Morphing of Triangular Meshes in Shape Space

We present a novel approach to morph between two isometric poses of the same non-rigid object given as triangular meshes. We model the morphs as linear interpolations in a suitable shape space $\mathcal{S}$. For triangulated 3D polygons, we prove that interpolating linearly in this shape space corresponds to the most isometric morph in $\mathbb{R}^3$. We then extend this shape space to arbitrary triangulations in 3D using a heuristic approach and show the practical use of the approach using experiments. Furthermore, we discuss a modified shape space that is useful for isometric skeleton morphing. All of the newly presented approaches solve the morphing problem without the need to solve a minimization problem.Comment: Improved experimental result

An introduction to overviews of reviews: planning a relevant research question and objective for an overview.

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Overviews of systematic reviews are a relatively new approach to synthesising evidence, and research methods and associated guidance are developing. Within this paper we aim to help readers understand key issues which are essential to consider when taking the first steps in planning an overview. These issues relate to the development of clear, relevant research questions and objectives prior to the development of an overview protocol. METHODS: Initial discussions and key concepts for this paper were formed during a workshop on overview methods at the 2016 UK Cochrane Symposium, at which all members of this author group presented work and contributed to wider discussions. Detailed descriptions of the various key features of overviews and their different objectives were created by the author group based upon current evidence (Higgins J, Green S. Cochrane Handbook Syst Rev Interv. 2011;4:5, Pollock M, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:190-205, Pollock A, et al. Cochrane overviews of reviews: exploring the methods and challenges. UK and Ireland: Cochrane Symposium; 2016, Pieper D, et al. Res Syn Meth. 2014;5:187-99, Lunny C, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:4-12, Hartling L, et al. Comparing multiple treatments: an introduction to overviews of reviews. In 23rd Cochrane Colloquium; 2015, Hartling L, et al. Plos One. 2012;7:1-8, Ballard M, Montgomery P. Res Syn Meth. 2017;8:92-108) and author experiences conducting overviews. RESULTS: Within this paper we introduce different types of overviews and suggest common research questions addressed by these overviews. We briefly reflect on the key features and objectives of the example overviews discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Clear decisions relating to the research questions and objectives are a fundamental first step during the initial planning stages for an overview. Key stakeholders should be involved at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the planned overview is relevant and meaningful to the potential end users of the overview. Following best practice in common with other forms of systematic evidence synthesis, an overview protocol should be published, ensuring transparency and reducing opportunities for introduction of bias in the conduct of the overview.Research conducted by Harriet Hunt referred to within this paper [38] was supported as part of doctoral programme funding by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula (PenCLAHRC). The overview conducted by Pollock [3] was supported by a project grant from the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. The overview conducted by McClurg [5] was supported by a project grant by the Physiotherapy Research Foundation. Alex Pollock is employed by the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, which is supported by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. Pauline Campbell is supported by the Chief Nurses Office of the Scottish Government. The overview conducted by Estcourt [7] was supported by an NIHR Cochrane Programme Grant for the Safe and Appropriate Use of Blood Components. The overview conducted by Brunton [10] was commissioned by the Department of Health as part of an ongoing programme of work on health policy research synthesis

Assessing the effects of the first 2 years of industry-led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in 2013–2015

Culling badgers to control the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (TB) between this wildlife reservoir and cattle has been widely debated. Industry-led culling began in Somerset and Gloucestershire between August and November 2013 to reduce local badger populations. Industry-led culling is not designed to be a randomised and controlled trial of the impact of culling on cattle incidence. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor the effects of the culling and, taking the study limitations into account, perform a cautious evaluation of the impacts. A standardised method for selecting areas matched to culling areas in factors found to affect cattle TB risk has been developed to evaluate the impact of badger culling on cattle TB incidence. The association between cattle TB incidence and badger culling in the first two years has been assessed. Descriptive analyses without controlling for confounding showed no association between culling and TB incidence for Somerset, or for either of the buffer areas for the first two years since culling began. A weak association was observed in Gloucestershire for Year 1 only. Multivariable analysis adjusting for confounding factors showed that reductions in TB incidence were associated with culling in the first two years in both the Somerset and Gloucestershire intervention areas when compared to areas with no culling (IRR: 0.79, 95%CI: 0.72-0.87, p<0.001 and IRR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.34-0.51, p<0.001 respectively). An increase in incidence was associated with culling in the 2 km buffer surrounding the Somerset intervention area (IRR: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.09-1.75, p=0.008), but not in Gloucestershire (IRR: 0.91, 95%CI: 0.77-1.07, p=0.243). As only two intervention areas with two years’ of data are available for analysis, and the biological cause-effect relationship behind the statistical associations is difficult to determine, it would be unwise to use these findings to develop generalisable inferences about the effectiveness of the policy at present

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon Thin Films under a Thin Molybdenum Layer

A new process to crystallize amorphous silicon without melting and the generation of excessive heating of nearby components is presented. We propose the addition of a molybdenum layer to improve the quality of the laser-induced crystallization over that achieved by direct irradiation of silicon alone. The advantages are that it allows the control of crystallite size by varying the applied fluence of a near-infrared femtosecond laser. It offers two fluence regimes for nanocrystallization and polycrystallization with small and large crystallite sizes, respectively. The high repetition rate of the compact femtosecond laser source enables high-quality crystallization over large areas. In this proposed method, a multilayer structure is irradiated with a single femtosecond laser pulse. The multilayer structure includes a substrate, a target amorphous Si layer coated with an additional molybdenum thin film. The Si layer is crystallized by irradiating the Mo layer at different fluence regimes. The transfer of energy from the irradiated Mo layer to the Si film causes the crystallization of amorphous Si at low temperatures (∼700 K). Numerical simulations were carried out to estimate the electron and lattice temperatures for different fluence regimes using a two-temperature model. The roles of direct phonon transport and inelastic electron scattering at the Mo-Si interface were considered in the transfer of energy from the Mo to the Si film. The simulations confirm the experimental evidence that amorphous Si was crystallized in an all-solid-state process at temperatures lower than the melting point of Si, which is consistent with the results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman. The formation of crystallized Si with controlled crystallite size after laser treatment can lead to longer mean free paths for carriers and increased electrical conductivity

Assessing effects from four years of industry-led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, 2013–2017

The objective was to measure the association between badger culling and bovine tuberculosis (TB) incidents in cattle herds in three areas of England between 2013–2017 (Gloucestershire and Somerset) and 2015–2017 (Dorset). Farming industry-selected licensed culling areas were matched to comparison areas. A TB incident was detection of new Mycobacterium bovis infection (post-mortem confirmed) in at least one animal in a herd. Intervention and comparison area incidence rates were compared in central zones where culling was conducted and surrounding buffer zones, through multivariable Poisson regression analyses. Central zone incidence rates in Gloucestershire (Incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.34 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.39, p < 0.001) and Somerset (IRR 0.63 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.69, p < 0.001) were lower and no different in Dorset (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.27, p = 0.168) than comparison central zone rates. The buffer zone incidence rate was lower for Gloucestershire (IRR 0.64, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.70, p < 0.001), no different for Somerset (IRR 0.97, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.16, p = 0.767) and lower for Dorset (IRR 0.45, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.54, p < 0.001) than comparison buffer zone rates. Industry-led culling was associated with reductions in cattle TB incidence rates after four years but there were variations in effects between areas

Electronic structure and resistivity of the double exchange model

The double exchange (DE) model with quantum local spins S is studied; an equation of motion approach is used and decoupling approximations analogous to Hubbard's are made. Our approximate one-electron Green function G is exact in the atomic limit of zero bandwidth for all S and band filling n, and as n->0 reduces to a dynamical coherent potential approximation (CPA) due to Kubo; we regard our approximation as a many-body generalisation of Kubo's CPA. G is calculated self-consistently for general S in the paramagnetic state and for S=1/2 in a state of arbitrary magnetization. The electronic structure is investigated and four bands per spin are obtained centred on the atomic limit peaks of the spectral function. A resistivity formula appropriate to the model is derived from the Kubo formula and the paramagnetic state resistivity rho is calculated; insulating states are correctly obtained at n=0 and n=1 for strong Hund coupling. Our prediction for rho is much too small to be consistent with experiments on manganites so we agree with Millis et al that the bare DE model is inadequate. We show that the agreement with experiment obtained by Furukawa is due to his use of an unphysical density of states.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, submitted to J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

In vivo pharmacology and anti-tumour evaluation of the tyrphostin tyrosine kinase inhibitor RG13022.

Amplification and increased expression of many growth factor receptors, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has been observed in human tumours. One therapeutic strategy for overcoming EGF autocrine control of tumour growth is inhibition of EGFR protein tyrosine kinase (PTK). A series of low molecular weight molecules have been identified which inhibit the EGFR PTK in vitro and demonstrate antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines with high expression of EGFR. A significant growth delay in squamous cancer xenografts has been reported for one of these compounds, the tyrphostin RG13022. Based on these encouraging results, we sought to confirm the activity of RG13022 in vivo and relate the effects to the in vivo plasma disposition. RG13022 and three additional peaks were detected by HPLC following intraperitoneal administration of 20 mg kg-1 RG13022 in MF1 nu/nu mice. RG13022 demonstrated rapid biexponential elimination from plasma with a terminal half-life of 50.4 min. RG13022 plasma concentrations were less than 1 microM by 20 min post injection. A primary product was identified as the geometrical isomer (E)-RG13022. Both RG13022 and its geometrical isomer inhibited DNA synthesis in HN5 cells after a 24 h in vitro incubation (IC50 = 11 microM and 38 microM respectively). Neither RG13022 nor its geometrical isomer displayed significant cytotoxicity. RG13022 had no influence on the growth of HN5 tumours when administered chronically, starting either on the day of tumour inoculation or after establishment of tumour xenografts. The rapid in vivo elimination of RG13022 has potential significance to the development of this and other related tyrphostin tyrosine kinase inhibitors, as plasma concentrations fell below that required for in vitro activity by 20 min post injection. The lack of in vivo tumour growth delay suggests that a more optimal administration schedule for RG13022 would include more frequent injections or continuous administration. An improved formulation for RG13022 is therefore required before further development of this or other similar protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors can be made. Alternative strategies should also be sought which display longer lasting in vivo exposures

Magnetic Order in the Double Exchange Model in Infinite Dimensions

We studied magnetic properties of the double exchange (DE) model with S=1/2 localized spins at T=0, using exact diagonalization in the framework of the dynamical mean field theory. Obtained phase diagram contains ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. Comparing the phase diagram with that of the DE model with classical localized spins, we found that the quantum fluctuations of localized spins partly destabilize the ferromagnetism and expand the paramagnetic phase region. We found that phase separations occur between the antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases as well as the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic ones.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps-figure