Fast Blended Transformations for Partial Shape Registration

Automatic estimation of skinning transformations is a popular way to deform a single reference shape into a new pose by providing a small number of control parameters. We generalize this approach by efficiently enabling the use of multiple exemplar shapes. Using a small set of representative natural poses, we propose to express an unseen appearance by a low-dimensional linear subspace, specified by a redundant dictionary of weighted vertex positions. Minimizing a nonlinear functional that regulates the example manifold, the suggested approach supports local-rigid deformations of articulated objects, as well as nearly isometric embeddings of smooth shapes. A real-time nonrigid deformation system is demonstrated, and a shape completion and partial registration framework is introduced. These applications can recover a target pose and implicit inverse kinematics from a small number of examples and just a few vertex positions. The resulting reconstruction is more accurate compared to alternative reduced deformable models.     

Invited review: A perspective on the future of genomic selection in dairy cattle

Genomic evaluation has been successfully implemented in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. Adoption of this technology in the major dairy producing countries has led to significant changes in the worldwide dairy industry. Gradual elimination of the progeny test system has led to a reduction in the number of sires with daughter records and fewer genetic ties between years. As genotyping costs decrease, the number of cows genotyped will continue to increase, and these records will become the basic data used to compute genomic evaluations, most likely via application of “single-step” methodologies. Although genomic selection has been successful in increasing rates of genetic gain, we still know very little about the genetic architecture of quantitative variation. Apparently, a very large number of genes affect nearly all economic traits, in accordance with the infinitesimal model for quantitative traits. Less emphasis in selection goals will be placed on milk production traits, and more on health, reproduction, and efficiency traits and on environmentally friendly production with reduced waste and gas emission. Genetic variance for economic traits is maintained by the increase in frequency of rare alleles, new mutations, and changes in selection goals and management. Thus, it is unlikely that a selection plateau will be reached in the near future.     

The resilience of cities to economic shocks: A tale of four recessions (and the challenge of Brexit)

This paper examines the resilience of British cities to major economic shocks. Using a novel data set for 85 cities, it analyses their resistance to and recovery from the last four major recessions, over the period 1971 to 2015. It reveals a distinct shift in the relation between resistance and recovery between these shocks, as well as major differences between northern and southern cities. Some possible factors shaping these patterns are explored, and tentative estimates of the likely impact of the Brexit shock (Britain's withdrawal from the European Union) are also provided. A key implication is that differences in resilience to major shocks can contribute to the long-run growth paths of cities.     

评价Spice模型不能仅考虑直流与交流性能

在使用Spice以前，评价其直流与交流性能是成功的关键。但模型评价不应仅限于此，设计者还应了解，当有源器件模型在非线性区域工作时的执行情况以及有怎样的关键交流指标。这些参数很难或不可能通过数据资料来验证，因为数据资料并未给出在器件通往电源轨的放大器输出级非线性区上工作时的指标。     

Spatial Mapping of Morphology and Electronic Properties of Air‐Printed Pentacene Thin Films

To accelerate the pace of materials discovery and application, comprehensive links need to be established between a material's structure, properties, and process conditions used to obtain the material and/or final application format. This work examines the dry printing of pentacene thin film transistor (TFT) channels by guard flow‐enhanced organic vapor jet printing (GF‐OVJP), a technique that enables direct, solvent‐free, additive patterning of device‐quality molecular semiconductors in air. Deposition in air entails non‐trivial effects at the boundary between ambient surroundings and the gas jet carrying the semiconductor vapor that influence the morphology and properties of the resulting electronic devices. Synchrotron X‐ray diffraction is employed, complemented by measurement of electronic properties of GF‐OVJP deposited films in a TFT to reveal how the morphology and electronic properties of the films depend on thickness, location within the printed pattern, nozzle translation velocity, and other process parameters. The hole field‐effect mobility of the printed pentacene film is linked quantitatively with its crystallinity, as well as with extent of exposure to ambient air during deposition. The analysis can be extended to accurately predict the performance of devices deposited in air by GF‐OVJP, which are demonstrated here for a planar, large area deposit.     

Evidence from spectral emissometry for conduction intraband transitions in the intrinsic regime for silicon

From emissometry measurements in lightly doped Si at elevated temperatures, we have observed an anomalous absorption band in the wavelength range of 1–5 μm. The wavelength at which the band peaks, λ≈2.3 μm, shows a negligible dependence on temperature while the peak intensity increases with temperature presumably as a result of the increasing intrinsic carrier concentration. Spitzer and Fan reported a similar absorption band in direct absorption measurements at room temperature for n-type Si with extrinsic electron concentrations of 10¹⁴ to 10¹⁹cm⁻³. No such structure was found in extrinsic p-type Si. Spitzer and Fan were unable to identify the mechanism for this anomalous absorption. In both the experiments, this absorption of free electrons is due to intraband transitions in the conduction band from the Δ₁ conduction band edge across an energy gap of E ∼ 0.5 eV to a higher lying Δ₂′ conduction band.     

Fibrillar Elastomeric Micropatterns Create Tunable Adhesion Even to Rough Surfaces

Biologically inspired, fibrillar dry adhesives continue to attract much attention as they are instrumental for emerging applications and technologies. To date, the adhesion of micropatterned gecko‐inspired surfaces has predominantly been tested on stiff, smooth substrates. However, all natural and almost all artificial surfaces have roughnesses on one or more different length scales. In the present approach, micropillar‐patterned PDMS surfaces with superior adhesion to glass substrates with different roughnesses are designed and analyzed. The results reveal for the first time adhesive and nonadhesive states depending on the micropillar geometry relative to the surface roughness profile. The data obtained further demonstrate that, in the adhesive regime, fibrillar gecko‐inspired adhesive structures can be used with advantage on rough surfaces; this finding may open up new applications in the fields of robotics, biomedicine, and space exploration.     

可通达的电路板设计

板级设计师的职责之一是确保验证工程师与故障分析工程师能够充分地使用到各个信号,而不必求助于钻孔、针床测试器或聚焦离子束等手段。过去,当焊盘之间距离较远,芯片不太复杂,信号更强健时,这种要求较简单。不过在今天来说,可调试式设计已成为板级产品创建者关心的一个主要问题。有些信号几乎是不可能探测到的,尤其是在高速串行接口     

Ultra large scale static rams

Using a patented defect avoidance technique, high yield production of high density SRAM devices (ULSI SRAMs) can be achieved one process generation ahead of the rest of the industry. Production wafer yields as high as 100% and long-term average yields above 80% are reported on Inova's monolithic, 1.2, 320 square mm, one megabit SRAM demonstrating a practical method of achieving wafer scale integration. A yield model is presented and used to determine the optimized architecture and redundancy scheme for Inova's four megabit SRAM and to predict yield as a function of defect density. Achievement of a working 8M-bit experimental device using a 1.2 process is also reported.