27,516 research outputs found
The power of neural nets
Implementation of the Hopfield net which is used in the image processing type of applications where only partial information about the image may be available is discussed. The image classification type of algorithm of Hopfield and other learning algorithms, such as the Boltzmann machine and the back-propagation training algorithm, have many vital applications in space
Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), General Electric Phase 1. Volume 3: Energy conversion subsystems and components. Part 1: Bottoming cycles and materials of construction
Energy conversion subsystems and components were evaluated in terms of advanced energy conversion systems. Results of the bottoming cycles and materials of construction studies are presented and discussed
Curvature dependence of the effect of ionic functionalization on the attraction among nanoparticles in dispersion
Solubilization of nanoparticles facilitates nanomaterial processing and enables new applications. An effective method to improve dispersibility in water is provided by ionic functionalization.We explore how the necessary extent of functionalization depends on the particle geometry. Using molecular dynamics/umbrella sampling simulations, we determine the effect of the solute curvature on solventaveraged interactions among ionizing graphitic nanoparticles in aqueous dispersion. We tune the hydrophilicity of molecular-brush coated fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphane platelets by gradually replacing a fraction of the methyl end groups of the alkyl coating by the ionizing –COOK or –NH3Cl groups. To assess the change in nanoparticles’ dispersibility in water, we determine the potential-of-mean-force profiles at varied degrees of ionization. When the coating comprises only propyl groups, the attraction between the hydrophobic particles intensifies from spherical to cylindrical to planar geometry. This is explained by the increasing fraction of surface groups that can be brought into contact and the reduced access to water molecules, both following the above sequence. When ionic groups are added, however, the dispersibility increases in the opposite order, with the biggest effect in the planar geometry and the smallest in the spherical geometry. These results highlight the important role of geometry in nanoparticle solubilization by ionic functionalities, with about twice higher threshold surface charge necessary to stabilize a dispersion of spherical than planar particles. At 25%–50% ionization, the potential of mean force reaches a plateau because of the counterion condensation and saturated brush hydration. Moreover, the increase in the fraction of ionic groups can weaken the repulsion through counterion correlations between adjacent nanoparticles. High degrees of ionization and concomitant ionic screening gradually reduce the differences among surface interactions in distinct geometries until an essentially curvature-independent dispersion environment is created. Insights into tuning nanoparticle interactions can guide the synthesis of a broad class of nonpolar nanoparticles, where solubility is achieved by ionic functionalization
() spectroscopy using Cornell potential
The mass spectra and decay properties of heavy quarkonia are computed in
nonrelativistic quark-antiquark Cornell potential model. We have employed the
numerical solution of Schr\"odinger equation to obtain their mass spectra using
only four parameters namely quark mass (, ) and confinement strength
(, ). The spin hyperfine, spin-orbit and tensor
components of the one gluon exchange interaction are computed perturbatively to
determine the mass spectra of excited , , and states. Digamma,
digluon and dilepton decays of these mesons are computed using the model
parameters and numerical wave functions. The predicted spectroscopy and decay
properties for quarkonia are found to be consistent with available experimental
observations and results from other theoretical models. We also compute mass
spectra and life time of the meson without additional parameters. The
computed electromagnetic transition widths of heavy quarkonia and mesons
are in tune with available experimental data and other theoretical approaches
Implementation and performance evaluation of a MIMO-VLC system for data transmissions
The ever-increasing streaming culture of large amounts of data and the need for faster and reliable methods of data transfer has created a space and market for new communication technologies such as Visible Light Communication (VLC). However, the integration of VLC into next generation networks is challenging due to the drawbacks of the technology in terms of atmospheric absorption, shadowing, beam dispersion, etc. One way to overcome some of the challenges is to make use of the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technique which involves the transmission of data in parallel from multiple sources, increasing the data rate. This paper implements and provides a comprehensive evaluation of a MIMO-VLC system for data transmission. A real experimental test-bed is setup to test the performance of the MIMO-VLC system under various conditions such as distance from the source based on luminous flux, ambient lighting, output power, etc. Additionally, subjective tests are carried out to assess the quality of an audio MIMO VLC link as perceived by the user. The results are compared with the results of a Single Input Single Output (SISO)-VLC system
Local Health Departments’ Activities to Address Health Disparities and Inequities: Are We Moving in the Right Direction?
Context: Health disparities are among the critical public health challenges.
Objectives: To analyze the extent to which local health departments (LHDs) perform activities for addressing health disparities, changes in proportion of LHDs’ performing those activities since 2005, and factors associated with variation in such engagement.
Methods: We used the 2013 National Profile of LHDs Survey to perform Logistic Regression of activities LHDs performed to address health disparities.
Results: About 20 percent of LHDs did not perform any activity to address health disparities. Significant decreases occurred since 2005 in the proportion of LHDs that performed health disparity reduction/elimination activities for four activities. LHD characteristics significantly associated (p≤0.05) with the increased likelihood of performing activities to address health disparities were: recent completion of community health assessment, community health improvement plan and agency wide strategic plan. Other significant positive impacts on such activities included per capita expenditures, local governance, having one or more local boards of health, larger population size and metropolitan status of the LHD jurisdiction.
Conclusions: Reduced infrastructural capacity of LHDs has resulted in fewer LHDs addressing health disparities in their jurisdictions. LHD characteristics associated with higher performance of activities for health disparity reduction identified by this research have important policy implications
On the impact of visible light communication for audio and video transmissions
With the massive technological advancements being made every year, the need for better and faster data rates, better and improved security measures is being given high importance in the research community. Therefore, open space communication has become a hot topic in the recent years of which Visible Light Communication (VLC), is one of the highly researched areas. The reason for its high popularity is because of its ability to provide high data rates, high bandwidth and a very secure medium of transmission as it cannot penetrate walls. This paper investigates the impact of visible light communication on audio and video transmissions. A real experimental test-bed is setup to test the performance of audio transmission over VLC under various conditions such as distance from the source, interfering lighting, etc. Subjectives tests are carried out to assess the quality of the audio VLC link as perceived by the user. Additionally, a comprehensive study on existing simultaneous video and audio transmission systems over VLC is provided and the challenges and remaining open issues are identified
Efficient and Robust Detection of Duplicate Videos in a Database
In this paper, the duplicate detection method is to retrieve the best matching model video for a given query video using fingerprint. We have used the Color Layout Descriptor method and Opponent Color Space to extract feature from frame and perform k-means based clustering to generate fingerprints which are further encoded by Vector Quantization. The model-to-query video distance is computed using a new distance measure to find the similarity. To perform efficient search coarse-to-fine matching scheme is used to retrieve best match. We perform experiments on query videos and real time video with an average duration of 60 sec; the duplicate video is detected with high similarity
Crystalline phases in chiral ferromagnets: Destabilization of helical order
In chiral ferromagnets, weak spin-orbit interactions twist the ferromagnetic
order into spirals, leading to helical order. We investigate an extended
Ginzburg-Landau theory of such systems where the helical order is destabilized
in favor of crystalline phases. These crystalline phases are based on periodic
arrangements of double-twist cylinders and are strongly reminiscent of blue
phases in liquid crystals. We discuss the relevance of such blue phases for the
phase diagram of the chiral ferromagnet MnSi.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures (published version
Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics in Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors
We present a dynamical model that successfully explains the observed time
evolution of the magnetization in diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum wells
after weak laser excitation. Based on the pseudo-fermion formalism and a second
order many-particle expansion of the exact p-d exchange interaction, our
approach goes beyond the usual mean-field approximation. It includes both the
sub-picosecond demagnetization dynamics and the slower relaxation processes
which restore the initial ferromagnetic order in a nanosecond time scale. In
agreement with experimental results, our numerical simulations show that,
depending on the value of the initial lattice temperature, a subsequent
enhancement of the total magnetization may be observed within a time scale of
few hundreds of picoseconds.Comment: Submitted to PR
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