Collision Detection for Animation using Sphere-Trees

The detection of collisions between moving polyhedral objects is one of the most computationally intensive tasks in the computer animation process. The use of object-oriented techniques to encapsulate data within the objects' structures compounds this problem through the requirement for inter-object message passing in order to obtain geometric information for collision detection. The REALISM system decreases the time for collision detection by using a three stage process. The first stage identifies objects in the same locality using a global bounding volume table. The second stage locates regions of possible collision using a sphere-tree data structure (a hierarchical tree of spheres based on octree-type spatial subdivision). The final stage finds intersections between polygonal faces of the objects that are contained within the intersecting pairs of leaf nodes. Hence the algorithm uses a spherical geometry approximation rapidly to locate regions of potential collisions and then uses a local intersection test with actual object geometry information. The system is therefore fast and accurate. Tests for various geometric objects support this and show performance improvements of jive times over traditional polyhedral intersection tests.     

A causal model of the career orientation and career choice of adolescent women.

Expanded on R. E. Fassinger's (see record 1990-21225-001) model of career choice in college women by testing 2 causal models of career choice and orientation with high school women. Ss were 409 adolescent women enrolled in their last year of high school in an all-female private liberal arts high school in a large Midwestern city. Structural equation modeling analyses suggested that the career orientation and career choice of adolescent women were predicted by ability, agentic characteristics, gender role attitudes, and relationship with mother. Young women who possessed liberal gender role attitudes, were instrumental and efficacious with regard to math and careers, and exhibited moderate degrees of attachment and independence from their mothers tended to value their career pursuits. Adolescent women who selected nontraditional and prestigious careers showed high ability and strong agentic characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mechanisms of displacement discrimination with and without perceived movement.

Investigated the similarity of reference effects for different delay conditions by testing the independence of reference and delay effects in 4 experiments, using 5 young adult observers. The critical independence property was whether the spatial variables (displacement separation from the visual reference) combined independently of the temporal variable (delay). This kind of independence did not hold for displacement discrimination at delays of 50 msec and 2,000 msec. When a test for the independence property was conducted at delays of 500 msec and 4,000 msec, observers reported no perceived movement. For these longer delays, the property was satisfied. These results are discussed using the general concept of a psychophysical mechanism. Such a mechanism combines the effects of several stimulus variables into a single mediating representation. By this analysis, at least 2 mechanisms must mediate the reference effect on displacement discrimination, one for delays of 200 msec and less and another for delays of 500 msec and more. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Control of photoresist properties: a Kalman filter based approach

The photolithography step in the semiconductor manufacturing process becomes increasingly critical as linewidths decrease for the next generation of integrated electronics. It therefore becomes necessary to reduce variations in photoresist parameters such as resist film thickness and photoactive compound concentration during manufacture. In this paper, we present a simple feedback scheme for accurately regulating these parameters. Our approach involves obtaining a simple, static process model the coefficients of which are recursively adjusted based on previous wafer measurements. We use this adaptive model to determine appropriate input setpoints for the next wafer. The effectiveness of this scheme in reducing process drift is exhibited by experimental data. Our results supports the widespread contention that modern feedback control offers the promise of improving the semiconductor manufacturing processes, often with relative ease and minimal capital cost     

Trade and spatial economic interdependence

Abstract. Regional scientists have had a long fascination with spatial economic interdependence, initially stimulated by the development of a suite of models in Isard (1960). In recent years there have been two major developments; first, a movement towards greater integration in model development not only with large-scale models, but also with careful attempts to make more components of the system endogenous. The second development has been the pursuit of greater integration than in earlier studies between theory and applied regional economic modelling, most notably in the area of trade and economic development. We explore some of the recent developments of this latter approach and provide an assessment of the current state-of-the art of some future opportunities.     

Assessing Optimal Digital Elevation Model Selection for Active River Area Delineation Across Broad Regions

Water Resources Management - The Active River Area (ARA) is a spatial approach for identifying the extent of functional riparian area. Given known limitations in terms of input elevation data...     

Using Survey Data and Mathematical Modeling to Prioritize Water Interventions in Developing Countries

Water Resources Management - A traditional cost-benefit analysis of potential water interventions in a given locality is a laborious and time-intensive process. To help decision makers identify...     

Subwords-Only Alternatives to fastText for Morphologically Rich Languages

Programming and Computer Software - In this work, we present purely subword-based alternatives to fastText word embedding algorithm The alternatives are modifications of the original fastText...     

Observing Inequality: Can Ergonomic Observations Help Interventions Transform the Role of Gender in Work Activity?

Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) - Work activity ergonomics (sometimes called francophone ergonomics) draws heavily on observation in order to support transformation of work to arrive at...