Spectral Decomposition of the Tent Map with Varying Height

The generalized spectral decomposition of the Frobenius-Perron operator of the tent map with varying height is determined at the band-splitting points. The decomposition includes both decay onto the attracting set and the approach to the asymptotically periodic state on the attractor. Explicit compact expressions for the polynomial eigenstates are obtained using algebraic techniques.Comment: 39 pages, 7 figures, in LATeX with embedded PS figure

Reaping What They Sow: The Basmati Rice Controversy and Strategies for Protecting Traditional Knowledge

Traditional knowledge (TK) is a form of intellectual production that is a source of economic and cultural value, especially for local communities in developing countries. Yet, a legal gap exists between the kinds of protections afforded by existing intellectual property (IP) law and TK. This legal gap poses serious consequences for trade relations and the relations between developing and developed countries. Using the controversy in which the U.S.-based RiceTec Company attempted to gain IP rights over basmati rice derived from traditional sources, this Note explains the legal gap that exists and how it manifested itself in U.S. IP law. This Note also argues that TK products like basmati rice, while not strong candidates to receive patent protection, are strong candidates to receive geographical indication protection

Snapshot: Trial Types in Precision Medicine.

Integrating precision diagnostics into personalized treatments requires understanding how biomarkers relate to clinical outcomes. Various clinical data collection methods exist, each with strengths and weaknesses. Interventional data are high quality but narrowly focused. Real-world data (RWD) provide broader information but with variable quality. Master protocols allow better efficiency in data collection. The master observational trial bridges the gap between interventional and retrospective RWD collection methods. To view this SnapShot, open or download the PDF

Classification of Typed Characters Using Backpropagation Neural Network

This thesis concentrates on classification of typed characters using a neural network. Recognition of typed or printed characters using intelligent methods like neural network has found much application in the recent decades. The ability of moment invariants to represent characters independent of position, size and orientation have caused them to be proposed as pattern sensitive features in classification and recognition of these characters. In this research, uppercase English characters is represented by invariant features derived using functions of regular moments, namely Hu invariants. Moments up to the third order have been used for the recognition of these typed characters. A single layer perceptron artificial neural network trained by the backpropagation algorithm is used to classify these characters into their respective categories. Experimental study conducted with three different fonts commonly used in word processing applications shows good classification results. Some suggestions for further work in this area have also been presented

Backward whirl in a simple rotor supported on hydrodynamic bearings

The asymmetric nature of the fluid film stiffness and damping properties in rotors supported on fluid film bearings causes a forward or a backward whirl depending on the bearing parameters and the speed of the rotor. A rotor was designed to exhibit backward synchronous whirl. The rotor-bearing system exhibited split criticals, and a backward whirl was observed between the split criticals. The orbital diagrams show the whirl pattern

Investigation of VEGGIE Root Mat

VEGGIE is a plant growth facility that utilizes the phenomenon of capillary action as its primary watering system. A cloth made of Meta Aramid fiber, known as Nomex is used to wick water up from a reservoir to the bottom of the plants roots. This root mat system is intended to be low maintenance with no moving parts and requires minimal crew interface time. Unfortunately, the water wicking rates are inconsistent throughout the plant life cycle, thus causing plants to die. Over-wicking of water occurs toward the beginning of the cycle, while under-wicking occurs toward the middle. This inconsistency of wicking has become a major issue, drastically inhibiting plant growth. The primary objective is to determine the root cause of the inconsistent wicking through experimental testing. Suspect causes for the capillary water column to break include: a vacuum effect due to a negative pressure gradient in the water reservoir, contamination of material due to minerals in water and back wash from plant fertilizer, induced air bubbles while using syringe refill method, and material limitations of Nomex's ability to absorb and retain water. Experimental testing will be conducted to systematically determine the cause of under and over-wicking. Pressure gages will be used to determine pressure drop during the course of the plant life cycle and during the water refill process. A debubbler device will be connected to a root mat in order to equalize pressure inside the reservoir. Moisture and evaporation tests will simultaneously be implemented to observe moisture content and wicking rates over the course of a plant cycle. Water retention tests will be performed using strips of Nomex to determine materials wicking rates, porosity, and absorptivity. Through these experimental tests, we will have a better understanding of material properties of Nomex, as well as determine the root cause of water column breakage. With consistent test results, a forward plan can be achieved to resolve the issue and give valuable insight for the next generation of VEGGIE

Agenator: An open source computer-controlled dry aging system for beef

Dry aging of beef is a process where beef is exposed to a controlled environment with the ultimate goal of drying the beef to improve its quality and value. Comprehensive investigations into the effects of various environmental conditions on dry aging are crucial for understanding and optimizing the process, but the lack of affordable equipment focused on data collection makes it difficult to do so. The Agenator was thus developed as an open source system with a suite of features for investigating dry aging such as: measuring and recording relative humidity, temperature, mass, air velocity, and fan rotational speed; precise control within 1% for relative humidity and 50 rpm for fan rotational speed; robust signal integrity preservation and data recovery features; modular design for easy addition and removal of individual chamber units; and non-permanent fixtures to allow easy adaptation of the system for other applications such as investigating dehydration of food products. The open source system comes with user-friendly computer software for interfacing with the system and creating sophisticated environmental control programs. The Agenator is available to the public at https://osf.io/87nck/

The Master Observational Trial: A New Class of Master Protocol to Advance Precision Medicine.

This commentary introduces a new clinical trial construct, the Master Observational Trial (MOT), which hybridizes the power of molecularly based master interventional protocols with the breadth of real-world data. The MOT provides a clinical venue to allow molecular medicine to rapidly advance, answers questions that traditional interventional trials generally do not address, and seamlessly integrates with interventional trials in both diagnostic and therapeutic arenas. The result is a more comprehensive data collection ecosystem in precision medicine

STRUCTURE OF BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE-7,12-DIONE

C18H1002, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 10.918 (1), b = 11.369(1), c = 19.850(1)A, /~= 97.224(7) ° , U = 2444.4 A 3, Z = 8, D,n = 1.41 (2), D c = 1.403 Mg m -3, F(000) = 1072, 2(CuKa) = 1.5418/~, ~t = 0.742 mm -1. 2253 reflections were measured, of which 1039 had significant intensities. Refinement converged to a final R of 0.045. The molecule is approximately planar. Ring C is significantly non-delocalized. Bonds C(3)-C(4) and C(5)-C(6) are short, and indicate pronounced olefinic character for these bonds

H-E-Super Magic Decomposition of Graphs

An H-magic labeling in an H-decomposable graph G is a bijection f:V(G) U E(G) --> {1,2, … ,p+q} such that for every copy H in the decomposition, $\sum\limits_{v\in V(H)} f(v)+\sum\limits_{e\in E(H)} f(e)$ is constant. The function f is said to be H-E-super magic if f(E(G)) = {1,2, … ,q}. In this paper, we study some basic properties of m-factor-E-super magic labelingand we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for an even regular graph to be 2-factor-E-super magic decomposable. For this purpose, we use Petersen\u27s theorem and magic squares