Rapid scalar value classification and volume clipping for?interactive 3D medical image visualization

In many clinical scenarios, medical data visualization and interaction are important to physicians for exploring inner anatomical structures and extracting meaningful diagnostic information. Real-time high-quality volume rendering, artifact-free clipping, and rapid scalar value classification are important techniques employed in this process. Unfortunately, in practice, it is still difficult to achieve an optimal balance. In this paper, we present some strategies to address this issue, which are based on the calculation of segment-based post color attenuation and dynamic ray–plane intersection (RPI) respectively. When implemented within our visualization system, the new classification algorithm can deliver real-time performance while avoiding the “color over-accumulation” artifacts suffered by the commonly used acceleration algorithms that employ pre-integrated classification. Our new strategy can achieve an optimized balance between image quality and classification speed. Next, the RPI algorithm is used with opacity adjustment technique to effectively remove the “striping” artifacts on the clipping plane caused by the nonuniform integration length. Furthermore, we present techniques for multiple transfer function (TF) based anatomical feature enhancement and “keyhole” based endoscopic inner structure view. Finally, the algorithms are evaluated subjectively by radiologists and quantitatively compared using image power spectrum analysis.     

Age differences in identifying words in synthetic speech

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether context or different speech rates could improve older adult performance on identification of synthetically generated words. BACKGROUND: Synthetic speech systems can potentially improve the daily functioning of older adults. However, research must determine whether older adults can effectively implement current text-to-speech technologies, which few studies have examined. Older adults' sensory and cognitive declines may cause difficulties in identifying words in synthetic speech. METHODS: Ninety-six participants (young, middle-aged, and older adults) identified auditory monosyllabic words (half natural, half synthetic) presented in isolation or at the ends of sentences. Participants heard speech at either normal or slower rates. RESULTS: We found an interaction of age, context, and voice type and that slower speech rates worsened performance for all groups. Contrasts revealed that context reduced age differences, though only for natural speech. Hearing acuity was highly correlated with age and fully accounts for the interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Context improves performance for everyone in natural speech. However, whereas context improves performance for synthetic speech, it does not differentially reduce the age impairment for older adults. Slower speed generally impairs everyone's performance compared with the normal rate. APPLICATIONS: Systems using synthetic speech should avoid presenting words in isolation, and rich contextual support should be consistently adopted. Synthetic speech fidelity must be improved significantly before becoming truly useful for older adult populations.     

libMesh : a C++ library for parallel adaptive mesh refinement/coarsening simulations

In this paper we describe the libMesh (http://libmesh.sourceforge.net) framework for parallel adaptive finite element applications. libMesh is an open-source software library that has been developed to facilitate serial and parallel simulation of multiscale, multiphysics applications using adaptive mesh refinement and coarsening strategies. The main software development is being carried out in the CFDLab (http://cfdlab.ae.utexas.edu) at the University of Texas, but as with other open-source software projects; contributions are being made elsewhere in the US and abroad. The main goals of this article are: (1) to provide a basic reference source that describes libMesh and the underlying philosophy and software design approach; (2) to give sufficient detail and references on the adaptive mesh refinement and coarsening (AMR/C) scheme for applications analysts and developers; and (3) to describe the parallel implementation and data structures with supporting discussion of domain decomposition, message passing, and details related to dynamic repartitioning for parallel AMR/C. Other aspects related to C++ programming paradigms, reusability for diverse applications, adaptive modeling, physics-independent error indicators, and similar concepts are briefly discussed. Finally, results from some applications using the library are presented and areas of future research are discussed.     

On connectionism, rule extraction, and brain-like learning

There is a growing body of work that shows that both fuzzy and symbolic rule systems can be implemented using neural networks. This body of work also shows that these fuzzy and symbolic rules can be retrieved from these networks, once they have been learned by procedures that generally fall under the category of rule extraction. The paper argues that the idea of rule extraction from a neural network involves certain procedures, specifically the reading of parameters from a network, that are not allowed by the connectionist framework that these neural networks are based on. It argues that such rule extraction procedures imply a greater freedom and latitude about the internal mechanisms of the brain than is permitted by connectionism, but that such latitude is permitted by the recently proposed control theoretic paradigm for the brain. The control theoretic paradigm basically suggests that there are parts of the brain that control other parts and has far less restrictions on the kind of procedures that can be called “brain like”. The paper shows that this control theoretic paradigm is supported by new evidence from neuroscience about the role of neuromodulators and neurotransmitters in the brain. In addition, it shows that the control theoretic paradigm is also used in connectionist algorithms, although never acknowledged explicitly. The paper suggests that far better learning and rule extraction algorithms can be developed using these control theoretic notions and they would be consistent with the more recent understanding of how the brain works and learns     

Wave propagation in a thinly two layered laminated medium with stress couples under initial stresses

Summary The present paper is an attempt to provide an approximate treatment based on Biots theory of incremental deformation to study the wave propagation in two thinly layered laminated medium under initial stresses. The cross-sectional distortion which plays an important role in the coupling of adherent layers is taken into account. The theory is derived in the context of plane strain deformation and the frequency equation for phase velocity of waves propagated has been obtained. It has been shown that under certain conditions when wave length becomes small compared to thickness of each layer, the wave approaches to Rayleigh waves at the two outer surfaces with the possibility of Stoneley waves at the interface.

Notation and Nomenclature

For Medium—I M _i, L_i elastic coefficients - C _i bending moment - h _i thickness - P _i initial stress - _i fraction of the total thickness occupied by theith layer - b _i couple-stress coefficient For the equivalent anisotropic continuum H total thickness - M, L elastic coefficients - P average initial stress - s ₁₁ ⁽¹⁾ ,s ₂₂,s ₁₂ ⁽¹⁾ incremental stress components - u ₁,v ₁ displacement components alongx, y directions respectively - ₁ density - e _xx,e _yy,e _xy ⁽¹⁾ strain components with respect to rotated axes - w ₁ rotational component aboutz-axis - f ₁ x, f ₁ y components of incremental boundary forces per unit initial area For Medium-II N _j,Q _j elastic coefficients - D _j bending moment - K _j thickness - R _j initial stress - _j fraction of the total thickness occupied by thejth layer - g _j couple-stress coefficients For the equivalent anisotropic continuum K total thickness - N, Q elastic coefficients - R average initial stress - s ₁₁ ⁽²⁾ ,s ₂₂,s ₁₂ ⁽²⁾ incremental stress components - u ₂,v ₂ displacement components alongx, y directions respectively - ₂ density - e _xx, e_yy,e _xy ⁽²⁾ strain components with respect to rotated axes - w ₂ rotational component aboutz-axis - f ₂ x, f ₂ y components of incremental boundary forces per unit initial area With 5 Figures     

Fluxoid pinning by vanadium carbide precipitates in superconducting vanadium

Vanadium carbide precipitates were formed in pure, annealed vanadium foils by the introduction of carbon in the specimens. Thin, disk-shaped precipitates resulted with mean diameters in the range 100–2600 Å and with number densities from 3 × 10¹⁵ to 4 × 10¹⁷ particles/cm³. The macroscopic, pinning-force density for magnetic fluxoids was measured at temperatures from 2 to 5 K and for magnetic fields from 0 to H _c2(T). Peak pinning-force densities in the range of 3 × 10 to 3 × 10⁶ dyn/cm³ for T=0K were realized in the 30 specimens studied. The pinning force density was found to obey a scaling law for specimens meeting certain requirements with respect to precipitate particle size and number density. These requirements correlate with the temperature-dependent, superconducting coherence length (T). Many specimens obeyed the scaling law at temperatures T < T _c except near T _c, where (T) is large in comparison with the precipitate size.Part of this work was supported by the Applied Research Laboratory of The Pennsylvania State University, under contract with the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command.     

The aging effect of the thermoelectric power of thin copper films

The thermoelectricpower, referenced to bulk copper, of thin films of copper about 150 Å thick was measured by preparing a thin film bridge between two copper wires which served as leads. This arrangement produces two junctions between the thin film copper and the bulk copper. The two junctions were maintained at a temperature difference which was measured using a calibrated copper-constantan thermocouple. It was found that the thin film-to-bulk thermoelectric power varies with time and can be fitted to an equation of the form

$\text{S = S}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>F</mtext>}}\text{(1?}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{-\lambda t}}\text{)}$

where λ depends on temperature. The constant λ in the equation has values very close to those found from thin film resistance aging measurements, suggesting that the same mechanism is responsible for both aging phenomena. The heated junctions is negative, in agreement with a simple electron diffusion model of thermoelectric power.     

Approximating total citation counts from first author counts and from total papers

This paper is an attempt to improve on the approximation. First author citations (C_f)≈Total citations (C_t) of an author's publications without the work of making the complete citation count under the author and all co-author names. Using the bibliographies of all faculty from each of four large departments: Physics, Chemistry, Materials Sciences, and Biosciences, in the same university, both first author and complete citation counts were made, care being taken to avoid the most common errors in such counts. It is shown that the function C_f·T/F (where T and F are the total number of papers and F those with subject author's name first) correlates strongly (>90%) with C_t. We find also that C_t correlates strongly with T. The data also may be used as one more line of evidence to obtain normalizing ratios for possible comparisons of productivityacross different disciplinary universes. A very tentative ratio from different studies would be 8 (Chem.)=4 (Physics)=2.5 (Mat. Sci.)=2 (Mathematics)=4.5 (Biophysics-Biochemistry).     

Soft computing-based approaches to predict energy consumption and stability margin of six-legged robots moving on gradient terrains

Soft computing-based approaches have been developed to predict specific energy consumption and stability margin of a six-legged robot ascending and descending some gradient terrains. Three different neuro-fuzzy and one neural network-based approaches have been developed. The performances of these approaches are compared among themselves, through computer simulations. Genetic algorithm-tuned multiple adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system is found to perform better than other three approaches for predicting both the outputs. This could be due to a more exhaustive search carried out by the genetic algorithm in comparison with back-propagation algorithm and the use of two separate adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems for two different outputs. A designer may use the developed soft computing-based approaches in order to predict specific energy consumption and stability margin of the robot for a set of input parameters, beforehand.     

A DEM‐based parallel computing hydrodynamic and transport model

The sudden and accidental water pollution response system (SAWPRS) for Yangtze River in central China required to develop a hydrodynamic and transport model, which is readily available and capable of simulating a large river system within GIS environment. This study facilitates such effort by developing a parallel computing method based on digital elevation model (DEM) using overlapping domain decomposition approach (ODDA) and message passing interface (MPI) protocol. The hydrodynamic and transport model was redesigned using finite volume method for hydrodynamic and transport model dispersion, the SIMPLEC method for solving the flow field, and the pressure weighted interpolating method for the flow field modification. This modelling approach was verified in two experiments using different sets of computer clusters. The model output was evaluated against the measured data collected for the year 1998 for Wanzhou, an upstream river segment of Yangtze River. The relative error was found to be less than 10%. The performance of parallel computation was found excellent as evident from the cost efficiency values greater than 0.81 in both experiments and increased computation speed while increasing the number of computer clusters. Overall, the parallel computing modelling system developed here was found to meet all requirements of SAWPRS. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.