Generating sequential space-filling designs using genetic algorithms and Monte Carlo methods

In this paper, the authors compare a Monte Carlo method and an optimization-based approach using genetic algorithms for sequentially generating space-filling experimental designs. It is shown that Monte Carlo methods perform better than genetic algorithms for this specific problem

Computational Nuclear Physics and Post Hartree-Fock Methods

We present a computational approach to infinite nuclear matter employing Hartree-Fock theory, many-body perturbation theory and coupled cluster theory. These lectures are closely linked with those of chapters 9, 10 and 11 and serve as input for the correlation functions employed in Monte Carlo calculations in chapter 9, the in-medium similarity renormalization group theory of dense fermionic systems of chapter 10 and the Green's function approach in chapter 11. We provide extensive code examples and benchmark calculations, allowing thereby an eventual reader to start writing her/his own codes. We start with an object-oriented serial code and end with discussions on strategies for porting the code to present and planned high-performance computing facilities.Comment: 82 pages, to appear in Lecture Notes in Physics (Springer), "An advanced course in computational nuclear physics: Bridging the scales from quarks to neutron stars", M. Hjorth-Jensen, M. P. Lombardo, U. van Kolck, Editor

Apparent quality-of-life in nations : how long and happy people live

Quality-of-life in nations can be measured by how long and happy people live. This is assessed by combining data on life expectancy drawn from civil registration with survey data on subjective enjoyment of life as a whole. This measure of 'apparent' quality-of-life is a good alternative to current indexes of 'assumed' quality-of-life such as the Human Development Index. Data are available for 67 nations in the 1990s. The number of Happy-Life-Years varies considerably across nations. Switzerland is at the top with 63.0 years and Moldavia at the bottom with 20.5 years. China is in the middle with an average of 46.7. Happy lifetime has risen considerably in advanced nations over the last decade. People live longer and happier in nations characterised by economic affluence, freedom and justice. Together these three societal qualities explain 66% of the cross-national variance in Happy-Life-Years. Income equality and generous social security do not appear to be required for a long and happy life

Hippocampus, Amygdala and Basal Ganglia Based Navigation Control

In this paper we present a novel robot navigation system aimed at testing hypotheses about the roles of key brain areas in foraging behavior of rats. The key components of the control network are: 1. a Hippocampus inspired module for spatial localization based on associations between sensory inputs and places; 2. an Amygdala inspired module for the association of values with places and sensory stimuli; 3. a Basal Ganglia inspired module for the selection of actions based on the evaluated sensory inputs. By implementing this Hippocampus-Amygdala-Basal Ganglia based control network with a simulated rat embodiment we intend to test not only our understanding of the individual brain areas but especially the interaction between them. Understanding the neural circuits that allows rats to efficiently forage for food will also help to improve the ability of robots to autonomously evaluate and select navigation targets

Rheology of okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.) and dika nut (Irvingia gabonensis) polysaccharides

©1996. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted, version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Carbohydrate Polymers. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1016/0144-8617(96)00016-1Polysaccharide extracts were prepared from two traditional food thickeners with extensive domestic use in central and western parts of Africa: okra (Hibiscus esculentis L.) and the seed kernel from 'dika nut' (lrvingia gabonensis). Both demonstrated typical polyelectrolyte behaviour in solution, and were therefore studied under fixed ionic conditions (0.1 M NaCl), yielding intrinsic viscosities of [77) = 7.6 di g1 for okra and [77) = 4.4 di g1 for dika. Concentrated solutions gave mechanical SJ?ectra typical of entangled networks, with close Cox-Merz superposition of 17 (w) and 77(y). The variation of 'zero-shear' specific viscosity with degree of space-occupancy (c[77)) was also broadly similar to the general form observed for most disordered polysaccharides, but with greater separation of c' and c'* and steeper slope of log 17sp vs. log c above c' (~4.0 for okra and ~4.6 for dika, in comparison with the usual value of ~3.3). As found for normal disordered polysaccharides, the shear-thinning behaviour of dika gum could be reduced to a single 'master-curve' for all concentrations above c'*, but the absolute value ofthe terminal slope oflog (77 - 17s) vs. logy was unusually low (~0.58, in comparison with the normal value of ~0.76). Terminal slopes for okra gum were also unusually low, and varied systematically with polymer concentration. These departures from normal solution properties are tentatively ascribed to compact macromolecular structures, coupled, in the case of okra gum, with a strong tendency to self-association

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Evaluation plan

The overall objectives of TeleFOT are to assess the impacts of aftermarket and nomadic devices used in vehicles for driver support and to raise the awareness of the functions and potential that these devices offer. This report starts from the scientific and technological objectives that will make these overall objectives more concrete. They are 1. Build, mobilise and integrate European test communities for long term testing and assessment of driver support functions through aftermarket and nomadic devices 2. Create a methodological framework for executing the tests and analysing the data 3. Study aftermarket and nomadic devices in different technical contexts 4. Study different levels of impacts on drivers and society 5. Focus on functions and services for safe, efficient and economical travel 6. Investigate the contents of functions provided for cooperative driver support 7. Develop effective procedures of enhancing awareness and take-up of driver support ICT systems among the public 8. Focus also on aspects in the use of aftermarket and nomadic devices that may decrease safety TeleFOT is supposed adopt the approach of Field Operational Test (FOT). When going into the actual work in TeleFOT, as laid out in the DoW, it was seen as a useful step to make use of the structure of the deliverable D2.2.1 Testing and Evaluation strategy I, based on the FESTA FOT Chain (from the FESTA Handbook). This was done in order to identify what findings in the TeleFOT project (so far) has a unique and from the FESTA Handbook deviating approach. The intention has been to highlight these deviations (or improvements) in order to widen the potential use of the FOT methodology in the future. This IP-level deliverable is therefore focused on what constitutes the unique features of TeleFOT that could have an impact also on a more general level. This is especially important as new FOTs are planned in the area “cooperative driving”. Most of the TeleFOT deliverables until today have been consulted including the first series of deliverables addressing the Data Analysis Plans for all the impact areas to be covered by TeleFOT; they are Efficiency, Environment, Mobility, Safety and User Uptake. It is concluded that the first of the overall objectives has been met to quite a high degree, even if there still are some important steps that must be finished. The second overall objective is not yet addressed in a systematic way. However, there are WPs in the TeleFOT DoW that are supposed to cover these aspects in the last part of the project

Effect of environment on wood density and pulp quality of five pine species grown in Southern Africa: results of a research project carried out for the Usutu Pulp Company Ltd, Swaziland

The Usutu Pulp Company's forests cover 75,000 ha (58,000 ha planted) with an annual production of approximately 1 million tonnes of pulpwood (Evans, 1996) (Figures 45 and 46). The main species are Pinus patula Schiede ex Schlecht. & Cham. (felled at an average age of 15 to 17 years) and P. elliottii Engelm. (felled at 16 to 22 years). The forests supply 3000 brown wet tons of pulpwood per day to an unbleached kraft pulp mill (see cover and Figure 48) which sells its product mainly into the sack and linerboard markets. Variation in wood quality is a problem for the mill because it adversely affects pulp quality. Wood quality variation could be better managed by the mill and even exploited if the underlying causes of the variation were understood. The objectives of this work were therefore to examine the effects of major genetic, physiological and environmental factors such as species, growth rate, age and elevation on wood and kraft pulp properties..

TeleFOT, field operational tests of aftermarket nomadic devices in vehicles, early results

This paper presents the European Large Scale Collaborative Project TeleFOT, describing its status and its first results. The paper is structured into two main sections: The first paragraph briefly introduces the justification and core elements of TeleFOT, showing the scope and primary objectives of the project. Significant research and development in Europe in recent years have been focusing on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), since they are contributing to a change in mobility. The number of devices supporting transportation is increasing. In particular, the market penetration of aftermarket nomadic devices as personal navigation devices (PND) or smart phones is growing exponentially according to the market trends, but no scientific evidence of impacts directly related to the use of aftermarket and nomadic devices in vehicle exist yet. Therefore there is a need to test via Field Operational Tests (FOT) the impacts of driver support functions on the driving task, including future interactive traffic services that will become part of driving environment systems. The second paragraph of this paper illustrates the Field Operational Tests to be conducted in TeleFOT and progress reached so far in the project. These include (but are not limited to) large scale test sites in 8 member states, FOT framework creation, benchmarking, piloting and data analysis planning

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR