On the Numerical Integration of Singular Initial and Boundary Value Problems for Generalised Lane-Emden and Thomas-Fermi Equations

We propose a geometric approach for the numerical integration of singular initial value problems for (systems of) quasi-linear differential equations. It transforms the original problem into the problem of computing the unstable manifold at a stationary point of an associated vector field and thus into one which can be solved in an efficient and robust manner. Using the shooting method, our approach also works well for boundary value problems. As examples, we treat some (generalised) Lane-Emden equations and the Thomas-Fermi equation.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figure

Distribution and Excretion of BisGMA in Guinea Pigs

Bisphenol-A-glycidyldimethacrylate (BisGMA) is used in many resin-based dental materials. It was shown in vitro that BisGMA was released into the adjacent biophase from such materials during the first days after placement. In this study, the uptake, distribution, and excretion of [14C]BisGMA applied via gastric and intravenous administration (at dose levels well above those encountered in dental care) were examined in vivo in guinea pigs to test the hypothesis that BisGMA reaches cytotoxic levels in mammalian tissues. [14C]BisGMA was taken up rapidly from the stomach and intestine after gastric administration and was widely distributed in the body following administration by each route. Most [14C] was excreted within one day as 14CO2. The peak equivalent BisGMA levels in guinea pig tissues examined were at least 1000-fold less than known toxic levels. The peak urine level in guinea pigs that received well in excess of the body-weightadjusted dose expected in humans was also below known toxic levels. The study therefore did not support the hypothesis

Singularities of Algebraic Differential Equations

We combine algebraic and geometric approaches to general systems of algebraic ordinary or partial differential equations to provide a unified framework for the definition and detection of singularities of a given system at a fixed order. Our three main results are firstly a proof that even in the case of partial differential equations regular points are generic. Secondly, we present an algorithm for the effective detection of all singularities at a given order or, more precisely, for the determination of a regularity decomposition. Finally, we give a rigorous definition of a regular differential equation, a notion that is ubiquitous in the geometric theory of differential equations, and show that our algorithm extracts from each prime component a regular differential equation. Our main algorithmic tools are on the one hand the algebraic resp. differential Thomas decomposition and on the other hand the Vessiot theory of differential equations.Comment: 45 pages, 5 figure

Emerging Affect Detection Methodologies in VR and future directions.

The uses of Virtual reality are constantly evolving, from healthcare treatments to evaluating commercial products, all of which would benefit from a better understanding of the emotional state of the individual. There is ongoing research into developing specially adapted methods for the recognition of the user’s affect while immersed within Virtual Reality. This paper outlines the approaches attempted and the available methodologies that embed sensors into wearable devices for real-time affect detection. These emerging technologies are introducing innovative ways of studying and interpreting emotion related data produced within immersive experience

Using Facial Gestures to Drive Narrative in VR

We developed an exploratory VR environment, where spatial features and narratives can be manipulated in real time by the facial and head gestures of the user. We are using the Faceteq prototype, exhibited in 2017, as the interactive interface. Faceteq consists of a wearable technology that can be adjusted on commercial HMDs for measuring facial expressions and biometric responses. Faceteq project was founded with the aim to provide a human-centred additional tool for affective human-computer interaction. The proposed demo will exhibit the hardware and the functionality of the demo in real time

FACETEQ interface demo for emotion expression in VR

© 2017 IEEE.Faceteq prototype v.05 is a wearable technology for measuring facial expressions and biometric responses for experimental studies in Virtual Reality. Developed by Emteq Ltd laboratory, Faceteq can enable new avenues for virtual reality research through combination of high performance patented dry sensor technologies, proprietary algorithms and real-time data acquisition and streaming. Emteq founded the Faceteq project with the aim to provide a human-centered additional tool for emotion expression, affective human-computer interaction and social virtual environments. The proposed demonstration will exhibit the hardware and its functionality by allowing attendees to experience three of the showcasing applications we developed this year

FACETEQ; A novel platform for measuring emotion in VR

FaceTeq prototype v.05 is a wearable technology for measuring facial expressions and biometric responses for experimental studies in Virtual Reality. Developed by Emteq Ltd laboratory, FaceTeq can enable new avenues for virtual reality research through combination of high performance patented dry sensor technologies, proprietary algorithms and real-time data acquisition and streaming. FaceTeq project was founded with the aim to provide a human-centred additional tool for emotion expression, affective human-computer interaction and social virtual environments. The proposed poster will exhibit the hardware and its functionality

Towards valence detection from EMG for Virtual Reality applications

The current practical restraints for facial expression recognition in Virtual Reality (VR) led to the development of a novel wearable interface called Faceteq. Our team designed a pilot feasibility study to explore the effect of spontaneous facial expressions on eight EMG sensors, incorporated on the Faceteq interface. Thirty-four participants took part in the study where they watched a sequence of video stimuli while self-rating their emotional state. After a specifically designed signal pre-processing, we aimed to classify the responses into three classes (negative, neutral, positive). A C-SVM classifier was cross-validated for each participant, reaching an out-of-sample average accuracy of 82.5%. These preliminary results have encouraged us to enlarge our dataset and incorporate data from different physiological signals to achieve automatic detection of combined arousal and valence states for VR applications

Photometric Monitoring of Open Clusters I. The Survey

Open clusters, which have age, abundance, and extinction information from studies of main-sequence turn off stars, are the ideal location in which to determine the mass-luminosity-radius relation for low-mass stars. We have undertaken a photometric monitoring survey of open clusters in the Galaxy designed to detect low-mass eclipsing binary systems through variations in their relative light curves. Our aim is to provide an improved calibration of the mass-luminosity-radius relation for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, to test stellar structure and evolution models, and to help quantify the contribution of low-mass stars to the global mass census in the Galaxy. In this paper we present our survey, describing the data and outlining the analysis techniques. We study six nearby open clusters, with a range of ages from $\sim 0.2$ to 4 Gyr and metallicities from approximately solar to -0.2dex. We monitor a field-of-view of > 1 square degree per target cluster, well beyond the characteristic cluster radius, over timescales of hours, days, and months with a sampling rate optimised for the detection of eclipsing binaries with periods of hours to days. Our survey depth is designed to detect eclipse events in a binary with a primary star of \lesssim 0.3~M_{\sun}. Our data have a photometric precision of $\sim 3$ mmag at $I\approx 16$.Comment: 50 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in A