Algorithms for network piecewise-linear programs

In this paper a subarea of Piecewise-Linear Programming named network Piecewise-Linear Programming (NPLP) is discussed. Initially the problem formulation, main efinitins and related Concepts are presented. In the sequence of the paper, four specialized algorithms for NPLP, as well as the results of a preliminary computational study, are presented

Designing Our City

The exhibition presented design-oriented research to offer an alternative future vision to that of tile City of Sydney's Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan, The work, developed in Masters of Architecture Studio, was produced in partnership with the School of Architecture (11TS) and the Object Gallery, Contribution Innovation in methodology and New Knowledge. 1was curator of exhibition content and design of artwork layout. Significance The research rationale accepted that the pervasiveness of information economy technologies would, in the hands of today's digitally aware youth, substantially affect the social and political patterns of urban inhabitation and generate new urban programs and forms. The specific methodology employed collection of qualitative and quantitative data, associated with the use of such devices, which was then projectively translated through a range of digital softwares and 'sites', Significant was thatthe act of projective mapping resisted any move towards the projection of professionally valorised and sanctioned precedent form. Counter to those methods employed in many conventional planning instruments, the subsequent emergent urban propositions werepremised on the likely reality of a future condition, Thus the design of, and for, the city was anticipated 011 possible future shifts in patterns of inhabitation, rather than on pre-formed tectonic visions

Dynamic Composite Data Physicalization Using Wheeled Micro-Robots

This paper introduces dynamic composite physicalizations, a new class of physical visualizations that use collections of self-propelled objects to represent data. Dynamic composite physicalizations can be used both to give physical form to well-known interactive visualization techniques, and to explore new visualizations and interaction paradigms. We first propose a design space characterizing composite physicalizations based on previous work in the fields of Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction. We illustrate dynamic composite physicalizations in two scenarios demonstrating potential benefits for collaboration and decision making, as well as new opportunities for physical interaction. We then describe our implementation using wheeled micro-robots capable of locating themselves and sensing user input, before discussing limitations and opportunities for future work

Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatment for Ischemic Heart Disease in Patients with No Option of Revascularization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PMCID: PMC3686792This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Exploring the Possibilities of Embedding Heterogeneous Data Attributes in Familiar Visualizations

Heterogeneous multi-dimensional data are now sufficiently common that they can be referred to as ubiquitous. The most frequent approach to visualizing these data has been to propose new visualizations for representing these data. These new solutions are often inventive but tend to be unfamiliar. We take a different approach. We explore the possibility of extending well-known and familiar visualizations through including Heterogeneous Embedded Data Attributes (HEDA) in order to make familiar visualizations more powerful. We demonstrate how HEDA is a generic, interactive visualization component that can extend common visualization techniques while respecting the structure of the familiar layout. HEDA is a tabular visualization building block that enables individuals to visually observe, explore, and query their familiar visualizations through manipulation of embedded multivariate data. We describe the design space of HEDA by exploring its application to familiar visualizations in the D3 gallery. We characterize these familiar visualizations by the extent to which HEDA can facilitate data queries based on attribute reordering

Organizational learning at nuclear power plants

The Nuclear Power Plant Advisory Panel on Organizational Learning provides channels of communications between the management and organization research projects of the MIT International Program for Enhanced Nuclear Power Plant Safety and plant personnel actively concerned with important operational issues, inside and outside the control room, relevant to safety. The Panel is conceived as an opportunity for plants to share their knowledge and concerns about aspects of management and organization, with a particular emphasis on self-assessment, learning, and the management of change. Further, the Panel seeks to identify opportunities for collaborative research with practical benefits. At the first Panel meeting, 20 representatives from U.S. nuclear power plants and utilities and 14 MIT faculty, research staff, and students explored mutual interests and priorities in order to guide future research efforts. Professor John Carroll introduced the overall MIT research project.Three MIT researchers discussed their proposed research: Professor Alfred Marcus discussed quantitative analyses of improvements in U.S. nuclear power plant safety during the 1980s, and the need to conduct detailed studies of plant improvements and of utility strategies; Dr. Constance Perin discussed how work requires bridging across functions, levels, technical groups, and shifts within a social and cultural system, and proposed to study various plant programs in terms of their vertical relationships and institutional context; Professor John Carroll focused on the analysis of safety-relevant incidents through the application of knowledge distributed among various professional groups in the plant, and the need for research to characterize this knowledge and its relationship to performance enhancement.In addition, Professor Michael Golay discussed the organization and management implications of new reactor technology, and Professor Thomas Kochan summarized research on contractor training and safety in the petrochemical industry. Roundtable groups discussed three topics of their own choosing: configuration control, proactivity and communication with management, and event trending (including root cause analysis and corrective action tracking). A wide-ranging discussion explored topics of mutual interest, their connections to safe operations and their potential for research. A variety of research opportunities were raised and discussed, along with next steps for continued communication between the Panel and MIT

Assessing the Graphical Perception of Time and Speed on 2D+Time Trajectories

We empirically evaluate the extent to which people perceive non-constant time and speed encoded on 2D paths. In our graphical perception study, we evaluate nine encodings from the literature for both straight and curved paths. Visualizing time and speed information is a challenge when the x and y axes already encode other data dimensions, for example when plotting a trip on a map. This is particularly true in disciplines such as time-geography and movement analytics that often require visualizing spatio-temporal trajectories. A common approach is to use 2D+time trajectories, which are 2D paths for which time is an additional dimension. However, there are currently no guidelines regarding how to represent time and speed on such paths. Our study results provide InfoVis designers with clear guidance regarding which encodings to use and which ones to avoid; in particular, we suggest using color value to encode speed and segment length to encode time whenever possible

Frozen mitochondria as rapid water quality bioassay

A rapid and relatively low cost bioassay, usable in routine screening water test has been developed modifying the beef heart mitochondria test. In our experiments, mitochondria (FM22) were frozen at 22 °C, instead of 80 °C (FM80), and their applicability and sensitivity was verified. The oxygen consumption was measured by a Clark elec- trode that was interfaced to a PC to collect test analysis data. Blank tests were carried out to verify the oxygen con- sumption linear fitting. Toxicity tests were performed using pure organic and inorganic compounds, such to verify the FM22 sensitivity. A piecewise regression, through an Excelâ Macro, identified the break-point in the oxygen con- sumption and calculated the toxicity. The IC50s of the tested compounds were calculated and ranged from 0.123 to 0.173 mg/l for heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) and from 0.572 to 10.545 mg/l for organics (benzene, DMSO, DDE, endrin, dichloromethane, chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 1,3-dichlorobenzene). Water effluent samples were then tested. The FM22 gave different toxic reactions to them. Water samples were characterised for heavy metals. The FM22 bioassay had a higher sensitivity than the FM80 and a high reproducibility in the toxicity test with pure compounds. The FM22 test was a good predictor of toxicity for water samples; the bioassay is easy, low cost and rapid, then usable for routine tests

Cost of Farm Crops

The present bulletin is an inquiry into the Cost of Farm Crops, as produced at the State Experiment Station, under the following conditions: 1. The crops were treated substantially as upon the farms ordinarily found in our state. 2. The labor was all charged against the fields at the uniform rate of 15 cents an hour for each man and team, or at the rate of $3 per day of ten hours. 3. Substitute the farmer anywhere in the state for the Experiment Station and charge his time and that of his team at the same rate, and the conditions, except soil and climate, are identical. The fields on which records are prepared and which enter into this bulletjn are as follows: Field No. I-Corn -- Field No. 2-Corn and hay -- Field No.3-Hay. -- Field No.6-Hay -- Field No.7-Wheat, oats, and rye. -- Field No.8-Corn

Subjectivity in personal storytelling with visualization

In this article we explore visualization for personal storytelling and investigate techniques for communicating subjective experiences in personal visual narratives. Personal stories are often subjective and storytellers omit, make up, or embellish details to craft engaging stories or to communicate a perspective. As growing personal data collections allow individuals to leverage visualizations, we explore how personal visual narratives can express subjectivity. From an analysis of personal visualizations created by data enthusiasts, designers and artists, we collect techniques for deliberately expressing subjectivity during data collection, processing, visual encoding, and presentation. Our results prompt a discussion about the role and potential of subjectivity in personal visual storytelling