Slicing the metric space to provide quick indexing of complex data in the main memory

Searching in a dataset for elements that are similar to a given query element is a core problem in applications that manage complex data, and has been aided by metric access methods (MAMs). A growing number of applications require indices that must be built faster and repeatedly, also providing faster response for similarity queries. The increase in the main memory capacity and its lowering costs also motivate using memory-based MAMs. In this paper, we propose the Onion-tree, a new and robust dynamic memory-based MAM that slices the metric space into disjoint subspaces to provide quick indexing of complex data. It introduces three major characteristics: (i) a partitioning method that controls the number of disjoint subspaces generated at each node; (ii) a replacement technique that can change the leaf node pivots in insertion operations; and (iii) range and k-NN extended query algorithms to support the new partitioning method, including a new visit order of the subspaces in k-NN queries. Performance tests with both real-world and synthetic datasets showed that the Onion-tree is very compact. Comparisons of the Onion-tree with the MM-tree and a memory-based version of the Slim-tree showed that the Onion-tree was always faster to build the index. The experiments also showed that the Onion-tree significantly improved range and k-NN query processing performance and was the most efficient MAM, followed by the MM-tree, which in turn outperformed the Slim-tree in almost all the tests.     

3D reconstruction of tomographic images applied to largely spaced slices

This paper presents a full reconstruction process of magnetic resonance images. The first step is to bring the acquired data from the frequency domain, using a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. A Tomographic Image Interpolation is then used to transform a sequence of tomographic slices in an isotropic volume data set, a process also called 3D Reconstruction. This work describes an automatic method whose interpolation stage is based on a previous matching stage using Delaunay Triangulation. The reconstruction approach uses an extrapolation procedure that permits appropriate treatment of the boundaries of the object under analysis.     

Robust Formulations of the Cauchy Method Suitable for Microwave Duplexers Modeling

It is well known that a Vandermonde matrix generates an ill-conditioned system matrix when applied with finite numerical precision. This deficiency affects the Cauchy method by restricting its application to only lower order systems. This paper presents innovative, accurate, and robust formulations of the Cauchy method to rectify this limitation and make the Cauchy method suitable for the extraction of a high-order microwave duplexer polynomial model. The techniques employed are: the change of polynomial basis into the Krylov subspace and the precondition technique, both acting on the system matrix of the classic Cauchy method formulation. A novel formulation using the QR algorithm on the two characteristic functions of the duplexer and a suitable combination of the QR method and the precondition technique are then presented. Each of these procedures has been successfully verified by numerical application examples     

Using an image-extended relational database to support content-based image retrieval in a PACS

This paper presents a new Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), called cbPACS, which has content-based image retrieval capabilities. The cbPACS answers range and k-nearest- neighbor similarity queries, employing a relational database manager extended to support images. The images are compared through their features, which are extracted by an image-processing module and stored in the extended relational database. The database extensions were developed aiming at efficiently answering similarity queries by taking advantage of specialized indexing methods. The main concept supporting the extensions is the definition, inside the relational manager, of distance functions based on features extracted from the images. An extension to the SQL language enables the construction of an interpreter that intercepts the extended commands and translates them to standard SQL, allowing any relational database server to be used. By now, the system implemented works on features based on color distribution of the images through normalized histograms as well as metric histograms. Metric histograms are invariant regarding scale, translation and rotation of images and also to brightness transformations. The cbPACS is prepared to integrate new image features, based on texture and shape of the main objects in the image.     

Hemoglobin system of Sparus aurata: changes in fishes farmed under extreme conditions

In order to gain more knowledge on the stress responses of gilhead seabream (Sparus aurata) under extreme conditions, this study investigated the functional properties of the hemoglobin system and globin gene expression under hypoxia and low salinity. The oxygen affinity for the two hemoglobin components present inside the S. aurata erythrocyte was practically identical as was the influence of protons and organic phosphates (Root effect). The quantification of S. aurata hemoglobin fractions performed by HPLC and the data on gene expression of globin chains assayed by PCR indicate that under hypoxia and low salinity there is a change in the ratio between the two different hemoglobin components. The result indicating that the distinct hemoglobins present in S. aurata erythrocyte have almost identical functional properties, does not explain the adaptive response (expression change) following exposure of the animal to hypoxia or low salinity on the basis of their function as oxygen transporter. We hypothesize that other parallel biological functions that the hemoglobin molecule is known to display within the erythrocyte are involved in adaptive molecular mechanisms. The autoxidation-reduction cycle of hemoglobin could be involved in the response to particular living conditions.     

Sonochemical dissolution of cinnabar (alpha-HgS)

To investigate the sonochemical dissolution of cinnabar, sulfur oxidation products (S(ox)) and dissolved Hg(II) released into the aqueous solution were determined. Detected S(ox), in the presence of ultrasound suggests that dissolution of cinnabar occurred. Terephthalic acid (TA) used to scavenge *OH in bulk solution formed from sonication showed that oxidative dissolution occurred in both the bulk solution and the interfacial areas of cavitation bubbles. Dissolved S(-II) was not detected, and SO4(2-) was the main S(ox) indicating that the formation of S(-II) from cinnabar by physical and thermal effects of sonication was the rate-limiting step. Hg(Il) released was much lower than S species measured. Hg(II) adsorption isotherms indicated that dissolved Hg(II) adsorbed back onto the remaining cinnabar particles lowering Hg(II) release. Ultrasound significantly reduced cinnabar particle size and increased surface area, leading to higher Hg(ll) adsorption. In addition, the cinnabar surface isoelectric point (IEP) increased after sonication, indicating adsorption of Hg(II) and/ or mineral phase transformation from cinnabar to metacinnabar. The presence of humic acid (HA) and ultrasound enhanced cinnabar dissolution and greatly increased the dissolved Hg(ll) concentration due to the synergistic effects of ultrasound and HA.     

Occupant Tenability in Single Family Homes: Part II: Impact of Door Control,Vertical Ventilation and Water Application

This paper describes experimental investigations of fire service ventilation and suppression practices in full-scale residential structures, including a one-story, 112 m², 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house with 8 total rooms and a two-story 297 m², 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house with 12 total rooms. The two-story house featured a modern open floor plan, two-story great room and open foyer. Seventeen experiments were conducted varying fire location, ventilation locations, the size of ventilation openings and suppression techniques. The experimental series was designed to examine the impact of several different tactics on tenability: door control, vertical ventilation size, and exterior suppression. The results of these experiments examine potential occupant and firefighter tenability and provide knowledge the fire service can use to examine their vertical ventilation and exterior suppression standard operating procedures and training content. It was observed that door control performed better at controlling the thermal exposure to occupants than did fully opening the door. Additionally, the impact of increased vertical ventilation area was minimal, and only slightly reduced the thermal exposure to occupants in a few non-fire rooms. In the two-story structure, the non-fire rooms on the second floor consistently had larger thermal fractional effective rate (FER) values (approximately 2.5× the thermal risk to oocupants) than did the non-fire rooms on the first floor. Water application was also shown to reduce the thermal risk to occupants 60 s after water application 1/3rd the original values on second floor rooms of the two-storry structure and by at least 1/5th of the original values on the first floor rooms of both structures. Data also showed that the impact of front door ventilation on the toxic gases exposure was minimal, as the toxic gases FER actually increased after front door ventilation for several experiments. However, after vertical ventilation there was a 30% reduction in the toxic gases exposure rate in two of the one-story structure experiments.     

Folding assembly of micro-actuators

A muscle-inspired linear actuator that combines many piezoelectric micro-actuator “cells” into a single functional unit is designed and fabricated via folding assembly technique. A bow-shaped epoxy beam structure amplifies the very small displacement of a thin film lead zirconate titanate (PZT) beam, generating a large orthogonal contractive displacement of 15.24 μm in a footprint of 515 μm. Then, three sets of three actuator cells are assembled out of plane by folding about thin gold hinges connecting each set. With the folded triplet array, an unblocked displacement of 5.16 μm and blocking force of 6.31 μN were obtained.     

Orthogonal decomposition and transmission of nonstationary random processes

A relatively simple and straightforward procedure is given for representing analytically defined or data-based covariance kernels of arbitrary random processes in a compact form that allows its convenient use in later analytical random vibration response studies. The method is based on the spectral decomposition of the random process by the orthogonal Karhuen Loeve expansion and the subsequent use of least-squares approaches to develop an approximating analytical fit for the eigenvectors of the underlying random process. The resulting compact analytical representation of the random process is then used to derive a closed-form solution for the nonstationary response of a damped SDOF harmonic oscillator. The utility of the method for representing the excitation and calculating the mean square response is illustrated by the use of an analytically-defined covariance kernel widely employed in random vibration studies. It is shown that the method offers the potential of being a useful tool for feature extraction of experimentally measured covariance kernels of nonstationary random processes.     

A formulation of the Cauchy method suitable for the synthesis of lossless circuit models of microwave filters from lossy measurements

In this letter, a novel formulation of the Cauchy method is presented, to be employed in the extraction of circuit models from measured(lossy) response of microwave filters. In particular, it is shown how to generate,from lossy measurements, the characteristic polynomials which allow synthesis of a lossless low-pass prototype (and the evaluation of the coupling matrix). To this purpose, suitable constraints are introduced in order to have the transmission zeros generated with the Cauchy method strictly compatible with the low pass synthesis requirements (pure imaginary or complex pair with opposite real part). The application of the proposed method has been verified employing measurements from a test filter for GSM base stations. This method can find application in computer-aided tuning procedures.