Compensation of the bias caused by the wall filter on the mean Doppler frequency

In the presence of noise, any wall filter induces a bias on the mean Doppler frequency estimated by the algorithm based on the calculation of the phase of the autocorrelation function at lag 1. In this paper, it is shown that the bias results from the nonzero value of the autocorrelation function of the filtered noise at lag 1. A general method for compensating the bias was then deduced. It consists of a preliminary estimation of the filtered noise contribution and its subtraction from the autocorrelation function of the Doppler signal. The method is independent of the nature of the noise and wall filter. An evaluation of this method on simulated Doppler signals and on measurements from a moving-string phantom showed that effective compensation of the bias was obtained, but at the expense of a higher variance. Taking into account both the bias and the variance, however, it was shown that this method offers an improvement over the noncompensated method. Finally, the performance of this method was demonstrated using in vivo measurements taken from a human aorta.     

Refractoriness and neural precision

The response of a spiking neuron to a stimulus is often characterized by its time-varying firing rate, estimated from a histogram of spike times. If the cell's firing probability in each small time interval depends only on this firing rate, one predicts a highly variable response to repeated trials, whereas many neurons show much greater fidelity. Furthermore, the neuronal membrane is refractory immediately after a spike, so that the firing probability depends not only on the stimulus but also on the preceding spike train. To connect these observations, we investigated the relationship between the refractory period of a neuron and its firing precision. The light response of retinal ganglion cells was modeled as probabilistic firing combined with a refractory period: the instantaneous firing rate is the product of a "free firing rate, " which depends only on the stimulus, and a "recovery function," which depends only on the time since the last spike. This recovery function vanishes for an absolute refractory period and then gradually increases to unity. In simulations, longer refractory periods were found to make the response more reproducible, eventually matching the precision of measured spike trains. Refractoriness, although often thought to limit the performance of neurons, may in fact benefit neuronal reliability. The underlying free firing rate derived by allowing for the refractory period often exceeded the observed firing rate by an order of magnitude and was found to convey information about the stimulus over a much wider dynamic range. Thus, the free firing rate may be the preferred variable for describing the response of a spiking neuron.     

Application of the scaling factor method to estimation of beta dose distributions for dissimilar media separated by a planar interface

Reliable methods of estimating doses are essential for the use of beta emitting radionuclides for radiotherapy. The passage of electrons through matter is a very complex phenomenon due to the large number of elastic and inelastic interactions resulting in scattering and energy losses. The analytical solution for the electron transport being intractable, the problem has been addressed by the Monte Carlo technique. Empirical or semiempirical less time consuming methods, such as the scaling factor method, may appear more preferable in practice when dealing with complicated source distributions. The method, proposed by Cross and co-workers [AECL Report Nos. AECL-1617 (1982), AECL 10521 (1992)] consists in the derivation of beta-ray dose distribution in other media from those in water by using a "scaling factor" or "relative attenuation factor" on distance and a closely related renormalization factor imposed by the energy conservation. This work investigates the accuracy of the scaling factor method using a statistical approach, a generalized chi 2 test, focusing on the particular case of potential interest, the scaling factor for water to bone. The direct comparison of the shapes of the depth dose deposition curves in the two media indicates discrepancies of less than 5% up to at least 60% of the range in bone, a depth within which 95% of the initial energy is deposited. The scaling factor derived by this method, 0.9720 +/- 0.0012, confirms the existing experimentally determined value of 0.973 +/- 1% [AECL Report No. AECL-10521 (1992)]. The accuracy of the determination is increased by almost a factor of 10. A way of improving the scaling method, especially for depth over the 60% continuous slowing down approximation range, by using a modulation function is also proposed.     

Graphs of linear clique-width at most 3

A graph has linear clique-width at most k if it has a clique-width expression using at most k labels such that every disjoint union operation has an operand which is a single vertex graph. We give the first characterisation of graphs of linear clique-width at most 3, and we give the first polynomial-time recognition algorithm for graphs of linear clique-width at most 3. In addition, we present new characterisations of graphs of linear clique-width at most 2. We also give a layout characterisation of graphs of bounded linear clique-width; a similar characterisation was independently shown by Gurski and by Lozin and Rautenbach.     

Theoretical issues in general and developmental ergonomics

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a number of critical theoretical issues which revolve around the relationship of the human with technology. This has two aspects: (1) the human response to already developed technology (general ergonomics); and (2) the application of ergonomics principles and data to system design (developmental ergonomics). Ergonomics research which does not focus on the human/technology relationship has little to offer ergonomics. That research must also be directed to the problem of transforming behavioural principles into their physical equivalents.     

三氯化铝负载HY沸石催化β-甲基萘转移烷基化反应

通过液相沉积法将无水AlCl3负载到HY沸石上制得负载型催化剂。研究了负载前后HY沸石催化β-甲基萘(β-MN)与均四甲苯(TMB)转移烷基化反应性能。结果表明,随着负载型HY沸石的表面酸性增强,沸石的孔径减小,催化β-MN与TMB转移烷摹化反应的活性提高,2,6-／2,7-二甲基萘(DMN)的选择性得到改善。当反应在β-MN与TMB摩尔比为1:1,反应温度为400℃,空速为6.0 h-1的条件下进行时,β-MN的转化率为46.4％,2,6-DMN／2,7-DMN的选择性为25.6％。     

曲堤油田q104块沙四段储层特征研究

曲堤油田Q104块沙四段属于河流相沉积体系,通过对研究区岩芯观察、铸体薄片、X-射线衍射、扫描电镜、图像、粒度、岩芯常规测试以及测井二次解释成果等资料的分析,对储层岩石学特征、物性特征、孔隙类型及孔隙结构特征进行了详细的研究.储层岩石类型主要为灰、灰褐色粉、细长石岩屑或岩屑长石砂岩,成分成熟度和结构成熟度都较低,以泥质胶结为主,粘土矿物主要为伊/蒙间层、高岭石、伊利石、绿泥石,是本区最主要的潜在敏感性.储层物性多属中孔低渗、高孔中渗,储层孔隙度和渗透率具有很好的正相关性.储层面孔率在8-13%左右,储集空间以原生粒间孔为主,孔隙结构较好,属中小孔、中细喉型孔隙结构,储层的最大连通孔喉半径、孔喉半径均值以及中值丰径与渗透率都有着较好的正相关性,渗透率与退汞效率具有很好的负相关性.     

多媒体数据流实时传输技术研究

随着人们对实时业务需求的不断扩大，多媒体实时传输技术得到了蓬勃发展。文章研究了关于多媒体数据流实时传输的关键技术——资源预留协议、实时传输协议、实时流化协议、IPv6协议，具体分析了这些技术的原理及功能，最后给出了网络实时传输技术的实现与展望。     

Precise Data Locality Optimization of Nested Loops

A significant source for enhancing application performance and for reducing power consumption in embedded processor applications is to improve the usage of the memory hierarchy. In this paper, a temporal and spatial locality optimization framework of nested loops is proposed, driven by parameterized cost functions. The considered loops can be imperfectly nested. New data layouts are propagated through the connected references and through the loop nests as constraints for optimizing the next connected reference in the same nest or in the other ones. Unlike many existing methods, special attention is paid to TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) effectiveness since TLB misses can take from tens to hundreds of processor cycles. Our approach only considers active data, that is, array elements that are actually accessed by a loop, in order to prevent useless memory loads and take advantage of storage compression and temporal locality. Moreover, the same data transformation is not necessarily applied to a whole array. Depending on the referenced data subsets, the transformation can result in different data layouts for a same array. This can significantly improve the performance since a priori incompatible references can be simultaneously optimized. Finally, the process does not only consider the innermost loop level but all levels. Hence, large strides when control returns to the enclosing loop are avoided in several cases, and better optimization is provided in the case of a small index range of the innermost loop.     

A physiologically based approach to the study of bisphenol A and other estrogenic chemicals on the size of reproductive organs, daily sperm production, and behavior

Two chemicals previously shown to have estrogenic activity, bisphenol A and octylphenol, were examined for their effects on accessory reproductive organs and daily sperm production in male offspring of mice fed these chemicals during pregnancy. These chemicals are used in the manufacture of plastics and other products, and have been detected in food and water consumed by animals and people. From gestation day 11-17 female mice were fed an average concentration (dissolved in oil) of bisphenol A or octylphenol of 2 ng/g body weight (2 ppb) and 20 ng/g (20 ppb). The 2 ppb dose of bisphenol A is lower than the amount reported to be swallowed during the first hour after application of a plastic dental sealant (up to 931 micrograms; 13.3 ppb in a 70 kg adult). We found that the 2 ng/g dose of bisphenol A permanently increased the size of the preputial glands, but reduced the size of the epididymides; these organs develop from different embryonic tissues. At 20 ng/g, bisphenol A significantly decreased efficiency of sperm production (daily sperm production per g testis) by 20% relative to control males. The only significant effect of octylphenol was a reduction in daily sperm production and efficiency of sperm production at the 2 ng/g dose. A new approach to studying physiologically relevant doses of environmental endocrine disruptors is discussed, particularly with regard to the development of the reproductive organs, the brain, and behavior.