284 research outputs found
Path Planning for Underactuated Dubins Micro-robots Using Switching Control
In this paper, we develop an optimal path planning strategy for under-actuated Dubins micro-robots. Such robots are non-holonomic robots constrained to move along circular paths of fixed curvature clockwise or counter-clockwise. Our objective is to investigate the coverage and optimal path problems, as well as multi-robot cooperation, for a switching control scheme. Our methods are based on elementary geometry and optimal control techniques. The results in this paper show that the trajectories of micro-robots can cover the entire two-dimensional plane, and that the proposed switching control scheme allows multiple robots to cooperate. In addition, we deduce the minimum-time path under the switching control scheme by converting the robot model into the traditional Dubins vehicle model
Validation of linearity assumptions for using tsunami waveforms in joint inversion of kinematic rupture models: Application to the 2010 Mentawai M_w 7.8 tsunami earthquake
Tsunami observations have particular importance for resolving shallow offshore slip in finite-fault rupture model inversions for large subduction zone earthquakes. However, validations of amplitude linearity and choice of subfault discretization of tsunami Green's functions are essential when inverting tsunami waveforms. We explore such validations using four tsunami recordings of the 25 October 2010 Mentawai M_w 7.8 tsunami earthquake, jointly inverted with teleseismic body waves and 1âHz GPS (high-rate GPS) observations. The tsunami observations include near-field and far-field deep water recordings, as well as coastal and island tide gauge recordings. A nonlinear, dispersive modeling code, NEOWAVE, is used to construct tsunami Green's functions from seafloor excitation for the linear inversions, along with performing full-scale calculations of the tsunami for the inverted models. We explore linearity and finiteness effects with respect to slip magnitude, variable rake determination, and subfault dimensions. The linearity assumption is generally robust for the deep water recordings, and wave dispersion from seafloor excitation is important for accurate description of near-field Green's functions. Breakdown of linearity produces substantial misfits for short-wavelength signals in tide gauge recordings with large wave heights. Including the tsunami observations in joint inversions provides improved resolution of near-trench slip compared with inversions of only seismic and geodetic data. Two rupture models, with fine-grid (15âkm) and coarse-grid (30âkm) spacing, are inverted for the Mentawai event. Stronger regularization is required for the fine model representation. Both models indicate a shallow concentration of large slip near the trench with peak slip of ~15âm. Fully nonlinear forward modeling of tsunami waveforms confirms the validity of these two models for matching the tsunami recordings along with the other data
Development and Clinical Evaluation of a Root Coverage Procedure Using a Collagen Barrier Membrane
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141360/1/jper0770.pd
Modeling the epidemiological impact of the UNAIDS 2025 targets to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030
Background: UNAIDS has established new program targets for 2025 to achieve the goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. This study reports on efforts to use mathematical models to estimate the impact of achieving those targets. // Methods and findings: We simulated the impact of achieving the targets at country level using the Goals model, a mathematical simulation model of HIV epidemic dynamics that includes the impact of prevention and treatment interventions. For 77 high-burden countries, we fit the model to surveillance and survey data for 1970 to 2020 and then projected the impact of achieving the targets for the period 2019 to 2030. Results from these 77 countries were extrapolated to produce estimates for 96 others. Goals model results were checked by comparing against projections done with the Optima HIV model and the AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) for selected countries. We included estimates of the impact of societal enablers (access to justice and law reform, stigma and discrimination elimination, and gender equality) and the impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Results show that achieving the 2025 targets would reduce new annual infections by 83% (71% to 86% across regions) and AIDS-related deaths by 78% (67% to 81% across regions) by 2025 compared to 2010. Lack of progress on societal enablers could endanger these achievements and result in as many as 2.6 million (44%) cumulative additional new HIV infections and 440,000 (54%) more AIDS-related deaths between 2020 and 2030 compared to full achievement of all targets. COVID-19ârelated disruptions could increase new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 10% in the next 2 years, but targets could still be achieved by 2025. Study limitations include the reliance on self-reports for most data on behaviors, the use of intervention effect sizes from published studies that may overstate intervention impacts outside of controlled study settings, and the use of proxy countries to estimate the impact in countries with fewer than 4,000 annual HIV infections. // Conclusions: The new targets for 2025 build on the progress made since 2010 and represent ambitious short-term goals. Achieving these targets would bring us close to the goals of reducing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 90% between 2010 and 2030. By 2025, global new infections and AIDS deaths would drop to 4.4 and 3.9 per 100,000 population, and the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) would be declining. There would be 32 million people on treatment, and they would need continuing support for their lifetime. Incidence for the total global population would be below 0.15% everywhere. The number of PLHIV would start declining by 2023
Toe clearance and velocity profiles of young and elderly during walking on sloped surfaces
Background
Most falls in older adults are reported during locomotion and tripping has been identified as a major cause of falls. Challenging environments (e.g., walking on slopes) are potential interventions for maintaining balance and gait skills. The aims of this study were: 1) to investigate whether or not distributions of two important gait variables [minimum toe clearance (MTC) and foot velocity at MTC (VelMTC)] and locomotor control strategies are altered during walking on sloped surfaces, and 2) if altered, are they maintained at two groups (young and elderly female groups).
Methods
MTC and VelMTC data during walking on a treadmill at sloped surfaces (+3°, 0° and -3°) were analysed for 9 young (Y) and 8 elderly (E) female subjects.
Results
MTC distributions were found to be positively skewed whereas VelMTC distributions were negatively skewed for both groups on all slopes. Median MTC values increased (Y = 33%, E = 7%) at negative slope but decreased (Y = 25%, E = 15%) while walking on the positive slope surface compared to their MTC values at the flat surface (0°). Analysis of VelMTC distributions also indicated significantly (p < 0.05) lower minimum and 25th percentile (Q1) values in the elderly at all slopes.
Conclusion
The young displayed a strong positive correlation between MTC median changes and IQR (interquartile range) changes due to walking on both slopes; however, such correlation was weak in the older adults suggesting differences in control strategies being employed to minimize the risk of tripping
Degenerate Rotating Black Holes, Chiral CFTs and Fermi Surfaces I - Analytic Results for Quasinormal Modes
In this work we discuss charged rotating black holes in
that degenerate to extremal black holes with zero entropy. These black holes
have scaling properties between charge and angular momentum similar to those of
Fermi surface operators in a subsector of SYM. We add a
massless uncharged scalar to the five dimensional supergravity theory, such
that it still forms a consistent truncation of the type IIB ten dimensional
supergravity and analyze its quasinormal modes. Separating the equation of
motion to a radial and angular part, we proceed to solve the radial equation
using the asymptotic matching expansion method applied to a Heun equation with
two nearby singularities. We use the continued fraction method for the angular
Heun equation and obtain numerical results for the quasinormal modes. In the
case of the supersymmetric black hole we present some analytic results for the
decay rates of the scalar perturbations. The spectrum of quasinormal modes
obtained is similar to that of a chiral 1+1 CFT, which is consistent with the
conjectured field-theoretic dual. In addition, some of the modes can be found
analytically.Comment: 41 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX; v2: typos corrected, references adde
The 1 April 2014 Iquique, Chile, M w
On 1 April 2014, a great (Mw8.1) interplate thrust earthquake ruptured in the northern portion of the 1877 earthquake seismic gap in northern Chile. The sequence commenced on 16 March 2014 with a magnitude 6.7 thrust event, followed by thrust-faulting aftershocks that migrated northward ~40km over 2weeks to near the main shock hypocenter. Guided by short-period teleseismic P wave backprojections and inversion of deepwater tsunami wave recordings, a finite-fault inversion of teleseismic P and SH waves using a geometry consistent with long-period seismic waves resolves a spatially compact large-slip (~2-6.7m) zone located ~30km downdip and ~30km along-strike south of the hypocenter, downdip of the foreshock sequence. The main shock seismic moment is 1.7Ă1021N m with a fault dip of 18°, radiated seismic energy of 4.5-8.4Ă1016J, and static stress drop of ~2.5MPa. Most of the 1877 gap remains unbroken and hazardous. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved
CMB Telescopes and Optical Systems
The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is now firmly established as
a fundamental and essential probe of the geometry, constituents, and birth of
the Universe. The CMB is a potent observable because it can be measured with
precision and accuracy. Just as importantly, theoretical models of the Universe
can predict the characteristics of the CMB to high accuracy, and those
predictions can be directly compared to observations. There are multiple
aspects associated with making a precise measurement. In this review, we focus
on optical components for the instrumentation used to measure the CMB
polarization and temperature anisotropy. We begin with an overview of general
considerations for CMB observations and discuss common concepts used in the
community. We next consider a variety of alternatives available for a designer
of a CMB telescope. Our discussion is guided by the ground and balloon-based
instruments that have been implemented over the years. In the same vein, we
compare the arc-minute resolution Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the
South Pole Telescope (SPT). CMB interferometers are presented briefly. We
conclude with a comparison of the four CMB satellites, Relikt, COBE, WMAP, and
Planck, to demonstrate a remarkable evolution in design, sensitivity,
resolution, and complexity over the past thirty years.Comment: To appear in: Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems (PSSS), Volume 1:
Telescopes and Instrumentatio
Similar Impact of CD8+ T Cell Responses on Early Virus Dynamics during SIV Infections of Rhesus Macaques and Sooty Mangabeys
Despite comparable levels of virus replication, simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) infection is non-pathogenic in natural hosts, such as sooty mangabeys (SM), whereas it is pathogenic in non-natural hosts, such as rhesus macaques (RM). Comparative studies of pathogenic and non-pathogenic SIV infection can thus shed light on the role of specific factors in SIV pathogenesis. Here, we determine the impact of target-cell limitation, CD8+ T cells, and Natural Killer (NK) cells on virus replication in the early SIV infection. To this end, we fit previously published data of experimental SIV infections in SMs and RMs with mathematical models incorporating these factors and assess to what extent the inclusion of individual factors determines the quality of the fits. We find that for both rhesus macaques and sooty mangabeys, target-cell limitation alone cannot explain the control of early virus replication, whereas including CD8+ T cells into the models significantly improves the fits. By contrast, including NK cells does only significantly improve the fits in SMs. These findings have important implications for our understanding of SIV pathogenesis as they suggest that the level of early CD8+ T cell responses is not the key difference between pathogenic and non-pathogenic SIV infection
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