Interface Design for Graphics Editor on Multi- Touch Point Systems

The main objective of the project is to use the touch sensitive device capability of the iPad to give a better user experience and functionalities for the artists. In this project, I have explored different interactions that can give a better experience for artist when compared to traditional computer-mouse interaction. In the traditional Computer-mouse interaction it is very difficult for the user to draw smooth curves, without having to use built-in functions for drawing curves. In this application the user can use the touch panel to do free drawing, the user can basically feel the device as a object for drawing like in real life. Drawing on the touch device eliminates a use of another hardware to interact with the Interface of the system. In this application the user can use multi-touch points to zoom and pan, the user can also choose colors from a color wheel, the changable pen and eraser size. The pen size is varied based on the touch of the user touch radius. The Important functionality of the project is, the application lets the user to obtain subtractive color blending. User can also add a image to the background from the photo library and add more colors to the image. User can also zoom and draw, which adds the advantage of being able to modify the minute details of the drawing. Different actions can be performed on the image drawn, like copy, save to gallery, email and different services are also built into the app to allow the users to share the image to online services like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr

Design for manufacturability and assembly

This report presents a study of the various concepts of design for manufacturability and assembly with some case studies, and examples. The goal of DFM is reduction of parts and simplifying assembly process. A simple faucet has been studied and attempts have been made at re-designing the same using the techniques of design for manufaturability as postulated by Boothroyd, Dewhurst and Henry Stoll

Identification of stormwater control strategies and their associated uncertainties using Bayesian Optimization

Dynamic control is emerging as an effective methodology for operating stormwater systems under stress from rapidly evolving weather patterns. Informed by rainfall predictions and real-time sensor measurements, control assets in the stormwater network can be dynamically configured to tune the behavior of the stormwater network to reduce the risk of urban flooding, equalize flows to the water reclamation facilities, and protect the receiving water bodies. However, developing such control strategies requires significant human and computational resources, and a methodology does not yet exist for quantifying the risks associated with implementing these control strategies. To address these challenges, in this paper, we introduce a Bayesian Optimization-based approach for identifying stormwater control strategies and estimating the associated uncertainties. We evaluate the efficacy of this approach in identifying viable control strategies in a simulated environment on real-world inspired combined and separated stormwater networks. We demonstrate the computational efficiency of the proposed approach by comparing it against a Genetic algorithm. Furthermore, we extend the Bayesian Optimization-based approach to quantify the uncertainty associated with the identified control strategies and evaluate it on a synthetic stormwater network. To our knowledge, this is the first-ever stormwater control methodology that quantifies uncertainty associated with the identified control actions. This Bayesian optimization-based stormwater control methodology is an off-the-shelf control approach that can be applied to control any stormwater network as long we have access to the rainfall predictions, and there exists a model for simulating the behavior of the stormwater network.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Schema Migration from Relational Databases to NoSQL Databases with Graph Transformation and Selective Denormalization

We witnessed a dramatic increase in the volume, variety and velocity of data leading to the era of big data. The structure of data has become highly flexible leading to the development of many storage systems that are different from the traditional structured relational databases where data is stored in “tables,” with columns representing the lowest granularity of data. Although relational databases are still predominant in the industry, there has been a major drift towards alternative database systems that support unstructured data with better scalability leading to the popularity of “Not Only SQL.” Migration from relational databases to NoSQL databases has become a significant area of interest when it involves enormous volumes of data with a large number of concurrent users. Many migration methodologies have been proposed each focusing a specific NoSQL family. This paper proposes a heuristics based graph transformation method to migrate a relational database to MongoDB called Graph Transformation with Selective Denormalization and compares the migration with a table level denormalization method. Although this paper focuses on MongoDB, the heuristics algorithm is generalized enough to be applied to other NoSQL families. Experimental evaluation with TPC-H shows that Graph Transformation with Selective Denormalization migration method has lower query execution times with lesser hardware footprint like lower space requirement, disk I/O, CPU utilization compared to that of table level denormalization

Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Columns Subjected to Combined Axial, Flexure, Shear, and Torsional Loads

This paper describes the implementation of a 3-dimensional concrete constitutive model for fiber-based analysis of reinforced concrete members subjected to combined loadings including torsion. The proposed model is formulated to address the interaction between the axial force, bidirectional shear, biaxial bending, and torsion. The shear mechanism along the beam is modeled using a Timoshenko beam approach with three dimensional (3-D) frame elements with arbitrary cross-section geometry. The model considers the 3D equilibrium, compatibility, and constitutive laws of materials at the section and structural level. The concrete constitutive law follows the Softened Membrane Model (SMM) with a tangent-stiffness formulation. The emphasis of the paper is on evaluation of the effect of the different stress states on the global and local behavior of the member. The ability of the model to assess the ultimate strength, stiffness, energy dissipation, failure modes under 3-dimensional loading is evaluated by correlation of analytical results with experimental tests of RC specimens

Distributed deep neural networks

Deep neural networks have become popular for solving machine learning problems in the field of computer vision. Although computers have reached parity in the task of image classification in machine learning competitions, the task of mining massive training data often takes expensive hardware a long time to process. Distributed protocol for model training can be attractive because less powerful distributed nodes are cheaper to operate than specialized high-performance cluster. Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is a popular optimizer at the heart of many deep learning systems. To investigate the performance of distributed asynchronous SGD, Tensorflow deep learning framework was tested with Downpour SGD and Delay Compensated SGD to see effect of model training in typical commercial environments. Experimental results show that both Downpour and Delay Compensated SGD are viable protocols for distributed deep learning.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

MALIGNANT OTITIS EXTERNA – OUR EXPERIENCE

Objective: In this study, we aim to find out different symptoms and treatment outcomes of patients who are diagnosed with malignant otitis externa according to Levenson’s criteria, attending ENT OPD in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This is a prospective study, conducted over 18 months from August 2018 to February 2020 in the Department of ENT, GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Visakhapatnam. Patients typically presented with nocturnal otalgia, persistent otorrhea, hearing loss, and aural fullness. Consent from patients for participation in the study has been taken. Complete history and thorough clinical examination were made, along with relevant investigations. Results: Out of the 15 patients selected, MOE is more common in males (60%) than females (40%). The most common organism isolated is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nocturnal otalgia was the presenting complaint in all the patients. The age group commonly affected with MOE is 60−75 years. Facial nerve palsy is seen among 46% of the patients. Dry moping and application of betadine wick after the scrapping of granulations and reasonable glycemic control was helpful in-patient recovery in 50% of the cases. Conclusion: Malignant otitis externa (MOE) is an aggressive infection representing a life-threatening condition. In our patients, a prolonged topical and oral antibiotic treatment and strict control of glycemic levels permitted to control the disease, but the surgical approach by debridement of granulations appeared essential for the resolution of the disease

Non-linear analysis of reinforced concrete walls under three-dimensional loading

Analytical studies are conducted to develop an effective analytical model to simulate the non-linear response of reinforced concrete (RC) walls subjected to three-dimensional (3D) loads. The interaction between the concrete and steel is taken into account with consideration of the smeared behaviour of steel and tension stiffening of concrete. The proposed model is formulated to address the interaction between the axial force, shear, bending and torsion loads. The shear mechanism along the beam is modelled by adopting a Timoshenko beam approach for 3D frame elements with arbitrary cross-section geometry. The non-linear behaviour of the composite element is derived entirely from the constitutive laws of concrete and steel. The concrete constitutive model follows the softened membrane model that predicts the tensile cracking, compression crushing, strain softening, steel yielding and material damage under combined loadings. The validity of the model is established through a correlation study of experimentally tested RC shear walls subjected to monotonic loading conditions

Introducing Model-based Design Methodology with LabVIEW to Teaching ARM-based Embedded System Design

This paper presents our latest experience of introducing the new topic of model-based design (MBD) concepts and tools to a Programming Tools (PT) course for educating students to be capable of utilizing modern tools for correctly developing complicated ARM-based embedded systems. It describes the course contents, student outcomes and lecture and lab preparation for teaching this topic with the emphasis on two sub-topics. Firstly, we present the details of using NI LabVIEW tool in programming ARM Cortex-M MCUs or ARM Cortex-A9 MCUs on the embedded device like NI myRIO for fast developing embedded applications. Secondly, to integrate an on-going research effort on the model-based verification into this course, we also introduce model-checking and the tools that have been utilized in the research project. This new topic helps introducing students the latest research advances which promote the wide applications of the MBD in safety-critical embedded applications. Our primary experience shows that the project-based learning approach with the graphical programming tools and selected MCUs is efficient and practical to teach the MBD of 32-bit MCUs programming

Nonlinear finite element formulation of the soil structure interaction through two parameter foundation model

The response of shallow and raft foundations is having a significant importance due to its complex behavior because of the semi-infinite soil media. Winkler\u27s model is the simplest model to deal with the structure and soil. The Winkler model represents the foundation reaction as proportional to the soil displacement at a particular point, which results in the elasticity of the soil being the only parameter in consideration. But in reality the soil cohesiveness is having a significant contribution in soil structure interaction, and therefore the consideration of coupling effects of Winkler springs need to be accounted. Most of the existing elements either consider certain parameters of the foundation or assume an elastic beam and foundation response. In this research a new finite element formulation was developed in which these limitations were eliminated. This improved model can be viewed as a soil with a combination of cohesive behavior which transmits the rotation due to bending in addition to the Winkler effect. The non linear response of structures resting on this improved foundation model can be analyzed by assuming that the foundation resists compression and tension. In reality soil is very weak in tension and its tension capacity needs to be neglected, which leads to lift-off regions at different locations. This phenomenon becomes much more complicated by considering the inelastic soil structure behavior, which leads to a highly nonlinear problem. In order to estimate the necessary nonlinear soil parameters, an analytical procedure based on the Vlasov model is proposed. The presented solutions and applications show the superiority of the proposed nonlinear foundation model --Abstract, page v