A goodness-of-fit test for Archimedean copula models in the presence of right censoring

A goodness-of-fit testing procedure for Archimedean copula (AC) models is developed based on right-censored data. The proposed approach extends an existing method, which is suitable for the Clayton model, to general AC models. Asymptotic properties of the proposed test statistics under the true model assumption are derived. Simulation analysis shows that the proposed test has reasonable performance. Finally, two real data examples are analyzed for illustrative purposes.     

Fabrication of high hardness Ni mold with electroless nickel–boron thin layer

The nickel electroforming method using a high-concentration nickel sulfamate bath is commonly used to fabricate micro metal molds in the LIGA process; however, this method does not produce micro metal molds of sufficient hardness. One means of improving the hardness of micro metal molds made using the nickel electroforming method is to include additives in the nickel plating solution. Another method is nickel alloy plating or a similar technique. In this research, we used a nickel–boron (Ni–B) electroless alloy plating method to obtain a hard nickel plated film having hardness of 832 Hv. It was also ascertained that Ni–B electroless alloy plated film retains its high hardness even during heat treatment in conditions of 250°C for 1 h. To deal with the high stresses developed in high-hardness plated films, we proposed double-layer nickel electroforming. This method is covered and used on conventional nickel electroforming layer by high hardness micro mold. High hardness micro metal mold using double-layer was fabricated by nickel electroforming and Ni–B electroless alloy plating method.     

A scrape-through piezoelectric MEMS energy harvester with frequency broadband and up-conversion behaviors

We propose a MEMS piezoelectric energy harvester with a wide operating frequency range by incorporating a high-frequency piezoelectric cantilever and a metal base as the top and bottom stoppers with a low-frequency piezoelectric cantilever. Frequency up-conversion of the piezoelectric energy harvester is realized when the low-frequency piezoelectric cantilever impacts and scrapes through the high-frequency piezoelectric cantilever. For an input acceleration of 0.6?g, with top and bottom stopper distances of 0.75 and 1.1?mm, respectively, the operating frequency ranges from 33 to 43?Hz. The output voltage and power up to 95?mV and 94 nW can be achieved. Experimental results indicate that the frequency up-conversion mechanism significantly improves the effective power.     

Efficient Leave-<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-out Cross-Validation of Support Vector Regression by Generalizing Decremental Algorithm

We propose a computationally efficient method for cross-validation of the Support Vector Regression (SVR) by generalizing the decremental algorithm of SVR. Incremental and decremental algorithm of Support Vector Machines (SVM) ^{2, 8, 9)} efficiently update the trained SVM model when a single data point is added to or removed from the training set. The computational cost of leave-one-out cross-validation can be reduced using the decremental algorithm. However, when we perform leave-m-out cross-validation (m > 1), we have to repeatedly apply the decremental algorithm for each data point. In this paper, we extend the decremental algorithm of SVR^{8, 9)} in such a way that several data points can be removed more efficiently. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can reduce the computational cost. In particular, we observed that the number of breakpoints, which is the main computational cost of the involved path-following, were reduced from \({\mathcal O}(m)\) to \({\mathcal O}(\sqrt{m})\).     

Recurrent infomax generates cell assemblies, neuronal avalanches, and simple cell-like selectivity

Recently multineuronal recording has allowed us to observe patterned firings, synchronization, oscillation, and global state transitions in the recurrent networks of central nervous systems. We propose a learning algorithm based on the process of information maximization in a recurrent network, which we call recurrent infomax (RI). RI maximizes information retention and thereby minimizes information loss through time in a network. We find that feeding in external inputs consisting of information obtained from photographs of natural scenes into an RI-based model of a recurrent network results in the appearance of Gabor-like selectivity quite similar to that existing in simple cells of the primary visual cortex. We find that without external input, this network exhibits cell assembly-like and synfire chain-like spontaneous activity as well as a critical neuronal avalanche. In addition, we find that RI embeds externally input temporal firing patterns to the network so that it spontaneously reproduces these patterns after learning. RI provides a simple framework to explain a wide range of phenomena observed in in vivo and in vitro neuronal networks, and it will provide a novel understanding of experimental results for multineuronal activity and plasticity from an information-theoretic point of view.     

Real-time CAM-based Hough transform algorithm and its performance evaluation

Abstract. This paper proposes a highly parallel Hough transform algorithm for real-time straight-line extraction and its hardware implementation on a content-addressable memory (CAM). To achieve high-speed processing, incrementation for voting, which composes the Hough transform, and calculations for coordinate updating are carried out for the every scan line, not every edge pixel, and extracting maxima in Hough space is executed by parallel comparing. Moreover, variously weighted voting achieves more accurate line extraction in spite of the quantization error and noise in the image space. In the implementation, the CAM acts as a PE (processing-element) array that effectively performs highly parallel processing for the Hough transform and also as a memory for two-dimensional Hough space, and both voting and peak extraction are directly executed by the CAM. Evaluations of CAM hardware size, processing time and the accuracy of line extraction show that a real-time and high-resolution Hough transform for a 256256 picture can be achieved using a single CAM chip with current VLSI technology. This CAM-based Hough transform algorithm promises to be an important step towards the realization of a real-time and compact image-understanding system. Received: 15 August 1998 / Accepted: 15 March 2000     

Splitting a configuration in a simplex

This paper presents a new method of partition, named-splitting, of a point set ind-dimensional space. Given a pointG in ad-dimensional simplexT, T(G;i) is the subsimplex spanned by G and the ith facet ofT. LetS be a set ofn points inT, and let be a sequence of nonnegative integers ₁, ..., n_d+1 satisfying _i=1 ^d+1 ₁=n The-splitter of (T, S) is a pointG inT such thatT(G;i) contains at least _i points ofS in its closure for everyi=1, 2, ...,d + 1. The associated dissection is the re-splitting.The existence of a-splitting is shown for any (T, S) and, and two efficient algorithms for finding such a splitting are given. One runs inO(d²n logn + d³n) time, and the other runs inO(n) time if the dimensiond can be considered as a constant. Applications of re-splitting to mesh generation, polygonal-tour generation, and a combinatorial assignment problem are given.     

Role of disorder-order transformation in consolidation of ceramics

The ordering of stacking-disordered silicon carbide prepared from the elements by high energy ball milling was investigated during sintering. A sharp increase in density in the temperature region 1700–1800°C was associated with a decrease in the disorder. Samples which had low disorder density showed a more continuous sintering behavior with temperature. Highly dense (up to 99% relative density) SiC can be obtained at 1900°C under a pressure of 70 MPa with no hold time. Similar results were observed for structurally disordered carbon with 10 at% of boron. The sintering behavior exhibited an abrupt density increase in the narrow temperature region of 1450–1600°C and was associated with disorder-order transformation.     

A coaxial pulsed plasma thruster using chemical propellants

Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) have the advantages of mechanical simplicity and robustness compared to other electric propulsion systems. However the thrust power ratio of PPTs is lower than that of other electric propulsion systems. To enhance the thrust performance of the PPT, we propose to use several combustible solid chemicals as coaxial PPT propellants to replace Teflon^® (Polytetrafluoroethylene: PTFE). With the design, the force obtained thermodynamically is expected to augment the PPT thrust power ratio with the help of the chemical energy contained in the propellants. As a result, the thrust power ratio is increased using hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-ammonium perchlorate (HTPB-AP)-based propellants compared to the case of ordinary Teflon. The discharge current and voltage waveform does not change even when the propellant is changed. These findings could indicate that the impulse bits by gasdynamic contribution are lager in the case of chemical solid propellants than in the case of Teflon.     

Recent Progress on Non‐oriented Silicon Steel

Control of crystalline orientation and consequent enhancement of magnetic properties are important for decreasing core loss of non‐oriented silicon steel as well as grain‐oriented silicon steel. Through the development of special process techniques to produce clean refined steel, it is now possible to use any element to improve the crystalline texture control of steel without producing harmful effects. Utilization of these effects have actually lowered the core loss and raised the magnetic flux density of the products, and a product series of high‐efficiency non‐oriented silicon steel has been developed. Recently, demand has grown for non‐oriented silicon steel with particular properties, such as lower core loss at high frequencies or high strength, as high‐speed motors have progressed in regard to high efficiency and miniaturization. In response to this trend, non‐oriented thin gauge silicon steel with a thickness of 0.20 and 0.15mm and high strength non‐oriented thin gauge silicon steel with the same thickness but a yield strength of more than 570MPa and 780MPa have been developed.