Linear Bellman combination for control of character animation

Controllers are necessary for physically-based synthesis of character animation. However, creating controllers requires either manual tuning or expensive computer optimization. We introduce linear Bellman combination as a method for reusing existing controllers. Given a set of controllers for related tasks, this combination creates a controller that performs a new task. It naturally weights the contribution of each component controller by its relevance to the current state and goal of the system. We demonstrate that linear Bellman combination outperforms naive combination often succeeding where naive combination fails. Furthermore, this combination is provably optimal for a new task if the component controllers are also optimal for related tasks. We demonstrate the applicability of linear Bellman combination to interactive character control of stepping motions and acrobatic maneuvers.Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game LabNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 2007043041)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CCF-0810888)Adobe SystemsPixar (Firm

Nanofibrous antibiotic‐eluting matrices: Biocompatibility studies in a rat model

This study evaluated the biocompatibility of degradable polydioxanone (PDS) electrospun drug delivery systems (hereafter referred as matrices) containing metronidazole (MET) or ciprofloxacin (CIP) after subcutaneous implantation in rats. Sixty adult male rats were randomized into six groups: SHAM (sham surgery); PDS (antibiotic‐free matrix); 1MET (one 25 wt% MET matrix); 1CIP (one 25 wt% CIP matrix); 2MET (two 25 wt% MET matrices); and 2CIP (two 25 wt% CIP matrices). At 3 and 30 days, animals were assessed for inflammatory cell response (ICR), collagen fibers degradation, and oxidative profile (reactive oxygen species [ROS]; lipid peroxidation [LP]; and protein carbonyl [PC]). At 3 days, percentages of no/discrete ICR were 100, 93.3, 86.7, 76.7, 50, and 66.6 for SHAM, PDS, 1MET, 1CIP, 2MET, and 2CIP, respectively. At 30 days, percentages of no/discrete ICR were 100% for SHAM, PDS, 1MET, and 1CIP and 93.3% for 2MET and 2CIP. Between 3 and 30 days, SHAM, 1CIP, and 2CIP produced collagen, while 1MET and 2MET were unchanged. At 30 days, the collagen fiber means percentages for SHAM, PDS, 1MET, 1CIP, 2MET, and 2CIP were 63.7, 60.7, 56.6, 62.6, 51.8, and 61.7, respectively. Antibiotic‐eluting matrices showed similar or better oxidative behavior when compared to PDS, except for CIP‐eluting matrices, which showed higher levels of PC compared to SHAM or PDS at 30 days. Collectively, our findings indicate that antibiotic‐eluting matrices may be an attractive biocompatible drug delivery system to fight periodontopathogens. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B, 2019.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152674/1/jbmb34389.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152674/2/jbmb34389_am.pd

Lodo de estação de tratamento de esgoto como insumo para produção agrícola.

bitstream/item/175414/1/Boletim-263.pdf(Embrapa Clima Temperado. Boletim de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, 263.

"Sustainable Cellulose Nanofibers-Mediated Synthesis of Uniform Spinel Zn-Ferrites Nanocorals for High Performances in Supercapacitors"

Spinel ferrites are versatile, low-cost, and abundant metal oxides with remarkable electronic and magnetic properties, which find several applications. Among them, they have been considered part of the next generation of electrochemical energy storage materials due to their variable oxidation states, low environmental toxicity, and possible synthesis through simple green chemical processing. However, most traditional procedures lead to the formation of poorly controlled materials (in terms of size, shape, composition, and/or crystalline structure). Thus, we report herein a cellulose nanofibers-mediated green procedure to prepare controlled highly porous nanocorals comprised of spinel Zn-ferrites. Then, they presented remarkable applications as electrodes in supercapacitors, which were thoroughly and critically discussed. The spinel Zn-ferrites nanocorals supercapacitor showed a much higher maximum specific capacitance (2031.81 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1) than Fe2O3 and ZnO counterparts prepared by a similar approach (189.74 and 24.39 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1). Its cyclic stability was also scrutinized via galvanostatic charging/discharging and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, indicating excellent long-term stability. In addition, we manufactured an asymmetric supercapacitor device, which offered a high energy density value of 18.1 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 2609.2 W kg−1 (at 1 A g−1 in 2.0 mol L−1 KOH electrolyte). Based on our findings, we believe that higher performances observed for spinel Zn-ferrites nanocorals could be explained by their unique crystal structure and electronic configuration based on crystal field stabilization energy, which provides an electrostatic repulsion between the d electrons and the p orbitals of the surrounding oxygen anions, creating a level of energy that determines their final supercapacitance then evidenced, which is a very interesting property that could be explored for the production of clean energy storage devices

PAMELA and FERMI-LAT limits on the neutralino-chargino mass degeneracy

Searches for Dark Matter (DM) particles with indirect detection techniques have reached important milestones with the precise measurements of the anti-proton and gamma-ray spectra, notably by the PAMELA and FERMI-LAT experiments. While the gamma-ray results have been used to test the thermal Dark Matter hypothesis and constrain the Dark Matter annihilation cross section into Standard Model (SM) particles, the anti-proton flux measured by the PAMELA experiment remains relatively unexploited. Here we show that the latter can be used to set a constraint on the neutralino-chargino mass difference. To illustrate our point we use a Supersymmetric model in which the gauginos are light, the sfermions are heavy and the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP) is the neutralino. In this framework the W^+ W^- production is expected to be significant, thus leading to large anti-proton and gamma-ray fluxes. After determining a generic limit on the Dark Matter pair annihilation cross section into W^+ W^- from the anti-proton data only, we show that one can constrain scenarios in which the neutralino-chargino mass difference is as large as ~ 20 GeV for a mixed neutralino (and intermediate choices of the anti-proton propagation scheme). This result is consistent with the limit obtained by using the FERMI-LAT data. As a result, we can safely rule out the pure wino neutralino hypothesis if it is lighter than 450 GeV and constitutes all the Dark Matter.Comment: 22page

Geometric analysis of female pelvic floor muscles by using manual segmentation

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used in the diagnostic evaluation of the pelvic floor dysfunctions. MRI can contribute to generate 3D solids of pelvic floor muscles through manual segmentation. The aim of this study is to calculate the area and its moment of inertia of 8 female pelvic floor muscles by using manual segmentation technique. Based on CAD software manual segmentation was used. To build 3D reconstruction models, through of twenty consecutive images. The models were made through splines in each sketch, documenting changes in the pubovisceral muscle (a part from the pelvic floor muscles) from the pubis to coccyx. Two sketches were chosen and biomechanics properties like area and stiffness (moment of inertia) were acquired for each sketch used to generate the pubovisceral muscles. The moment of inertia of the pubovisceral muscle decreases following the order: anterior sketch and posterior sketch. Higher values for the moment of inertia can be encountered in anterior sketcher. This conclusion can lead to more stability in the anterior compartment of pelvic floor visceral

Comparison Of Methods For Estimating Heights From Complete Stem Analysis Data For Pinus taeda

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi comparar os valores reais das alturas dos an\ue9is de crescimento anual com os estimados por meio da t\ue9cnica de an\ue1lise de tronco pelos m\ue9todos de Graves (1906), Carmean (1972), Lenhart (1972), Newberry (1978), Propor\ue7\uf5es e Gr\ue1fico e identificar o mais acurado para \ue1rvores de Pinus taeda do sul do Brasil. Para isso, foram usadas seis \ue1rvores de regenera\ue7\ue3o natural com idade m\uednima de 11 anos. Coletaram-se discos de 5 cm de espessura nas alturas 0,1m, 0,7m, 1,30m e a cada 1 m at\ue9 o fim do tronco. Os valores reais das alturas em cada ano foram medidos diretamente nos troncos, rachando-se as se\ue7\uf5es entre discos ao longo da medula e procurando pelo ponto exato em que cada idade terminava. As an\ue1lises de precis\ue3o foram baseadas nos res\uedduos entre os valores reais das alturas em cada ano e os valores estimados para cada m\ue9todo. Para esse fim, foram calculados o desvio m\ue9dio relativo (D%), desvio m\ue9dio relativo dos valores em m\uf3dulo (AbsD%), desvio-padr\ue3o (Sd) e soma de quadrado dos desvios relativos (SSRR). Essas quatro estat\uedsticas avaliadas em conjunto, permitiram identificar o m\ue9todo mais preciso para cada ano. Complementarmente foi aplicado o teste de t0.05 para dados n\ue3o pareados, para avaliar se, no geral, os desvios foram significantes ou n\ue3o. Os resultados das an\ue1lises indicaram que os m\ue9todos de Carmean (1972) e Lenhart (1972) tiveram desempenho id\ueantico, em fun\ue7\ue3o de estimarem a mesma altura quando h\ue1 apenas um anel de crescimento terminando numa mesma se\ue7\ue3o. Isso ocorreu na maioria das vezes. Concluiu-se que esses dois m\ue9todos foram os melhores por terem gerado desvios n\ue3o significativos para a maioria das \ue1rvores estudadas.The objective of this research was to compare actual heights at known ages with those estimated by the methods proposed by Graves (1906), Carmean (1972), Lenhart (1972), Newberry (1978), and the Ratio and Graphic methods, in order to identify the most accurate one for Pinus taeda from Southern Brazil. That way, six trees aged at least 11 years were used. Cross-sections with 5 cm thickness were collected at heights of 0.10 meters, 0.70 meters, 1.30 meters and so on at every 1 meter along the bole. True height growth for a given age was measured on the section itself by dividing it in two parts along the pith and looking for the exact point where the true annual height growth took place. The accuracy analyses were based on residuals between true heights and those estimated by the tested methods for each age. For this analysis, the relative mean deviation (D%), relative mean absolute deviation (AbsD%), standard deviation of differences (Sd) and sum of squared relative residuals (SSRR) were calculated. These 4 statistics evaluated together, allowed for the identification of the most accurate method for every age. Complementarily, the non paired t0.05 test for data was applied to evaluate whether the residuals from each method were significant or not. The results of the analysis indicated that Carmean (1972) and Lenhart (1972) were identical owing to the fact that they estimated the same height value for sections where there was only one growth ring finishing in the same section. This situation occurred for most of the results in this current study. It was concluded that Carmean (1972) and Lenhart (1972) were the best methods for estimating height growth because both produced nonsignificant residuals for the majority of the trees studied

Micro-photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs triple concentric quantum rings

A systematic optical study, including micro, ensemble and time resolved photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs triple concentric quantum rings, self-assembled via droplet epitaxy, is presented. Clear emission from localized states belonging to the ring structures is reported. The triple rings show a fast decay dynamics, around 40 ps, which is expected to be useful for ultrafast optical switching applications