Parameter Identification of Pressure Sensors by Static and Dynamic Measurements

Fast identification methods of pressure sensors are investigated. With regard to a complete accurate sensor parameter identification two different measurement methods are combined. The approach consists on one hand in performing static measurements - an applied pressure results in a membrane deformation measured interferometrically and the corresponding output voltage. On the other hand optical measurements of the modal responses of the sensor membranes are performed. This information is used in an inverse identification algorithm to identify geometrical and material parameters based on a FE model. The number of parameters to be identified is thereby generally limited only by the number of measurable modal frequencies. A quantitative evaluation of the identification results permits furthermore the classification of processing errors like etching errors. Algorithms and identification results for membrane thickness, intrinsic stress and output voltage will be discussed in this contribution on the basis of the parameter identification of relative pressure sensors.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/EDA-Publishing

Realization and Extension of the Xfrog Approach for Plant Modelling in the Graph-Grammar Based Language XL

Two well-known approaches for modelling virtual vegetation are grammar-based methods (L-systems) and the Xfrog method, which is based on graph transformations expanding "multiplier" nodes. We show that both approaches can be unified in the framework of "relational growth grammars", a variant of parallel graph grammars. We demonstrate this possibility and the synergistic benefits of the combination of both methods at simple plant models which were processed using our open-source software GroIMP

Exascale Deep Learning for Climate Analytics

We extract pixel-level masks of extreme weather patterns using variants of Tiramisu and DeepLabv3+ neural networks. We describe improvements to the software frameworks, input pipeline, and the network training algorithms necessary to efficiently scale deep learning on the Piz Daint and Summit systems. The Tiramisu network scales to 5300 P100 GPUs with a sustained throughput of 21.0 PF/s and parallel efficiency of 79.0%. DeepLabv3+ scales up to 27360 V100 GPUs with a sustained throughput of 325.8 PF/s and a parallel efficiency of 90.7% in single precision. By taking advantage of the FP16 Tensor Cores, a half-precision version of the DeepLabv3+ network achieves a peak and sustained throughput of 1.13 EF/s and 999.0 PF/s respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 5 tables, 4, figures, Super Computing Conference November 11-16, 2018, Dallas, TX, US

Applying the cold plasma dispersion relation to whistler-mode chorus waves:EMFISIS wave measurements from the Van Allen Probes

Most theoretical wave models require the power in the wave magnetic field in order to determine the effect of chorus waves on radiation belt electrons. However, researchers typically use the cold plasma dispersion relation to approximate the magnetic wave power when only electric field data are available. In this study, the validity of using the the cold plasma dispersion relation in this context is tested using EMFISIS observations of both the electric and magnetic spectral intensities in the chorus wave band (0.1-0.9 fce). Results from this study indicate that the calculated wave intensity is least accurate during periods of enhanced wave activity. For observed wave intensities >10¯3 nT2, using the cold plasma dispersion relation results in an underestimate of the wave intensity by a factor of 2 or greater, 56% of the time over the full chorus wave band, 60% of the time for lower band chorus, and 59% of the time for upper band chorus. Hence during active periods, empirical chorus wave models that are reliant on the cold plasma dispersion relation will underestimate chorus wave intensities to a significant degree, thus causing questionable calculation of wave-particle resonance effects on MeV electrons

Measuring adolescents' HRQoL via self reports and parent proxy reports: an evaluation of the psychometric properties of both versions of the KINDL-R instrument

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several instruments are available to assess children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) based on self reports as well as proxy reports from parents. Previous studies have found only low-to-moderate agreement between self and proxy reports, but few studies have explicitly compared the psychometric qualities of both. This study compares the reliability, factorial validity and convergent and known group validity of the self-report and parent-report versions of the HRQoL KINDL-R questionnaire for children and adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Within the nationally representative cross-sectional German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), 6,813 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 years completed the KINDL-R generic HRQoL instrument while their parents answered the KINDL proxy version (both in paper-and-pencil versions). Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor-analysis models (linear structural equation model) were obtained. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed by calculating the Pearson's correlation coefficient for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Known-groups differences were examined (ANOVA) for obese children and children with a lower familial socio-economic status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The parent reports achieved slightly higher Cronbach's alpha values for the total score (0.86 vs. 0.83) and most sub-scores. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of the six-dimensional measurement model of the KINDL for the parent (RMSEA = 0.07) and child reports (RMSEA = 0.06). Factorial invariance across the two versions did not hold with regards to the pattern of loadings, the item errors and the covariation between latent concepts. However the magnitude of the differences was rather small. The parent report version achieved slightly higher convergent validity (r = 0.44 – 0.63 vs. r = 0.33 – 0.59) in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. No clear differences were observed for known-groups validity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study showed that parent proxy reports and child self reports on the child's HRQoL slightly differ with regards to how the perceptions, evaluations and possibly the affective resonance of each group are structured and internally consistent. Overall, the parent reports achieved slightly higher reliability and thus are favoured for the examination of small samples. No version was universally superior with regards to the validity of the measurements. Whenever possible, children's HRQoL should be measured via both sources of information.</p

Discovery of the cancer stem cell related determinants of radioresistance

AbstractTumors are known to be heterogeneous containing a dynamic mixture of phenotypically and functionally different tumor cells. The two concepts attempting to explain the origin of intratumor heterogeneity are the cancer stem cell hypothesis and the clonal evolution model. The stochastic model argues that tumors are biologically homogenous and all cancer cells within the tumor have equal ability to propagate the tumor growth depending on continuing mutations and selective pressure. By contrast, the stem cells model suggests that cancer heterogeneity is due to the hierarchy that originates from a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) which are biologically distinct from the bulk tumor and possesses self-renewal, tumorigenic and multilineage potential. Although these two hypotheses have been discussed for a long time as mutually exclusive explanations of tumor heterogeneity, they are easily reconciled serving as a driving force of cancer evolution and diversity. Recent discovery of the cancer cell plasticity and heterogeneity makes the CSC population a moving target that could be hard to track and eradicate. Understanding the signaling mechanisms regulating CSCs during the course of cancer treatment can be indispensable for the optimization of current treatment strategies

Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer in Advanced Age: Prospective Cohort Study

Objective: To investigate the influence of increasing age on the incidence and remaining lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in a cohort of older men. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: United States. Participants: 22 048 male doctors aged 40-84 who were free of major disease in 1982. Main outcome measures: Incidence and remaining lifetime risk of major cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease) and cancer. Results: 3252 major cardiovascular events and 5400 incident cancers were confirmed over 23 years of follow-up. The incidence of major cardiovascular disease continued to increase to age 100. Beginning at age 80, however, major cardiovascular disease was more likely to be diagnosed at death. The incidence of cancer peaked in those aged 80-89 and then declined. Cancers detected by screening accounted for most of the decline, whereas most cancers for which there was no screening continued to increase to age 100. Unadjusted cumulative incidence overestimated the risk of cardiovascular disease by 16% and cancer by 8.5%. The remaining lifetime risk of cancer at age 40 was 45.1% (95% confidence interval 43.8% to 46.3%) and at age 90 was 9.6% (7.2% to 11.9%). The remaining lifetime risk of major cardiovascular disease at age 40 was 34.8% (33.1% to 36.5%) and at age 90 was 16.7% (12.9% to 20.6%). Conclusions: In this prospective cohort of men, the incidence of new cardiovascular disease continued to increase after age 80 but was most often diagnosed at death. The decrease in incidence of cancer late in life seemed largely due to a decline in cancers usually detected by screening. These findings suggest that people aged 80 and older have a substantial amount of undiagnosed disease. The remaining lifetime risk of both diseases approached a plateau in the 10th decade. This may be due to decreased detection of disease and reporting of symptoms and increased resistance to disease in those who survive to old age. Accurate estimates of disease risk in an aging population require adjustment for competing risks of mortality