Designing to Facilitate Browsing: A Look Back at the Hyperties Workstation Browser

Since browsing hypertext can present a formidable cognitive challenge, user interface design plays a major role in determining acceptability. In the Unix workstation version of Hyperties, a research-oriented prototype, we focussed on design features that facilitate browsing. We first give a general overview of Hyperties and its markup language. Customizable documents can be generated by the conditional text feature that enables dynamic and selective display of text and graphics. In addition we present: — an innovative solution to link identification: pop-out graphical buttons of arbitrary shape.

— application of pie menus to permit low cognitive load actions that reduce the distraction of common actions, such as page turning or window selection.

— multiple window selection strategies that reduce clutter and housekeeping effort. We preferred piles-of-tiles, in which standard-sized windows were arranged in a consistent pattern on the display and actions could be done rapidly, allowing users to concentrate on the contents.

     

Algorithmic issues for three-invariant hyperplastic Critical State models

Implicit stress integration and the consistent tangents are presented for Critical State hyperplasticity models which include a dependence on the third invariant of stress. An elliptical deviatoric yielding criterion [43] is incorporated within the family of geotechnical models first proposed by Collins and Hilder [8]. An alternative expression for the yield function is proposed and the consequences of different forms of that function are revealed in terms of the stability and efficiency of the stress return algorithm. Errors associated with the integration scheme are presented. It is shown how calibration of the two new material constants is achieved through examining one-dimesional consolidation tests and undrained triaxial compression data. Material point simulations of drained triaxial compression tests are then compared with established experimental results. Strain probe analyses are used to demonstrate the concepts of energy dissipation and stored plastic work along with the robustness of the integration method. Over twenty finite element boundary value problems are then simulated. These include single three-dimensional element tests, plane strain footing analyses and cavity expansion tests. The rapid convergence of the global Newton–Raphson procedure using the consistent tangent is demonstrated in small strain and finite deformation simulations.     

Quality assurance of PASADENA hyperpolarization for 13C biomolecules

Object  Define MR quality assurance procedures for maximal PASADENA hyperpolarization of a biological ¹³C molecular imaging reagent. Materials and methods  An automated PASADENA polarizer and a parahydrogen generator were installed. ¹³C enriched hydroxyethyl acrylate, 1-¹³C, 2,3,3-d₃ (HEA), was converted to hyperpolarized hydroxyethyl propionate, 1-¹³C, 2,3,3-d₃ (HEP) and fumaric acid, 1-¹³C, 2,3-d₂ (FUM) to hyperpolarized succinic acid, 1-¹³C, 2,3-d₂ (SUC), by reaction with parahydrogen and norbornadiene rhodium catalyst. Incremental optimization of successive steps in PASADENA was implemented. MR spectra and in vivo images of hyperpolarized ¹³C imaging agents were acquired at 1.5 and 4.7 T. Results  Application of quality assurance (QA) criteria resulted in incremental optimization of the individual steps in PASADENA implementation. Optimal hyperpolarization of HEP of P = 20% was achieved by calibration of the NMR unit of the polarizer (B ₀ field strength ± 0.002 mT). Mean hyperpolarization of SUC, P = [15.3 ± 1.9]% (N = 16) in D ₂O, and P = [12.8 ± 3.1]% (N = 12) in H ₂O, was achieved every 5–8 min (range 13–20%). An in vivo ¹³C succinate image of a rat was produced. Conclusion  PASADENA spin hyperpolarization of SUC to 15.3% in average was demonstrated (37,400 fold signal enhancement at 4.7 T). The biological fate of ¹³C succinate, a normally occurring cellular intermediate, might be monitored with enhanced sensitivity.     

Thermal management of power electronics modules packaged by a stacked-plate technique

The research presented in this paper is part of a multidisciplinary research program of the Center for Power Electronics Systems at Virginia Tech. The program supported by the Office of Naval Research focuses on the development of innovative technologies for packaging power electronics building blocks. The primary objective of this research is to improve package performance and reliability through thermal management, i.e., reducing device temperatures for a given power level. The task of thermal management involves considering trade-offs in the electrical design, package layout and geometry, materials selection and processing, manufacturing feasibility, and production cost. Based on the electrical design of a simple building block, samples of packaged modules, rated at 600 V and 3.3 kW, were fabricated using a stacked-plate technique, termed metal posts interconnected parallel plate structure (MPIPPS). The MPIPPS technique allows the power devices to be interconnected between two direct-bond copper substrates via the use of metal posts. Thermal modeling results on the MPIPPS packaged modules indicate that the new packaging technique offers a superior thermal management means for packaging power electronics modules.     

面向医疗市场的新型微片式钽电容

随着钽技术继续向前发展,无源元件制造商们正在钽电容方面取得进展.人们需要元件外形尺寸变得更小,而且对那些需要钽器件的很多应用来说,极高的可靠性也是一个关键性的考虑.……     

Region-based wavelet coding methods for digital mammography

Spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity requirements for some types of medical image techniques, including mammography, delay the implementation of new digital technologies, namely, computer-aided diagnosis, picture archiving and communications systems, or teleradiology. In order to reduce transmission time and storage cost, an efficient data-compression scheme to reduce digital data without significant degradation of medical image quality is needed. In this study, we have applied two region-based compression methods to digital mammograms. In both methods, after segmenting the breast region, a region-based discrete wavelet transform is applied, followed by an object-based extension of the set partitioning in hierarchical trees (OB-SPIHT) coding algorithm in one method, and an object-based extension of the set partitioned embedded block (OB-SPECK) coding algorithm in the other. We have compared these specific implementations against the original SPIHT and the new standard JPEG 2000, both using reversible and irreversible filters, on five digital mammograms compressed at rates ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 bit per pixel (bbp). Distortion was evaluated for all images and compression rates by the peak signal-to-noise ratio. For all images, OB-SPIHT and OB-SPECK performed substantially better than the traditional SPIHT and JPEG 2000, and a slight difference in performance was found between them. A comparison applying SPIHT and the standard JPEG 2000 to the same set of images with the background pixels fixed to zero was also carried out, obtaining similar implementation as region-based methods. For digital mammography, region-based compression methods represent an improvement in compression efficiency from full-image methods, also providing the possibility of encoding multiple regions of interest independently.