Is Grover’s Algorithm a Quantum Hidden Subgroup Algorithm?

The arguments given in this paper suggest that Grover’s and Shor’s algorithms are more closely related than one might at first expect. Specifically, we show that Grover’s algorithm can be viewed as a quantum algorithm which solves a non-abelian hidden subgroup problem (HSP). But we then go on to show that the standard non-abelian quantum hidden subgroup (QHS) algorithm can not find a solution to this particular HSP. This leaves open the question as to whether or not there is some modification of the standard non-abelian QHS algorithm which is equivalent to Grover’s algorithm.      

Bicycle messengers: energy expenditure and exposure to air pollution

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of energy expenditure and exposure to air pollution for bicycle messengers. Relationships between heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake, and between HR and pulmonary ventilation (VE) for each participant were established in laboratory tests. Air pollution and HR were measured during one working day. The total oxygen uptake was then described as the total energy expenditure in Joule (J) and in multiples of the energy expenditure at rest (MET). The mean energy expenditure during a working day (8 h) was 12 MJ, (4.8 MET). The level of air pollution exposure when cycling seemed to be comparable with the levels of exposure when sitting inside a vehicle. The VE during cycling was four times higher than resting value. Increased VE led to increased exposure to air pollution.     

Intermittent microclimate cooling during exercise-heat stress in US army chemical protective clothing

The effectiveness of intermittent, microclimate cooling for men who worked in US Army chemical protective clothing (modified mission-oriented protective posture level 3; MOPP 3) was examined. The hypothesis was that intermittent cooling on a 2 min on-off schedule using a liquid cooling garment (LCG) covering 72% of the body surface area would reduce heat strain comparably to constant cooling. Four male subjects completed three experiments at 30 degrees C, 30% relative humidity wearing the LCG under the MOPP 3 during 80 min of treadmill walking at 224 +/- 5 W . m(-2). Water temperature to the LCG was held constant at 21 degrees C. The experiments were; 1) constant cooling (CC); 2) intermittent cooling at 2-min intervals (IC); 3) no cooling (NC). Core temperature increased (1.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C) in NC, which was greater than IC (0.5 +/- 0.2 degrees C) and CC (0.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C) ( p < 0.05). Mean skin temperature was higher during NC (36.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C) than IC (33.7 +/- 0.6 degrees C) and CC (32.6 +/- 0.6 degrees C) and mean skin temperature was higher during IC than CC ( p < 0.05). Mean heart rate during NC (139 +/- 9 b . min(-1)) was greater than IC (110 +/- 10 b . min(-1)) and CC (107 +/- 9 b . min(-1)) ( p < 0.05). Cooling by conduction (K) during NC (94 +/- 4 W . m(-2)) was lower than IC (142 +/- 7 W . m(-2)) and CC (146 +/- 4 W . m(-2)) ( p < 0.05). These findings suggest that IC provided a favourable skin to LCG gradient for heat dissipation by conduction and reduced heat strain comparable to CC during exercise-heat stress in chemical protective clothing.     

Optical merger of direct vision with virtual images for scaled teleoperation

Scaled teleoperation is increasingly prevalent in medicine, as well as in other applications of robotics. Visual feedback in such systems is essential and should make maximal use of natural hand-eye coordination. This paper describes a new method of visual feedback for scaled teleoperation in which the operator manipulates the handle of a remote tool in the presence of a registered virtual image of the target in real time. The method adapts a concept already used successfully in a new medical device called the sonic flashlight, which permits direct in situ visualization of ultrasound during invasive procedures. The sonic flashlight uses a flat-panel monitor and a half-silvered mirror to merge the visual outer surface of a patient with a simultaneous ultrasound scan of the patient's interior. Adapting the concept to scaled teleoperation involves removing the imaging device and the target to a remote location and adding a master-slave control device. This permits the operator to see his hands, along with what appears to be the tool, and the target, merged in a workspace that preserves natural hand-eye coordination. Three functioning prototypes are described, one based on ultrasound and two on light microscopy. The limitations and potential of the new approach are discussed.     

Efficient solution of the 3G network planning problem

The 3G universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) planning problem is combinatorially explosive and difficult to solve optimally, though solution methods exist for its three main subproblems (cell, access network, and core network planning). We previously formulated the entire problem as a single integrated mixed-integer linear program (MIP) and showed that only small instances of this global planning problem can be solved to optimality by a commercial MIP solver within a reasonable amount of time ( St-Hilaire, Chamberland, & Pierre, 2006). Heuristic methods are needed for larger instances. This paper provides the first complete formulation for the heuristic sequential method ( St-Hilaire, Chamberland, & Pierre, 2005) that re-partitions the global formulation into the three conventional subproblems and solves them in sequence using a MIP solver. This greatly improves the solution time, but at the expense of solution quality. We also develop a new hybrid heuristic that uses the results of the sequential method to generate constraints that provide tighter bounds for the global planning problem with the goal of reaching the provable optimum solution much more quickly. We empirically evaluate the speed and solution accuracy of four solution methods: (i) the direct MIP solution of the global planning problem, (ii) a local search heuristic applied to the global planning problem, (iii) the sequential method and (iv) the new hybrid method. The results show that the sequential method provides very good results in a fraction of the time needed for the direct MIP solution of the global problem, and that optimum results can be provided by the hybrid heuristic in greatly reduced time.     

Learning Deformable Shape Manifolds

We propose an approach to shape detection of highly deformable shapes in images via manifold learning with regression. Our method does not require shape key points be defined at high contrast image regions, nor do we need an initial estimate of the shape. We only require sufficient representative training data and a rough initial estimate of the object position and scale. We demonstrate the method for face shape learning, and provide a comparison to nonlinear Active Appearance Model. Our method is extremely accurate, to nearly pixel precision and is capable of accurately detecting the shape of faces undergoing extreme expression changes. The technique is robust to occlusions such as glasses and gives reasonable results for extremely degraded image resolutions.     

Roll manufacturing of flexible microfluidic devices in thin PMMA and COC foils by embossing and lamination

Microfluidics on foil is gaining momentum due to a number of advantages of employing thin films combined with the capability of cost-effective high-volume manufacturing of devices. In this work, ultra-thin, flexible Y-microreactors with microchannels of 100 μm width and 30 μm depth were fabricated in thermoplastic polymer foils. The fluidic pattern was hot roll embossed in 125 μm thick poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and 130 μm thick cyclic-olefin-copolymer (COC) films using a dry-etched microstructured silicon wafer as a flat embossing tool in a laminator. The sealing of the channels was performed with two different techniques, one based on lamination of SU8 dry film resist (DFR) and the other one based on spin-coated poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Testing of the interconnected microreactor was carried out using two dye colorant solutions to demonstrate mixing.     

Social desirability and the randomized response technique.

The randomized response technique (RRT) is designed to increase respondents' willingness to answer truthfully questions of a sensitive or socially undesirable nature. This study tested the hypothesis that the difference between the proportion of "yes" responses obtained under self-administered direct questioning and the proportion of "yes" responses obtained under an RRT procedure would be related to the social desirability of a "yes" response to the question. The hypothesis was confirmed by data from 404 undergraduates; the RRT may provide more valid responses to items of a socially desirable and undesirable nature. The RRT deserves more attention because it can circumvent biases due to untruthful responding, demand characteristics, and evaluation apprehension as well as assure the confidentiality of the data. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)