Implementing a qualitative calculus to analyse moving point objects

Due to recent technological advances in position-aware devices, data about moving objects is becoming ubiquitous. Yet, it is a major challenge for spatial information systems to offer tools for the analysis of motion data, thereby evolving from static to dynamic frameworks. This paper aims to contribute to this area by introducing an implementation prototype for an information system based on the Qualitative Trajectory Calculus, a spatiotemporal calculus to represent and reason about moving point objects.     

Introducing functional classification theory to land use planning by means of decision tables

This paper contributes to the conceptualisation and analysis of double-sided matching problems, taking the land use planning problem as an example. It does so by introducing functional classification theory at the knowledge level, the symbol level and the system level of a DSS. This theory explicitly expresses the methodological viewpoint of relational realism. At the knowledge level this implies defining knowledge on the basis of matching the intension and extension of concepts. At the symbol level it deals with knowledge representation and here decision tables are advanced and formally introduced. At the system level the formalism used at the symbol level is implemented to develop a relational matching DSS.     

Heterogeneous oligonucleotide-hybridization assay based on hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence of a rhodamine label at oxide-coated aluminum and silicon electrodes

This paper describes a heterogeneous oligonucleotide-hybridization assay based on hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence (HECL) of a rhodamine label. Thin oxide-film coated aluminum and silicon electrodes were modified with an aminosilane layer and derivatized with short, 15-mer oligonucleotides via diisothiocyanate coupling. Target oligonucleotides were conjugated with tetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) dye at their amino modified 5′ end and hybridization was detected using HECL of TAMRA. Preliminary results indicate sensitivity down to picomolar level and low nonspecific adsorption. The sensitivity was better on oxide-coated silicon compared to oxide-coated aluminum electrodes and two-base pair mismatched hybrids were successfully discriminated. The experimental results presented here might be useful for the design of disposable electrochemiluminescent DNA biosensors.     

The role of the hyperpolarization-activated inward current If in arrhythmogenesis: a computer model study.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Structural cardiac defects such as fibrosis and gap junction remodeling lead to a reduced cellular electrical coupling and are known to promote atrial fibrillation. It has been observed that the expression of the hyperpolarization-activated current If is increased under pathological conditions. Recent experimental data indicate a possible contribution of If to arrhythmogenesis. In this paper, the role of If in action potential propagation in normal and in pathological tissue is investigated by means of computer simulations. The effect of diffuse fibrosis and gap junction remodeling is simulated by reducing cellular coupling nonuniformly. As expected, the conduction velocity decreases when cellular coupling is reduced. In the presence of If the conduction velocity increases both in normal and in pathological tissue. In our simulations, ectopic activity is present in regions with high expression of If and is facilitated by cellular uncoupling. We conclude that an increased If may facilitate propagation of the action potential. Hence, If may prevent conduction slowing and block. Overexpression of If may lead to ectopic activity, especially when cellular coupling is reduced under pathological conditions.     

Generation of digital terrain models with a ground-based SAR system

A novel technique for the retrieval of a digital terrain model (DTM) with a ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) system is described. A set of SAR images collected over a test site located at Salice d'Ulzio, Italy, is used to validate experimentally the proposed DTM retrieval technique. The topographic height is obtained using an algorithm specifically tailored for a GB-SAR system equipped with two receive antennas. The comparison with an existing DTM of the test site area shows that the retrieved DTM is accurate, with root mean square height differences between the two DTMs below 5 m.     

Data driven analysis of functional brain networks in fMRI for schizophrenia investigation

The purpose of this article is to present a methodology to identify the sources of activity in brain networks from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data using the multiset canonical correlation analysis algorithm. The aim is to lay the foundations for a screening marker to be used as indicator of mental diseases. Group analysis blind source separation methods have proved reliable to extract the latent sources underlying the brain activities but currently there is no recognized biomarker for mental disorders. Recent studies have identified alterations in the so called default mode network (DMN) that are common to several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. In particular, here we account for the hypothesis that the alterations in the DMN activity can be effectively highlighted by analyzing the transient states between two different tasks. A set of fMRI data acquired from 18 subjects performing working memory tasks is investigated for such purpose. Subjects are patients affected by schizophrenia for one half and healthy control subjects for the other. Under these conditions, the proposed methodology provides high discrimination performances in terms of classification error, thereby providing promising results for a preliminary tool able to monitor the disease state or to perform a prescreening for patients at risk for schizophrenia. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 24, 239–248, 2014     

Bioinspired Magnetite Crystallization Directed by Random Copolypeptides

Control over magnetite (Fe₃O₄) formation is difficult to achieve in synthetic systems without using non‐aqueous media and high temperatures. In contrast, Nature employs often intrinsically disordered proteins to tightly tailor the size, shape, purity, and organization of the nanocrystals to optimize their magnetic properties. Inspired by such “flexible polyelectrolytes,” here random copolypeptides having different amino acid compositions are used as control agents in the bioinspired coprecipitation of magnetite through a ferrihydrite precursor, following a recently developed mineralization protocol. Importantly, the copolypeptide library is designed such that the amino acid composition can be optimized to simultaneously direct the size of the nanoparticles as well as their dispersibility in aqueous media in a one‐pot manner. Acidic amino acids are demonstrated to regulate the crystal size by delaying nucleation and reducing growth. Their relative content thus can be balanced to tune between the superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic regimes, and high contents of negatively charged amino acids result in colloidal stabilization of superparamagnetic nanoparticles at high pH. Conversely, with positively charged lysine‐rich copolypeptides ferrimagnetic crystals are obtained which are stabilized at neutral pH and self‐organize in chains, as visualized by cryo‐transmission electron microscopy. Altogether, the presented findings give important insights for the future development of additive‐mediated nanomaterial syntheses.     

The performance of PCD tools in high-speed milling of Ti6Al4V

Tool performance of conventional tools is poor and a major constraint when used in milling titanium alloys at elevated cutting speeds. At these high cutting speeds, the chemical and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V cause complex wear mechanisms. In this paper, a fine-grain polycrystalline diamond (PCD) end mill tool was tested, and its wear behavior was studied. The performance of the PCD tool has been investigated in terms of tool life, cutting forces, and surface roughness. The PCD tool yielded longer tool life than a coated carbide tool at cutting speeds above 100?m/min. A slower wear progression was found with an increase in cutting speeds, whereas the norm is an exponential increase in tool wear at elevated speeds. Observations based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis suggest that adhesion of the workpiece is the wear main type, after which degradation of the tools accelerates probable due to the combined effect of high temperature degradation coupled with abrasion.     

Optimization of a phased-array transducer for multiple harmonic imaging in medical applications: frequency and topology

Second-harmonic imaging is currently one of the standards in commercial echographic systems for diagnosis, because of its high spatial resolution and low sensitivity to clutter and near-field artifacts. The use of nonlinear phenomena mirrors is a great set of solutions to improve echographic image resolution. To further enhance the resolution and image quality, the combination of the 3rd to 5th harmonics--dubbed the superharmonics--could be used. However, this requires a bandwidth exceeding that of conventional transducers. A promising solution features a phased-array design with interleaved low- and high-frequency elements for transmission and reception, respectively. Because the amplitude of the backscattered higher harmonics at the transducer surface is relatively low, it is highly desirable to increase the sensitivity in reception. Therefore, we investigated the optimization of the number of elements in the receiving aperture as well as their arrangement (topology). A variety of configurations was considered, including one transmit element for each receive element (1/2) up to one transmit for 7 receive elements (1/8). The topologies are assessed based on the ratio of the harmonic peak pressures in the main and grating lobes. Further, the higher harmonic level is maximized by optimization of the center frequency of the transmitted pulse. The achievable SNR for a specific application is a compromise between the frequency-dependent attenuation and nonlinearity at a required penetration depth. To calculate the SNR of the complete imaging chain, we use an approach analogous to the sonar equation used in underwater acoustics. The generated harmonic pressure fields caused by nonlinear wave propagation were modeled with the iterative nonlinear contrast source (INCS) method, the KZK, or the Burger's equation. The optimal topology for superharmonic imaging was an interleaved design with 1 transmit element per 6 receive elements. It improves the SNR by ~5 dB compared with the interleaved (1/2) design reported in literature. The optimal transmit frequency for superharmonic echocardiography was found to be 1.0 to 1.2 MHz. For superharmonic abdominal imaging this frequency was found to be 1.7 to 1.9 MHz. For 2nd-harmonic echocardiography, the optimal transmit frequency of 1.8 MHz reported in the literature was corroborated with our simulation results.