Balian-Low Theorems in Several Variables

Recently, Nitzan and Olsen showed that Balian-Low theorems (BLTs) hold for discrete Gabor systems defined on $\mathbb{Z}_d$. Here we extend these results to a multivariable setting. Additionally, we show a variety of applications of the Quantitative BLT, proving in particular nonsymmetric BLTs in both the discrete and continuous setting for functions with more than one argument. Finally, in direct analogy of the continuous setting, we show the Quantitative Finite BLT implies the Finite BLT.Comment: To appear in Approximation Theory 16 conference proceedings volum

Simulation and analysis of spatio-temporal maps of gastrointestinal motility

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spatio-temporal (ST) maps provide a method for visualizing a temporally evolving and spatially varying field, which can also be used in the analysis of gastrointestinal motility. However, it is not always clear what the underlying contractions are that are represented in ST maps and whether some types of contractions are poorly represented or possibly not at all.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To analyze the translation from stationary or propagating rhythmic contractions of the intestine to ST maps, a simulation program was used to represent different patterns of intestinal contraction and to construct their corresponding ST maps. A number of different types of contractions were simulated and their ST maps analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Circular strong contractions were well represented in ST maps as well as their frequency and velocity. Longitudinal contractions were not detected at all. Combinations of circular and longitudinal contractions were, to a limited extent detectable at a point in space and time. The method also enabled the construction of specific ST-patterns to mimic real-life ST maps and the analysis of the corresponding contraction patterns.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Spatio-temporal simulations provide a method to understand, teach and analyze ST maps. This approach could be useful to determine characteristics of contractions under a variety of circumstances.</p

Applicability of Zipper Merge Versus Early Merge in Kentucky Work Zones

In an effort to improve work zone safety and streamline traffic flows, a number of state transportation agencies (STAs) have experimented with the zipper merge. The zipper merge differs from a conventional, or early, merge in that vehicles do not merge into the lane that remains open immediately after being notified of a lane closure. Rather, vehicles continue to occupy all lanes until they reach the taper, at which point — and directed by signage — vehicles take turns merging into the open lane, creating a zipper pattern. At the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers reviewed the performance of the zipper merge as documented in case studies from other states and analyzed two instances of the zipper merge being implemented in Kentucky. Previous studies found zipper merges are optimal on roadways with heavy traffic, whereas the conventional merge is preferable for uncongested and low-volume roadways. The case studies used a blend of quantitative and qualitative, observational data; researchers investigated the performance of zipper merges installed on Interstate 275’s Carroll Copper Bridge and KY 9’s Taylor Southgate Bridge. For the I-275 bridge, KTC researchers were able to compare the early merge configuration to the zipper merge. Here, the zipper merge brought about minor, although statistically insignificant, improvements in traffic flow and roadway safety. Analysis of the zipper merge on the Taylor Southgate Bridge relied more heavily on qualitative data, as the zipper merge was installed from the outset of the study and no comparison to an early merge could be made. The zipper merge appeared to improve traffic flow, reduce backups, and minimize the area impacted by construction. While neither case study offers definitive evidence that the zipper merge is significantly more effective than the early merge, they offer limited support for its use. On this basis, researchers suggest its continued implementation on other KYTC projects. Implementing the zipper merge elsewhere in Kentucky will enable further data collection and potentially identify locations and situations for which the zipper merge is the most appropriate merging method

Dynamic Scheduling Techniques in Cloud Manufacturing – An Exploration of Deep Reinforcement Learning as a Critical Opportunity for Future Research

Objective: Determine the state-of-the-art in dynamic scheduling techniques for cloud manufacturing.Significance: This paper firmly establishes the underexplored technique of Deep Reinforcement Learning as the state-of-the-art for dynamic scheduling in cloud manufacturing, exposes a significant gap in the literature, and sets out critical future research objectives.Abstract:For many years, metaheuristic algorithms have represented the state of the art in manufacturing scheduling techniques, proving to be exceptionally reliable for optimising schedules. However, metaheuristics suffer from inherent weaknesses that inhibit their ability to be applied to dynamic cloud manufacturing (CMfg) scheduling problems in practice. Thanks to the very recent and rapidly accelerating development in deep reinforcement learning (DRL), a small sample of studies have described how those approaches have thoroughly outperformed metaheuristic algorithms in dynamic manufacturing scheduling problems, establishing a new state of the art. However, a significant lag in maturity exists between the algorithms used in CMfg and state-of-the-art DRL. This paper systematically reviews the CMfg scheduling literature published between 2010 and 2020, summarises the development of deep reinforcement learning in this context and offers valuable directions for future research.</jats:p

Холотропное дыхание как метод реализации потенциала личности сотрудника

На сегодняшний день в организациях существует множество проблем, из-за которых возникают сложности как в управлении предприятием, так и в эффективной работе сотрудников. Для любого управляющего компанией важно, чтобы сотрудник был уверенным, умеющим нестандартно мыслить, инициативным, целеустремленным, но в большинстве случаев на предприятии такие сотрудники отсутствуют или их количество ограниченно. В любом сотруднике кроется творческая личность, которая не всегда может быть реализована на практике или же просто подавлена. Для того чтобы предприятие могло эффективно функционировать, важно, чтобы каждый сотрудник мог разобраться в своих проблемах и обрести внутреннюю гармонию, которая позволит ему настроиться на работу и выполнять ее эффективно. Методика холотропного дыхания может помочь личности реализовать свой скрытый потенциал. Цель работы: определить значимость методики холотропного дыхания в организации и выявить, какое влияние она оказывает как на сотрудников, так и на предприятие в целом. Методы исследования: анализ литера- туры по данной проблематике, аналитический метод. Результаты: выводы, полученные в данном исследовании, способствуют определению действенности методики холотропного дыхания и значимости ее применения в организации. Today there are many problems in organizations which lead to difficulties in the management of an enterpriseand in the effective work of the staff. For any company manager it is important that the employee wasconfident, able to think outside the box, initiative, committed, but in most cases such employees are absent ortheir number is limited. There is creative personality in any employee which can’t always be revealed or issimply suppressed. In order for a company to operate effectively, it is important that every employee couldunderstand their problems and find inner harmony, which will allow them to tune into work and perform itefficiently. The technique of holotropic breathwork can help the person to realize their hidden potential. Objective:to determine the significance of the technique of holotropic breathwork in the organization and itsimpact on the employees and the enterprise as a whole. Methods: review of the literature on this subject,data analysis. Results. The findings of this study help to identify the effective methods of holotropic breathworkand the importance of its application in the organization

Automatic C-Plane Detection in Pelvic Floor Transperineal Volumetric Ultrasound

© 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Transperineal volumetric ultrasound (US) imaging has become routine practice for diagnosing pelvic floor disease (PFD). Hereto, clinical guidelines stipulate to make measurements in an anatomically defined 2D plane within a 3D volume, the so-called C-plane. This task is currently performed manually in clinical practice, which is labour-intensive and requires expert knowledge of pelvic floor anatomy, as no computer-aided C-plane method exists. To automate this process, we propose a novel, guideline-driven approach for automatic detection of the C-plane. The method uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify extreme coordinates of the symphysis pubis and levator ani muscle (which define the C-plane) directly via landmark regression. The C-plane is identified in a postprocessing step. When evaluated on 100 US volumes, our best performing method (multi-task regression with UNet) achieved a mean error of 6.05 mm and 4.81 and took 20 s. Two experts blindly evaluated the quality of the automatically detected planes and manually defined the (gold standard) C-plane in terms of their clinical diagnostic quality. We show that the proposed method performs comparably to the manual definition. The automatic method reduces the average time to detect the C-plane by 100 s and reduces the need for high-level expertise in PFD US assessment

Towards a novel framework of barriers and drivers for digital transformation in industrial supply chains

© 2019 PICMET. Businesses across all sectors are facing the complexity of an increasingly digital economy. Digital transformation offers vast opportunities to businesses and entire supply chains. While many investments are targeted at the organization level, the supply chain perspective can lead to even greater impacts on business performance. However, as supply chains involve interconnections between multiple actors, comprehensive digitalization initiatives at this level are very complex. Several strategic factors affect decision-making around digital investments. For this reason, a framework that categorizes all these factors is needed in order to help managers build digitalization strategies for their supply chains. In this paper, based on a review of existing literature, we give indications for a framework encompassing barriers to and drivers for digital transformation in the context of industrial supply chains. Our framework preliminarily allocates these factors by using two dimensions. The first one classifies them using several categories: financial, knowledge and skills, regulatory, technological, market, organizational, and cultural. The second dimension classifies determinants at the level on which actions can be made, i.e. market, supply chain, or organization. The framework can support organizations to exploit the opportunities provided by digitalization of supply chains and will help managers understand the complexity involved

Arrhythmic substrate, slowed propagation and increased dispersion in conduction direction in the right ventricular outflow tract of murine Scn5a+/- hearts.

AIM: To test a hypothesis attributing arrhythmia in Brugada Syndrome to right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (RVOT) conduction abnormalities arising from Nav 1.5 insufficiency and fibrotic change. METHODS: Arrhythmic properties of Langendorff-perfused Scn5a+/- and wild-type mouse hearts were correlated with ventricular effective refractory periods (VERPs), multi-electrode array (MEA) measurements of action potential (AP) conduction velocities and dispersions in conduction direction (CD), Nav 1.5 expression levels, and fibrotic change, as measured at the RVOT and RV. Two-way anova was used to test for both independent and interacting effects of anatomical region and genotype on these parameters. RESULTS: Scn5a+/- hearts showed greater arrhythmic frequencies during programmed electrical stimulation at the RVOT but not the RV. The Scn5a+/- genotype caused an independent increase of VERP regardless of whether the recording site was the RVOT or RV. Effective AP conduction velocities (CV†s), derived from fitting regression planes to arrays of observed local activation times were reduced in Scn5a+/- hearts and at the RVOT independently. AP conduction velocity magnitudes derived by averaging MEA results from local vector analyses, CV*, were reduced by the Scn5a+/- genotype alone. In contrast, dispersions in conduction direction, were greater in the RVOT than the RV, when the atrioventricular node was used as the pacing site. The observed reductions in Nav 1.5 expression were attributable to Scn5a+/-, whereas increased levels of fibrosis were associated with the RVOT. CONCLUSIONS: The Scn5a+/- RVOT recapitulates clinical findings of increased arrhythmogenicity through reduced CV† reflecting reduced CV* attributable to reduced Nav 1.5 expression and increased CD attributable to fibrosis

Does modafinil enhance activity of patients with myotonic dystrophy?: A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study

We performed a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in 13 patients with myotonic dystrophy to address the question whether modafinil, known to improve hypersomnolence in myotonic dystrophy, may improve levels of activity as well. We used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale as a measure of hypersomnolence and a structured interview of the patient and the partner or housemate as a measure of activity. We additionally used a restricted form of the RAND-36 to relate a possible improvement of activity to perceived general health. We confirmed earlier positive findings of modafinil regarding reduced somnolence (p = 0.015), but no significant effects were seen regarding activity levels (p = 0.2 for patients’ self-reports and 0.5 for partners’ reports)