, 6.53, 4.57; 12.99). PCS and MCS were decreased moderately (mean ± SD: 52.0 ± 7.5; mean Z score: -0.2, 95% CI: -0.3; -0.1) and substantially (mean ± SD: 42.1 ± 12.4; mean Z score: -0.7, -0.8; -0.6), respectively. Fatigue and abandoning sports were predictive of a lower HRQOL. Both men and women were more frequently dissatisfied with their sex life. Prevalence of sexual problems was higher in women (SIR for: dysorgasmia, 1.91, 1.21-2.88; decreased/loss of desire: 2.11, 1.35-3.08), but similar in men. Participants with T1D-related complications had preserved social outcomes, but altered HRQOL. Young adults with T1D have satisfactory social participation. However, their higher alcohol consumption, lower MCS and frequent dissatisfaction with sexuality suggest a heavy impact of the disease on morale, especially in women. Improving the everyday well-being of these young adults represents a key challenge for diabetes healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A nonlinear eigenvalue problem for self-similar spherical force-free magnetic fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lerche, I.; Low, B. C.

2014-10-15

An axisymmetric force-free magnetic field B(r, θ) in spherical coordinates is defined by a function r sin θB{sub φ}=Q(A) relating its azimuthal component to its poloidal flux-function A. The power law r sin θB{sub φ}=aA|A|{sup 1/n}, n a positive constant, admits separable fields with A=(A{sub n}(θ))/(r{sup n}) , posing a nonlinear boundary-value problem for the constant parameter a as an eigenvalue and A{sub n}(θ) as its eigenfunction [B. C. Low and Y. Q Lou, Astrophys. J. 352, 343 (1990)]. A complete analysis is presented of the eigenvalue spectrum for a given n, providing a unified understanding of the eigenfunctions and the physical relationship betweenmore » the field's degree of multi-polarity and rate of radial decay via the parameter n. These force-free fields, self-similar on spheres of constant r, have basic astrophysical applications. As explicit solutions they have, over the years, served as standard benchmarks for testing 3D numerical codes developed to compute general force-free fields in the solar corona. The study presented includes a set of illustrative multipolar field solutions to address the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) issues underlying the observation that the solar corona has a statistical preference for negative and positive magnetic helicities in its northern and southern hemispheres, respectively; a hemispherical effect, unchanging as the Sun's global field reverses polarity in successive eleven-year cycles. Generalizing these force-free fields to the separable form B=(H(θ,φ))/(r{sup n+2}) promises field solutions of even richer topological varieties but allowing for φ-dependence greatly complicates the governing equations that have remained intractable. The axisymmetric results obtained are discussed in relation to this generalization and the Parker Magnetostatic Theorem. The axisymmetric solutions are mathematically related to a family of 3D time-dependent ideal MHD solutions for a polytropic fluid of index γ = 4/3 as discussed in the Appendix.« less

Scaling, elasticity, and CLPT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunelle, Eugene J.

1994-01-01

The first few viewgraphs describe the general solution properties of linear elasticity theory which are given by the following two statements: (1) for stress B.C. on S(sub sigma) and zero displacement B.C. on S(sub u) the altered displacements u(sub i)(*) and the actual stresses tau(sub ij) are elastically dependent on Poisson's ratio nu alone: thus the actual displacements are given by u(sub i) = mu(exp -1)u(sub i)(*); and (2) for zero stress B.C. on S(sub sigma) and displacement B.C. on S(sub u) the actual displacements u(sub i) and the altered stresses tau(sub ij)(*) are elastically dependent on Poisson's ratio nu alone: thus the actual stresses are given by tau(sub ij) = E tau(sub ij)(*). The remaining viewgraphs describe the minimum parameter formulation of the general classical laminate theory plate problem as follows: The general CLT plate problem is expressed as a 3 x 3 system of differential equations in the displacements u, v, and w. The eighteen (six each) A(sub ij), B(sub ij), and D(sub ij) system coefficients are ply-weighted sums of the transformed reduced stiffnesses (bar-Q(sub ij))(sub k); the (bar-Q(sub ij))(sub k) in turn depend on six reduced stiffnesses (Q(sub ij))(sub k) and the material and geometry properties of the k(sup th) layer. This paper develops a method for redefining the system coefficients, the displacement components (u,v,w), and the position components (x,y) such that a minimum parameter formulation is possible. The pivotal steps in this method are (1) the reduction of (bar-Q(sub ij))(sub k) dependencies to just two constants Q(*) = (Q(12) + 2Q(66))/(Q(11)Q(22))(exp 1/2) and F(*) - (Q(22)/Q(11))(exp 1/2) in terms of ply-independent reference values Q(sub ij); (2) the reduction of the remaining portions of the A, B, and D coefficients to nondimensional ply-weighted sums (with 0 to 1 ranges) that are independent of Q(*) and F(*); and (3) the introduction of simple coordinate stretchings for u, v, w and x,y such that the process is neatly completed.

Fourier rebinning and consistency equations for time-of-flight PET planograms

PubMed Central

Li, Yusheng; Defrise, Michel; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D

2016-01-01

Due to the unique geometry, dual-panel PET scanners have many advantages in dedicated breast imaging and on-board imaging applications since the compact scanners can be combined with other imaging and treatment modalities. The major challenges of dual-panel PET imaging are the limited-angle problem and data truncation, which can cause artifacts due to incomplete data sampling. The time-of-flight (TOF) information can be a promising solution to reduce these artifacts. The TOF planogram is the native data format for dual-panel TOF PET scanners, and the non-TOF planogram is the 3D extension of linogram. The TOF planograms is five-dimensional while the objects are three-dimensional, and there are two degrees of redundancy. In this paper, we derive consistency equations and Fourier-based rebinning algorithms to provide a complete understanding of the rich structure of the fully 3D TOF planograms. We first derive two consistency equations and John's equation for 3D TOF planograms. By taking the Fourier transforms, we obtain two Fourier consistency equations and the Fourier-John equation, which are the duals of the consistency equations and John's equation, respectively. We then solve the Fourier consistency equations and Fourier-John equation using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the 3D TOF data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions along the characteristic curves. As the special cases of the general solutions, we obtain Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs), and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET planograms: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF planograms. The FORCEs can be used as Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. As a byproduct, we show the two consistency equations are necessary and sufficient for 3D TOF planograms. Finally, we give numerical examples of implementation of a fast 2D TOF planogram projector and Fourier-based rebinning for a 2D TOF planograms using the FORCEs to show the efficacy of the Fourier-based solutions. PMID:28255191

Fourier rebinning and consistency equations for time-of-flight PET planograms.

PubMed

Li, Yusheng; Defrise, Michel; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D

2016-01-01

Due to the unique geometry, dual-panel PET scanners have many advantages in dedicated breast imaging and on-board imaging applications since the compact scanners can be combined with other imaging and treatment modalities. The major challenges of dual-panel PET imaging are the limited-angle problem and data truncation, which can cause artifacts due to incomplete data sampling. The time-of-flight (TOF) information can be a promising solution to reduce these artifacts. The TOF planogram is the native data format for dual-panel TOF PET scanners, and the non-TOF planogram is the 3D extension of linogram. The TOF planograms is five-dimensional while the objects are three-dimensional, and there are two degrees of redundancy. In this paper, we derive consistency equations and Fourier-based rebinning algorithms to provide a complete understanding of the rich structure of the fully 3D TOF planograms. We first derive two consistency equations and John's equation for 3D TOF planograms. By taking the Fourier transforms, we obtain two Fourier consistency equations and the Fourier-John equation, which are the duals of the consistency equations and John's equation, respectively. We then solve the Fourier consistency equations and Fourier-John equation using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the 3D TOF data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions along the characteristic curves. As the special cases of the general solutions, we obtain Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs), and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET planograms: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF planograms. The FORCEs can be used as Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. As a byproduct, we show the two consistency equations are necessary and sufficient for 3D TOF planograms. Finally, we give numerical examples of implementation of a fast 2D TOF planogram projector and Fourier-based rebinning for a 2D TOF planograms using the FORCEs to show the efficacy of the Fourier-based solutions.

HEMP 3D: A finite difference program for calculating elastic-plastic flow, appendix B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, Mark L.

1993-05-01

The HEMP 3D program can be used to solve problems in solid mechanics involving dynamic plasticity and time dependent material behavior and problems in gas dynamics. The equations of motion, the conservation equations, and the constitutive relations listed below are solved by finite difference methods following the format of the HEMP computer simulation program formulated in two space dimensions and time.

A multiblock/multizone code (PAB 3D-v2) for the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations: Preliminary applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.

1990-01-01

The development and applications of multiblock/multizone and adaptive grid methodologies for solving the three-dimensional simplified Navier-Stokes equations are described. Adaptive grid and multiblock/multizone approaches are introduced and applied to external and internal flow problems. These new implementations increase the capabilities and flexibility of the PAB3D code in solving flow problems associated with complex geometry.

Novel view synthesis by interpolation over sparse examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Bodong; Chung, Ronald C.

2006-01-01

Novel view synthesis (NVS) is an important problem in image rendering. It involves synthesizing an image of a scene at any specified (novel) viewpoint, given some images of the scene at a few sample viewpoints. The general understanding is that the solution should bypass explicit 3-D reconstruction of the scene. As it is, the problem has a natural tie to interpolation, despite that mainstream efforts on the problem have been adopting formulations otherwise. Interpolation is about finding the output of a function f(x) for any specified input x, given a few input-output pairs {(xi,fi):i=1,2,3,...,n} of the function. If the input x is the viewpoint, and f(x) is the image, the interpolation problem becomes exactly NVS. We treat the NVS problem using the interpolation formulation. In particular, we adopt the example-based everything or interpolation (EBI) mechanism-an established mechanism for interpolating or learning functions from examples. EBI has all the desirable properties of a good interpolation: all given input-output examples are satisfied exactly, and the interpolation is smooth with minimum oscillations between the examples. We point out that EBI, however, has difficulty in interpolating certain classes of functions, including the image function in the NVS problem. We propose an extension of the mechanism for overcoming the limitation. We also present how the extended interpolation mechanism could be used to synthesize images at novel viewpoints. Real image results show that the mechanism has promising performance, even with very few example images.

Particle trajectory computation on a 3-dimensional engine inlet. Final Report Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, J. J.

1986-01-01

A 3-dimensional particle trajectory computer code was developed to compute the distribution of water droplet impingement efficiency on a 3-dimensional engine inlet. The computed results provide the essential droplet impingement data required for the engine inlet anti-icing system design and analysis. The droplet trajectories are obtained by solving the trajectory equation using the fourth order Runge-Kutta and Adams predictor-corrector schemes. A compressible 3-D full potential flow code is employed to obtain a cylindrical grid definition of the flowfield on and about the engine inlet. The inlet surface is defined mathematically through a system of bi-cubic parametric patches in order to compute the droplet impingement points accurately. Analysis results of the 3-D trajectory code obtained for an axisymmetric droplet impingement problem are in good agreement with NACA experimental data. Experimental data are not yet available for the engine inlet impingement problem analyzed. Applicability of the method to solid particle impingement problems, such as engine sand ingestion, is also demonstrated.

Proteasome modulator 9 gene SNPs, responsible for anti-depressant response, are in linkage with generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Gragnoli, Claudia

2014-09-01

Proteasome modulator 9 (PSMD9) gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1043307/rs2514259 (E197G) is associated with significant clinical response to the anti-depressant desipramine. PSMD9 SNP rs74421874 [intervening sequence (IVS) 3 + nt460 G>A], rs3825172 (IVS3 + nt437 C>T) and rs1043307/rs2514259 (E197G A>G) are all linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D), maturity-onset-diabetes-of the young 3 (MODY3), obesity and waist circumference, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, T2D-macrovascular and T2D-microvascular disease, T2D-neuropathy, T2D-carpal tunnel syndrome, T2D-nephropathy, T2D-retinopathy, non-diabetic retinopathy and depression. PSMD9 rs149556654 rare SNP (N166S A>G) and the variant S143G A>G also contribute to T2D. PSMD9 is located in the chromosome 12q24 locus, which per se is in linkage with depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. In the present study, we wanted to determine whether PSMD9 is linked to general anxiety disorder in Italian T2D families. Two-hundred Italian T2D families were phenotyped for generalized anxiety disorder, using the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. When the diagnosis was unavailable or unclear, the trait was reported as unknown. The 200 Italians families were tested for the PSMD9 T2D risk SNPs rs74421874 (IVS3 + nt460 G>A), rs3825172 (IVS3 +nt437 T>C) and for the T2D risk and anti-depressant response SNP rs1043307/rs2514259 (E197G A>G) for evidence of linkage with generalized anxiety disorder. Non-parametric linkage analysis was executed via Merlin software. One-thousand simulation tests were performed to exclude results due to random chance. In our study, the PSMD9 gene SNPs rs74421874, rs3825172, and rs1043307/rs2514259 result in linkage to generalized anxiety disorder. This is the first report describing PSMD9 gene SNPs in linkage to generalized anxiety disorder in T2D families. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Importance of a 3D forward modeling tool for surface wave analysis methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pageot, Damien; Le Feuvre, Mathieu; Donatienne, Leparoux; Philippe, Côte; Yann, Capdeville

2016-04-01

Since a few years, seismic surface waves analysis methods (SWM) have been widely developed and tested in the context of subsurface characterization and have demonstrated their effectiveness for sounding and monitoring purposes, e.g., high-resolution tomography of the principal geological units of California or real time monitoring of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. Historically, these methods are mostly developed under the assumption of semi-infinite 1D layered medium without topography. The forward modeling is generally based on Thomson-Haskell matrix based modeling algorithm and the inversion is driven by Monte-Carlo sampling. Given their efficiency, SWM have been transfered to several scale of which civil engineering structures in order to, e.g., determine the so-called V s30 parameter or assess other critical constructional parameters in pavement engineering. However, at this scale, many structures may often exhibit 3D surface variations which drastically limit the efficiency of SWM application. Indeed, even in the case of an homogeneous structure, 3D geometry can bias the dispersion diagram of Rayleigh waves up to obtain discontinuous phase velocity curves which drastically impact the 1D mean velocity model obtained from dispersion inversion. Taking advantages of high-performance computing center accessibility and wave propagation modeling algorithm development, it is now possible to consider the use of a 3D elastic forward modeling algorithm instead of Thomson-Haskell method in the SWM inversion process. We use a parallelized 3D elastic modeling code based on the spectral element method which allows to obtain accurate synthetic data with very low numerical dispersion and a reasonable numerical cost. In this study, we choose dike embankments as an illustrative example. We first show that their longitudinal geometry may have a significant effect on dispersion diagrams of Rayleigh waves. Then, we demonstrate the necessity of 3D elastic modeling as a forward problem for the inversion of dispersion curves.

3D medical volume reconstruction using web services.

PubMed

Kooper, Rob; Shirk, Andrew; Lee, Sang-Chul; Lin, Amy; Folberg, Robert; Bajcsy, Peter

2008-04-01

We address the problem of 3D medical volume reconstruction using web services. The use of proposed web services is motivated by the fact that the problem of 3D medical volume reconstruction requires significant computer resources and human expertise in medical and computer science areas. Web services are implemented as an additional layer to a dataflow framework called data to knowledge. In the collaboration between UIC and NCSA, pre-processed input images at NCSA are made accessible to medical collaborators for registration. Every time UIC medical collaborators inspected images and selected corresponding features for registration, the web service at NCSA is contacted and the registration processing query is executed using the image to knowledge library of registration methods. Co-registered frames are returned for verification by medical collaborators in a new window. In this paper, we present 3D volume reconstruction problem requirements and the architecture of the developed prototype system at http://isda.ncsa.uiuc.edu/MedVolume. We also explain the tradeoffs of our system design and provide experimental data to support our system implementation. The prototype system has been used for multiple 3D volume reconstructions of blood vessels and vasculogenic mimicry patterns in histological sections of uveal melanoma studied by fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscope.

A Matlab-based finite-difference solver for the Poisson problem with mixed Dirichlet-Neumann boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimer, Ashton S.; Cheviakov, Alexei F.

2013-03-01

A Matlab-based finite-difference numerical solver for the Poisson equation for a rectangle and a disk in two dimensions, and a spherical domain in three dimensions, is presented. The solver is optimized for handling an arbitrary combination of Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, and allows for full user control of mesh refinement. The solver routines utilize effective and parallelized sparse vector and matrix operations. Computations exhibit high speeds, numerical stability with respect to mesh size and mesh refinement, and acceptable error values even on desktop computers. Catalogue identifier: AENQ_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AENQ_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License v3.0 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 102793 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 369378 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Matlab 2010a. Computer: PC, Macintosh. Operating system: Windows, OSX, Linux. RAM: 8 GB (8, 589, 934, 592 bytes) Classification: 4.3. Nature of problem: To solve the Poisson problem in a standard domain with “patchy surface”-type (strongly heterogeneous) Neumann/Dirichlet boundary conditions. Solution method: Finite difference with mesh refinement. Restrictions: Spherical domain in 3D; rectangular domain or a disk in 2D. Unusual features: Choice between mldivide/iterative solver for the solution of large system of linear algebraic equations that arise. Full user control of Neumann/Dirichlet boundary conditions and mesh refinement. Running time: Depending on the number of points taken and the geometry of the domain, the routine may take from less than a second to several hours to execute.

Enhancements to the GRIDGEN structured grid generation system for internal and external flow applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinbrenner, John P.; Chawner, John R.

1992-01-01

GRIDGEN is a government domain software package for interactive generation of multiple block grids around general configurations. Though it has been freely available since 1989, it has not been widely embraced by the internal flow community due to a misconception that it was designed for external flow use only. In reality GRIDGEN has always worked for internal flow applications, and GRIDGEN ongoing enhancements are increasing the quality of and efficiency with which grids for external and internal flow problems may be constructed. The software consists of four codes used to perform the four steps of the grid generation process. GRIDBLOCK is first used to decompose the flow domain into a collection of component blocks and then to establish interblock connections and flow solver boundary conditions. GRIDGEN2D is then used to generate surface grids on the outer shell of each component block. GRIDGEN3D generates grid points on the interior of each block, and finally GRIDVUE3D is used to inspect the resulting multiple block grid. Three of these codes (GRIDBLOCK, GRIDGEN2D, and GRIDVUE3D) are highly interactive and graphical in nature, and currently run on Silicon Graphics, Inc., and IBM RS/6000 workstations. The lone batch code (GRIDGEN3D) may be run on any of several Unix based platforms. Surface grid generation in GRIDGEN2D is being improved with the addition of higher order surface definitions (NURBS and parametric surfaces input in IGES format and bicubic surfaces input in PATRAN Neutral File format) and double precision mathematics. In addition, two types of automation have been added to GRIDGEN2D that reduce the learning curve slope for new users and eliminate work for experienced users. Volume grid generation using GRIDGEN3D has been improved via the addition of an advanced hybrid control function formulation that provides both orthogonality and clustering control at the block faces and clustering control on the block interior.

Direct Method Transcription for a Human-Class Translunar Injection Trajectory Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witzberger, Kevin E.; Zeiler, Tom

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new trajectory optimization software package developed in the framework of a low-to-high fidelity 3 degrees-of-freedom (DOF)/6-DOF vehicle simulation program named Mission Analysis Simulation Tool in Fortran (MASTIF) and its application to a translunar trajectory optimization problem. The functionality of the developed optimization package is implemented as a new "mode" in generalized settings to make it applicable for a general trajectory optimization problem. In doing so, a direct optimization method using collocation is employed for solving the problem. Trajectory optimization problems in MASTIF are transcribed to a constrained nonlinear programming (NLP) problem and solved with SNOPT, a commercially available NLP solver. A detailed description of the optimization software developed is provided as well as the transcription specifics for the translunar injection (TLI) problem. The analysis includes a 3-DOF trajectory TLI optimization and a 3-DOF vehicle TLI simulation using closed-loop guidance.

Flux-Based Finite Volume representations for general thermal problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohan, Ram V.; Tamma, Kumar K.

1993-01-01

Flux-Based Finite Volume (FV) element representations for general thermal problems are given in conjunction with a generalized trapezoidal gamma-T family of algorithms, formulated following the spirit of what we term as the Lax-Wendroff based FV formulations. The new flux-based representations introduced offer an improved physical interpretation of the problem along with computationally convenient and attractive features. The space and time discretization emanate from a conservation form of the governing equation for thermal problems, and in conjunction with the flux-based element representations give rise to a physically improved and locally conservative numerical formulations. The present representations seek to involve improved locally conservative properties, improved physical representations and computational features; these are based on a 2D, bilinear FV element and can be extended for other cases. Time discretization based on a gamma-T family of algorithms in the spirit of a Lax-Wendroff based FV formulations are employed. Numerical examples involving linear/nonlinear steady and transient situations are shown to demonstrate the applicability of the present representations for thermal analysis situations.

Motion of Deformable Drops Through Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinchenko, Alexander Z.; Davis, Robert H.

2017-01-01

This review describes recent progress in the fundamental understanding of deformable drop motion through porous media with well-defined microstructures, through rigorous first-principles hydrodynamical simulations and experiments. Tight squeezing conditions, when the drops are much larger than the pore throats, are particularly challenging numerically, as the drops nearly coat the porous material skeleton with small surface clearance, requiring very high surface resolution in the algorithms. Small-scale prototype problems for flow-induced drop motion through round capillaries and three-dimensional (3D) constrictions between solid particles, and for gravity-induced squeezing through round orifices and 3D constrictions, show how forcing above critical conditions is needed to overcome trapping. Scaling laws for the squeezing time are suggested. Large-scale multidrop/multiparticle simulations for emulsion flow through a random granular material with multiple drop breakup show that the drop phase generally moves faster than the carrier fluid; both phase velocities equilibrate much faster to the statistical steady state than does the drop-size distribution.

Skill transfer specificity shapes perception and action under varying environmental constraints.

PubMed

Seifert, Ludovic; Wattebled, Léo; Orth, Dominic; L'Hermette, Maxime; Boulanger, Jérémie; Davids, Keith

2016-08-01

Using an ecological dynamics framework, this study investigated the generality and specificity of skill transfer processes in organisation of perception and action using climbing as a task vehicle. Fluency of hip trajectory and orientation was assessed using normalized jerk coefficients exhibited by participants as they adapted perception and action under varying environmental constraints. Twelve recreational climbers were divided into two groups: one completing a 10-m high route on an indoor climbing wall; a second undertaking a 10-m high route on an icefall in a top-rope condition. We maintained the same level of difficulty between these two performance environments. An inertial measurement unit was attached each climber's hips to collect 3D acceleration and 3D orientation data to compute jerk coefficient values. Video footage was used to record the ratio of exploratory/performatory movements. Results showed higher jerk coefficient values and number of exploratory movements for performance on the icefall route, perhaps due to greater functional complexity in perception and action required when climbing icefalls, which involves use of specific tools for anchorage. Findings demonstrated how individuals solve different motor problems, exploiting positive general transfer processes enabling participants to explore the pick-up of information for the perception of affordances specific to icefall climbing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serum level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Renato Santos; de Oliveira, Daniel Arcuschin; Martinho, Vitor Augusto Melão; Antoneli, Célia Beatriz Gianotti; Marcussi, Ludmilla Altino de Lima; Ferreira, Carlos Eduardo dos Santos

2014-01-01

Objective To compare the level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma patients, with or without disease activity, with reference values and with patients from a general hospital. Methods The serum levels of vitamin D3 were measured in cutaneous melanoma patients, aged 20 to 88 years, both genders, from January 2010 to December 2013. The samples from the general group were processed at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (control group). Data analysis was performed using the Statistics software. Results A total of 100 patients were studied, 54 of them men, with mean age of 54.67 years, and 95 Caucasian. Out of these 100 patients, 17 had active disease. The average levels of vitamin D3 in the melanoma patients were lower than the level considered sufficient, but above the average of the control group. Both groups (with or without active disease) of patients showed a similar distribution of vitamin D3 deficiency. Conclusion Vitamin D3 levels in melanoma patients were higher than those of general patients and lower than the reference level. If the reference values are appropriate, a large part of the population had insufficient levels of vitamin D, including those with melanoma, or else, this standard needs to be reevaluated. No difference in vitamin D3 levels was found among melanoma patients with or without active disease. More comprehensive research is needed to assess the relation between vitamin D and melanoma. PMID:25628199

Single Polygon Counting on Cayley Tree of Order 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pah, Chin Hee

2010-07-01

We showed that one form of generalized Catalan numbers is the solution to the problem of finding different connected component with finite vertices containing a fixed root for the semi-infinite Cayley tree of order 3. We give the formula for the full graph, Cayley tree of order 3 which is derived from the generalized Catalan numbers. Using ratios of Gamma functions, two upper bounds are given for problem defined on semi-infinite Cayley tree of order 3 as well as the full graph.

All-Solid-State Mechanochemical Synthesis and Post-Synthetic Transformation of Inorganic Perovskite-type Halides.

PubMed

Pal, Provas; Saha, Sujoy; Banik, Ananya; Sarkar, Arka; Biswas, Kanishka

2018-02-06

All-inorganic and hybrid perovskite type halides are generally synthesized by solution-based methods, with the help of long chain organic capping ligands, complex organometallic precursors, and high boiling organic solvents. Herein, a room temperature, solvent-free, general, and scalable all-solid-state mechanochemical synthesis is demonstrated for different inorganic perovskite type halides, with versatile structural connectivity in three (3D), two (2D), and zero (0D) dimensions. 3D CsPbBr 3 , 2D CsPb 2 Br 5 , 0D Cs 4 PbBr 6 , 3D CsPbCl 3 , 2D CsPb 2 Cl 5 , 0D Cs 4 PbCl 6 , 3D CsPbI 3 , and 3D RbPbI 3 have all been synthesized by this method. The all-solid-state synthesis is materialized through an inorganic retrosynthetic approach, which directs the decision on the solid-state precursors (e.g., CsX and PbX 2 (X=Cl/Br/I) with desired stoichiometric ratios. Moreover, post-synthetic structural transformations from 3D to 2D and 0D perovskite halides were performed by the same mechanochemical synthetic approach at room temperature. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

IRFK2D: a computer program for simulating intrinsic random functions of order k

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pardo-Igúzquiza, Eulogio; Dowd, Peter A.

2003-07-01

IRFK2D is an ANSI Fortran-77 program that generates realizations of an intrinsic function of order k (with k equal to 0, 1 or 2) with a permissible polynomial generalized covariance model. The realizations may be non-conditional or conditioned to the experimental data. The turning bands method is used to generate realizations in 2D and 3D from simulations of an intrinsic random function of order k along lines that span the 2D or 3D space. The program generates two output files, the first containing the simulated values and the second containing the theoretical generalized variogram for different directions together with the theoretical model. The experimental variogram is calculated from the simulated values while the theoretical variogram is the specified generalized covariance model. The generalized variogram is used to assess the quality of the simulation as measured by the extent to which the generalized covariance is reproduced by the simulation. The examples given in this paper indicate that IRFK2D is an efficient implementation of the methodology.

Game On: Past Year Gambling, Gambling-Related Problems, and Fantasy Sports Gambling Among College Athletes and Non-athletes.

PubMed

Martin, Ryan J; Nelson, Sarah E; Gallucci, Andrew R

2016-06-01

College students experience higher rates of gambling-related problems than most other population segments, including the general population. Although Division I (D1) athletes often have more at stake than the average student if and when they gamble (e.g., the potential to lose their athletic eligibility), relatively few studies have assessed the gambling behavior of this population and none have specifically assessed fantasy sports gambling. We conducted a study to examine gambling behavior (past-year gambling, gambling-related problems, and fantasy sport gambling) among a sample (N = 692) of college students at a private religiously affiliated university in the Southwest US. The sample for our study was unique in that approximately 30 % of the participants were D1 athletes. We compared the gambling behavior among three groups based on the athlete status: D1 athletes, club/intramural/recreational (CIR) athletes, and non-athletes (NAs). Compared to females in our sample, males observed higher rates of past year gambling, fantasy sports participation, fantasy sports gambling, and gambling-related problems. Among males, we found that CIR athletes observed the highest rates of past year gambling and fantasy sports participation and D1 athletes observed higher rates than NAs. We did not find differences in fantasy sport gambling and past year gambling-related problems based on athlete status in males or females.

Itinerant deaf educator and general educator perceptions of the D/HH push-in model.

PubMed

Rabinsky, Rebecca J

2013-01-01

A qualitative case study using the deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) push-in model was conducted on the perceptions of 3 itinerant deaf educators and 3 general educators working in 1 school district. Participants worked in pairs of 1 deaf educator and 1 general educator at 3 elementary schools. Open-ended research questions guided the study, which was concerned with teachers' perceptions of the model in general and with the model's advantages, disadvantages, and effectiveness. Data collected from observations, one-to-one interviews, and a focus group interview enabled the investigator to uncover 4 themes: Participants (a) had an overall positive experience, (b) viewed general education immersion as an advantage, (c) considered high noise levels a disadvantage, and (d) believed the effectiveness of the push-in model was dependent on several factors, in particular, the needs of the student and the nature of the general education classroom environment.

The link between infant regulatory problems, temperament traits, maternal depressive symptoms and children's psychopathological symptoms at age three: a longitudinal study in a German at-risk sample.

PubMed

Sidor, Anna; Fischer, Cristina; Cierpka, Manfred

2017-01-01

Difficult conditions during childhood can limit an individual's development in many ways. Factors such as being raised in an at-risk family, child temperamental traits or maternal traits can potentially influence a child's later behaviour. The present study investigated the extent of regulatory problems in 6-month-old infants and their link to temperamental traits and impact on externalizing and internalizing problems at 36 months. Moderating effects of maternal distress and maternal depressive symptoms were tested as well. In a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study, a sample of 185 mother-infant dyads at psychosocial risk was investigated at 6 months with SFS (infants' regulatory problems) and at 3 years with CBCL (children's behavioural problems), EAS (children's temperament), ADS (maternal depressive symptoms) and PSI-SF (maternal stress). A hierarchical regression analysis yielded a significant association between infants' regulatory problems and both externalizing and internalizing behaviour problems at age 3 (accounting for 16% and 14% variance), with both externalizing and internalizing problems being linked to current maternal depressive symptoms (12 and 9% of the variance). Externalizing and internalizing problems were found to be related also to children's temperamental difficulty (18 and 13% of variance) and their negative emotionality. With temperamental traits having been taken into account, only feeding problems at 6 months contributed near-significant to internalizing problems at 3 years. Our results underscore the crucial role of temperament in the path between early regulatory problems and subsequent behavioural difficulties. Children's unfavourable temperamental predispositions such as negative emotionality and generally "difficult temperament" contributed substantially to both externalizing and internalizing behavioural problems in the high-risk sample. The decreased predictive power of regulatory problems following the inclusion of temperamental variables indicates a mediation effect of temperamental traits in the path between early regulatory problems and subsequent behavioural problems. Our results support the main effects of a child's temperament, and to some degree maternal depressive symptoms, rather than the diathesis stress model of interaction between risky environment and temperamental traits. Trial registration D10025651 (NZFH).

ALE3D: An Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian Multi-Physics Code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Noble, Charles R.; Anderson, Andrew T.; Barton, Nathan R.

ALE3D is a multi-physics numerical simulation software tool utilizing arbitrary-Lagrangian- Eulerian (ALE) techniques. The code is written to address both two-dimensional (2D plane and axisymmetric) and three-dimensional (3D) physics and engineering problems using a hybrid finite element and finite volume formulation to model fluid and elastic-plastic response of materials on an unstructured grid. As shown in Figure 1, ALE3D is a single code that integrates many physical phenomena.

Parameter Estimation of Spacecraft Fuel Slosh Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangadharan, Sathya; Sudermann, James; Marlowe, Andrea; Njengam Charles

2004-01-01

Fuel slosh in the upper stages of a spinning spacecraft during launch has been a long standing concern for the success of a space mission. Energy loss through the movement of the liquid fuel in the fuel tank affects the gyroscopic stability of the spacecraft and leads to nutation (wobble) which can cause devastating control issues. The rate at which nutation develops (defined by Nutation Time Constant (NTC can be tedious to calculate and largely inaccurate if done during the early stages of spacecraft design. Pure analytical means of predicting the influence of onboard liquids have generally failed. A strong need exists to identify and model the conditions of resonance between nutation motion and liquid modes and to understand the general characteristics of the liquid motion that causes the problem in spinning spacecraft. A 3-D computerized model of the fuel slosh that accounts for any resonant modes found in the experimental testing will allow for increased accuracy in the overall modeling process. Development of a more accurate model of the fuel slosh currently lies in a more generalized 3-D computerized model incorporating masses, springs and dampers. Parameters describing the model include the inertia tensor of the fuel, spring constants, and damper coefficients. Refinement and understanding the effects of these parameters allow for a more accurate simulation of fuel slosh. The current research will focus on developing models of different complexity and estimating the model parameters that will ultimately provide a more realistic prediction of Nutation Time Constant obtained through simulation.

GENFIRE: A generalized Fourier iterative reconstruction algorithm for high-resolution 3D imaging

DOE PAGES

Pryor, Alan; Yang, Yongsoo; Rana, Arjun; ...

2017-09-05

Tomography has made a radical impact on diverse fields ranging from the study of 3D atomic arrangements in matter to the study of human health in medicine. Despite its very diverse applications, the core of tomography remains the same, that is, a mathematical method must be implemented to reconstruct the 3D structure of an object from a number of 2D projections. Here, we present the mathematical implementation of a tomographic algorithm, termed GENeralized Fourier Iterative REconstruction (GENFIRE), for high-resolution 3D reconstruction from a limited number of 2D projections. GENFIRE first assembles a 3D Fourier grid with oversampling and then iteratesmore » between real and reciprocal space to search for a global solution that is concurrently consistent with the measured data and general physical constraints. The algorithm requires minimal human intervention and also incorporates angular refinement to reduce the tilt angle error. We demonstrate that GENFIRE can produce superior results relative to several other popular tomographic reconstruction techniques through numerical simulations and by experimentally reconstructing the 3D structure of a porous material and a frozen-hydrated marine cyanobacterium. As a result, equipped with a graphical user interface, GENFIRE is freely available from our website and is expected to find broad applications across different disciplines.« less

GENFIRE: A generalized Fourier iterative reconstruction algorithm for high-resolution 3D imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pryor, Alan; Yang, Yongsoo; Rana, Arjun

Tomography has made a radical impact on diverse fields ranging from the study of 3D atomic arrangements in matter to the study of human health in medicine. Despite its very diverse applications, the core of tomography remains the same, that is, a mathematical method must be implemented to reconstruct the 3D structure of an object from a number of 2D projections. Here, we present the mathematical implementation of a tomographic algorithm, termed GENeralized Fourier Iterative REconstruction (GENFIRE), for high-resolution 3D reconstruction from a limited number of 2D projections. GENFIRE first assembles a 3D Fourier grid with oversampling and then iteratesmore » between real and reciprocal space to search for a global solution that is concurrently consistent with the measured data and general physical constraints. The algorithm requires minimal human intervention and also incorporates angular refinement to reduce the tilt angle error. We demonstrate that GENFIRE can produce superior results relative to several other popular tomographic reconstruction techniques through numerical simulations and by experimentally reconstructing the 3D structure of a porous material and a frozen-hydrated marine cyanobacterium. As a result, equipped with a graphical user interface, GENFIRE is freely available from our website and is expected to find broad applications across different disciplines.« less

Bias Reduction and Filter Convergence for Long Range Stereo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibley, Gabe; Matthies, Larry; Sukhatme, Gaurav

2005-01-01

We are concerned here with improving long range stereo by filtering image sequences. Traditionally, measurement errors from stereo camera systems have been approximated as 3-D Gaussians, where the mean is derived by triangulation and the covariance by linearized error propagation. However, there are two problems that arise when filtering such 3-D measurements. First, stereo triangulation suffers from a range dependent statistical bias; when filtering this leads to over-estimating the true range. Second, filtering 3-D measurements derived via linearized error propagation leads to apparent filter divergence; the estimator is biased to under-estimate range. To address the first issue, we examine the statistical behavior of stereo triangulation and show how to remove the bias by series expansion. The solution to the second problem is to filter with image coordinates as measurements instead of triangulated 3-D coordinates.

Understanding 3D human torso shape via manifold clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sheng; Li, Peng; Fu, Yun

2013-05-01

Discovering the variations in human torso shape plays a key role in many design-oriented applications, such as suit designing. With recent advances in 3D surface imaging technologies, people can obtain 3D human torso data that provide more information than traditional measurements. However, how to find different human shapes from 3D torso data is still an open problem. In this paper, we propose to use spectral clustering approach on torso manifold to address this problem. We first represent high-dimensional torso data in a low-dimensional space using manifold learning algorithm. Then the spectral clustering method is performed to get several disjoint clusters. Experimental results show that the clusters discovered by our approach can describe the discrepancies in both genders and human shapes, and our approach achieves better performance than the compared clustering method.

The development and evaluation of a medical imaging training immersive environment

PubMed Central

Bridge, Pete; Gunn, Therese; Kastanis, Lazaros; Pack, Darren; Rowntree, Pamela; Starkey, Debbie; Mahoney, Gaynor; Berry, Clare; Braithwaite, Vicki; Wilson-Stewart, Kelly

2014-01-01

Introduction A novel realistic 3D virtual reality (VR) application has been developed to allow medical imaging students at Queensland University of Technology to practice radiographic techniques independently outside the usual radiography laboratory. Methods A flexible agile development methodology was used to create the software rapidly and effectively. A 3D gaming environment and realistic models were used to engender presence in the software while tutor-determined gold standards enabled students to compare their performance and learn in a problem-based learning pedagogy. Results Students reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived value and the software enabled up to 40 concurrent users to prepare for clinical practice. Student feedback also indicated that they found 3D to be of limited value in the desktop version compared to the usual 2D approach. A randomised comparison between groups receiving software-based and traditional practice measured performance in a formative role play with real equipment. The results of this work indicated superior performance with the equipment for the VR trained students (P = 0.0366) and confirmed the value of VR for enhancing 3D equipment-based problem-solving skills. Conclusions Students practising projection techniques virtually performed better at role play assessments than students practising in a traditional radiography laboratory only. The application particularly helped with 3D equipment configuration, suggesting that teaching 3D problem solving is an ideal use of such medical equipment simulators. Ongoing development work aims to establish the role of VR software in preparing students for clinical practice with a range of medical imaging equipment. PMID:26229652

COMPLEXITY&APPROXIMABILITY OF QUANTIFIED&STOCHASTIC CONSTRAINT SATISFACTION PROBLEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunt, H. B.; Marathe, M. V.; Stearns, R. E.

2001-01-01

Let D be an arbitrary (not necessarily finite) nonempty set, let C be a finite set of constant symbols denoting arbitrary elements of D, and let S and T be an arbitrary finite set of finite-arity relations on D. We denote the problem of determining the satisfiability of finite conjunctions of relations in S applied to variables (to variables and symbols in C) by SAT(S) (by SATc(S).) Here, we study simultaneously the complexity of decision, counting, maximization and approximate maximization problems, for unquantified, quantified and stochastically quantified formulas. We present simple yet general techniques to characterize simultaneously, the complexity ormore » efficient approximability of a number of versions/variants of the problems SAT(S), Q-SAT(S), S-SAT(S),MAX-Q-SAT(S) etc., for many different such D,C ,S, T. These versions/variants include decision, counting, maximization and approximate maximization problems, for unquantified, quantified and stochastically quantified formulas. Our unified approach is based on the following two basic concepts: (i) strongly-local replacements/reductions and (ii) relational/algebraic represent ability. Some of the results extend the earlier results in [Pa85,LMP99,CF+93,CF+94O]u r techniques and results reported here also provide significant steps towards obtaining dichotomy theorems, for a number of the problems above, including the problems MAX-&-SAT( S), and MAX-S-SAT(S). The discovery of such dichotomy theorems, for unquantified formulas, has received significant recent attention in the literature [CF+93,CF+94,Cr95,KSW97]« less

Registration algorithm research for three dimensional medical image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jianping; Yang, Huamin; Ding, Ying

2008-03-01

The development of CT and MRI etc. technique offers the means by which we can research directly human internal structure. In clinic, usually various imaging results of a patient are combined for analysis. At present, in the most case, doctors make a diagnosis by observing some slice images of human body. As complexity and configuration diversity of the structure of human body organ, and as well unpredictiveness of focus location and configuration, it is difficult to imagine the cubic configuration of organs and their relationship from these 2D slices without corresponding specialty knowledge and practical experience. So it isn't satisfied with preferable requests of medical diagnosis that only aligning two 2D images to get one 2D slice image. As a result we need extend registration t problem to 3D image. As the quantity of 3D volume data are much more, it undoubtedly increases calculation quantity for aligning two 3D images accurately. It forces us to find some good methods that can achieve better effect on precision and satisfy the demand for time. So in this paper digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) image method is proposed to solve correlative problems. Ray tracking two 3D images and digitally reconstruct to create two 2D images, by aligning 2D data to realize to align 3D data.

Recent Enhancements To The FUN3D Flow Solver For Moving-Mesh Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biedron, Robert T,; Thomas, James L.

2009-01-01

An unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver for unstructured grids has been extended to handle general mesh movement involving rigid, deforming, and overset meshes. Mesh deformation is achieved through analogy to elastic media by solving the linear elasticity equations. A general method for specifying the motion of moving bodies within the mesh has been implemented that allows for inherited motion through parent-child relationships, enabling simulations involving multiple moving bodies. Several example calculations are shown to illustrate the range of potential applications. For problems in which an isolated body is rotating with a fixed rate, a noninertial reference-frame formulation is available. An example calculation for a tilt-wing rotor is used to demonstrate that the time-dependent moving grid and noninertial formulations produce the same results in the limit of zero time-step size.

Local pulmonary structure classification for computer-aided nodule detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahlmann, Claus; Li, Xianlin; Okada, Kazunori

2006-03-01

We propose a new method of classifying the local structure types, such as nodules, vessels, and junctions, in thoracic CT scans. This classification is important in the context of computer aided detection (CAD) of lung nodules. The proposed method can be used as a post-process component of any lung CAD system. In such a scenario, the classification results provide an effective means of removing false positives caused by vessels and junctions thus improving overall performance. As main advantage, the proposed solution transforms the complex problem of classifying various 3D topological structures into much simpler 2D data clustering problem, to which more generic and flexible solutions are available in literature, and which is better suited for visualization. Given a nodule candidate, first, our solution robustly fits an anisotropic Gaussian to the data. The resulting Gaussian center and spread parameters are used to affine-normalize the data domain so as to warp the fitted anisotropic ellipsoid into a fixed-size isotropic sphere. We propose an automatic method to extract a 3D spherical manifold, containing the appropriate bounding surface of the target structure. Scale selection is performed by a data driven entropy minimization approach. The manifold is analyzed for high intensity clusters, corresponding to protruding structures. Techniques involve EMclustering with automatic mode number estimation, directional statistics, and hierarchical clustering with a modified Bhattacharyya distance. The estimated number of high intensity clusters explicitly determines the type of pulmonary structures: nodule (0), attached nodule (1), vessel (2), junction (>3). We show accurate classification results for selected examples in thoracic CT scans. This local procedure is more flexible and efficient than current state of the art and will help to improve the accuracy of general lung CAD systems.

Self-reported occupational exposure to chemical and physical factors and risk of skin problems: a 3-year follow-up study of the general working population of Norway.

PubMed

Alfonso, Jose Hernan; Thyssen, Jacob P; Tynes, Tore; Mehlum, Ingrid Sivesind; Johannessen, Håkon A

2015-11-01

Prospective studies on occupational dermatoses in the general working population are sparse. This study investigated prospectively the impact of self-reported occupational exposure to chemicals and physical factors on the risk of skin problems. The cohort comprised respondents drawn randomly from the general population in Norway, who were registered employed in 2006 and 2009 (n = 6,745). Indoor dry air (odds ratio (OR) 1.3; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-1.6) was a significant baseline predictor of skin problems at follow-up, whereas exposure to cleaning products (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2-2.5), water (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.9) and indoor dry air (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.1) at both measurement time-points was significantly associated with skin problems. The population risk attributable to these factors was 16%. This study quantified the contribution of occupational exposure factors to skin problems in the general working population of Norway.

Real time 3D structural and Doppler OCT imaging on graphics processing units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylwestrzak, Marcin; Szlag, Daniel; Szkulmowski, Maciej; Gorczyńska, Iwona; Bukowska, Danuta; Wojtkowski, Maciej; Targowski, Piotr

2013-03-01

In this report the application of graphics processing unit (GPU) programming for real-time 3D Fourier domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FdOCT) imaging with implementation of Doppler algorithms for visualization of the flows in capillary vessels is presented. Generally, the time of the data processing of the FdOCT data on the main processor of the computer (CPU) constitute a main limitation for real-time imaging. Employing additional algorithms, such as Doppler OCT analysis, makes this processing even more time consuming. Lately developed GPUs, which offers a very high computational power, give a solution to this problem. Taking advantages of them for massively parallel data processing, allow for real-time imaging in FdOCT. The presented software for structural and Doppler OCT allow for the whole processing with visualization of 2D data consisting of 2000 A-scans generated from 2048 pixels spectra with frame rate about 120 fps. The 3D imaging in the same mode of the volume data build of 220 × 100 A-scans is performed at a rate of about 8 frames per second. In this paper a software architecture, organization of the threads and optimization applied is shown. For illustration the screen shots recorded during real time imaging of the phantom (homogeneous water solution of Intralipid in glass capillary) and the human eye in-vivo is presented.

Europeana and 3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pletinckx, D.

2011-09-01

The current 3D hype creates a lot of interest in 3D. People go to 3D movies, but are we ready to use 3D in our homes, in our offices, in our communication? Are we ready to deliver real 3D to a general public and use interactive 3D in a meaningful way to enjoy, learn, communicate? The CARARE project is realising this for the moment in the domain of monuments and archaeology, so that real 3D of archaeological sites and European monuments will be available to the general public by 2012. There are several aspects to this endeavour. First of all is the technical aspect of flawlessly delivering 3D content over all platforms and operating systems, without installing software. We have currently a working solution in PDF, but HTML5 will probably be the future. Secondly, there is still little knowledge on how to create 3D learning objects, 3D tourist information or 3D scholarly communication. We are still in a prototype phase when it comes to integrate 3D objects in physical or virtual museums. Nevertheless, Europeana has a tremendous potential as a multi-facetted virtual museum. Finally, 3D has a large potential to act as a hub of information, linking to related 2D imagery, texts, video, sound. We describe how to create such rich, explorable 3D objects that can be used intuitively by the generic Europeana user and what metadata is needed to support the semantic linking.

Randomized, Controlled Trial of Behavioral Family Systems Therapy for Diabetes: Maintenance and Generalization of Effects on Parent-Adolescent Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wysocki, Tim; Harris, Michael A.; Buckloh, Lisa M.; Mertlich, Deborah; Lochrie, Amanda Sobel; Taylor, Alexandra; Sadler, Michelle; White, Neil H.

2008-01-01

We report a randomized trial of a revised Behavioral Family Systems Therapy for Diabetes (BFST-D) intervention. Families of 104 adolescents with diabetes were randomized to standard care (SC) or to 6 months of an educational support group (ES) or BFST-D. Family communication and problem-solving skills were assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 18 months by…

P- and S-wave Receiver Function Imaging with Scattering Kernels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.

2017-12-01

Full waveform inversion provides a flexible approach to the seismic parameter estimation problem and can account for the full physics of wave propagation using numeric simulations. However, this approach requires significant computational resources due to the demanding nature of solving the forward and adjoint problems. This issue is particularly acute for temporary passive-source seismic experiments (e.g. PASSCAL) that have traditionally relied on teleseismic earthquakes as sources resulting in a global scale forward problem. Various approximation strategies have been proposed to reduce the computational burden such as hybrid methods that embed a heterogeneous regional scale model in a 1D global model. In this study, we focus specifically on the problem of scattered wave imaging (migration) using both P- and S-wave receiver function data. The proposed method relies on body-wave scattering kernels that are derived from the adjoint data sensitivity kernels which are typically used for full waveform inversion. The forward problem is approximated using ray theory yielding a computationally efficient imaging algorithm that can resolve dipping and discontinuous velocity interfaces in 3D. From the imaging perspective, this approach is closely related to elastic reverse time migration. An energy stable finite-difference method is used to simulate elastic wave propagation in a 2D hypothetical subduction zone model. The resulting synthetic P- and S-wave receiver function datasets are used to validate the imaging method. The kernel images are compared with those generated by the Generalized Radon Transform (GRT) and Common Conversion Point stacking (CCP) methods. These results demonstrate the potential of the kernel imaging approach to constrain lithospheric structure in complex geologic environments with sufficiently dense recordings of teleseismic data. This is demonstrated using a receiver function dataset from the Central California Seismic Experiment which shows several dipping interfaces related to the tectonic assembly of this region. Figure 1. Scattering kernel examples for three receiver function phases. A) direct P-to-s (Ps), B) direct S-to-p and C) free-surface PP-to-s (PPs).

Image processing and 3D visualization in the interpretation of patterned injury of the skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, William R.; Altschuler, Bruce R.

1995-09-01

The use of image processing is becoming increasingly important in the evaluation of violent crime. While much work has been done in the use of these techniques for forensic purposes outside of forensic pathology, its use in the pathologic examination of wounding has been limited. We are investigating the use of image processing in the analysis of patterned injuries and tissue damage. Our interests are currently concentrated on 1) the use of image processing techniques to aid the investigator in observing and evaluating patterned injuries in photographs, 2) measurement of the 3D shape characteristics of surface lesions, and 3) correlation of patterned injuries with deep tissue injury as a problem in 3D visualization. We are beginning investigations in data-acquisition problems for performing 3D scene reconstructions from the pathology perspective of correlating tissue injury to scene features and trace evidence localization. Our primary tool for correlation of surface injuries with deep tissue injuries has been the comparison of processed surface injury photographs with 3D reconstructions from antemortem CT and MRI data. We have developed a prototype robot for the acquisition of 3D wound and scene data.

Gust Acoustics Computation with a Space-Time CE/SE Parallel 3D Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, X. Y.; Himansu, A.; Chang, S. C.; Jorgenson, P. C. E.; Reddy, D. R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The benchmark Problem 2 in Category 3 of the Third Computational Aero-Acoustics (CAA) Workshop is solved using the space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) method. This problem concerns the unsteady response of an isolated finite-span swept flat-plate airfoil bounded by two parallel walls to an incident gust. The acoustic field generated by the interaction of the gust with the flat-plate airfoil is computed by solving the 3D (three-dimensional) Euler equations in the time domain using a parallel version of a 3D CE/SE solver. The effect of the gust orientation on the far-field directivity is studied. Numerical solutions are presented and compared with analytical solutions, showing a reasonable agreement.

The role of albumin and endoplasmic reticulum in pathogenesis Preeclampsia. Changes of GRP78 and placental VEGF in preeclampsia.

PubMed

Aditiawarman

2014-07-01

Preeclampsia remains the highest causes of maternal mortality in Indonesia. This disease is known as "the disease of theories" since the etiology of this disease still obscure, but it is clearly accepted that this disease is correlated with placenta. The incidence of this disease increased in dr. Soetomo General Hospital during economic crisis in Indonesia, as nutritional problem occurred, but correlation between nutrition to preeclampsia still unclear. This study was conducted to find out the influence of hypoalbuminemia caused by alteration of amino acids and changes of GRP78 and placental VEGF in preeclampsia. It was cross-sectional study among 10 patients with preeclampsia albumin ⩽ gram/dL and 9 patients with preeclampsia albumin >3g/dL. Placenta collected was homogenized and blood was separated from the cells. Placental lysat, serum and plasma were stored -87°C until laboratory analysis for GRP78 and VEGF. Data were analyzed using student t test, Manova. Pearson correlation, simple and multiple regressions. There were alterations of amino acid's profile among albumin ⩽3g/dL compare with albumin >3g/dL. GRP78 concentration on albumin ⩽3g/dL group was higher, but were not significant. Weak negative correlation between albumins to GRP78 was found. Negative correlation were found in the groups of albumin ⩽3g/dL - GRP⩽425μg/dL, but significant result only on albumin ⩽3g/dL - GRP⩽425μg/dL. Positive correlation were found in the group of albumin >3g/dL - GRP>425μg/dL. Response of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress appeared different depends on levels of albumin (stressor) and GRP78 (stress response protein). Placental VEGF were significantly lower in albumin ⩽3g/dL (p<0.05). Correlation between GRP78 on placental VEGF was negative with coefficient correlation was 3.8%. Placental VEGF profoundly decreased as correlation between albumin and GRP78 stronger. Alteration of amino acids profile influenced Albumin concentration. Hypoalbuminemia was a stressor that induced reticulum endoplasmic response by increasing GRP78, decreasing placental VEGF. Responses of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress depend on levels of stressor (albumin) and stress response protein (GRP78). Copyright © 2014 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy.

Application of a Micro Computer-Based Management Information System to Improve the USAF Service Reporting Process

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

I. Introduction .......................................... 1 General Issue .................................. 1 Specific Research Problem...viii APPLICATION OF A MICRO COMPUTER-BASED MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE USAF SERVICE REPORTING PROCESS I. Introduction General Issue...continued Transfer MIP Responsibility ,KNT WETSS0GEFORM UNCLASSIFIED 904 JAUG 19: iRR iRRl UUUUI HOWE271652_ D- FF:MCH INFO: NONE E. iUCH DATA DEF: NONE F

Parallelized Bayesian inversion for three-dimensional dental X-ray imaging.

PubMed

Kolehmainen, Ville; Vanne, Antti; Siltanen, Samuli; Järvenpää, Seppo; Kaipio, Jari P; Lassas, Matti; Kalke, Martti

2006-02-01

Diagnostic and operational tasks based on dental radiology often require three-dimensional (3-D) information that is not available in a single X-ray projection image. Comprehensive 3-D information about tissues can be obtained by computerized tomography (CT) imaging. However, in dental imaging a conventional CT scan may not be available or practical because of high radiation dose, low-resolution or the cost of the CT scanner equipment. In this paper, we consider a novel type of 3-D imaging modality for dental radiology. We consider situations in which projection images of the teeth are taken from a few sparsely distributed projection directions using the dentist's regular (digital) X-ray equipment and the 3-D X-ray attenuation function is reconstructed. A complication in these experiments is that the reconstruction of the 3-D structure based on a few projection images becomes an ill-posed inverse problem. Bayesian inversion is a well suited framework for reconstruction from such incomplete data. In Bayesian inversion, the ill-posed reconstruction problem is formulated in a well-posed probabilistic form in which a priori information is used to compensate for the incomplete information of the projection data. In this paper we propose a Bayesian method for 3-D reconstruction in dental radiology. The method is partially based on Kolehmainen et al. 2003. The prior model for dental structures consist of a weighted l1 and total variation (TV)-prior together with the positivity prior. The inverse problem is stated as finding the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate. To make the 3-D reconstruction computationally feasible, a parallelized version of an optimization algorithm is implemented for a Beowulf cluster computer. The method is tested with projection data from dental specimens and patient data. Tomosynthetic reconstructions are given as reference for the proposed method.

Anisotropic evolution of 5D Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Middleton, Chad A.; Stanley, Ethan

2011-10-15

We examine the time evolution of the five-dimensional Einstein field equations subjected to a flat, anisotropic Robertson-Walker metric, where the 3D and higher-dimensional scale factors are allowed to dynamically evolve at different rates. By adopting equations of state relating the 3D and higher-dimensional pressures to the density, we obtain an exact expression relating the higher-dimensional scale factor to a function of the 3D scale factor. This relation allows us to write the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker field equations exclusively in terms of the 3D scale factor, thus yielding a set of 4D effective Friedmann-Robertson-Walker field equations. We examine the effective field equations inmore » the general case and obtain an exact expression relating a function of the 3D scale factor to the time. This expression involves a hypergeometric function and cannot, in general, be inverted to yield an analytical expression for the 3D scale factor as a function of time. When the hypergeometric function is expanded for small and large arguments, we obtain a generalized treatment of the dynamical compactification scenario of Mohammedi [Phys. Rev. D 65, 104018 (2002)] and the 5D vacuum solution of Chodos and Detweiler [Phys. Rev. D 21, 2167 (1980)], respectively. By expanding the hypergeometric function near a branch point, we obtain the perturbative solution for the 3D scale factor in the small time regime. This solution exhibits accelerated expansion, which, remarkably, is independent of the value of the 4D equation of state parameter w. This early-time epoch of accelerated expansion arises naturally out of the anisotropic evolution of 5D spacetime when the pressure in the extra dimension is negative and offers a possible alternative to scalar field inflationary theory.« less

Is 3D true non linear traveltime tomography reasonable ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero, A.; Virieux, J.

2003-04-01

The data sets requiring 3D analysis tools in the context of seismic exploration (both onshore and offshore experiments) or natural seismicity (micro seismicity surveys or post event measurements) are more and more numerous. Classical linearized tomographies and also earthquake localisation codes need an accurate 3D background velocity model. However, if the medium is complex and a priori information not available, a 1D analysis is not able to provide an adequate background velocity image. Moreover, the design of the acquisition layouts is often intrinsically 3D and renders difficult even 2D approaches, especially in natural seismicity cases. Thus, the solution relies on the use of a 3D true non linear approach, which allows to explore the model space and to identify an optimal velocity image. The problem becomes then practical and its feasibility depends on the available computing resources (memory and time). In this presentation, we show that facing a 3D traveltime tomography problem with an extensive non-linear approach combining fast travel time estimators based on level set methods and optimisation techniques such as multiscale strategy is feasible. Moreover, because management of inhomogeneous inversion parameters is more friendly in a non linear approach, we describe how to perform a jointly non-linear inversion for the seismic velocities and the sources locations.

Alternate Sources for Propellant Ingredients.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-07

0dJ variety of reasons; (3) sole source; (4) medical/ OSHA /EPA problems; (5) dependent on foreign Imports; and (6) specification problems. •’. .’ . . I...problems exist for a variety of reasons; (3) sole sourc:e; (4) medical/ OSHA /EPA problems; (5) dependent on foreign imports; and (6) specification problems...regulations of OSHA or EPA affect pro- duction or use of the product; 5. Plant capacity - when demand increases faster that; predictions; 6. Supply

Single-image-based Modelling Architecture from a Historical Photograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzwierzynska, Jolanta

2017-10-01

Historical photographs are proved to be very useful to provide a dimensional and geometrical analysis of buildings as well as to generate 3D reconstruction of the whole structure. The paper addresses the problem of single historical photograph analysis and modelling of an architectural object from it. Especially, it focuses on reconstruction of the original look of New-Town synagogue from the single historic photograph, when camera calibration is completely unknown. Due to the fact that the photograph faithfully followed the geometric rules of perspective, it was possible to develop and apply the method to obtain a correct 3D reconstruction of the building. The modelling process consisted of a series of familiar steps: feature extraction, determination of base elements of perspective, dimensional analyses and 3D reconstruction. Simple formulas were proposed in order to estimate location of characteristic points of the building in 3D Cartesian system of axes on the base of their location in 2D Cartesian system of axes. The reconstruction process proceeded well, although slight corrections were necessary. It was possible to reconstruct the shape of the building in general, and two of its facades in detail. The reconstruction of the other two facades requires some additional information or the additional picture. The success of the presented reconstruction method depends on the geometrical content of the photograph as well as quality of the picture, which ensures the legibility of building edges. The presented method of reconstruction is a combination of the descriptive method of reconstruction and computer aid; therefore, it seems to be universal. It can prove useful for single-image-based modelling architecture.

Validity of the Thai EQ-5D in an occupational population in Thailand.

PubMed

Kimman, Merel; Vathesatogkit, Prin; Woodward, Mark; Tai, E-Shyong; Thumboo, Julian; Yamwong, Sukit; Ratanachaiwong, Wipa; Wee, Hwee-Lin; Sritara, Piyamitr

2013-08-01

To assess the construct validity of the Thai EuroQoL (EQ-5D) among an occupational population in Thailand. Data were derived from a large cohort study among employees of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. In 2008 and 2009, 4,850 participants completed the Thai EQ-5D and Short-Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2). Thai preferences weights were used to convert EQ-5D health states into EQ-5D index scores. Construct validity of the Thai EQ-5D was examined by specifying and testing hypotheses about the relationships between the EQ-5D, SF-36v2, and participants' demographic and medical characteristics. Construct validity of the Thai EQ-5D was supported by expected relationships with SF-36v2 scale and summary scores. For example, SF-36v2 scores on the mental health scale were much lower for participants who reported having problems on the EQ-5D anxiety/depression dimension compared to those reporting no problems (mean norm-based SF-36v2 scores: 52.9 vs. 41.8, p < 0.001). Additionally, reporting a problem in a given EQ-5D dimension was generally associated with lower SF-36v2 summary scores. The EQ-5D index score distinguished between groups of participants in the expected manner, on the basis of sex, age, education and self-reported health, thus providing evidence of known-groups validity. The study demonstrated good construct validity of the Thai EQ-5D in a large occupational population in Thailand.

A fully coupled 3D transport model in SPH for multi-species reaction-diffusion systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adami, Stefan; Hu, X. Y.; Adams, N. A.

2011-08-23

Abstract—In this paper we present a fully generalized transport model for multiple species in complex two and threedimensional geometries. Based on previous work [1] we have extended our interfacial reaction-diffusion model to handle arbitrary numbers of species allowing for coupled reaction models. Each species is tracked independently and we consider different physics of a species with respect to the bulk phases in contact. We use our SPH model to simulate the reaction-diffusion problem on a pore-scale level of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with special emphasize on the effect of surface diffusion.

8 CFR 1212.4 - Applications for the exercise of discretion under section 212(d)(1) and 212(d)(3).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Applications for the exercise of discretion under section 212(d)(1) and 212(d)(3). 1212.4 Section 1212.4 Aliens and Nationality EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR... discretion under section 212(d)(1) and 212(d)(3). (a) Applications under section 212(d)(3)(A)—(1) General...

Assessing in situ rates of anaerobic hydrocarbon bioremediation

PubMed Central

Gieg, Lisa M.; Alumbaugh, Robert E.; Field, Jennifer; Jones, Jesse; Istok, Jonathon D.; Suflita, Joseph M.

2009-01-01

Summary Identifying metabolites associated with anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation is a reliable way to garner evidence for the intrinsic bioremediation of problem contaminants. While such metabolites have been detected at numerous sites, the in situ rates of anaerobic hydrocarbon decay remain largely unknown. Yet, realistic rate information is critical for predicting how long individual contaminants will persist and remain environmental threats. Here, single‐well push–pull tests were conducted at two fuel‐contaminated aquifers to determine the in situ biotransformation rates of a suite of hydrocarbons added as deuterated surrogates, including toluene‐d8, o‐xylene‐d10, m‐xylene‐d10, ethylbenzene‐d5 (or ‐d10), 1, 2, 4‐trimethylbenzene‐d12, 1, 3, 5‐trimethylbenzene‐d12, methylcyclohexane‐d14 and n‐hexane‐d14. The formation of deuterated fumarate addition and downstream metabolites was quantified and found to be somewhat variable among wells in each aquifer, but generally within an order of magnitude. Deuterated metabolites formed in one aquifer at rates that ranged from 3 to 50 µg l−1 day−1, while the comparable rates at another aquifer were slower and ranged from 0.03 to 15 µg l−1 day−1. An important observation was that the deuterated hydrocarbon surrogates were metabolized in situ within hours or days at both sites, in contrast to many laboratory findings suggesting that long lag periods of weeks to months before the onset of anaerobic biodegradation are typical. It seems clear that highly reduced conditions are not detrimental to the intrinsic bioremediation of fuel‐contaminated aquifers. PMID:21261916

Nakagami-based total variation method for speckle reduction in thyroid ultrasound images.

PubMed

Koundal, Deepika; Gupta, Savita; Singh, Sukhwinder

2016-02-01

A good statistical model is necessary for the reduction in speckle noise. The Nakagami model is more general than the Rayleigh distribution for statistical modeling of speckle in ultrasound images. In this article, the Nakagami-based noise removal method is presented to enhance thyroid ultrasound images and to improve clinical diagnosis. The statistics of log-compressed image are derived from the Nakagami distribution following a maximum a posteriori estimation framework. The minimization problem is solved by optimizing an augmented Lagrange and Chambolle's projection method. The proposed method is evaluated on both artificial speckle-simulated and real ultrasound images. The experimental findings reveal the superiority of the proposed method both quantitatively and qualitatively in comparison with other speckle reduction methods reported in the literature. The proposed method yields an average signal-to-noise ratio gain of more than 2.16 dB over the non-convex regularizer-based speckle noise removal method, 3.83 dB over the Aubert-Aujol model, 1.71 dB over the Shi-Osher model and 3.21 dB over the Rudin-Lions-Osher model on speckle-simulated synthetic images. Furthermore, visual evaluation of the despeckled images shows that the proposed method suppresses speckle noise well while preserving the textures and fine details. © IMechE 2015.

Physically-enhanced data visualisation: towards real time solution of Partial Differential Equations in 3D domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zlotnik, Sergio

2017-04-01

Information provided by visualisation environments can be largely increased if the data shown is combined with some relevant physical processes and the used is allowed to interact with those processes. This is particularly interesting in VR environments where the user has a deep interplay with the data. For example, a geological seismic line in a 3D "cave" shows information of the geological structure of the subsoil. The available information could be enhanced with the thermal state of the region under study, with water-flow patterns in porous rocks or with rock displacements under some stress conditions. The information added by the physical processes is usually the output of some numerical technique applied to solve a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) that describes the underlying physics. Many techniques are available to obtain numerical solutions of PDE (e.g. Finite Elements, Finite Volumes, Finite Differences, etc). Although, all these traditional techniques require very large computational resources (particularly in 3D), making them useless in a real time visualization environment -such as VR- because the time required to compute a solution is measured in minutes or even in hours. We present here a novel alternative for the resolution of PDE-based problems that is able to provide a 3D solutions for a very large family of problems in real time. That is, the solution is evaluated in a one thousands of a second, making the solver ideal to be embedded into VR environments. Based on Model Order Reduction ideas, the proposed technique divides the computational work in to a computationally intensive "offline" phase, that is run only once in a life time, and an "online" phase that allow the real time evaluation of any solution within a family of problems. Preliminary examples of real time solutions of complex PDE-based problems will be presented, including thermal problems, flow problems, wave problems and some simple coupled problems.

KARHUNEN-LOÈVE Basis Functions of Kolmogorov Turbulence in the Sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathar, Richard J.

In support of modeling atmospheric turbulence, the statistically independent Karhunen-Loève modes of refractive indices with isotropic Kolmogorov spectrum of the covariance are calculated inside a sphere of fixed radius, rendered as series of 3D Zernike functions. Many of the symmetry arguments of the well-known associated 2D problem for the circular input pupil remain valid. The technique of efficient diagonalization of the eigenvalue problem in wavenumber space is founded on the Fourier representation of the 3D Zernike basis, and extensible to the von-Kármán power spectrum.

Estimation of vitamin D status in patients with secondary and primary hypothyroidism of different etiology.

PubMed

Lawnicka, Hanna; Galant-Gdula, Anna; Motylewska, Ewelina; Komorowski, Jan; Swietoslawski, Jacek; Stepien, Henryk

2018-02-01

Though vitamin D deficiency is a global problem with wide spectrum of severe public health consequences, inadequate vitamin D status still remains one of the most common and untreated medical conditions. Thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism, also represent the most frequent endocrinopathies in general population. To determine the vitamin D status in hypothyroid patients and to ascertain the status of thyroid hormone replacement. The 25(OH)D concentrations (ECLIA) in 71 hypothyroid patients recruited in the Outpatient Clinic of Endocrinology or Department of Clinical Endocrinology were assessed. The examined group was composed of 59 subjects diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism of different etiology and 12 patients with secondary hypothyroidism. The control group included 16 healthy individuals. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration in healthy volunteers was significantly lower than in hypothyroid subjects (13.09±1.63 vs. 19.92±1.37 ng/mL). Patients with a history of thyroidectomy presented with significantly higher mean 25(OH)D concentration than controls (23.25±2.75 vs. 13.09±1.63 ng/mL). Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration in effectively treated hypothyroidism was significantly higher than in controls (21.90±1.47 vs. 13.09±1.63 ng/mL) or undertreated hypothyroidism (21.90±1.47 vs. 13.52±3.39 ng/mL). Hypothyroid patients aged under 60 years presented with significantly lower mean 25(OH)D concentration than elders (16.46±1.54 vs. 24.39±1.18 ng/mL). The major 25(OH)D deficient (≤10 ng/mL) or deficient (≤20 ng/mL) hypothyroid patients were significantly younger than those with 25(OH)D concentrations exceeding 10 ng/mL or 20 ng/mL respectively. These findings confirm the necessity for vitamin D status improvement in the general population and more effective healthcare of hypothyroid patients.

Applications of mental rotation figures of the Shepard and Metzler type and description of a mental rotation stimulus library.

PubMed

Peters, Michael; Battista, Christian

2008-04-01

The 3D cube figures used by Shepard and Metzler [Shepard, R. N., & Metzler, J. (1971). Mental rotation of three-dimensional objects. Science, 171, 701-703] have been applied in a broad range of studies on mental rotation. This note provides a brief background on these figures, their general use in cognitive psychology and their role in studying spatial behavior. In particular, it is pointed out that large sex differences with the 3D mental rotation figures tend to be observed only in particular tasks, such as the Vandenberg and Kuse test [Vandenberg, S. G., & Kuse, A. R. (1978). Mental rotations, a group test of three-dimensional spatial visualization. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 47, 599-604] that involve multiple figures within a single problem. In contrast, pairwise presentation of the same 3D figures yields either small or no significant sex differences. In the context of the very broad range of ongoing research done with 3D figures, and the desirability of uniformity in the stimulus material used, we introduce a library of 16 cube mental rotation figures, each presented in orientations ranging from 0 to 360 degr in 5 degr steps, and with its mirror image, for a total of 2336 figures. This library, freely available to researchers, will help in the creation of mental rotation tasks both for presentation on the computer screen and for pencil and paper applications.

Comparison of Compressed Sensing Algorithms for Inversion of 3-D Electrical Resistivity Tomography.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peddinti, S. R.; Ranjan, S.; Kbvn, D. P.

2016-12-01

Image reconstruction algorithms derived from electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) are highly non-linear, sparse, and ill-posed. The inverse problem is much severe, when dealing with 3-D datasets that result in large sized matrices. Conventional gradient based techniques using L2 norm minimization with some sort of regularization can impose smoothness constraint on the solution. Compressed sensing (CS) is relatively new technique that takes the advantage of inherent sparsity in parameter space in one or the other form. If favorable conditions are met, CS was proven to be an efficient image reconstruction technique that uses limited observations without losing edge sharpness. This paper deals with the development of an open source 3-D resistivity inversion tool using CS framework. The forward model was adopted from RESINVM3D (Pidlisecky et al., 2007) with CS as the inverse code. Discrete cosine transformation (DCT) function was used to induce model sparsity in orthogonal form. Two CS based algorithms viz., interior point method and two-step IST were evaluated on a synthetic layered model with surface electrode observations. The algorithms were tested (in terms of quality and convergence) under varying degrees of parameter heterogeneity, model refinement, and reduced observation data space. In comparison to conventional gradient algorithms, CS was proven to effectively reconstruct the sub-surface image with less computational cost. This was observed by a general increase in NRMSE from 0.5 in 10 iterations using gradient algorithm to 0.8 in 5 iterations using CS algorithms.

Molecular computation: RNA solutions to chess problems.

PubMed

Faulhammer, D; Cukras, A R; Lipton, R J; Landweber, L F

2000-02-15

We have expanded the field of "DNA computers" to RNA and present a general approach for the solution of satisfiability problems. As an example, we consider a variant of the "Knight problem," which asks generally what configurations of knights can one place on an n x n chess board such that no knight is attacking any other knight on the board. Using specific ribonuclease digestion to manipulate strands of a 10-bit binary RNA library, we developed a molecular algorithm and applied it to a 3 x 3 chessboard as a 9-bit instance of this problem. Here, the nine spaces on the board correspond to nine "bits" or placeholders in a combinatorial RNA library. We recovered a set of "winning" molecules that describe solutions to this problem.

An Investigation of Generalized Differential Evolution Metaheuristic for Multiobjective Optimal Crop-Mix Planning Decision

PubMed Central

Olugbara, Oludayo

2014-01-01

This paper presents an annual multiobjective crop-mix planning as a problem of concurrent maximization of net profit and maximization of crop production to determine an optimal cropping pattern. The optimal crop production in a particular planting season is a crucial decision making task from the perspectives of economic management and sustainable agriculture. A multiobjective optimal crop-mix problem is formulated and solved using the generalized differential evolution 3 (GDE3) metaheuristic to generate a globally optimal solution. The performance of the GDE3 metaheuristic is investigated by comparing its results with the results obtained using epsilon constrained and nondominated sorting genetic algorithms—being two representatives of state-of-the-art in evolutionary optimization. The performance metrics of additive epsilon, generational distance, inverted generational distance, and spacing are considered to establish the comparability. In addition, a graphical comparison with respect to the true Pareto front for the multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem is presented. Empirical results generally show GDE3 to be a viable alternative tool for solving a multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem. PMID:24883369

An investigation of generalized differential evolution metaheuristic for multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning decision.

PubMed

Adekanmbi, Oluwole; Olugbara, Oludayo; Adeyemo, Josiah

2014-01-01

This paper presents an annual multiobjective crop-mix planning as a problem of concurrent maximization of net profit and maximization of crop production to determine an optimal cropping pattern. The optimal crop production in a particular planting season is a crucial decision making task from the perspectives of economic management and sustainable agriculture. A multiobjective optimal crop-mix problem is formulated and solved using the generalized differential evolution 3 (GDE3) metaheuristic to generate a globally optimal solution. The performance of the GDE3 metaheuristic is investigated by comparing its results with the results obtained using epsilon constrained and nondominated sorting genetic algorithms-being two representatives of state-of-the-art in evolutionary optimization. The performance metrics of additive epsilon, generational distance, inverted generational distance, and spacing are considered to establish the comparability. In addition, a graphical comparison with respect to the true Pareto front for the multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem is presented. Empirical results generally show GDE3 to be a viable alternative tool for solving a multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem.

Origin of chaos near three-dimensional quantum vortices: A general Bohmian theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzemos, Athanasios C.; Efthymiopoulos, Christos; Contopoulos, George

2018-04-01

We provide a general theory for the structure of the quantum flow near three-dimensional (3D) nodal lines, i.e., one-dimensional loci where the 3D wave function becomes equal to zero. In suitably defined coordinates (comoving with the nodal line) the generic structure of the flow implies the formation of 3D quantum vortices. We show that such vortices are accompanied by nearby invariant lines of the comoving quantum flow, called X lines, which are normally hyperbolic. Furthermore, the stable and unstable manifolds of the X lines produce chaotic scatterings of nearby quantum (Bohmian) trajectories, thus inducing an intricate form of the quantum current in the neighborhood of each 3D quantum vortex. Generic formulas describing the structure around 3D quantum vortices are provided, applicable to an arbitrary choice of 3D wave function. We also give specific numerical examples as well as a discussion of the physical consequences of chaos near 3D quantum vortices.

Origin of chaos near three-dimensional quantum vortices: A general Bohmian theory.

PubMed

Tzemos, Athanasios C; Efthymiopoulos, Christos; Contopoulos, George

2018-04-01

We provide a general theory for the structure of the quantum flow near three-dimensional (3D) nodal lines, i.e., one-dimensional loci where the 3D wave function becomes equal to zero. In suitably defined coordinates (comoving with the nodal line) the generic structure of the flow implies the formation of 3D quantum vortices. We show that such vortices are accompanied by nearby invariant lines of the comoving quantum flow, called X lines, which are normally hyperbolic. Furthermore, the stable and unstable manifolds of the X lines produce chaotic scatterings of nearby quantum (Bohmian) trajectories, thus inducing an intricate form of the quantum current in the neighborhood of each 3D quantum vortex. Generic formulas describing the structure around 3D quantum vortices are provided, applicable to an arbitrary choice of 3D wave function. We also give specific numerical examples as well as a discussion of the physical consequences of chaos near 3D quantum vortices.

[Nutritional problems in children from 3 to 12 years].

PubMed

Hankard, Régis

2011-04-01

Assessing the nutritional status is like the bottom line of children's health. The first step is to measure height and weight in proper conditions and to calculate the body mass index (BMI). BMI for sex and age allows identifying overweight and obese as well as underweight children. Both situations lead to a clinical exam in order to find causative disease (obesity of endocrine or genetic origin, malnutrition from somatic or behavioral disease). Routine lab study might help whenever referral to specialist is necessary. Nutritional anemia and vitamin D deficiency are two common situations in children that have to be screened and treated. The general practitioner has a central role in nutritional problems in children since he can manage the care within the whole family. This is particularly the case for obesity but also for dyslipidemia, that has to be screened around 8 years, both being major familial risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Combined Tensor Fitting and TV Regularization in Diffusion Tensor Imaging Based on a Riemannian Manifold Approach.

PubMed

Baust, Maximilian; Weinmann, Andreas; Wieczorek, Matthias; Lasser, Tobias; Storath, Martin; Navab, Nassir

2016-08-01

In this paper, we consider combined TV denoising and diffusion tensor fitting in DTI using the affine-invariant Riemannian metric on the space of diffusion tensors. Instead of first fitting the diffusion tensors, and then denoising them, we define a suitable TV type energy functional which incorporates the measured DWIs (using an inverse problem setup) and which measures the nearness of neighboring tensors in the manifold. To approach this functional, we propose generalized forward- backward splitting algorithms which combine an explicit and several implicit steps performed on a decomposition of the functional. We validate the performance of the derived algorithms on synthetic and real DTI data. In particular, we work on real 3D data. To our knowledge, the present paper describes the first approach to TV regularization in a combined manifold and inverse problem setup.

Economic volatility in childhood and subsequent adolescent mental health problems: a longitudinal population-based study of adolescents.

PubMed

Bøe, Tormod; Skogen, Jens Christoffer; Sivertsen, Børge; Hysing, Mari; Petrie, Keith J; Dearing, Eric; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae

2017-09-18

The aim of the current paper was to investigate the association between the patterns of duration, timing and sequencing of exposure to low family income during childhood, and symptoms of mental health problems in adolescence. Survey administered to a large population-based sample of Norwegian adolescents. Survey data from 9154 participants of 16-19 years age (53% participation rate; 52.7% girls) were linked to registry-based information about childhood family income from tax return data. Mental health outcomes were symptoms of emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, peer problems and general mental health problems measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, symptoms of depression measured with Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) measured with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Latent class analysis and the BCH approach in Mplus were used to examine associations between patterns of poverty exposure and mental health outcomes. Four latent classes of poverty exposure emerged from the analysis. Participants moving into poverty (2.3%), out of poverty (3.5%) or those chronically poor (3.1%) had more symptoms of mental health problems (Cohen's d =16-.50) than those with no poverty exposure (91.1%). This pattern was, however, not found for symptoms of ADHD. The pattern of results was confirmed in robustness checks using observed data. Exposure to poverty in childhood was found to be associated with most mental health problems in adolescence. There was no strong suggestion of any timing or sequencing effects in the patterns of associations. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Shape Universality Classes in the Random Sequential Adsorption of Nonspherical Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baule, Adrian

2017-07-01

Random sequential adsorption (RSA) of particles of a particular shape is used in a large variety of contexts to model particle aggregation and jamming. A key feature of these models is the observed algebraic time dependence of the asymptotic jamming coverage ˜t-ν as t →∞ . However, the exact value of the exponent ν is not known apart from the simplest case of the RSA of monodisperse spheres adsorbed on a line (Renyi's seminal "car parking problem"), where ν =1 can be derived analytically. Empirical simulation studies have conjectured on a case-by-case basis that for general nonspherical particles, ν =1 /(d +d ˜ ), where d denotes the dimension of the domain, and d ˜ the number of orientational degrees of freedom of a particle. Here, we solve this long-standing problem analytically for the d =1 case—the "Paris car parking problem." We prove, in particular, that the scaling exponent depends on the particle shape, contrary to the original conjecture and, remarkably, falls into two universality classes: (i) ν =1 /(1 +d ˜ /2 ) for shapes with a smooth contact distance, e.g., ellipsoids, and (ii) ν =1 /(1 +d ˜ ) for shapes with a singular contact distance, e.g., spherocylinders and polyhedra. The exact solution explains, in particular, why many empirically observed scalings fall in between these two limits.

Towards a solution of the puzzle posed by superconducting SrTiO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, G. P.

2015-09-01

Suitably doped SrTiO3 was found in 1964 to undergo a superconducting transition below 1 K with a dome-like Tc versus n (electron concentration) plot. The apex of the dome — a point of inflection — corresponds to the point (n≈9 ×1019cm-3, Tc≈0.30 K). On either side of it, Tc goes down to ≈0.1 K for the extreme values between which n was varied. A single value of Tc is thus observed for two different values of n. The puzzle for the theory has been to explain this result. Treating the problem in all its generality, we present here three equations: the μ1-incorporated BCS equation for Tc, the μ0-incorporated equation for the T = 0 gap Δ0, where μ1 and μ0 are the chemical potentials at T = Tc and T = 0 respectively, and an equation that relates the interaction parameters λ1 and λ0 at these temperatures. Because there are five unknowns in the problem, we tackle these equations via an approximation scheme that includes setting μ1 = μ0 and λ1 = λ0. The latter of these is factually a basic tenet of the BCS theory. Salient features of our findings are: (i) the solutions for Tc and Δ0 on the RHS (LHS) of the dome correspond to μ> kBθD(μ < kBθD); kB = Boltzmann constant, θD = Debye temperature, (ii) for solutions on the LHS the limits of the integrals in the equations need to be curtailed to obtain real solutions and (iii) the point μ = kBθD is a point of inflection in the Tc versus μ plot. Since the puzzle has remained unsolved for a long time, we also offer here a purely mathematical model for λ(μ) — sans physical justification — which leads to a Tc versus μ plot qualitatively in agreement with experiment.

Does the diffusion dark matter-dark energy interaction model solve cosmological puzzles?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szydłowski, Marek; Stachowski, Aleksander

2016-08-01

We study dynamics of cosmological models with diffusion effects modeling dark matter and dark energy interactions. We show the simple model with diffusion between the cosmological constant sector and dark matter, where the canonical scaling law of dark matter (ρd m ,0a-3(t )) is modified by an additive ɛ (t )=γ t a-3(t ) to the form ρd m=ρd m ,0a-3(t )+ɛ (t ). We reduced this model to the autonomous dynamical system and investigate it using dynamical system methods. This system possesses a two-dimensional invariant submanifold on which the dark matter-dark energy (DM-DE) interaction can be analyzed on the phase plane. The state variables are density parameter for matter (dark and visible) and parameter δ characterizing the rate of growth of energy transfer between the dark sectors. A corresponding dynamical system belongs to a general class of jungle type of cosmologies represented by coupled cosmological models in a Lotka-Volterra framework. We demonstrate that the de Sitter solution is a global attractor for all trajectories in the phase space and there are two repellers: the Einstein-de Sitter universe and the de Sitter universe state dominating by the diffusion effects. We distinguish in the phase space trajectories, which become in good agreement with the data. They should intersect a rectangle with sides of Ωm ,0∈[0.2724 ,0.3624 ] , δ ∈[0.0000 ,0.0364 ] at the 95% CL. Our model could solve some of the puzzles of the Λ CDM model, such as the coincidence and fine-tuning problems. In the context of the coincidence problem, our model can explain the present ratio of ρm to ρd e, which is equal 0.457 6-0.0831+0.1109 at a 2 σ confidence level.

Surveillance of a 2D Plane Area with 3D Deployed Cameras

PubMed Central

Fu, Yi-Ge; Zhou, Jie; Deng, Lei

2014-01-01

As the use of camera networks has expanded, camera placement to satisfy some quality assurance parameters (such as a good coverage ratio, an acceptable resolution constraints, an acceptable cost as low as possible, etc.) has become an important problem. The discrete camera deployment problem is NP-hard and many heuristic methods have been proposed to solve it, most of which make very simple assumptions. In this paper, we propose a probability inspired binary Particle Swarm Optimization (PI-BPSO) algorithm to solve a homogeneous camera network placement problem. We model the problem under some more realistic assumptions: (1) deploy the cameras in the 3D space while the surveillance area is restricted to a 2D ground plane; (2) deploy the minimal number of cameras to get a maximum visual coverage under more constraints, such as field of view (FOV) of the cameras and the minimum resolution constraints. We can simultaneously optimize the number and the configuration of the cameras through the introduction of a regulation item in the cost function. The simulation results showed the effectiveness of the proposed PI-BPSO algorithm. PMID:24469353

Oblique Photogrammetry and Usage on Land Administration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kisa, A.; Ozmus, L.; Erkek, B.; Ates, H. B.; Bakici, S.

2013-08-01

Projects based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have started within the body of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (GDLRC) by the Land Registry and Cadastre Information System (LRCIS) in the beginning of 2000s. LRCIS was followed by other projects which are Turkish National Geographic Information System (TNGIS), Continuously Operating GPS Reference Stations (CORS-TR), Geo Metadata Portal (GMP), Orthophoto Web Services, Completion of Initial Cadastre, Cadastre Renovation Project (CRP), 2B and Land Registry Achieve Information System (LRAIS). When examining the projects generated by GDLRC, it is realized that they include basic functions of land administration required for sustainable development. Sustainable development is obtained through effective land administration as is known. Nowadays, land use becomes more intense as a result of rapid population increase. The importance of land ownership has increased accordingly. At this point, the necessity of cadastre appears. In Turkey, cadastral registration is carried out by the detection of parcels. In other words, it is obtained through the division of land surface into 2D boundaries and mapping of them. However, existing land administration systems have begun to lose their efficiency while coping with rights, restrictions and responsibilities (RRRs) belonging to land which become more complicated day by day. Overlapping and interlocking constructions appear particularly in urban areas with dense housing and consequently, the problem of how to project these structures onto the surface in 2D cadastral systems has arisen. Herein, the necessity of 3D cadastre concept and 3D property data is confronted. In recent years, oblique photogrammetry, whose applications are gradually spreading, is used as an effective method for producing 3D data. In this study, applications of oblique photogrammetry and usability of oblique images as base for 3D Cadastre and Land Administration projects are examined.

Monoplane 3D-2D registration of cerebral angiograms based on multi-objective stratified optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aksoy, T.; Špiclin, Ž.; Pernuš, F.; Unal, G.

2017-12-01

Registration of 3D pre-interventional to 2D intra-interventional medical images has an increasingly important role in surgical planning, navigation and treatment, because it enables the physician to co-locate depth information given by pre-interventional 3D images with the live information in intra-interventional 2D images such as x-ray. Most tasks during image-guided interventions are carried out under a monoplane x-ray, which is a highly ill-posed problem for state-of-the-art 3D to 2D registration methods. To address the problem of rigid 3D-2D monoplane registration we propose a novel multi-objective stratified parameter optimization, wherein a small set of high-magnitude intensity gradients are matched between the 3D and 2D images. The stratified parameter optimization matches rotation templates to depth templates, first sampled from projected 3D gradients and second from the 2D image gradients, so as to recover 3D rigid-body rotations and out-of-plane translation. The objective for matching was the gradient magnitude correlation coefficient, which is invariant to in-plane translation. The in-plane translations are then found by locating the maximum of the gradient phase correlation between the best matching pair of rotation and depth templates. On twenty pairs of 3D and 2D images of ten patients undergoing cerebral endovascular image-guided intervention the 3D to monoplane 2D registration experiments were setup with a rather high range of initial mean target registration error from 0 to 100 mm. The proposed method effectively reduced the registration error to below 2 mm, which was further refined by a fast iterative method and resulted in a high final registration accuracy (0.40 mm) and high success rate (> 96%). Taking into account a fast execution time below 10 s, the observed performance of the proposed method shows a high potential for application into clinical image-guidance systems.

Estimation of the Above Ground Biomass of Tropical Forests using Polarimetric and Tomographic SAR Data Acquired at P Band and 3-D Imaging Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferro-Famil, L.; El Hajj Chehade, B.; Ho Tong Minh, D.; Tebaldini, S.; LE Toan, T.

2016-12-01

Developing and improving methods to monitor forest biomass in space and time is a timely challenge, especially for tropical forests, for which SAR imaging at larger wavelength presents an interesting potential. Nevertheless, directly estimating tropical forest biomass from classical 2-D SAR images may reveal a very complex and ill-conditioned problem, since a SAR echo is composed of numerous contributions, whose features and importance depend on many geophysical parameters, such has ground humidity, roughness, topography… that are not related to biomass. Recent studies showed that SAR modes of diversity, i.e. polarimetric intensity ratios or interferometric phase centers, do not fully resolve this under-determined problem, whereas Pol-InSAR tree height estimates may be related to biomass through allometric relationships, with, in general over tropical forests, significant levels of uncertainty and lack of robustness. In this context, 3-D imaging using SAR tomography represents an appealing solution at larger wavelengths, for which wave penetration properties ensures a high quality mapping of a tropical forest reflectivity in the vertical direction. This paper presents a series of studies led, in the frame of the preparation of the next ESA mission BIOMASS, on the estimation of biomass over a tropical forest in French Guiana, using Polarimetric SAR Tomographic (Pol-TomSAR) data acquired at P band by ONERA. It is then shown that Pol-TomoSAR significantly improves the retrieval of forest above ground biomass (AGB) in a high biomass forest (200 up to 500 t/ha), with an error of only 10% at 1.5-ha resolution using a reflectivity estimates sampled at a predetermined elevation. The robustness of this technique is tested by applying the same approach over another site, and results show a similar relationship between AGB and tomographic reflectivity over both sites. The excellent ability of Pol-TomSAR to retrieve both canopy top heights and ground topography with an error of the order of 2m compared to LiDAR estimates, is then used to generalize this tomographic technique by selecting in an adaptive way the height at which reflectivity is estimated. Results indicate that this generalized techniques reduces the estimation error to values inferior to 10% and improve the representativity of the obtained AGB maps.

A geometrically controlled rigidity transition in a model for confluent 3D tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkel, Matthias; Manning, M. Lisa

2018-02-01

The origin of rigidity in disordered materials is an outstanding open problem in statistical physics. Previously, a class of 2D cellular models has been shown to undergo a rigidity transition controlled by a mechanical parameter that specifies cell shapes. Here, we generalize this model to 3D and find a rigidity transition that is similarly controlled by the preferred surface area S 0: the model is solid-like below a dimensionless surface area of {s}0\\equiv {S}0/{\\bar{V}}2/3≈ 5.413 with \\bar{V} being the average cell volume, and fluid-like above this value. We demonstrate that, unlike jamming in soft spheres, residual stresses are necessary to create rigidity. These stresses occur precisely when cells are unable to obtain their desired geometry, and we conjecture that there is a well-defined minimal surface area possible for disordered cellular structures. We show that the behavior of this minimal surface induces a linear scaling of the shear modulus with the control parameter at the transition point, which is different from the scaling observed in particulate matter. The existence of such a minimal surface may be relevant for biological tissues and foams, and helps explain why cell shapes are a good structural order parameter for rigidity transitions in biological tissues.