Insertion Sort is O(n log n)

Traditional Insertion Sort runs in O(n^2) time because each insertion takes O(n) time. When people run Insertion Sort in the physical world, they leave gaps between items to accelerate insertions. Gaps help in computers as well. This paper shows that Gapped Insertion Sort has insertion times of O(log n) with high probability, yielding a total running time of O(n log n) with high probability.Comment: 6 pages, Latex. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Fun With Algorithms, FUN 200

Fishes of Texas Project: Data Visualization and Analysis Tools

Poster presentation presented at the 2020 Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society annual meeting in Waco, Texas on January 24, 2020.The Fishes of Texas Project (FoTX) (http://fishesoftexas.org) database currently has 124,452 specimen-vouchered occurrence records spanning > 150 years with over 400,000 new records (including non-vouchered sources such as literature, anecdotal, and photo-based) in the process of being imported. Continual data growth prompted creation of new tools to dynamically assess (as the data evolve) the state of data coverage across various dimensions to increase user understanding and accessibility to the data and improve overall utility of the project. We produced species sampling curves, temporal species accumulation graphs, and heat maps of collecting event density over time and space for each river sub-basin within Texas. A QGIS plugin was also created to better assess the suspect status of incoming records. Each type of visualization has basic documentation, easily accessible statistical summaries, flexible queries, and exploration tools to help reveal variations in sampling density over both temporal and spatial dimensions. We highlight here the San Bernard River as an example of a notably under-sampled sub-basin (as indicated by diverse forms of evidence). With addition of future records, these dynamic tools will continue to illustrate taxonomic and spatial sampling deficiencies that in turn will help guide conservation planning.Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant Program, grant TX T-180-R-1, F17AF01129 (CFDA# 15.634)Integrative Biolog

The inverse electromagnetic scattering problem in a piecewise homogeneous medium

This paper is concerned with the problem of scattering of time-harmonic electromagnetic waves from an impenetrable obstacle in a piecewise homogeneous medium. The well-posedness of the direct problem is established, employing the integral equation method. Inspired by a novel idea developed by Hahner [11], we prove that the penetrable interface between layers can be uniquely determined from a knowledge of the electric far field pattern for incident plane waves. Then, using the idea developed by Liu and Zhang [21], a new mixed reciprocity relation is obtained and used to show that the impenetrable obstacle with its physical property can also be recovered. Note that the wave numbers in the corresponding medium may be different and therefore this work can be considered as a generalization of the uniqueness result of [20].Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, submitted for publicatio

Variable Precision Tandem Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

This paper describes an analog-to-digital signal converter which varies its precision as a function of input slew rate (maximum signal rate of change), in order to best follow the input in real time. It uses Flash and Successive Approximation (SAR) conversion techniques in sequence. As part of the design, the concept of total real-time optimization is explored, where any delay at all is treated as an error (Error = Delay * Signal Slew Rate). This error metric is proposed for use in digital control systems. The ADC uses a 4-bit Flash converter in tandem with SAR logic that has variable precision (0 to 11 bits). This allows the Tandem ADC to switch from a fast, imprecise converter to a slow, precise converter. The level of precision is determined by the input’s peak rate of change, optimized for minimum real-time error; a secondary goal is to react quickly to input transient spikes. The implementation of the Tandem ADC is described, along with various issues which arise when designing such a converter and how they may be dealt with. These include Flash ADC inaccuracies, rounding issues, and system timing and synchronization. Most of the design is described down to the level of logic gates and related building blocks (e.g. latches and flip-flops), and various logic optimizations are used in the design to reduce calculation delays. The design also avoids active analog circuitry whenever possible – it can be almost entirely implemented with CMOS logic and passive analog components

Investigation of an embedded-optical-base system's functionality in detecting signal events for gait measurements

2018 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Optical sensors have the potential to provide automated gait analysis and lameness detection in livestock. Measuring animals in motion while under field conditions is difficult for current gait analysis tools, such as plate and mat methods. This has caused a lack in commercially available systems. Additionally, a deficit of these systems and others is too much noise in their signal. Current sensor systems for static or in-motion measurements rely significantly on managing this noise as a source of error. From these problems, the primary objective of this body of work was to assess the use of an embedded-optical-base system (EOBS) and its ability to obtain real-time gait measurements from livestock. The research was composed of 3 field studies and 1 controlled study. Gait data was obtained using a commercial platform (2.4 m x 0.9 m; length x width) containing 1 EOBS. A signal-base-unit (SBU) and computer were setup near the EOBS platform by integrated cabling to collect real-time signal data. Signal fluctuation measurements (i.e., signal amplitude from hoof contact; 0 to 1 arbitrary units (au)) and kinematics (e.g., estimated speed, velocity and time duration) were recorded. The sensor detected hoof contact as signal amplitudes that could be examined in real time. Visual observations and video analyses were used for validating and classifying signal readings. The initial pilot study (field test) included 8 fistulated, crossbred steers (n = 8) tested over 1 d with 2 passes per animal over the EOBS platform. Pilot study data were used to evaluate initial signal fluctuations from animal contact. A second field study included 50 crossbred and purebred (n = 20, Angus; n = 10, Hereford; n = 20, Angus x Hereford) steers and heifers (n = 50; average BW = 292.5 kg) tested on 2 d over a 1-wk period with a total of 6 passes over the EOBS platform per animal. Steer and heifer normal walks, runs, and abnormal passes over the EOBS platform were analyzed. A third controlled study consisted of 3 mixed breed horses (n = 3) that had bilateral forelimb injections. Horses had both deep digital flexor muscles injected (1 with Botox and 1 with saline) with right and left forelimbs randomized. Horses were observed on 3 d over a 124-d period consisting of pre-treatment (baseline), post-treatment, and recovery test days with 10 passes over the EOBS platform per horse per day. Primary fluctuations, true (anomaly free) signal readings, from animal contact with the EOBS platform were analyzed. True signal readings were determined based on no influence observed from other limbs. A fourth field study consisted of 8 commercial bulls (n = 8) tested on 1 d with 3 passes over the EOBS platform per bull. Bulls were classified as either normal or abnormal in musculoskeletal structure and compared to one another to observe differences in signal fluctuation patterns. During the cattle studies, animals were not controlled and allowed to walk over the EOBS platform at their own pace. These studies formed the groundwork to determine the EOBS's functionality when animals passed over the platform. Signalment (i.e., breed, sex and age) and physiological characterizations were recorded. Temperature was also recorded for cattle field tests (e.g., min -6°C to max 4°C, respectively). For all 4 studies individual animal signal measurements were analyzed for each pass over the EOBS platform, compared to video data and classified for analysis. Results from all 4 studies showed intra- and inter-animal repeatability (qualitative observation) of observed signal readings. Though a variety of hoof contact signatures were obtained, repeating patterns were evident for both groups and individual animals. The embedded-optical-base system's (EOBS) functionality proved to be robust and operable under field trial conditions. Additionally, the signal showed extremely minimal noise. Lastly, the EOBS showed a stable baseline with clear deviations from it that could be correlated to hoof contact through video validation. Though the EOBS detected animal contact per pass, future work will investigate the system's operating readiness in accurately assessing variable gait measurements for lameness detection. Overall, data provides evidence that the embedded-optical-base system (EOBS) can detect hoof contact and differentiation between types of gait based on signal events

Thermal Radiation From Carbon Nanotube in Terahertz Range

The thermal radiation from an isolated finite-length carbon nanotube (CNT) is theoretically investigated both in near- and far-field zones. The formation of the discrete spectrum in metallic CNTs in the terahertz range is demonstrated due to the reflection of strongly slowed-down surface-plasmon modes from CNT ends. The effect does not appear in semiconductor CNTs. The concept of CNT as a thermal nanoantenna is proposed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Reallocation Problems in Scheduling

In traditional on-line problems, such as scheduling, requests arrive over time, demanding available resources. As each request arrives, some resources may have to be irrevocably committed to servicing that request. In many situations, however, it may be possible or even necessary to reallocate previously allocated resources in order to satisfy a new request. This reallocation has a cost. This paper shows how to service the requests while minimizing the reallocation cost. We focus on the classic problem of scheduling jobs on a multiprocessor system. Each unit-size job has a time window in which it can be executed. Jobs are dynamically added and removed from the system. We provide an algorithm that maintains a valid schedule, as long as a sufficiently feasible schedule exists. The algorithm reschedules only a total number of O(min{log^* n, log^* Delta}) jobs for each job that is inserted or deleted from the system, where n is the number of active jobs and Delta is the size of the largest window.Comment: 9 oages, 1 table; extended abstract version to appear in SPAA 201

solveME: fast and reliable solution of nonlinear ME models.

BackgroundGenome-scale models of metabolism and macromolecular expression (ME) significantly expand the scope and predictive capabilities of constraint-based modeling. ME models present considerable computational challenges: they are much (>30 times) larger than corresponding metabolic reconstructions (M models), are multiscale, and growth maximization is a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem, mainly due to macromolecule dilution constraints.ResultsHere, we address these computational challenges. We develop a fast and numerically reliable solution method for growth maximization in ME models using a quad-precision NLP solver (Quad MINOS). Our method was up to 45 % faster than binary search for six significant digits in growth rate. We also develop a fast, quad-precision flux variability analysis that is accelerated (up to 60× speedup) via solver warm-starts. Finally, we employ the tools developed to investigate growth-coupled succinate overproduction, accounting for proteome constraints.ConclusionsJust as genome-scale metabolic reconstructions have become an invaluable tool for computational and systems biologists, we anticipate that these fast and numerically reliable ME solution methods will accelerate the wide-spread adoption of ME models for researchers in these fields