A design and analysis of objective function-based unsupervised neural networks for fuzzy clustering

Fuzzy clustering has played an important role in solving many problems. In this paper, we design an unsupervised neural network model based on a fuzzy objective function, called OFUNN. The learning rule for the OFUNN model is a result of the formal derivation by the gradient descent method of a fuzzy objective function. The performance of the cluster analysis algorithm is often evaluated by counting the number of crisp clustering errors. However, the number of clustering errors alone is not a reliable and consistent measure for the performance of clustering, especially in the case of input data with fuzzy boundaries. We introduce two measures to evaluate the performance of the fuzzy clustering algorithm. The clustering results on three data sets, Iris data and two artificial data sets, are analyzed using the proposed measures. They show that OFUNN is very competitive in terms of speed and accuracy compared to the fuzzy c-means algorithm.     

Multiple cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery obstruction and bulbar symptoms associated with vertical subluxation and atlanto-occipital subluxation in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) results in disease-specific inflammation at the site of ligamentous insertion into the bone. Atlantoaxial joint subluxation and vertical subluxation of the axis may occur as a consequence of instability resulting from the inflammatory process. Spontaneous anterior atlantoaxial subluxation is a well recognized complication in about 2% of patients with AS, and presents with or without signs of spinal cord compression. Vertical subluxation may follow anterior or posterior subluxation. It was noted in 3-8% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but is an exceedingly rare complication of AS. Moreover, it has never been reported that multiple cerebellar infarction and bulbar symptoms developed spontaneously due to atlanto-occipital subluxation and vertical subluxation in a patient with a long [corrected] history of AS. We describe a man with AS who developed multiple cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery obstruction and bulbar symptoms associated with atlanto-occipital subluxation and vertical subluxation.     

Hybrid verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of sinonasal tract: a case report

Verrucous carcinoma is a variant of squamous cell carcinoma and should be distinguished from benign papilloma and well-differentiated nonverrucous squamous cell carcinoma. It is rare tumor of the sinonasal tract. Occasionally, conventional squamous cell carcinomatous components may be seen in verrucous carcinoma. This entity is called a hybrid verrucous squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of hybrid verrucous squamous cell carcinoma occurring in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus of a 67-year-old male. The removed mass shows the typical feature of verrucous carcinoma, but focally conventional squamous cell carcinomatous area is also noted. The treatment of this case follows verrucous carcinoma, but close follow up is mandatory because it may potentially spread to regional lymph nodes in contrast to pure form of verrucous carcinoma.     

Simple systolic arrays for discrete cosine transform

in this paper, simple 1-D and 2-D systolic array for realizing the discrete cosine transform (DCT) based on the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) fo an input sequence are presented. The proposed arrays are obtained by a simple modified DFT (MDFT) and an inverse DFT (IDFT) version of the Goertzel algorithm combined with Kung's approach. The 1-D array requiresN cells, one multiplier and takesN clock cycles to produce a completeN-point DCT. The 2-D array takes N clock cycles, faster than the 1-D array, but the area complexity is larger. A continuous flow of input data is allowed and no idle time is required between the input sequences.     

State estimation and experimental verification of a robotic vehicle with six in-wheel drives using Kalman filter

Microsystem Technologies - In this research we present an algorithm for a six-wheeled robotic vehicle with articulated suspension (RVAS) to estimate the vehicle velocity and acceleration states,...     

Contact printing pressure uniformization in roll-to-roll process using individual drive cross-coupled torque control

Microsystem Technologies - Printed electronics such as solar cells, RFIDs, and display panels can be made using printed electronic technology by printing viscous liquids having various properties...     

Electric field-induced concentration and capture of DNA onto microtips

Simple, high-yield concentration of DNA is important for high-throughput genetic analysis and disease diagnosis. Glass-based microfilters are popular but the process requires centrifugation steps with cumbersome chemical processes. As an alternative, a concentration method using an electric field has been explored previously, but with limited efficiency. In this paper, electric field-induced concentration and capture of DNA are studied by using high-aspect-ratio microtips coated with a gold layer. The microtips are immersed longitudinally into a solution of 100???L containing ??-phage DNA. After DNA concentration using an electric field, the microtips are withdrawn from the solution. Under AC- and biased AC fields, DNA is concentrated by electrophoresis (EP), dielectrophoresis (DEP), and electroosmotic flow (EOF). To reduce capillary effects in the withdrawal process, the microtips are coated with positively charged poly-l-lysine (PLL). The pattern of captured DNA is analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. DEP attracts DNA molecules at the edges of microtips, where the highest gradient of electric field exists. EP attracts DNA onto the surface of microtips following the vectors of an electric field. EOF generates vortexes that deliver DNA onto microtips. Using this method, 85% of DNA is captured on the PLL-coated microtips after three sequential captures. The concentration mechanism can potentially facilitate rapid and simple preparation of DNA for downstream analysis.     

Infiltration behaviour of an internal electrode and electrical properties of multilayer capacitors by electrode infiltration

The infiltration behaviour of a tin melt, as an internal electrode, to the porous layers, and the electrical properties of multilayer ceramic capacitors was investigated by electrode infiltration. By preventing green-state delamination between the dielectric green sheet and the carbon paste, uniform porous layers, 5 m thick, could be formed after sintering. When 15 vol % ceramic pillars were added to the carbon paste, the porous layer of the sintered samples could be considered as a porous solid formed by many pores larger than 4 m. The critical pressure for the infiltration of tin melt into such a porous layer was found to be 0.5 MPa. With a high infiltration pressure, the resistivity of multilayer capacitors was decreased to 10⁸–10⁹cm due to the growth of micro-defects formed on the surface of the dielectric layers during the lamination process.     

Dielectric properties and microstructural behaviour of B-site calcium-doped barium titanate ceramics

Dielectric properties and microstructural behaviour of Ba_1–x Sr _x Ti_1–y Ca _y O_3–y ceramics, where strontium and calcium were doped on the barium and titanium sites, respectively, within the range 0x0.24 and 0y0.05, were investigated. Calcium addition decreased the tetragonality,c/a, increased the unit cell volume, and lowered the Curie temperature, which were all attributed to the occupancy of Ca²⁺ ions on titanium sites. When sintered at a low oxygen partial pressure of 10^–9 MPa, a resistivity higher than 10¹¹ cm was maintained for the formulations containing B-site calcium substitution more than 0.5 mol %. With increasing the amount of calcium addition, the Curie peak was depressed and completely broadened for the compositions with calcium addition more than 3 mol %, where the average grain size was smaller than 1 m. Co-firing with nickel electrodes in a reducing atmosphere also depressed the Curie peak and inhibited the grain growth due to the diffusion of nickel into the dielectrics.