287 research outputs found
Centered Partition Process: Informative Priors for Clustering
There is a very rich literature proposing Bayesian approaches for clustering
starting with a prior probability distribution on partitions. Most approaches
assume exchangeability, leading to simple representations in terms of
Exchangeable Partition Probability Functions (EPPF). Gibbs-type priors
encompass a broad class of such cases, including Dirichlet and Pitman-Yor
processes. Even though there have been some proposals to relax the
exchangeability assumption, allowing covariate-dependence and partial
exchangeability, limited consideration has been given on how to include
concrete prior knowledge on the partition. For example, we are motivated by an
epidemiological application, in which we wish to cluster birth defects into
groups and we have prior knowledge of an initial clustering provided by
experts. As a general approach for including such prior knowledge, we propose a
Centered Partition (CP) process that modifies the EPPF to favor partitions
close to an initial one. Some properties of the CP prior are described, a
general algorithm for posterior computation is developed, and we illustrate the
methodology through simulation examples and an application to the motivating
epidemiology study of birth defects
On the noise-resolution duality, Heisenberg uncertainty and Shannon's information
Several variations of the Heisenberg uncertainty inequality are derived on
the basis of "noise-resolution duality" recently proposed by the authors. The
same approach leads to a related inequality that provides an upper limit for
the information capacity of imaging systems in terms of the number of imaging
quanta (particles) used in the experiment. These results can be useful in the
context of biomedical imaging constrained by the radiation dose delivered to
the sample, or in imaging (e.g. astronomical) problems under "low light"
conditions
Phase vortices from a Young's three-pinhole interferometer
An analysis is presented of the phase vortices generated in the far field, by
an arbitrary arrangement of three monochromatic point sources of complex
spherical waves. In contrast with the case of three interfering plane waves, in
which an infinitely-extended vortex lattice is generated, the spherical sources
generate a finite number of phase vortices. Analytical expressions for the
vortex core locations are developed and shown to have a convenient
representation in a discrete parameter space. Our analysis may be mapped onto
the case of a coherently-illuminated Young's interferometer, in which the
screen is punctured by three rather than two pinholes.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, REVTeX4, Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Effective brilliance amplification in neutron propagation-based phase contrast imaging
Propagation-based neutron phase-contrast tomography was demonstrated on an
insect sample, using the ISIS pulsed spallation source. In our proof-of-concept
low-fluence experiment the tomogram with Paganin-type phase-retrieval filter
applied exhibited an effective net boost of in the signal-to-noise
ratio as compared to an attenuation-based tomogram, implying an effective boost
in neutron brilliance of well over two orders of magnitude. The phase-retrieval
filter applies to monochromatic as well as poly-energetic neutron beams.
Expressions are provided for the optimal phase-contrast geometry as well as
conditions for the validity of the method. The underpinning theory is derived
under the assumption of the sample being composed of a single material, but
this can be generalized. The effective boost in brilliance may be employed to
give reduced acquisition time, or may instead be used to keep exposure times
fixed while improving contrast and spatial resolution
Airway remodelling assessed by sputum and high resolution computed tomography in asthma and COPD
It is not known whether sputum elastase, metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and tissue-inhibitor metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 are related to structural changes of the airways, as assessed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan. The relationships between these markers and the magnitude of structural changes of the airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were assessed. Induced sputum and HRCT scan were performed in 30 asthmatics (14 mild and 16 severe) and in 12 patients with COPD. A greater extent of HRCT scan abnormalities was found in COPD than in severe and mild asthmatics. HRCT scan abnormalities correlated with the degree of airway obstruction in COPD and in severe asthma. HRCT scan abnormalities also correlated with the levels of sputum elastase both in COPD and in severe asthma. HRCT scan abnormalities were associated with sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in mild asthma, severe asthma and COPD. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that sputum elastase and the metalloproteinase-9/tissue-inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 ratio are associated with the magnitude of high-resolution computed tomography scan abnormalities of the airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and suggests that the levels of these markers reflect the extent of structural changes of the airway
A bacterial formula with native strains as alternative to chemical fertiliser for tomato crop
Global tomato productivity is threatened by biotic and abiotic stressors. To support and guarantee an adequate yield of tomato crops, agricultural practices have been based on the intensive use of fertilisers with negative impacts on the environment. This study presents a simple and effective strategy of functional bioaugmentation, suitable for different varieties, to replace chemical fertilisation. A tailored microbial formula composed by eight indigenous strains (including the genera Delftia, Pseudomonas, Paenarthrobacter, Phyllobacterium, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter) was developed as biofertilizer. Strains were selected from native soil for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) functions, and combined respecting the taxonomic composition of the original PGP heterotrophic community structure. The effect of the bio-fertilisation vs chemical fertilisation was tested in three successive field trials in the company greenhouse, with different tomato varieties (Camone, Oblungo, Cherry). When bio-fertilisation was applied only twice during the Camone's life cycle, tomato yield was significantly reduced (0.8 vs 2.1 kg per plant, p = 0.0003). However, monthly inoculation during plant growth led to a fruit yield comparable to that obtained with chemical fertilisers (about 1.5 kg per plant for Oblungo, and about 2 kg per plant for Cherry variety, p = 0.9999). Bio-fertilization did not significantly affect plant height; only during the last growing period of the Cherry variety, a significantly higher average plant height (p < 0.0001) was observed with chemical fertiliser. The results indicate that a knowledge-based bacterial formula and monthly inoculation during the plant growth can be a successful bio-fertilisation strategy. These findings may pave the way towards more sustainable tomato production, since farming practices are becoming increasingly crucial, in accordance with Agenda 2030 and the UE "Farm to Fork" strategy.[GRAPHICS]
Sentient Spaces: Intelligent Totem Use Case in the ECSEL FRACTAL Project
The objective of the FRACTAL project is to create a novel approach to reliable edge computing. The FRACTAL computing node will be the building block of scalable Internet of Things (from Low Computing to High Computing Edge Nodes). The node will also have the capability of learning how to improve its performance against the uncertainty of the environment. In such a context, this paper presents in detail one of the key use cases: an Internet-of-Things solution, represented by intelligent totems for advertisement and wayfinding services, within advanced ICT-based shopping malls conceived as a sentient space. The paper outlines the reference scenario and provides an overview of the architecture and the functionality of the demonstrator, as well as a roadmap for its development and evaluation
Iteratively regularized Newton-type methods for general data misfit functionals and applications to Poisson data
We study Newton type methods for inverse problems described by nonlinear
operator equations in Banach spaces where the Newton equations
are regularized variationally using a general
data misfit functional and a convex regularization term. This generalizes the
well-known iteratively regularized Gauss-Newton method (IRGNM). We prove
convergence and convergence rates as the noise level tends to 0 both for an a
priori stopping rule and for a Lepski{\u\i}-type a posteriori stopping rule.
Our analysis includes previous order optimal convergence rate results for the
IRGNM as special cases. The main focus of this paper is on inverse problems
with Poisson data where the natural data misfit functional is given by the
Kullback-Leibler divergence. Two examples of such problems are discussed in
detail: an inverse obstacle scattering problem with amplitude data of the
far-field pattern and a phase retrieval problem. The performence of the
proposed method for these problems is illustrated in numerical examples
In Vivo Time- Resolved Microtomography Reveals the Mechanics of the Blowfly Flight Motor
Dipteran flies are amongst the smallest and most agile of flying animals. Their wings are driven indirectly by large power muscles, which cause cyclical deformations of the thorax that are amplified through the intricate wing hinge. Asymmetric flight manoeuvres are controlled by 13 pairs of steering muscles acting directly on the wing articulations. Collectively the steering muscles account for <3% of total flight muscle mass, raising the question of how they can modulate the vastly greater output of the power muscles during manoeuvres. Here we present the results of a synchrotron-based study performing micrometre-resolution, time-resolved microtomography on the 145 Hz wingbeat of blowflies. These data represent the first four-dimensional visualizations of an organism's internal movements on sub-millisecond and micrometre scales. This technique allows us to visualize and measure the three-dimensional movements of five of the largest steering muscles, and to place these in the context of the deforming thoracic mechanism that the muscles actuate. Our visualizations show that the steering muscles operate through a diverse range of nonlinear mechanisms, revealing several unexpected features that could not have been identified using any other technique. The tendons of some steering muscles buckle on every wingbeat to accommodate high amplitude movements of the wing hinge. Other steering muscles absorb kinetic energy from an oscillating control linkage, which rotates at low wingbeat amplitude but translates at high wingbeat amplitude. Kinetic energy is distributed differently in these two modes of oscillation, which may play a role in asymmetric power management during flight control. Structural flexibility is known to be important to the aerodynamic efficiency of insect wings, and to the function of their indirect power muscles. We show that it is integral also to the operation of the steering muscles, and so to the functional flexibility of the insect flight motor
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