Non-myopic multipoint multifidelity Bayesian framework for multidisciplinary design

The adoption of high-fidelity models in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) permits to enhance the identification of superior design configurations, but would prohibitively rise the demand for computational resources and time. Multifidelity Bayesian Optimization (MFBO) efficiently combines information from multiple models at different levels of fidelity to accelerate the MDO procedure. State-of-the-art MFBO methods currently meet two major limitations: i) the sequential adaptive sampling precludes parallel computations of high-fidelity models, and ii) the search scheme measures the utility of new design evaluations only at the immediate next iteration. This paper proposes a Non-Myopic Multipoint Multifidelity Bayesian Optimization (NM3-BO) algorithm to sensitively accelerate MDO overcoming the limitations of standard methods. NM3-BO selects a batch of promising design configurations to be evaluated in parallel, and quantifies the expected long-term improvement of these designs at future steps of the optimization. Our learning scheme leverages an original acquisition function based on the combination of a two-step lookahead policy and a local penalization strategy to measure the future utility achieved evaluating multiple design configurations simultaneously. We observe that the proposed framework permits to sensitively accelerate the MDO of a space vehicle and outperforms popular algorithms

Optimal rank matrix algebras preconditioners

When a linear system Ax = y is solved by means of iterative methods (mainly CG and GMRES) and the convergence rate is slow, one may consider a preconditioner P and move to the preconditioned system P-1 Ax = P(-1)y. The use of such preconditioner changes the spectrum of the matrix defining the system and could result into a great acceleration of the convergence rate. The construction of optimal rank preconditioners is strongly related to the possibility of splitting A as A = P R E. where E is a small perturbation and R is of low rank (Tyrtyshnikov, 1996) [1]. In the present work we extend the black-dot algorithm for the computation of such splitting for P circulant (see Oseledets and Tyrtyshnikov, 2006 [2]), to the case where P is in A, for several known low-complexity matrix algebras A. The algorithm so obtained is particularly efficient when A is Toeplitz plus Hankel like. We finally discuss in detail the existence and the properties of the decomposition A = P+R+E when A is Toeplitz, also extending to the phi-circulant and Hartley-type cases some results previously known for P circulant

Testicular endocrine activity is upregulated by D-Aspartic acid in the green frog Rana esculenta

This study investigated the involvement of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) in testicular steroidogenesis of the green frog Rana esculenta and its effect on stimulation of thumb pad morphology and glandular activity, a typical testosterone-dependent secondary sexual characteristic in this amphibian species. In the testis, D-Asp concentrations vary significantly during the reproductive cycle: they are low in pre- and post-reproductive periods, but reach peak levels in the reproductive period (140-236 nmol/g wet tissue). Moreover, the concentrations of D-Asp in the testis through the sexual cycle positively match the testosterone levels in the gonad and the plasma. The racemase activity evaluated during the cycle expresses its peak when D-Asp and testosterone levels are highest, that is, during the reproductive period, confirming the synthesis of D-Asp from L-Asp by an aspartate racemase. Short-term in vivo experiments consisting of a single injection of D-Asp (2.0 micro mol/g body weight) demonstrated that this amino acid accumulates significantly in the testis, and after 3 h its uptake is coupled with a testosterone increase in both testis and plasma. Moreover, within 18 h of amino acid administration, the D-Asp concentration in the testis decreased along with the testosterone titer to prestimulation levels. Other amino acids (L-Asp, D-Glu and L-Glu) used instead of D-Asp were ineffective, confirming that the significant increase in testicular testosterone was a specific feature of this amino acid. In long-term experiments, D-Asp had been administered chronically to frogs caught during the three phases of the reproductive cycle, inducing testosterone increase and 17beta-estradiol decrease in the gonad during the pre- and post-reproductive period, and vice versa during the reproductive period

Circulating microRNAs: next-generation biomarkers for early lung cancer detection

Early diagnosis of lung cancer by low-dose computed tomography is an effective strategy to reduce cancer mortality in high-risk individuals. However, recruitment of at-risk individuals with asymptomatic lung cancer still remains challenging. We developed a minimal invasive serum test, based on the detection of circulating microRNAs, which can identify at-risk individuals with asymptomatic early stage non-small cell lung carcinomas with 80% accuracy

Proposal of a new simplified coulomb friction model applied to electrohydraulic servomechanisms

The design of electro-hydraulic servomechanisms characterized by high precision requirements generally needs adequate knowledge of its characteristics, and, in particular, of nonlinear phenomena. Among these, Coulomb's frictional forces acting on the mechanical elements in relative motion are critical to guarantee an implementation capable of respecting the accuracy requirements. The correct evaluation of this phenomenon allows understanding the behaviour of the physical system considered, to estimate its performance by implementing it in a simulation environment, and to design new devices taking into account the relative constraints. Accurate modelling and simulation of the considered system generally imply the use of high order dynamic models (typically, of second-order nonlinear or higher). However, under certain conditions, it is possible (and advisable) to simplify the mathematical structure of the numerical model, degrading it to a simple first-order, reducing its complexity and computational cost and, nevertheless, still obtaining results comparable with higher-order models. In this paper, the authors propose a new computational model capable of being implemented within these degraded numerical models, allowing them to simulate the main effects due to dry frictions (Coulomb's model). This first-order dynamic model is compared with the corresponding second-order ones to evaluate their performances in different scenarios

Six Years of ScoX-1 Monitoring with BeppoSAX Wide Field Cameras

We performed a systematic analysis of 54 Wide Field Camera (WFC) observations of ScoX-1 available in the BeppoSAX public archive. Observations span over the six years of BeppoSAX mission lifetime and include 690 hr of data. We searched for shifts and shape changes of the Z pattern in the color-color diagrams. We find that the Z pattern occupies most of the time the same locus in the color-color diagram. There are however a few exceptions, which are discussed in detail.Comment: 4 Pages, 4 figures. To appear in Proc. of the BeppoSAX Symposium: "The Restless High-Energy Universe", E.P.J. van den Heuvel, J.J.M. in 't Zand, and R.A.M.J. Wijers (Eds

Adaptive matrix algebras in unconstrained minimization

In this paper we study adaptive L(k)QNmethods, involving special matrix algebras of low complexity, to solve general (non-structured) unconstrained minimization problems. These methods, which generalize the classical BFGS method, are based on an iterative formula which exploits, at each step, an ad hocchosen matrix algebra L(k). A global convergence result is obtained under suitable assumptions on f

Nonclassical Light in Interferometric Measurements

It is shown that the even and odd coherent light and other nonclassical states of light like superposition of coherent states with different phases may replace the squeezed light in interferometric gravitational wave detector to increase its sensitivity. (Contribution to the Second Workshop on Harmonic Oscillator, Cocoyoc, Mexico, March 1994)Comment: 8 pages,LATEX,preprint of Naples University, INFN-NA-IV-94/30,DSF-T-94/3

An exploratory study of the hard X-ray variability properties of PG quasars with RXTE

We have monitored with the RXTE PCA the variability pattern of the 2-20 keV flux in four PG quasars (QSOs) from the Laor et al. (1994) sample. Six observations of each target at regular intervals of 1 day were performed. The sample comprises objects with extreme values of Balmer line width (and hence soft X-ray steepness) and spans about one order of magnitude in luminosity. The most robust result is that the variability amplitude decreases as energy increases. Several options for a possible ultimate driver of the soft and hard X-ray variability, such as the influx rate of Comptonizing relativistic particles, instabilities in the accretion flow or the number of X-ray active sites, are consistent with our results.Comment: Contributed talk presented at the Joint MPE,AIP,ESO workshop on NLS1s, Bad Honnef, Dec. 1999, to appear in New Astronomy Reviews; also available at http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/conferences/nls1-worksho