94,544 research outputs found
Binaural Interaction in the Nucleus Laminaris of the Barn Owl : A Quantitative Model
A quantitative, neuronal model is proposed for the computation of interaural time difference (ITD) in the auditory system of the barn owl. The model uses a general, probabilistic approach, and is composed of two stages, the characteristics of which are based on anatomical and physiological evidence. Excitatory inputs from both ears, phase-locked to the waveform of tonal stimuli, together with phase-independent inhibitory inputs are summated linearly. The result is transformed into a probability of spike generation by a sigmoid nonlinearity, constituting a stochastic, ’soft’ threshold with saturation. The model incorporates inhibition as a control parameter on the nonlinearity, and includes the usual crosscorrelation-type models as a special case. It has a minimum number of parameters, the values of which can be estimated from physiological data in a straightforward manner. This simple, general model accounts for the binaural response properties of physiologically recorded neurons. In particular, it explains the experimentally observed ITD-tuning and the increase of phase-locking from input to output neurons. The model predicts that a decrease in inhibition causes a non-monotonic change in sensitivity to ITD
The Optimisation of Stochastic Grammars to Enable Cost-Effective Probabilistic Structural Testing
The effectiveness of probabilistic structural testing depends on the characteristics of the probability distribution from which test inputs are sampled at random. Metaheuristic search has been shown to be a practical method of optimis- ing the characteristics of such distributions. However, the applicability of the existing search-based algorithm is lim- ited by the requirement that the software’s inputs must be a fixed number of numeric values. In this paper we relax this limitation by means of a new representation for the probability distribution. The repre- sentation is based on stochastic context-free grammars but incorporates two novel extensions: conditional production weights and the aggregation of terminal symbols represent- ing numeric values. We demonstrate that an algorithm which combines the new representation with hill-climbing search is able to effi- ciently derive probability distributions suitable for testing software with structurally-complex input domains
Searching for test data with feature diversity
There is an implicit assumption in software testing that more diverse and
varied test data is needed for effective testing and to achieve different types
and levels of coverage. Generic approaches based on information theory to
measure and thus, implicitly, to create diverse data have also been proposed.
However, if the tester is able to identify features of the test data that are
important for the particular domain or context in which the testing is being
performed, the use of generic diversity measures such as this may not be
sufficient nor efficient for creating test inputs that show diversity in terms
of these features. Here we investigate different approaches to find data that
are diverse according to a specific set of features, such as length, depth of
recursion etc. Even though these features will be less general than measures
based on information theory, their use may provide a tester with more direct
control over the type of diversity that is present in the test data. Our
experiments are carried out in the context of a general test data generation
framework that can generate both numerical and highly structured data. We
compare random sampling for feature-diversity to different approaches based on
search and find a hill climbing search to be efficient. The experiments
highlight many trade-offs that needs to be taken into account when searching
for diversity. We argue that recurrent test data generation motivates building
statistical models that can then help to more quickly achieve feature
diversity.Comment: This version was submitted on April 14th 201
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Technical efficiency in electricity generation - the impact of smallness and isolation of island economies
Technical efficiency in electricity generation - the impact of smallness and isolation of island economie
Optimizing Engagement Simulations Through the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) Software
The ability to effectively model and simulate military missions holds the potential to save lives, money, and resources for the United States. The Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) software is a tool used to rapidly simulate and model new technologies and mission level scenarios. In this thesis, our objective is to integrate a closed loop optimization routine with AFSIM to identify an effective objective function to assess optimal inputs for engagement scenarios. Given the many factors which impact a mission level engagement, we developed a tool which interfaces with AFSIM to observe the effects from multiple inputs in an engagement scenario. Our tool operates under the assumption that simulation results have met an acceptable convergence threshold. The objective function evaluates the effectiveness and associated cost with a scenario using a genetic algorithm and a particle swarm optimization algorithm. From this, a statistical analysis was performed to assess risk from the distribution of effectiveness and cost at each point. The method allows an optimal set of inputs to be selected for a desired result from the selected engagement scenario.No embargoAcademic Major: Mechanical Engineerin
Risk-Averse Model Predictive Operation Control of Islanded Microgrids
In this paper we present a risk-averse model predictive control (MPC) scheme
for the operation of islanded microgrids with very high share of renewable
energy sources. The proposed scheme mitigates the effect of errors in the
determination of the probability distribution of renewable infeed and load.
This allows to use less complex and less accurate forecasting methods and to
formulate low-dimensional scenario-based optimisation problems which are
suitable for control applications. Additionally, the designer may trade
performance for safety by interpolating between the conventional stochastic and
worst-case MPC formulations. The presented risk-averse MPC problem is
formulated as a mixed-integer quadratically-constrained quadratic problem and
its favourable characteristics are demonstrated in a case study. This includes
a sensitivity analysis that illustrates the robustness to load and renewable
power prediction errors
The space-clamped Hodgkin-Huxley system with random synaptic input: inhibition of spiking by weak noise and analysis with moment equations
We consider a classical space-clamped Hodgkin-Huxley model neuron stimulated
by synaptic excitation and inhibition with conductances represented by
Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. Using numerical solutions of the stochastic model
system obtained by an Euler method, it is found that with excitation only there
is a critical value of the steady state excitatory conductance for repetitive
spiking without noise and for values of the conductance near the critical value
small noise has a powerfully inhibitory effect. For a given level of inhibition
there is also a critical value of the steady state excitatory conductance for
repetitive firing and it is demonstrated that noise either in the excitatory or
inhibitory processes or both can powerfully inhibit spiking. Furthermore, near
the critical value, inverse stochastic resonance was observed when noise was
present only in the inhibitory input process.
The system of 27 coupled deterministic differential equations for the
approximate first and second order moments of the 6-dimensional model is
derived. The moment differential equations are solved using Runge-Kutta methods
and the solutions are compared with the results obtained by simulation for
various sets of parameters including some with conductances obtained by
experiment on pyramidal cells of rat prefrontal cortex. The mean and variance
obtained from simulation are in good agreement when there is spiking induced by
strong stimulation and relatively small noise or when the voltage is
fluctuating at subthreshold levels. In the occasional spike mode sometimes
exhibited by spinal motoneurons and cortical pyramidal cells the assunptions
underlying the moment equation approach are not satisfied
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